WEDNESDAY, 18 APRIL 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, three B-25s hit trucks and other
targets of opportunity east of Siangtan; 52 P-51s and P-40s attack river shipping,
town areas, rail and road traffic, tanks, and bridges at several S and E China
locations including Sinhwa, Hengyang, Changsha, Luchai, Paoching, Kweiyang,
Yenkou, Sinning, and Siangtan.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 21 P-38s attack troop concentration,
tanks, artillery positions, and a bivouac area near Man Li and Kongsam; 5 P-61s
hit a supply area W of Laihka; transports land or drop 806 tons of supplies
at forward bases and frontline areas.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, Ind 5th Div completes clearing Shwemyo Bluff and drives S on Pyinmana.
AAFPOA (VII Fighter Command): During the night of 18/19 Apr, 3 Iwo Jima based
P-61s flying individual strikes, bomb and strafe Futamiko and the radio station
on Chichi Jima.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Missions 76 to 81: 112 B-29s hit Japanese airfields
at Tachiarai, Izumi, Kokubu, Nittagahara, and 2 at Kanoya, the same targets
attacked yesterday; 13 other B-29s hit targets of opportunity; 2 B-29s are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa B-25s
bomb Karenko Airfield, B-24s hit Tainan Airfield, Giran Airfield, Toyohara Airfield, Hobi Airfield and Soton Airfield. P-38s on sweeps hit rail and road transportation. Fighter bombers and A-20s
hit the Balete
Pass area and support ground forces on Luzon, Negros, and Cebu. B-24s bomb Piso Point on Mindanao. B-25s and P-38s
hit Tarakan and Sandakan. Headquarters, 58th Fighter Group and 310th Fighter Squadron move
from Mangaldan to Porac with P-47s.
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army area, assault forces of RCT 158 attacking Cituinan Hill from N and S are 2,000 yards apart. 2d Bn, having turned over responsibility for mopping up Sorsogon Province to guerrillas, gets into position near Malabog to attack the hill from E. In I Corps area, 148th Inf of 37th Div fights for ridges astride Highway 9 near Irisan bridge site, clearing one and part of another. In Mt Myoko sector, some elements of 27th Inf, 25th Div, continue efforts to clear hill 300 yards N of the Wart while others attack toward hill 600 yards from the Wart. In XI Corps area, 145th Inf of 37th Div and 20th Inf of 6th Div complete exchange of sectors. 145th Inf, now responsible for Novaliches watershed area, is directed to attack toward Mt Pacawagan, about 3,000 yards N of Mt Mataba, on 21st. Mt Pacawagan commands approaches to Wawa. 1st Inf, 6th Div, takes high ground overlooking Mariquina R after costly fighting. 38th Div patrol enters Fort Drum a burned out shell and finds 69 enemy dead. In XIV Corps area, 187th Inf of 11th A/B Div renews attack on Mt Macolod and gains positions on SE slope.
In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army area, X Corps CP opens at Parang on Mindanao, and Gen Sibert assumes command ashore. 24th Div begins amphibious and overland drives on Fort Pikit en route to Kabacan road junction, a key position. 2d Bn, 21st Inf, and force from 533d Engr Boat and Shore Regt, divided into 2 groups, make amphibious drives up 2 branches of Mindanao R and take Cotabato and Tamontaca without opposition; elements continue upstream and seize undefended Lomopog, 22 miles from Cotabato. RCT 19 starts overland drive southward along Highway 1, aided after nightfall by illumination of naval star shells. On Negros, 40th Div, assisted by aircraft, continues assault on strong enemy defense positions, making slow progress. 185th Inf inches forward from the tank trap in its sector. Elements of 160th reach military crest of Hill 3155 but are forced to withdraw. On Palawan, elements of Co G, 186th Inf, 41st Div, in shore-to-shore operation, secure Balabac I., off S tip of Palawan.
On Ie Shima, one of the most famous journalist covering World War II, Ernest "Ernie" Pyle is fatally shot at the outskirts of Ie (Ie Town). 77th Div continues to make main effort against Bloody Ridge from S and W with 307th Inf helped by 305th, but vicious opposition makes progress very slow. 1st Bn, 305th Inf, is attached to 307th to protect right flank. 3d Bn, 305th, drives into Ie town but pulls back to more tenable positions in outskirts. 306th Inf makes substantial progress against lighter opposition in region N of Iegusugu, pushing eastward to line from NE base of Iegusugu to NE coast. Disabled B-29 lands on Okinawa. U.S. Tenth Army CP opens ashore on Okinawa. In III Amphib Corps area, marines pursue enemy northward across Itomi-Manna road; subsequently patrol extensively and reduce bypassed pockets in N Okinawa. In XXIV Corps area, Co G of 106th Inf, 27th Div, in preparation for main attack of corps on 19th, crosses Machinato Inlet secretly, starting at 1630, and secures Machinato village to enable engineers to bridge the inlet. A footbridge is completed by midnight and 106th Inf troops start across it without arousing enemy.
U.S. Navy: Off Okinawa, light cruiser USS Mobile (CL-63) is damaged by an internal explosion, 26°13'N, 127°52'E; light minelayer Tolman (DM-28) is damaged by grounding, 26°16'N, 127°32'E; and tank landing ship LST-929 is damaged in collision with tank landing ship LST-267, 26°21'N, 127°43'20"E.
Destroyers Heermann (DD-532), McCord (DD-534), Mertz (DD-691), and Collett (DD-730), assisted by destroyer Uhlmann (DD-687) and TBM (VT 47) from small carrier Bataan (CVL-29) sink Japanese submarine I 56 150 miles east of Okinawa, 26°42'N, 130°38'E.
Submarine Seahorse (SS-304) is damaged by depth charges in Tsushima Strait, 33°45'N, 128°26'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.
Submarine Sea Owl (SS-405) sinks Japanese submarine RO 46 500 yards off Wake Island 19°17'N, 166°35'E.
Japanese transport Teizui Maru (ex-German Mosel) is sunk by mine near western entrance to Shimonoseki Strait, 34°04'N, 130°50'E.
