April 27, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 27 APRIL 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Six B-24s drop fragmentation bombs on the Kataoka naval base, a single B-24 hits Minami Cape and another flies a radar-ferret mission.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 5 B-25s and 70+ fighter bombers attack bridges, positions, villages and town areas, gun emplacements, and river, road, and rail traffic at many points in S and E China chiefly around Fantung.

China: Chinese Army materially assisted by air, are maintaining defensive positions before Ankang and Sian air bases and gradually taking the offensive.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 37 P-38s and P-47s hit troop concentrations in the Wan Pong and Nawng Leng areas; 12 other fighter bombers sweep roads S of the bomb line; transports complete 408 sorties throughout the day, landing or dropping 618 tons of supplies at forward bases and frontline areas; the 166th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Meiktila to Toungoo with UC-64s and L-5s.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Eleven B-24s from Guam based bomb Woleai.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Missions 108 to 113: 109 B-29s strike airfields at Izumi, Miyazaki, Kokubu, Miyakonojo, Kanoya, and Kushira on Kyushu; 3 B-29s hit targets of opportunity; 2 bombers are lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon, B-25s attack Japanese installations at Cabatuan, La-lo, and Garit Norte; A-20s hit towns throughout the area; in S Luzon, fighter-bombers and A-20s hit targets E of Manila, in the Legaspi area, and at other scattered points. B-24s hit Jesselton Airfield and B-25s bomb Tarakan. B-24s bomb Mandai Airfield and other B-24s hit Soerabaja. The 550th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command (attached to 85th Fighter Wing), based at Tacloban with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, sends a detachment to operate from Zamboanga. Ditched is A-20G 43-21390 (pilot rescued, 2 MIA).

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, liberates Baguio as columns of 37th Divisoin and 33d Divisoin converge on the summer capital. 2d Bn of 27th Inf, 25th Div, reinf by Co B of 35th Inf, starts S along Kapintalan Ridge, where Japanese are firmly entrenched, in effort to make contact with 1st Bn of 35th Inf, which is working N along it. 3d Bn, 27th Inf, continues to clear Mt Myoko. 2d Bn, 35th Inf, gains ridge 600 yards N of Fishhook. In XI Corps area, RCT 145 (attached to 6th Div), assisted by air and arty, gains crest of Mt Pacawagan. In XIV Corps area, 1st and 3d Bns, RCT 158, make contact on main ridge of Cituinan hill mass. 11th A/B Div, with close air and fire support, launches co-ordinated assault on Mt Mataasna Bundoc, final organized enemy position in S Luzon, frustrating enemy plans to withdraw. Some ground is gained against firm opposition.

In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, Gen Eichelberger draws up plan of attack to clear rest of Mindanao. Japanese apparently intend to make a final stand in hills NW of Davao City. 162d Inf, 41st Div, will move up from Zamboanga to guard communication lines and thus free X Corps to press attack. RCT 108, 40th Div, is to land at Macajalar Bay and move S along Sayre Highway to establish contact with 31st Div forces moving N, thus splitting the island. In order to make a double envelopment of Davao area, elements of 24th Div are to drive N along Davao Gulf from Digos and units of 31st Div are to press SE from Kibawe area on Sayre Highway. Forward elements of 34th Inf, 24th Div, reach crossroads at Digos and are held up by enemy. Aircraft and arty pound the strongpoint. 2d Bn of 124th Inf, 31st Div, starts up Sayre Highway toward its junction with Kibawe-Talomo Trail; at 2200 clashes with enemy force of bn size moving forward to attack and virtually destroys it by dawn of 28th. On Negros, forward elements of 2d Bn, 164th Inf, reach ridge leading to Palimpinon. 1st Bn scouts region W of Dumaguete City.

On Okinawa, in U.S. Tenth Army area, XXIV Corps takes control of 77th Div. Some 27th Div elements fight vigorously for limited gains in Yafusu area while others virtually eliminate Item Pocket. 96th Div, although assisted by tanks and armored flame throwers, makes slow progress in center of corps, especially on right, where Japanese continue tenacious defense of Maeda Escarpment; some elements gain saddle between 2 hills on the escarpment and others work forward through Maeda village. 17th Inf, 7th Div, is still held up at Kochi Ridge strongpoint and assault bns--1st and 2d--are unable to gain contact.

U.S. Navy: Japanese begin 2-day series of strong air attacks against shipping in Okinawa area. Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Ralph Talbot (DD-390), 26°00'N, 128°00'E; destroyer escort England (DE-635), 26°40'N, 127°40'E; and high speed transport Rathburne (APD-25), 26°26'N, 127°36'E; heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45) is damaged by shore battery, 26°14'N, 127°50'E; destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) is damaged by friendly fire, 26°21'N, 127°43'E. A kamikaze also crashes U.S. freighter Canada Victory killing one merchant officer and two of the 27-man Armed Guard; Canada Victory sinks, the survivors swimming to nearby attack transport Lauderdale (APA-179).

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.31 Yusen Maru is sunk by aircraft off Amami-Oshima.

USAAF mine laid that same day sinks Japanese cargo vessel Kaiho Maru at western entrance of Shimonoseki Strait, 34°00'N, 130°50'E.

RAAF: After midnight Liberator A72-133 ditched off Sumba Island (Soemba Island) with the entire crew captured as Prisoners Of War (POW).

IJN: Two torpedo bombers: B5N2 Kate pilot Takahashi and B5N2 Kate pilot Nagai (MIA) attack two American "aircraft carriers", actually floating dry docks in Seealder Harbor. During their attack, an aerial torpedo hit Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock 4 (AFDB-4) in the the rear pontoon damaging it.