SUNDAY, 29 APRIL 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Twelve B-25s attempting to bomb targets in the Kuriles abort due to a weather front. Six B-24s radar-bomb Kataoka naval base on Shimushu.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 3 B-25s and 4 P-47s blast targets
at the Taiyuan railroad yards; about 50 fighter-bombers, operating in forces
of 1 to 4 aircraft, blast numerous targets of opportunity in S and E China,
hitting especially the Fantung area.
China: By this time 15,624 men of Chinese New Sixth Army are at Chihchiang. Detachment of Ch 14th Div reaches Ankiang within next few days.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 5 P-47s attack Laihka Airfield;
6 others strafe troops and horses at Tadamo; transports fly 427 sorties to forward
areas, landing or dropping 537 tons of supplies. Unit moves: 81st Bombardment
Squadron (Medium), 12th Bombardment Group (Medium), ceases operating from Meiktila with B-25s and returns to base at Fenny; 317th Troop Carrier Squadron
(Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, based at Kalaikunda, India with C-47s, sends
a detachment to operate from Akyab Airfield.
Burma: In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, Ind 17th Div reaches outskirts of Pegu.
AAFPOA VII Fighter Command: Twenty P-47s from Saipan sweep Truk,
strafing airfields, defenses, and gun positions on Moen and Param and
hit Param and Falas with rockets. Seventh Air Force: 24 Guam-based
B-24s subsequently attack the same airfields as the fighters. Twenty B-24s,
operating in two forces, pound Marcus Airfield.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Missions 120 to 125: 111 B-29s strike airfields
on Kyushu including Miyazaki, Miyakonojo, Kokubu, two runways at Kanoya, and
Kushira Airfield; they claim nearly 30 Japanese aircraft shot down; 2 B-29s
are lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: In support of ground
forces on Luzon, fighter-bombers hit troop concentrations, supply areas,
pillboxes, gun positions, vehicles, and other targets mainly in the Balete
Pass, Baguio, and Echague areas and A-20s hit the New Bosoboso area, where
fighters
also support ground forces concentrating in the Ipo Dam area. In Borneo, B-24s
pound Kuching Airfield while B-25s bomb Tarakan. Other B-24s hit Langoan Airfield, Mandai Airfield, and Mapanget Airfield. P-38s sweep French Indochina and strafe Thu Dau Mot Airfield. The 318th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando),
3d Air Commando Group, moves from Mangaldan to Laoag with C-47s.
U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XIV Corps area, RCT 158, leaving 3d Bn to mop up stragglers in Camalig area, starts northward. 1st Bn advances along Route 1 to Pauili R while 2d Bn, reinf by AT Co, moves along Route 27. 511th Inf, 11th A/B Div, takes its objective, Hill 2610 at Mt Malepunyo hill mass, and Hill 2480, assigned objective of 188th Inf moving down from N.
In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, forward elements of 19th Inf, 24th Div, push through Coronon and Astorga on Mindanao to positions near Darong Airfield. Co K, 34th Inf, arrives in Guma area, NW of Digos, to contain bypassed pocket. On Sayre Highway, 3d Bn of 124th Inf, 31st Div, attacks through 2d Bn, reducing Japanese roadblock and gaining 7,000 yards although enemy has destroyed bridges. On Bohol, 3d Bn (less Co I) of 164th Inf leaves for Cebu. Guerrillas, assisted by Co I, are responsible for completing mop up. Japanese casualties total 104 killed and 16
captured for American losses of 7 killed and 14 wounded. On Negros, 2d Bn, 164th Inf, meets heavy fire as it continues to clear heights near Palimpinon.
On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army's XXIV Corps area on Okinawa, 77th Div begins relief of 96th Div, whose combat efficiency has been sharply reduced by action on Maeda Escarpment in center of corps zone. 307th Inf moves on to top of the escarpment, replacing 381st Inf. 96th Div withstands enemy counterattacks and infiltration attempts all along its line early in day. 383d Inf drives salient toward Shuri, taking Hill 138, from which direct fire can be placed on Shuri. 7th Div is unable to advance in Kochi Ridge sector and suffers heavy casualties from enemy fire. 32d Inf tries in vain to get tanks from the coast to Onaga to ease pressure on 17th Inf at Kochi Ridge.
Lost is L-4 pilot Perkins (MIA) over Okinawa.
USN: Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyers Hazelwood (DD-531), 27°02'N, 129°59'E, and Haggard (DD- 555), 27°01'N, 129°40'E; and light minelayers Shannon (DM-25), 26°00'N, 127°00'E, and Harry F . Bauer (DM-26), 26°47'N, 128°42'E.
Motor minesweeper YMS-51 is damaged by mine off Tarakan, Borneo, 03°18'N, 117°33'E.
TBM (VC 92) from USS Tulagi (CVE-72) sinks Japanese submarine I-44 roughly 220 miles southeast of Okinawa, 24°15'N, 131°16'E.
Submarine Besugo (SS-321) sinks Japanese guardboat Otome Maru southeast of Borneo, 05°45'S, 107°30'E.
Submarine Bream (SS-243) sinks German minesweeper depot ship Quito off Tanjong Puting, Borneo, N.E.I., 04°11'S, 111°17'E.[13]
Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Taishu Maru off Kamaishi, Japan, 39°15'N, 141°58'E.
USAAF B-24s on anti-shipping sweep of Makassar Strait sink Japanese cargo vessel No.5 Hirata Maru in Pamukan Bay, 02°30'S, 116°25'E.
Japanese passenger ferry No.2 Kuroshio (ex-landing ship T.149) is damaged by mine during passage from Singapore to Batavia.
Transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kumikawa Maru is damaged by mine laid by RAAF Catalina off Balikpapan, Borneo.
Merchant cargo ship No.1 Aioi Maru is sunk by mine three miles off Tsunemi.
