April 30, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 30 APRIL 1945

Germany: Grossadmiral Karl Doenitz proclaims himself head of the German state by Hitler's appointment.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 6 B-25s and 9 P-47s hit railroad yards at Taiyuan; 50+ P-47s, P-51s, and P-40s attack troops, defensive positions, bridges, rail targets, and scattered targets of opportunity in S and E China, concentrating around Laohokow, Hsihhsiassuchi, and Loning.

China: Ch 58th Div again falls back under enemy pressure, this time to prepared positions in Wa- wu-tang area.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, bad weather cancels scheduled combat strikes; air supply operations to forward areas continue on a steady basis.

Burma: In ALFSEA's 15 Corps area, main body of DRACULA assault force sails for Rangoon. In Br Fourteenth Army's 4 Corps area, Ind 17th Div breaks into Pegu and begins clearing the city.

AAFPOA VII Fighter Command: In a thorough strafing and rocket strike on several islands of Truk, twenty P-47s from Saipan attack the seaplane base, several small vessels, the airfield, barracks, radio station, and numerous other targets. Long range mission 7: 104 P-51s escort B-29s to hit the Tachikawa Air Depot claiming 0-1-0 Japanese aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost. HQ 318th Fighter Group and the 19th, 73d and 333d Fighter Squadrons move from Saipan to Ie Shima with P-38s.

Seventh Air Force: 24 B-24s from Guam pound the airfields on Moen Airfield and Param Airfield. Twenty-two B-24s, operating in two waves about three hours apart, bomb Marcus Airfield.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Seven missions are flown. Mission 126: 69 B-29s hit the Tachikawa Air Depot; 25 others hit targets of opportunity. The escort is 104 P-51s. Missions 127 to 132: 56 B-29s hit airfields at Kokubu, Oita Airfield, Tomitaka, Saeki, and two runways at Kanoya and Hamamatsu; 2 other B-29s hit targets of opportunity; the B-29s claim 10 aircraft downed.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s hit the Toshien fuel storage and bomb Tainann Airfield, Takao Airfield and Okayama Airfield while B-25s hit Taito; escorting P-38s attack numerous targets of opportunity; and P-51s bomb Okayama Airfield. Numerous missions are flown over Luzon and Negros Islands by B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers in support of the ground forces. B-24s attack the Davao area on Mindanao. In Borneo, P-38s hit Tarakan and B-24s bomb Manggar Airfield. Other B-24s bomb Malimpoeng Airfield on Celebes Island. The 157th and 160th Liaison Squadrons (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group, move from Calasio to Mabalacat with UC-64s and L-5s (the 160th has a detachment operating from Mindoro). Lost on a training flight is P-47D 43-24581 (MIA).

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's XI Corps area, 6th and 38th Divs complete exchange of sectors and 38th Div takes control of RCT 145, 37th Div, on Mt Pacawagan. 152d Inf, 38th Div, is directed to prepare to attack Woodpecker Ridge. XIV Corps overcomes organized resistance in Malepunyo Mt area, but pockets remain to be mopped up.

In the southern Philippines, in U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, 19th Inf of 24th Div advances on Mindanao to within 4 miles of Davao, seizing Daliao airstrip and Talomo; 21st Inf moves forward to follow 19th Inf northward and clear region NW of Talomo R. 3d Bn of 124th Inf, 31st Div, though hampered by rear-guard opposition and demolitions, makes substantial progress up Sayre Highway. On Negros, 1st Bn is ordered to move to Malabo and attack, in order to ease pressure on 2d Bn, 164th Inf, on heights near Palimpinon.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army's XXIV Corps area on Okinawa, 1st Mar Div begins relief of 27th Div on W flank of corps, 1st Marines relieving 165th Inf and probing southward toward Asa R line. 77th Div takes responsibility for 96th Div zone and continues costly battle for Maeda Escarpment. 17th Inf, 7th Div, is still unable to make progress against Kochi Ridge, but 1st Bn of 32d Inf gains positions on ridge SW of Kuhazu.

U.S. Navy: U.S. shipping losses inflicted by enemy during period 26 March to date total: 20 ships sunk, 14 of them by kamikaze planes; 157 damaged, 90 of them by kamikaze planes. The cost to Japanese has been heavy in aircraft. Naval forces destroy more than 1,100 enemy planes in addition to the many shot down by AA guns and aircraft.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Bennion (DD-662), 27°26'N, 127°51'E, and minelayer Terror (CM-5), 26°10'N, 127°18'E. One suicide plane damages U.S. freighter S. Hall Young in Nago Bay; there are no fatalities among the crew, passengers, and 12-man Armed Guard.

Destroyer Jenkins (DD-447) is damaged by mine off Tarakan, Borneo, 03°12'N, 117°37'E.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412), despite proximity of three escorting coast defense ships, attacks Japanese convoy MOSI-05, sinking transport Miho Maru in Yellow Sea, 34°27'N, 123°48'E.

Japanese army tanker Yuno Maru is sunk by mine [laid by submarine Guitarro (SS-363) on 20 April 1945 or Dutch submarine O-19 on 13 April 1945] off east coast of Sumatra, 01°00'S, 104°30'E.

Japanese auxiliary minelayer Nuwashima is damaged by aircraft southeast of Dainyu-Jima, Saeki. Japanese merchant cargo ship No.18 Yamabishi Maru is damaged by mine, off Wakamatsu light.

B-24s (13th Air Force) sink Japanese transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kunikawa Maru (previously damaged by Australian mine) in Balikpapan Bay, 01°15'S, 116°50'E.

USMC: The 1st Marine Division was attached to the XXIV Corps, USA, and began moving south to relieve the 27th Army Division.

RAAF: Beaufort A9-559 crashed on take off from Tadji Airfield and was later written off.