May 2, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 2 MAY 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Five B-24s mine areas of the Yangtze River; 20+ B-25s and about 130 fighter-bombers attack communications targets and supply lines and hit a large variety of targets of opportunity throughout S and E China as the air campaign accelerates with the aim of disrupting the imminent withdrawal of the Japanese and the abandonment of their Greater E Asia Corridor.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: Twelve B-24s from Guam pound Param Airfield while Twenty-one B-24s flying in two forces, hit Marcus Airfield and gun positions. During the night of 2/3 May, nine B-24s make individual harassment bombings on Param, Moen and Tol. VII Fighter Command: 12 Iwo Jima based P-51s strike a radio station on Chichi Jima.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s and P-51s pound troops near Ipo Dam while B-25s, A-20s, and fighters hit Cagayan Valley targets; FEAF strikes in support of ground forces continue on Luzon and Cebu. B-25s continue support for Australian troops on Tarakan and in conjunction with U.S. Navy aircraft bomb Kudat Airfield.

U.S. Navy: On Okinawa, corpsman Hospital Apprentice Second Class Robert E. Bush with the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, was administering blood plasma to a wounded marine when the Japanese launch a fierce counterattack against his unit. Steadfastly remaining at the wounded man's side, Bush holds the plasma bottle in one hand and draws his .45 with the other, expending his ammunition at the charging enemy. Seizing a discarded carbine, the battling corpsman, who suffers the loss of an eye among other injuries, kills six Japanese as the Marines drive the enemy back. Bush refuses medical attention for himself until the Marine he had protected is evacuated. Bush then collapses before he can reach an aid station. For his selfless heroism, Bush earned the Medal of Honor and was the youngest member of the U.S. Navy to earn the highest award for valor.

Off Tarakan, Borneo, Japanese shore batteries sink motor minesweeper YMS-481 and damage YMS-364, 03°27'N, 117°32'E, and YMS-334, 03°26'N, 117°40'E. YMS-363 is damaged by mine, 03°26'N, 117°32'E.

Submarine Raton (SS-270) attacks Japanese convoy SE-3, sinking merchant cargo ship Toryu Maru southeast of the Shantung Peninsula, 37°24'N, 123°50'E.

Submarine Springer (SS-414) sinks Japanese escort vessel Oga in Yellow Sea, 33°56'N, 122°49'E (see 3-4 May).

Japanese merchant ship Daian Maru is sunk by aircraft off Woosung, China.

Navy aircraft bomb Kudat Airfield in conjunction with USAAF B-25 Mitchells.

USMC: On Okinawa, 27th Division, USA, officially passed to Island Command control. The 165th Infantry, USA, was as-signed responsibility for the 1st Marine Division sector, and the 105th and 106th Infantries, USA, were sent north to relieve the 6th Marine Division on Motobu Peninsula and in the areas farther north.

British Army: The British Army 26 Division (Indian) liberates Rangoon Prison (Rangoon Central Prison).