May 6, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 6 MAY 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Three B-25s and four P-51s knock out a bridge at Hsihhsiassuchi, China; 111 fighter-bombers, operating in flights of 2 to 4 aircraft, attack numerous targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.

Burma: In ALFSEA's 15 Corps area, Japanese 28th Army is isolated from rest of Burma Area Army as 71st Brig, Ind 26th Div, pushing N along Rangoon road, establishes contact with Ind 17th Div of 4 Corps, Br Fourteenth Army, at Hlegu.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Eighteen P-47s from Saipan sweep Truk, strafing Moen Airfield, Dublon Seaplane Base, and shipping off Param, Moen and between Dublon and Fefan.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s bomb Matsuyama Airfield and secondary nearby targets and later bomb Toshien, Toko, and Kiirun. B-24s from 22nd BG bomb Kiirun but encounter bad weather, returning lost is B-24J "Shoo Shoo Baby" 42-109984 pilot 2nd Lt. Simon C. Willis, Jr. force landed with the crew rescued. B-25s pound the town of Mato. A-20s and fighter-bombers fly numerous attack sorties in support of ground forces in N and S Luzon and fighter-bombers fly support missions over Panay. B-24s bomb Kudat Airfield and Keningau Airfield, P-38s hit Ranau Airfield and Labuan Airfield while B-25s support Australian troops on Tarakan. B-24s bomb Limboeng Airfield. B-25s over French Indochina bomb warehouses at Dong Hoi.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 25th Div continues toward Balete Pass, 161st Inf completing capture of Kembu Plateau and seizing junction of the plateau with the ridge at Balete Pass. In XI Corps area, 3d Bn of 149th Inf is attached to 145th Inf to hold Mt Pacawagan while 145th devotes its attention to eastward drive; relieves 1st Bn, 145th Inf, which has been brought to a halt on regimental left flank. 2d Bn, 145th Inf, gains top of Sugar Loaf Hill. 3d Bn reaches positions just below crest of Mt Binicayan. After nightfall, 43d Div opens drive on Ipo, employing 103d Inf on right and 172d on left. U.S. air and arty break up a planned enemy counterattack before it can get under way.

In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, 3d Bn of 34th Inf, 24th Div, attacks bypassed enemy pocket in Guma area of Mindanao but gains no ground. In Sayre Highway sector, 1st Bn of 124th Inf, 31st Div, assisted by air strikes and mortar fire, begins assault on Colgan Woods, where enemy is firmly entrenched. 3d Bn, in an outflanking maneuver, gains positions N of the enemy strongpoint. 155th Inf moves up behind 124th in Kibawe area. On Negros, in preparation for general drive southward in Negros Oriental, 2d Bn, 164th Inf, seizes ridge between 1st Bn and Co G. Co G continues attacks on enemy strongpoint SE of Odlumon. In Negros Occidental area, 185th Inf of 40th Div seizes high ground E and S of Virgne Ridge and attacks along the ridge onto Patog Plain. Para RCT 503 is also pressing toward Patog Plain.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army's XXIV Corps area, stubborn resistance on right flank of corps virtually halts 1st Mar Div. Pivoting eastward, 1st Marines attacks unsuccessfully for Hill 60, half mile SE of Yafusu, while warding off Japanese attacks from reverse slope of Nan Hill, 200 yards N of Hill 60. Progress of 5th Marines against strongly fortified hills and ridges S of Awacha is negligible. 7th Marines fills gap resulting from pivoting of attack. In center of corps, 307th Inf of 77th Div, moves forward from Maeda Escarpment to S slopes of Hill 187. Some elements of 17th Inf, 7th Div, fight for knob of Kochi Ridge while others continue to eliminate enemy infiltrators in Tanabaru area. 184th Inf is patrolling extensively.

U.S. Navy: Naval landing force, covered by destroyer escort USS Wintle (DE-25) and motor minesweeper YMS-354 evacuates about 500 Marshallese from Jaluit in infantry landing craft LCI-394, LCI-479 and LCI-481.

Off Okinawa, battleship South Dakota (BB-57) is damaged by explosion of five 16-inch powder tanks in magazine, 26°30'N, 129°30'E.14.

Floating drydock ARD-28 is damaged by horizontal bomber, 25°33'N, 127°27'E.

Submarine Hammerhead (SS-364) sinks Japanese fleet tanker Kinrei Maru in Gulf of Thailand 08°15'N, 102°00'E.

Japanese guardboat Kiho Maru No.1 is destroyed by fire, location unspecified.

Off Inchon, Korea, Japanese merchant tanker No.5 Hoei Maru is sunk by aircraft; USN land-based planes sink merchant cargo ship Eiko Maru in Yellow Sea, 36°26'N, 126°37'E.

Japanese cargo ship Sagamigawa Maru is sunk by USAAF mine laid by B-29 (20th Bomber Command).

Submarine I 366, en route to take delivery of kaitens, is damaged by mine off Hikari.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Kumi Maru is damaged and merchant cargo ship No.3 Kinzan Maru is sunk, by aircraft off Kuche Island.

USN land-based aircraft sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Tora Maru off Mokpo, Korea.

PBMs or PB4Ys sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Nakagawa Maru off Yosu, Korea, 34°30'N, 127°00'E.

Japanese merchant vessel Niosan Maru is sunk by aircraft north of Kumun Island.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Enzan Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34°21'N, 127°24'E.

Australian Army: On Tarakan Island, Japanese are forced from Tarakan Town.