THURSDAY, 10 MAY 1945
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): The Eleventh AF and the USN's Fleet Air Wing Four
execute the heaviest and most successful joint mission to date in the Kuriles; twelve B-24s bomb shipping targets in the Kataoka naval base on Shimushu
Island, and fly photo reconnaissance over east and west Paramushiru on the
return trip. Next, sixteen Attu Airfield based B-25s take off; one aborts
while the others hit shipping between Kashiwabara on Paramushiru and Kataoka; heavy AA fire claims one B-25; a B-24 and a B-25 force lands in the USSR. Lost is B-25J 43-36149 (MIA).
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 19 B-25s and 4 P-47s attack
bridges at Fengstun and Pinyang, on the Song Chu River, and N of Singtai (a
Pinyang, China target is destroyed), hit Yungfengshih and Chingshuping, and
bomb the airfield at Paoching; 100-120 fighter-bombers pounding targets of opportunity
over S and E China, disrupt enemy movement and supply lines.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): Unit moves in India: 1st Fighter Squadron
(Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, from Cox's Bazar to Kalaikunda with P-51s;
164th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, from Sinthe, Burma
to Asansol with UC-64s and L-5s; the 315th Troop Carrier Squadron, 443d Troop
Carrier Group, from Ledo to Dinjan with C-47s.
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 11 Guam based B-24s bomb Marcus Airfield in the morning. During the afternoon, 19 B-24s flying in 2 forces,
hit Param Airfield and Moen Airfield. Lost is P-51D 44-63957 (MIA).
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 8 missions are flown; the B-29s claim 10 Japanese
aircraft; 1 B-29 is lost. Missions 159 to 162: 42 B-29s hit airfields at Matsuyama, Usa, Miyazaki, and
Kanoya on Kyushu and Shikoku; 14 others hit targets of opportunity.
Mission 163: 54 B-29s bomb the Tokuyama naval fuel station; 2 others hit targets
of opportunity. Mission 164: 56 B-29s hit the Tokuyama coal yards; 1 other hits
a target of opportunity. Mission 165: 112 B-29s hit the Otake oil refinery; 14 others hit
targets of opportunity; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 166: 80 B-29s bomb Amami-O-Shima naval oil storage facilities; 4 others hit targets of opportunity.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb an airfield
on Canton. A-20s and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets
and support ground action in the battle zones throughout Luzon. On Mindanao, B-24s hit Impasugong, Kalasungay, and Malaybalay and B-25s in support
of ground forces attack Kibawe and Tagolaan. B-24s bomb Makassar ship basins
and Limboeng Airfield and shore targets at Balikpapan.
B-25s, with fighter escort, hit Kari and communications targets of opportunity
on Formosa. The 500th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th Bombardment Group
(Medium), moves from San Marcelino to Clark
Field with B-25s.
USMC: Four Corsairs from VMF-312 took off on a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over Okinawa and spot enemy aircraft at high altitude and climb to intecept but two are unable to climb above 36,000'. Reaching 38,000', F4U pilot Reusser opens fire damaging the wing and right engine. Next, F4U pilot Klingman attempts to open fire but finds his guns are frozen and instead decides to ram the enemy plane three times until it goes into a spin and crashes into the sea. Lost on a ground support mission is F4U Corsair 57611 (MIA).
USMC:
Four F4U Corsairs perform a Combat Air Patrol (CAP) over Ie Shima. Flying at 10,000' they spotted the vapor trails from two enemy aircraft roughly 35,000' ten miles north of Kadena Airfield. After requesting permission to investigate, the Corsairs climbed to high altitude but two were unable to climb beyond 32,000' and 36,000' respectively and broke off. Only Reusser and Klingman were able to continue climbing after both fired half their ammunition to lighten their aircraft. At 38,000' and turned into the enemy plane and began to close in, despite the enemy's superior speed. The pair finally caught the enemy plane roughly 125 miles north of Okinawa after a 150 mile chase. F4U Corsair piloted by Klingman closed to within 50' but his guns were frozen and repeatedly rammed the tail of the Ki-46 Dinah.
