SUNDAY, 20 MAY 1945
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 55 P-51s and P-40s pound truck
concentrations, fuel dumps, gun positions, supply areas, troops, bridges, rail,
road, and river traffic, and various targets of opportunity around Liping, Yangchi,
Siangtan, Yoyang, Yungfengshih, Paoching, Taohwaping, Hengyang, Tungkow, and
Changsha.
China: The Japanese Army begin redeploying to prepare for the defense of the Japan. They begin pulling back from Ho-chih, in Kwangsi Province on branch line to Kweiyang.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In India, the detachment of the 317th
Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 2d Air Commando Group, operating from Comilla
with C-47s, returns to base at Kalaikunda.
AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: Ten Guam based B-24s hit air operations buildings
on Marcus. The 396th and 820th Bombardment Squadrons
(Medium), 41st Bombardment Group (Medium), begin a movement from Wheeler Field to Okinawa with B-25s. VII Fighter Command: 16 Saipan based P-47s
strafe on Moen Airfield and Eten Airfield and Dublon Seaplane Base and barges off Dublon. In Japan, 9 P-47s from Ie Shima hit a hangar and
2 boats at Fukue-Shima and 32 others hit airfields, railroads, buildings and
radar facilities on Kyushu.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 179: During the night of 20/21 May, 30
B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait, Maizuru Harbor, and He-Saki anchorage; 1 B-29
is lost.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Despite bad weather
B-25s over Formosa bomb various communications targets and an alcohol plant
at Meiji. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound the Cagayan Valley targets
on Luzon. On Mindanao Island, B-24s bomb Piso Point, and fighter-bombers
support ground action in the Bukidnon area. In Borneo, P-38s hit Sandakan, Keningau,
and Tarakan while B-25s hit shipping at Balikpapan Harbor and a nearby
barracks area and sawmill. Headquarters (HQ), 375th Troop Carrier Group moves from San Jose to Porac. B-24s sink Japanese army cargo vessel Torai Maru off Keelung at roughly Lat 26°00'N, Long 122°00'E.
U.S. Army: in the U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps
area, 155th Inf of 31st Div drives northward along
Sayre Highway to positions commanding Malaybalay;
meets heavy enemy fire. 3d Bn of 19th Inf,
24th Div, returns to Davao from Samal I. 2d Bn,
continuing N along coastal road, reaches Tibungko.
2d Bn, 34th Inf, begins assault on Hill 550, holding
limited gains against violent night
counterattacks.
3d Bn, 34th Inf, renews attack along Bancal-Mintal
road in effort to contact 21st Inf;
reaches positions
within 400 yards of road junction E of Mintal.
On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area, 4th Marines, 6th Mar Div, attempts to clear rest of Horseshoe and Crescent features, which command Sugar Loaf, making limited progress on Horseshoe; repels enemy counterattacks at night, inflicting more than 200 casualties. 5th Marines, 1st Mar Div, seizes Hill 55 and advances into Wana Draw; 1st Marines takes crest of Wana Ridge in 2-pronged assault. In XXIV Corps area, 307th Inf of 77th Div finishes clearing Chocolate Drop and takes Flattop. 382d Inf, 96th Div, gains additional ground on reverse slope of Dick Hill. 3d Bn, 381st, pushes forward slowly toward Sugar Hill.
U.S. Navy: Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Thatcher (DD-514), 26°33'N, 127°29'E; destroyer escort John C. Butler (DE-339), 26°47'N, 127°52'E; high speed transports Chase (APD-54), 26°18'N, 127°14'E and Register (APD-92), 26°25'N, 127°21'E; and tank landing ship LST-808, 26°42'N, 127°47'E; high speed transport Tattnall (APD-19) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26°00'N, 128°00'E.
Avengers from Task Group 58.3 (TG 58.3) provide close air support for efforts to take Japanese position holding up the advance of U.S. ground forces northeast of Shuri Castle on Okinawa.
Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese merchant whaler No.5 Seki Maru east-southeast of Kinkazan,
Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 244 is sunk by aircraft, 22°35'N, 128°51'E.
Japanese army cargo vessel No.1 Konan Maru is sunk by aircraft off Hong Kong.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Nikkan Maru is sunk by aircraft off Pusan, Korea; merchant refrigerated stores ship Kanagawa Maru is sunk by aircraft off south coast of Korea.
Japanese merchant tanker No.11 Horai Maru is damaged by aircraft, location unspecified.
RAAF: Crashed on take off is B-24M Liberator A72-160 pilot F/L Francis L. Sismey (KIA).
