May 22, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 22 MAY 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 B-25s and 7 fighter-bombers knock out a rail bridge at Hei-Shih Kuan, damage a bridge approach at Hwayuan, and hit a variety of targets S of Kuo-lueh-chen; 10 P-51s drop napalm on trucks, barracks, storage, trains, and town areas at Sinyang, and Shanyangchen; 45 other fighter-bombers and photo reconnaissance aircraft attack railroad targets, bridges, troops, and other targets at several S and E China points and survey enemy movements.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The flight of the 20th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, operating from Akyab Airfield with F-6s, returns to base at Nagaghuli. Gen Stratemeyer's hq learns that C-54's are on the way to India.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 180: During the night of 22-23 May 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and approaches; 1 B-29 is lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien and Okayama while B-25s hit an oil plant west of Kagi and several targets of opportunity. B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers attack the Santa Fe, Fula, and Casambalangan areas in the north of Luzon and support ground forces in the Ipo Dam and Marikina areas in the south. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers attack Jesselton, Kudat, Bintula and Tarakan.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, elements of 27th Inf, 25th Div, are 2,000 yards SE of Santa Fe. In XI Corps area, platoon of Co A, 149th Inf, attacks to eliminate enemy position on Wawa Dam but is brought to a halt by fire. 152d Inf renews all-out attack and gains final objectives in area near junction of Mariquina and Bosoboso Rivers with assistance of flame-thrower tanks.

On Mindanao. in the U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, RCT 108, continuing steadily southward along Sayre Highway, reaches positions near Impalutao. 155th Inf, 31st Div, after taking undefended Kalasungay, continues drive up Sayre Highway, surprising enemy force and inflicting heavy casualties. 2d Bn of 19th Inf, 24th Div, attacks through 1st Bn and reaches Tambongan. 1st Bn, 21st Inf, gains ground E of the Talomo, but gap still exists between it and 3d Bn, 34th Inf.

On Okinawa, in the U.S. Tenth Army area, rains, intermittent during past few days, become frequent and heavy during rest of month and early June, hampering operations. III Amphib Corps, with supporting armor immobilized by mud, curtails its activities sharply. 4th Marines, 6th Mar Div, reaches N bank of the Asato R, on W flank, and send patrols across it at night. In XXIV Corps area, 383d Inf of 96th Div struggles for next few days to reduce Love Hill defenses in region W of Conical peak. 184th Inf, 7th Div, drives forward unmolested through ruins of Yonabaru to hills beyond.

IJA: On Okinawa, under the cover of rain and bad weather, Japanese begin withdrawing their supplies and wounded from Shuri.

U.S. Navy: Carrier planes from USS Bennington (CV-20) and USS Hornet (CV-12) sink Japanese submarine chasers Ch 37 and Ch 58, and landing ship T.173 southwest of Kyushu between Sasebo and Oshima, 29°45'N, 129°10'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.25 Uwajima Maru off Moji, 34°20'N, 134°20'E, and Sagami Maru off Wakamatsu, and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 157 eight miles off Niigata Harbor.

Japanese auxiliary patrol vessel Pa 25 is damaged by aircraft one kilometer off Omaesaki.

RAAF: Lost is Auster A11-26 pilot F/O John Major (survived) crash while landing at Oxley Strip on Bougainville.