May 23, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Seven B-24s radar-bomb the Kataoka naval base area on Shimushu while another flies a radar-ferret mission in the same area.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 14 B-25s and 6 P-51s attack a bridge and gun positions N and S of Hwayuan, knock out a bridge and hit boxcars at Chungmow, damage a bridge N of Lohochai, damage a bridge and nearby gun positions at Kuanshuishih, and pound truck convoys around Paoching, Hengyang, and Changsha; 30+ fighter-bombers hit various targets of opportunity around Liping, Yoyang, Changsha, Hengyang, Luntangpu, Chingmen, Shasi and Ichang.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 5th and 6th Fighter Squadrons (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, move from Asansol to Kalaikunda, India with P-47s.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: The 27th and 392d Bombardment Squadrons (Heavy), 30th Bombardment Group (Heavy), move from Kahuku and Kipapa respectively to Wheeler with B-24s. VII Fighter Command: thirty-two P-47s from Saipan strafe targets at Truk including Moen Airfields boats off Tol, buildings on Tarik and Dublon Seaplane Base, buildings, and small boats at Dublon.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 181: During the night of 23/24 May, 520 out of 562 B-29s sent against Tokyo bomb an urban-industrial area south of the Imperial Palace along the west side of Tokyo Harbor; 5 others hit targets of opportunity; 17 B-29s are lost; this is the largest number of B-29s participating in a single mission during WWII. Lost is B-29 "Dina Might" 42-65280 piloted by James L. Hardison (crew survived).

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon, A-20s and B-25s hit Cagayan Valley and Balete Pass targets, P-51s support ground forces in the Baguio area and P-38s hit the Ipo-Antipolo areas. On Borneo, Tawau, Bintula, Samarinda, and Miri are hit by B-24s, Ft Brook and Weston by B-25s, and Tarakan is hit by fighter-bombers.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 27th Inf of 25th Div is still stalled in spite of tank assistance. In XI Corps area, 1st Bn of 152d Inf pushes north toward Mariquina River.

In U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area on Mindanao, entire Sayre Highway is opened as 155th Inf gains contact with RCT 108 S of Impalutao. 2d Bn of 19th Inf, 24th Div, reaches Ising area and makes patrol contact with Filipino guerrillas. 1st Bn, 21st Inf, takes road junction 1,700 yards N of Talomo bridge. Arty pounds area between it and 34th Inf. On Negros, 160th Inf overcomes final opposition on Dolan Hill in Negros Occidental with capture of pocket on north spur. 185th Inf continues slowly southward toward Hill 4055, final enemy strongpoint in Negros Occidental. On Negros, SSgt John C. Sjogren led a squad assaulting Hill 3155 (Suicide Knob) near San Jose Hacienda on Negros single handedly assaults bunkers and kills 43 Japanese and earned the Medal of Honor.

On Okinawa, in U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div begins drive from the Asato to the Kokuba on W flank of corps. Since patrols S of the Asato are but moderately opposed, 2 bns of 4th Marines cross under smoke screen and start southward. In XXIV Corps area, 184th Inf of 7th Div, after securing line of departure from which 32d Inf can push W to envelop Shuri, protects left flank and rear of 32d Inf. 32d Inf, whose supporting armor is immobilized by mud, starts W along Naha-Yonabaru valley and reaches positions a mile SW of Yonabaru without great difficulty.

U.S. Navy: Mines laid by B-29s sink Japanese cargo vessels Sagami Maru at 34°00'N, 131°00'E and 2 Shinri Maru off Hesaki, 33°58'N, 131°02'E, and Kimigayo Maru west of Hime Jima, 33°06'N, 129°43'E. Mine damages merchant cargo ship Iwai Maru three kilometers southeast of Mushima.