May 24, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
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THURSDAY, 24 MAY 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): Five B-25s knock out a railroad bridge N of Anyang; 30+ fighter-bombers attack railroad targets, truck convoys, bridges, and other targets of opportunity around Nanyang, Burma and Anyang, Sichuan, Kuo-lueh-chen, Kuantaokou, Luntangpu, Houpo, Laohokow, Sinsiang, Kiehsiu, Linfen, Taiyuan, Puchou, and Yutze, China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ 80th Fighter Group moves from Myitkyina to Dudhkundi, India. The 434th Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th Bombardment Group (Medium), ceases operating from Magwe, Burma with B-25s, and returns to base at Fenny.

AAFPOA Seventh Air Force: Twenty-six B-24s from Guam bomb Marcus Airfield and surrounding area. VII Fighter Command: 120 Iwo Jima based P-51s dispatched against Matsudo and Tokorozawa abort because of weather. During the night of 24/25 May P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 182: During the night of 24/25 May, 25 B-29s lay mines in Shimonoseki Strait and off Niigata, Nanao, and Fushiki.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: On Luzon, B-24s pound Cagayan Valley targets including Aparri; B-25s, A-20s, and P-51s hit numerous targets throughout the Valley and in NW and S Luzon, including the Vira, Callang, Santa Cruz, Baguio, Balete Pass, Ipo, and Antipolo areas. Fighter-bombers also support ground forces on Negros. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s attack Fort Brook, Bintula, Tawau, Beaufort, Jesselton, along the Lawas River, and Malinau.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, 2d Bn of 19th Inf, 24th Div meets Filipino guerrillas near Tagum R. 21st and 34th Inf troops clearing Talomo R Valley continue efforts to link up.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army area, Japanese intensify air activity. During the night of 24-25 May Japanese planes concentrate on airfields on Okinawa and Ie Shima, as well as shipping offshore. Some airborne troops are landed on Yontan field and destroy or damage a number of aircraft before being killed. In III Amphib Corps area on Okinawa, elements of 6th Mar Div Rcn Co cross the Asato, which engineers bridge, and enter NW Naha without opposition. In XXIV Corps area, Japanese attack troops of 382d Inf, 96th Div, on Oboe Hill in company strength and force 2 cos of 1st Bn off. 1st Bn is reduced to co strength. Japanese retire leaving 150 dead. 2d Bn, 383d Inf, replaces 2d Bn, 382d, on Oboe. 5th Marines, 1st Mar Div, patrols to Asato. 32d Inf, 7th Div, begins probing to develop enemy defenses that cross Yonabaru valley SE of Shuri. 184th Inf extends positions slightly southward. Enemy counterattacks toward Yonabaru, night 24-25, achieving limited penetration of 32d Inf line.

JAAF: During the night of May 24, 1945, between 8:00pm to 10:00pm roughly fifty Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) aircraft bomb Yontan Airfield and the surrounding area as a diversionary raid. Meanwhile, twelve Ki-21 Sallys from the 3rd Dokuritsu Chutai commanded by Captain Chuichi Suwabe, each with eight to twelve Giretsu Special Attack Unit commandos aboard attempt to crash land on the main Okinawa airfields allowing the commndos to destroy parked planes and fuel dumps. Eight will attempt to land at Yontan Airfield and four will attempt to land at Kadena Airfield. Inbound, four abort due to engine problems, three were shot down before reaching Okinawa. Around 10:30pm, the remaining five managed to crash at Yontan Airfield including Ki-21 Sally Tail 546.

U.S. Navy: Carrier planes from TF 58 under Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher strike airfields in southern Kyushu.

Japanese aircraft attack U.S. positions and ships at Okinawa; strikes continue on 25 May. Kamikazes damage destroyer escort William C. Cole (DE-641), 26°45'N, 127°52'E; high speed transport Sims (APD- 50), 26°00'N, 127°00'E; and large support landing craft LCS(L)-121; friendly fire damages destroyer Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663), 26°20'N, 127°43'E. Escort carrier Suwannee (CVE-27) is damaged when plane landing on her flight deck explodes upon landing, 24°00'N, 124°00'E.

PBMs sink Japanese Special Coast Defense Ship No.21 off China coast, 20°58'N, 110°30'E.

Mine laid by B-29s sinks Japanese cargo vessel No.14 Kaishin Maru west of the mouth of Kammon Channel, 34°31'N, 130°54'E. Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Fukuei Maru off Shodo Jima, Kinryuzan Maru off Moji, Tatsufuku Maru off Hesaki, Inaba Maru west of Oshima, Kagawa prefecture, and (USAAF B-29-laid mine) merchant tanker No.7 Nanko Maru off Motoyamamisaki, 33°55'N, 131°20'E; and damage transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kiyokawa Maru off Motoyamamisaki, and merchant cargo ships Nitcho Maru 44 kilometers southwest of Onna Jima, Yamazumi Maru at 34°05'N, 130°51'E, and No.2 Tomoe Maru at 32°52'N, 129°15'E.