May 27, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 27 MAY 1945

Alaska: Commanding General, Alaskan Department, requests U.S. Navy assistance in evacuating local citizens endangered by Yukon River flooding.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 B-25s bomb a textile mill at Chenghsien, attack trains, railroad track and a bridge in the Lohochai area, and bomb railroad yards at Sinyang; 80+ fighter-bombers attack town areas, trucks, railroad targets, bridges, and general targets of opportunity at scattered S and E China locations.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 319th Troop Carrier Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Asansol to Warazup, Burma with C-47s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 185: During the night of 27/28 May, 9 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait and in the Moji area; 1 B-29 is lost. Sixteen Saipan based P-47s sweep Truk, strafing the airfield, aircraft, and radio tower and facilities on Moen, buildings at the Dublon Seaplane Base and on Udot Island, and small craft off Dublon and Fanamu Island.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound the railroad yards and rolling stock at Muong Man and Phan Rang, French Indochina. On Formosa, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack targets at Koshun, Shinei, Tairin, Ensui, Kohyo, and Kobi and attack numerous targets of opportunity at many other locations. Lost is B-25J "Apache Princess" 43-28152 pilot 2nd Lt. Ted U. Hart (POW, KIA). B-24s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Balete Pass, Baguio, and Ipo Dam sectors. In Borneo, B-24s, B-25s and fighter-bombers attack Tawau, Kudat, Langkon, and Sandakan, and hit targets on Tarakan.

U.S. Army: On Luzon, in U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, rest of 1st Bn, 27th Inf, 25th Div, moves into Santa Fe. This concludes corps' mountain fighting and bitter struggle for Villa Verde Trail. RCT 145 passes to corps control from XI Corps and reverts to 37th Div. In XI Corps area, 149th Inf of 38th Div is ordered to take Wawa Dam, from which enemy appears to be withdrawing. 1st Bn, jumping off in afternoon, drives to within 50 yards of the dam, where it is halted by enemy fire, and falls back to position 200 yards west of the dam for night.

On Mindanao, in the U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, Filipinos of guerrilla 118th Inf and elements of 167th Inf, 31st Div, establish bridgehead across the Pulangi near Sanipon. Progress of 167th Inf along Talomo Trail from this point is extremely slow for the next month. 91st and 34th Regts, 24th Div, establish contact, concluding action to clear Talomo R Valley.

On Okinawa, Japanese begin two-days of air strikes targeting shipping. In U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area on Okinawa, co of 2d Bn, 22d Marines, 6th Mar Div, crosses the Asato and advances through Rcn Co to deepen penetration into W part of Naha. Opposition is still negligible. In XXIV Corps area, 32d Inf of 7th Div is unable to dent enemy's strong defense line covering Shuri.

U.S. Navy: Off Okinawa, two kamikazes damage destroyer USS Braine (DD-630), 26°25'N, 128°30'E; kamikazes also damage destroyer USS Anthony (DD-515), 26°25'N, 128°30'E, high speed minesweeper USS Southard (DMS-10), 26°00'N, 127°00'E, high speed transports USS Loy (APD-56), 26°30'N, 127°30'E, and USS Rednour (APD-102), 26°29'N, 127°21'E, surveying ship USS Dutton (AGS-8), 26°15'N, 127°59'E, submarine chaser PCS-1396 and degaussing vessel YDG-10, 26°00'N, 128°00'E; destroyer escort Gilligan (DE-508) is damaged by dud torpedo fired by kaiten from Japanese submarine I 367, 26°47'N, 127°47'E; minesweeper Gayety (AM- 239) is damaged by near-miss of bomb, 26°00'N, 128°00'E; large support landing craft LCS-52 is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze; fleet tug Pakana (ATF-108) is damaged by strafing, 26°22'N, 127°44'E.

Mines laided by B-29s sink cargo vessels Chizan Maru off Wadanomisaki light, 33°30'N, 130°30'E, and Kongo Maru in Shimonoseki Strait off Hakata, 33°41'N, 130°15'E, and merchant tanker Hojo Maru off south coast of Yoshimi Island and damage merchant cargo ship Kifune Maru 1.4 kilometers north of Niigata light.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kinei Maru off Kushiro light, 42°54'N, 144°18'E.

Submarine Tigrone (SS-419) sinks Japanese guardboat No.3 Yawata Maru off Tori Jima, 29°24'N, 141°01'E.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.3 Misago Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft at entrance to Ise Wan, Japan, 34°37'N, 137°19'E.

Japanese naval vessel Shinho Maru is sunk by aircraft off Sosa, Chiba Prefecture.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Daito Maru is sunk by aircraft off Yosu.

PB4Y-2 Privateers from Patrol Bombing Squadron 109 (VPB-109) release a Bat bomb that damages Aguni off Korea.

USMC: Four Corsairs from Marine Fighting Squadron 511 (VMF-511) armed with bombs and rockets strike Ishigaki Airfield and Ishigaki Town on Ishigaki Jima. Lost is FG Corsair 87828 pilot Major Robert C. Maze (MIA).