June 4, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

MONDAY, 4 JUNE 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Eight B-25s abort a shipping strike at Kurabu Cape on Paramushiru due to weather. Eleven B-24s get through and radar-bomb Kataoka Naval Base on Shimushu.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 12 B-25s heavily damage railroad yards and warehouses at Sinsiang; 10 B-25s and 4 P-51s in repeat attack on the yards cause numerous fires; 2 B-25s and 3 P-51s hit road and railroad targets of opportunity from Sinyang to Hsuchang; Seventeen fighters bomb or strafe bridges, railroad traffic, and other targets of opportunity around Chihsien, Linfen, Shihkiachwang, and Liuchow.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Thirteen B-24s from Guam hit Marcus Airfield and boat basin on Marcus.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Eight P-51s from Iwo Jima bomb the radio station on Chichi Jima and strafe the town of Okimura during their return flight. P-47s fly heckler strikes against Kyushu during the night of 4/5 Jun.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon, fighter-bombers attack targets of opportunity in the Cagayan Valley and A-20s and fighter-bombers supporting ground forces strike defensive positions in Balete Pass, Aritao, Mount Imugan, Carulay, and Bambang. B-24s bomb Taihoku, Formosa. B-24s bomb Balikpapan and Manggar and support ground forces on Tarakan and B-25s hit Manggar, Djembajan, and Kudat. B-24s (13th Air Force) sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 112 and motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No. 162 and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Kenkai Maru in Java Sea off Laut Island 05°00'S, 116°04'E.

U.S. Army: On Luzon in the U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 129th Inf of 37th Div patrols to Aritao.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army area, intercorps boundary is shifted W to place Yaeju-Dake Escarpment within XXIV Corps zone. In III Amphib Corps area, after preparatory bombardment, 6th Mar Div lands 4th Marines, followed by 29th Marines, on N Oroku Peninsula. Pushing inland, marines clear about half of Naha airfield. 6th Rcn Co seizes Ono-Yama I. in Naha Inlet with ease, killing the few Japanese there. 7th Marines, 1st Mar Div, advances farther SW along base of Oroku Peninsula. 1st Marines drives S through 5th Marines. XXIV Corps, advancing rapidly against scattered resistance and swerving SW because of boundary change, reaches line Iwa-Minatoga. In coastal sector, 7th Div wades across Minatoga River.

U.S. Navy: District patrol vessel YP-41 is damaged by operational casualty off Okinawa, 26°18'N, 127°52'E.

Submarine Billfish (SS-286) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Taiu Maru off Chinnampo, Korea, 38°32'N, 124°45'E.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese transport Ryujin Maru off Hachinohe, 40°54'N, 141°29'E.

Mines sink Japanese weather observation ship Hijun Maru 5.5 miles off Hesaki, 33°54'N, 131°06'E, and cargo ships Aichi Maru (location unspecified), Hinode Maru off Moji City; No.2 Shiwa Maru off Taishu Light; unidentified tugboat off south end of Motoyamazai; merchant cargo ships Kifune Maru off Niigata and No.5 Yamabishi Maru at 33°44'N, 131°06'E; and damage transport Tsukushi Maru at 33°50'N, 131°19'E, and merchant cargo ship Sawa Maru two kilometers off Mutsure, 33°54'N, 130°54'E, and Chikushi Maru off Motoyama Bay.

Japanese tanker Hasu Maru is damaged by mine in Berhala Straits, between Sumatra and Lingga anchorage.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Miyakawa Maru is sunk by marine casualty off Hirato Jima.

USAAF planes sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Shobu Maru at 34°20'N, 124°30'E.

Japanese cargo ship Banshu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34°27'N, 129°35'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Taikai Maru is damaged by aircraft, 31°18'N, 129°24'E.

RAAF: Lost on a night navigation training flight is Beaufort A9-228 pilot F/O Donald A. Flavel (KIA).

USMC: The III Amphibious Corps boundary was shifted to the west, and the 1st Marine Division attacking in the narrowed III Amphibious Corps zone-was made responsible for cutting off Oroku Peninsula, capturing Itoman, reducing the Kunishi and Mezado ridge positions, and driving to the southern-most point of the island, Ara Sake. The XXIV Corps, USA, was assigned the commanding Yaeju Dake-Yuza Dake Encarpment.

The 4th Marines spearheaded an amphibious assault by the 6th Marine Division against the Oroku Peninsula in the southwest sector of Okinawa.