June 5, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 5 JUNE 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 32 B-25s and 8 P-51s bomb the city of Nanyang, Burma, hit railroad yards at Anyang, and damage a bridge approach at Chuanhsien, China, and bomb ferries at Ninh Binh and Dap Cau, French Indochina. 40+ fighters bomb and strafe rail, river, and road traffic and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 12th Combat Cargo Squadron, 3d Combat Cargo Group, moves from Ledo to Myitkyina with C-47s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 188: 473 B-29s pound Kobe with incendiaries; 8 others hit targets of opportunity; they claim 86 Japanese fighters; 11 B-29s are lost; the attack burns off over 4 square miles (10.4 square km) and damages over half of the city. Lost are B-29 "Indian Maid" 42-24809 (6 POW, 5 MIA). P-47s from Ie Shima patrol over Amami Gunto and strafe a lighthouse.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets while other fighter-bombers support ground actions in Cervantes, Balete Pass, and Ipo battle zones and hit forces east of Manila. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Melak, Asa, and Kuching Airfield and Tarakan and Labuan, while B-25s and fighters concentrate on Tuaran, Mensalung, and Kudat. B-24s pound Taito, lost returning from the mission was B-24J 44-41126 (8 KIA, 3 rescued). Damaged while landing to rescue the crew is OA-10A Catalina 44-34012 pilot 2nd Lt. Charles M. Allen (3 rescued, 4 POWs, executed).

U.S. Army: On Luzon in the U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 1st Bn of 129th Inf, 37th Div, seizes Aritao during morning and presses on; 145th Inf is in Aritao area.

On Okinawa, in the U.S. Tenth Army area, rains end but armor is still mired down and supply lines are dangerously overextended. In III Amphib Corps area, Japanese on Oroku Peninsula put up determined opposition that limits gains, but 6th Mar Div seizes most of Naha airfield. 7th Marines, 1st Mar Div, continues SW to seal off the peninsula while 1st Marines speeds S to Iwa area. XXIV Corps drives to within 1,000-1,500 yards of enemy's final defense line on S Okinawa, extending from Yuza on W to E coast at Gushichan and containing 3 formidable terrain features: Yuza-Dake Escarpment, Yaeju-Dake Escarpment, and Hill 95.

U.S. Navy: Off Okinawa a typhoon damages battleships USS Indiana (BB-58), USS Massachusetts (BB-59), USS Alabama (BB-60), and USS Missouri (BB-63); carriers USS Hornet (CV-12) and USS Bennington (CV-20), small carriers Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30), escort carriers Windham Bay (CVE-92), Salamaua (CVE-96), Bougainville (CVE-100), and Attu (CVE-102), heavy cruisers Baltimore (CA-68), Quincy (CA-71), and Pittsburgh (CA-72), light cruisers Detroit (CL-8), San Juan (CL-54), Duluth (CL-87), and Atlanta (CL- 104), destroyers Schroeder (DD-501), John Rodgers (DD-574), McKee (DD-575), Dashiell (DD-659), Stockham (DD-683), De Haven (DD-727), Maddox (DD-731), Blue (DD-744), Brush (DD-745), Taussig (DD-746), and Samuel N. Moore (DD-747), destroyer escorts Donaldson (DE-44), Conklin (DE-439), and Hilbert (DE-742), oilers Lackawanna (AO-40) and Millicoma (AO-73), and ammunition ship Shasta (AE- 6).

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage battleship USS Mississippi (BB-41), 26°09'N, 127°35'E, and heavy cruiser Louisville (CA-28), 26°07'N, 127°52'E.

Destroyer Dyson (DD-572) is damaged when she is accidentally rammed by destroyer escort Abercrombie (DE-343) at Kerama Retto, Okinawa, 26°09'N, 127°49'E. Tank landing ship LST-540 is damaged by operational casualty off Okinawa.

Destroyer escort French (DE-367), on antisubmarine screening duties off Peleliu, bombards Malakal and Arakabesan Islands, Palaus.

Minesweeper Scuffle (AM-298) is damaged by grounding in Brunei Bay, 08°01'N, 117°13'E.

Gasoline tanker Sheepscot (AOG-24) is damaged by grounding off Iwo Jima, 24°46'N, 141°18'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 230 is sunk in collision with army transport Azusa Maru one mile south of Sop-To light, Korea, 34°00'N, 127°18'E. Azusa Maru is damaged in the collision.

Japanese guardboat No.13 Kintoku Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft off Fujinamiohama, Japan.

Mines sink Japanese cargo ship No.5 Yawata Maru off Tsunemi, Moji; and merchant cargo ship Taisho Maru two kilometers off Mutsure Island 33°54'N, 130°54'E, and damage destroyer Yoizuki 5.8 kilometers northwest of Hime Jima light, escort destroyer Shii in Bungo Straits, army cargo ship Toyo Maru near Aohama, merchant cargo ship Annette Fritzen Go off Asa Jima, Fusan, 33°56'N, 131°03'E, and cargo vessel Toyo Maru off Shimonoseki, 33°57'N, 131°02'E.

Japanese fast transport T.9 is damaged by aircraft, north of Chichi Jima.

Japanese army cargo ship Taiko Maru is damaged by marine casualty off Kannonzaki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Nansei Maru is damaged by marine casualty, near Moji.