June 9, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 9 JUNE 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In coordination with US Navy surface and air forces attacking in the Kurile Islands, six B-24s and eight B-25s fly extensive armed weather reconnaissance and anti-shipping sweeps over Kurabu Cape and Otomari Cape, Ichinowatashi, and Asahigawa on Paramushiru; the B-24s score no results, half of them jettisoning their bombs; the B-25s then fly a diversionary bombing mission over Araido where they are attacked by eight Japanese fighters; to evade them, the B-25s fly over Kamchatka where Soviet AA fire shoots down one, killing its crew; another is damaged and crash-lands in Petropavlovsk. This is the first time Soviet AA fire hits a US aircraft. Lost is B-25J 43-36160 (crew interned, returned postwar).

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 3 B-25s and 60+ P-47s, P-51s, and P-40s damage 4 bridges, hit river shipping, pound town areas and villages, and attack various targets of opportunity around Nanyang, Burma and Hwayuan, Changte, Suchow, Sinyang, Hankow, Laohokow, Tatung, Tashihkiao, Pinyang, Luchai, Kiehsiu, Linfen, Tsinan, and Shihkiachwang, China.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): The 83d Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 12th Bombardment Group (Medium), moves from Fenny to Pandaveswar with B-25s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Five missions are flown. Mission 191: 44 B-29s attack the Kawanishi Aircraft Company's plant at Narao; 1 other hits a target of opportunity. Mission 192: 24 B-29s hit the Kawasaki plant at Akashi; there is 9/10 cloud cover and bombing is by radar; the village of Akashi rather than the factory is hit; 2 others bomb targets of opportunity. Mission 193: 42 B-29s hit Aichi's Atsuta factory; only 4 bombs hit the target area but 1 causes a devastating fire; 1 other hits a target of opportunity. Mission 194: During the night of 8/9 Jun, 26 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait; 1 other mines an alternate target. 20 P-47s from Ie Shirna strafe various targets of opportunity on Kyushu. 57 P-51s from Iwo Jima pound Kagamigahara Airfield and the surrounding area in Nagoya; 20+ parked airplanes are claimed destroyed or damaged; 3 P-51s are lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Labuan is bombed by B-24s and other B-24s drop napalm on Brooketon. On Luzon Island, fighter-bombers hit Cagayan Valley targets and support ground forces in the Cervantes areas. Ground forces penetrate the last defensive position on Mindanao Island. Bad weather cancels operations N of the Philippine Islands. The 550th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, based at Tacloban with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, sends a detachment to operate from Puerto Princesa (other detachments are at Zamboanga and Sanga Sanga).

U.S. Army: On Luzon in U.S. Sixth Army area, I Corps cuts Japanese escape routes from Cagayan Valley. 1st Bn of 145th Inf, 37th Div, seizes Bagabag and blocks road NW of the barrio while 3d Bn secures crossing of Magat R east of Bagabag on Highway 5.

On Mindanao in U.S. Eighth Army's X Corps area, 19th Inf of 24th Div penetrates enemy's last defensive position on Mindanao with capture of Mandog. Marine aircraft are unusually active over island during day.

On Okinawa, in the U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area, enemy's last chance to escape from Oroku Peninsula is lost as 4th and 22d Marines of 6th Mar Div establish contact. 1st Mar Div is approaching Kunishi Ridge, where Japanese are firmly established for final stand on Okinawa. XXIV Corps continues preparations for concerted assault on Japanese defense line. 7th Div attacks on E flank of corps with elements of 2 regts. 3d Bn, 17th Inf, advances to SE end of Yaeju-Dake Escarpment; 1st Bn, 32d Inf, tries unsuccessfully to take Hill 95 and ridge in front of it, but eliminates some enemy positions.

U.S. Navy: Naval task group under Rear Admiral Lawrence F. Reifsnider lands Marines on Aguni Jima, Ryukyus.

Naval task group under Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford bombs and bombards Okino Daito Jima, Ryukyus.

Submarine Sea Owl (SS-405) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.41 in Tsushima Strait, southeast of Mokpo, Korea, 34°22'N, 128°11'E.

Submarine Crevalle (SS-291) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hokuto Maru west of Aomori Prefecture, in western approaches to Tsugaru Strait, 40°54'N, 139°48'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) attacks Japanese shipping off northwest coast of Honshu, sinking merchant cargo ships Sagawa Maru and Shoyo Maru, 38°10'N, 138°20'E.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese transport Kamishika Maru off southern Hokkaido, 41°49'N, 141°11'E.

Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Wakatama Maru off east coast of Korea, 37°32'N, 129°10'E.

Mines laid by B-29s sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.35 Banshu Maru, 36°19'N, 136°12'E, and Inaura Maru, .7 kilometers off Takase light, 34°00'N, 131°00'E.

PB4Ys or PBMs sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Kaishin Maru at 37°05'N, 129°08'E.

B-24s bomb Japanese shipping off Bandjermasin, sinking cargo vessel Koryu Maru and 423 Shuttle Boat and No.444 Shuttle Boat, and damaging cargo vessel No.8 Nippo Maru.

RNZAF: Lost is on a mission dropping propaganda leaflettes is PV-1 Ventura NZ4613 pilot F/O Norman H. Benton (MIA).