June 13, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 13 JUNE 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 11 B-25s and 7 P-51s considerably damage the Kaifeng railroad yards and strafe a communications center S of Puchou; 8 P-51s damage 2 bridges at Fenglochen and Shihkiachwang and hit railroad targets of opportunity around Fenglochen and Suchow. Mines laid by B-24s sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Koun Maru off Macao, 23°30'N, 113°30'E.

China: Gen Wedemeyer writes Gen Marshall that since Japanese withdrawals have virtually eliminated Phase I of projected offensive against Canton-Hong Kong area, plans are being made to use Nanning-Liuchow-Kweilin area as bases for the operation. Japanese still hold Liuchow and Kweilin but are expected to abandon them soon.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Thirteen B-24s from Guam bomb Moen Airfield.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 202: During the night of 13/14 May, 29 B-29s drop mines in Shimonoseki Strait and off Niigata. 40+ P-47s from Ie Shima strafe and fire rockets at vessels, buildings, a radio station, barracks, and airfields at Amakusa Jima and Amami-O-Shima and Tokuno.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, bad weather hinders B-24s; a few hit Toshien, the primary target and others hit alternates including Toko, Koshun, Kontei, Garan-bi Point, Taito, the Mako naval base and other targets. Two B-32s bomb Koshun Airfield. On Luzon, A-20s and fighter-bombers attack the Cervantes and Marikina areas, targets in the Cagayan Valley, and islands north of Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s bomb the Balikpapan-Sepinggang area; B-25s and fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Brunei Bay area and sweeping northern Borneo from Kudat to Miri, hit numerous targets of opportunity.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, Gen Beightler, in order to exploit capture of Orioung Pass, organizes an armored column of 37th Rcn Tr reinf by a platoon of light tanks and supported by a co of motorized infantry and attaches it to 145th Inf, 37th Div. The armored column pushes into plain of Cagayan Valley, driving through Cordon to Santiago. Elements of 148th Inf start forward to Orioung area. Japanese counterattack and block the road in Orioung Pass for night. 20th Inf, 6th Div, relieves 129th Inf of highway security S of Bayombong.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area, organized resistance on Oroku Peninsula ends. 6th Mar Div, during 12th and 13th, bags a record number of Japanese prisoners, 159 in all. By dawn, 7th Marines, 1st Mar Div, has 6 cos clinging to positions on Kunishi Ridge under heavy fire that exacts 140 casualties. Marines are being supplied by aircraft and tanks. XXIV Corps, assisted by armored flame throwers, is destroying in detail Japanese in their cave positions. Battleground is now generally level except for some coral outcroppings. Japanese are still firmly entrenched on commanding ground of Yuza-Dake and Yaeju-Dake peaks and on Hills 153 and 115, from west to east.

U.S. Navy: Large infantry landing craft LCI(L)-871, on routine patrol along the east coast of Urukthapel Island in Palau, engages Japanese artillery and mortar batteries.

Twenty-nine Mines laid by B-29s sink merchant cargo ship Matsuo Maru, 3.4 kilometers south of Motoyama light, and Hiyoshi Maru and No.8 Nissho Maru off Hesaki light, 33°54'N, 131°07'E, Koryu Maru off Hesaki light, 33°55'N, 131°07'E, and damage escort destroyer Io, 1.7 kilometers southeast of Kannonzaki, and merchant cargo ships Kinyo Maru, Kyokenzaki, Kammon Strait, Kannon Maru (unspecified location), Hakujitsu Maru at 33°5837'N, 130°44'E, Takakurasan Maru at 37°07'N, 137°03'E, and 2 Kofuku Maru, 37°07'N, 137°03'E.

Off Okinawa, battleship Idaho (BB-42) is damaged by grounding, 26°14'N, 127°57'E.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320) is damaged by mine (U.S. or British proximity-fuzed) in Gulf of Siam, 11°45'N, 99°50'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Bonefish (SS-223) sinks Japanese cargo ship Oshikasan Maru in Japan Sea, 38°30'N, 136°58'E.

Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Meiho Maru, 39°00'N, 128°05'E.

Submarine Skate (SS-305) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hattenzan Maru, 37°20'N, 134°28'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) mistakenly sinks Russian cargo ship Transbalt, 45°44'N, 140°48'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kaisho Maru is sunk by aircraft, 35°49'N, 126°23'E.

USMC: Major General Lemuel C. Shepherd, commanding the 6th Marine Division, announced that all organized resistance on Oroku Peninsula had ceased.

Australian Army: Australian forces capture Brunei Town on northern Borneo.

RNZAF: Lost is F4U Corsair NZ5394 pilot F/L Graham Cargill Howie (KIA).crashed after take off.