June 15, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 15 JUNE 1945

USAAF B-24s (10th Air Force) attack Japanese convoy in Gulf of Siam, damaging destroyer Kamikaze and minesweeper W.4 and sinking merchant tanker Toho Maru off Samui Island 09°25'N, 99°54'E, Japanese merchant cargo ship Heiryu Maru sinks after colliding with submerged wreck southwest of Shinshin Island Korea, 36°39'N, 126°07'E.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 3 B-25s and 47 P-51s and P-47s knock out a bridge W of Shihkiachwang, damage and attack others, and hit trucks, barracks, river-craft, storage facilities, gun positions, railroad targets, and targets of opportunity; targets are the Pinghan railroad, Kukong, Lingling, Chenhsien, Kuotaichiao, Pakonghow, Kweilin, Anyang, Shihkiachwang, Loyang, Liuchow, and Paoching areas.

Burma: In Br Twelfth Army area, 101st Detachment, OSS, successfully concludes its mission of clearing Shan Hills. The detachment is disbanded in July 1945.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 2 missions are flown. Mission 203: 444 B-29s fly an incendiary mission against the Osaka-Amagasaki urban area, ending a month of concentrated fire raids against large Japanese cities; an additional 1.9 square miles (4.9 square km) of Osaka and 0.59 square miles (1.5 square km) of Amagasaki are burned out; 25 other B-29s hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost. 123 P-51s are dispatched as escort but 380 miles from Iwo Jima the fighters are warned by a weather plane of a towering front over Japan and they abort the mission; 1 P-51 is lost. Mission 204: During the night of 15/16 May, 30 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and waters around Fukuoka, Karatsu, and Fushiki. The 680th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy), attached to HQ 504th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy), arrives at North Field from the US with B-29s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Formosa, B-24s bomb Taichu Airfield and B-25s hit the town of Rokko and the airfield at Okaseki. On Luzon numerous B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers pound various objectives, concentrating on the Cagayan Valley, the Cervantes area, and the Antipolo-Ipo sector. In Borneo, B-24s blast gun positions at Balikpapan and B-25s and P-38s hit areas between Brunei and Kudat. The 68th Troop Carrier Squadron, 433d Troop Carrier Group moves from Tanauan to Clark Field with C-46s.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, Cervantes, on Highway 4, falls to Philippine guerrilla forces in North Luzon. 145th Inf, 37th Div, continues advance into Cagayan Valley; 1st Bn pushes N on Highway 5 to Ganano R; 3d Bn eliminates enemy strongpoint some 4,000 yards from Santiago, on road to Cabatuan. XI Corps takes over sector of XIV Corps and control of 11th A/B Div, 1st Cav Div, and RCT 158. XIV Corps prepares to conduct operations in N Luzon as directed by Eighth Army.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div, exploring elaborate underground defense system of Japanese hq on Oroku Peninsula, finds nearly 200 Japanese dead. Among them are commanding officer and several members of his staff who have committed suicide. Marines of 1st Mar Div on W and E ends of Kunishi Ridge are unable to expand their positions and suffer further casualties. 2d Bn, 5th Marines, relieves 2d Bn, 1st Marines, on E end of the ridge after nightfall. 8th Marines, 2d Mar Div, lands on Oroku Peninsula and is attached to 1st Mar Div. XXIV Corps continues to work toward Yuza peak on W and Hills 153 and 115 on E, clearing Japanese positions methodically as it goes. Elements of 382d Inf, 96th Div, replace center elements of 383d and succeed in taking N slope of Yuza peak.

U.S. Navy: Fifteen motor minesweepers (YMS), accompanied by the high speed transport Cofer (APD-62) and landing craft equipped with light minesweeping gear, arrive off Balikpapan on Borneo, to begin mine clearance operations.

Destroyer escort O'Flaherty (DE-340) is damaged in collision with escort carrier Block Island (CVE-106) off Okinawa, 26°00'N, 128°00'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Koan Maru, 39°53'N, 139°40'E.

Japanese guardboats Gion Maru and Jinko Maru are sunk by U.S. aircraft, Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina.

Japanese freighter No.2 Tanshin Maru is sunk by marine casualty, near Malay peninsula.

Japanese cargo vessel Junkawa Maru is sunk by mine, 04°41'S, 106°13'E.

FC1c Robert Archibald Wilson died as a Prisoner Of War (POW) while detained at Java POW Camps D.X.Y. at Batavia on Java.

USMC: The 8th Marines, 2d Marine Division, arrives on Okinawa and is attached to the 1st Marine Division.

Australian Army: Labuan and Muara off Borneo are now clear of enemy.

Royal Navy: British TG 111.2 under Rear Admiral Eric J.P. Brind, RN including fleet carrier HMS Implacable, escort carrier HMS Ruler, four light cruisers and five destroyers, second day of strikes Truk Atoll to neutralize Japanese airfields.