June 19, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 19 JUNE 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): In a coordinated shipping search, a B-24 flies the theater's longest mission, a 2,700 mile round trip lasting 15.5 hours and flying as far as Uruppu; turning north the B-24 bombs a small convoy 25 miles southwest of Shimushu Bay, Shimushu, sinks a vessel, heavily damages another, and sets 2 more afire; another B-24 bombs and photographs Matsuwa; Four B-25s break off a shipping sweep due to the presence of Japanese fighters.

China: Issues detailed plans for operation against Fort Bayard, which is to be taken on 1 August for use as forward supply base for main effort against Canton-Hong Kong area. India-Burma and China Theaters are both to support the operation.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, Five B-25s and 4 P-47s knock out a bridge on the Pinghan railroad spanning from Hankow to Peking while 4 P-51s knock out another NE of Kihsien on the Tungpu railroad; 70+ other P-51s damage several bridges, hit rail, road and river traffic, supplies, troops, and general targets of opportunity throughout S and E China.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Twenty-two B-24s from Guam bomb Marcus Airfield.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 4 missions, 1 mining and 3 incindiary missions against secondary cities, are flown during the night of 19/20 Jun. Mission 210: 136 B-29s hit the Toyohashi urban area destroying 1.7 square miles (4.4 square km). Mission 211: 221 B-29s attack the Fukuoka urban area destroying 1.37 square miles; 2 other B-29s attack alternate targets. Mission 212: 123 B-29s attack the Shizuoka urban area destroying 2.25 square miles (5.83 square km); 1 other hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 213: 28 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters at Niigata, Miyazu, and Maizuru. 47 Ie Shima based P-47s bomb Tokuno Airfield while 16 others patrol uneventfully over Amami-O-Shima. 117 P-51D Mustangs from Iwo Jima on a mission against Kagamigahara Airfield and Meiji Airfield abort because of bad weather.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighter-bombers continue to pound Luzon, chiefly around Cagayan Valley, SE of Aparri, and around Cervantes while heavy strikes in the central Cagayan area are in support of guerilla offensive. In Borneo, B-24s bomb fortifications and AA guns at Balikpapan while B-25s hit N Borneo targets including Keningau Airfield and targets N and NW of Kudat. In Formosa, B-24s bomb docks, warehouses, and railroad yards at Kiirun and B-25s pound the Shoka railroad yards and P-51s attack AA positions between Rokko and Toyohara; two bridges in the Shoka area are destroyed or badly damaged. The detachment of the 550th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, operating from Puerto Princesa with P-38s, P-61s and P-70s, returns to base at Tacloban (a detachment is operating from Sanga Sanga).

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, 3d Bn of 148th Inf, 37th Div, completes its crossing of the Cagayan, using newly constructed ponton treadway. It is passed through by 1st Bn, which drives to Moranoa and destroys small delaying force. The armored column moves E along the river and captures 5 enemy tanks.

On Okinawa, Tenth Army is reaping substantial results from psychological warfare program that has been going on for some time. To date, 343 Japanese surrender. Brigadier General Claudius M. Easley Assistant Division Commander (ADC) of the 96th Infantry Division (96th ID) "Deadeye Division" was Killed In Action (KIA) on the hilltop at Itoman on southern Okinawa. In III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div continues southward on W flank of corps against scattered resistance. In 1st Mar Div sector, some elements of 8th and 5th Regts reach S coast; other elements of 5th Marines are still held up at Hill 81. In XXIV Corps area, 96th Div continues to battle enemy in Aragachi-Medeera area without making appreciable headway. To E, 7th Div presses on toward Udo and Mabuni.

U.S. Navy: Destroyer Dunlap (DD-384), while patrolling north of Chichi Jima, sinks Japanese luggers Gorgen Maru, Legaspi Maru, and cargo ship Kasidori Maru; the enemy vessels are en route to evacuate non-combatants from Chichi Jima to the Japanese home islands, and to take off supplies of gasoline.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118) continue aerial mining of waters in Korean archipelago, sowing mines in the waters north of Roka-To, in a repeat of the mission flown the previous day. On this occasion, however, all planes are damaged by antiaircraft fire when they strafe a ship encountered in the vicinity.

Submarine Bullhead (SS-332) sinks Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.57 Tachibana Maru in Sunda Strait, off Merak, 05°56'S, 106°00'E.

Submarine Cabezon (SS-334), attacking Japanese convoy beset by Apogon (SS-308) the previous day, sinks merchant cargo ship Zaosan Maru southwest of Paramushiro, Kurils, 50°39'N, 154°38'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401), attacking Japanese convoy off northwest coast of Hokkaido, sinks army cargo ship Kokai Maru and merchant cargo ship No.3 Shinhei Maru, and damages merchant vessel Naga Maru, 43°12'N, 140°19'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Koshun Maru is lost to marine casualty, 4.5 kilometers off Yura Saki, eastern Bungo Suido..

Japanese merchant cargo ship Hattenzan Maru is sunk by aircraft off Masan, Korea; freighter Heian Maru is damaged by marine casualty off Hunghae, 36°03'N, 129°35'E.

Japanese merchant tanker No.1 Nanki Maru is sunk by mine off Aki-Nada, in western part of the Inland Sea; guardboat No.3 Kaigyo Maru is damaged by mine 1.9 kilometers off He Saki, Japan.