June 20, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 20 JUNE 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, 8 B-25s and 6 P-51s knock out 2 bridges near Quang Tri and My Chanh and blast surrounding AA positions while 8 fighter-bombers sink at least 3 river steamers in a canal at Haiphong. In China, 37 P-51s hit rail, road, and river traffic, bridges, and general targets of opportunity around Liuchow, Kweilin, Juchai, Hankow, Siangtan, Changsha, Hengshan, Sintsiang, Kweiyi, Kueiyangshih, and Ft Bayard; a bridge at Hankow is destroyed and several others damaged. The 11th Combat Cargo Squadron, Fourteenth AF, move from Yunnani to Luliang with C-47s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 14 P-47s from Ie Shima bomb and strafe vessels, buildings, a lighthouse, and a village in Amami Gunto and the airfield on Tokuno; 38 others bomb the airfield at Omura and hit Tokuno on the return trip.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: A-20s and fighter-bombers blast resistance on Luzon Island and directly support a guerilla offensive in the C Cayagan Valley. B-24s again pound AA positions in the Balikpapan area. B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield. The 419th Night Fighter Squadron, XIII Fighter Command, based at Puerto Princesa with P-61s, sends a detachment to operate from Sanga Sanga (another detachment is at Zamboanga).

RAAF: Sunk during refueling and rearming is Catalina A24-206.

USN: Delivered to the United States Navy (USN) is F4U-4 Corsair bureau number 82050 built by Vought Aircraft Division of United Aircraft in Stratford, Connecticut. SS American Victory was delivered to the U. S. Maritime Commission, War Shipping Administration.