June 21, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 21 JUNE 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, sixteen B-25s bomb an enemy fort at Bac Ninh, hit railroad yards and trains at Thanh Hoa, Phu Dien, Yen Li Station, Ha Trung, and Ninh Binh, damage a tunnel at La Son, bomb a barge concentration at Ha Dong, and attack a train near the Duc Tho bridge. 40+ P-51s and P-38s hit road, rail, and river transport, coastal shipping, troops, supply lines, and targets of opportunity in French Indochina and S and E China.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): 24 B-24s from Guam bomb fuel oil storage and power plant buildings on Eten. The detachment of the 28th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, Seventh AF, operating from Ie Shima with F-5Es, returns to base on Okinawa.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 214: 25 B-29s mine the sea approaches around Fushiki, Senzaki, Nanao, and Yuya Bay, Japan during the night of 21/22 Jun; 2 others mine alternate areas.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Fighter-bombers attack positions and supply areas in the Cagayan Valley plus other locations in north Luzon and the Marikina and Infanta areas in central Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s pound the Balikpapan town area, Manggar Airfield, Sepinggang defenses, and Oelin Airfield and B-25s bomb the town of Keningau while P-38s blast the nearby airfield; the fighter-bombers attack Kudat and caves near Jesselton. On Formosa, P-38s hit targets at Mato and Kagi and targets of opportunity along the western coast. Lost on a search mission is OA-10 Catalina 44-34050 pilot 1st Lt. Paul W. Drew (12 MIA).

U.S. Army: U.S. Sixth Army directs XI Corps CG to be prepared to mount one Para inf bn for drop on Aparri area to prevent enemy's escape from there. In I Corps area, 148th Inf of 37th Div continues Cagayan Valley drive against scattered resistance. Ranger patrols from Aparri establish contact with Filipino guerrilla forces. 63d Inf, 6th Div, presses forward toward Kiangan; 20th Inf reaches Pingkian. 25th Div elements operating on Old Spanish Trail close in on Susuga Pass from N and S.

On Okinawa, In the U.S. Tenth Army's III Amphib Corps area, 6th Mar Div clears most of its zone. Hill 81 falls to 1st Mar Div. In XXIV Corps area, Japanese in the Medeera pocket continue to hold out on Hill 85, in 96th Div zone. 7th Div cleans out Hill 89 pocket near Mabuni.

U.S. Navy: Off Okinawa, Japanese air attacks on U.S. ships offshore, however, continue. Kamikazes damage destroyer escort Halloran (DE-305), 26°00'N, 128°00'E, and sink medium landing ship LSM-59, while she is escorting fleet tug Lipan (ATF-85) and high speed transport Barry (APD-29). Barry (previously damaged by kamikaze on 24 May) and in tow of Lipan, is en route to Ie Shima (see 22 May 1945 and 22 June).17 In addition, suicider planes damage seaplane tenders Curtiss (AV-4) and Kenneth Whiting (AV-14), 26°10'N, 127°18'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters in channel between Hikin-To, Iion-To, and Gantai-To; one plane encounters antiaircraft fire from Japanese warship in vicinity. Waters north of Roka-To are mined again as well.

Landing craft repair ship Endymion (ARL-9) is damaged by Japanese submarine I 36 north of Truk, 12°41'N, 156°20'E.

Motor minesweeper YMS-335 is damaged by shore battery, Balikpapan, Borneo, 01°18'S, 116°50'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hizen Maru, 41°19'N, 141°28'E.

Submarine Piranha (SS-389) damages Japanese merchant cargo ship Shirogane Maru, 39°28'N, 142°10'E.

USMC: Organized resistance in the III Amphibious Corps zone ended when units of the 1st Marine Division secured Hill 8l, and the 29th Marines-in the 6th Division zone- swept through Ara Sake, the southernmost point of the island. Major General R. S. Geiger, commanding the Tenth Army, declares Okinawa secured.

RNZAF: Fighters attack Rabaul area. Lost is F4U Corsair NZ5402 pilot Flight Sergeant Ronald C. Warren (POW).