June 23, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 23 JUNE 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Two B-24s on a shipping sweep between Matsuwa and Paramushiru sink 1 freighter, damage two more, and hit a whale boat; 1 Japanese fighter is claimed destroyed. Six other B-24s bomb Kataoka on Shimushu.

Burma: Gen Wheeler, USA, becomes commander of India-Burma Theater, replacing Gen Sultan.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In French Indochina, four B-25s knock out the east approach to the Phu Lang Thuong bridge and 4 P-38s bomb locomotives and a barracks area at Les Pins and Lang Son. Twelve P-51s strafe airfields in the Canton area. 17 other fighters strafe railroad targets and river traffic around Wuchou, Siaokan, and Peking, China, and Hanoi, and Vinh, French Indochina.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Major General Thomas D. White becomes Commanding General, Seventh AF.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Mission 221: During the night of 23/24 Jun, 26 B-29s mine the harbors of Fukuoka, Karatsu, Sakai, and Niigata; 1 B-29 is lost; 38 P-47s from Ie Shima bomb airfields at Hakata and Itazuke and, during the return flight, attack two boats off Amami Gunto; 40 other P-47s bomb Saitozaki Airfield; 100 P-51s are dispatched from Iwo Jima to attack Kagamigahara Airfield and Hyakuri; they claim 19-3-16 aircraft in the air and 13-40 on the ground; 3 P-51s are lost.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: 150+ B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers continue heavy strikes against the Balikpapan area concentrating on gun emplacements and defensive positions. On Luzon, A-20s and fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations and occupied areas in the Cagayan Valley and fighter-bombers attack pockets of resistance in the Infanta and Antipolo areas. B-24s bomb a butanol plant at Kobi.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, Fifth Air Force transports drop TF Gypsy under Lt Col Henry A. Burgess, consisting of reinforced 1st Bn of 511th Para Inf, 11th A/B Div, a few miles south of Aparri at 0900 at Calamaniugan near the mouth of the Cagayan River without incident. This attack was the first (and only) time gliders were used in combat in the Pacific Theater. Soon afterwards, C-46 Commandos towing seven CG-4 gliders manned by the 188th Glider Infantry Regiment (188th GIR) also land without incident or opposition. Meanwhile, C-47s drop paratroopers from the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment (511th PIR). On the ground, the paratroopers linked up with a large force of Filipino guerrillas. Their combined force advanced southward until making contact with the U.S. Army 37th Division. TF passes to control of corps. Parachutists establish contact with guerrillas and push south towards 37th Div. 37th Div, meanwhile, passing 129th Inf through 148th, speeds northward 11 miles on Highway 5.

On Okinawa, In U.S. Tenth Army area, Gen Stilwell, USA, relieves USMC Major General R. S. Geiger as commander of Tenth Army. Both corps begin systematic mopping up operations, working northward.

U.S. Navy: PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters in channel north of Iion-To and Gantai-To, and off Ninshi-To and Chi-To.

Motor minesweeper YMS-364 is damaged by shore battery, Balikpapan, Borneo, 01°19'S, 116°52'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 42 in Java Sea, 05°44'S, 114°16'E, and after undergoing counterattack by auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 113, sinks Cha 113 and No. 833 Shuttle Boat, 05°45'S, 114°16'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese merchant sailing junk No.293 Antung Maru, 37°54'N, 125°34'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Goshu Maru off Mutsure light, and damage merchant cargo ship Kocho Maru 1.5 kilometers off Takenoko light.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Shingishu Maru is damaged by aircraft off Pusan, Korea.