June 24, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 24 JUNE 1945

ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Two B-24s on a shipping sweep instead radar bomb Kurabu Cape on Paramushiru, because of overcast and turbulence; another planned shipping strike by six B-25s is also cancelled due to weather.

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 13 B-25s and 12 fighter- bombers knock out bridges at Lohochai and S of Chenghsien and hit surrounding AA positions, attack animal-drawn transport at Hsiangcheng, attack railroad targets of opportunity in the Shihkiachwang area, and hit railroad yards at Siaokan; 40+ fighter-bombers continue harassing enemy withdrawals in S and E China where numerous communications targets, gun positions, bridges, and rail, road, and river traffic are attacked.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): At dawn, one B-24 from Guam bombs buildings on Marcus;. In the afternoon 18 more bomb Marcus Airfield. HQ 494th Bombardment Group and 864th, 865th, 866th and 867th Bombardment Squadrons move from Angaur Airfield to Yontan with B-24s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 36 P-47s from Ie Shima attack boats and a village in the Sakishima Archipelago, a wharf on Kuro Island, Ishigaki Island, and buildings, villages, targets of opportunity, and several points in the Ryukyu Islands. HQ 507th Fighter Group and 463d, 464th and 465th Fighter Squadrons arrive on Ie Shima from the US with P-47s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: On Luzon, A-20s and fighter-bombers support the Sixth Army and Filipino troops in the Kiangan sector and N and NE of Tuguegarao, blast numerous targets throughout the Cagayan Valley, Cervantes area concentrations, and the Infanta-Antipolo resistance pockets. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Balikpapan town and coastal guns and fighter-bombers pound coastal guns while B-25s bomb warehouses and the nearby Manggar Airfield. The detachment of the 159th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 3d Air Commando Group [attached to 5th Air Liaison Group (Provisional)], ceases operating from Negros with UC-64s and L-5s, and returns to base at Mangaldan.

U.S. Army: In U.S. Sixth Army's I Corps area, TF Gypsy continues southward; 129th Inf of 37th Div pushes northward 5½ miles and patrols vigorously on flanks.

In the southern Philippines, In U.S. Eighth Army area, 164th Inf of Americal Div returns to Cebu from Negros Oriental. Army zone, except for Mindanao, is now clear.

U.S. Navy: Destroyer escort Neuendorf (DE-200) is damaged in collision, P.I., 10°41'N, 122°35'E.

Motor minesweeper YMS-339 is damaged, accidentally, by U.S. aircraft off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01°19'S, 116°52'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese merchant sailing junk No.284 Antung Maru, 38°36'N, 124°40'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Katsura Maru, 34°19'N, 133°35'E; No.8 Kenkon Maru, 2.4 kilometers off Mutsure light, and Tatsukaba Maru, at mouth of Karatsu Bay; and damage merchant cargo ships Tsurukawa Maru, 33°55'N, 131°05'E, and Unzen Maru, 35°33'N, 133°17'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa in a repeat of mission carried out the previous day, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters north of Iion-To and Gantai-To, and off Ninshi-To and Chi-To. The Privateers, upon completion of the mining operation, strafe targets of opportunity that include railroad facilities, airports and Japanese shipping, sinking merchant ship Pluto Go off Mokpo.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Wakamatsu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 33°47'N, 131°31'E.

Royal Navy: HMS Statesman damages Japanese submarine depot ship Komahashi off northern Sumatra.

British submarine HMS Torbay sinks unnamed merchant coaster (a motor sailboat) in Malacca Strait.