June 26, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

TUESDAY, 26 JUNE 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 21 P-51s bomb or strafe road, river, and rail traffic, motor pools, gun positions, and buildings around Yoyang, Hengyang, Chenghsien, Linfen, and Tsinan, and knock out a bridge SW of Yutze.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): At dawn, signle B-24 from Guam attacks heavy AA positions on the west side of Marcus.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 510 B-29s and 148 P-51s fly 9 missions against aircraft factories, light-metals industries and arsenals in S Honshu and Shikoku; 6 B-29s and 1 P-51 are lost. Mission 223: 64 B-29s hit the light metal industry at Osaka and 4 others hit alternate targets. Mission 224: 109 B-29s attack the Osaka Arsenal; 3 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 225: 31 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Akashi and 5 others hit targets of opportunity; the 4,000-pound (1,814 kg) bombs are well- placed but the target has been almost destroyed in previous raids. Mission 226 and Mission 227: 58 B-29s attack Nagoya Arsenal; 6 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Missions 228 and 231: 85 B-29s hit the Kawasaki aircraft plant at Kagamigahara; 23 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost; every important building is knocked out. Mission 229: 50 B-29s attack the Aichi aircraft plant at Eitoku and 14 others attack alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost; the raid causes light damage. Mission 230: 29 B-29s hit the light metal industry at Nagoya and 2 others hit targets of opportunity. The B-29s claim 20 Japanese fighters destroyed. The Nagoya and Osaka missions are escorted by 148 P-51s; they claim 2-0-5 Japanese aircraft; 1 P-51 is lost. Mission 232: During the night of 26/27 Jun, 33 B-29s attack the Utsube Oil Refinery at Yokkaichi, the top-priority petroleum target; 1 other B-29 hits an alternate target.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Fighter-bombers hit targets in the Infanta area and troop concentrations in the Cagayan Valley and Kiangan area; ground support strikes are flown in the Cervantes area and E of Manila. Strikes against the Balikpapan area continue by B-24s and B-25s hitting oil targets and Manggar Airfield and B-24s bomb the Trombol Airfield. Other B-24s bomb Limboeng Airfield. On Formosa during the night of 26/26 Jun, P-61s set fires at the Ensuiko sugar refinery while B-24s hit the sugar refinery at Tanshi during the day. Lost is P-38 pilot Hootman (MIA).