June 30, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SATURDAY, 30 JUNE 1945

CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater): HQ AAF, China Theater is established by a General Order from HQ, US Forces, China Theater. Lieutenant General George E Stratemeyer is appointed Commanding General; subordinate elements are the Tenth and Fourteenth Air Forces, China Air Service Command, and the 8th Reconnaissance Group.

Fourteenth Air Force: In China, 2 B-25s attack a bridge at Lohochai, causing little damage; 4 fighter-bombers pound hill positions and hit an artillery emplacement SW of Hsihsiakou; 3 others bomb and strafe an enemy- held temple and a troop area at Likuanchiao.

AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Two B-24s from Guam attack the boat basin at Marcus.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): The 509th Composite Group, scheduled to deliver the first atomic bomb attack on Japan, begins combat flight training from Tinian; for most crews, this involves 5 or 6 practice missions such as a navigation training flight to Iwo Jima bombing Rota during the return flight, two or more short bombing missions against Rota or Guguan. One B-29 flys a long bombing mission against Truk and one B-29 against Marcus, all run in flights of from two to nine B-29s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA: On Luzon, fighter-bombers support ground forces in the Cervantes sector, north of Baguio and pound gun positions and other targets in the Kiangan area as the Luzon campaign officially ends at 2400 hours local. In Borneo, B-24s again pound Balikpapan and B-25s pound targets in NE Borneo and cause considerable damage at Tawau and Tandjoengredeb. The 39th Fighter Squadron, 35th Fighter Group, moves from Clark Field to Okinawa with P-51s. FEAF-CRTC ceases operations and begings preparing for a move to Clark Field.

U.S. Army: The Luzon Campaign ends officially at midnight 30 June-1 July. U.S. Sixth Army turns over to U.S. Eighth Army the task of concluding operations on Luzon and regroups extensively for its next assignment, invasion of Japan (Operation OL YMPIC). Eighth Army takes command of XIV Corps, which will conduct the final mop up on Luzon. Two large pockets of enemy remain on N Luzon: about 11,000 Japanese are estimated to be concealed in Sierra Madre Mountains; and an estimated 12,000 are established in Kiangan-Bontoc area. Operations to eliminate these pockets continue until end of the war. Under XIV Corps command are 6th, 32d, 37th, and 38th Inf Divs plus Filipino guerrilla forces on the island. 24th Div is chosen for the final amphibious operation in the Philippines--a landing on Mindanao at Sarangani Bay. On Mindanao, X Corps continues to mop up until end of war.

On Okinawa, U.S. Tenth Army completes mopping up operations.

U.S. Navy: Task Group 78.4 commanded by Rear Admiral W. D. Sample arrives off arrives off Balikpapan and begins pre-invasion shore bombardment.

Naval vessels on hand (all types)--67,952. Personnel: Navy--3,383,196; Marine Corps--476,709; Coast Guard--171,192. Total personnel 4,031,097.

Open lighter YC-1272, beached on south side of Cerritos Channel, San Pedro, California, is lost during June (date indeterminate).

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in fields off the south central coast.

Off Balikpapan, Borneo, destroyer Smith (DD-378) is damaged by shore battery, 01°17'S, 116°53'E; minesweeper YMS-314 by mine, 01°18'S, 116°51'E.

Submarines Baya (SS-318) and Capitaine (SS-336) attack Japanese Makassar-to-Surabaya convoy MASU-705, engaging the escorting submarine chaser Ch 5 and sinking cargo vessel Bandai Maru, 06°27'S, 117°13'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Hokushin Maru is lost to unknown cause in South China Sea, about 15°00'N, 115°00'E.18.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Ryuho Maru is sunk by aircraft, 35°01'N, 140°10'E.

Mines damage Japanese escort destroyer Nara, six miles west-southwest of Shimonoseki, Japan, 33°54'N, 130°49'E, Coast Defense Vessel No.154, 2.8 kilometers off Hesaki light, and merchant cargo ships Chikuma Maru, 15 kilometers off Himejima, Taruyasu Maru, 37°07'N, 137°04'E, and Taisei Maru, 35°00'N, 133°00'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.215 is damaged 2.8 kilometers off Iwasaki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Taiyu Maru is damaged by aircraft, Moji harbor.

Open lighter YC-1272, beached on south side of Cerritos Channel, San Pedro, California, is lost during June (date indeterminate).

USMC: The active duty strength of the Marine Corps is 474,680-37,067 officers and 437,613 enlisted.

IJN: Japan's first jet-powered aircraft J9Y Kikka Prototype No. 1 is ready for ground testing.