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 to move to Clark Field.

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

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