July 1, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 1 JULY 1945

AAF PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (Seventh Air Force): Two B-24s from Guam bomb the building concentration on Marcus. 33 B-25s, operating in two flights from Okinawa bomb Chiran Airfield. 2 others hit Yaku-shima Island in the Osumi Islands. During Jul, HQ VII Bomber Command moves from Saipan Island, Mariana Island to Okinawa. The 9th Troop Carrier Squadron, Seventh AF, moves from Saipan Island to Guam Island with C-47s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): During the night of 1/2 Jul, 1 mining and 4 incendiary missions are flown: Mission 240: 152 B-29s attack the Kure urban area destroying 1.3 square miles (3.4 square km), 40% of the city; 2 other B-29s hit alternate targets. Mission 241: 154 B-29s hit the Kumamato urban area destroying 1.0 square mile (2.6 square km), 20% of the city; 1 other B-29 hits an alternate target; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 242: 100 B-29s bomb the Ube urban area destroying 0.42 square miles (1.1 square km), 23% of the city. Mission 243: 126 B-29s attack the Shimonoseki urban area destroying 0.51 square miles (1.32 square km), 36% of the city; 5 other B-29s hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 244: 24 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters at Nanao and Fushiki. 148 Iwo Jima based P-51s are dispatched to hit airfields in the Nagoya area (Kasumigaura Airfield, Itami Airfield, Hamamatsu Airfield and Nagano Airfield); they claim 2-0-0 aircraft in the air and 3-7 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost.

Fourteenth Air Force: In China, a few B-25s bomb a bridge and ferry terminal at Chungmow and near Kaifeng and 4 escorting P-47s strafe Kaifeng Airfield and locomotives in the area; 4 other P-47s bomb the railroad yards at Yuhsiang and 4 P-51s knock out a bridge E of Kiehsiu; on this date Chinese forces capture Liuchow.

WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s pound defenses at Balikpapan in support of the landings by the Australian Army; and B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit Oelin Airfield, Tabanio Airfield, and Trombol Airfield, and bomb the Tawau area. B-24s bomb Limboeng Airfield and Mandai Airfield. Fighter-bombers hit troops and gun positions in the Kayan-Tadian area on Luzon, Philippine Islands.

(USN, USMC) Task Group 78.4 commanded by Rear Admiral W. D. Sample including carrier aircraft from Navy and Marine Corps squadrons provided close air support, local combat air patrol, and strikes on military installations against Balikpapan in support of landings by the Australian Army.

Australian Army: "Operation Oboe Two: 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed a few miles north of Balikpapan.