July 5, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 5 JULY 1945

China: General Chennault requests permission to retire, his request is quick;y granted.

AAF PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (Seventh Air Force): 46 B-24s and 24 B-25s all from Okinawa bomb Omura Airfield and 2 towns in the Omura-Nagasaki area, Japan.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 100 P-51s from Iwo Jima, strike airfields in the Tokyo area (Ibaraki, Yatabe, Yawatasaki Cape, and Maruta); they claim 5-11 aircraft on the ground.

Fourteenth Air Force: Eight B-25s sink several sampans and junks at Haiphong and damage several larger vessels. 2 B-25s and 2 P-47s knock out a bridge S of Chumatien, China. 37 P-51s over French Indochina and S and E China blast shipping in the Hongay and Haiphong, French Indochina area, and in China, pound docks and small vessels at Chikhom, knock out a bridge at Chumatien, blast a barracks area at Anyang, and hit river and rail traffic around Tanchuk and Chenghsien.

WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien, Takao, Toyohara and the nearby Kamioka supply area, and Taihoku Airfield. Fighter-bombers fly nearly 100 sorties in support of ground forces in the Kiangan area on Luzon. In Borneo, B-24s bomb Manggar and Riko. P-51s sweeping Kyushu strafe targets of opportunity and down several aircraft. Lost during a training mission is P-38 pilot Carter (pilot rescued July 8, 1945).

U.S. Army: General Douglas MacArthur announces the liberation of the Philippines.

TF 39 (Rear Admiral Alexander Sharp) composed of 7 light minelayers (DM), 52 minesweepers (AM), 6 high speed minesweepers (DMS), 49 motor minesweepers (YMS) and 7 netlayers, begins minesweeping operations in the East China Sea.

Destroyer Smith (DD-378) is accidentally damaged by depth charge off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01°00'S, 117°00'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.11 Sapporo Maru outside Odomari harbor, southwest of Sakhalin, 46°04'N, 142°14'E.

Submarines Lizardfish (SS-373) and Puffer (SS-268) bombard Japanese port facilities and shipping at Chelukan Buwang, on north coast of Bali; Lizardfish sinks auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 37 and No.153 Shuttle Vessel, in addition to barges and landing craft, 08°10'S, 114°50'E. Fires started by the shelling destroys small cargo vessel Hino Maru. Puffer destroys cargo vessels Heiyo Maru and Nihon Maru in Bulelong Roads, 08°04'S, 115°05'E.

Mines sink Japanese transport Toyokawa Maru near Mutsure Jima, 33°56'N, 130°53'E, and merchant tanker No.1 Tosei Maru, 1.7 kilometers off Niigata harbor, and damage merchant cargo ships Miurasan Maru at 34°47'N, 128°49'E, Enho Maru at 33°29'N, 130°15'E, and Take Maru near Moji, Japan.

Japanese landing ship T.147 is damaged by aircraft off Hachijo Jima.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Awa Maru is damaged by aircraft, 20 miles off Katsuura light.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Hirano Maru is damaged by aircraft, 41°11'N, 140°04'E.

USAAF planes sink Japanese cargo vessel Tone Maru at 03°20'S, 114°35'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.95 is damaged by marine casualty, Tsurumi Harbor.

Australian Army: Australian troops covered by Allied warships, cross Balikpapan Bay to land on the western shore at Penadjim Point without opposition. Other Australian forces are extending control over key parts of Borneo.