July 8, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 8 JULY 1945

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): Two fighter groups (100+) P-51s from Iwo Jima pound airfields and other targets including Hyakuri Airfield, Chofu Airfield, Tokorozawa Airfield, and Yachimata Airfield in Japan; 5 aircraft are claimed downed and at least 25 destroyed on the ground; 8 P-51s are lost.

Fourteenth Air Force: Six B-25s and 4 P-47s severely damage a bridge N of Sinsiang and hit nearby trains. 60+ P-38s, P-47s, and P-51s pound river shipping, rail traffic, supplies, and troops at Haiphong, Do Son, and Tourane and at numerous locations in S and E China.

WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon, P-38s and P-51s supporting ground operations hit supply and personnel areas near Kiangan and Penablanca. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield, B-25s start fires at the Getsubi alcohol plant and on Koto Island, and P-38s attack oil production area at Gyuni Kuki. On Borneo, B-24s and B-25s, supporting Australian forces, hit the Balikpapan area defensive positions, Samarinda shipyards, various targets along the Samarinda road, and warehouses at Tandjung. B-24s [including some of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)] bomb warehouses at Donggala on Celebes Island. The 69th and 311th Fighter Squadrons, 58th Fighter Group, move from Porac to Okinawa with P-47s.

RAAF: Walrus X9515 lands in the Karawari River and a search party locates P-38 pilot Lt. John P. Carter and rescues him after two hours.