July 12, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
THURSDAY, 12 JULY 1945
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (Eleventh Air Force): Four B-25s on a shipping sweep bomb and
strafe a freighter. One B-25 is lost killing the crew.
AAF PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (Seventh Air Force): HQ Seventh AF on Okinawa is declared
open by a General Order on this date. 47 B-24s from Okinawa, failing to bomb
the primary target, Tsuiki, Japan because of clouds, attack the airfield on
Kikaiga-shima. During the night, two Okinawa based B-24s bomb Byu Airfield and Miyazaki Airfield on Kyushu. 50+ B-25s bomb Kanoya Airfield and the town of Aburatsu
on Kyushu and Tokuno Airfield. 70 B-25s and A-26s strike Chiran
Airfield on the first strike against
Japan by Seventh AF A-26s. Two more A-26s hit the Ibusuki Seaplane Base.
HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): During the night of 12/13 Jul, 1 bombing and 4
incendiary missions are flown; 3 B-29s are lost. Mission 263: 115 B-29s attack
the Utsunomiya urban area destroying 0.94 sq mi (2.4 sq km), 34.2% of the city;
5 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 264: 123 B-29s hit the
Ichinomiya urban area destroying 0.01 sq mi (0.03 sq km), 0.8% of the city area;
2 others hit alternate targets. Mission 265: 92 B-29s attack the Tsuruga urban
area destroying 0.77 sq mi (2 sq km), 68% of the city; 2 others hit alternate
targets. Mission 266: 123 B-29s hit the Uwajima urban area destroying 0.14 sq
mi (0.36 sq km), 14% of the city; 1 other hits an alternate target. Mission
267: 53 B-29s bomb the Kawasaki Petroleum Center destroying about 25% of the
target; 2 B-29s are lost, 1 between Guam and Tinian.
CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater) Fourteenth Air Force: 3 B-25s blast
supply convoys moving through the Siang Chiang Valley; 43 P-51s and P-38s attack
bridges, rivercraft, barracks road traffic, and coastal shipping around Changsha, Hsinching, the Luichow Peninsula and Nanchang and in French Indochina, Hamrong,
the Tonkin area, and Cao Bang. 2 bridges are knocked out and others damaged,
airfields are strafed at Vinh, French Indochina and Kiungshan.
WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: P-51s sweep Kyushu. B-24s
bomb Canton. On Formosa, B-24s bomb Toshien while A-26s hit numerous
targets at Tamazato and P-51s hit targets along the W coast. On Luzon, fighter-bombers
hit pillboxes E of Iguig, attack concentrations in the Bontoc-Kiangan area,
and support ground forces E of Manila (the town of Kiangan falls to the 6th
Infantry Division, but resistance in the area continues). B-24s over Negros
Island in support of ground forces bomb a concentration NE of Mount Mandalagan.
B-24s destroy a barrack area at Tandjung, Borneo and others hit warehouses at
Donggala, Celebes Island. The 341st, 342d and 460th Fighter Squadrons, 348th
Fighter Group, move from Floridablanca to Ie Shima with P-51s.
U.S. Army:
In U.S. Eighth Army's XIV Corps area on Luzon, Kiangan falls to 6th Div, 63rd Infantry Regiment but Japanese continue to hold out in the area. Thousands of gallons of napalm have been dropped on enemy pocket in Kiangan area during last few days. 32d Div is advancing along Highway 11 against the other enemy pocket in Sierra Madre Mountains on northern Luzon.
On Mindanao, in X Corps area, 1st Bn of 21st Inf, 24th Div (part of Sarangani TF), lands on north shore of Sarangani Bay on on Mindanao without opposition. Prov bn from Lake Buluan reaches point 20 miles northwest of bay; Expeditionary Bn of guerrilla 108th Div reaches point 15 miles northeast of bay; guerrilla 116th Inf clears additional areas along bay's shore.
U.S. Navy: Submarine chaser PC-582 is damaged by grounding, P.I., 11°05'N, 125°20'E.
Mines sink Japanese salvage ship Nasu Maru near Niigata, Japan, cargo vessel No.3 Fukushin Maru off Osaka harbor lighthouse, merchant cargo ship Kojun Maru 180 miles east of Niigata light, 37°57'N, 139°04'E, and tanker Mitsu Maru in Akashi Strait, 33°38'N, 135°03'E; and damage freighters Takarasan Maru outside Wakamatsu harbor, Japan, and Nasu Maru off Niigata.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Hakara Maru is damaged by aircraft off Hakata.
Japanese merchant cargo ship Kashi Maru is damaged by marine casualty off south end of Chizenmisaki.
USMC: Marine flyers supported landings by the 24th Army Division at Sarangani Bay on Mindanao. This was their last major support mission of Marine aviation during World War II.
|
