July 17, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology
TUESDAY, 17 JULY 1945
Potsdam Conference (Terminal) begins with the "Big Three" including U.S. President Harry S. Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin meet to decide the fate of German, establish the postwar order, resolve peace treaty issues and count the effects of World War II. The Potsdam Declaration is issued to Japan by the Allies represented by U.S. President Harry S. Truman for the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill for the United Kingdom, and Chairman of China Chiang Kai-shek for China. As of this date, the Soviet Union (USSR) was not at war with Japan. The Potsdam Declaration ended with the declaration: "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction."
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS (Eleventh Air Force): The 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium),
28th Bombardment Group (Composite), fly their last mission of the Pacific War when
four B-25s make an unsuccessful shipping sweep between Kurabu Cape and Tomari Cape;
two of the B-25s land in the USSR and 11 of the 12 airmen become the last U.S. aircrews interned in the USSR
(one airman is KIA). An unsuccessful shipping sweep is flown by two B-24s over Shimushiru.
Twentieth Air Force: Mission 275: During the night of 17/18 Jul, 27 B-29s mine
Shimonoseki Strait and waters in the Nanao-Fushiki area, at Henashi Cape, Iwase
and at Seishin and off Chongjin in Korea.
CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater) Fourteenth Air Force: A single
B-25 attacks 3 truck convoys in the Siang Chiang Valley and bombs the area along
the river at Hengyang; 70+ P-51s and P-47s continue to disrupt enemy movement
in French Indochina and S and E China, attacking bridges, railroad yards, rail,
road, and river traffic, airfields, gun positions, and many other targets at
various locations, especially around Suichwan, Linfen, and Sinsiang, China.
WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In China, nearly 150 B-24s, B-25s,
and A-26s pound Chiang Wan Airfield, P-47s attack shipping and warehouses in
the Taishan Island area while others hit Tinghai Airfield and B-25s hit Itu
Aba Island. Also, they strike Kiangwan Airfield near Shanghai which contains the largest concentration of Japanese aircraft in China.
P-51s over Kyushu and the northern Ryukyu Islands attack shipping, severely
damaging a 10,000-ton cargo vessel in the harbor on Amami-O-Shima and
P-47s dive-bomb railroad tunnels NW and SW of Kagoshima. B-24s bomb Limboeng, barracks and strafe a schooner off southwest Celebes. B-25s
attack Jesselton Airfield. The 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 403d Troop
Carrier Group moves from Espiritu Santo to Dulag with C-47s. Lost is C-46 44-77767 (MIA).
U.S. Navy: Aircraft from TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) and British TF 37 (Vice Admiral Henry B. Rawlings, RN) attack airfields in the Tokyo area.
TU 34.8.2 under Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger including five battleships, two light cruisers, and ten destroyers bombard heavily industrialized Mito-Hitachi area of Honshu. British battleship HMS King George V and two British destroyers are attached to the force, making this the first joint U.S.-British bombardment of the Japanese homeland. Carrier Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) provides night combat air patrol to cover the operation.
Royal Navy: Units of British Pacific Fleet join with U.S. Third Fleet warships in bombarding Japan. Japanese offer no opposition. This is the first of a series of combined American-British assaults on Japan.
Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.204 is damaged by marine casualty, Senzaki Bay.
RAAF: Spitfire A58-516 pilot FSgt Brian F. Gurney is damaged while landing
at Sepinggang Airfield on Borneo.
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