July 19, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

THURSDAY, 19 JULY 1945

CENTRAL PACIFIC [US Army Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific (USASTAF)] Twentieth Air Force: During the night of 19/20 Jul, 1 mining, 4 incendiary and 1 bombing missions are flown by B-29s against Japan and Korea; 3 B-29s are lost. Mission 276: 27 B-29s lay mines in the Oyama, Niigata lost is B-29 "Sharon Linn" 44-70116 pilot Captain Gordon P. Jordan, Miyazu, Maizuru, Tsuruga, Nezugaseki, Obama Island, and Kobe-Osaka areas of Japan and Wonsan and and Hungnam in Korea. Mission 277: 127 B-29s attack the Fukui urban area destroying 1.6 sq mi (4.2 sq km), 84.8% of the city; 1 other B-29s hits an alternate target. Mission 278: 126 B-29s hit the Hitachi urban area destroying 0.88 sq mi (2.28 sq km), 64.5% of the city; 1 other B-29 hits an alternate target; 2 B-29s are lost. Mission 279: 91 B-29s attack the Choshi urban area destroying 0.379 sq mi (0.982 sq km), 33.8 % of the city. Mission 280: 126 B-29s hit the Okazaki urban area destroying 0.65 sq mi (1.68 sq km), 68% of the city; 1 B-29 hits an alternate target. Mission 281: 83 B-29s bomb the Nippon oil plant at Amagasaki; 1 other B-29 hits an alternate target. P-51s from Iwo Jima strike airfields, factories, railroads, power lines and other tactical targets at Kagamigahara, Nagoya, Meiji Airfield, Izumi, Nishinomiya, and Tambaichi.

CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater) Fourteenth Air Force: In China, 20 B-25s, 16 P-51s, and 4 P-47s blast railroad yards at Shihkiachwang; 7 other B-25s and 2 P-51s hit bridges S of Yoyang and bomb truck convoys in the Siang Chiang Valley, particularly around the Siangtan area. 37 fighter-bombers disrupt enemy movement over wide areas of French Indochina and S and E China, attacking numerous targets of opportunity.

WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Borneo, P-38s hit a suicide boat hideout at Sandakan while B-25s bomb Jesselton Airfield. P-38s support ground forces, hitting positions along the Kibawe trail on Mindanao. B-25s hit Itu Aba Island, China. In Japan, 90+ P-51s pound numerous targets on sweeps over the Nagoya area and hit airfields, factories, power facilities, and gun positions at locations including Kagamigahara, Nishinomiya and Osaka.

U.S. Navy: TF 38 planes damage Japanese carriers Amagi and Katsuragi, and battleship Haruna at Kure, Japan.

TG 35.4 (Rear Admiral Carl F. Holden) concludes its bombardment of Japanese radar installations at Cape Nojima, Honshu.

USS Antietam (CV-36) is damaged by premature explosion of 5-inch shell during gunnery exercises, Hawaiian Operating Area.

Submarine Bumper (SS-333), attacking Japanese convoy in Gulf of Siam, sinks fleet tanker No.3 Kyoei Maru.

Mines sink Japanese merchant dredger Daikoku Maruinside Niigata harbor.

Japanese planes attack U.S. fleet units off Okinawa; one kamikaze damages destroyer Thatcher (DD-514), 26°15'N, 127°50'E; another nearly crashes into destroyer Charles J. Badger (DD-657).