July 28, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
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SATURDAY, 28 JULY 1945

USAAF: Flying in poor weather, B-25D "Old John Feather Merchant" 41-30577 crashed into the Empire State Building in New York City.

Twentieth Air Force: During the night of 28/29 Jul, 554 B-29s fly 6 incendiary raids on secondary cities and 1 bombing raid without loss. Mission 297: 76 B-29s attack the Tsu urban area destroying 0.84 sq mi (2.18 sq km), 57% of the city area. Mission 298: 61 B-29s hit the Aomori urban area destroying 1.06 sq mi (2.75 sq km), 64% of the city area; 3 others hit alternate targets. Mission 299: 122 B-29s attack the Ichinomiya urban area destroying 0.99 sq mi (2.56 sq km), 75% of the city area; 2 others attack alternate areas. Mission 300: 93 B-29s hit the Uji-Yamada urban area destroying 0.36 sq mi (0.93 sq km), 39% of the city area; 1 other hits an alternate target.Mission 301: 90 B-29s attack the Ogaki urban area destroying 0.48 sq mi (1.24 sq km), 40% of the city area. Mission 302: 29 B-29s hit the Uwajima urban area destroying 0.53 sq mi (1.37 sq km), 52% of the city area. Mission 303: 76 B-29s bomb the Shimotsu Oil Refinery; 75% of the tank capacity, 90% gasometer capacity and 69% of the roof area destroyed or damaged; 1 other B-29s hits an alternate target. 140+ P-51s, based on Iwo Jima, hit 9 objectives (airfields and military targets) in a wide area around Tokyo and attack a destroyer escort along the Chiba Peninsula, leaving it burning.

Fourteenth Air Force: In China, 7 B-25s and 4 P-51s attack a supply movement through the Siang Chiang Valley, hit a freighter and 2 smaller vessels off Shuitang, and pound troops near Kian. About 90 P-51s, P-47s, and P-61s disrupt the Japanese movement throughout S and E China and in French Indochina; the fighter-bombers concentrate on river transport.

WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: 137 P-47s from Ie Shima rocket and strafe airfields, oil stores, railroad yards, warehouses, industry, gun positions, and other targets on Kyushu at or near Kanoya, Metatsubara, Tachiarai, Kurume, Saga, and Junicho; 21 more P-47s attack shipping at Yatsushiro and A-26s and B-25s pound the runways at Kanoya Airfield; P-51s and B-25s, sweeping over the Inland Sea, destroy 2 small cargo vessels and a patrol boat and 70+ B-24s bomb shipping at Kure, claiming direct hits on a battleship Haruna and further damage Amagi. Lost are B-24J "Lonesome Lady" 44-40680 pilot 2nd Lt Thomas C. Cartwright (KIA / POW) and B-24J "Taloa" 44-40716 pilot Captain Donald F. Marvin (KIA / POW).

On Luzon, B-25s and P-38s in support of ground forces hit enemy positions in the Mankayan-Kiangan area and in the Marikina area. Other P-38s hit troop concentrations on Jolo and B-24s support ground forces on Negros. Units moving from Luzon to Ie Shima: 82d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and 110th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, from Lingayen Airfield with F-6s; 499th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) and 501st Bombardment Squadron (Medium), 345th Bombardment Group (Medium) from Clark Field with B-25s.

USN: Carrier planes from Task Force 38 (TF 38) under Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr. strike Inland Sea area, between Nagoya, and Northern Kyushu; principally targeting the Kure Naval Base at Kure. TF 38 planes sink battleship Haruna off Eta Jima, eight miles northwest of Kure, 34°15'N, 132°29'E; battleship-carrier Ise, five miles northwest of Kure, 34°12'N, 132°31'E; training ship ex-coast defense vessel Izumo off Eta Jima, 34°14'N, 132°30'E; heavy cruiser Aoba, Kure Navy Yard, 34°13'N, 132°31'E, light cruiser Oyodo, 34°13'N, 132°25'E; heavily damage Japanese submarine I-404 at Kure; escort destroyer Nashi, Mitajirizaki, Kure, 34°14'N, 132°30'E; guardboat No.5 Fukuju Maru at Kujukurihama, Chiba prefecture; guardboats No.2 Fukusei Maru and No.2 Inari Maru, Kobe; submarine depot ship Komahashi, victualling stores ship Kosho Maru, and auxiliary minesweeper No.18 Banshu Maru, Owase; guardboat No.2 Han'ei Maru, Aomori; naval auxiliary Koryu Maru, Innoshima dockyard; in addition to merchant cargo ships Kinzan Maru four miles east of Ogashima, and Kiyotada Maru in Ube harbor; merchant cargo ships No.11 Kyowa Maru in Kobe harbor and No.3 Mikage Maru off Otaru; and merchant tankers No.4 Kinyu Maru 34°48'N, 134°28'E; and No.6 Kinyu Maru at 34°23'N, 134°50'E. Ditched is SBC2 Helldiver 21079 pilot Lt(jg) Raymond Porter (POW).

Task Force 38 (TF 38) planes also damage carrier Katsuragi and training carrier Hosho, Kure; torpedo cruiser (ex-light cruiser) Kitakami in Hiroshima Bay; submarine I 205 (repaired after damage inflicted by TF 58 aircraft on 19 March) in drydock, Kure; destroyer Asagao west of Bisan-Seto; Coast Defense Vessel No.45 and submarine chaser Ch 14 near Yokosuka; escort destroyer Habushi and Coast Defense Vessel No.44, Sasebo; Coast Defense Vessel No.190 in Yura Straits; guardboats No.2 Kainan Maru and No.2 Inari Maru, Kobe harbor; motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.823, Yokosuka; and auxiliary minesweepers No.10 Showa Maru and No.1 Kyojin Maru off Owase, Japan, as well as merchant passenger ship Tenzan Maru, 35°42'N, 132°42'E; merchant cargo ships No.8 Shinto Maru, 35°06'N, 129°45'E, and Nagasaki Maru off south side of Osagi Jima; merchant tankers No.18 Nissho Maru and No.2 Seiko Maru, Osaka; and Shingi Maru, Kobe; merchant cargo ship Taigen Maru, in dock at Innoshima.

Four escort carriers in Task Force 32 (TF 32) under Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf providing cover for the ongoing minesweeping operations in the East China Sea under Rear Admiral Alexander Sharp launch planes to conduct strikes on shipping off the mouth of the Yangtze River. No targets, however, are found.

Destroyer Callaghan (DD-792) on radar picket station approximately 50 miles southwest of Okinawa is sunk by kamikaze Yokosuka Type 93 Intermediate Training / K5Y (Willow) armed with a bomb at 25°43'N, 126°55'E; she is the last Allied vessel lost to a kamikaze attack. Destroyer Prichett (DD-561) is damaged by near-miss of suicide plane, 25°43'N, 126°56'E, as she aids mortally damaged Callaghan.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) damages Japanese No.165 Shuttle Boat, 09°09'S, 115°25'E.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408), attacking Japanese convoy off western Honshu, sinks merchant cargo ships Hagikawa Maru, eight miles west of Noshiro harbor, 40°17'N, 139°50'E, and No.15 Unkai Maru and Hakuei Maru off Sakata, 39°49'N, 139°47'E.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Keijin Maru sinks after running aground off Owase, Japan, 34°05'N, 136°14'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Hitora Maru is damaged by marine casualty, Innoshima Dockyard.

Japanese transport Teiritsu Maru, damaged by mine laid by B-29s and is run aground .2 kilometers southwest of Bakuchizaki, 35°32'N, 135°20'E.

Royal Navy: British carrier planes (TF 37) sink Coast Defense Vessel No.4 in Ise Bay, 3443'N, 13643'E Yokosuka; Coast Defense Vessel No.30 off Yura.