August 5, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

SUNDAY, 5 AUGUST 1945

China: Chinese 13th Army captures Tanchuk. Chinese 58th Div recaptures Hsinning.

Eighth Air Force: HQ 333d Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and 435th Bombardment Squadron, 460th Bombardment Squadron and 507th Bombardment Squadron (Very Heavy) arrive at Kadena from the US with B-29s.

Twentieth Air Force: During the night of 5/6 Aug, 612 B-29s fly 1 mining, 1 bombing and 4 incendiary raids against Japan; 2 B-29s are lost. Mission 311: 27 B-29s mine the waters of the Sakai, Yonago, Nakaumi Lagoon, Miyazu, Maizuru, Tsuruga, Oura, Hagi, Obama, Najin and Geijitsu areas; 1 other B-29 mines an alternate target. Mission 312: 63 B-29s attack the Saga urban area destroying 0.02 sq mi (0.05 sq km), 1.5% of the city; 1 B-29 is lost. Mission 313: 92 B-29s hit the Maebashi urban area destroying 1 sq mi (2.59 sq km), 42.5% of the city; 4 others hit alternate targets. Mission 314: 250 B-29s attack the Nishinomiya-Mikage urban area destroying 2.8 sq mi (7.25 sq km), 29.6% of the city; 3 others hit alternate targets; 1 B-29 is lost.

Mission 315: 106 B-29s bomb the Ube Coal Liquefaction Co. facility at Ube destroying 100% of the refining units and destroying or damaging 80% of other structures; 2 others hit alternate targets.

Mission 316: 64 B-29s attack the Imabari urban area destroying 0.73 sq mi (1.89 sq km), 76% of the city area. Headquarters (HQ) VII Fighter Command is officially assigned to Headquarters (HQ) Twentieth AF. 100+ P-51s strike airfields and military installations in large area around Tokyo, scoring especially effective hits at Katori Airfield.

Fourteenth Air Force: In China, 20 P-51s knock out a bridge NW of Anyang and damage another NE of Kiehsiu, attack railroad targets during sweeps from Taiyuan to Suchow and Tehsien to Pengpu, and strafe rivercraft between Ichang and Lokehang.

WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Japan, 330+ B-24s, B-25s, A-26s, P-47s, and P-51s pound Tarumizu town, the industrial area on Kyushu and many targets of opportunity on Kyushu and in the Ryukyu Islands. P-38s support ground forces on Luzon, hitting Japanese concentrations ENE of Naguilian, near Mount Data, and at other points. B-24s pound Japanese positions S of Fabrica. Other B-24s bomb supply and personnel areas and AA positions in the Makassar area. B-24s bomb Miti. The 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, moves from San Jose to Ie Shima with P-38s.

U.S. Navy: Destroyer escort Earl V. Johnson (DE-702) is damaged by a near miss explosion of kaiten from submarine I-53 in the Philippine Sea at Lat 20°17'N, Long 128°07'E.

Destroyer Bristol (DD-857) is damaged in collision with oiler Ashtabula (AO-51) off Iwo Jima, 29°00'N, 142°00'E.

Submarine Billfish (SS-286), attacking Japanese convoy in the Yellow Sea, sinks merchant cargo ship Kori Maru off the Kwantung Peninsula, 38°51'N, 121°59'E.

Submarine Pogy (SS-266) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kotohirasan Maru in the Japan Sea about 30 miles west of Akita, Honshu, 39°52'N, 138°52'E.

Mines damage Japanese fast transport T.20 four miles off Koiwai Jima, Japan, and damage merchant cargo ship Nissho Maru in vicinity of Nanao and Oguchi, and merchant tanker No.32 Yoshitomo Maru, 5.5 kilometers off Genkai Jima.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Iki Maru is damaged by aircraft off Hamada.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.25 Hino Maru sinks after running aground in Bungo Suido off Hinomisaki Light.

RAAF: Liberator sinks Japanese ship No.15 Eigyo Maru off western Flores.