August 8, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

WEDNESDAY, 8 AUGUST 1945

USAAF: C-54E Skymaster 44-9042 with the casket of Major Richard I. Bong escorted by his widow, Marjorie "Marge" Bong, her friend C. Clarence Toy and military escort Colonel Kenneth McGregor are flown from California to Richard I. Bong Airport in Superior, Wisconsin. On arrival, the plane was met by a military honor guard.

Fourteenth Air Force: Ten P-51s hit buildings, trucks, rivercraft, and other targets of opportunity in the Paoching, Hengyang and Chuanhsien areas.

Twentieth Air Force: 381 B-29s fly three missions, 2 during the day of 8 Aug and 1 during the night of 8/9 Aug; 7 B-29s are lost.

Mission 319: Shortly before 1200 hours, 221 B-29s escorted by P-47N Thunderbolts drop incendiaries on Yawata destroying 1.22 sq mi (3.16 sq km), 21% of the city. They are intercepted by approximately 60-70 Japanese fighters that made 53 attacks and 10-20 dropped phosphorus bombs ineffectively in an attempt to break up the formation. Six other B-29s hit alternate targets; 1 B-29s is shot down by Japanese fighters and 3 are lost to mechanical reasons.

Mission 320: Late in the afternoon, 60 B-29s bomb an aircraft plant and arsenal complex at Tokyo; 2 others hit alternate targets; 2 B-29s are lost to flak and 1 to mechanical reasons (these are the last B-29s lost in action by the Twentieth AF). Mission 321: During the night of 8/9 Aug, 91 B-29s hit Fukiyama with incendiaries destroying 0.88 sq miles (73.3% of the city); 1 hits an alternate target. 100+ fighters from Iwo Jima hit airfields, factory buildings, barracks, and rail installations in the Osaka area.

Eighth Air Force: A total of 160 P-47N Thunderbolts from 318th Fighter Group, 413th Fighter Group and 507th Fighter Group took off from Ie Shima Airfield on a mission to rendezvous with B-29s. After take off nine aborted. A total of 151 P-47N Thunderbolts escort the B-29s to and from Yawata. Over the target, spotted 55-65 Japanese fighters and engaged in air combat. The enemy pilots were deemed to be not aggressive and not experienced. The Thunderbolts claimed a total of thirteen victories. Five P-47s were lost including P-47N pilot Captain Llyod Henley 20 miles north of Yawata, P-47N pilot F/O J.B. Hill bailed out over Yawata. P-47N pilot Lt. Kempter bailed out 3 miles SW of Hime Shima and was seen in life raft. P-47N pilot Lt. Marvin (MIA) bailed out 60 miles southwest of Shimo Koshiki and P-47N 44-88900 pilot F/O Paul Lynn (MIA) 50 miles from Suwanose Shima. This was the only P-47N only long range escort mission in the Pacific War.

WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Okinawa-based B-24s, B-25s, A-26s, P-51s, and P-47s carry out numerous strikes against targets on Kyushu; targets include the Usa and Tsuiki Airfields, communications and transport targets all over Kyushu, shipping between Kyushu and Korea, and targets of opportunity in the Ryukyu Islands, on the China coast, and on Formosa. B-24s bomb Shinchiku Airfield. B-24s on a shipping search hit Lolobata Airfield on Halmahera Island. On Luzon, B-24s support ground forces in the Lenatin River Valley and SSE of Mankayan and P-38s support ground action SSE of Mankayan, in the Kiangan area, and NW of Bagabag. Unit moves: Headquarters Squadron (HQ), 475th Fighter Group and 431st Fighter Squadron, 432d Fighter Squadron and 433d Fighter Squadron from Lingayen Airfield to Ie Shima Airfield with P-38s; 528th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy), from San Jose to Okinawa with B-24s. FEAF B-24s, B-25s, A-26s, P-51s and P-47s carry out strikes against targets on Kyushu, and Japanese shipping between Kyushu and Korea, sinking merchant cargo ship Shokai Maru off Pusan and Megami Maru off Shodo Jima; Kainan Maru is damaged.

USSR: At 11:00pm Trans-Baikal time, Soviet Union foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov informed Japanese ambassador Naotake Satō that the Soviet Union has declared war on Japan and an hour later at midnight on August 9, 1945 the Soviet Union will commence hostilities against Japan.

USN: Advance copies of Admiral Halsey's Operation Plan 10-45 for the occupation of Japan are distributed and Task Force 31 (TF 31) established, also known as the Yokosuka Occupation Force.

Destroyer Cassin (DD-372) boards Japanese hospital ship Kiku Maru, about 250 miles northwest of Marcus Island and after observing no violations, permits the vessel to proceed to Yokosuka.

Submarine Muskallunge (SS-262) is damaged by machine gun fire while engaging Japanese "sea trucks" off the Kurils, 46°41'N, 151°43'E, but remains on patrol.

Navy Petroleum Reserve 4 Expedition, formed around cargo ship Spica (AK-16) and U.S. freighters Jonathan Harrington and Enos A. Mills, departs Icy Cape, Alaska, for Point Barrow (see 10, 22, 24 and 25 August).

U.S. freighter Casimir Pulaski is damaged when nearby dredging operations detonate mine or bomb off the ship's port bow as she lies alongside Pier 13, Manila, P.I.; the blast injures 2 of the 28-man Armed Guard

PB4Ys attack Japanese shipping off Pusan, Korea, sinking No.7 Yamabishi Maru and Kagoshima Maru off that port, and guardboat No.63 Hino Maru east of Kyosaitoo.

Japanese cargo vessel Shinten Maru is damaged by mine, a half mile off Wada Misaki light.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Tenzan Maru is damaged by marine casualty, northeast of Kamaishi, Japan.