FRIDAY, 10 AUGUST 1945
Japan: The Japanese government offers to surrender "without prejudice to the Emperor's position."
USSR: Soviet forces also enter northern Korea. Soviet aircraft target Japanese Escort No. 82 (CD-82) north of Joshin at Lat 41°21'N, Long 131°12'E, and merchant vessels Kasado Maru and No.2 Ryuho Maru off Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk.
Twentieth Air Force: The Japanese radio announces the Japanese desire for
peace and USASTAF limits operations to precision mission. 104 B-29s fly two missions
against Japan without loss. Mission 323: During the day, 70 B-29s, escorted
by 2 groups of P-51s bomb the arsenal complex at Tokyo; 3 others hit alternate
targets. Mission 324: During the night of 10/11 Aug, 31 B-29s mine Shimonoseki Strait, Nakaumi Lagoon, and waters at Sakai and Yonago, Japan and Wonsan.
CHINA THEATER (AAF, China Theater Fourteenth Air Force: Major General Charles
B Stone III assumes command of HQ Fourteenth AF, replacing Major General Claire
L Chennault. In China, 5 B-25s and 4 P-51s bomb a bivouac S of Siangyin, hit convoys S of Siangtan and in the Siang Chiang Valley, pound a storage area and AA positions at Nanchang, and hit a truck concentration N of Hengshan; 50+ P-47s and P-51s attack rivercraft, railroad targets, troops, trucks, and bridges at several points in S and E China.
WESTERN PACIFIC [Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: In Japan, 80 B-24s, 118 B-25s,
and 220+ P-47s and P-38s pound the Kumamoto area; 20+ B-24s bomb the Oita area;
39 P-51s provide cover over both targets; nearly 40 B-25s attack destroyers,
cargo ships, and small vessels during a shipping sweep between Kyushu and Korea. Lost is B-25J 44-31065 (KIA) and B-25J 44-30993 (crew rescued). P-47s bomb Sasebo Harbor; P-51s hit various targets of opportunity
on Honshu and Kyushu and B-25s bomb targets of opportunity in the north Ryukyu
Islands. B-24s bomb Shinchiku. On Luzon, P-38s hit troop concentrations
near Mount Pulog and ENE of Dupax. B-24 unit moves from San Jose:
HQ 90th Bombardment Group and 320th Bombardment Squadron to
Ie Shima; and 530th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 380th Bombardment Group (Heavy) to Okinawa.
U.S. Navy: After midnight,
Japanese Transport No. 21 (T.21) capsized and sinks the result of damage suffered the previous day off Tsuwajijima (Tsuwa Jima) at Lat 33°59'N, Long 132°31'E.
Carrier planes from from fast carrier task forces of the Third Fleet under Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. strike Japanese shipping, airfields and railroads in northern Honshu. Planes from British TF 37 participate as well. TF 38 planes sink submarine chaser Ch 42 and minesweeper W.1 in Yamada Bay, 38°26'N, 141°30'E, auxiliary minesweeper No.2 Kongo Maru off Onagawa, 38°30'N, 141°29'E; merchant cargo ship Masayoshi Maru and tanker No.3 Nanki Maru in Sakata harbor, 38°55'N, 139°49'E; merchant cargo ship No.14 Horai Maru off east coast of Korea, 37°00'N, 130°24'E; merchant cargo ship No.5 Nishiki Maru off Hachinohe harbor; and cargo ship Chichibu Maru in Keelung harbor, Formosa, 42°20'N, 130°24'E. TF 37 or TF 38 planes sink auxiliary submarine chaser No.6 Takunan Maru off Onagawa. TF 38 planes damage auxiliary minelayer Koei Maru off Ominato, and merchant cargo ship Toyotama Maru off Sakata, 38°15'N, 139°22'E.
In addition, aircraft (service not specified) on antishipping missions against Japanese warships and merchantmen operating at or near Niigata, sink army cargo ship Ujina Maru, and merchant cargo ships Manei Maru and No.7 Hosei Maru, and damage auxiliary patrol vessel Pa No.84, army cargo ship Yorihime Maru, and merchant cargo ship No.7 Manei Maru, and in Tsugaru Strait damage liaison vessel Aniwa Maru; in antishipping sweeps off the Korean coast, planes sink cargo ships Taishun Maru and Awakawa Maru off Chongjin, 41°26'N, 129°49'E, and merchant cargo vessels Taiko Maru, Erimo Maru, and Kari Go in or off Najin harbor, army cargo ship I sshin Maru off Ulsan, and in Tsushima Strait, sink merchant cargo ship Shofuko Maru, 34°43'N, 129°50'E, and damage Coast Defense Vessel No. 194, Coast Defense Vessel No. 198 and army cargo ship Tairetsu Maru, 34°42'N, 130°13'E.
Thirty-one USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) mine Shimonoseki Strait and the waters off Hagi and Yuyawan, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. Mines sink merchant cargo ship Shinjo Maru off Hime Jima, and damage Coast Defense Vessel No. 63 in Nanao Bay, 37°08'N, 136°50'E, and merchant cargo ships Harada Maru at 34°23'N,134°57'E, Tsushima Maru (location unspecified) and 12 Nissho Maru, 1.6 kilometers off Cape Echizen, and merchant tanker No.8 Kinyu Maru in Maizuru Harbor.
Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) shells and destroys Japanese radio station on Djemadja Island 150 miles northeast of Singapore.
Navy Petroleum Reserve 4 Expedition, formed around cargo ship Spica (AK-16) and U.S. freighters Jonathan Harrington and Enos A. Mills, reaches Point Barrow and discharges some tonnage until ice and weather conditions force a halt in operations.
U.S. freighter Jack Singer is torpedoed by Japanese plane off Naha, Okinawa. None of the 29-man Armed Guard are injured, and only one merchant seaman reports an injury. The ship is later written off as a total loss.
USMC: Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, directed the 6th Marine Division to furnish a regimental combat team to the Third Fleet for possible early occupation duty in Japan. Brigadier General William T. Clement, Assistant Division Commander, was named to head the Fleet Landing Force.
Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger, USN, was designated Commander, Task Force 31 (TF 31) the Yokosuka Operation Force, and all ships were alerted to organize and equip bluejacket and Marine landing forces for occupation duty in Japan.
