Pacific Wrecks - 2020 Daily Updates

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

Pacific Wrecks 2020 Daily Updates
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9-18 September 18, 1945: Four Japanese aircraft fly from Vunakanau Airfield to surrender at Jacquinot Bay Airfield
9-17 September 17, 1945: Force landed is Spitfire A58-603 pilot P/O David W. Finley at Labaun Airfield pilot unhurt aircraft written off
9-16 September 16, 1945: Surrender negotiations conclude for the Japanese garrison around Bonis Airfield in northern Bougainville
9-15 September 15, 1945: Wing Commander William Kofoed took off piloting A6M5 Zero 3844 from Kara Airfield to Piva Yoke Airfield
9-14 September 14, 1945: After surrendering Lt. General Hatazo Adachi is flown on DH.82A Tiger Moth A17-489 to Kiarivu Airfield
9-13 September 13, 1945: Nauru Island surrenders on HMAS Diamantina (K377) | Lt General Hatazo Adach surrenders at Cape Wom
9-12 September 12, 1945: Lt General Hatazo Adach carried by four New Guinea men roughly 12 miles from Kiarivu to Maprik
9-11 September 11, 1945: Surrender of Japanese 18th Army commander Lt General Hatazo Adachi to the Australian Army at Kiarivu
9-10 September 10, 1945: At the White House U. S. President Truman bestows General Jonathan M. Wainwright the Medal of Honor
9-9 September 9, 1945: Japanese Army Lt. General Fusataro Teshima surrenders to General Thomas Blamey on Morotai
9-8 September 8, 1945: Allied Prisoners Of War (POWs) from Rabaul are hospitalized at 2/8th General Hospital Jacquinot Bay
9-7 September 7, 1945: Eighteen British Prisoners Of War (POWs) survived captivity on Watom Island and were liberated by the Allies
9-6 September 6, 1945: Aboard HMS Glory (R62) off Rabaul Japanese General General H. Imamura and Admiral Jinichi Kusaka surrender
9-5 September 5, 1945: At 11:30am HMS Sussex enters Singapore Harbor and General Itagaki surrender all forces under his command
9-4 September 4, 1945: U. S. Army, 1st Cavalry Division detachment occupies Yokota Airfield (Fussa) for use as a logistical base
9-3 September 3, 1945: Crashed is Beaufort A9-622 surrender leaflet mission | General Yamashita officially surrenders at Camp John Hay
9-2 September 2, 1945: Japan officially surrenders aboard USS Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay ending the Pacific War and World War II
9-1 September 1, 1945: Lost is B-17G Flying Fortress 44-83581 pilot by 1st Lt. Dale V. Hannigan bound for Merauke in New Guinea
September 2020
8-31 August 31, 1945: Rear Admiral M. Matsubara officially surrenders Marcus Island aboard USS Bagley DD-386 to Rear Admiral Whiting
8-30 August 30, 1945: U. S. occupation of Japan begins U. S. Marines landing at Yokosuka and U. S. Army 11th Airborne at Atusgi Airfield
8-29 August 29, 1945: LIberated from Omori POW Camp are Allied Prisoners Of War (POW) including Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington
8-28 August 28, 1945: Crashed is B-32 42-108544 on take off and B-32 42-108528 pilot 1st Lt. Collins Orton crew rescued with two missing
8-27 August 27, 1945: B-29 Superfortresses drop supplies to Weihsien Internment Camp in Weifang in Shandong Province in China
8-26 August 26, 1945: Memorial services for AMM3c Austin Earl Hoskins crew PBM Mariner 45216 Missing In Action (MIA) June 22, 1944
8-25 August 25, 1945: Shipwreck of Akitsushima in Coron Bay found by salvage divers from USS Chanticleer (ASR-7) at a depth of 108'
8-24 August 24, 1945: Lost is Soviet Submarine L-19 possibly due to a collision with a sea mine in La Perouse Strait
8-23 August 23, 1945: Crashed is Liberator "SNAKE" KL654 pilot F/L John S. Watts crashed near Kuala Pilah (Kuala Lipis) in Malaysia
8-22 August 22, 1945: Japanese garrison at Mili Island was the Pacific island to surrender to U. S. forces.
8-21 August 21, 1945: After midnight, G6M1-L Betty "Bataan 1" ditched off Samejima and the surrender delegation wades ashore unhurt
8-20 August 20, 1945: Cease fire between Soviet forces and the Japanese garrison on Shumshu Island ending the last battle of World War II
8-19 August 19, 1945: Painted white with green crosses G6M1-L Betty "Bataan 1" and G4M1 Betty "Bataan 2" land at Ie Shima Airfield
8-18 August 18, 1945: Last air combat between U. S. and Japanese in WWII, aboard B-32 42-108578 killed is Sgt Anthony J. Marchione
8-17 August 17, 1945: Despite the fact Japan surrendered, fighters attack B-32 "Hobo Queen II" 42-108532 on a photo mission over Tokyo
8-16 August 16, 1945: Lost is B-25J 44-31361 pilot Captain Morton H. Estrin (MIA) missing on a flight between Biak and Morotai
8-15 August 15, 1945: Radio broadcast of Emperor Hirohito / Kamikaze mission Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki aboard D4Y Judy 701-122
8-14 August 14, 1945: At 11:25pm Emperor Hirohito is recorded reading the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the Greater East Asia War
8-13 August 13, 1945: Lost is OA-10 Catalina 44-34080 pilot 1st Lt. Edmund L. Eliason shot down off Tateyama a with one survivor
8-12 August 12, 1945: Three B-32 Dominators are assigned to the 312th BG as replacements including B-32 "Harriet's Chariot" 42-108543.
8-11 August 11, 1945: Soviet forces invade Sakhalin Island and occupy Hailar and Japanese submarine I-402 damaged in Kure Harbor
8-10 August 10, 1945: Ditched is B-25J Mitchell 44-30993 pilot 1st Lt. Earl J. Wilkinson crew rescued the next day
8-9 August 9, 1945: At 10:58am from an altitude of 28,900' B-29 "Bockscar" 44-27297 releases "Fat Man" plutonium bomb over Nagasaki
8-8 August 8, 1945: At 11pm Soviet Union foreign minister Molotov tell the Japan ambassador hostilities against Japan will start in an hour
8-7 August 7, 1945: Japanese jet J9Y Kikka Prototype 1 sucessful test flight / Ditched B-25J 44-31300 pilot 1st Lt. Robert G. Neal
8-6 August 6, 1945: At 08:15am from an altitude of 31,600' B-29 "Enola Gay" 44-86292 releases "Little Boy" atomic bomb over Hiroshima
8-5 August 5, 1945: At North Field on Tinian Island Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr. nicknames B-29 "Enola Gay" 44-86292 after his mother
8-4 August 4, 1945: U. S. submarine USS Aspro (SS-309) searched for pilot 2nd Lt. Ralph N. Heintz unsucessfully and dives to avoid attack
8-3 August 3, 1945: Lost is P-51D "Mrs. Beak" 44-72561 pilot Captain Edward H. Mikes bailed out Saganami Bay rescued USS Aspro
8-2 August 2, 1945: Lost is Spitfire A58-654 pilot Newman shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Halmahera remains recovered postwar
8-1 August 1, 1945: B-29 Superfortress bombers assigned to the 509th Composite Group (509th CG) are assigned new victor numbers
August 2020
7-31 July 31, 1945: Departing Fremantle on her third war patrol, USS Bullfish SS-332 was the last U. S. Navy submarine lost in WWII
7-30 July 30, 1945: Sunk is USS Indianapolis (CA-35) in the North Philippine Sea hit by torpedoes fired by Japanese submarine I-58
7-29 July 29, 1945: "The Imperial Navy's Harbor" Kure Harbor is targeted for the second day in a row by U. S. bombers and fighters
7-28 July 28, 1945: Lost is are B-24J "Lonesome Lady" 44-40680 (KIA / POW) and B-24J "Taloa" 44-40716 (KIA / POW) bombing Kure
7-27 July 27, 1945: U. S. Navy (USN) Task Force 38 (TF-38) carrier aircraft attack Kure heavily damaging Amagi
7-26 July 26, 1945: Potsdam Declaration to Japan unconditionally surrender or face "utter destruction." / Hit by kamikaze is HMS Sussex (96)
7-25 July 25, 1945: Lost is B-17H 43-38882 modified as a "Super Dumbo" with a Higgins A-1 lifeboat attached crashed over Arai
7-24 July 24, 1945: Lost on a shipping sweep are PB4Y-2 "Gear Down (and Locked)" 59519 and PB4Y-2 59747 off western Korea
7-23 July 23, 1945: Lost is Hudson A16-47 F/Lt Lancelot E. H. Clarke missing in central Queensland in Australia.
7-22 July 22, 1945: PT-174, PT-170 and PT-163 make a daylight raid on Paloe Bay in Celebes claiming considerable damage.
7-21 July 21, 1945: Lost is F4U Corsair 81095 pilot 2nd Lt. John F. McGrath (MIA) attacking Sonai on Iriomote Jima
7-20 July 20, 1945: Lost is B-29 "Sharon Linn" 44-70116 shot down over Niigata crew captured 4 hanged by civilians, 7 survived captivity
7-19 July 19, 1945: P-51D Mustangs from Iwo Jima hit airfields and other tactical targets including Komaki Airfield (Nagoya)
7-18 July 18, 1945: Launched by Electric Launch Company Ltd. in Bayonne, New Jersey is PT-615 an 80’ Elco Patrol Boat
7-17 July 17, 1945: Lost is C-47D Commando 44-77767 pilot 1st Lt. Dean W. Gordon between Palawan Airfield bound for Nichols Field
7-16 July 16, 1945: At 5:30am the first atomic device "gadget" is successfully detonated at Trinity Site at White Sands Proving Ground
7-15 July 15, 1945: P-51D Mustangs from Iwo Jima hit airfields and other tactical targets including Kagamigahara Airfield (Gifu)
7-14 July 14, 1945: Crashed on take off is PV-1 Ventura NZ4632 at Jacquinot Bay Airfield on New Britain
7-13 July 13, 1945: Lost is Liberator GR.VIII serial number 11121 pilot F/O William E. Davies crashed on southern Vancouver Island
7-12 July 12, 1945: Fifty-three B-29 Superfortress (Mission 267) bomb Kawasaki Petroleum Center destroying about 25% of the target
7-11 July 11, 1945: B-29 Superfortresses release sea mines off Pusan (Busan) and Najin (Rasŏn) in the first mine operations over Korea
7-10 July 10, 1945: Lost is F-5E Lightning 44-24485 pilot 2nd Lt. Henry R. Willis on a photographic reconnaissance mission over Kiangan
7-9 July 9, 1945: Lost is B-24M Liberator 44-42184 pilot 1st Lt. William D. Yockey crashed into Kauai Channel off Kauai
7-8 July 8, 1945: P-51D Mustangs from Iwo Jima sweep Chofu Airfield to the west of Tokyo
7-7 July 7, 1945: "Get out of the way... We're going in" lost is PB4Y-2 Privateer 59538 (MIA / POW) off Uku Island (Ukushima) in Goto Islands
7-6 July 6, 1945: Crashed on take off is C-47B Dakota NZ3529 at Bomber 1 (Palikulo Field) on Espirito Santo
7-5 July 5, 1945: Lost is P-38 Lightning pilot 2nd Lt John P. Carter over the Sepik River who was aided by locals until rescued three days later
7-4 July 4, 1945: 11th Air Force celebrate the 4th of July with eight B-24 Liberators radar-bombing Kataoka Naval Base on Shumshu
7-3 July 3, 1945: Far East Air Force (FEAF) B-25 Mitchells attack Chiran Airfield in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu in southern Japan
7-2 July 2, 1945: 319th Bombardment Group (319th BG) arrives at Kadena Airfield on western Okinawa flying the A-26 Invader
7-1 July 1, 1945: "Operation Oboe Two" Australian Army 7th Division lands at Balikpapan on southeast Borneo
July 2020
6-30 June 30, 1945: Japan's first jet-powered aircraft J9Y Kikka Prototype No. 1 is ready for ground testing / FEAF-CRTC ceases ops
6-29 June 29, 1945: Attempting to rescue a fellow Marine from a cave Pfc John B. Quinn, Jr. went MIA in southern Okinawa
6-28 June 28, 1945: Survivors from C-47A 42-23952 at Hidden Valley / Shangri-La (Balim) rescued by CG-4 "Fanless Faggot"
6-27 June 27, 1945: Cpl John R. Nelson who bailed out of B-24J 44-40924 was rescued seven months hidden by locals on Borneo
6-26 June 26, 1945: Lost is P-38 pilot 2nd Lt. William K. Hootman / Aviation Historical Society of Australia (AHSA) lecture by Justin Taylan
6-25 June 25, 1945: Lost B-24M Liberator 44-42431 pilot 2nd Lt. Lawrence Berry against Mandai seven KIA four POWs executed
6-24 June 24, 1945: P-47 Thunderbolts from Ie Shima attack Ishigaki City on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture
6-23 June 23, 1945: 11th Airborne Division, 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment plus seven CG-4A gliders land at Aparri
6-22 June 22, 1945: Lost is C-47B 43-16230 pilot 1st Lt Thelbert V. Lair crashed in western New Guinea / Okinawa declared secure
6-21 June 21, 1945: Lost is F4U Corsair NZ5402 pilot F/Sgt Ronald C. Warren crashed while strafing pilot Prisoner Of War (POW) survived
6-20 June 20, 1945: Delivered to the U. S. Navy is F4U-4 Corsair 82050. Delivered to the U. S. Maritime Commission is SS American Victory
6-19 June 19, 1945: General Killed In Action: U. S. Army Brigadier General Claudius M. Easley is killed at Itoman on southern Okinawa
6-18 June 18, 1945: Lost is C-47B Skytrain 43-49762 on Mindanao / Then & Now Stone Lion at Tomori on Okinawa
6-17 June 17, 1945: Nicknamed is B-29 "Buckin' Bronc" 44-70136 at Isley Field on Saipan later renamed "Hog Wild" and flew many mission
6-16 June 16, 1945: Lost is PB4Y-1 "Rugged Beloved" 38913 pilot Lt(jg) Louis T. Bass, Jr. missing on a patrol over Makasar Strait
6-15 June 15, 1945: Prisoner Of War (POW) U. S. Navy FC1c Robert A. Wilson crew USS Perch SS-176 died in captivity in Batavia on Java
6-14 June 14, 1945: Australian Army 26th Infantry Battalion captures a Type 89B Yi-Go Tank near Chabai on Bougainville
6-13 June 13, 1945: Lost is F4U Corsair NZ5394 pilot F/L Graham C. Howie on a test flight and was killed in the crash on Bougainville
6-12 June 12, 1945: Lost is B-24M "Out of the Night II" 44-41809 crew rescued, 1 missing / OA-10A 44-34023 ditched 4 missing, 3 rescued
6-11 June 11, 1945: P-51s from Iwo Jima attack Tokorozawa Airfield claiming 18 parked airplanes destroyed and 30+ damaged
6-10 June 10, 1945: Lost is PV-1 Ventura NZ4609 searching for PV-1 Ventura NZ4613 and hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed
6-9 June 9, 1945: Australian Army withdrawal from Porton / Lost is PV-1 Ventura NZ4613 dropping propaganda leaflets over New Ireland
6-8 June 8, 1945: Australian Army lands at Porton in northwest Bougainville at the wrong locations and face enemy machine guns in bunkers
6-7 June 7, 1945: Lost is F-5E 44-24559 (MIA) buzzes USS Randolph (CV-15) and accidentally crashed into the flight deck
6-6 June 6, 1945: Lost is B-24L Liberator 44-41482 pilot Captain Hans H. Williams on a courier flight between Mindoro and Luzon
6-5 June 5, 1945: Lost is B-24J Liberator 44-41126 pilot 2nd Lt. Dewey G. Allmon returning from a mission and crashed on Fuga Island
6-4 June 4, 1945: Lost is Beaufort A9-228 pilot F/O Donald A. Flavel crash into Mount Tawonga in Victoria, Australia
6-3 June 3, 1945: A live bomb expodes at A-20G "King High Flush" 43-21935 at Floridablanca Airfield causing three dead and five wounded
6-2 June 2, 1945: Lost is P-51D 44-63458 pilot 2nd Lt. Arthur Zellweger MIA dive bombing Chi Chi Jima
6-1 June 1, 1945: Lost is PB4Y-2 Privateer 59563 pilot Cdr Mears / P-51D "Madam Wham-Dam" 44-72607 pilot Lt. Col Harvey J. Scandrett
June 2020
5-31 May 31, 1945: Lost is F4U Corsair NZ5459 pilot P/O Peter George Moore (MIA) on a mission over Bonis on Bougainville.
5-30 May 30, 1945: PBJ bomb the Kibawe Trail near Davao. Lost is PBJ Mitchell 35243 (MIA) and PBJ Mitchell 35164 (MIA)
5-29 May 29, 1945: U. S. flag raised by U. S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Richard P. Ross, Jr. atop Shuri Castle on Okinawa
5-28 May 28, 1945: Ditched is SB2C-4 Helldiver 19866 pilot E. D. Frazar into into Lower Otay Reservoir near San Diego crew rescued
5-27 May 27, 1945: PB4Y-2 Privateer from Patrol Bombing Squadron 109 (VPB-109) releases a Bat bomb that damages Aguni
5-26 May 26, 1945: Damaged is HMAS Colac hit by two shells fired by Japanese shore batteries off Choiseul
5-25 May 25, 1945: The Joint Chiefs of Staff approve the directive for Operation Olympic the invasion of Japan scheduled November 1, 1945
5-24 May 24, 1945: Japanese attack Okinawa force landing Ki-21 Sally Tail 546 at Yontan Airfield with Giretsu suicide commandos
5-23 May 23, 1945: During the night 520 B-29s bomb urban-industrial areas of Tokyo and the western side of Tokyo Harbor
5-22 May 22, 1945: Australian Army troops supported by tanks capture Boram Airfield on the north coast of New Guinea
5-21 May 21, 1945: Pfc Desmond T. Doss was wounded near Shuri and later earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on Okinawa.
5-20 May 20, 1945: Lost is B-24M Liberator A72-160 pilot F/L Francis L. Sismey crashed on take off from Truscott Airfield
5-19 May 19, 1945: Lost is B-25J 43-36140 pilot 2nd Lt. Raymond B. Lewis (3 POW, 3 MIA) against Shumshu
5-18 May 18, 1945: Advance air echelon of 509th Composite Group arrives North Field | USAAF accepts B-29 Superfortress 44-86292
5-17 May 17, 1945: Lost is B-25J 44-30164 pilot 2nd Lt. J. T. Lackey crashed in northwestern Formosa with sole survivor Cpl John Shott
5-16 May 16, 1945: U. S. Army Brigadier General James L. Dalton, II was killed by a sniper at Balete Pass (Dalton Pass) / Sunk is Haguro
5-15 May 15, 1945: Firing from within 50m of the enemy Private Edward Kenna earns the Victoria Cross at Mission Hill near Wewak
5-14 May 14, 1945: 20th Air Force B-29 Superfortress (Mission 174) bomb Nagoya with the loss of eleven B-29s.
5-13 May 13, 1945: Lost is C-47A "Gremlin Special/Guinea Gopher" 42-23952 in Hidden Valley / Shangri-La (Balim) in Dutch New Guinea.
5-12 May 12, 1945: The new B-32 "The Lady is Fresh" 42-108529 begins its ferry flight to the Philippines and will fly combat mission
5-11 May 11, 1945: Damaged is USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) by two kamikaze A6M Zeros that release bombs and crash into the carrier
5-10 May 10, 1945: Lost is B-25J 43-36149 pilot 1st Lt Leonard G. Larsen off Shumshu Island / F4U Corsair pilot Klingman ramms Ki-46
5-9 May 9, 1945: Four P-51s pound boxcars, locomotives, and other railroad targets from Tourane (Da Nang) to Hue
5-8 May 8, 1945: Lost is F6F Hellcat 72024 pilot Lt(jg) William C. Henwood ditched at Ulithi and was rescued and returns to duty
5-7 May 7, 1945: 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (17th PRS) transfers from Morotai to Puerto Princesa Airfield
5-6 May 6, 1945: B-24 Liberators bomb Kudat Airfield at the northern tip of Borneo
5-5 May 5, 1945: Please donate for GivingTuesdayNow / Japanese balloon bomb kills six American ages 26-11 near Bly in Oregon
5-4 May 4, 1945: Sunk is USS Lagarto (SS-371) in Gulf of Thailand (Gulf of Siam) / Lost is B-24M "Brief" 44-42058 hit by AA over Koror
5-3 May 3, 1945: Kamikazes sink USS Little (DD-803) and LSM(R)-195 other damage USS Aaron Ward (DM-34) and HMS Formidable (67)
5-2 May 2, 1945: British Army 26 Division (Indian) liberates Rangoon Prison in Rangoon (Yangoon) in Burma (Myanmar)
5-1 May 1, 1945: Operation Oboe 1 the U. S. Navy (USN) lands the Australian Army 9th Division on Tarakan Island off Borneo
May 2020
4-30 April 30, 1945: Lost is P-47D 43-25481 pilot 2nd Lt Allan L. Hermann crashed five miles north of Tsili-Tsili in Papua New Guinea.
4-29 April 29, 1945: Lost is L-4 pilot Captain Perkins over Okinawa / Hit by kamikaze is USS Comfort (AH-6) off Okinawa
4-28 April 28, 1945: Damaged USS Franklin CV-13 enters New York Harbor for repairs at Brooklyn Navy Yard
4-27 April 27, 1945: U. S. Army and USAFFE-NL liberate Baguio / Two B5N2 Kates hit USS ABSD-2 and USS ABSD-4 in Seeadler Harbor
4-26 April 26, 1945: U. S. Army begin their assault against Maeda Escarpment (Hacksaw Ridge) on Okinawa
4-25 April 25, 1945: ANZAC Day Lest We Forget Austrlia Missing and New Zeland Missing / Sunk RO-109 off Okinawa
4-24 April 24, 1945: In memory: Oscar Fitzhenry passed away age 98 / 20th AF Mission 96: 101 B-29 hit Hitahi factory at Tachikawa
4-23 April 23, 1945: PB4Y-2 from Patrol Bombing Squadron 109 (VPB-109) release two Bat bombs against over Balikpapan Harbor
4-22 April 22, 1945: Lost is FM-2 Wildcat 74105 pilot LCdr Billy V. "Skipper" Gates off Okinawa and went Missing In Action (MIA)
4-21 April 21, 1945: Lost is F-7B "Cherokee Strip" 44-40198 crashed into the sea northwest of San Teresa on Mindoro
4-20 April 20, 1945: Lost is B-24J "Patches" 42-73474 pilot 2nd Lt. James F. O'Brien on a bombing mission against Saigon
4-19 April 19, 1945: Very Long Range (VLR) Mission 4: 104 P-51s fly a fighter sweep to Atsugi Airfield and Yokusuka Airfield in Japan
4-18 April 18, 1945: Killed is U. S. Correspondent Ernie Pyle covering the U. S. Army landing on Ie Shima.
4-17 April 17, 1945: Lost is F4U Corsair 49668 pilot 2nd Lt. William H. Holden ditched four miles off Makapu'u Point on Oahu
4-16 April 16, 1945: Lost is F6F Hellcat 78022 pilot LCDR Merlin Paddock on a fighter sweep and bombing mission over Kanoya Airfield
4-15 April 15, 1945: Mission 68: 194 B-29s bomb Kawasaki lost are twelve B-29s including B-29A Superfortress 42-93893 (MIA, one POW)
4-14 April 14, 1945: Lost is P-51D Mustang 44-63651 pilot 2nd Lt. Hardy J. Kirby crashed into the Huon Gulf off Lae pilot missing
4-13 April 13, 1945: U. S Army demolition team pumps 3,000 gallons fuel into Fort Drum "the concrete battleship" then ignites and burns
4-12 April 12, 1945: POTUS U. S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dies and Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes President
4-11 April 11, 1945: Australian Army Z Force “Operation Copper” commandos land at Muschu Island sole survivor Sapper Edgar Dennis
4-10 April 10, 1945: Four B-25 Mitchells from the 11th Air Force attempt to bomb the radar installations on Cape Minami on Shumshu Island
4-9 April 9, 1945: Seventeen B-24s Liberators pound Marcus Island Airfield on Marcus Island in the northwest Pacific Ocean
4-8 April 8, 1945: Force landed is P-40N Kittyhawk A29-446 pilot F/Sgt Keith J. Nelson at Bohle River Airfield in Queensland in Australia
4-7 April 7, 1945: U. S. Navy carrier aircraft sink Battleship Yamato with torpedoes and bombs during the Battle of the East China Sea.
4-6 April 6, 1945: Sunk is USS Bush DD-529 after hits from three Japanese kamikaze aircraft and sinks with 87 crew off Okinawa
4-5 April 5, 1945: The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact is renounced by the Soviet Union a clear signal hostilities on the horizon with Japan
4-4 April 4, 1945: Crash landed is Auster A11-3 at Vernon Airfield on southwest Bougainville and was written off
4-3 April 3, 1945: Lost is B-25J Mitchell 44-29760 pilot 1st Lt. Leonard E. Orcutt crashed Consolacion on Cebu Island with six killed
4-2 April 2, 1945: Six B-29 Superfortress release mines into Kure Harbor on Honshū to mine the waterways of Japan
4-1 April 1, 1945: L-Day at 8:30am U. S. Marines and U. S. Army land on the western coast of Okinawa Island
April 2020
3-31 March 31, 1945: Lost is P-61B Black Widow 42-39455 pilot 2nd Lt. Ashley Nagle on patroling over North Iwo Jima (Kita Iwo Jima)
3-30 March 30, 1945: Lost is B-25D "Chow Hound" 41-30056 pilot 1st Lt. Robert Cavins on a fat cat flight force landed Catanduanes Island
3-29 March 29, 1945: U. S. Army 38th Division, 151st Infantry 2nd Battalion declares Caballo Island secure in Manila Bay.
3-28 March 28, 1945: Americal Division advanced to Lahug Airfield north of Cebu City and encounters signifigant Japanese resistance
3-27 March 27, 1945: Lost is C-47 "Windy City" 43-16011 pilot Captain Eldred E. Kellogg with 24 aboard missing Garbutt and Finschafen
3-26 March 26, 1945: The US "Western Islands Attack Group" arrives Kerama Island Group and begins the Okinawa campaign
3-25 March 25, 1945: National Medal of Honor Day Medal of Honor (MOH) / Beaufort A9-518 pilot F/O Parker crashed Murik Lakes
3-24 March 24, 1945: Lost is B-24L Liberator 44-49607 pilot 1st Lt. Nathan Margolies ditched Ganges River Delta in India
3-23 March 23, 1945: Lost is B-24L "Old Nick" A72-80 piloted by S/L Nathaniel H. Straus on a shipping sweep and crashed Vansittart Bay
3-22 March 22, 1945: B-24 Liberators bomb Tainan Airfield on Taiwan (Formosa)
3-21 March 21, 1945: The British Army and Allied forces completely capture Mandalay as organized resistance in the city ends.
3-20 March 20, 1945: B-24s bomb Talisay in Negros Occidental Province on the northwest of Negros Island.
3-19 March 19, 1945: Diched is A-20G Havoc 43-22155 pilot 1st Lt. Ralph Jennings Missing In Action gunner SSgt Weinberg rescued
3-18 March 18, 1945: Crashed is XF8F-1 Bearcat 90460 pilot Lt(jg) David Loyd Mandt killed in the crash wreck found 2010 confirmed 2017
3-17 March 17, 1945: 31st Bombardment Squadron, 5th Bombardment Group moves from Morotai to Guiuan Airfield with B-24 Liberators
3-16 March 16, 1945: Sunk during a cyclone is SS Sibigo with 72 lost and 13 rescued off Port Douglas in Queensland in Australia
3-15 March 15, 1945: Three survivors from the crash of B-24L Liberator 44-40979 are aided by the 128th Infantry Regiment to friendly lines
3-14 March 14, 1945: Ground echelon of 549th Night Fighter Squadron (549th NFS), VII Fighter Command arrives at Motoyama No. 1
3-13 March 13, 1945: B-29 Superfortresses fire bomb Osaka destroying 8.1 square miles, lost is B-29 42-24754 (KIA)
3-12 March 12, 1945: Lost is C-47A Skytrain 42-100455 pilot 2nd Lt. Arthur F. Parkhurst crashed Leyte found 1989 partially resolved
3-11 March 11, 1945: Kamakaze P1Y1 Francis hits USS Randolph (CV-15) at Ulithi Lagoon killing 26 and wounding 105.
3-10 March 10, 1945: Crashed is C-46D 44-77341 on an evacuation flight with nurses and medical evacuees aboard with a total of 37 lost
3-9 March 9, 1945: 42 seconds of action Fairmile Motor Launch ML825 is attacked by A6M2 Zero pilot Kawato shot down by AA fire
3-8 March 8, 1945: Force landed is Beaufort A9-637 pilot F/Lt Richard K. Ottaway force landed at Tadji Airfield wreckage remains today
3-7 March 7, 1945: Lost bombing Balete Pass in northern Luzon are B-24L 44-41481 (MIA) and B-24J 44-40979 (KIA, 5 survived)
3-6 March 6, 1945: A mission against the Kurile Islands is cancelled due to inclement weather.
3-5 March 5, 1945: Australian Army crosses the mouth of the Henry Reid River at Waitavalo under fire from Japanese mortars on the ridges
3-4 March 4, 1945: First emergency landing on Iwo Jima when B-29 "Dina Might" 42-65280 lands at Motoyama No. 1 Airfield (South Field)
3-3 March 3, 1945: RNZAF Corsairs from No. 18 Squadron attack Type 89 Chi-Ro Tank No. 1 and Type 89 Chi-Ro Tank No. 2 on Bougainville
3-2 March 2, 1945: U. S. Flag is raised on the flag pole on Corregidor at the ceremony with General Douglas MacArthur
3-1 March 1, 1945: B-24 Liberators from the Far East Air Force bomb Tarakan Airfield on Tarakan Island off the northeast coast of Borneo
March 2020
2-29 February 29: There is no on this day item because 75 years ago 1945 was not a Leap Year. Enjoy PW? Help us with a donation.
2-28 February 28, 1945: Lost is B-24J 42-109981 pilot 2nd Lt Warren G. MacDonald crashed near Kassam in the Highlands
2-27 February 27, 1945: Lost due to bad weather are P-51D pilot Alexander (POW / MIA) and P-51D 44-63338 pilot 2nd Lt Bollinger (MIA)
2-26 February 26, 1945: Lost is C-87A Liberator Express 41-24174 with Lt. Gen Millard F. Harmon and Brig Gen James R. Andersen
2-25 February 25, 1945: B-24 Liberators from the Far East Air Force bomb Labuan Airfield on Labuan Island off Borneo
2-24 February 24, 1945: F-7 Liberators from the 20th Combat Mapping Squadron (20th CMS) move from Morotai to San Jose Airfield
2-23 February 23, 1945: U. S. Marines raise the first flag raising and second flag raising atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima
2-22 February 22, 1945: U. S. Army artillery bombards Intramuros the Spanish built 16th century fortress in Manila to create breeches
2-21 February 21, 1945: U. S. Army 12th Cavalry assault Manila Hotel / Sunk by two kamikazies is USS Bismarck Sea CVE-95 off Iwo Jima
2-20 February 20, 1945: Lost is P-47D “Nancie-A” 42-28493 pilot 1st Lt. Thomas C. Prizzia on a fighter sweep to Formosa (Taiwan)
2-19 February 19, 1945: U. S. Marine Corps (USMC) make an amphibious landing on Iwo Jima and suffer 2,400 casualties the first day
2-18 February 18, 1945: Lost is TBM Avenger 22904 pilot Ensign Robert "Bob" T. King over Chi Chi Jima two crew captured and executed
2-17 February 17, 1945: Mission 35: Eight of nine B-29s from Saipan bomb the submarine pens on Dublon Island in Truk Lagoon
2-16 February 16, 1945: U. S. Army assaults Corregidor by 503rd Parachute Regiment and 34th Infantry Regiment amphibious landing
2-15 February 15, 1945: U. S. Army "South Force" lands at Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula and advance to the north and east.
2-14 February 14, 1945: Four B-24 Liberators from the 7th Air Force bomb Susaki Airfield on Chi Chi Jima (Father Island)
2-13 February 13, 1945: Filipino guerrillas from the 1st Battalion of the 15th Infantry of liberate Laoag in Ilocos Norte Province on Luzon
2-12 February 12, 1945: A-20s, B-25s and fighters support advancing U. S. Army soldiers advancing on the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon.
2-11 February 11, 1945: Crash landed is B-25D "Little Joe" 42-87281 pilot 2nd Lt. Walter "Ken" Kenneth Barber at Hill Airfield on Mindoro
2-10 February 10, 1945: Lost is B-24L "Royal Flush" 44-41465 pilot 1st Lt Edwin E. Brashear hit by anti-aircraft fire over Haha Jima
2-9 February 9, 1945: Lost is A-20G "Shag On" 43-9134 pilot 2nd Lt William N. Sleeth crashed on Muschu Island
2-8 February 8, 1945: Force landed is PBV-1A Canso 11007 pilot F/O Ronnie J. Scholes west of Tofino Airfield on Vancouver Island
2-7 February 7, 1945: B-29s Superfortresses bomb Phnom Penh in Cambodia long before the strategic bombing during the Vietnam War
2-6 February 6, 1945: Lost is PBJ-1H "Love Bug" 35275 pilot 1st Lt. Love on Ponape Island / General MacArthur declares Manila liberated
2-5 February 5, 1945: Lost is UC-64A Norseman 43-5176 pilot 2nd Lt. Jimmie L. Riche crashed into Yapen Strait (Japen Strait) four missing
2-4 February 4, 1945: Force landed is P-51D 44-63290 pilot 2nd Lt. Keith Muir at Nadzab Airfield No. 1 after an engine failure and survived
2-3 February 3, 1945: Force landed is B-24L Liberator A72-88 two miles west of Fenton Airfield today parts displayed Darwin Air Museum
2-2 February 2, 1945: Force landed is P-38J Lightning 42-67638 pilot 1st Lt. Arthur W. Kidder, Jr. on Buldir Island salvaged August 1994
2-1 February 1, 1945: Lost is P-51D 44-15199 pilot 2nd Lt. Jerome B. Yates off Camiguin Island in northern Luzon
February 2020
1-31 January 31, 1945: U. S. Army 11th Airbone Division liberates Nasugbu on Luzon in the Philippines
1-30 January 30, 1945: "The Great Raid" U. S. Army 6th Ranger Battalion "Alamo Scouts" liberates Cabanatuan POW Camp
1-29 January 29, 1945: Ditched is B-25J "30,000 North American Airplane" 44-29544 with the crew rescued within an hour
1-28 January 28, 1945: "Pick's First Convoy" crosses the border into China on the Ledo Road (Stillwell Road) from India via Burma
1-27 January 27, 1945: Lost is B-29 "Rover Boys Express" 42-24769 / Japanese suicide attack destroys M7 Priest at San Manuel
1-26 January 26, 1945: 20th Air Force 25 B-29 release drop mines off Saigon and into Camranh Bay and Phan Rang Bay in Indochina
1-25 January 25, 1945: Force landed is B-25D "Hawg-mouth" 41-30222 in the Tanami desert today displayed at Darwin Aviation Museum
1-24 January 24, 1945: U. S. Army 25th Division, 161st Infantry Regiment supported by M4 Sherman near San Manuel on Luzon
1-23 January 23, 1945: Lost is B-29 "Homing De-Vice" 42-24785 pilot Major Frank A. Roberts MIA bombing Nagoya spun into sea
1-22 January 22, 1945: 39th Fighter Squadron moves to Mangaldan Airfield on Luzon in the Philippines
1-21 January 21, 1945: USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) carrier aircraft attack Toshien Harbor (Takao) damaged is SB2C-3 Helldiver 18632
1-20 January 20, 1945: Lost is A-20G Havoc 43-21622 over Wewak / Crashed is Beaufort A9-557 at Tadji Airfield today at AWM
1-19 January 19, 1945: A single B-24 flies a radar ferret mission while two others bomb volcanic Onnekotan Island in the Kurile Islands
1-18 January 18, 1945: Ditched is A6M2 Zero 31870 off Cape Lambert salvaged 1972 and today displayed at the Tokyo Science Museum
1-17 January 17, 1945: Crashed is B-24J "Milady" 42-73134 pilot 2nd Lt. Robert T. Neal on the Cox Peninsula near Darwin
1-16 January 16, 1945: Lost is TBM Avenger 73343 pilot Lt(jg) Richard Lee Hunt, Jr. crashed Hong Kong
1-15 January 15, 1945: A Black Day for the Kiwis: Lost are eight Corsairs due to enemy action and bad weather including F4U NZ5283
1-14 January 14, 1945: Lost is B-24J "Lady Jane" 42-100271 pilot 2nd Lt. William F. Plunkett on a night mission and went missing
1-13 January 13, 1945: Lost is Spitfire A58-419 pilot F/Sgt Edmond M. Stevenson ditched off Termate Island and became a POW
1-12 January 12, 1945: Lost is B-24D "Shootin' Star" 42-73249 pilot 1st Lt. Robert E. Churgin shot down by F4U Corsairs from VMF-12
1-11 January 11, 1945: Over Luzon, F-6D "Snooks the 5th" 44-14841 pilot Captain William A. Shomo claims 7 earns the Medal of Honor
1-10 January 10, 1945: Lost is P-61B Black Widow 42-39445 pilot 2nd Lt. Logan Southfield crashed into the Cyclops Mountains
1-9 January 9, 1945: The U. S. Army 6th Army under General Douglas MacArthur begins the amphibius landing at Lingayen Gulf on Luzon
1-8 January 8, 1945: Damaged is F4U Corsair NZ5527 pilot FSgt T. Simpson and was written off and converted into instructional airframe
1-7 January 7, 1945: Lost is P-38L "Eileen-Ann" 44-24845 pilot Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr. America's 2nd highest scoring ace of WWII
1-6 January 6, 1945: A-20s and fighter bombers blast bridges and targets of opportunity at Calumpit in Bulacan Province on Luzon
1-5 January 5, 1945: Operation Grubworm is completed with Chinese and US troops and supplies flown to Chanyi Airfield and other airfields
1-4 January 4, 1945: A kamikaze hits USS Ommaney Bay CVE-79 and is scuttled / Crashed is F6F Hellcat 71441 at Kobi on Formosa
1-3 January 3, 1945: Lost is P-38L 44-25217 pilot Lt. Col Grattan "Grant" Mahony with more combat hours than any fighter pilot in USAAF
1-2 January 2, 1945: Lost is P-38L "Putt Putt Maru III" 44-24843 pilot Captain Henry L. Condon, II over Clark Field and was rescued
1-1 January 1, 1945: Force landed is P-38G Lightning 42-13400 on Attu Island recovered 1999 and displayed Elmendorf AFB
January 2020

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