The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II

January

Chapter VII: 1945

* 1 January, Monday 1945
Pacific
Destroyer escort Seid (DE-256), tank landing ship LST-225 and three infantry landing craft (LCI) (TU 94.5.10) land one company of Army troops (321st Infantry) on Fais Island to investigate whether or not it was being used as a midget submarine base and a communication center by the Japanese (see 3 and 4 January).

Submarine Stingray (SS-186) lands supplies at Tawi Tawi, P.I.

U.S. freighter John M. Clayton is damaged by bomb dropped by Japanese plane, and catches fire off Blue Beach, Mindoro; four of the 29-man Armed Guard sailors die of the resultant burns.[1]

USAAF planes sink Japanese ships No.7 Taiko Maru and No.3 Taiwan Maru off Masinloc, P.I.

Japanese cargo vessel Kyokko Maru is sunk by mine (laid by British submarine HMS Tradewind on 30 October 1944), off Mergui, 12ś26'N, 98ś39'E.

* 2 January, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Vice Admiral Sir Bertram H. Ramsay, RN, Allied Commander in Chief, Expeditionary Force, is killed in airplane accident near Paris, France.

Submarine Aspro (SS-309) damages Japanese landing ship Shinshu Maru south of Formosa Strait, 22ś42'N, 119ś14'E (see 3 January).

Submarine Becuna (SS-319) sinks Japanese ship Daian Maru east of Madoera Island, 05ś50'S, 113ś12'E.

USAAF A-20s and P-38s (Fifth Air Force) attack Japanese shipping off San Fernando, Luzon, sinking Coast Defense Vessel No.138, transport Meiryu Maru, army cargo ship Shirokawa Maru, merchant cargo ships Taishin Maru, Hakka Maru, Hishikata Maru and Koryu Maru, 16ś37'N, 120ś19'E.

* 3 January, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) begins operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa area. Principally along the west coast of Formosa, TF 38 planes sink landing ship Shinshu Maru (previously damaged by Aspro on 2 January), cargo ships Kinrei Maru, 2 Ume Maru, 22 Kawauchi Maru, Sanni Maru, another unidentified Maru, and damage army cargo ship Kibitsu Maru, Hyuga Maru and 2 Nichiyu Maru and 36 Taiwa Maru, and Kakuju Maru.

Occupation of Fais Island (see 1 January) continues. Occupying force destroys Japanese radio station found there. Interrogation of natives and Japanese prisoners reveals that Fais had never been used to base ships.

Leading groups of U.S. fleet units bound for Lingayen Gulf make daylight passage of Surigao Strait, where they come under attack from Japanese planes. Oiler Cowanesque (AO-79) is damaged by kamikaze, 08ś56'N, 122ś49'E, motor minesweeper YMS-53 by near-miss of bomb.

USAAF B-25s (13th Air Force) on a shipping sweep off Davao, sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 10, 07ś04'N, 125ś37'E.

British submarine HMS Shakespeare and Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.1damage each other in surface gun action east of Nancowry Strait.

Escort carrier Sargent Bay (CVE-83) and destroyer escort Robert F. Keller (DE-419) are damaged in collision during mail delivery exercise, Philippine Islands area.

Motor minesweeper YMS-53 is damaged by near-miss of bomb off Luzon.

Submarine Kingfish (SS-234), attacking Japanese convoy in the Bonins, sinks Japanese army cargo ship Shoto Maru and merchant cargo ships Yaei Maru and Shibazono Maru 200 miles north of Chichi Jima, 30ś29'N, 142ś03'E.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Henry Miller, in Hampton Roads-bound convoy GUS 63, is torpedoed and damaged by German submarine U-870 22 miles southwest of Cape Spartel, 35ś51'N, 06ś24'W; Coast Guard-manned frigate Brunswick (PF-68) takes off most of the crew and armed guard (there are no casualties in either group). The ship, with a reduced crew, reaches Gibraltar under her own power the following day; she is, however, later declared a constructive total loss.

* 4 January, Thursday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 continues operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa area. Navy planes sink auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 163, Cha 176, and Cha 210 and damage escort vessel Ikuna and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 204 in Formosa Strait; sink auxiliary netlayer Iwato Maru northeast of Taiwan; and damage minesweeper W.41 near Takao, Formosa. Japanese air attacks continue against Lingayen Gulf-bound forces; a kamikaze crashes escort carrier Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) in the northeastern area of the Sulu Sea, irreparably damaging her; another suicider narrowly misses escort carrier Lunga Point (CVE-94). Destroyer Burns (DD-588) scuttles Ommaney Bay, 11ś25'N, 121ś19'E, but not before destroyer Bell (DD-587) is damaged by collision with the escort carrier as the former fights fires. South of Mindoro, a kamikaze crashes U.S. freighter Lewis L. Dyche (carrying bombs and fuses), which disintegrates, killing all hands, including the 28-man Armed Guard; debris from the exploding freighter damages nearby oiler Pecos (AO-65) and minelayer Monadnock (CM-9), 12ś19'N, 121ś04'E; small seaplane tender Half Moon (AVP-26) is damaged by near-miss of bomb.

USAAF planes damage Japanese submarine chasers Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 23, Ch 37, and Ch 38 off San Fernando, Luzon.

Fais Island is formally occupied (see 1 and 3 January).

Japanese army vessel No.15 Horikoshi Maru is sunk by mine off northeast shore of Mukai Jima.

Atlantic
Car float YCF-59, fills with water while in tow of rescue tug ATR-57 while en route from New York to Philadelphia and is beached in Delaware River.

* 5 January, Friday 1945
Pacific
Japanese air attacks continue against Lingayen Gulf- bound forces in the teeth of heavy antiaircraft fire and combat air patrol. Of the minesweeping group, infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-70 is damaged by kamikaze, small seaplane tender Orca (AVP-49) and fleet tug Apache (ATF-67) are damaged by near-misses of suiciders, 15ś36'N, 119ś20'E and 15ś53'N, 120ś00'E, respectively. Kamikazes attacking the bombardment and escort carrier groups succeed in damaging heavy cruiser Louisville (CA-28) and destroyer Helm (DD-388), 15ś00'N, 119ś00'E, escort carriers Manila Bay (CVE-61), 14ś50'N, 119ś10'E, and Savo Island (CVE-78), 14ś50'N, 119ś00'E, and destroyer escort Stafford (DE-411), 14ś00'N, 120ś00'E. Suiciders also damage Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia and destroyer HMAS Arunta. Japanese escort destroyers approach minesweeping group but turn away at approach of destroyer Bennion (DD-662) and Australian frigate HMAS Gascoyne and sloop HMAS Warrego; subsequently, planes from TG 77.4 (escort carrier group) sink Momi 20 miles southwest of entrance to Manila Bay, 14ś00'N, 120ś20'E, and damage Hinoki and Sugi west of Manila Bay. TG 94.9 (Rear Admiral Allan E. Smith), three heavy cruisers and six destroyers, together with USAAF B-24s (escorted by P-38s) jointly pound Japanese shipping and installations on Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, and Iwo Jima, Bonins. Approaching Chichi Jima, Dunlap (DD-384), Fanning (DD-386) and Cummings (DD-365) damage landing ship T.107; Fanning sinks her, 26ś27'N, 141ś11'E. Off Chichi Jima, David W. Taylor (DD-551) is damaged by mine, 27ś04'N, 142ś06'E, destroyer Fanning by gunfire. Off Iwo Jima, Dunlap, Cummings, Ellet (DD-398) and Roe (DD-418) sink landing ship T.154, 24ś27'N, 141ś20'E.

TF 92 (Rear Admiral John L. McCrea), three light cruisers and nine destroyers, bombards Japanese installations (airfield and fish canneries) at Suribachi Wan, Paramushiro, Kurils.

Destroyer escort Edwin A. Howard (DE-346) is damaged in collision with destroyer escort Leland E. Thomas (DE-420) off Mindanao, 09ś48'N, 127ś15'E.

Minelayer Monadnock (CM-9) is damaged by grounding off Ilin Island Luzon, 12ś22'N, 121ś01'E.

Submarine Cavalla (SS-244) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayers Kanko Maru and Shunsen Maru in Java Sea, 05ś00'S, 112ś16'E.

Destroyer escort Brackett (DE-41) shells Japanese installations on Taroa, Marshalls.

PB4Y-1s (VPB 111) sink Japanese midget submarine Ha.71 two miles southwest of Chichi Jima.

* 6 January, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Japanese suicide plane attacks intensify against Lingayen Gulf invasion force; kamikazes damage battleships New Mexico (BB-40) (killing members of anobserving British military mission) and California (BB-44), light cruiser Columbia (CL-56) and destroyers Newcomb (DD-586) (she is also hit by friendly fire) and Richard P. Leary (DD-664), 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E, heavy cruiser Louisville (CA-28), 16ś37'N, 120ś17'E,2 destroyers Allen M. Sumner (DD-692) 16ś40'N, 120ś10'E, and O'Brien (DD-725), 16ś23'N, 120ś14'E. Destroyer Lowry (DD-770) is damaged by friendly fire, 16ś40'N, 120ś10'E.

Kamikazes attack minesweeping group, sinking high speed minesweeper Long (DMS-12), 16ś12'N, 120ś11'E, and damaging high speed minesweeper Southard (DMS-10), 16ś11'N, 126ś16'E, and high speed transport Brooks (APD-10), 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E. Destroyer Walke (DD-723), on detached duty covering the minesweeping operations, 16ś40'N, 120ś10'E, is attacked by four enemy aircraft; one crashes the ship's bridge, drenching it with burning gasoline and mortally wounding Walke's commanding officer, Commander George F. Davis. Davis nevertheless remains at his post, conning his ship amidst the wreckage and rallying his crew. Carried below only when assured that his ship would survive, he dies of his wounds within hours. He is subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

As a consequence of the kamikaze attacks, TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) shifts its focus from Formosa to begin operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in Luzon area. In South China Sea off northern Luzon, Navy carrier-based planes sink army cargo ship Kyodo Maru and merchant tankers No.1 Nanko Maru and 8 Iyasaka Maru and 6 Kyoei Maru and 10 Nanshin Maru and 10 Kyoei Maru and No.3 Kyoei Maru.

Submarine Besugo (SS-321) sinks Japanese fleet tanker Nichei Maru in Gulf of Thailand 06ś45'N, 102ś55'E. Coast Defense Ship No.17 carries out ineffective countermeasures.

Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407) attacks Japanese convoy, and sinks fleet tanker Tarakan Maru east of Hainan Island 19ś45'N, 111ś25'E.

USAAF aircraft sink auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 64 off Poulo Condore Island 08ś55'N, 106ś30'E, and merchant tanker No.3 Iyasaka Maru off Cape St. Jacques, French Indochina.

Mediterranean
U.S. freighter Isaac Shelby is damaged by mine when she straggles from Naples-bound convoy NV 90; fortunately, there are no casualties to either the merchant complement or the 12-man Armed Guard. The ship, however, is later declared a total loss.

* 7 January, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Bombardment and fire support group, TG 77.2 (Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf) and planes from escort carrier group, TG 77.4 (Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin), begin pounding Japanese defenses of Lingayen Gulf. Enemy air attacks in the area, however, continue: high speed minesweeper Hovey (DMS-11) is sunk by aerial torpedo; high speed minesweeper Palmer (DMS-5) by bombs, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E. Kamikazes damage attack transport Callaway (APA-35), 17ś00'N, 120ś00'E, and tank landing ship LST-912, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E.

Destroyers Charles Ausburne (DD-570), Braine (DD-630), Russell (DD-414), and Shaw (DD-373) sink Japanese destroyer Hinoki, 50 miles west-southwest of Manila Bay, 14ś30'N, 119ś30'E.

Submarine Picuda (SS-382) damages Japanese army tanker Munakata Maru 28 miles northwest of Fukikaku, Formosa, 25ś42'N, 121ś08'E. Munakata Maru puts in to Keelung for repairs (see 21 January).

Submarine Spot (SS-413) sinks Japanese guardboat No.2 Nichiei Maru in the Inland Sea, 31ś20'N, 123ś40'E.

USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force), attacking Japanese convoy in the South China Sea, sink stores ship Shinsei Maru in Formosa Strait, 22ś40'N, 118ś45'E.

* 8 January, Monday 1945
Pacific
During continuing Japanese aerial onslaught on the Lingayen Gulf invasion force, kamikazes damage escort carriers Kitkun Bay (CVE-71), 15ś48'N, 119ś09'E, and Kadashan Bay (CVE-76), 15ś10'N, 119ś08'E. A suicider also crashes close aboard Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, ending her support operations that day.

Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-404 is damaged by suicide swimmers, Yoo Passage, Palaus.

Submarine Balao (SS-285) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Daigo Maru southwest of Korea, 34ś28'N, 122ś39'E.

Coordinated submarine attack group, TG 17.21 (Commander Charles E. Loughlin) attacks Japanese convoy off northwest coast of Formosa. Barb (SS-220) sinks merchant cargo ships Anyo Maru, 24ś34'N, 120ś37'E, and Shinyo Maru, 24ś55'N, 120ś26'E (which explodes violently, forcing Barb deep and tearing off deck gratings); and merchant tanker Sanyo Maru, 24ś37'N, 120ś31'E, and damages army cargo ship Meiho Maru, 24ś25'N, 120ś29'E; Picuda (SS-382) damages cargo ship Rashin Maru, 24ś41'N, 120ś40'E; and Queenfish (SS-393) damages tanker Manju Maru, 24ś25'N, 120ś28'E. In the confusion generated by TG 17.21's attack, merchant tanker Hikoshima Maru runs aground in Tungshiao Bay.

Submarine Piranha (SS-389) damages auxiliary netlayer No.2 Shinto Maru in the Nansei Shoto, 29ś55'N, 130ś05'E.

Japanese ship No.22 Seikai Maru is sunk by mine off Haha Jima.

Cargo ship Malay Maru is damaged by mine (laid by British submarine HMS Stoic on 3 June 1944) off west coast of Malaya, 05ś57'N, 100ś14'E.

Europe
U.S. freighter Blenheim is damaged by explosion of German rocket bomb at Antwerp, Belgium; Armed Guard quarters are wrecked and there are 20 casualties among the 44 merchant sailors, 25 Armed Guard and one passenger on board at the time.

* 9 January, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Under the overall direction of General Douglas MacArthur, USA, TF 77 (Vice Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid) lands Sixth Army troops (Lieutenant General Walter Krueger, USA) at Lingayen Gulf under cover of heavy gunfire from the bombardment force, TG 77.2 (Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf) and aircraft from the escort carrier force, TG 77.4 (Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin). The troops initially encounter little resistance, but Japanese air attacks and assault demolition boats continue to vex the invasion forces off the beaches. Kamikazes crash battleship Mississippi (BB-41), 16ś08'N, 120ś18'E; light cruiser Columbia (CL-56), 16ś08'N, 120ś10'E; and destroyer escort Hodges (DE-231), 16ś22'N, 120ś12'E, in addition to Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, which is finally sent to the rear areas for repairs. Friendly fire damages battleship Colorado (BB-45), 16ś08'N, 120ś10'E; Japanese assault demolition boats damage transport War Hawk (AP-168) and tank landing ships LST-925 and LST-1028, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E.

TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) supports the landings at Lingayen Gulf with attacks on Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa, Ryukyus, and Pescadores Islands areas. Off Formosa, TF 38 planes sink Coast Defense Vessel No.3 north of Keelung, 27ś10'N, 121ś45'E; submarine chaser Ch 61, 22ś40'N, 120ś04'E; and fleet tanker Kuroshio Maru, merchant tanker Kaiho Maru, and cargo ship Fukuyama Maru south of Formosa; and small cargo vessel No.21 Ume Maru off Keelung; cargo ship Hisagawa Maru, 23ś04'N, 119ś51'E. They damage escort vessel Yashiro, oiler Kamoi, and escort destroyer Miyake and cargo ship Tainan Maru off Takao; Coast Defense Vessel No.9, Coast Defense Vessel No.13, and Coast Defense Vessel No.60 off Saei; auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 161 in Formosa Strait; minesweeper W.102 and auxiliary submarine chaser No.22 Nitto Maru off Keelung; and auxiliary submarine chaser Kinsui Maru north of Formosa.

Japanese merchant tanker Hikoshima Maru sinks as the result of damage inflicted by submarine Barb (SS-220) and beaching the previous day, 24ś37'N, 120ś31'E.

Dutch submarine HNMS O 19 sinks gunboat No.1 Shinko Maru off Tandjung Puting, Borneo, Banten Bay, 03ś41'S, 111ś57'E.

Other Japanese shipping casualties include merchant tanker No.4 Nanshin Maru sunk by aircraft off northwest tip of Luzon; merchant cargo ship No.9 Hokoku Maru is sunk by aircraft off Ishigaki Jima; auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 216 damaged by aircraft off Paishatun.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Jonas Lie, in New York-bound convoy ON 277, is torpedoed by German submarine U-1055 at the entrance to the Bristol Channel, 51ś43'N, 05ś25'W. The ship, abandoned, later sinks on 14 January.

* 10 January, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Japanese assault demolition boats infiltrate the transport areas off Lingayen, sinking infantry landing craft (mortar) LCI(M)-974, 16ś06'N, 120ś14'E and infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-365, and damaging destroyers Robinson (DD-562) and Philip (DD-498), transport War Hawk (AP-168) and tank landing ship LST-610. Japanese air attacks against the fleet off Lingayen continue, damaging destroyer Wickes (DD-578),16ś04'N, 118ś55'E; kamikazes damage destroyer escort Leray Wilson (DE-414), 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E, and attack transport Dupage (APA-41), 16ś17'N, 120ś15'E.

Off west coast of Luzon, high speed transport Clemson (APD-31) and battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38) are damaged in collision, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E. Clemson is also accidentally rammed the same day by attack transport Latimer (APA-152), 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E; oiler Guadalupe (AO-32) is damaged in collision with Nantahala (AO-60), 20ś06'N, 121ś34'E; tank landing ship LST-567 is damaged in collision with LST-610, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E.

Submarine Puffer (SS-268) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.42 and damages Coast Defense Vessel No.30 in the East China Sea, 26ś45'N, 126ś11'E.

Merchant vessel No.2 Seikai Maru is damaged by aircraft off Mukai Jima.

* 11 January, Thursday 1945
Atlantic
Motor minesweeper YMS-14 is sunk in collision with destroyer Herndon (DD-638) in north channel of Boston, Massachusetts, Harbor.

Pacific
Off Luzon, high speed transport Belknap (APD-34) is damaged by kamikaze, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E; tank landing ships LST-270 and LST-918 are damaged by shore battery, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E; and tank landing ship LST-700 is damaged by friendly fire, 16ś43'N, 119ś58'E.

U.S. destroyer gunfire sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.10, south of Vigan, 17ś20'N, 120ś00'E. Auxiliary minesweeper No.56 Banshu Maru and auxiliary submarine submarine chaser Hakuyo Maru are scuttled as blockships at south entrance of Manila Bay, Luzon.

During hunter-killer operations near Yap, destroyer Evans (DD-552) and destroyer escort McCoy Reynolds (DE-440) bombard Japanese defenses; they repeat the operation the following day.

Destroyer escort Brackett (DE-41) extracts party of Marshallese scouts from Jaluit, where they had been landed on 9 January to determine the condition of the garrison there.

Japanese submarines commence operation KONGO, employing suicide torpedoes [kaitens]; I 36 launches kaitens that damage ammunition ship Mazama (AE-9) and infantrylanding craft LCI-600 at Ulithi (see 12, 20 and 23 January).

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kinsei Maru is sunk by marine casualty in Osaka Bay, Japan.

* 12 January, Friday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Adm John S. McCain) operating in the South China Sea hits Japanese shipping, airfields, and other shore installations in southeastern French Indochina. TF 38 planes sink training cruiser Kashii north of Qui Nhon, 13ś50'N, 109ś20'E; escort vessel Chiburi, Coast Defense Vessel No.17, and Coast Defense Vessel No.19 off Cape St. Jacques, 10ś20'N, 107ś50'E; submarine chaser Ch 31, minesweeper W.101, Patrol Boat No.103 [ex-U.S. minesweeper Finch (AM-9)], Coast Defense Vessel No.35, Coast Defense Vessel No.43, and merchant tanker Ayayuki Maru off Cape Padaran, 11ś10'N, 108ś55'E; submarine chaser Ch 43 near Cam Ranh Bay, 11ś53'N, 109ś08'E; landing ship T.140 and victualling stores ship Ikutagawa Maru at Saigon, 10ś20'N, 107ś50'E; Coast Defense Vessel No.23 and Coast Defense Vessel No.51 north of Qui Nhon, 14ś15'N, 109ś10'E; auxiliary minesweeper Otowa Maru at Cam Ranh Bay, 11ś50'N, 109ś00'E; oil tanker Kumagawa Maru and transports Shinsei Maru and Toyu Maru off Cape St. Jacques, 10ś20'N, 107ś45'E; transport Kembu Maru and army cargo ships Yushu Maru and Kyokuun Maru north of Qui Nhon; army cargo ships Kiyo Maru and No.17 Shinsei Maru, Saigon; and merchant cargo ships Kenei Maru and Taikyu Maru and tanker No.9 Horai Maru at Saigon; tanker Akashi Maru off Cape St. Jacques; cargo ship Eiman Maru and tanker No.2 Nanryu Maru, east coast (exact location unspecified) of French Indochina; tanker Shoei Maru, cargo ships Hotsusan Maru, Tatsuhato Maru, Otsusan Maru, Yujo Maru, and No.63 Banshu Maru north of Qui Nhon; and tankers Koshin Maru, Ayanami Maru, Hoei Maru, and Eiho Maru, and cargo ship Kensei Maru, southeast of Cape St. Jacques. TF 38 planes also damage escort vessels Daito and Ukuru, Coast Defense Vessel No.27, and fleet tanker San Luis Maru north of Qui Nhon; submarine chaser Ch 34 and merchant cargo ship Ryuyo Maru at Cam Ranh Bay; landing ships T.149 and T.137 and fleet tanker No.3 Kyoei Maru off Cape St. Jacques; landing ship T.131 near Saigon; guardboat No.2 Fushimi Maru at entrance to Vung Tau; army cargo ship France Maru and merchant tanker Shingi Maru, southeast of Cape St. Jacques; and merchant cargo ships Chefoo Maru and Kanju Maru at Saigon. Vichy French ships, due to their proximity to Japanese vessels, also come under attack: TF 38 planes sink light cruiser Lamotte-Picquet off Cat Lai, and sink French surveying vessel Octant.

Other Japanese casualties include Coast Defense Vessel No.2 damaged by aircraft (location unspecified); and auxiliary vessel Keishu Maru damaged by aircraft off Longhai.

Off the west coast of Luzon, kamikazes damage destroyer escorts Richard W. Suesens (DE-342) and Gilligan (DE-508), 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E; attack transport Zeilin (APA-3), 15ś23'N, 119ś25'E; and tank landing ship LST-700, 14ś04'N, 119ś25'E; suicide pilots target U.S. merchant ships, damaging freighters Elmira Victory (there are no casualties to either the merchant complement or the 27- man Armed Guard) 16ś11'N, 120ś20'E (friendly fire also accounts for damage to the ship); Otis Skinner, on board which Armed Guard sailors contribute to fire- fighting efforts, 14ś42'N, 119ś35'E; Edward M. Wescott off the west coast of Luzon (10 of the 25-man Armed Guards are wounded by flying debris); Kyle V. Johnson, (on board which 129 of 506 Army troops, being transported, die) at 15ś12'N, 119ś30'E; and David Dudley Field at Subic Bay (Armed Guard gunfire deflects the kamikaze so that it only strikes the ship a glancing blow). Friendly fire accounts for damage to high speed transport Sands (APD-13) and tank landing ships LST-710 and LST-778, 15ś00'N, 119ś30'E.

Operation KONGO continues; submarine I 47 launches kaitens that damage U.S. freighter Pontus H. Ross off Hollandia, New Guinea, 02ś33'S, 140ś06'W; there are no casualties among the merchant sailors or the 27-man Armed Guard. Efforts by submarines I 53 at Kossol Roads, Palau; I 56 at Manus, in the Admiralties; and by I 58 at Apra Harbor, Guam, are not unsuccessful (see 20 and 23 January).

* 13 January, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Japanese kamikaze attacks against Lingayen Gulf invasion shipping culminate in suicide plane crashing and damaging escort carrier Salamaua (CVE-96), 17ś09'N, 119ś21'E.

Destroyer escort Fleming (DE-32) sinks Japanese submarine I 362 320 miles north-northeast of Truk, 12ś08'N, 154ś27'E.

Open lighter YC-912 founders in heavy weather, North Pacific Ocean.

Mediterranean
Ex-USAAF aircraft rescue boat P 584, under administrative control of Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and manned by a navy crew, is destroyed by explosion at Leghorn, Italy, injuring 11 sailors.

* 14 January, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Cobia (SS-245) sinks Japanese minelayer Yurijima off east coast of Malaya, 05ś45'N, 103ś13'E.

Motor torpedo boat PT-73, damaged by grounding, 13ś50'N, 120ś10'E, is beached and abandoned.

Army freight supply vessel FS 41 breaks loose from her moorings at Amchitka, Alaska, in heavy weather, and demolishes 300 feet of an Army dock; fleet tug Sarsi (ATF-111) is sent from Adak to go to the ship's assistance.

USAAF P-51s (14th Air Force) sink Japanese army cargo ship Akatsuki Maru in the Yangtze between Wuhu and Kiukiang, 29ś00'N, 116ś00'E.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Martin Van Buren, in Nova Scotia-bound convoy BV 141, is torpedoed by German submarine U-1232 at 44ś27'N, 63ś26'W; 3 of the 27-man Armed Guard (members of a 5-inch gun crew) perish when blown overboard. Despite salvage efforts, the ship subsequently drifts ashore and is written off as a total loss.

Europe
U.S. freighter Michael de Kovats is damaged by explosion of German V-2 rocket bomb at Antwerp, Belgium; none of the 27-man Armed Guard are casualties.

* 15 January, Monday 1945
Pacific
District patrol craft YP-73 sinks after running aground 1,000 yards east of Spruce Cape signal station, Kodiak, Alaska. Coast Guard tender Bittersweet (WAG-389) rescues survivors.

Escort carrier Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75) is damaged by accidental explosion of bombs as aircraft (VC 88) lands on board as the ship operates off west coast of Luzon, 17ś01'N, 119ś20'E.

TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) attacks Japanese shipping and aircraft off Formosa and the China coast. Carrier planes sink destroyer Hatakaze and fast transport T.14 at 22ś37'N, 120ś15'E; fleet tanker Mirii Maru and army cargo ship Enoshima Maru off Takao; destroyer Tsuga off Mako, 23ś33'N, 119ś33'E; and damage auxiliary minelayer Maroshima off Formosa and army cargo ships Beiju Maru and Yoshun Maru off Keelung.

TF 38 planes sink Japanese salvage ship Horei Maru, San Fernando, Luzon.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Kyo Maru is sunk by mine (laid by British submarine HMS Porpoise on 9 January), south of Penang, Malaya, 05ś18'N, 100ś20'E;

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Kujyo Maru is sunk by aircraft southwest of Paramushiro Island Kurils.

Japanese river gunboat Narumi is damaged by USAAF aircraft near Hankow, China.

Destroyer Swanson (DD-443) bombards Rota Island; she repeats the operation the following day.

Mediterranean
Destroyers Boyle (DD-600) and McLanahan (DD-615) support British and American light craft, including U.S. motor torpedo boats, in a night interdiction operation aimed at enemy coastwise shipping.

RAF Spitfire sights one large and one small enemy destroyer west of Portofino, Italy; PT-313 and British MTB 378 engage a southbound convoy of five flak lighters, sinking one and damaging another. The presence of the destroyers, however, results in the operation being discontinued.

* 16 January, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) strikes Japanese shipping and installations at Hong Kong, Hainan Island and along the China coast. Off Hong Kong TF 38 planes sink transport Hokkai Maru; merchant tankers Tenei Maru, Matsushima Maru, and Sanko Maru; and merchant cargo ship No.2 Anri Go. They also damage oiler Kamoi, destroyer Hasu, fast transport T.108, escort destroyers Shinnan and Nomi, and Coast Defense Vessel No.60; off Yulin, TF 38 planes sink merchant tanker Harima Maru, and damage escort destroyer Daito. Guardboat No.1 Taiyo Maru is sunk east of Hainan; merchant tanker No.6 Nanryu Maru is sunk off coast of South China.

Atlantic
Destroyer escorts Otter (DE-210), Hubbard (DE-211), Hayter (DE-212), and Varian (DE-798) sink German submarine U-248 at 47ś43'N, 26ś37'W.

U.S. freighter Marina is damaged by mine outside of swept channel to Le Havre, France; there are no casualties.

Mediterranean
Non-rigid airship ZPNK 123 is accidentally deflated at Port Lyautey, French Morocco; the envelope is damaged beyond repair.

* 17 January, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Off Philippine Islands, escort carrier Nehenta Bay (CVE-74) is damaged by storm, 17ś41'N, 117ś33'E.

Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese fast transport T.15 off southern Kyushu, 31ś09'N, 130ś29'E.

British submarine HMS Stygian sinks small Japanese cargo vessel Nichinan Maru off Perak, 05ś42'N, 98ś57'E.

Japanese cargo ship Minka Maru is sunk by mine on Yangtze, above Kiukiang, China.

Mediterranean
Tank landing ship LST-906, which had been aground at Leghorn, Italy, since 18 October 1944, is refloated.

* 18 January, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Japanese raiding parties land on Peleliu, Palau Islands. The attempt to damage aircraft on the ground and destroy ammunition is not successful.

Tank landing ship LST-219 is damaged by grounding off west coast of Luzon, 16ś10'N, 120ś22'E;

Tank landing ship LST-752 is damaged in collision off Leyte, 11ś11'N, 125ś05'E.

Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-396 is damaged by mine, Palaus.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Reizan Maru (previously damaged on 31 August 1944 by 14th Air Force planes) is sunk by mine in upper Yangtze.

* 19 January, Friday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Spot (SS-413) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Usa Maru, 39ś07'N, 122ś51'E.

British submarine HMS Supreme damages Japanese auxiliary netlayer Agata Maru south of Ross Island Andaman Islands.

* 20 January, Saturday 1945

Europe
Hungary surrenders to the allies.

Naval Technical Mission in Europe (Commodore Henry A. Schade) is established with headquarters in Paris, France.

Pacific
Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) lands supplies on south coast of Mindanao, P.I.

Submarine Spot (SS-413) sinks Japanese merchant fishing boat Tokiwa Maru, 34ś45'N, 124ś10'E.

Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese torpedo recovery vessel Shuri Maru at southern end of Tsushima Strait, 33ś37'N, 128ś40'E.

Operation KONGO concludes with Japanese submarine I 48 carrying out unsuccessful Kaiten attack on U.S. shipping at Ulithi (see 23 January).

* 21 January, Sunday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) attacks Japanese shipping and airfields on Formosa, and in the Pescadores, as well as in Sakashima Gunto and on Okinawa in the Ryukyus. Japanese planes make concerted counterattacks on the task force ships; kamikazes damage carrier Ticonderoga (CV-14), 22ś40'N, 122ś57'E and destroyer Maddox (DD-731), 23ś06'N, 122ś43'E; small carrier Langley (CVL-27) is damaged by bomb, 22ś40'N, 122ś51'E. Accidental explosion of bombs carried by TBM (VT 7) damages carrier Hancock (CV-19), 22ś40'N, 122ś30'E.

TF 38 planes sink fleet tankers Eiho Maru and Manjo Maru; cargo ship Kuroshio Maru; army cargo ships Enoura Maru, Asaka Maru and 2 Nichiyo Maru and Teifu Maru; army tankers Shincho Maru and 3 Hoei Maru and 5 Hoei Maru, and Yamazawa Maru; fishing boat Brunei Maru; cargo vessels Daijo Maru and Yayoi Maru; and damage destroyers Kashi and Sugi, landing ships T.114 and T.143, merchant cargo ship Yulin Maru and water supply vessel Nikko Maru off Takao, Formosa; planes from carrier Yorktown (CV-10) and small carrier Cabot (CVL-28) sink merchant tanker Munakata Maru at Keelung; TF 38 planes damage destroyer Harukaze off Mako.

USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force) sink Japanese salvage vessel Haruta Maru at Hong Kong, 22ś20'N, 114ś10'E.

Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Zuiun Maru, 33ś33'N, 129ś33'E;

Japanese army cargo ship Shoshin Maru is sunk by gunfire, 23ś48'N, 125ś16'E.

Landing craft LCT-253 founders and sinks in heavy weather en route to Tarawa.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter George Hawley, in convoy TBC 43, is torpedoed and irreparably damaged by German submarine U-1199 off the Isle of Wight, 49ś53'N, 05ś44'W.

* 22 January, Monday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) pounds Japanese shipping, airfields and other installations in the Ryukyus; TF 38 planes sink motor sailships No.1 Iroha Maru and Myooei Maru, and fishing boat No.1 Waei Maru. TF 38 planes also sink cargo vessel Suma Maru in Gima harbor, Kume Island; merchant tankers No.2 Nanko Maru and No.2 Nanshin Maru off Miyako Jima; and merchant cargo ship Hikosan Maru in Toguchi harbor, Okinawa, 26ś39'N, 127ś53'E. Guardboat No.6 Chitose Maru is sunk, probably by aircraft in Nansei Shoto.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 42 is damaged by mine off Chichi Jima.

Japanese river gunboat Saga is sunk by aircraft at Hong Kong.

British submarine HMS Spirit sinks Japanese ship Ryushin Maru in Java Sea, 06ś02'S, 110ś41'E.

* 23 January, Tuesday 1945
Atlantic
President Roosevelt embarks in heavy cruiser Quincy (CA-71) at Newport News, Virginia, on the beginning of the trip that will include his participation in ARGONAUT Conferences at Malta and Yalta.

Pacific
Destroyer escort Conklin (DE-439), supported by sisterships Corbesier (DE-438) and Raby (DE-698) sinks Japanese submarine I 48 (fresh from her unsuccessful kaiten mission to Ulithi), 25 miles off Yap, 09ś45'N, 138ś20'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) enters Namkwan harbor, China, and despite her claim that she sinks three ships, "probably" sinks a fourth, and damages two more, she actually destroys only a single vessel, merchant cargo ship Taikyo Maru, 27ś04'N, 120ś27'E.

Submarine Nautilus (SS-168) delivers supplies to east coast of Mindanao.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408) sinks Japanese guardboat No.7 Kainan Maru in Hangchow Bay, China, 30ś00'N, 120ś16'E.

Mines laid by RAF Liberators the previous day sink Japanese merchant tanker No.1 Hozan Maru and cargo ship Nikkaku Maru south of Sembilan Island Sumatra, 04ś08'N, 98ś15'E.

* 24 January, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Preceded in their approach by a barrier patrol of PB4Ys, TG 94.9 (Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger), consisting of battleship Indiana (BB-58), three heavy cruisers, seven destroyers and a light minelayer, bombards Iwo Jima, together with USAAF B-24s (escorted by P-38s). Northeast of Iwo, destroyers Dunlap (DD-384) and Fanning (DD-385) sink transport I-Go Yoneyama Maru and auxiliary minesweepers Keinan Maru and No.7 Showa Maru, 24ś50'N, 141ś22'E, a small Japanese three-ship convoy that had just arrived that morning.

Navy land-based planes flying from the Philippines bomb Japanese shipping at Keelung, Formosa, sinking merchant cargo ship Beiju Maru and damaging cargo ship Taizatsu Maru, 25ś09'N, 121ś45'E.

Dock landing ship Shadwell (LSD-15) is damaged by aerial torpedo, P.I., 09ś01'N, 123ś45'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Shunyo Maru is sunk by aircraft off Corregidor.

Submarine Atule (SS-403) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Taiman Maru in the central Yellow Sea, 36ś47'N, 123ś59'E.

Submarine Blackfin (SS-322) sinks Japanese destroyer Shigure 160 miles east of Khota Baru, Malaya, 06ś00'N, 103ś48'E, and teams with Besugo (SS-321) to damage merchant tanker Sarawak Maru off east coast of Malay Peninsula, 06ś00'N, 103ś45'E (see 19 March).

Submarine Guardfish (SS-217) mistakenly sinks salvage vessel Extractor (ARS-15) in Philippine Sea, 15ś44'N, 133ś29'E.

Europe
German planes bomb Antwerp, Belgium, damaging U.S. freighter Alcoa Banner; she is later written off as a total loss.

* 25 January, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Greenling (SS-213) is damaged by depth charges off Nansei Shoto, 29ś27'N, 130ś09'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Silversides (SS-236), despite presence of auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 90 and Cha 168, sinks Japanese army cargo ship Malay Maru, 31ś18'N, 130ś08'E.

Mediterranean
Destroyer McLanahan (DD-615) shells German command post and then silences shore battery on the Italian Riviera.

* 26 January, Friday 1945
Pacific
Tank landing craft LCT-1151 is lost in amphibious operations, 01ś00'N, 138ś36'E.

Submarine Tautog (SS-199) sinks Japanese merchant sail fishing boat No.11 Naga Maru, 30ś00'N, 136ś20'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Hakko Maru is sunk by aircraft off Corregidor;

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.13 Kyo Maru is sunk by mine off Bengeri Point.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Tamon Maru is sunk by mine [laid by submarine Dace (SS-247) on 16 December 1944] off Gambir Island French Indochina, 13ś36'N, 109ś18'E.

* 27 January, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Motor torpedo boat PT-338 is damaged by grounding off Semimara Island Luzon, 12ś06'N, 121ś23'E.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.102 in Lombok Strait, 08ś34'S, 115ś50'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Ryuzan Maru is sunk by USAAF mine off Hankow, China, 29ś46'N, 116ś52'E; cargo ship Hsin Yang Maru is sunk by USAAF mine (laid by 14th Air Force B-24 on 19 January ) off Kiukiang, China, 29ś55'N, 115ś20'E.

Japanese transport Nagatsu Maru is damaged by mine off Chichi Jima.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Ruben Dario is torpedoed and damaged by German submarine, most likely U-852, off Saint George's Channel, 52ś27'N, 05ś21'W. There are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

* 28 January, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) attacks Japanese convoy in the southern Yellow Sea and sinks escort vessel Kume, 33ś50'N, 122ś55'E and transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Sanuki Maru, 34ś02'N, 123ś00'E.

* 29 January, Monday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.3 (Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble) lands troops (38th Infantry and 34th RCT of 24th Infantry) near San Antonio, northwest of Subic Bay. They encounter no enemy opposition, move rapidly inland and seize all initial onjectives.

Landing craft repair ship Amycus (ARL-2) and medium landing ship LSM-135 are damaged when accidentally bombed by SBD, Lingayen Gulf, 16ś20'N, 120ś10'E.

Cargo ship Serpens (AK-97) is sunk by explosion of undetermined origin off Guadalcanal; the blast damages submarine chasers PC-588, SC-1039, and SC-1266; motor minesweeper YMS-281; and district patrol craft YP-514.

Destroyer Lardner (DD-487) is damaged when she runs aground off Ngesebus Island Palau.

Submarine Picuda (SS-382) attacks Japanese convoy in Formosa Strait, sinking army cargo ship Clyde Maru about 50 miles northwest of Keelung, 25ś20'N, 121ś06'E.

USAAF B-25s sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.10 Takunan Maru off Chichi Jima, 27ś45'N, 142ś00'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.47 is damaged by aircraft, 20ś45'N, 142ś00'E.

* 30 January, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.3 (Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble) lands army troops (38th Infantry) on Grande Island Subic Bay, in Operation MIKE SEVEN; they encounter no enemy opposition. Light cruiser Denver (CL-58) and destroyers Fletcher (DD-445) and Radford (DD-446) provide gunfire support. TG 77.4 (Rear Admiral William D. Sample), consisting of six escort carriers and their screen, provide direct air cover. Attack transport Cavalier (APA-37) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO 46 off Subic Bay, 14ś48'N, 119ś18'E.

Destroyer Burns (DD-588) sinks Japanese guardboat No.2 Hokoku Maru off Ojae, 08ś42'N, 167ś44'E.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320) damages Japanese storeship Arasaki, 08ś26'S, 115ś40'E.

Submarine Threadfin (SS-410) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship I ssei Maru off southern Honshu, 33ś30'N, 135ś34'E, but although damaged by depth charges fromescorts, 33ś20'N, 135ś30'E, remains on patrol.

British submarine HMS Tantalus sinks Japanese fishing boat No.12 Taisei Maru in northern approaches to Bangka Strait, 01ś26'S, 105ś01'E.

* 31 January, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.2 (Rear Admiral William M. Fechteler) lands Army troops (two RCTs of the 11th Airborne Division) at Nasugbu, south of the entrance to Manila Bay in Operation MIKE SIX; TG 77.4 (Rear Admiral William D. Sample) provides cover. A third RCT of the 11th Airborne is airdropped at Tagtaytay Ridge, 14 miles inland and the three RCTs link up on 3 February. This operation, designed to outflank the enemy forces defending Manila, meets little resistance at the outset; Japanese assault demolition boats attack the screen, however, and sink submarine chaser PC-1129, the flagship for the control unit, TU 78.2.7, 14ś05'N, 120ś30'E.

Submarine Boarfish (SS-327) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Enki Maru 50 miles southeast of Tourane, French Indochina, 14ś55'N, 109ś01'E, and damages cargo ship Taietsu Maru, which is run aground (see 1 February) 14ś56'N, 109ś00'E.

Submarine Pargo (SS-264) damages Japanese escort vessel Manju, 11ś51'N, 109ś12'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) unsuccessfully attacks Japanese ship Nanshin Maru in Yellow Sea west of Ch'uja Kundo, Korea, 34ś14'N, 122ś36'E.

Motor torpedo boat PT-338, irreparably damaged by grounding (see 27 January) is destroyed by demolition squad off Semimara Island Luzon, 12ś06'N, 121ś23'E.

USAAF B-25s (Far Eastern Air Force) sink Japanese escort destroyer Ume and damage destroyer Shiokaze and escort destroyer Kaede west of Takao, Formosa, 22ś30'N, 12ś00'E.

Japanese small cargo vessel No.4 Kiri Maru is sunk by mine off Cape Tavoy, Burma, 13ś32'N, 98ś10'E.

February

* 1 February, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Destroyers Jenkins (DD-447), O'Bannon (DD-450), and Bell (DD-587), and destroyer escort Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442) sink submarine RO 115, 125 miles southwest of Manila, 13ś20'N, 119ś20'E.

USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force), directed to the scene by Boarfish (SS-327), complete the destruction of grounded Japanese cargo ship Taietsu Maru (damaged by Boarfish and run aground the previous day), off the coast of French Indochina, 14ś56'N, 109ś00'E.

Motor torpedo boats PT-77 and PT-79 are damaged by friendly fire west of Mindoro, 13ś55'N, 120ś36'E.

USAAF P-51s sink Japanese landing ship T.115 in Luzon Straits, 20ś00'N, 121ś00'E, and damage escorting submarine chaser Ch 28.

Japanese netlayer No.16 Nissho Maru is sunk by mine west northwest of Mokpo, Korea, 35ś00'N, 125ś00'E.

USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) bomb Japanese shipping and harbor facilities at Singapore, damaging oiler Shiretoko, 01ś20'N, 103ś50'E.

British submarine HMS Spark sinks Japanese towboat No.203 Katsura Maru and damages motor sailboats Nanyo Maru, Nampo Maru and No.80 Tachibana Maru off Jabara, 06ś41'S, 110ś32'E.

Japanese tanker No.26 Nanshin Maru is sunk by mine, 30ś05'N, 135ś15'E.

* 2 February, Friday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Besugo (SS-321), attacking Japanese convoy off Malay Peninsula, sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.144 off Cape Laguan, 04ś32'N, 104ś30'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks Japanese merchant tanker No.19 Nanshin Maru, 05ś40'N, 103ś17'E.

USAAF B-24 attacks Japanese tanker Yashima Maru and forces her aground, damaged, off Flores Island.

Japanese merchant tanker No.3 Kinyu Maru is sunk by aircraft off Phantiet, French Indochina.

* 3 February, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407) damages Japanese transport Suiten Maru off Bawean Island N.E.I.

Japanese river gunboat Karatsu [ex-Luzon (PR-7)] is scuttled as blockship at Manila.

Minesweeper W.102 (ex-HMS Waglan) is damaged (cause unspecified) north of Haitan Island 25ś40'N, 119ś50'E.

Merchant tanker No.3 Nanryu Maru is sunk by aircraft off Takao, Formosa.

* 4 February, Sunday 1945
General
Yalta (ARGONAUT) Conference attended by President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill, and Russian Premier Stalin, begins. Matters discussed include the timing of the Russian entry into the war against Japan, and three postwar issues: the division of Germany, the extent of the Soviet sphere of influence in Europe, and the status of Poland.

Pacific
Submarine Barbel (SS-316) is sunk by Japanese naval aircraft in South China Sea, between Borneo and Palawan, 07ś49.5'N, 116ś47.5'E.3

Submarine Pargo (SS-264) bombards Woody Island east of Tourane, French Indochina, destroying Japanese weather station and radio equipment, administration building, a jetty, and several fishing boats.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Tairai Maru in the Yellow Sea off the west coast of Korea, 37ś18'N, 125ś22'E.

* 5 February, Monday 1945
Pacific
Destroyer Bearss (DD-654) suffers minor damage from ammunition hangfire while on exercises in the Aleutians.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.6 is damaged by marine casualty; and minesweeper W.29 is damaged by mine off Chichi Jima.

Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-308 and PT-313, on a routine patrol from Leghorn, Italy, sight two south-bound KT ships and one escort and engage them a half mile northwest of the swept channel off Portovenere, claiming at least one KT ship sunk.

* 6 February, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Pampanito (SS-383), attacking Japanese convoy, sinks merchant tanker Engen Maru about 200 miles northeast of Singapore, 06ś22'N, 106ś00'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese merchant passenger/cargo ship Shohei Maru off Port Arthur, Korea, 38ś46'N, 121ś28'E.

Navy PB4Ys attack Japanese convoy in the Sakishima- Okinawa area, sinking small cargo ship No.77 Ume Maru.

USAAF planes sink Japanese cargo ship No.3 Kinyu Maru at 12ś50'N, 109ś23'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.12 is damaged by aircraft, 36 miles northwest of Chichi Jima.

Japanese tanker Obi Maru is sunk by mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command) on 25 January in Johore Strait, 01ś09'N, 103ś36'E.

Japanese battleship/carrier Ise is damaged by mine, Singapore.

Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Peter Silvester is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-862 in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Australia, 34ś19'S, 99ś37'E; 7 of the 26-man Armed Guard perish with the ship.

Europe
U.S. freighter Henry B. Plant, in Antwerp-bound convoy TAM 71, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-245 at 51ś19'24"N, 01ś42'30"W; 7 of the 28-man Armed Guard perish in the abandonment. British minesweeper HMS Hazard and HM Trawler Sir Lancelot rescue survivors.

* 7 February, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Motor torpedo boats PT-373 and PT-356 enter Manila Bay for night reconnaissance; these are the first U.S. naval units to enter that body of water since the surrender of Corregidor in 1942.

Destroyer escort Thomason (DE-203) sinks Japanese submarine RO 55 off Iba, Luzon, 15ś27'N, 119ś25'E.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320), attacking Japanese convoy off east coast of French Indochina, sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.53 and damages merchant tanker Toho Maru near Cam Ranh Bay, 11ś56'N, 109ś18'E.

Submarine Guavina (SS-362), attacking a Japanese convoy, sinks merchant tanker Taigyo Maru 250 miles south of Saigon, French Indochina, 06ś45'N, 106ś00'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Okinoyama Maru, 29ś09'N, 129ś45'E.

Submarine Ronquil (SS-396) damages Japanese army cargo ship Kuretake Maru, 31ś46'N, 140ś17'E.

British submarine HMS Subtle sinks small Japanese cargo vessel Nanei Maru, 07ś28'N, 94ś56'E.

Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-303 and PT-304, and British MTB 422, patrolling from Golfe Juan, France, engage southbound enemy convoy off Savona, Italy, sinking at least two vessels.

* 8 February, Thursday 1945
Mediterranean
Destroyer McLanahan (DD-615) bombards German outpost on Italian Riviera, shelling troop concentration.

Motor torpedo boat PT-308, in company with two British motor torpedo boats, operating from Leghorn, Italy, attack three northbound flak lighters off Point Moneglia. The MTBs draw fire while PT-308 scores damage on one flak lighter. A second allied attack is unsuccessful.

Pacific
TF 92 (Rear Admiral John F. McCrea), comprising three light cruisers and seven destroyers, sorties from Attu, bound for Matsuwa Island.

Submarine Pampanito (SS-383) attacks Japanese convoy in Gulf of Siam, sinking gunboat Eifuku Maru off Cape Camau, French Indochina, 07ś05'N, 104ś50'E.

Japanese landing ship T.143 is run aground and abandoned southeast of the Pescadores Islands, 23ś30'N, 119ś40'E.

* 9 February, Friday 1945
Pacific
Navy aircraft sink Japanese army cargo ship Hekisui Maru off Mako, Formosa, 23ś28'N, 119ś40'E.

PV-1 sinks small Japanese cargo vessel No.177 Nanshin Maru in Flores Sea west of Maumere.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.61 is damaged by mine [laid by submarine Ray (SS-271) on 22 February 1944ś], 10 miles off Cape St. Jacques, French Indochina,10ś10'N, 106ś55'E.4

Indian Ocean
U.S. freighter Cape Edmont rescues one boatload of survivors from sunken freighter Peter Silvester, sunk on 6 February by German submarine U-862 (see 27 February).

* 10 February, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Japanese suicide swimmers attempt attack upon surveying ship Hydrographer (AGS-2) in Schonian Harbor, Palaus.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.33 and escort destroyer Mikura are damaged in collision in Formosa Straits, 23ś51'N, 117ś52'E.

* 11 February, Sunday 1945
General
Yalta (ARGONAUT) Conference attended by President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Churchill, and Russian Premier Stalin ends.

Pacific
TF 92 (Rear Admiral John F. McCrea), comprising three light cruisers and seven destroyers, arrives off Matsuwa Island Kurils, to conduct bombardment, but encounters heavy weather that would make high-speed retirement impossible; the operation is accordingly cancelled and the ships return to Attu on 14 February.

Marianas-based USAAF B-29s carry out extended search missions to look for Japanese guardboats in the path of TF 58 as it steams toward Japan, augmented by Tinian- based PB4Ys and planes from the carriers. These searches will be repeated on 12 and 14 February.

Tank landing ship LST-577, torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO 50 while in a reinforcement convoy proceeding from Hollandia to Leyte, 08ś05'N, 126ś17'E, is scuttled by destroyer Isherwood (DD-520). RO 50 is damaged by gunfire in the encounter with U.S. ships.

Fleet tug Takelma (ATF-113) is damaged by collision east of Leyte, P.I., 10ś50'N, 125ś25'E.

Submarine Batfish (SS-310) sinks Japanese submarine RO 112 off Camiguin, P.I., 18ś53'N, 121ś50'E.

Submarine Burrfish (SS-312) is damaged by depth charges and aerial bombs off Bonins, 27ś51'N, 141ś55'N, but remains on patrol.

Japanese escort destroyer Miyake is damaged by aircraft, 19ś08'N, 108ś15'E.

Japanese fast transport T.13 is damaged by aircraft, Bonins.

USAAF aircraft sink Japanese cargo vessel Shoto Maru, Saigon, French Indochina.

Mediterranean
Destroyer McLanahan (DD-615), while withdrawing from bombardment mission off Italian Riviera, is damaged by near-misses from German shore battery at San Remo, Gulf of Genoa.

* 12 February, Monday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) sinks small Japanese cargo vessel Kisaragi Maru and the two large landing barges she was towing at the time, Lombok Strait.

Japanese merchant ship Shinko Maru is sunk by aircraft, 26ś57'N, 120ś25'E.

* 13 February, Tuesday 1945
Indian Ocean
Frigate Corpus Christi (PF-44) rescues 102 survivors of U.S. freighter Peter Silvester, sunk on 6 February 1945 in the Indian Ocean by German submarine U-862 (see 9 March).

Pacific
Although submarine Sennet (SS-408) is damaged by gunfire of Japanese guardboat [No.8 Kotoshiro Maru or No.3 Showa Maru], south of Japan, she administers the coup de grace to No.8 Kotoshiro Maru after the enemy patrol craft had already been damaged by Lagarto (SS-371) and Haddock (SS-231), 30ś00'N, 136ś30'E. Haddock then sinks No.3 Showa Maru, which had already been damaged by Lagarto and Sennet, 30ś00'N, 136ś30'E.

Submarine Batfish (SS-310) sinks Japanese submarine RO 113 off Babuyan Islands, P.I., 19ś10'N, 121ś23'E.

RAAF Liberator sinks Japanese motor sailship No.24 Sakura Maru in Lesser Sundas.

* 14 February, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Japanese shore batteries sink motor minesweeper YMS-48 north of Corregidor, 14ś24'N, 120ś33'E, and damage destroyers Fletcher (DD-445) and Hopewell (DD-681) as they support the sweeping of those waters, 14ś25'N, 120ś30'E and 14ś24'N, 120ś33'E, respectively. On board Fletcher, Watertender First Class Elmer C. Bigelow, time not permitting his donning a rescue-breathing apparatus, plunges into the acrid powder smoke to extinguish the blaze that had resulted from shell fragments penetrating the number one gun magazine and setting fire to powder cases. Bigelow succumbs to smoke inhalation the following day; for his heroism, he is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Japanese shore batteries also sink support landing craft LCS-26 and LCS-49 off Luzon.

Mines damage destroyers Radford (DD-446) and LaVallette (DD-448) as they support the sweeping of a channel into Mariveles harbor, 14ś25'N, 120ś30'E.

Destroyer Halford (DD-480) is damaged in collision with U.S. merchant vessel H.E. Stephenson.

Submarine Gato (SS-212) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.9 in Yellow Sea, 34ś48'N, 125ś28'E.

Submarines Haddock (SS-231), Lagarto (SS-371), and Sennet (SS-408) damage Japanese guardboat No.3 Kanno Maru south of Japan, 29ś50'N, 135ś31'E.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 4 and Cha 114 (ex-Dutch B-1 class patrol boat) in Java Sea, 08ś28'S, 115ś45'E.

Japanese army cargo ship No.1 Yamanami Maru is sunk by mine west of Kyushu; hospital ship Hikawa Maru is damaged by mine in Singapore Strait.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Tatsui Maru is damaged by aircraft, 27ś35'N, 121ś16'E.

Arctic Convoys
U.S. freighter Horace Gray is torpedoed by German submarine U-711 at the entrance to Kola Inlet, 69ś21'N, 33ś43'W. Beached the following day, Horace Gray will subsequently be determined a total loss. There are no casualties to either the merchant complement or the 28- man Armed Guard.

* 15 February, Thursday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.3 (Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble) lands army forces (151st Infantry RCT and 3d Battalion, 34th RCT) in the Mariveles Harbor area of Bataan Peninsula, Luzon; the troops encounter only light opposition andquickly secure the town and the nearby airfield. Medium landing ship LSM-169 is damaged by mine off Mariveles; motor minesweeper YMS-46 is damaged by shore battery, 14ś23'N, 120ś36'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese guardboats No.3 Choyo Maru and No.2 Santoku Maru off southern Japan, 30ś00''N, 141ś00'E, and 30ś00'N, 143ś00'E, respectively.

Aircraft damage Japanese fast transport T.16 off Iwo Jima.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.3 Taihei Maru is damaged by aircraft off Yonaguni Island.

* 16 February, Friday 1945
Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) planes bomb airfields, aircraft factories, and shipping in the Tokyo area, Japan; attack is repeated on 17 February.

Fire support vessels and carrier-based aircraft begin three-day prelanding bombardment and bombing of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands. Destroyers Ingraham (DD-694) and Barton (DD-722) are damaged in collision off Iwo, 31ś45'N, 141ś54'E.

TF 92 (Rear Admiral John L. McCrea) bombards Japanese installations at Kurabu Zaki, Paramushiro, Kurils.

Army forces, preceded by naval bombardment and attack by army aircraft, land on Corregidor, Luzon; 503d Parachute Infantry are air-dropped onto the main plateau while the 3d Battalion, 24th RCT is lifted to the island in navy medium landing craft (LCM). Support landing craft (large) [LCS(L)] and infantry landing craft (rocket) [LCI(R)] provide covering fire close-in. Motor torpedo boats also support the operation, at one point rescuing stranded army paratroopers. Submarine chaser PC-1119 is damaged by shore battery, off Luzon, 14ś23'N, 120ś35'E.

Special gunfire support unit of six destroyers (Captain Robert W. Cavenaugh) is formed to provide naval gunfire support for the conquest of Corregidor. Between 16 and 28 February, this unit will deliver pin-point fire that proves a considerable help to the final elimination of Japanese troops on the island.

Support landing craft LCS(L)-7 is sunk by Japanese assault demolition boats off entrance to Mariveles harbor.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408) sinks Japanese minelayer Naryu southeast of Honshu, 32ś10'N, 135ś54'E, but is damaged by depth bombs from enemy aircraft.

Oiler Patuxent (AO-44) is damaged by internal explosion from gasoline vapors.

Coast Guard lighthouse tender Bramble (WAGL-392) is damaged by grounding on Lockwood Rock, Wrangell Narrows, Aleutians (see 17 February).

Japanese army cargo ship No.23 Ryoyu Maru is sunk by aircraft, 14ś36'N, 109ś06'E.

PB4Y-1 (VPB-117) sinks Japanese army cargo ship I ida Maru in Cape St. Jacques harbor, French Indochina, 10ś20'N, 107ś06'E.; Japanese merchant cargo ships sunk on this date: No.3 Seikai Maru, by aircraft, Central Pacific (exact location unspecified); Kaian No.10, by aircraft, Yangtze River, Wuhu, China; and No.2 Nagaoka Maru, by aircraft, off Hachijo Jima. Japanese naval vessels damaged on this date: Coast Defense Vessel No.47, by aircraft, Yokohama, Japan; escort destroyer Amakusa, by aircraft, east of Izu Oshima; auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 211, Cha 225, and Cha 236, by aircraft, Shimoda, Japan; and auxiliary minesweeper Hagoromo Maru, by aircraft, 10 miles south of Miyake Jima. USAAF B-24 damages small Japanese cargo vessel No.23 Yoshitomo Maru off Qui Nhon, French Indochina.

USAAF P-51s sink Japanese auxiliary powered sailing vessel Minsui Maru in Yangtze between Wuhu and Hankow.

Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boat PT-303 and two British motor torpedo boats, operating out of Leghorn, Italy, engage two southbound enemy barges off Vernazza with doubtful results.

Atlantic
Destroyer Edison (DD-439) is damaged when accidentally rammed by British merchant tanker Benedick in New York harbor.

* 17 February, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Fire support ships, minesweeping units, and underwater demolition teams (UDT) arrive off Iwo Jima and encounter fire from shore batteries. UDT reconnaissance discloses that no underwater obstacles exist, and thatthe surf and beach conditions are suitable for landings. Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-474 is sunk by shore battery, while supporting UDT operations. Japanese guns also account for damage to battleship Tennessee (BB-43), 24ś44'N, 141ś19'E; heavy cruiser Pensacola (CA-24) and destroyer Leutze (DD-481), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; as well as to infantry landing craft (gunboats) LCI(G)-346, LCI(G)-348, LCI(G)-438, LCI(G)-441, LCI(G)-449, LCI(G)-450, LCI(G)-457, LCI(G)-466, LCI(G)-469, LCI(G)-471, and LCI(G)-473. On board the damaged LCI(G)-449, her commanding officer, Lieutenant Rufus G. Herring, although badly wounded, cons his crippled ship himself, maintaining her position in support of the unfolding UDT operations until she is able to move to safety. For his heroism, Herring is awarded the Medal of Honor.

Light cruisers Phoenix (CL-46) and Boise (CL-47), along with three destroyers, provide call-fire support for continuing operations on Corregidor. Light cruiser Cleveland (CL-55) and destroyers O'Bannon (DD-450) and Taylor (DD-468) bombard the Ternate area, south shore of Manila Bay. Fleet tug Hidatsa (ATF-102) is damaged by mine in Mariveles harbor, Luzon, 14ś25'N, 120ś30'E.

Destroyer Haynesworth (DD-700) sinks Japanese guardboat No.36 Nanshin Maru southwest of Mikimoto light and auxiliary submarine chaser Wafu Maru off Omaezaki Light.

Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.56 five miles east of Mikura Jima, central Honshu, 33ś53'N, 139ś43'E. Bowfin and aircraft sink guardboat No.26 Nanshin Maru southwest of Mikimoto light, 30ś05'N, 135ś15'E.

British submarine HMS Statesman attacks Japanese convoy off Ujong Tamiang, 04ś26'N, 98ś16E, sinking motor sailships No.3 Matsujima Maru and 19 Nippon Maru and 17 Nanyo Maru and No. 14 Nippon Maru.

Minesweeper Champion (AM-314) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E.

Coast Guard cutter Atalanta (WPC-102), en route to assist lighthouse tender Bramble (WAGL-389) (damaged by grounding the previous day) collides with and damages mail boat Neptune near Steamer Point Light, Aleutians. District patrol craft YP-251 escorts the damaged Neptune to Naval Section Base, Ketchikan, while Atalanta, undamaged, continues on her mission.

District patrol craft YP-94, returning from landing supplies on Chirikof Island runs aground at the southern end of Tugidak and Sitkinak Islands; rescue tug ATR-68 is dispatched from Kodiak, Alaska, to render assistance, while air-sea rescue coordination succeeds in rescuing all hands (see 23 February ).

USAAF B-24s (5th Air Force), on an antishipping sweep over the South China Sea, sink Japanese landing ship T.114 off southern coast of Formosa, 23ś04'N, 120ś30'E.

Japanese army cargo vessel Yamashio Maru is sunk by aircraft, Yokohama harbor.

Japanese merchant tanker No.28 Nanshin Maru is sunk by aircraft, 30ś00'N, 138ś30'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Daibi Maru is sunk, by aircraft, off Chichi Jima.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 47 is damaged by aircraft, 32ś45'N, 111ś56'E.

During diving operations in West Loch, Pearl Harbor, on the wreckage of tank landing ships sunk in the ammunition explosions in that area in 1944, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Owen F. P. Hammerberg risks his own life to save two fellow divers trapped while tunnelling under a wrecked LST. Although Hammerberg's efforts are successful, he suffers mortal injuries in a cave-in, to which he succumbs 18 hours later. For his heroism, Hammerberg is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Europe
Motor torpedo boat PT-605 is sunk by striking submerged object off Ostend, Belgium.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Michael J. Stone, in convoy UGS 72, is torpedoed by German submarine U-300 27 miles from Gibraltar, 35ś55'N, 05ś53'W. There are no casualties on board and the damaged freighter reaches her destination under her own power.

* 18 February, Sunday 1945
Atlantic
District patrol craft YP-94 sinks after running aground off Trinity Islands, 56ś32'N, 154ś22'W.

Pacific
Battleship Washington (BB-56) and destroyer Hailey (DD-556) are damaged in collision off Iwo Jima.

Destroyer Waldron (DD-699) is damaged when she intentionally rams Japanese guardboat at 29ś27'N, 141ś34'E. Dortch (DD-670) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Ayukawa Maru northwest of Iwo Jima, 27ś35'N, 121ś16'E, but is damaged by gunfire in the encounter.

Light minelayer Gamble (DM-15) is damaged by kamikaze, 24ś55'N, 141ś08'E.

High speed transport Blessman (APD-48) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 25ś05'N, 141ś10'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese gunboat No.2 Hiyoshi Maru at Futami, Chichi Jima, 27ś05'N, 142ś11'E.

Destroyers Barton (DD-722), Ingraham (DD-694) and Moale (DD-693) sink Japanese guardboats No.35 Nanshin Maru west of Torishima, 30ś00'N, 137ś30'E; No.3 Kyowa Maru south of Honshu, 31ś00'N, 137ś30'E; and No.5 Fukuichi Maru off Torishima, 30ś00'N, 141ś00'E.

* 19 February, Monday 1945
Pacific
Preceded by intense naval and air bombardment, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions (Lieutenant General Holland M. Smith, USMC) land on Iwo Jima in Operation DETACHMENT. The operation is under the overall command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet; Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner is the Joint Expeditionary Force Commander. Naval gunfire and aircraft will support the troops ashore during this difficult campaign. Offshore, collisions account for damage of varying degrees to heavy cruiser Chester (CA-27) and amphibious force flagship Estes (AGC-12), 24ś13'N, 141ś25'E; heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) and ammunition ship Shasta (AE-6) (during replenishment operations); destroyer escort Finnegan (DE-307) and infantry landing craft LCI-627, 22ś46'N, 141ś19'E; and attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67) and heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E. Destroyer John W. Weeks (DD-701) is damaged by shore battery, 25ś32'N, 141ś01'E; hospital ship Samaritan (AH-10) by friendly fire, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E. Japanese mortar fire damages medium landing ships LSM-74, LSM-145, LSM-245 and LSM-323.

Army troops covered by USMC aircraft are landed on the northwest coast of Samar and on Capul Island P.I., to insure control of San Bernardino Strait.

Japanese merchant ship Zuiho Maru is sunk by aircraft in Yangzte River near Kiukiang, China.

* 20 February, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Army troops, covered by USMC aircraft, are landed on Biri Island P.I., to insure control of San Bernardino Strait.

Off Iwo Jima, light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80) is hit by friendly fire, 25ś47'N, 141ś15'E; destroyer Bradford (DD-545) collides with uncharted submerged wreckage, 24ś45.8'N, 141ś19.44'E; attack transports Napa (APA-157) and Logan (APA-196) are damaged in collision, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; tank landing ship LST-779 and medium landing ship LSM-216 are damaged by mortar fire.

Submarine Guavina (SS-362), attacking Japanese convoy rounding Cape Padaran, French Indochina, damages merchant tanker Eiyo Maru, 11ś22'N, 109ś22'E.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366), attacking Japanese convoy about 175 miles northwest of Singapore, sinks merchant cargo ship Daizen Maru, 00ś42'S, 106ś18'E. Although Hawkbill claims sinking one other cargo vessel, the two ships in company with the lost freighter, Kanto Maru and Nankai Maru, survive unscathed.

Submarine Pargo (SS-264) sinks Japanese destroyer Nokaze off Cape Varella, French Indochina, 12ś48'N, 109ś38'E; destroyer Kamikaze, in company with Nokaze at the time of Pargo's attack, unsuccessfully counterattacks with depth charges.

Submarine Pintado (SS-387) is damaged by aerial bomb, Gulf of Siam, 07ś25'N, 111ś56'E, but remains on patrol.

Japanese army ship Rozan Maru is sunk by mine below Taku, China.

Japanese cargo vessel No.34 Kashiwa Maru is sunk by mine off Surabaya.

* 21 February, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Navy and USAAF planes bomb and strafe Japanese installations at Truk.

Off Iwo Jima, kamikazes sink escort carrier Bismarck Sea (CVE-95), 24ś36'N, 141ś48'E, and damage carrier Saratoga (CV-3), 24ś56'N, 142ś01'E (Saratoga is also hit by a bomb); escort carrier Lunga Point (CVE-94), 24ś40'N, 141ś44'E; tank landing ships LST-477, 24ś40'N, 141ś44'E, and LST-809, 24ś08'N, 142ś06'E; and net cargo ship Keokuk (AKN-4), 24ś36'N, 141ś48'E. Small carrier Langley (CVL-27) is damaged by bomb. Japanese mortar fire damages tank landing ship LST-390, 24ś46'N,141ś19'E. Collisions account for damage to destroyer Williamson (DD-244) and oiler Suamico (AO-49), 24ś39'N, 142ś01'E; destroyer Bradford (DD-545) and tank landing ship LST-812; attack cargo ship Yancey (AKA-93) and heavy cruiser Pensacola (CA-24), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E. Heavy weather damages medium landing ship LSM-43.

Tank landing craft LCT-175 founders and sinks in heavy weather, 04ś27'N, 133ś40'E.

Destroyer Renshaw (DD-499) is torpedoed by Japanese submarine RO 43 south of Siquijor Island P.I., 24ś36'N, 141ś48'E. RO 43 escapes a ten-hour search by destroyers Waller (DD-466) and Shaw (DD-373) around Siquijor Island.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.72 and Coast Defense Vessel No.150 are damaged in collision off Wenchow, China.

Submarine Gato (SS-212) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Tairiku Maru in Yellow Sea off west coast of Korea, 35ś24'N, 125ś23'E.

Japanese merchant tanker Eiyo Maru, damaged by submarine Guavina (SS-362) the previous day, sinks off Cape Padaran, French Indochina, 11ś22'N, 109ś22'E.

Japanese cargo ship Fukusei Maru sinks after running aground off Cape Shirazaki, Honshu, 41ś00'N, 142ś00'E.

* 22 February, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Off Iwo Jima, damage occurs when destroyer escort Melvin R. Nawman (DE-416) collides with tank landing ship LST-807, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E, and tank landing ship LST-779 collides with pontoon barges at 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

Submarine Becuna (SS-319), despite presence of two escort vessels, sinks Japanese merchant tanker Nichiyoku Maru off Cape Padaran, French Indochina, 11ś28'N, 109ś06'E.

Japanese fleet tanker No.2 Tatekawa Maru is damaged by USAAF mine (laid by 20th Air Force B-29s) and runs aground in Padaran Bay; USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) complete the destruction of No.2 Tatekawa Maru later that day, 11ś08'N, 108ś44'E.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 41 is damaged by aircraft, 10ś15'N, 107ś15'E.

Japanese army ship Ikuta Maru is sunk by aircraft, Rabaul, New Britain.

* 23 February, Friday 1945
Pacific
Motor torpedo boats sweep Coron Bay, P.I., destroying launches, lighters, a lugger, and setting fire to a large fuel dump.

Off Iwo Jima, shore batteries damage tank landing ships LST-684 and LST-792, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E and medium landing ships LSM-46 and LSM-47; operational casualties damage hospital ship Solace (AH-5), motor minesweeper YMS-361, and medium landing ship LSM-92; as well as submarine chaser PC-877 and tank landing ship LST-716, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; friendly fire damages submarine chaser PCS-1461, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

Submarine Hammerhead (SS-364) intercepts Japanese convoy, sinks escort vessel Yaku 15 miles south of Cape Varella, French Indochina, 12ś42'N, 109ś30'E, and eludes counterattack by Coast Defense Ship No.31.

District patrol craft YP-94, aground and damaged off Tugidak and Sitkinak Islands, Aleutians, since 17 February, breaks in two and sinks.

USAAF B-25s (Fifth Air Force) on antishipping sweep off French Indochina, attack Japanese convoy HI-88-G and sink submarine chaser Ch 35, and damage submarine chaser Ch 20 and small tanker No.35 Nanshin Maru off Cape Padaran, 10ś15'N, 107ś31'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Bizan Maru is damaged by aircraft, 23ś14'N, 116ś49'E.

Mediterranean
Conversion of tank landing ships into seatrain LSTs is completed at Palermo, Sicily. LST-32 is to ferry roling stock from Bizerte, Tunisia, to Reggio, Italy; LST-140 is to ferry rolling stock from Oran, Algeria, to Marseilles, France.

Open lighter YC-693 is struck from the Naval Vessel Register this date.[5]

Europe
U.S. freighter Jane G. Swisshelm is damaged by explosion of V-2 rocket at Antwerp, Belgium. Only three men of the combined complement of 8 officers, 36 enlisted men, 27 Armed Guards and one passenger report any injuries.

U.S. freighter Henry Bacon, straggling from Scotland-bound convoy RA 64, is sunk by German planes after her Armed Guard puts up a stiff fight against a large number of attacking aircraft, 67ś00'N, 07ś00'E. Seven of the 26-man Armed Guard die in battle. British destroyers HMS Opportune, HMS Zest and HMS Zambesi rescue the survivors.

* 24 February, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Japanese resistance in Manila ceases.

Off Iwo Jima, destroyers Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) and Bryant (DD-665) are damaged by collision, 24ś47'N, 141ś25'E; heavy weather damages destroyer Moale (DD-693), 25ś00'N, 141ś00'E, and medium landing ships LSM-202 and LSM-241. Tank landing ship LST-792 is damaged by shore battery fire, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E. Operational casualties account for damage to high speed minesweeper Howard (DMS-7) and submarine chaser SC-1027.

Submarine Lagarto (SS-371) sinks Japanese submarine I 371 and merchant cargo ship Tatsumomo Maru off Bungo Suido, Kyushu, 32ś40'N, 132ś33'E.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Uzuki Maru north-northeast of Mikizaki, 32ś40'N, 132ś33'E.

Japanese cargo vessel Kyuryu Maru is damaged by mine (laid by RAF planes) off Bangkok, Thailand 13ś45'N, 100ś35'E; she is later abandoned as a total loss and scuttled.

Japanese escort destroyer Nomi is damaged by aircraft, four miles south of Wanshan Island.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Yulin Maru sinks after running aground near Qui Nohn, French Indochina, 13ś48'N, 109ś14'E.

Europe
German submarine U-3007 is sunk by USAAF aircraft, Bremen, Germany.

* 25 February, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice AdmiralMarc A. Mitscher) bomb aircraft factories and airfields near Tokyo, Japan.

Destroyer Harrison (DD-573) is damaged by storm south of Honshu, 33ś00'N, 141ś00'E.

Off Iwo Jima, collisions account for damage to tank landing ship LST-121 (accidentally rammed by medium landing ship LSM-140), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; tank landing ship LST-928 [successive collisions with tank landing ships LST-764 and LST-713 and attack transport Fayette (APA-43)], 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; submarine chaser PC-578 (with medium landing ship LSM-207), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; and attack transport President Adams (APA-19) (with tank landing ship LST-370), 24'46'N, 141ś19'E. Friendly fire damages seaplane tender Hamlin (AV-15), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; Japanese shore battery damages infantry landing craft LCI-760.

Motor minesweeper YMS-275 is damaged by mine off the Carolines, 07ś20'N, 134ś35'E.

Destroyers Hazelwood (DD-531) and Murray (DD-576) sink Japanese guardboats No.1 Fuji Maru and Koki Maru, 31ś06'N, 141ś00'E, and guardboat No.5 Seiun Maru off Tori Jima, 31ś00'N, 141ś00'E.

Submarine Flasher (SS-531) sinks Japanese cargo vessel Koho Maru near Hainan, 20ś01'N, 111ś19'E; USAAF B-24 attacks escorting submarine chaser Ch 21 while she is rescuing Koho Maru's survivors, but does not damage her.

Submarine Hoe (SS-258) attacks Japanese convoy and sinks escort vessel Shonan south of Hainan Island 17ś05'N, 110ś05'E.

Submarine Piper (SS-409) sinks Japanese guardboat No.3 Hosen Maru and sinks merchant cargo ship Koho Maru, 20ś04'N, 111ś22'E.

British submarine HMS Trenchant attacks Japanese convoy in South Malacca Strait, sinking cargo vessel No.9 Akiyama Maru, 03ś07'N, 99ś56'E; Japanese army aircraft bomb Trenchant but she escapes unharmed.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kazusa Maru is sunk by aircraft off Miyake Jima; Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa 14 is damaged.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 208 is damaged by aircraft, location unspecified.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.5 Miyatake Maru is damaged by aircraft, off Shirahama.

* 26 February, Monday 1945
Pacific
Lieutenant General Millard F. Harmon, Commanding General, USAAF Air Forces, Pacific Area, departs Guam for Oahu, via Kwajalein, in his C-87 transport. The aircraft (its last reported position 11ś15'N, 174ś15'E) never reaches its destination. An extensive coordinated search by all services ensues for the next 20 days but fails to locate any trace of the missing plane or its passengers.

Off Iwo Jima, storm damages heavy cruiser San Francisco (CA-38), destroyers Colahan (DD-658), Halsey Powell (DD-686), Benham (DD-796), John W. Weeks (DD-701), Stephen Potter (DD-538), and Preston (DD-795); attack cargo ship Muliphen (AKA-61) is damaged in collision with heavy cruiser Salt Lake City (CA-25), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E. Tank landing ships LST-760 and LST-884 are damaged by shore battery fire, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

On Iwo Jima, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class George E. Wahlen, USNR, attached to a rifle company in the 2nd Battalion, 26th Marines, retrieves a wounded leatherneck from in front of his company's lines and carries him to safety. Wahlen, wounded in the left eye before he accomplishes this heroic act, will continue to discharge his duties with similar courage over succeeding days (see 28 February and 2 March).

Light cruiser Pasadena (CL-65), 31ś20'N, 141ś15'E, and destroyer Porterfield (DD-682), 33ś10'N, 143ś30'E, are damaged by gunfire from Japanese guardboat that penetrates task group formation south of Honshu.

Minesweeper Saunter (AM-295) is damaged by mine off El Fraile island Luzon, 14ś17'N, 120ś38'E.

Planes (VC 82) from escort carrier Anzio (CVE-57) sink Japanese submarines I 368, 35 miles west of Iwo Jima, 24ś43'N, 140ś37'E, and RO 43, 50 miles west-northwest of Iwo, 25ś07'N, 140ś19'E.

Destroyer escort Finnegan (DE-307) sinks Japanese submarine I 370 120 miles south of Iwo Jima, 22ś45'N, 141ś27'E.

USAAF planes sink Japanese tanker No.9 Takasago Maru at 20ś01'N, 111ś44'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Zuisho Maru is damaged bygunfire, near Hong Kong.

Europe
U.S. freighter Nashaba, bound for Ghent, Belgium, in convoy TAM 91, sinks after striking a mine in the Schelde estuary, 51ś22'18"N, 02ś55'25"E. There are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

* 27 February, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Off Iwo Jima, collisions account for damage to small carrier San Jacinto (CVL-30) and oiler Merrimack (AO-37), 23ś00'N, 139ś00'E; destroyer Colhoun (DD-801) and attack transport Knox (APA-46), 24ś49'N, 141ś20'E [Colhoun collides with attack cargo ship Libra (AKA-12) soon thereafter]; tank landing ship LST-121 and attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; tank landing ship LST-809 and tank landing ship LST-224, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; Japanese shore battery fire damages attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60) and tank landing ship LST-884; mortar fire accounts for damage to medium landing ship LSM-92.

Submarine Blenny (SS-324), attacking Japanese convoy off French Indochina, sinks merchant tanker Amato Maru off Cape Padaran, 11ś58'N, 109ś18'E.

Submarine Scabbardfish (SS-397) sinks Japanese guardboat No.6 Kikaku Maru, 100 miles northeast of Keelung, Formosa, 25ś45'N, 123ś20'W.

Japanese merchant vessel No.2 Suma Maru is sunk by aircraft 80 miles off Amoy, China.

Indian Ocean
British escort carrier HMS Activity rescues one boatload of survivors (20 men) from sunken freighter Peter Silvester, sunk on 6 February by German submarine U-862 in the Indian Ocean (see 10 March).

Europe
German submarine U-327 is sunk by PB4Y-1 (VPB 112), and British escort vessels HMS Labuan, HMS Loch Fada and HMS Wild Goose, English Channel, 49ś46'N, 05ś47'W.

Atlantic
Destroyer Bainbridge (DD-246) is damaged by paint locker explosion, 350 miles north of Puerto Rico.

* 28 February, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.2 (Rear Admiral William M. Fechteler) lands Army troops (186th Regimental Combat Team, Reinforced, of the 41st Division) on Puerto Princesa, Palawan Island P.I.; TG 74.2 (Rear Admiral Ralph S. Riggs), consisting of three light cruisers and four destroyers, provides support. The operation is unopposed.

Off Iwo Jima, destroyer Bennett (DD-473) is damaged by aircraft bomb, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; destroyer Terry (DD-513) by shore battery, 24ś48'N, 141ś33'E and medium landing ship LSM-42, by mortar fire; collisions account for damage to submarine chaser PCS-1461 (with small craft), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E, and tank landing ships LST-641 and LST-787, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

On Iwo Jima, as the 3d Battalion, 27th Marines, battles a Japanese counterattack, Pharmacist's Mate First Class John H. Willis is wounded while administering first aid to casualties. Although evacuated to an aid station, he sneaks away, returning to the front lines and resuming his duties with his assigned platoon. Going to the aid of a wounded man in a shell hole, Willis is treating the casualty when enemy troops lob hand grenades into the position. Willis throws out eight in succession, but a ninth explodes in his hand killing him. His courageous actions, witnessed by his platoon, prompt them to repulse the Japanese thrust. For his conspicuous gallantry, Willis is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Elsewhere on Iwo, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class George E. Wahlen, USNR, voluntarily rushes to the aid of an adjacent platoon that has suffered heavy casualties, treating 14 men before returning to his own unit. He braves heavy mortar and rifle fire to do so, actions that, together with that performed on 26 February, establish him as a hero in the eyes of the marines he serves (see 2 March).

USAAF B-24s attack Japanese convoy in Okinawa area, sinking motor sailship No.7 Kokoku Maru.

Atlantic
Destroyer escort Fowler (DE-222) and French L'Indiscret sink German submarine U-869 off Morocco, 34ś30'N, 08ś13'W.

March

* 1 March, Thursday 1945
Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) planes pound Japanese ground installations, airfields, and shipping in the Okinawa area. TF 58 planes sink torpedo boat Manazuru off Okinawa, 26ś17'N, 127ś35'E; minelayer Tsubame and damage escort destroyer Fukue and auxiliary minesweeper Nuwajima off Ishigaki Jima, 24ś23'N,124ś12'E; supply ship Kinezaki and army cargo ship No.11 Hoshi Maru in Kuji Bay, 28ś10'N, 129ś05'E; gunboat Chohakusan Maru and merchant cargo ship Ryukyu Maru off Naha, transport Toyosaka Maru off Miyako-retto, 24ś46'N, 125ś30'E; cargo ships Kinzan Maru off Okinawa, merchant cargo ships Taiken Maru off Miyako Jima and Luzon Maru off Naze. They also sink cargo ship Kiku Maru and damage torpedo boat Tomozuru and minesweeper Seki Maru off Amami-O-Shima, and damage submarine chaser Ch 49 off Ishikiri, Suwanose Island. Japanese merchant ships Dosei Maru and Otsu Maru are sunk by gunfire in Kuji Bay and off Miyako Jima, respectively.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) sink Japanese transport Hokuhi Maru off Mako, Pescadores, 23ś35'N, 119ś35'E.

Army troops supported by naval gunfire and USAAF planes land on Lubang Island P.I.

Task unit consisting of destroyer Cony (DD-508), destroyer escort Formoe (DE-509), minesweepers Sentry (AM-299) and Salute (AM-294) and two infantry landing craft (LCI), begin minesweeping and reconnaissance of Baler Bay and Casiguran Sound, Luzon, to investigate a possible fleet anchorage and determine composition of Japanese forces in the vicinity. Army scouts and interpreters are embarked for use ashore.

Submarine Kete (SS-369) departs Guam for second war patrol. Contact will be maintained with her until 20 March, but she is never seen again.[6]

Off Iwo Jima, destroyers Terry (DD-513) and Colhoun (DD-801) are damaged by shore battery fire, 24ś47'N, 141ś21'E; medium landing ship LSM-59 by operational casualty.

Submarine Sterlet (SS-392) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tateyama Maru, 34ś11'N, 139ś44'E.

USAAF B-24s attack Japanese convoy, damaging tanker Terushima Maru and cargo vessel Kashima Maru, 19ś51'N, 108ś50'E.

USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant vessel tanker Eisho Maru in Tonkin Gulf, 18ś32'N, 108ś11'E.

Japanese merchant ship Daishin Maru is sunk by aircraft off Manila.

Japanese merchant vessel cargo ship Eijo Maru is sunk by grounding in Shihtao Bay, off Shantung Peninsula, 36ś09'N, 120ś30'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Daia Maru is damaged by aircraft.

Europe
U.S. freighter Robert L. Vann, in convoy ATM 76, sinks after striking a mine off Ostend, Belgium, 51ś22'N, 02ś53'E. There are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

* 2 March, Friday 1945
Pacific
Task group (Rear Admiral Francis E. M. Whiting), consisting of three light cruisers and eight destroyers bombards Japanese positions on Okino Daito Jima, Ryukyus.

Destroyers (DesDiv 109) bombard Japanese positions on Parece Vela Reef in the Philippine Sea.[7]

Off Iwo Jima, light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80) is damaged by shore battery fire; destroyer Bennett (DD-477), by dud bomb or torpedo; collisions account for damage to attack cargo ship Stokes (AKA-68), 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; tank landing ship LST-247 [with attack cargo ship Selinur (AKA-41)], 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; tank landing ship LST-224 [successive collisions with support landing craft LCS-52 and tank landing ship LST-634], 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; tank landing ship LST-642 [with tank landing ship LST-784], 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; and attack transport Berrien (AP-62); cargo ship Hercules (AK-41) is damaged when she runs aground; tank landing craft LCT-1029 sinks.

Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese transport Chokai Maru northeast of Miyake Jima, 33ś50'N, 139ś22'E.

British submarine HMS Terrapin attacks Japanese Penang-to-Singapore convoy in Malacca Straits, 03ś28'N, 101ś00'E, sinking small cargo vessel Sanko Maru.

PB4Y-2 (VPB-119) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking transport/ferry Nichirin Maru in East China Sea about 180 miles east by south of Wenchow, China, 27ś12'N, 124ś42'E.

Japanese transport Kasei Maru is sunk by unknown causes off Shiogama, northern Honshu.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Sekiyo Maru is sunk by aircraft off Nansei Shoto.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.13 is damaged by aircraft, 19ś47'N, 124ś04'E.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) sink Japanese landing ship T.143 off Mako, Pescadores, 23ś35'N, 121ś35'E.

Mediterranean
Seatrain tank landing ship LST-32 (see 23 February) is damaged when she strikes a submerged wreck at Reggio Calabria on her first lift of 20 railroad cars from Bizerte.

* 3 March, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Army troops land on Masbate, Burias and Ticao Islands, P.I., supported by naval gunfire and USMC planes. Only small Japanese garrisons are found, requiring only minimal naval forces for support.

Attack transport Bolivar (APA-34) is damaged by shore battery off Iwo Jima, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

On Iwo Jima, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class George E. Wahlen, USNR, wounded in the back the day before and having already performed heroic acts treating casualties on 26 and 28 February, is wounded a third time as he treats fallen shipmates. Unable to walk, he crawls 50 yards to render aid to a wounded marine. For this and previous acts of valor, Wahlen will be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Elsewhere on Iwo, Pharmacist's Mate Third Class Jack Williams, USNR, while serving as an aid man with a marine rifle company, is thrice wounded as he goes to treat a casualty. Although in a partial state of shockf rom his wounds, the corpsman shields the marine with his own body as he administers medical care first to the wounded man and then to himself. Instead of going to the rear, Williams remains at the front and tends a second wounded marine. As he finally stuggles to the rear to have his own hurts treated, the corpsman is hit a fourth time, and killed. For his unwavering determination to carry out his mission, Williams is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407) sinks Japanese transport Suiten Maru off Malang, Java, 06ś34'S, 113ś01'E.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese gunboat No.2 Nissho Maru off southern Honshu, near Mijake Jima, 34ś05'N, 139ś54'E.

Submarine Tuna (SS-203) lands supplies on northeast coast of Borneo.

USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese cargo vessel No.1 Yaei Maru in Tonkin Gulf, 20ś10'N, 109ś31'E.

RAAF planes lay mines (70% U.S.-made, 30% British) in Yulinakin Bay, Hainan Island; Japanese oiler Hario hits one and sinks off Cape Bastian, 18ś10'N, 109ś40'E.

Japanese merchant tanker No.1 Iyasaka Maru is sunk by aircraft off Hainan Island.

* 4 March, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Destroyers Yarnall (DD-541) and Ringgold (DD-500) are damaged in collision while simulating night torpedo attack, 12ś15'N, 138ś08'E.

Submarine Baya (SS-318) attacks Japanese convoy HI-98, sinking merchant tanker Palembang Maru off Cape Varella, French Indochina, 12ś50'N, 109ś30'E (see 5 March).

Submarine Tilefish (SS-307) sinks Japanese fishing vessel Shiko Maru off Setsuko Saki, 28ś15'N, 129ś08'E.

British submarine HMS Clyde sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Kiku Maru off western Sumatra.

British submarines HMS Trenchant and HMS Terrapin sink Japanese submarine chaser Ch 8 in central Malacca Strait, 04ś04'N, 110ś35'E.

USAAF planes (14th Air Force) lay mines in Yangtze River; Japanese ship Wan Shih Maru is sunk north of Shanghai.

RAAF Venturas attack Japanese convoy off Soembawa Island sinking small cargo vessels No.3 Kiri Maru and No.4 Matsu Maru, 08ś17'S, 118ś56'E.

* 5 March, Monday 1945
Pacific
Tank landing ship LST-642 is damaged in collision off Iwo Jima, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

Submarine Bashaw (SS-241) attacks same Japanese convoy (HI-98) vexed by Baya (SS-318) the day before, sinking oiler Ryoei Maru and army tanker Seishin Maru off Tourane, French Indochina, 16ś47'N, 108ś41'E.

Submarine Peto (SS-265) is damaged by aerial bombs in South China Sea off Hainan, 20ś57'N, 111ś56'E, but remains on patrol.

Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407), attacking Japanese convoy in the Java Sea, sinks gunboat Man-yo Maru, 05ś50'S, 113ś46'E, auxiliary netlayer Nagara Maru, 05ś23'S, 114ś00'E, and merchant cargo ship Shoyu Maru, 05ś23'S, 114ś60'E.

Submarine Tilefish (SS-307) damages Japanese minesweeper W.15 off Akuke Jima, Japan, 29ś36'N, 129ś45'E. Although run aground by No.51 Banshu Maru to facilitate her salvage, W.15 is later regarded as a total loss.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 224 off Mako, Pescadores.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) attack Japanese convoy SAYU-02, sinking auxiliary submarine chasers Kasuga Maru and Ujina Maru and merchant cargo ship Shoto Maru off coast of French Indochina, 15ś32'N, 108ś37'E.

USAAF B-24 (13th Air Force) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 110 in Sape Strait, southeast of the Celebes, 08ś36'S, 119ś19'E.

Support landing craft LCS-127 sinks after grounding off San Clemente Island California.

* 6 March, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Attack cargo ship Yancey (AKA-93) is damaged by collision off Iwo Jima.

USAAF B-24 (possibly a Navy PB4Y) sinks Japanese salvage vessel Toei Maru east of Sanmen Wan, 29ś00'N, 122ś00'E.

USAAF planes attack Japanese convoy at 20ś00'N, 112ś30'E, and although the airmen believe that they sink a "destroyer," their quarry, actually Coast Defense Vessel No. 207, survives undamaged.

Japanese army vessel tanker Rikko Maru is stranded and sunk near Keelung, Formosa, 25ś09'N, 121ś44'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Hokusui Maru is sunk (most likely by drifting Japanese mine) off Otabe, Hokkaido, 41ś27'N, 140ś15'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.22 Suma Maru is damaged by aircraft, four miles northwest of Fukikaku Light.

* 7 March, Wednesday 1945
Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-305 and PT-307 are accidentally bombed (but not damaged) by friendly aircraft while patrolling southwest of Genoa, Italy.

TG 89.9, comprising aviation supply ship Tackle (IX-217) and fleet tug Moreno (ATF-87), departs Naples for Odessa, USSR, with supplies for American POWs liberated from German camps by Soviet troops.

Pacific
Navy task unit completes its work in the Baler Bay-Casiguran Sound area, having found both bodies of water to afford excellent anchorages; it encounters no mines in Casiguran Sound but sweeps 98 in Baler Bay. Not more than 100 Japanese troops are determined to be in the vicinity.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 51 is damaged by aircraft off Hachijo Jima.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Enkei Maru is damaged, most likely by marine casualty, 30ś42'N, 128ś20'E.

* 8 March, Thursday 1945
General
Inter-American Conference, in session at Mexico City since 21 February 1945, ends.

Europe
Submarine chaser PC-564 engages German minesweepers M 412, M 432, M 442 and M 452 and nine smaller craft off Chaussey. The Germans are bound for the port of Granville, France (see 9 March).

Pacific
Covered lighter YF-926, being towed to Pearl Harbor, T.H., founders in heavy weather and sinks.

USAAF aircraft sink Japanese landing ship T.143 off Formosa, 23ś35'N, 121ś35'E.

Japanese guardboat No.3 Daikoku Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft east of Ogari Jima.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Toyo Maru is sunk by aircraft off Hankow, China.

USAAF aircraft (5th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship I shima Maru, 22ś34'N, 114ś53'E.

USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force) sink Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.69 southeast of Hainan Island 19ś02'N, 111ś50'E (see 16 March).

Navy PBMs bomb Japanese convoy, sinking cargo vessel No.21 Yusen Maru off Chinman Tao, 24ś27'N, 118ś19'E.

USAAF B-24s (10th Air Force) attack Japanese shipping in Andaman Sea, sinking cargo vessel Hoyo Maru, 13ś00'N, 98ś00'E.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping at Hong Kong, sinking guardboat Hyushin Maru off St. John Island 21ś42'N, 112ś44'E.

USAAF P-51s (14th Air Force) attack Japanese shipping in the Yangtze, off Hankow, sinking cargo vessel Toyo Maru (ex-Chinese Tang Yang), 30ś33'N, 114ś17'E.

Japanese cargo vessel Kwan-Shan Maru is sunk by mine off Kiangyin, China, 31ś55'N, 120ś16'E.

* 9 March, Friday 1945
Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-304, PT-308 and PT-313 engage German flak lighters off Point Mesco, Italy, claiming one sunk, one hit, and one possibly hit; PT-304 is damaged by shrapnel during the attack. During retirement, however, PT-308 is damaged when she is accidentally rammed by PT-304.

Europe
Submarine chaser PC-564, outgunned and badly damaged, manages to outrun the German force engaged late on 8 March and is grounded on the French coast at Pierre de Herpin light. French fishing boats arrive to help the wounded, and the next day, PC-564 is towed into St. Malo harbor. Shortly after PC-564 is knocked out of action, German raiding party attacks Granville, demolishing installations, releasing German POWs held there, and sinking small British freighters Kyle Castle, Nephrite, and Parkwood, and Norwegian merchantman Heien. The Germans seize collier Eskwood and tow her to Jersey, in the Channel Islands. German minesweeper M 412 runs aground and is blown up when it is realized that extricating her from her predicament is impossible in the time allowed.

Pacific
PB4Y carries out unsuccessful attack on submarine chaser Ch 21, 22ś23'N, 115ś03'E.

* 10 March, Saturday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.1 (Rear Admiral Forrest B. Royal) lands Army troops (41st Infantry [Reinforced] less 186th RCT) near Zamboanga, Mindanao; landing is supported by naval gunfire and USAAF planes. Japanese shore batteries, however, sink tank landing ships LST-591 and LST-626, and infantry landing craft LCI-710 and LCI-779. Attacking troops encounter only light mortar and artillery file.

Submarine Kete (SS-369) attacks Japanese Kagoshima-to-Naha convoy north of Okinawa, sinking transport Keizan Maru and army cargo ships Sanka Maru and Dokan Maru about 100 miles northwest of Amami O Shima, 29ś48'N, 128ś02'E; Coast Defense Vessel No.44 and auxiliary minesweeper No.2 Shinto Maru carry out ineffective countermeasures.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) sink Japanese army tanker Seishin Maru off Tourane, French Indochina, 16ś01'N, 108ś10'E.

Indian Ocean
Submarine Rock (SS-274) rescues the last 15 survivors from U.S. freighter Peter Silvester, sunk on 6 February by German submarine U-862 (see 13 February).

* 11 March, Sunday 1945
Europe
LCVPs (TG 122.5.1) go into action 200 miles from the sea, sailors assisting in erecting and maintaining an army pontoon bridge at the Remagen bridgehead. Navy support of the army's crossing the Rhine River proves invaluable and adds greatly to the successful invasion of the enemy's homeland.

USAAF heavy bombers (Eighth Air Force) sink German submarines U-2515 and U-2530 during raid on Hamburg, Germany.

PB4Y-1 (VPB 103) sinks German submarine U-681 southwest of the Scilly Islands, 49ś53'N, 06ś31'W.

Pacific
Army troops landed on 10 March take Zamboanga, Mindanao

Japanese land attack planes [FRANCES], flying direct from Kanoya, Japan, attack U.S. fleet anchorage at Ulithi; one FRANCES damages carrier Randolph (CV-15), 10ś01'N, 139ś40'E, another crashes into Sorlen Island. Salvage vessel Current (ARS-22) is damaged by collision with Randolph during fire-fighting operations.

Submarine Segundo (SS-398) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shori Maru off Shori Island southern Korea, 34ś25'N, 127ś54'E.

PBM-3D (VPB 28) attacks Japanese convoy in South China Sea, sinking water carrier Wayo Maru about 40 miles southeast of Macao, 21ś31'N, 112ś28'E.

USAAF B-25s bomb Japanese shipping off Tourane, French Indochina, sinking motor sailships Kinsei Maru, Namikiri Maru and No.3 Hinode Maru.

Japanese merchant trawler Koko Maru is sunk by USAAF mine in Yangtze River, 31ś22'N, 121ś34'E.

* 12 March, Monday 1945
Pacific
Japanese guardboats No.1 Hinode Maru and Shosei Maru, are sunk by U.S. aircraft east of the Ryukyus, 26ś54'N, 131ś38'E.

* 13 March, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
USAAF B-24s and B-25s on antishipping sweeps off the China coast between Foochow and Hong Kong attack Japanese convoy KAI-311, sinking cargo vessels No.12 Aikoku Maru and 37 Kokoku Maru and 18 Tarumizu Maru and No.34 Tarumizu Maru.

USAAF B-24s (5th Air Force) sink Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.66 and transport Masajima Maru in South China Sea east of Swatow, 23ś30'N, 117ś10'E.

Army barge PSB 111 runs aground on northeast side of Seguam Island Aleutians, but is pulled free by fleet tug Sarsi (ATF-111).

* 14 March, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Destroyer Cotten (DD-669) and Dortch (DD-670) sink Japanese guardboats Futa Maru and No.17 Kaiko Maru off the Bonins, 30ś58'N, 144ś54'E.

PVs (VPB 151) begin operating from Iwo Jim's Motoyama Airfield No.1, thus bringing Japanese guardboats operating off the home islands within range of rocket-firing planes.

Submarine Bream (SS-243) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Keihin Maru, 05ś41'S, 114ś03'E.

Submarine Rock (SS-274) lands supplies on Lombok Island N.E.I.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese guardboat Kaiko Maru off Inubosaki, 35ś40'N, 141ś00'E.

British submarine HMS Spirit sinks Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel Ryuho Maru off Massalambo Island 05ś34'S, 114ś26'E.

USAAF B-24 on antishipping sweep off south China coast sinks Japanese army ship No.3 Taisei Maru, 03ś35'N, 112ś10'E.

USAAF B-29s (274 strong) pound Osaka; Japanese merchant cargo ships Shiraume Maru and Shirogane Maru are sunk in the fire bomb raid that lays waste to the heart of the city.

USAAF B-24s damage Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 235 off Mako, Pescadores.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Yatsushiro Maru is damaged by aircraft, south of Wenchow, China.

Attacks against Japanese convoy KAI-311 continue, and USAAF B-24s and B-25s sink small cargo vessel No.15 Gokoku Maru off south China coast.

USAAF B-24 sinks small Japanese cargo vessel No.3 Taisei Maru off Hong Kong.

Navy aircraft sink small Japanese cargo vessel No.1 Taiki Maru and damage guardboat No.1 Shinya Maru, 27ś10', 132ś09'E.

Coastal yacht Amethyst (AMc-3) is damaged in collision with U.S. merchantman Platte Park 150 miles northwest of San Francisco.

* 15 March, Thursday 1945
Pacific
On Iwo Jima, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class Francis J. Pierce, assigned to a marine rifle battalion, is leading a stretcher party to a forward aid station when the group comes under heavy Japanese rifle and machine gun fire that wounds the other corpsman and two of eight stretcher bearers. Pierce takes charge, carries the newly wounded men to shelter and treats them before he draws his pistol and engages the enemy, covering the litter bearers while they carry three wounded leathernecks fo safety. After treating a hemorrhaging casualty who is hit again while the corpsman is taking care of him, Pierce expends the last of his ammunition and kills the enemy soldier who fired on them. Pierce, although exhausted and out of ammmunition, makes two trips carrying wounded marines 200 yards over fire- swept terrain (see 16 March).

TF 92 (Rear Admiral John L. McCrea), consisting of light cruisers Richmond (CL-9), Concord (CL-10) and Trenton (CL-11) and seven destroyers, bombards Japanese installations on Matsuwa, Kurils.

Submarine Bream (SS-243) is damaged by depth charges off North Borneo, 05ś36'N, 114ś33'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese convoy YUMO-01, which had departed Hong Kong the day before, but while the attack upon cargo ship Tatsumiya Maru proves unsuccessful, the Liberators damage one of the escorts, Coast Defense Vessel No.36, 23ś03'N, 116ś52'E.

USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese auxiliary powered sailing vessel Hoseki Maru in Tonkin Gulf, 18ś34'N, 108ś37'E.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 21 is damaged by marine casualty off the south end of Namoa Island.

Japanese netlayer Wakamiya Maru is damaged by marine casualty off Keelung, Formosa.

Mediterranean
Destroyer Parker (DD-604) and three British destroyers carry out anti-shipping sweep in the Gulf of Genoa, but encounter no enemy vessels.

Atlantic
Submarine Lancetfish (SS-296) is sunk by accidental improper operation of torpedo tube doors, Boston (Massachusetts) Navy Yard.

* 16 March, Friday 1945
Pacific
Iwo Jima is declared secured. Nevertheless, this day Pharmacist's Mate Second Class Francis J. Pierce, who distinguished himself the previous day, volunteers to accompany a patrol forward. Shot through the left arm, Pierce directs the treatment of a wounded marine and refusing having his own wounds dressed, fires his pistol to draw enemy fire. He remains in that exposed position in the line of fire until the casualty is safely borne away. For his actions this day and the previous one, Pierce is awarded the Medal of Honor.

Transported in medium landing craft (LCM) and one submarine chaser (SC), and supported by gunfire from three destroyers, two LCI(R), three LCS(L) and 2 LCI(M), Army troops (a reinforced company) land on Basilan Island Sulu Archipelago, P.I.

Tank landing ship LST-928 is damaged, by grounding, off Iwo Jima, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.69 sinks while in tow, eight miles off Hong Kong, 22ś00'N, 113ś40'E, as the result of damage inflicted by USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force) on 8 March.

Japanese guardboat No.19 Gokoku Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft, Kikaiga Jima, Japan.

Japanese merchant tanker No.1 Nanryu Maru is sunk by aircraft, 29ś09'N, 122ś01'E.

* 17 March, Saturday 1945
Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boats PT-303 and PT-305 engage two German F-lighters off Point Mesco, Italy; PT-303 is damaged when she is accidentally rammed by PT-305.

Europe
LCVPs (TG 122.5.1) ferry 2,500 army troops across the Rhine River.

Pacific
Submarine Sealion (SS-315) sinks Bangkok-bound Thai oiler Samui off Trengganu coast, 05ś18'N, 103ś23'E.

Submarine Spot (SS-413) attacks Japanese Keelung-to-Shimonoseki convoy TAMO-49 escorted by escort vessel Ikina, Coast Defense Vessel No. 41 and minesweeper W.17, sinking army cargo vessel Nanking Maru off Yushiyama Island 25ś28'N, 120ś10'E, and damaging cargo ship I komasan Maru, which is beached off Matsu Island 26ś07'N, 119ś57'E, to permit salvage. Spot is damaged, however, by gunfire from one or more of the escorts. Later that day, USAAF B-25s further damage Ikomasan Maru (see 26 March).

PB4Y attacks Japanese convoy TAMO-49, damaging cargo vessel Kitakata Maru, 29ś09'N, 122ś07'E.

U.S. freighter Oliver Kelly, while proceeding through Surigao Strait, is damaged by what is most likely a dud torpedo; Japanese midget submarine activity during this month is recorded from bases on the coast of Cebu.

Japanese transport Ken'Yo Maru is sunk by aircraft, Kagoshima Bay.

Japanese cargo ship Mansei Maru is sunk by USAAF mine in the Yangtze, near Shanghai, 31ś19'N, 121ś42'E.

USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) bomb Kobe, Japan, damaging Japanese submarine I 158 and cargo vessels Enkei Maru and Teika Maru (ex-Cap Varella).

* 18 March, Sunday 1945
Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) planes bomb airfields on southern Kyushu and shipping, attacking convoy KATA-504, escorted by Coast Defense Vessel No.29 and submarine chaser Ch 58, damaging cargo vessel Kiyo Maru and sinking transport Kenyo Maru and tanker No.1 Nansei Maru, and Okinawa-bound auxiliary sailing vessels Kamo Maru and Tenjin Maru off Noma Misaki, 31ś24'N, 130ś07'E. Off Kyushu, Japanese planes bomb carriers Enterprise (CV-6), 30ś50'N, 133ś42'E, and Yorktown (CV-10), 30ś40'N, 133ś49'E, damaging both. Intrepid (CV-11) is crashed by kamikaze and hit by friendly fire, 30ś47'N, 133ś50'E.

TG 78.3 (Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble) lands Army troops (40th Division, less one RCT) on Iloilo, off the southeast coast of Panay, under covering fire of light cruiser Cleveland (CL-55) and three destroyers (TU 74.2.2); the troops encounter only token resistance.

PV-1s (VPB 128), on the basis of reports from Filipino guerillas, bomb two Japanese midget submarines in Davao Gulf.

Tank landing ship LST-635 is damaged by grounding, P.I., 11ś05'N, 125ś05'E.

Submarine Balao (SS-285) sinks Japanese merchant trawler No.2 Daito Maru, 35ś00'N, 123ś51'E.

Submarine Springer (SS-414), attacking Japanese convoy, sinks fast transport T.18 and damages minesweeper W 17 near Mutsure Jima, Ryukyus, 26ś38'N, 127ś12'E.

Submarine Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese army cargo ship No.3 Tsukushi Maru northwest of Okinawa, 28ś05'N, 126ś44'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.43 Yusen Maru 45 miles southwest of Satamisaki Light; planes from carrier Hornet (CV-12) sink merchant vessel No.1 Nansei Maru and damage Tokuho Maru and Asahi Maru in Yamakawa harbor.

Japanese landing ship T.137 is damaged by aircraft, Yaene, Hachijo Jima.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Taiju Maru is sunk by aircraft, off Hime Jima.

Japanese ship Koichi Maru is damaged by aircraft, Amachi harbor, Kochi-Ken.

Atlantic
Destroyer escorts Menges (DE-320), Mosley (DE-321), Pride (DE-323), and Lowe (DE-325) sink German submarine U-866, northwest Atlantic, 43ś18'N, 61ś08'W.

* 19 March, Monday 1945

Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) pounds airfields on Kyushu, and shipping at Kure and Kobe, Honshu, destroying incomplete Japanese submarine I 205 in drydock, and damaging battleships Yamato Hyuga and Haruna; carriers Ikoma, Katsuragi, Ryuho and Amagi; small carrier Hosho; escort carrier Kaiyo; heavy cruiser Tone, light cruiser Oyodo, submarines I 400 and RO 67, auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 229 at Kure; and escort destroyer Kaki at Osaka.

Japanese planes single out carriers for attack: off Shikoku, Wasp (CV-18) is bombed, 32ś16'N, 134ś05'E. while friendly fire hits Essex (CV-9), 32ś10'N, 134ś20'E. On board Franklin (CV-13) damaged off Kyushu, 32ś01'N, 133ś57'E, as the ship is rocked by a succession of explosions, Lieutenant Commander Joseph T. O'Callaghan, ChC, the carrier's Roman Catholic chaplain, ministers to wounded and dying men irregardless of faith or creed, organizes and leads fire-fighting parties, directs the jettisoning of ammunition and the flooding of a magazine, and mans a hose to cool hot, armed bombs rolling on the listing deck. O'Callaghan's courage and fortitude inspires his shipmates. Elsewhere on board, Lieutenant (j.g.) Donald A. Gary calms anxious shipmates trapped in a smoke-filled compartment and after repeated tries through dark, debris-filled passageways manages to find a way to escape. Later, he organizes and leads fire- fighting parties in the blazing inferno of the hangar deck, and then enters number three fireroom to raise steam in one boiler in the face of extreme hazards. O'Callaghan and Gary will be awarded Medals of Honor.

Submarine Balao (SS-285) attacks Japanese convoy MOTA- 43, sinking troopship Hakozaki Maru and damaging transport Tatsuharu Maru off the Yangtze estuary about 90 miles north-northwest of Shanghai, 33ś10'N, 122ś10'E, and sinking merchant fishing vessels No.1 Katsura Maru and 1 Eiho Maru and No.2 Eiho Maru, 34ś40'N, 122ś55'E.

Submarine Bluefish (SS-222) damages Japanese guardboat No.1 Shinya Maru, 31ś35'N, 137ś50'E.

PV-1s (VPB 128) bomb and damage Japanese midget submarine at Cebu; strike is repeated the next day.

Japanese river gunboat Suma is sunk by USAAF mine (laid by 14th Air Force planes on 4 March ), in the Yangtze, 51 miles above Kiangyin, China, 32ś00'N, 120ś00'E. Mine also claims merchant ship Kozan Maru, on the Yangtze below Chinkiang, 32ś05'N, 119ś56'E.

USAAF mine also sinks Japanese merchant tanker Sarawak Maru, repaired after her brush with Besugo (SS-321) on 24 January 1945, 10 miles off Horsburgh Light, Singapore, 01ś25'N, 104ś36'E.

Japanese merchant vessel Mikawasan Maru is sunk by aircraft off Iyo.

Japanese escort destroyer Shinnan is damaged by aircraft, 33ś47'N, 131ś35'E.

Japanese landing ship T.105 is damaged by aircraft, near Ujina.

Japanese merchant vessel Rashu Maru is damaged by aircraft, off Uzaki, Hyogo prefecture.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Teiritsu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś16'N, 13ś03'E.

Europe
U.S. freighter Hadley F. Brown, in convoy TAG 12, is damaged by mine at entrance to Schelde Estuary, 51ś22'N, 02ś53'E. There are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard, and the ship reaches Flushing under tow soon thereafter.

* 20 March, Tuesday 1945
Mediterranean
Destroyer Parker (DD-604) shells German mortar positions, supply dumps, dugouts and buildings on the Franco-Italian border.

Pacific
TF 92 (Captain John M. Worthington) (six destroyers) sorties from Attu to proceed to Paramushiro to bombard Japanese installations in the Suribachi Wan area. Heavy ice, however, will cause a cancellation of the operation.

Off Japan, carrier Enterprise (CV-6) is damaged by friendly fire, 30ś01'N, 134ś30'E, and destroyer Halsey Powell (DD-686) is crashed by kamikaze at 30ś27'N, 134ś28'E. TF 38 planes sink Japanese guardboat No.1 Kochi Maru east of Honshu.

Submarine Blenny (SS-324) attacks Japanese convoy HI-88I off coast of French Indochina, sinking merchant tankers No.21 Nanshin Maru and Hosen Maru, and fishing boat Yamakuni Maru about 40 miles south of Cam Ranh Bay, 11ś18'N, 108ś57'E (see 21 March).

Submarine Devilfish (SS-292) is damaged by suicide plane off Volcano Islands, 25ś36'N, 137ś30'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Perch (SS-313) lands men on east coast of Borneo.

Japanese army ship No.1 Genzan Maru is sunk by aircraft off coast of French Indochina.

USAAF B-25s attack Japanese convoy, sinking store ships Heishin Maru and Fukusei Maru, and damaging torpedo boat Hatsukari off Tungshan, China, 23ś42'N, 137ś15'E.

Japanese Gyoraitei No.219 is damaged by aircraft, Toba, 30ś06'N, 122ś22'E.

Arctic
German submarines attack convoy JW 65 off Kola Inlet; U-995 torpedoes U.S. freighter Horace Bushnell 24 miles east of Kilden Light, 69ś23'N, 35ś17'W. Heavy seas prevent British destroyer HMS Orwell from beaching the crippled ship, but the warship embarks the freighter's survivors (including the entire 27-man Armed Guard). Russian tugs later beach the merchantman, which is subsequently declared a total loss. U-968 torpedoes freighter Thomas Donaldson about five miles off Kilden Island 68ś26'30"N, 33ś44'20"W. British corvettes HMS Bamborough Castle, HMS Oxlip, and HMS Honeysuckle rescue survivors; attempt to tow the ship to safety fails and she sinks a half mile from Kilden Island.

* 21 March, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Japanese make first known operational use of piloted bombs [Baka] in unsuccessful air attack against TF 58.

Patrols land on Guimaras Island across Iloilo Strait from Iloilo, Panay, and find it clear of Japanese troops.

Two U.S. motor torpedo boats, supported by a British destroyer, attack enemy shipping in Sarawak harbor.

Japanese convoy HI-88I comes under attack off coast of French indochina. Submarine Baya (SS-318) sinks auxiliary netlayer Kainan Maru off Cam Ranh Bay, 12ś00'N, 109ś17'E, and although damaged by depth charges, 11ś55'N, 109ś18'E, remains on patrol. USAAF B-25s (Fifth Air Force) sink submarine chaser Ch 33, cable layer Tateishi, and cargo vessels No.1 Motoyama Maru and 2 Fushimi Maru and No.6 Takasago Maru and damage submarine chaser Ch 9 off Nha Trang, 11ś50'N, 109ś18'E. Surviving vessels, the damaged Ch 9 and merchant tanker No.30 Nanshin Maru take refuge at Nha Trang and are assigned to convoy HI-88-J.

Japanese gunboat Okitsu is damaged by U.S. aircraft near Cape Hung Hua.

* 22 March, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Patrols land on Inampulugan Island in Guimaras Strait, and destroy a Japanese mine control station and eliminate the small garrison there.

Japanese aircraft attack American shipping in Lingayen Gulf. During the ensuing antiaircraft barrage, friendly fire damages U.S. freighter Ransom A. Moore; there are, however, no casualties among the merchant crew or the 27-man Armed Guard.

Tank landing ship LST-727 is damaged by grounding off Iwo Jima, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

Submarine Perch (SS-313) sinks Japanese Communication Vessel No. 463 en route to Balikpapan, 01ś03'S, 117ś20'E.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 23 is damaged by mine at mouth of Yangtze River.

Covered lighters YF-724 and YF-725 founder and sink in heavy weather 380 miles off the Farallones.

Europe
German submarines attack Wales-bound convoy TBC 102 and Ghent, Belgium-bound convoy BTC 103. In the former, U-399 torpedoes and sinks U.S. freighter John R. Park, 49ś56'N, 05ś26'W (all hands are rescued by U.S. freighter American Press); in the latter, what is most likely U-1195 torpedoes and sinks freighter James Eagan Lane, 50ś13'N, 04ś14'W. British freighter Monkstone and rescue tug Flaunt rescue the survivors. A skeleton crew (including four Armed Guard sailors) reboard the freighter and rig the ship for towing. Tugs Flaunt and Atlas beach the ship at Whitesand Bay, but James Eagan Lane is ultimately written off as a total loss.

U.S. freighter Charles D. McIver sinks after striking a mine as she leaves Antwerp, Belgium, in convoy ATM 100, 31ś22'35"N, 03ś05'50"W. British motor minesweeper BYMS 2279 rescues one of the four boatloads of survivors; the other three boatloads, rescued by a motor torpedo boat, find safety on board tank landing ship LST-430. Charles D. McIver is later written off as a total loss; there are no casualties among the merchant crew or the 27-man Armed Guard.

* 23 March, Friday 1945
Europe
LCVPs (TG 122.5.1) ferry between 4,000 and 4,500 troops from General George S. Patton's Third Army as it crosses the Rhine at Oppenheim, Germany.

Atlantic
U.S. tanker Oklahoma, bound for Dakar, French West Africa, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-532 in mid-Atlantic, 13ś52'N, 41ś17'W; 36 of the 46-man merchant complement, and 14 of the 26-man Armed Guard die in the resulting conflagration as the ship had been carrying a cargo of high-octane gasoline and kerosene (see 14 April).

Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) begins daily strikes against Japanese shipping and installations in the Okinawa area. TF 58 planes sink army cargo ship Kachosan Maru 25 miles northwest of Okinawa, 30ś23'N, 128ś40'E. Cargo vessel No.19 Yamato Maru is also sunk in these strikes. In addition, TF 58 aircrew also claim sinking one midget submarine and damaging another, and damaging Coast Defense Ship No.29 and submarine chaser Ch 58 off Sotsukozaki.

Destroyer Haggard (DD-555) is damaged when she rams and sinks Japanese submarine RO 41 in the Philippine Sea, 22ś57'N, 132ś19'E.

Submarine Seahorse (SS-304) is damaged by aerial bomb off the Ryukyus, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) attacks Japanese Sasebo-to-Ishigaki convoy SAI-05 in the East China Sea about 120 miles north-northwest of Amami O Shima, sinking transport Doryu Maru, 29ś38'N, 127ś36'E.

Fleet tug Zuni (ATF-95) is damaged by grounding off Iwo Jima, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

USAAF B-24 (5th Air Force) sinks Japanese cargo ship Hokka Go Maru (ex-Chinese Peihua) 110 miles northeast of Wenchow, China, 29ś21'N, 122ś66'E.

USAAF B-24 attacks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.40, 26ś58'N, 120ś29'E, but although the airmen claim damage to their quarry, she in fact escapes undamaged.

Japanese destroyer Kuri is damaged by mine at mouth of Yangtze River.

* 24 March, Saturday 1945
Europe
For the second time, LCVPs (TG 122.5.1) support the Third Army's crossing of the Rhine, ferrying troops at Boppard, Germany, under heavy enemy 20-millimeter fire. Other navy landing craft from TG 122.5.1 ferry troops of the Ninth Army across the Rhine south of Wesel, Germany. Medium landing craft (LCM) are used on the Rhine for the first time in this operation.

Pacific
TF 59 (Vice Admiral Willis A. Lee) bombards Okinawa. Japanese sources list two vessels sunk by naval gunfire on this date, perhaps the victims of the battleship bombardment: Tosan Maru and No.10 Maiko Maru.

USAAF B-24 (possibly a USN PB4Y) attacks nine-ship Japanese Naha-to-Kagoshima convoy KANA-304 (probably rerouted into the East China Sea because of Allied air activity in the Ryukyus), sinking auxiliary minesweeper Seki Maru off Tokara Gunto, 29ś12'N, 125ś13'E. Planes from TG 58.1--carriers Bennington (CV-20) and Hornet (CV-12) and small carriers Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30)--complete the destruction of KANA-304, sinking torpedo boat Tomozuru, Coast Defense Vessel No. 68, auxiliary minesweepers Chitose Maru and No.16 Shonan Maru, army cargo ships Koshu Maru, and merchant cargo ships Soka Maru, Kaijo Maru and No.3 Tsukushi Maru about 200 miles northwest of Okinawa, 28ś25'N, 124ś32'E. The same day, TF 58 planes also sink army cargo ship Seizan Maru and merchantmen Sanko Maru at 29ś15'N, 125ś13'E, and Kobe Maru at 30ś00'N, 126ś30'E.

USAAF B-24s (13th Air Force) sink Japanese cargo ship Koshin Maru off Boeton Island Celebes, 05ś40'S, 122ś49'E.

* 25 March, Sunday 1945
Pacific
TF 54 (Rear Admiral Morton L. Deyo) battleships, cruisers, and destroyers bombard Kerama Retto and southeast coast of Okinawa, Ryukyus; bombardment continues daily. Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Kimberley (DD-521), 26ś02'N, 126ś54'E; light minelayer Robert H. Smith (DM-23), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; high speed transport Gilmer (APD-11), 26ś00'N, 127ś20'E; destroyer escort Sederstrom (DE-31) is damaged in collision with escort carrier Sangamon (CVE-26), 25ś00'N, 130ś00'E; high speed transport Knudsen (APD-101) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26ś12'N, 127ś04'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese auxiliary netlayer Fuji Maru off Tori Jima, Japan, 31ś08'N, 130ś30'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.5 Okinoyama Maru and Chokai Maru near Naha, Okinawa, 26ś13'N, 127ś39'E. Auxiliary submarine chaser Sobun Maru is damaged between Yaku Jima and Amami O Shima.

USAAF B-24s (5th Air Force) sink Japanese Kori Go Maru (ex-Chinese Houlee) in Yangtze estuary near Shanghai, 31ś11'N, 122ś23'E.

* 26 March, Monday 1945
Europe
Navy landing craft unit (TG 122.5.1.) ferries Third Army assault troops across the Rhine at Oberwesel; medium landing craft (LCM) are used for the first time in the Third Army's Rhine-crossing operation.

Pacific
TG 51.1 (Rear Admiral Ingolf N. Kiland) lands Army force on Kerama Retto, Ryukyus, under cover of naval bombardment and carrier aircraft.

TG 78.2 (Captain Albert T. Sprague, Jr.) lands U.S. Army Americal Division (Reinforced) less one RCT, on Talisay Point, Cebu, P.I., covered by TG 74.3 (RearAdmiral Russell S. Berkey), consisting of three light cruisers (including Australian HMAS Hobart) and six destroyers. The landing is made against only slight resistance. U.S. freighter Michael J. Owens Armed Guard gunfire, despite lack of sophisticated fire control equipment, silences Japanese artillery battery on Cebu.

Off Okinawa, destroyer Halligan (DD-584) is sunk by mine, 26ś10'N, 127ś30'E; kamikazes damage battleship Nevada (BB-36), light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80), destroyer Porterfield (DD-682), destroyer escort Foreman (DE-633), high speed minesweeper Dorsey (DMS-1), 26ś20'N, 127ś18'E; destroyers O'Brien (DD-725), 26ś16'N, 127ś26'E, and Callaghan (DD-792), 26ś20'N, 127ś43'E, and minesweeper Skirmish (AM-303), 26ś25'N, 127ś05'E; destroyer Murray (DD-576) is damaged by dive bomber, 26ś20'N, 129ś46'E.

Tank landing craft LCT-1090 is damaged in amphibious operations off Luzon; submarine chaser PC-1133 is damaged by grounding, 10ś13'N, 123ś51'E.

Submarine Balao (SS-285) sinks Japanese army stores ship No.1 Shinto Maru, 35ś18'N, 123ś15'E.

British destroyers annihilate Japanese Port Blair-bound convoy east of Khota Andaman. HMS Saumarez, HMS Volage, HMS Vigilant, and HMS Virago sink submarine chasers Ch 34 and Ch 63; HMS Venus, HMS Verulam and HMS Virago sink transport Risui Maru and supply ship Teshio Maru, 10ś38'N, 94ś42'E. RAF Liberators contribute to Risui Maru's destruction.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Nisui Maru east of Fuku Jima, and cargo ship Daia Maru (previously damaged on 1 March) in Kuji Bay, Ryukyus, 20ś13'N, 127ś16'E.

USAAF B-24s complete destruction of Japanese cargo ship I komasan Maru, previously damaged by submarine Spot (SS-413), then run aground, and bombed by USAAF B-25s on 17 March 1945 off Matsu Island 26ś07'N, 119ś57'E, and sink motor sailships Koun Maru and No.6 Ebisu Maru.

USAAF B-24s (Fifth Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping in Takao harbor, sinking cargo vessels Enoura Maru and Kishu Maru, 22ś37'N, 120ś15'E.

* 27 March, Tuesday 1945
Europe
Navy landing craft (TG 122.5.1) ferry army troops across the Rhine at Mainz, Germany, in the face of "all the fire power at [the Germans'] disposal," ranging from machine guns and small arms to the deadly 88-millimeter weapons.

Pacific
One battalion of army troops (Second Battalion, 151st Infantry, 38th Division), supported by destroyers Conway (DD-507) and Cony (DD-508) and three rocket-equipped motor torpedo boats, lands on Caballo Island near Corregidor, preceded by an air strike.

Operation STARVATION, the USAAF aerial mining campaign (using Navy-provided mines) commences, as 94 B-29s mine the Shimonoseki Straits and the waters of Suo Nada, Japan. This operation and the six that follow are in support of the Okinawa campaign.

High speed transport Newman (APD-59), covering the landings on Cebu, sights and attacks a Japanese midget submarine off Talisay, Cebu. She is given credit for a "possible" submersible sunk.

Off Okinawa, an aircraft operational casualty damages carrier Essex (CV-9), 25ś10'N, 132ś05'E; kamikazes damage light minelayer Adams (DM-27), 26ś17'N, 127ś40'E.

Submarine Trigger (SS-237) sinks Japanese cable layer Odate, 200 miles southwest of Kyushu, 30ś40'N, 127ś50'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese guardboats No.13 Choun Maru and No.27 Yusen Maru and army cargo ship No.28 Suma Maru, Kuchinoerabu Bay, Osumi-Gunto, 30ś30'N, 130ś05'E, and No.12 Myojin Maru, west of Tori Jima, 30ś00'N, 139ś30'E.

British submarine HMS Stygian damages Japanese minelayer Wakatake (previously damaged on 25 March 1945 when she encounters a shoal upon leaving Macassar) in Java Sea, south of Kangean Island. Reaching Surabaya on 1 April 1945, Wakatake performs no more active service.

USAAF B-24s attack six-ship Japanese convoy off Surabaya, damaging submarine chaser Ch 5 by near-misses.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.1 is sunk by mine (laid by RAF planes) near the Deli River, Sumatra, 03ś52'N, 98ś45'E.

* 28 March, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, minesweeper Skylark (AM-63) is sunk by mine, 26ś20'N, 127ś40'E; attack cargo ship Wyandot (AKA-92) is damaged by near-misses of bombs, 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E; medium landing ship LSM-188 is damaged by kamikaze; infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-588 is damaged by assault demolition boat.

Landing craft repair ship Agenor (ARL-3) is damaged in collisions with landing craft off Iwo Jima, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E.

Submarine Blackfin (SS-322) is damaged by depth charges off the southeast coast of French Indochina, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarines and USAAF planes begin attacks on Japanese convoy HI-88-J moving up the coast of French Indochina; submarine Bluegill (SS-242) damages tanker Honan Maru (ex-British War Sirdar) off Cape Varella, 12ś40'N, 109ś30'E; Honan Maru is beached to permit salvage (see 29 March). USAAF B-24 sinks merchant cargo ship Asogawa Maru off Nha Trang, 12ś32'N, 109ś22'E.

Submarine Snook (SS-279) departs Guam for her ninth war patrol; she is contacted by Tigrone (SS-419) on 8 April 1945, but she is never seen again.[8]

Submarine Threadfin (SS-410) sinks Japanese escort vessel Mikura off Kyushu, 31ś45'N, 131ś44'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese fishing boat Nase Maru west of Oniki Cape, southwest coast of Kyushu, 32ś15'N, 29ś55'E.

Submarine Trigger (SS-237) is sunk by Japanese patrol vessel Mikura, Coast Defense Vessel No.33, and Coast Defense Vessel No.59 in Nansei Shoto, 32ś16'N, 132ś05'E.[9]

Floating workshop YR-43, being towed to Kodiak by Army tug LT 373, breaks free from her towline and runs aground two and half miles south of Zaikof Point, Montague Island; rescue tug ATR-68 and Coast Guard lighthouse tender Cedar (WAGL-207) are sent from Kodiak, while tender Bramble (WAGL-392) is dispatched from Seward to assist. Army transport Toloa brings YR-43's crew on board and takes the men to Dutch Harbor.

Planes from carrier Hornet (CV-12) sink Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.33 south of Kyushu, 31ś45'N, 131ś45'E;

USAAF B-24 damages Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.102 and Coast Defense Vessel No.106 (near-misses) off Keelung, Formosa.

USAAF B-24s (Fifth Air Force) sink Japanese army cargo ship Meiho Maru off north coast of Formosa, 25ś00'N, 121ś00'E.

USAAF B-24s (13th Air Force) attack Japanese shipping in the Celebes, sinking minesweeper W.11 off Makassar, 05ś06'S, 119ś14'E, and Patrol Boat No. 108 off Maniang Island 04ś14'S, 121ś28'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 167 and Cha 175 are sunk by aircraft, east of Fukashima.

USAAF B-24 damages Japanese cargo ship Seito Maru off North Laut Island 03ś14'S, 116ś13'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 178 is sunk by mine, 34ś02'N, 130ś54'E; cargo ship Tensei Maru is sunk by mine in Wakamatsu harbor.

* 29 March, Thursday 1945
Pacific
TG 58.1 (Rear Admiral Joseph J. Clark) and TG 58.3 (Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman) attack airfields and Japanese shipping in the Kagoshima Bay area, Kyushu. Carrier-based planes sink auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 200 west of Sata Misaki, 31ś05'N, 130ś39'E, and Chikuto Maru in Kagoshima Bay, and Cha 205, Kuchinoerabu Jima, 30ś30'N, 130ś10'E, as well as cargo vessels No.5 Yusen Maru and 11 Ebisu Maru, Holin Maru, Genyo Maru and 8 Seizan Maru and 17 Koshin Maru and 27 Koan Maru and 32 Koan Maru and Taimokuzan Maru in Yamagawa Harbor; merchant vessel No.3 Yamato Maru is damaged at the latter place.

In an operation associated with the taking of Panay, Army 185th RCT (40th Division), moves from Iloilo to Pulupandan Point, northern Negros, P.I., encountering no opposition.

Submarine and USAAF attacks continue against Japanese convoy HI-88-J; Bluegill (SS-242) further damages tanker Honan Maru off Cape Varella (see 5 April); Hammerhead (SS-264) damages Coast Defense Vessel No. 84 115 miles north of Cape Varella, 14ś44'N, 109ś16'E; USAAF B-25s (Fifth Air Force) sink Coast Defense Vessel No.18, Coast Defense Vessel No.130 and cargo ship Kaiko Maru, 15ś10'N, 109ś26'E. Later the same day, PBMs further damage Coast Defense Vessel No. 134 south of Hainan.

USAAF B-24 damages Japanese hospital ship Kazura Maru off coast of French Indochina, 15ś05'N, 109ś23'E.

USAAF B-24s (Fifth Air Force) sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 156, Cha 189, Cha 192, and merchant tanker Iwakuni Maru in Takao harbor, 22ś40'N, 120ś15'E.

Japanese auxiliary patrol vessel Pa No.173 is sunk by mine, Wakamatsu, Japan.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 9 is damaged by aircraft, 15ś10'N, 109ś26'E.

Japanese submarine I 47 (equipped with Kaitens) is damaged by 5th Fleet surface ships/craft off Okinawa and forced to return to Kure for repairs.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter O.B. Martin, in convoy UGS 80, is damaged by depth charge explosions 25 miles west of Gibraltar; there are no casualties to either the merchant crew, passengers, or the 29-man Armed Guard.

* 30 March, Friday 1945
Europe
Over 1,250 USAAF heavy bombers (Eighth Air Force) hit U-boat yards and port facilities in Germany, sinking submarines U-96, U-429, and U-3508 at Wilhelmshaven; U-72, U-329, U-430, U-870, U-884, and U-886 at Bremen; and U-2340, U-348, U-350, and U-1167 at Hamburg.

Pacific
Eighty-seven USAAF B-29s mine the Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Kure, Hiroshima, and Sasebo, Japan.

Heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) is damaged by kamikaze off Okinawa, 26ś25'N, 127ś30'E.

High speed transport Roper (APD-20) is damaged in collision with attack transport Arthur Middleton (APA-25), Philippine Sea, 20ś57'N, 132ś05'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese guardboat Eikichi Maru off Kagoshima, Japan, 31ś11'N, 130ś09'E.

Attacks against Japanese convoy HI-88-J continue: USAAF B-25s sink auxiliary submarine chaser Shinan Maru and damage Coast Defense Vessel No.26 off Yulin, Hainan Island 18ś09'N, 109ś42'E.

Japanese submarine I 53 is damaged by mine, Suwo-Nada.

* 31 March, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, heavy cruiser Pensacola (CA-24) is damaged in collision with tank landing ship LST-277, 26ś10'N, 127ś19'E; kamikazes damage light minelayer Adams (DM-27), 26ś12'N, 127ś08'E; attack transport Hinsdale (APA-120), 25ś54'N, 127ś49'E; and tank landing ships LST-724 and LST-884, 25ś59'N, 127ś50'E.

Small seaplane tender Coos Bay (AVP-25) is damaged when rammed accidentally by U.S. merchant ship Matagorda, central Pacific, 12ś07'N, 156ś27'E.

U.S. freighter John C. Fremont is damaged by mine south of Pier 7, Manila Bay; there are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

Destroyers Morrison (DD-560) and Stockton (DD-646) sink Japanese submarine I 8, 65 miles southeast of Okinawa, 25ś29'N, 128ś35'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 233 is sunk by aircraft, 32ś19'N, 129ś50'E.

USAAF B-24s attack Japanese convoy off Makassar, sinking small cargo vessels No.3 Hainan Maru, Kanho Maru, Manko Maru, and Nanho Maru and damaging Oshima Maru; attack convoy BASU-05 in Makassar Straits off Balikpapan, damaging submarine chaser Ch 5.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese convoy in harbor at Keelung, damaging hospital ship Baikal Maru, cargo vessels Nikko Maru and No.3 Yamato Maru, and motor sailship No.47 Suma Maru.

Mines damage Japanese destroyer Hibiki off Hime Jima and escort destroyer Inagi off Hesaki.

During March 1945 (exact dates indeterminate) carfloats YCF-23 YCF-29, YCF-36, and YCF-37 break up in heavy seas while under tow en route to Eniwetok, Marshall Islands.

April

* 1 April, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Marines and Army troops land on Okinawa, Ryukyus, under cover of heavy naval gunfire and aircraft, in Operation ICEBERG. The operation is under the overall command of Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet. Vice Admiral Richmond K. Turner commands the Joint Expeditionary Force; the troops are commanded by Lieutenant General Simon B. Buckner, USA. Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage battleship West Virginia (BB-48), 26ś20'N, 127ś40'E; attack transports Hinsdale (APA-120) and Alpine (APA-92), 26ś20'N, 127ś41'E, and tank landing ship LST-884; battleship Tennessee (BB-43) is damaged by shell fragments (possibly friendly fire); Japanese dive bombers damage destroyer Prichett (DD-561), 26ś38'N, 127ś25'E, and minesweeper Skirmish (AM-303), 26ś33'N, 127ś33'E; horizontal bomber damages attack transport Elmore (APA-42), 26ś20'N, 127ś41'E; destroyer escort Vammen (DE-644) is damaged by explosion of undetermined origin (possibly depth charge dropped by Japanese assault demolition boat), 26ś18'N, 127ś29'E. Infantry landing craft (mortar) LCI(M)-807 is damaged by own mortar explosion; medium landing ship LSM-192 by operational casualty. British ships are not immune from the breath of the "divine wind" as a kamikaze damages British fleet carrier HMS Indefatigable; destroyer HMS Ulster is damaged by bomb.

In the third of six mine drops carried out in support of ICEBERG, six USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Kure, Japan. Mines sink merchant cargo ship Karikawa Maru off Tsushima, and damage escort vessel Inagi southeast of Hesaki, and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 226 in Kii Channel, Japan, 30ś04'N, 130ś54'E.

Army troops (158th RCT) are landed near Legaspi, southern Luzon, under cover of naval gunfire and USAAF aircraft. After the troops encounter only token opposition at the beaches, considerable opposition develops inland.

Submarine Queenfish (SS-393) inadvertantly sinks Japanese relief ship Awa Maru in Formosa Straits, 25ś25'N, 120ś07'E. Awa Maru, a cartel ship, is carrying Red Cross supplies earmarked for distribution to Allied POWs in Singapore. Guaranteed safe conduct by the U.S. government, Awa Maru is properly marked and lighted, but Queenfish's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Charles E. Loughlin, does not discern the markings in the foggy weather in which his boat encounters the enemy vessel. Loughlin is relieved of his command for the mistake, and is court-martialed.

B-24s (Far East Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping at Keelung, irreparably damaging Taiga Maru.

* 2 April, Monday 1945
Pacific
Preceded by USMC air strikes (First Marine Aircraft Wing), Army 163rd RCT (Reinforced) of the 41st Division, supported by three destroyers, land on Sanga Sanga, Sulu Archipelago, P.I., without encountering any resistance. Filipino guerrillas had cleared the island the month before.

Ten USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Kure and Hiroshima, Japan.

Off Okinawa, destroyer Franks (DD-554) is damaged in collision with battleship New Jersey (BB-62), 25ś49'N, 130ś01'E; destroyer Prichett (DD-561), by bomb, 27ś17'N, 127ś51'E; destroyer Borie (DD-704), by collision with carrier Essex (CV-9), 23ś36'N, 131ś40'E; and destroyer escort Foreman (DE-633), by bomb, 26ś10'N, 127ś11'E. Kamikazes damage attack transports Henrico (APA-45), 25ś59'N, 127ś17'E, and Goodhue (APA-107) and Telfair (APA-210), 25ś56'N, 127ś17'E; attack cargo ships Achernar (AKA-53), 26ś07'N, 127ś45'E, and Tyrrell (AKA-80), 26ś21'N, 127ś45'E; and high speed transport Dickerson (APD-21). Attack transport Chilton (APA-38) is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze, 25ś59'N, 127ś17'E; attack cargo ship Lacerta (AKA-29) is damaged by friendly fire, 26ś21'N, 127ś43'E.

TG 58.4 planes sink Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.186, fast transport T.17, and landing ship T.145, and damage submarine chaser Ch 49 and landing ship T.146, near Amami-Oshima, 28ś07'N, 129ś09'E

Destroyer Shaw (DD-373) is damaged by grounding, Leyte, P.I., 09ś36'N, 123ś53'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) lays mines off Cape Camau, French Indochina.

Submarine Sea Devil (SS-400) attacks Japanese convoy TAMO-51 in the central Yellow Sea, sinking auxiliary vessel Edogawa Maru, army cargo ship Nisshin Maru, and merchant cargo ship Daijo Maru, 34ś18'N, 124ś04'E, and damaging merchant cargo ship Yamaji Maru, 34ś02'N, 124ś00'E.

British submarine HMS Stygian sinks Japanese coaster south of Kangean Island 07ś02'S, 115ś32'E.

USAAF P-51s damage Japanese river gunboat Katata at Shanghai.

USAAF aircraft sink small Japanese cargo vessel No.1 Taisei Maru off Cape St. Jacques, French Indochina, 10ś10'N, 106ś35'E.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping at Hong Kong, sinking merchant cargo ship Yokai Maru.

* 3 April, Tuesday 1945
Europe Over 700 USAAF heavy bombers attack U-boat yards at Kiel, Germany, destroying submarines U-1221, U-2542, and U-3505.

Pacific
Nine USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Kure and Hiroshima, Japan.

Off Okinawa, escort carrier Wake Island (CVE-65) is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze, 26ś05'N, 128ś57'E, as is high speed minesweeper Hambleton (DMS-20), 27ś00'N, 127ś00'E; a kamikaze damages tank landing ship LST-599, 26ś10'N, 127ś16'E; tank landing ship LST-554 is damaged by storm, 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E.

Motor minesweeper YMS-71 is sunk by mine off Sanga Sanga, 04ś59'N, 119ś47'E.

TF 58 planes sink Japanese guardboat No.1 Taijin Maru and damage guardboat No.2 Hosei Maru southeast of Japan, 30ś00'N, 137ś30'E; and sink cargo ship Imari Maru off southwestern Kyushu, 33ś45'N, 129ś42'E. Coast Defense Vessel No.32 is damaged at 31ś51'N, 124ś47'E.

USAAF B-24s (Far East Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping in Hong Kong harbor, sinking cargo vessels Heikai Maru and Shozan Maru, and damaging escort vessel Manju, 22ś17'N, 114ś10'E.

USN land-based planes sink Japanese tanker No.30 Nanshin Maru (the only surviving ship of the ill-starred convoy HI-88-I) (see 20-21 March) in Nha Trang Bay, French Indochina, 12ś15'N, 109ś10'E.

* 4 April, Wednesday 1945
Europe USAAF heavy bombers (939 strong) pound airfields and landing grounds in northern Germany, as well as munitions plant near Ulzen. U-boat yards at Hamburg andKiel are also bombed, resulting in the destruction of submarines U-237, U-749, and U-3003.

Pacific
Off Okinawa, high speed transport Dickerson (APD-21), irreparably damaged by kamikaze on 2 April 1945, is towed out to sea and scuttled by salvage crew off Kerama Retto; infantry landing craft LCI-82 is sunk by assault demolition boat; destroyer Norman Scott (DD-690) is damaged in collision with oiler Cimarron (AO-22), 23ś46'N, 129ś25'E; kamikaze damages destroyer Wilson (DD-408) off southern end of Kerama Retto; destroyer Sproston (DD-577) is damaged by near-miss by bomb, 26ś30'N, 127ś30'E. Oiler Cowanesque (AO-79) is damaged in storm; medium landing ship LSM-12 founders in heavy weather. Groundings account for damage to tank landing ships LST-70, LST-624, LST-675, and LST-756, 26ś21'N, 127ś45'E; LST-166, LST-689, and LST-736, 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E; LST-343, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; LST-570, 26ś21'N, 127ś44'E, and LST-781, 26ś23'N, 127ś44'E. Tank landing ship LST-399 is damaged in collision with salvage vessel Gear (ARS-34), 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E.

Japanese escort vessel Mokuto is sunk by USAAF mine laid by B-29 (20th Bomber Command) in Shimonoseki Strait, 33ś53'N, 131ś03'E. Japanese merchant cargo ship Hozan Maru is sunk by mine, 33ś45'N, 131ś44'E. Submarines RO 64, 34ś14'N, 132ś16'E, and RO 67, 34ś00'N, 133ś00'E, are damaged by USAAF B-29-sown mines in the Inland Sea.[10]

Japanese guardboat No.12 Kotoshiro Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft off Torishima, 30ś00'N, 140ś00'E.

USAAF B-24s (Far East Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping at Mako, Pescadores, sinking merchant tanker No.2 Kinyu Maru and cargo vessel Horei Maru, 23ś32'N, 119ś34'E.

Japanese ship No.1 Manyu Maru is sunk by aircraft off Tajin Island.

Japanese hospital ship Arimasan Maru is damaged by mine, while en route to Singapore.

British submarine HMS Spark attacks Japanese light cruiser Isuzu without success, in the Flores Sea (see 5-7 April).

* 5 April, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Naval Advanced Air Base, Iwo Jima, is established.

In Japan, the cabinet of Premier Koiso Kuniaki resigns; Admiral Suzuki Kantaro becomes Prime Minister.

Submarine Besugo (SS-321) twice attacks Japanese light cruiser Isuzu in the Flores Sea (see 6-7 April).

Boarding party from submarine Bluegill (SS-242) completes destruction of beached and abandoned fleet tanker Honan Maru (see 28 March) with demolition charges and incendiaries, near Nha Trang, French Indochina.

Off Okinawa, battleship Nevada (BB-36) is damaged by shore battery, 26ś13'N, 127ś40'E; a dud aerial torpedo damages light minelayer Harry F. Bauer (DM-26), 26ś30'N, 127ś30'E. Collisions account for damage to seaplane tender (destroyer) Thornton (AVD-11) and oiler Escalante (AO-70), 24ś24'N, 128ś58'E; landing craft repair ship Agenor (ARL-3) and tank landing ship LST-646, 24ś46'N, 141ś19'E; tank landing ships LST-273 and LST-810, 26ś25'N, 127ś42'E; tank landing ship LST-923 (with tank landing ship LST-20); tank landing ship LST-940 [with attack cargo ship Diphda (AKA-59)], 26ś21'N, 127ś43'E; and tank landing ship LST-1000 (with tank landing ship LST-20), 26ś21'N, 127ś44'E; tank landing ship LST-698 is damaged by grounding, 26ś24'N, 127ś45'E.

U.S. shore battery sinks Japanese auxiliary minelayer No.2 Shinto Maru and damages auxiliary minelayer Taian Maru in Naha Harbor, Okinawa, 26ś30'N, 128ś00'E.

Destroyer Hudson (DD-475) sinks Japanese submarine RO 41 west of Okinawa, near Kerama Retto, 26ś22'N, 126ś30'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) attacks unescorted Japanese convoy SASI-45, damaging cargo ship Araosan Maru in the Gulf of Siam, 09ś37'N, 102ś48'E (see 6 April).

PBMs attack Japanese convoy, sinking merchant cargo ship No.2 Tokai Maru in Pinghai Wan, 22ś45'N, 116ś10'E; USAAF B-24s, B-26s, and P-38s (5th Air Force) attack same convoy, sinking cargo ship Kine Maru, 22ś24'N, 115ś28'E.

USAAF B-24s (Far East Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping at Hong Kong, damaging Coast Defense Vessel No.52 and Coast Defense Vessel No.1, submarine chasers Ch 9 andCh 20, 22ś45'N, 116ś10'E, and fleet oiler Kamoi.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.13 Nichinan Maru two miles southeast of Hesaki Light, 33ś58'N, 131ś02'E,. Cargo ship Iki Maru is damaged by mine, 33ś54'N, 130ś53'E.

Japanese cargo ship Jozan Maru is damaged by mine, 01ś23'N, 104ś01'E.

Atlantic
U.S. tanker Atlantic States is torpedoed by German submarine U-857 off Cape Cod, 42ś07'N, 70ś00'42"W; there are no casualties to either the merchant crew or the 12-man Armed Guard. Auxiliary Guinevere (IX-67) rescues the crew (with the exception of five men, including the Armed Guard officer, who remain on board to keep the ship trimmed) while destroyer escort Richard S. Bull (DE-402) stands by to render assistance. Later, old tug Wandank (ATO-26), assisted by rescue tugs ATR-14 and ATR-89, tow the damaged ship to Boston where she is repaired.

* 6 April, Friday 1945
Pacific
Japanese kamikaze onslaught against U.S. ships off Okinawa begins: destroyer Bush (DD-529) is sunk, 27ś16'N, 127ś48'E; four kamikazes irreparably damage destroyer Colhoun (DD-801), 27ś16'N, 127ś48'E, which is then scuttled by destroyer Cassin Young (DD-793). High speed minesweeper Emmons (DMS-22) is damaged by five suiciders, 26ś48'N, 128ś04'E; destroyer Mullany (DD-528) is damaged by two, 26ś24'N, 128ś10'E; as is destroyer escort Witter (DE-636), 26ś04'N, 127ś52'E. Other kamikazes damage destroyers Morris (DD-417), 25ś55'N, 127ś52'E [while high speed transport Daniel T. Griffin (APD-38) is damaged by collision with Morris as she fights fires alongside] 25ś57'N, 127ś57'E, Leutze (DD-481) and Newcomb (DD-586), 26ś38'N, 127ś28'E; Howorth (DD-592), 26ś32'N, 127ś40'; Haynesworth (DD-700), 26ś55'N, 129ś29'E; minesweepers Facility (AM-233), 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E; Defense (AM-317), 26ś38'N, 127ś31'E; and Devastator (AM-318), 26ś26'N, 127ś40'E; destroyer escort Fieberling (DE-640), high speed minesweeper Rodman (DMS-21), and minesweeper Ransom (AM-283), 26ś48'N, 128ś04'E; motor minesweepers YMS-311, 26ś38'N, 127ś48'E, and YMS-321, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; and tank landing ship LST-447, 26ś09'N, 127ś18'E. Near-misses by kamikazes damage small carrier San Jacinto (CVL-30), 26ś46'N, 129ś43'E, and destroyer Harrison (DD-573), 27ś05'N, 129ś22'E. Destroyer Hyman (DD-732) is damaged by kamikaze and torpedo, 26ś45'N, 27ś42'E; destroyer Taussig (DD-746) is damaged by near-miss of bombs, 27ś07'N, 128ś39'E; high speed minesweeper Harding (DMS-28) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E. Friendly fire accounts for damage to battleship North Carolina (BB-55), 26ś41'N, 129ś32'E; light cruiser Pasadena (CL-65), 27ś00'N, 129ś00'E; destroyer Hutchins (DD-476) [from destroyer Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663)], 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; attack transport Barnett (APA-5) and attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60), 26ś21'N, 127ś43'E; attack transport Audrain (APA-59), 26ś22'N, 127ś43'E; tank landing ships LST-241, 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E, and LST-1000, 26ś21'N, 127ś44'E; and submarine chaser PCS-1390, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E. U.S. freighter Logan Victory, carrying 7,000 tons of ammunition, is irreparably damaged by kamikaze off Kerama Retto, 26ś10'N, 127ś16'E. Survivors are rescued by minesweeper Strategy (AM-308) and small craft; 3 (including its commander) of the 42-man Armed Guard are killed. The burning merchantman is then scuttled. U.S. freighter Hobbs Victory, also carrying ammunition, is attacked by two kamikazes northwest of Kerama Retto. Armed Guard gunners shoot down one and damage the second, but the latter manages to crash the freighter and start uncontrollable fires that lead to her abandonment, 26ś05'N, 125ś14'E. Minesweeper Success (AM-310) rescues survivors, transferring them later to attack transport Gosper (APA-170). Hobbs Victory explodes and sinks the following morning.

Submarine Besugo (SS-321) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.12 in Saeku Strait, N.E.I., 08ś13'S, 119ś14'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) again attacks unescorted Japanese convoy SASI-45, sinking merchant cargo ship Araosan Maru in Gulf of Siam, 09ś37'N, 102ś48'E

USAAF B-25s on China coast shipping strike attack Japanese convoy HOMO-03, sinking Coast Defense Vessel No.1 and Coast Defense Vessel No.134 south-southwest of Amoy, 23ś55'N, 117ś40'E, and irreparably damaging destroyer Amatsukaze five miles east of Amoy, 24ś30'N, 118ś10'E; while Amatsukaze's crew manages to beach the ship at the entrance to Amoy harbor, she will perform no more wartime service.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Koun Maru in Yangtze near Chinkiang, Kabuto Maru at 32ś02'N, 119ś59'E, and (laid by USAAF planes on 4 March) Hsing Yun Maru in Yangtze, near Chinkiang, 32ś05'N, 119ś56'E. Japanese merchant cargo ship Fushimi Maru is sunk by USAAF mine in Shimonoseki Straits, 33ś59'N, 130ś52'E.

Dutch Mitchells (which claim two hits) and RAAF Liberators (which claim many near misses) attack Japanese light cruiser Isuzu off Flores, N.E.I. (see 7 April).

Mediterranean
Fleet tug Moreno (ATF-87) is damaged by striking submerged object off Palermo, Sicily.

Atlantic
Fishing boat Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer unwittingly snags depth charge in its net about nine miles south-southeast of Block Island; as the charge is being raised to the surface it explodes, sinking the craft and killing three of the four-man crew. Fishing boat Mandalay rescues the sole survivor.

* 7 April, Saturday 1945
Atlantic
Destroyer escort Gustafson (DE-182) sinks German submarine U-857 off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 42ś22'N, 69ś46'W.

U.S. freighter James W. Nesmith is torpedoed by German submarine U-1024 off Holyhead, England 53ś23'N, 04ś53'W; Canadian corvette HMCS Belleville tows the ship to safety, beaching her off Holyhead the next evening. There are no casualties to either the merchant complement or the 41-man Armed Guard; the ship is later repaired and returned to service.

Pacific
TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) attacks Japanese First Diversion Attack Force, formed around battleship Yamato, moving through East China Sea toward Okinawa. TF 58 planes (numbering 386) sink Yamato and light cruiser Yahagi west-southwest of Kagoshima, Japan, 30ś40'N, 128ś03'E; destroyers Asashimo in East China Sea, 31ś00'N, 128ś00'E, Hamakaze and Isokaze 150 miles southwest of Nagasaki, 30ś40'N, 128ś03'E, and Kasumi in East China Sea, 30ś57'N, 127ś57'E, and damage destroyers Suzutsuki Hatsushimo, Yukikaze, and Fuyuzuki in East China Sea, 30ś40'N, 128ś03'E.11

Off Okinawa, high speed minesweeper Emmons (DMS-22), irreparably damaged by five kamikazes the previous day, is scuttled by high speed minesweeper Ellyson (DMS-19); tank landing ship LST-447 sinks as the result of damage inflicted by kamikaze the previous day, 26ś09'N, 127ś18'E. Motor gunboat PGM-18 is sunk by mine, 26ś13'N, 127ś55'E; while picking up PGM-18's survivors, motor minesweeper YMS-103 is damaged by mine, 26ś13'N, 127ś54'E.

Also off Okinawa, kamikazes damage carrier Hancock (CV-19), 27ś00'N, 130ś00'E; battleship Maryland (BB-46), 26ś40'N, 127ś29'E; destroyers Longshaw (DD-559), 26ś29'N, 127ś41'E, and Bennett (DD-473), 27ś16'N, 127ś48'E; destroyer escort Wesson (DE-184), 26ś48'N, 127ś55'E; and motor minesweeper YMS-81, 26ś35'N, 127ś53'E; shore battery damages motor minesweeper YMS-427, 26ś14'N, 127ś52'E; tank landing ship LST-698 is damaged by grounding, 26ś24'N, 127ś45'E; tank landing ship LST-890 is damaged in collision with LST-788, 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E.

Submarines Gabilan (SS-252) and Charr (SS-328) sink Japanese light cruiser Isuzu, transporting troops from Koepang, Timor, to Surabaya, off Soembawa Island Celebes, N.E.I., 07ś38'S, 118ś09'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Tama Maru 10 miles east of Shokokusanto, southwest of Korea, 34ś35'N, 125ś20'E.

Japanese fleet tanker Kamoi is sunk by aircraft, Hong Kong.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hatsukari Maru off Wakamatsu harbor, 33ś55'N, 130ś50'E.

Mine damages Japanese naval auxiliary Shinto Maru below Woosung, China.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.43 Hino Maru is damaged by aircraft, south end of Hirato Jima, near Kyushu, Japan.

* 8 April, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, destroyer Charles J. Badger (DD-657) is damaged by assault demolition boat, 26ś18'N, 127ś39'E; destroyer Gregory (DD-802) is damaged by kamikaze, 27ś07'N, 128ś39'E; motor minesweeper YMS-92 is damaged by mine, 26ś12'N, 127ś53'E; tank landing ship LST-939 is damaged in collision with tank landing ship LST-268, 26ś22'N, 127ś44'E; tank landing ship LST-940 is damaged by grounding, 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E.

British submarine HMS Stygian unsuccessfully attacks Japanese cargo vessel Enoshima Maru, 06ś30'S, 113ś08'E.

USAAF B-24 (13th Air Force) attacks Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers southeast of the Celebes, sinking Cha 101 and damaging Cha 72, 04ś43'S, 122ś17'E.

Mines (laid by USAAF planes) sink Japanese cargo ship No.12 Tamon Maru in Yangtze, near Shanghai, 31ś16'N, 121ś45'E, and damages escort destroyer Habushi ten miles below Woosung.

* 9 April, Monday 1945
Pacific
U.S. Army troops (163rd RCT) supported by three destroyers and USMC planes, land on Jolo, Sulu Archipelago, P.I. The Japanese garrison withdraws into the hills.

Twenty USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits.

Off Okinawa, escort carrier Chenango (CVE-28) is damaged by crash of F6F (VF 25) on flight deck; kamikaze damages destroyer Sterett (DD-407), 26ś47'N, 128ś42'E; destroyer Porterfield (DD-682) is damaged by friendly fire, 26ś34'N, 128ś28'E; high speed transport Hopping (APD-51) is damaged by shore battery, 26ś15'N, 127ś55'E, as is tank landing ship LST-557, 26ś14'N, 127ś57'E; attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67) is damaged by premature explosion of assault demolition boat, 26ś20'N, 127ś44'E.

Destroyers Mertz (DD-691) and Monssen (DD-798) sink Japanese submarine RO 56, 45 miles east of Okinawa, 26ś09'N, 130ś21'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.3 as she is escorting transport (ex-armed merchant cruiser) Ukishima Maru northeast of Sendai, 39ś07'N, 141ś57'E. Later, Sunfish (SS-281) attacks Ukishima Maru at the entrance to Yamada Bay, 39ś30'N, 142ś05'E. Although Sunfish claims damage, Ukishima Maru reaches port unscathed.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) damages Japanese merchant cargo ship Ritsu Maru off west coast of Korea, 37ś21'N, 125ś08'E. Ritsu Maru attempts to run aground to facilitate salvage, but sinks before she can accomplish her goal.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) attacks Japanese convoy TAMO-53 in Yellow Sea, sinking army tanker Nikko Maru and damaging Coast Defense Vessel No.102, 36ś50'N,123ś55'E; transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kiyokawa Maru evades Tirante and ultimately tows the damaged Coast Defense Vessel No.102 to safety.

USN land-based aircraft attack Japanese shipping in Kwangchow Bay, China, sinking cargo vessel Minko Maru, 21ś26'N, 111ś20'E.

Mines damage Japanese training ship (ex-armored cruiser) Izumo and fast transport T.19 off Okurokami Island.

Europe
U.S. freighter Solomon Juneau, bound for Cherbourg, France, in convoy TBC 123, is torpedoed by German midget submarine off Dungeness, England 50ś53'15"N, 01ś03'45"E. Of the 41-man Armed Guard, one man is blown overboard and lost; a second dies of injuries. None of the 41-man merchant complement are casualties, and the ship is towed to safety.

* 10 April, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
U.S. Army 27th Division, supported by Eastern Island Attack and Fire Support Group and carrier aircraft, land on Tsuken Shima off east coast of Okinawa, to begin the search for isolated pockets of Japanese troops.

Off Okinawa, destroyer Porterfield (DD-682) is damaged by own gunfire; submarine chaser SC-667 is damaged by grounding, 26ś11'N, 127ś57'E; motor minesweeper YMS-96 is damaged in collision with high speed minesweeper Hambleton, 26ś03'N, 127ś48'E.

Submarine Crevalle (SS-291) damages Japanese escort destroyer Ikuna southwest of Iki Island 33ś38'N, 129ś13'E.

Dutch submarine O-19 sinks Japanese merchant tanker Hosei Maru as the enemy ship proceeds from Balikpapan to Batavia, 05ś30'S, 106ś40'E.

Japanese merchant cargo vessel Maruko Maru is sunk by mine (laid by USAAF B-29s on 4 and 28 March) in Yangtze, 31ś15'N, 121ś29'E. Mines also damage Japanese destroyer Tsubaki, 58 miles off Woosung, China; gunboat Uji and transport Kotobuki Maru (ex-Italian liner Conte Verde); Coast Defense Vessel No.124 near Futaoi-Jima; Coast Defense Vessel No.156 off Mutsure Light; and minesweeper W.21 east of the mouth of the Yangtze.

* 11 April, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Kamikazes damage battleship Missouri (BB-63) and destroyers Bullard (DD-660) and Kidd (DD-661), 26ś00'N, 130ś00'E; carrier Enterprise (CV-6) (near-miss of two suiciders), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; and destroyer escort Samuel S. Miles (DE-183), 26ś12'N, 127ś20'E; carrier Essex (CV-9) is damaged by bomb, 26ś50'N, 130ś30'E; destroyer Hale (DD-642) is damaged by bomb, 26ś00'N, 120ś00'E; strafing accounts for damage to destroyer Hank (DD-702), 27ś00'N, 130ś00'E, and destroyer escort Manlove (DE-36), 26ś12'N, 127ś20'E; attack transport Berrien (APA-62) is damaged by collision with tank landing ship LST-808, 26ś22'N, 127ś43'E; friendly fire accounts for damage to destroyer Trathen (DD-530), 27ś13'N, 130ś15'E, and attack cargo ship Leo (AKA-60), 26ś21'N, 127ś43'E; tank landing ship LST-399 is damaged by grounding, 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Togo Maru off Todogasaki, 38ś53'N, 142ś05'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.17 Hinode Maru off Tokckok-Kundo, 37ś13'N, 125ś11'E.

RAF Liberators (203 Squadron) sink Japanese submarine chaser Ch 7 and auxiliary netlayer Agata Maru in Andaman Sea, 08ś57'N, 93ś38'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 215 is sunk by mine off Futaoi-Jima, Shimonoseki.

Andaman Sea
RAF Liberators (No. 203 Squadron) sink Japanese submarine chae Ch 7 and auxiliary netlayer Agata Mary, 08ś57'N, 93ś38'E.

Europe
U.S. freighter Morgantown Victory, in convoy VWP 21, strays from swept channel 11 miles off Le Havre, France, 49ś46'N, 00ś21'E, and is damaged by mine. She is towed to safety; there are no fatalities among the ship's complement (including 14 Armed Guard sailors).

* 12 April, Thu.
United States President Roosevelt dies in Warm Springs, Georgia; Vice President Harry S. Truman succeeds to the Presidency.

Europe
Off Plymouth, England tank landing ship LST-493 sinks after running aground, 50ś20'N, 04ś09'W.

U.S. freighter Will Rogers, bound for Antwerp, Belgium, in convoy BB 80, is torpedoed by German submarine U-1024 30 miles southwest of Holyhead, England 53ś45'N, 04ś44'W. Beached off that place under her own power, the ship is repaired and returned to active service, and suffers no casualties among the merchant complement or the 27-man Armed Guard.

Pacific
In the final mining mission carried out in support of the Okinawa campaign, five USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits.

Off Okinawa, destroyer Mannert L. Abele (DD-733) is sunk by Baka, 27ś25'N, 126ś59'E--she is the first U.S. Navy ship to be sunk by that type of weapon; destroyer Stanly (DD-478) is damaged by Baka, 27ś12'N, 128ś17'E; high speed minesweeper Jeffers (DMS-27) is damaged by Baka and kamikaze, 26ś50'N, 126ś35'E; kamikazes sink support landing craft LCS-33 and damage battleship Idaho (BB-42), 26ś26'N, 127ś32'E; battleship Tennessee (BB-43), destroyer Zellars (DD-777), destroyer escort Riddle (DE-185), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; destroyers Purdy (DD-734), 27ś16'N, 127ś50'E, and Cassin Young (DD-793), 27ś17'N, 127ś50'E; destroyer escorts Rall (DE-304), 26ś36'N, 127ś39'E, Walter C. Wann (DE-412), 26ś17'N, 127ś20'E, and Whitehurst (DE-634), 26ś04'N, 127ś12'E, and light minelayer Lindsey (DM-32), 26ś28'N, 127ś15'E; minesweeper Gladiator (AM-319) is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze, 26ś05'N, 127ś35'E. Friendly fire accounts for damage to battleship New Mexico (BB-40), 26ś31'N, 127ś37'E and destroyer Bennion (DD-662); while attack cargo ship Wyandot (AKA-92) is damaged in collision with medium landing ship LSM-312, 26ś21'N, 127ś44'E; tank landing ship LST-555 is damaged by grounding, 26ś20'N, 127ś45'E. Kamikazes also attack U.S. freighter Minot Victory, but Armed Guard gunners inflict sufficient damage on the suicider that it only strikes the ship a glancing blow and then disintegrates; there are no fatalities on board the merchantman among the 57-man merchant complement, the 27 Armed Guard sailors and nine passengers.

Submarine Chub (SS-329) is damaged by aerial bombs, Java Sea, 06ś03'S, 113ś56'E, but remains on patrol.

Submarine Silversides (SS-236) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Shiratori Maru east of Tanega Jima,30ś45'N, 131ś57'E.

British submarine HMS Stygian sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa 104 and damages auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 104 and Cha 114 off north coast of Bali, 08ś05'S, 115ś06'E.

Mines sink Japanese submarine RO 64 off Kobe, Japan, 34ś14'N, 132ś16'E, and merchant cargo ship Minatogawa Maru off Wakamatsu.

B-24 aircraft (service and nationality unspecified) sinks Japanese ship No.2 Hakushi Maru off Badjowe, 04ś33'S, 120ś23'E.

Fire of undetermined origin destroys buildings and damages Finger Bay dock, Adak Island; the blaze also damages floating drydock YFD-22 and floating workshop YR-36. Gasoline tanker Ogeechee (AOG-35) is saved from further damage by escort patrol vessel PCE-895, which pulls her out into Finger Bay.

* 13 April, Friday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, destroyer escort Connolly (DE-306) is damaged by kamikaze, 26ś55'N, 126ś46'E; gasoline tanker Wabash (AOG-4) is damaged in collision with small craft, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Misago Maru, 38ś36'N, 141ś41'E, and guardboat No.2 Kosho Maru, 38ś27'N, 142ś13'E off Todogasaki.

British submarine HMS Stygian sinks auxiliary minesweeper Wa.104 off Bali, 08ś05'S, 115ś06'E.

U.S. freighter Harrington Emerson is mistakenly bombed and strafed by U.S. aircraft off Borneo, 05ś03'N, 119ś44'E. The ship is only slightly damaged, and there are no fatalities among the merchant crew, the passengers, stevedores, or the 29 Armed Guards.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Kaiko Maru is sunk by aircraft, 21ś25'N, 109ś20'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command) sinks Japanese cargo ship Shinro Maru southeast of Hesaki Light, 33ś53'N, 131ś02'E, and damage Coast Defense Vessel No.40 off Futaio Jima. B-29-laid mine sinks cargo ship Kinoto Maru off Cape Wada light, 34ś39'N, 135ś11'E.

USAAF B-24s (13th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant tanker No.12 Nanshin Maru off southeast coast of Borneo, 04ś00'N, 116ś20'E.

* 14 April, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage battleship New York (BB-34), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E, and destroyers Sigsbee (DD-502), Dashiell (DD-659), and Hunt (DD-674), 27ś15'N, 130ś25'E; gunboat PGM-11 is damaged by grounding, 26ś13'N, 127ś27'E.

Tank landing ship LST-241 is damaged by collision, 14ś38'N, 140ś19'E.

Submarine Gabilan (SS-252) attacks Japanese Surabaya-to-Makassar convoy, sinking cargo vessel Kako Maru, 05ś19'S, 117ś06'E, and auxiliary submarine chaser No.1 Shonan Maru, 05ś13'S, 118ś12'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) attacks Japanese convoy MOSI-02 in the approaches to the Yellow Sea, sinking transport Jusan Maru, escort vessel Nomi, and Coast Defense Vessel No.31 west of Quelpart Island 33ś25'N, 126ś15'E. For his skill and daring in carrying out this surface attack through mined and shoal-obstructed waters, Lieutenant Commander George L. Street III, Tirante's captain, will receive the Medal of Honor.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 11 is sunk by aircraft, 15ś45'N, 108ś28'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kako Go is sunk by aircraft near Rima Island.

Mines damage Japanese minelayer Tokiwa 78 miles off Hesaki, and auxiliary minelayer Koei Maru off Hime Jima lighthouse.

USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping at Shanghai, sinking cargo vessel Takko Maru, 31ś14'N, 121ś30'E.

Atlantic
U.S. tanker Delaware, directed to the scene by a Navy plane, rescues survivors of tanker Oklahoma (sunk on 28 March 1945 by German submarine U-532 in mid-Atlantic) at 11ś45'N, 66ś06'W.

* 15 April, Sunday 1945
Atlantic
Destroyer escorts Frost (DE-144) and Stanton (DE-247) sinks German submarine U-1235, North Atlantic, 47ś54'N, 30ś25'W.

Pacific
Aircraft of fast carrier task force (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) attack airfields and aircraft on the ground in southern Kyushu, Japan; strike is repeated on 16 April.

Army troops land on Carabao Island at the entrance to Manila Bay; landing is preceded by cruiser/destroyer and aircraft bombardment.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyers Wilson (DD-408), 26ś03'N, 127ś20'E, and Laffey (DD-724), 27ś16'N, 127ś50'E; Japanese assault demolition boat damages motor minesweeper YMS-331, 26ś15'N, 127ś36'E; attack transport Berrien (APA-62) is damaged by friendly fire.

Submarine Charr (SS-328) lays mines off the Malay Peninsula.

Japanese guardboat No.2 Hinode Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft off Chezhudo, 33ś19'N, 127ś21'E.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) sinks Japanese cargo ship No.3 Yamanami Maru southeast of Hesaki Light, 33ś53'N, 131ś02'E.

Hulk of Japanese army tanker Shincho Maru (sunk by TF 38 planes on 21 January) is scuttled across entrance of Takao, Formosa, harbor.

* 16 April, Monday 1945
Atlantic
Destroyer escorts Frost (DE-144) and Stanton (DE-247) sink German submarine U-880, North Atlantic, 47ś53'N, 30ś26'W.

Pacific
Army forces covered by naval gunfire and carrier aircraft land on Ie Shima, Ryukyus.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink destroyer Pringle (DD-477), 27ś26'N, 126ś59'E; and damage carrier Intrepid (CV-11), 27ś37'N, 131ś14'E; battleship Missouri (BB-63), 26ś00'N, 130ś00'E; destroyer Bryant (DD-665), 27ś05'N, 128ś13'E; destroyer escort Bowers (DE-637), 26ś52'N, 127ś52'E; high speed minesweepers Hobson (DMS-26), 27ś26'N, 126ś59'E, and Harding (DMS-28), 26ś42'N, 127ś25'E; and oiler Taluga (AO-62), 26ś03'N, 127ś26'E. Destroyer McDermut (DD-677) is damaged by friendly fire, 27ś30'N, 130ś20'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Toko Maru off Mikura Jima, 33ś31'N,139ś36'E.

Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) attacks Japanese convoy emerging from Yamado harbor, Honshu, and sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.73 and transport Manryu Maru, 39ś35'N, 142ś06'E.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) damages Japanese cargo vessel No.10 Kaishin Maru off Shimonoseki, 33ś53'N, 131ś09'E.

* 17 April, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Army forces are landed near Malabang, Parang, and Cotabato on Mindanao, by naval attack group (Rear Admiral Albert G. Noble); landings are supported by cruiser and destroyer gunfire and aircraft. The defenders do not make a determined stand.

Off Okinawa, destroyer Benham (DD-796) is damaged by kamikaze and by friendly fire, 24ś01'N, 132ś32'E.

Mines sink Japanese guardboat No.92 Banshu Maru off Goto Rette.

PB4Y (VPB 111) sinks Japanese cargo ship Gyoyo Maru off coast of Malaya, 03ś27'N, 103ś37'E.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) sinks Japanese cargo ship Sonjo Maru off Shanghai, 31ś13'N, 121ś52'E.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (21st Bomber Command) sinks Japanese cargo ship Tairyu Maru off Wada Misaki light, 34ś27'N, 135ś11'E.

Japanese ship Yamadono Maru is damaged by aircraft, Kobe harbor.

* 18 April, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, light cruiser Mobile (CL-63) is damaged by on-board explosion, 26ś13'N, 127ś52'E; light minelayer Tolman (DM-28) is damaged by grounding, 26ś16'N, 127ś32'E; and tank landing ship LST-929 is damaged in collision with tank landing ship LST-267, 26ś21'N, 127ś43'20"E.

Destroyers Heermann (DD-532), McCord (DD-534), Mertz (DD-691), and Collett (DD-730), assisted by destroyer Uhlmann (DD-687) and TBM (VT 47) from small carrier Bataan (CVL-29) sink Japanese submarine I 56 150 miles east of Okinawa, 26ś42'N, 130ś38'E.

Submarine Seahorse (SS-304) is damaged by depth charges in Tsushima Strait, 33ś45'N, 128ś26'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Sea Owl (SS-405) sinks Japanese submarine RO 46 500 yards off Wake Island 19ś17'N, 166ś35'E.

Japanese transport Teizui Maru (ex-German Mosel) is sunk by mine near western entrance to Shimonoseki Strait, 34ś04'N, 130ś50'E.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Cyrus H. McCormack, while in convoy HX 348, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-1107 70 miles southwest of Brest, France, 47ś47'N, 06ś26'W; British rescue ship Gothland picks up the survivors, but two Armed Guard sailors (of the 12-man detachment) are lost along with four of the 40-man merchant crew.

U.S. freighter Swiftscout is torpedoed by German submarine U-548 about 145 miles northeast of Cape Henry, Virginia, 37ś30'N, 72ś45'W; Armed Guard gunfire drives the attacker down, but U-548 returns to torpedo the ship a second time, sinking her. Only one man is lost (none of the 10-man Armed Guard) and the survivors are rescued by steamship Chancellorsville.

* 19 April, Thursday 1945
Atlantic
Destroyer escorts Buckley (DE-51) and Reuben James (DE-153) sink German submarine U-879, North Atlantic, 42ś19'N, 61ś45'W.

Pacific
Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese guardboat No.3 Isuzu Maru south of Japan, 30ś42'N, 136ś42'E.

Submarine Pogy (SS-266) is mistakenly attacked by PB4Y (VPB 102) as Pogy approaches a Japanese convoy southeast of Honshu, 32ś59'E, 139ś58'E. Fortunately, the submarine escapes the encounter undamaged and remains on patrol.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408), attacking Japanese convoy in Kii Suido off the south coast of Kyushu, sinks auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 97, 33ś32'N, 135ś23'E, and merchant cargo ship Hagane Maru, 33ś35'N, 135ś23'E.

Submarine Silversides (SS-236) sinks Japanese guardboat Kairyu Maru, 32ś57'N, 145ś03'E.

Submarine Sunfish (SS-281) attacks Japanese convoy TSO-201 off Hokkaido, sinking gunboat Kaiho Maru, 42ś22'N, 142ś16'E, and merchant cargo ship Taisei Maru, 42ś22'N,142ś13'E.

Submarine Trutta (SS-421) sinks Japanese merchant vessel Kaiyo Maru, 37ś52'N, 122ś24'E, and merchant fishing boats Kinshu Maru and Mitsuyama Maru, 37ś52'N, 122ś24'E.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping at Saigon, adding further damage to merchant cargo ships Kenei Maru and Chefoo Maru (previously damaged in TF 58's 12 January 1945 strike).

Japanese tanker Shonan Maru sinks after running aground off Belawan, Sumatra, 03ś55'N, 98ś49'E.

* 20 April, Friday 1945
Pacific
Army troops supported by naval vessels and USAAF aircraft land on Catanduanes Island, P.I.

Battleship Colorado (BB-45) is damaged by on-board explosion off Okinawa, 26ś10'N, 127ś20'E.

Escort carrier Corregidor (CVE-58), while operating east of the Marianas on antisubmarine patrol in TG 12.3, is damaged in typhoon.

Submarine Guitarro (SS-363) lays mines in Berhala Strait off northeast coast of Sumatra, N.E.I.

Submarine chaser SC-737 is damaged by grounding, Sulu Sea, 09ś45'N, 118ś44'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese cargo vessels Yamamitsu Maru off Nojima, 34ś32'N, 128ś44'E, and Sanko Maru at 33ś48'N, 131ś00'E, and damage cargo ship Kitsurin Maru at western entrance of Shimonoseki Strait.

USAAF P-38s and P-51s attack Japanese shipping off Rangoon, Burma, sinking motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.412.

* 21 April, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, destroyer Ammen (DD-527) is damaged by near-miss of bomb, 27ś13'N, 128ś16'E.

Japanese guardboat Zenyo Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft off Shionomisaki, 31ś30'N, 135ś40'E.

Japanese cargo vessel No.2 Toshi Maru is damaged by mine off Singapore.

* 22 April, Sunday 1945

Atlantic
Destroyer escorts Carter (DE-112) and Neal A. Scott (DE-769) sink German submarine U-518, North Atlantic, 43ś26'N, 38ś23'W.

Caribbean
Submarine chaser SC-1019 sinks after running aground in Yucatan Channel, 22ś28'N, 84ś30'W.

Europe
U.S. freighter Benjamin H. Bristow, en route to Southend, England with convoy ATM 123, is mined off Flushing, Holland 51ś24'30"N, 03ś22'E. There are no fatalities among the ship's complement (42 merchant sailors, the 26-man Armed Guard and a pilot), and the ship is towed to Terneuzen, Holland for repairs.

Pacific
Off Okinawa, support landing craft LCS-15 is sunk by aircraft, 27ś20'N, 127ś10'E; kamikazes sink minesweeper Swallow (AM-65), 26ś10'N, 127ś12'E, and damage destroyers Hudson (DD-475), 27ś00'N, 127ś00'E, and Wadsworth (DD-516), 26ś10'N, 126ś24'E; destroyer Isherwood (DD-520) and minesweeper Ransom (AM-283), 26ś14'N, 127ś28'E; and light minelayer Shea (DM-30), 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E; minesweeper Gladiator (AM-319) is damaged by strafing and near-miss of kamikaze, 26ś21'N, 127ś45'E;

Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese guardboat Aji Maru west of Tori Jima, 31ś38'N, 139ś00'E, and damages guardboat No.9 Takamiya Maru, 30ś04'N, 136ś43'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks Japanese cargo vessel Mankei Maru off Chimpon, 10ś25'N, 99ś06'E.

Dutch submarine O 19 torpedoes Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara as the latter proceeds in company with destroyer Kamikaze toward Batavia, 05ś37'S, 106ś55'E.

Japanese guardboat Ariake Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft in Ise Bay, 34ś43'N, 136ś43'E.

USAAF P-51s sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Chikuyu Maru south of Toshi Jima.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.81 is damaged by aircraft, 31ś26'N, 123ś30'E.

* 23 April, Monday 1945
Atlantic
Eagle boat Eagle 56 (PE-56) is sunk by explosion off Portland Maine.[12]

Pacific
Submarine Besugo (SS-321) sinks German submarine U-183 in Java Sea, 04ś57'S, 112ś52'E.

PB4Ys (VPB 109) employ "Bat" missiles against Japanese shipping off Balikpapan, Borneo, in the first combat use of the only automatic homing missile to be used in World War II.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Tamae Maru is sunk by accidental ammunition explosion in Sakai harbor.

* 24 April, Tuesday 1945
Atlantic
Destroyer escort Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-546, 570 miles east of Cape Race, Newfoundland 43ś52'N, 40ś15'W; but destroyer escorts Pillsbury (DE-133), Flaherty (DE-135), Chatelain (DE-149), Neunzer (DE-150), Hubbard (DE-211), Keith (DE-241), Janssen (DE-396), and Varian (DE-798) sink U-546, 43ś53'N, 40ś07'W.

Europe
German submarine U-1223 is sunk by USAAF and British aircraft at Wessermunde, Germany.

Pacific
USAAF B-24s sink Japanese motor sailship Shinyo Maru off coast of French Indochina.

Japanese tanker San Diego Maru is damaged by mine in swept channel of Hiroshima Bay, 34ś06'N, 132ś25'E.

* 25 April, Wednesday 1945
Europe
German submarine U-1107 is sunk by naval land-based aircraft (VPB 103) in English Channel, 48ś12'N, 05ś42'W.

Pacific
Carrier-based aircraft bomb enemy installations on Okino Daito Jima, Ryukyus.

Off Okinawa, escort carrier Steamer Bay (CVE-87) and destroyer Hale (DD-642) are damaged in collision, 24ś48'N, 131ś58'E.

High speed transport Horace A. Bass (APD-124) sinks Japanese submarine RO 109, 280 miles south-southeast of Okinawa, 21ś58'N, 129ś35'E.

Submarine Cod (SS-224) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.41 north of Keelung, Formosa, 26ś10'N, 121ś30'E.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping at Saigon, French Indochina, sinking transport Kaiko Maru.

USAAF B-24s on anti-shipping sweep of Makassar Strait sink Japanese Shuttle Boat No.302 off Salinguigan Island 02ś19'S, 117ś14'E.

Japanese cargo vessel Sano Maru is damaged by mine in Yangtze River near Nanking.

* 26 April, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Destroyer Hutchins (DD-476) is damaged by depth charge, off Okinawa, 26ś14'N, 127ś49'E.

Submarine Perch (SS-313) is damaged by depth charges off North Borneo, 05ś32'N, 116ś07'E, but remains on patrol.

British submarines HMS Solent and HMS Sleuth sink Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.3 in Java Sea west of Kalambau Island 04ś50'S, 115ś40'E.

Mines sink Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Mejima Maru off Futaoi light, 34ś04'N, 130ś47'E; and merchant cargo ships Sanko Maru in Chochiku channel.

Japanese guardboat No.6 Chozan Maru is sunk by aircraft east of Kammon Strait, off Shimonoseki, Japan.

Japanese merchant cargo vessel Heiyu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś41'N, 128ś54'E.

* 27 April, Friday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Ralph Talbot (DD-390), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; destroyer escort England (DE-635), 26ś40'N, 127ś40'E; and high speed transport Rathburne (APD-25), 26ś26'N, 127ś36'E; heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45) is damaged by shore battery, 26ś14'N, 127ś50'E; destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) is damaged by friendly fire, 26ś21'N, 127ś43'E. A kamikaze also crashes U.S. freighter Canada Victory killing one merchant officer and two of the 27-man Armed Guard; Canada Victory sinks, the survivors swimming to nearby attack transport Lauderdale (APA-179).

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.31 Yusen Maru is sunk by aircraft off Amami-Oshima.

USAAF mine (laid on 27 March) sinks Japanese cargo vessel Kaiho Maru at western entrance of Shimonoseki Strait, 34ś00'N, 130ś50'E.

* 28 April, Saturday 1945
Atlantic
Frigate Huron (PF-19) accidentally rams and damages French submarine Argo off Key West, Florida.

Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyers Wadsworth (DD-516), 26ś47'N, 126ś38'E; Daly (DD-519), 27ś12'N, 128ś16'E; Twiggs (DD-591), 27ś12'N, 128ś16'E; and Bennion (DD-662), 27ś26'N, 127ś51'E; high speed minesweeper Butler (DMS-29), 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E; hospital ship Comfort (AH-6), 25ś30'N, 127ś40'E; and transport fitted for the evacuation of wounded Pinkney (APH-2), 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E. Destroyer Lang (DD-399) is damaged in collision with oiler Brazos (AO-4), 26ś11'N, 127ś20'E. Japanese assault demolition boat causes extensive damage to U.S. freighter Bozeman Victory; six men among the 59-man merchant crew, 13 stevedores and the 27-man Armed Guard suffer injuries.

Motor minesweeper YMS-329 is damaged by mine off Tarakan, Borneo, 03ś14'N, 117ś42'E.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408) sinks Japanese cable layer Hatsushima off Kii Suido, south-southeast of Mikizaki, 33ś55'N, 136ś18'E.

Submarine Springer (SS-414) sinks Japanese submarine chaser Ch 17 west of Kyushu, 32ś25'N, 128ś46'E, as the latter is escorting landing ship T.146; later that day, submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks T.146 off Osezaki, Japan, 32ś24'N, 128ś40'E.

British submarine HMS Tradewind attacks Japanese convoy off coast of Malaya, sinking merchant tanker Takasago Maru 53 miles from Kota Bharu, 06ś48'N, 101ś36'E.

USAAF B-25s and P-38s (Far East Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping at Saigon, sinking tanker No.8 Takasago Maru, 10ś49'N, 106ś41'E, and motor sailships No.10 Shingi Maru and 9 Nittai Maru and 1 Kashima Maru, Shuttle Boat No.51, Shuttle Boat No.57 and Shuttle Boat No. 74.

Japanese escort vessel Uku and Patrol Vessel No.102 [ex-U.S. destroyer Stewart (DD-224)] are damaged by aircraft, 34ś52'N, 124ś23'E.

USAAF mine sinks Japanese cargo vessel Gakujo Maru at western entrance of Shimonoseki Strait, 34ś00'N, 130ś50'E.

* 29 April, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyers Hazelwood (DD-531), 27ś02'N, 129ś59'E, and Haggard (DD-555), 27ś01'N, 129ś40'E; and light minelayers Shannon (DM-25), 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E, and Harry F. Bauer (DM-26), 26ś47'N, 128ś42'E.

Motor minesweeper YMS-51 is damaged by mine off Tarakan, Borneo, 03ś18'N, 117ś33'E.

Japanese carrier attack planes (KATEs) flying from Truk attack Naval Base, Manus, Admiralty Islands, torpedoing the advance base section docks ABSD-2 and ABSD-4 in the belief that the shapes they perceive in the nocturnal strike are aircraft carriers.

TBM (VC 92) from escort carrier Tulagi (CVE-72) sinks Japanese submarine I 44, 220 miles southeast of Okinawa, 24ś15'N, 131ś16'E.

Submarine Besugo (SS-321) sinks Japanese guardboat Otome Maru southeast of Borneo, 05ś45'S, 107ś30'E.

Submarine Bream (SS-243) sinks German minesweeper depot ship Quito off Tanjong Puting, Borneo, N.E.I., 04ś11'S, 111ś17'E.[13]

Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Taishu Maru off Kamaishi, Japan, 39ś15'N, 141ś58'E.

USAAF B-24s on anti-shipping sweep of Makassar Strait sink Japanese cargo vessel No.5 Hirata Maru in Pamukan Bay, 02ś30'S, 116ś25'E.

Japanese passenger ferry No.2 Kuroshio (ex-landing ship T.149) is damaged by mine during passage from Singapore to Batavia; transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kumikawa Maru is damaged by mine laid by RAAF Catalina off Balikpapan, Borneo. Merchant cargo ship No.1 Aioi Maru is sunk by mine three miles off Tsunemi.

* 30 April, Monday 1945
Europe
Grossadmiral Karl Doenitz proclaims himself head of the German state by Hitler's appointment.

Sometime during April 1945 (exact dates indeterminate), USAAF and British aircraft sink German submarines U-3525 in the Baltic; U-1131 and U-1227 at Kiel, Germany; and U-677, U-982, and U-2516 at Hamburg, Germany.

Atlantic
Destroyer escorts Thomas (DE-102), Bostwick (DE-103), Coffman (DE-191, and frigate Natchez (PF-2) sink German submarine U-548, off Virginia, 36ś34'N, 74ś00'W.

PBY (VP 63) sinks German submarine U-1055 west of France, 48ś00'N, 06ś30'W.

Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Bennion (DD-662), 27ś26'N, 127ś51'E, and minelayer Terror (CM-5), 26ś10'N, 127ś18'E. One suicide plane damages U.S. freighter S. Hall Young in Nago Bay; there are no fatalities among the crew, passengers, and 12-man Armed Guard.

Destroyer Jenkins (DD-447) is damaged by mine off Tarakan, Borneo, 03ś12'N, 117ś37'E.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412), despite proximity of three escorting coast defense ships, attacks Japanese convoy MOSI-05, sinking transport Miho Maru in Yellow Sea, 34ś27'N, 123ś48'E.

Japanese army tanker Yuno Maru is sunk by mine [laid by submarine Guitarro (SS-363) on 20 April 1945 or Dutch submarine O-19 on 13 April 1945] off east coast of Sumatra, 01ś00'S, 104ś30'E.

Japanese auxiliary minelayer Nuwashima is damaged by aircraft southeast of Dainyu-Jima, Saeki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.18 Yamabishi Maru is damaged by mine, off Wakamatsu light.

USAAF B-24s (13th Air Force) sink Japanese transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kunikawa Maru (previously damaged by Australian mine) in Balikpapan Bay, 01ś15'S, 116ś50'E.

May

* 1 May, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Naval attack force (Vice Admiral Daniel E. Barbey) lands Australian troops on Tarakan Island Borneo, supported by naval gunfire and aircraft.

U.S. freighter Henry L. Abbott is damaged by mine, Manila Bay, 14ś35'N, 120ś58'E. Two of the merchant crew die in the explosion; there are no casualties among the 27-man Armed Guard.

Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese gunboat Chowa Maru southeast of Erimosaki, Hokkaido, Japan, 41ś02'N, 144ś36'E.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408) damages Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.50 off Wakayama, 3358'N, 136ś17'E.

PBMs (VPB 11 and FAW-1) sink Japanese cargo vessel Kyugkoku Maru off Mokpo, Korea, 34ś35'N, 126ś00'E; USN land-based planes on anti-shipping sweeps over Yellow Sea also sink merchant cargo ships Miyatama Maru and Komadori Maru off Mokpo, 34ś11'N, 126ś35'E. Land-based USN aircraft are also most likely responsible for damage inflicted on merchant vessel Taruyasu Maru in the Chochiku Channel the same day.

Japanese merchant tanker No.2 Iyasaka Maru is sunk by aircraft off Singapore.

Japanese merchant ship Richo Go is sunk by mine off Woosung, China.

* 2 May, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
On Okinawa, Hospital Apprentice Second Class Robert E. Bush, serving as a corpsman with a rifle company with the 2d Battalion, 5th Marines, is administering blood plasma to a wounded marine when the Japanese launch a fierce counterattack against his unit. Steadfastly remaining at the wounded man's side, Bush holds the plasma bottle in one hand and draws his .45 with the other, expending his ammunition at the charging enemy. Seizing a discarded carbine, the battling corpsman, who suffers the loss of an eye among other injuries, kills six Japanese as the marines drive the enemy back. Bush refuses medical attention for himself until the marine that he had protected is evacuated. Bush then collapses before he himself can reach an aid station. For his selfless heroism, the corpsman is awarded the Medal of Honor.

Off Tarakan, Borneo, Japanese shore batteries sink motor minesweeper YMS-481 and damage YMS-364, 03ś27'N, 117ś32'E, and YMS-334, 03ś26'N, 117ś40'E. YMS-363 is damaged by mine, 03ś26'N, 117ś32'E.

Submarine Raton (SS-270) attacks Japanese convoy SE-3, sinking merchant cargo ship Toryu Maru southeast of the Shantung Peninsula, 37ś24'N, 123ś50'E.

Submarine Springer (SS-414) sinks Japanese escort vessel Oga in Yellow Sea, 33ś56'N, 122ś49'E (see 3-4 May).

Japanese merchant ship Daian Maru is sunk by aircraft off Woosung, China.

* 3 May, Thursday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.2 (Rear Admiral Albert G. Noble) lands Army troops at Santa Cruz, Davao Gulf, P.I.;

Phase II of Operation STARVATION commences: in the first of two operations aimed at blockading Japan's industrial centers, 97 USAAF B-29s sow mines in the Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Kobe, Osaka and Suo Nada.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink destroyer Little (DD-803), 26ś24'N, 126ś15'E and medium landing ship LSM-195, and damage destroyer Bache (DD-470) and high speed minesweeper Macomb (DMS-23), 26ś01'N, 126ś53'E; light minelayer Aaron Ward (DM-34), 26ś24'N, 126ś15'E, and large support landing craft LCS-25. Cargo ship Carina (AK-74) is damaged by assault demolition boat, 26ś13'N, 127ś50'E; infantry landing craft LCI-768 by operational casualty. Battleship New Mexico (BB-40) 40-millimeter mount accidentally fires upon and damages nearby War Department-chartered U.S. freighter Sea Flasher, injuring 47 men and killing seven troops of those men being transported on board.

U.S. freighter Edmund F. Dickens is damaged by mine, Manila Bay; there are no casualties among the merchant crew or the 27-man Armed Guard.

Submarine Lagarto (SS-371) is sunk by Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka in Gulf of Siam, 07ś55'N, 102ś00'E.

Submarine Springer (SS-414) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Ship No.25 in Yellow Sea, 34ś56'N, 122ś49'E, as that ship proceeds to the scene of the sinking of escort vessel Oga, sunk by Springer the previous day (see 4 May).

* 4 May, Friday 1945
Pacific
Japanese planes attack Yontan airfield, Okinawa, and U.S. and British ships supporting Okinawa operation. Kamikazes sink destroyers Luce (DD-522), 26ś35'N,127ś10'E, and Morrison (DD-560), 27ś10'N, 127ś58'E, and medium landing craft LSM-190 and LSM-194; and damage light cruiser Birmingham (CL-62), 26ś19'N, 127ś43'E; escort carrier Sangamon (CVE-26), 26ś01'N, 237ś26'E [destroyer Hudson (DD-475) collides with Sangamon as the destroyer lies alongside, 26ś01'N, 127ś26'E]; destroyers Ingraham (DD-694), 27ś10'N, 127ś58'E; Cowell (DD-547), 26ś11'N, 126ś35'E; and Lowry (DD-770), 27ś12'N, 128ś17'E; light minelayer Gwin (DM-33), 26ś13'N, 126ś22'E; high speed minesweeper Hopkins (DMS-13), 26ś32'N, 126ś58'E; motor minesweeper YMS-331, 26ś32'N, 126ś58'E; British carrier HMS Formidable [carrier HMS Indomitable is also crashed by a suicider, but her armored deck deflects the attacker into the sea]. In addition, light minelayer Shea (DM-30) is damaged by a Baka, 27ś26'N, 126ś59'E; minesweeper Gayety (AM-239) is damaged by near-misses of kamikaze and Baka, 26ś32'N, 126ś58'E; motor minesweeper YMS-327 is damaged by kamikaze and by friendly fire, 26ś32'N, 126ś58'E; motor minesweeper YMS-311 is damaged by friendly fire, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; motor gunboat PGM-17 is damaged by grounding, 26ś42'N, 128ś01'E; large support landing craft LCS-31 and LCS-57 are damaged by air attack. Coordinated with the air strike, a minor Japanese counterlanding is attempted and repulsed.

Fleet Air Wing 18 (Rear Admiral Marshall R. Greer) is established at Guam for operations in the forward areas.

Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shinpen Maru off Yamada Bay, 39ś28'N, 142ś04'E.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.20 in Yellow Sea 140 nautical miles southeast of Mokpo, Korea, 34ś16'N, 123ś37'E, as W.20 proceeds to the scene of the sinking of escort vessel Oga, sunk by Springer (SS-414) on 2 May 1945 (see 2 and 3 May).

USN land-based planes sink Japanese merchant tankers Koan Maru and No.15 Takasago Maru off Pusan, Korea, 34ś40'N, 127ś30'E. Navy PBMs damage cargo vessel Harukawa Maru while she is en route from Jinsen to Moji, 34ś50'N, 128ś30'E.

Japanese tanker No.2 Yaei Maru is sunk by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command)-laid mine off Singapore, 02ś00'S, 105ś00'E; stores ship Hayasaki is damaged by mine [laid by submarine Guitarro (SS-363) on 20 April 1945] while en route from Batavia to Singapore, 01ś00'S, 104ś30'E.

USAAF B-24 (13th Air Force) attacks Japanese shippingoff Cape Camau, French Indochina, sinking auxiliary netlayer Tokachi Maru, 08ś36'N, 104ś43'E.

Tank landing craft LCT-1358 sinks after running aground off California coast.

* 5 May, Saturday 1945
Pacific
In the second of two operations aimed at blockading Japan's industrial centers, 98 USAAF B-29s sow mines in the Inland Sea and off Kobe, Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage seaplane tender St. George (AV-16), 26ś10'N, 127ś19'E, and surveying ship Pathfinder (AGS-1), 26ś38'N, 127ś53'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Manshu Maru is damaged by USAAF B-29-laid mine, 33ś47'N, 131ś35'E.

Japanese merchant tanker No.5 Takasago Maru is sunk by aircraft, 34ś44'N, 126ś16'E.

Japanese merchant tanker No.11 Takasago Maru is sunk by aircraft, off Yosu, Korea.

Japanese merchant cargo ships Yamatogawa Maru and Naka Maru are sunk by aircraft off Mokpo, Korea.

Navy patrol bomber (PBMs and PB4Ys are operating in this area) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.9 Taiun Maru west of Kunsan, 34ś00'N, 130ś00'E.

USAAF B-24s (13th Air Force) raid Japanese shipping and shore installations at Makassar, sinking cargo vessel Kenzan Maru.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Okusu Maru is sunk by aircraft off Karatsu.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Washi Maru is sunk by aircraft, 35ś33'N, 126ś18'E.

Japanese escort destroyer Oki is damaged by aircraft, 37ś36'N, 126ś00'E.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Black Point is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-853 about five miles southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island 41ś19'02"N, 71ś25'01"W. One of the five Armed Guard sailors is killed, as are 11 of the 41-man merchant complement. Yugoslavian freighter Karman and Norwegian Scandanavia, crash boats from Quonset Point, Rhode Island and a Coast Guard craft rescue the survivors of the last U.S.-flag merchantman sunk by a U-boat in World War II. U-853's sailors, however, do not get to ponder the significance of their achievement for long (see 6 May).

* 6 May, Sunday 1945
Atlantic
Destroyer escort Atherton (DE-169) and frigate Moberley (PF-63) sink German submarine U-853 near Block Island Rhode Island 41ś13'N, 71ś27'W.

Destroyer escort Farquhar (DE-139) sinks German submarine U-881, North Atlantic, 43ś18'N, 47ś44'W. U-881 is the last submarine sunk in the Atlantic by U.S. forces.

Pacific
Naval landing force, covered by destroyer escort Wintle (DE-25) and motor minesweeper YMS-354, evacuates about 500 Marshallese from Jaluit in infantry landing craft LCI-394, LCI-479 and LCI-481.

Off Okinawa, battleship South Dakota (BB-57) is damaged by explosion of five 16-inch powder tanks in magazine, 26ś30'N, 129ś30'E.14

Floating drydock ARD-28 is damaged by horizontal bomber, 25ś33'N, 127ś27'E.

Submarine Hammerhead (SS-364) sinks Japanese fleet tanker Kinrei Maru in Gulf of Thailand 08ś15'N, 102ś00'E.

Japanese guardboat Kiho Maru No.1 is destroyed by fire, location unspecified.

Off Inchon, Korea, Japanese merchant tanker No.5 Hoei Maru is sunk by aircraft; USN land-based planes sink merchant cargo ship Eiko Maru in Yellow Sea, 36ś26'N, 126ś37'E.

Japanese cargo ship Sagamigawa Maru is sunk by USAAF mine laid by B-29 (20th Bomber Command). Submarine I 366, en route to take delivery of kaitens, is damaged by mine off Hikari.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Kumi Maru is damaged and merchant cargo ship No.3 Kinzan Maru is sunk, by aircraft off Kuche Island.

USN land-based aircraft sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Tora Maru off Mokpo, Korea. PBMs or PB4Ys sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Nakagawa Maru off Yosu, Korea, 34ś30'N, 127ś00'E.

Japanese merchant vessel Niosan Maru is sunk by aircraft north of Kumun Island.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Enzan Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś21'N, 127ś24'E.

* 7 May, Monday 1945
Atlantic and Europe
Germany surrenders unconditionally to the Western Allies and Russia at Reims, France.

Pacific
Japanese minesweeper W.29 and cargo vessel Kashima Maru are sunk by mines (laid by USAAF B-29s) in Shimonoseki Strait, 34ś02'N, 130ś54'E; mines also sink merchant cargo ship Shofuku Maru off Dairen, Manchuria; and merchant vessel Teiko Maru off Futaoi Jima.

USAAF B-24s (13th Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping and shore installations at Makassar, sinking gunboat Kenzan Maru and cargo ship Hakko Maru, 05ś08'S, 119ś35'E.

PBMs or PB2Ys on sweeps off west coast of Korea sink Japanese cargo ships Tatsuchiyo Maru, 34ś00'N, 126ś00'E; No.2 Kozan Maru, 35ś16'N, 126ś03'E; and Kaba Maru and Hoei Maru, 34ś00'N, 130ś00'E.

Japanese minesweeper Nuwajima, damaged by aircraft, is beached, Saeki Bay.

* 8 May, Tuesday 1945
Europe and Atlantic
As of 6:01 PM this date, all offensive operations against German land sea, and air forces, ceases ("V-E Day").

Europe
U.S. freighter Horace Binney, in convoy TAM 62, is damaged by mine 15 miles off Ostend, Belgium, 51ś21'N, 02ś27'E; there are no fatalities among the ship's complement (which includes a 36-man Armed Guard). The ship is towed to Deal, England and beached, where she is later written off as a total loss.

Pacific
Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese fishing boat No.3 Daito Maru east-southeast of Todogasaki, 39ś38'N, 142ś08'E.

Submarine Bream (SS-243) lays mines off Puolo Obi, French Indochina, in the last U.S. Navy submarine mine plant of World War II.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Shuncho Maru south of Futaoi Jima, and damage minesweeper W.39, 4.85 kilometers southeast of Futaoi Light. Transport Kotobuki Maru (ex-Italian liner Conte Verde) is damaged by mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command) off southern Korea, 34ś30'N, 126ś19'E.

Japanese merchant vessel No.6 Kosho Maru is sunk by aircraft, 21ś51'N, 113ś09'E.

* 9 May, Wednesday 1945
Atlantic German submarine U-249 surrenders to PB4Y (FAW 7) off the Scilly Islands, becoming the first to do so after hostilities cease in Europe.

Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer escorts Oberrender (DE-344), 26ś32'N, 127ś30'E, and England (DE-635), 26ś18'N, 127ś13'E; and British carriers HMS Formidable and HMS Victorious.

Japanese escort vessel Uku is damaged by mine off Futaoi Light.

Japanese merchant tanker No.13 Horai Maru is damaged by aircraft, 36ś10'N, 126ś02'E.

* 10 May, Thursday 1945
Pacific
TG 78.3 (Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble) lands Army troops at Macajalar Bay, Mindanao.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Brown (DD-546), 26ś26'N, 127ś20'E, and light minelayer Harry F. Bauer (DM-26), 26ś25'N, 128ś31'E.

Mines sink Japanese transport Tatsuwa Maru off Imabari, Kurahashi Jima, 34ś04'N, 132ś26'E; merchant cargo ship Otowa Maru, 34ś38'N, 135ś12'E; and damage merchant tugboat No.7 Naniwazu Maru off Wadanomisaki.

USN land-based planes sink Japanese merchant tanker No.1 Toyu Maru and cargo ship No.2 Yumihari Maru off west coast of Korea.

* 11 May, Friday 1945
Pacific
Japanese aircraft attack U.S. ships off Okinawa; two kamikazes crash carrier Bunker Hill (CV-17), 25ś44'N, 129ś28'E; kamikazes also crash destroyer Evans (DD-552), 26ś58'N, 127ś32'E, and large support landing craft LCS-88; destroyer Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) is damaged by Baka, 26ś59'N, 127ś32'E.

On Okinawa, Pharmacist's Mate Second Class William D. Halyburton, Jr., USNR, advances into an open field under fire to treat a casualty. Hit by a bullet while tending to the wounded marine, Halyburton unhesitatingly shields the man with his own body to protec him from further injury. In so doing, the corpsman is mortally wounded. For his heroically saving another man's life at the cost of his own, Halyburton is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

Japanese guardboat No.8 Sagami Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft off Hong Kong, 21ś52'N, 113ś08'E.

USAAF B-24s (11th Air Force) sink Japanese army cargo ship Aitoku Maru and damage escort destroyer Hachijo in Kataoka harbor, Kurils, 50ś42'N, 156ś13'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118) operating against Japanese shipping off coast of Korea, sink merchant cargo ships Seiri Maru, 34ś17'N, 126ś50'E, and Shinzan Maru, 34ś15'N, 127ś10'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kamiyama Maru is sunk by aircraft off Mokpo, Korea.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Kitsurin Maru off Wadanomisaki, 34ś39'N, 135ś11'E; and damage auxiliary minelayer Koei Maru seven miles off Umezaki and damage two tugboats off Wadanomisaki.

* 12 May, Saturday 1945

Pacific
Destroyers support landing of Army troops on Torishima, Ryukyus.

Off Okinawa, a kamikaze damages battleship New Mexico (BB-40), 26ś22'N, 127ś43'E; heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45) is damaged by friendly fire, 26ś22'N, 127ś43'E.

Submarine Raton (SS-270) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Rekizan Maru in the Yellow Sea off the Shantung Peninsula, 37ś25'N, 123ś42'E.

Mines sink Japanese army cargo ship Brazil Maru off Kobe, Japan; mine laid by USAAF B-29s on 3 May 1945 sink merchant cargo ship Manbo Maru off Osaka, 34ś30'N, 135ś10'E; cargo ship No.1 Nissho Maru is sunk by USAAF mine (laid by 20th Air Force B-29s) off Futaoi Light, Shimonoseki, 34ś06'N, 130ś47'E; and No.1 Nisshin Maru in Shimonoseki channel; and damage merchant cargo ship Hokusei Maru (northwest of Mutsure Jima).

Japanese merchant tanker No.13 Takasago Maru is damaged by aircraft, Kogunsan-Kundo.

Navy patrol bombers (TU 50.5.5) damage Japanese merchant ship Chile Maru, which is run aground to permit salvage on the north coast of Iki Jima, 34ś16'N, 129ś40'E. Chile Maru is written off, however, as a total loss.

Atlantic
Minesweeper Jubilant (AM-255) and Italian submarine Mameli are damaged when they collide in Casco Bay, Maine.

* 13 May, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) begin two-day attack on Kyushu airfields.

Phase III of Operation STARVATION, a blockade of northwest Honshu and Kyushu, commences as 12 USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Niigata, Japan.

Off Honshu, small carrier Bataan (CVL-29) is damaged by friendly fire, 30ś30'N, 132ś30'E; off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Bache (DD-470), 26ś01'N, 126ś53'E, and destroyer escort Bright (DE-747), 26ś21'N, 127ś17'E.

Submarine Baya (SS-318) attacks Palembang-bound Japanese convoy, sinking tanker Yosei Maru, 06ś31'S, 111ś19'E; guardboat No.17 Shonan Maru carries out unsuccessful counterattack. Although Baya claims a second ship sunk, her quarry, tanker Enoshima Maru, emerges unscathed.

Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Shinnan Maru off Todozaki, Honshu, 39ś06'N, 141ś57'E.

Submarine Plaice (SS-390) attacks Japanese guardboat Nisshin Maru southwest of Uruppu Island 45ś30'N, 147ś04'E.

British submarine HMS Trump sinks Japanese guardboat No.15 Shosei Maru at Sapudi Strait, 07ś05'S, 114ś13'E.

Japanese guardboat No.8 Choyo Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft, Kumun Island 34ś28'N, 127ś45'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Funakawa Maru is sunk by aircraft, 34ś00'N, 128ś00'E.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) sinks Japanese tanker No.2 Takasago Maru off Wadanomisaki, 34ś39'N, 135ś11'E. Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Kinoto Maru and Mishima Maru (off Kobe, Japan), merchant cargo ship Magane Maru (location unspecified), and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 170 (off Shodo Jima), (laid by USAAF B-24) merchant cargo ship Gyoryu Maru off Kobe, 34ś40'N, 135ś10'E; and merchant vessel Miyajima Maru 129 miles off Ezaki light, 34ś36'N, 134ś59'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Hakuju Maru is damaged by aircraft between Kurosaki and Shirohana.

* 14 May, Monday 1945

Pacific
Carrier Enterprise (CV-6) is damaged by kamikaze off Honshu, 30ś23'N, 132ś36'E.

Off Okinawa, operational casualties account for damage to tank landing ship LST-137 and medium landing ship LSM-137.

Submarine Cobia (SS-245) is damaged by depth charges, Gulf of Siam, 09ś35'N, 101ś44'E, but remains on patrol.

Submarine Sand Lance (SS-381) sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Yoshino Maru off Erimosaki, Hokkaido, 32ś00'N, 146ś36'E.

Navy aircraft (TU 50.5.5) on sweeps over the South China Sea, sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Kurokamisan Maru west of Kuche Island 34ś27'N, 127ś30'E, and Samukaze Maru, 33ś00'N, 129ś20'E.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) damages Japanese merchant ship Miyajima Maru at Awaji, Japan, 34ś28'N, 134ś30'E (see 15 May). Mines sink Japanese transport Anko Maru off Shimonoseki and merchant tug No.13 Uwajima Maru off Hiraiso light buoy, 34ś30'N, 134ś30'E; sink/damage merchant cargo ship Tatsukei Maru, 34ś28'N, 134ś45'E, and damage merchant cargo ship No.6 Kaiyo Maru off Hesaki light.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Keishin Maru is sunk by aircraft off Inchon, Korea.

Japanese merchant vessel Kanpu Maru is sunk by aircraft, 33ś02'N, 129ś27'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kainan Maru is damaged by aircraft three miles off Ioshima light.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Chofuku Maru is damaged by aircraft near Hakata Bay.

* 15 May, Tuesday 1945

Europe
Commander U.S. Ports and Bases Germany (Rear Admiral Arthur G. Robinson) establishes headquarters at Bremen, Germany.

Pacific
Submarine Hammerhead (SS-364) sinks Singapore-bound Japanese transport Tottori Maru in Gulf of Siam, 09ś12'N, 101ś20'E. Escorting minelayer Hatsutaka conducts unsuccessful counterattack (see 16 May).

Submarine Sea Poacher (SS-406) sinks Japanese army luggers No.56 Ume Maru and Fukumo Maru, 45ś29'N, 149ś01'E.

Submarine Shad (SS-235) damages Japanese merchant cargo ship Mako Maru, 33ś42'N, 126ś37'E.

USN land-based planes, in wide-ranging sweeps against Japanese shipping, sink merchant cargo ship No.1 Kyodo Maru, 34ś15'N, 126ś56'E; merchant cargo ship Keiun Maru off Karatsu, western Kyushu, 33ś57'N, 129ś51'E, and merchant cargo ship No.3 Hakutetsu Maru off east coast of Korea.

Japanese merchant vessel Miyajima Maru, while under tow after being damaged the previous day by a mine, strikes a second mine and sinks, 34ś28'N, 134ś50'E. Mishima Maru is sunk by USAAF mine laid off Kobe on 3 May 1945, 34ś30'N, 135ś10'E.

* 16 May, Wednesday 1945

Pacific
Thirty USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Miyazu and Maizuru, Japan.

Escort carrier Shipley Bay (CVE-85) is damaged in collision with oiler Cache (AO-67) off Okinawa, 25ś00'N, 130ś00'E.

Avengers from British escort carrier HMS Emperor sight and attack Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro heading intoMalacca Strait; subsequently, British destroyers HMS Saumarez, HMS Venus, HMS Verulam, HMS Vigilant, and HMS Virago sink Haguro 55 nautical miles west-southwest of Penang, Malaya, 04ś49'N, 99ś42'E, as the enemy ship, in company with destroyer Kamikaze (which is damaged in the engagement) is evacuating troops from Port Blair to Singapore.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) sinks Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka off east coast of Malaya, 04ś49'N, 103ś31'E.

Submarine Raton (SS-270) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eiju Maru in Yellow Sea off west coast of Korea, 37ś34'N, 124ś13'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Yamanami Maru is sunk by mine laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) off Wadanomisaki, 34ś36'N, 135ś08'E.

* 17 May, Thursday 1945

Pacific
Carrier aircraft (Rear Admiral Clifton A.F. Sprague) strike Japanese installations on Taroa Island Maloelap Atoll, Marshalls.

USAAF 21st Bomber Command begins operations against airfields on Kyushu and Shikoku from which Japanese kamikaze attacks are launched; the raids will continue through 11 May 1945.

Destroyer Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) is damaged by kamikaze off Okinawa, 25ś59'N, 126ś54'E.

Off Wadanomisaki, Japan, USAAF mines sink Japanese transport Tairyu Maru, 34ś27'N, 135ś11'E, and army cargo ship Koan Maru, 34ś38'N, 135ś11'E; mines also sink merchant cargo ship Mikazuki Maru in Yangtze below below Woosung, China, 32ś05'N, 119ś56'E, and damage Coast Defense Vessel No.200 inside Miyazu harbor.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.101 is damaged by aircraft from carriers Saratoga (CV-3) and HMS I llustrious, at Surabaya, Java.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers No.2 Hakusan Maru, Wakatake Maru and Yobai Maru are damaged by aircraft off Ishigaki Island.

* 18 May, Friday 1945

Pacific
Thirty-four USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Tsuruya, Japan.

Destroyer Longshaw (DD-559), damaged by shore batteryoff Naha, Okinawa, 26ś11'N, 127ś37'E, explodes; wreck is demolished by destroyers Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) and Picking (DD-685). Also off Okinawa, high speed transport Sims (APD-50) is damaged by kamikaze, 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E, and tank landing ship LST-808 by aerial torpedo, 26ś42'N, 127ś47'E. U.S. freighter Cornelius Vanderbilt (carrying gasoline and explosives, as well as general cargo) is bombed by Japanese plane and set afire off Ie Shima, but the 38-man merchant crew, 27-man Armed Guard and the 108 stevedores on board working cargo assemble firefighting parties and put out the blaze in short order.

Submarine Shad (SS-235) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Chosan Maru in the Yellow Sea off Gunzan, Korea, 35ś41'N, 126ś17'E.

Navy land-based aircraft sink Japanese cargo vessel Enkyo Maru off western Korea, 33ś14'N, 120ś50'E.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 57 is damaged by mine [laid by British submarine HMS Porpoise on 9 January 1945], south channel into Penang, Malaya, 05ś20'N, 100ś08'E.

Japanese landing ship T.137 is damaged by aircraft, 12 miles off Daiosaki.

Japanese transport No.18 Nissho Maru is damaged by mine, 34ś33'N, 134ś47'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.3 Takunan Maru is damaged by aircraft, 32ś05'N, 124ś40'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Nissen Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś43'N, 137ś50'E.

* 19 May, Saturday 1945

Atlantic
Destroyer Moffett (DD-362) is damaged when she strikes an unidentified submerged object 65 miles east of Portland Maine.

Pacific
Destroyers bombard Japanese installations on Paramushiro, Kurils.

Destroyer escort Vammen (DE-644) is damaged in collision with oiler Cimarron (AO-22) off Okinawa, 26ś24'N, 127ś53'E. Cimarron is also damaged by grounding, 26ś25'N, 127ś53'E.

Motor gunboat PGM-1 is damaged by explosion off Luzon,14ś41'N, 121ś46'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Kaiko Maru is sunk by aircraft in Keelung harbor.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Daishin Maru is sunk, and light cruiser Kashima damaged, when the two ships collide in Tsushima Strait, 34ś40'N, 128ś38'E.

Japanese cargo vessel Ogishima Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś39'N, 137ś32'E.

Japanese merchant tanker Soei Maru is damaged by mine six kilometers east of Mushima.

* 20 May, Sunday 1945

Pacific
Thirty USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Maizuru and Miyazu, Japan.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage destroyer Thatcher (DD-514), 26ś33'N, 127ś29'E; destroyer escort John C. Butler (DE-339), 26ś47'N, 127ś52'E; high speed transports Chase (APD-54), 26ś18'N, 127ś14'E and Register (APD-92), 26ś25'N, 127ś21'E; and tank landing ship LST-808, 26ś42'N, 127ś47'E; high speed transport Tattnall (APD-19) is damaged by horizontal bomber, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E.

TBF/TBMs from TG 58.3 provide close air support for efforts to take Japanese position holding up the advance of U.S. ground forces northeast of Shuri castle, Okinawa.

Submarine Cero (SS-225) sinks Japanese merchant whaler No.5 Seki Maru east-southeast of Kinkazan, 38ś06'N, 142ś24'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 244 is sunk by aircraft, 22ś35'N, 128ś51'E.

Japanese army cargo vessel No.1 Konan Maru is sunk by aircraft off Hong Kong.

USAAF B-24s (Fifth Air Force) sink Japanese army cargo vessel Torai Maru off Keelung, Formosa, 26ś00'N, 122ś00'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Nikkan Maru is sunk by aircraft off Pusan, Korea; merchant refrigerated stores ship Kanagawa Maru is sunk by aircraft off south coast of Korea.

Japanese merchant tanker No.11 Horai Maru is damaged by aircraft, location unspecified.

* 21 May, Monday 1945

Pacific
Submarine Chub (SS-329) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.34 in Java Sea off Kepualuan, 06ś15'S, 116ś01'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Santen Maru is sunk by USAAF mine laid by B-29 (20th Air Force) off Niihama, 33ś57'N, 133ś16'E.

* 22 May, Tuesday 1945

Pacific
Thirty-two USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits.

Planes from carriers Bennington (CV-20) and Hornet (CV-12) sink Japanese submarine chasers Ch 37 and Ch 58, and landing ship T.173 southwest of Kyushu between Sasebo and Oshima, 29ś45'N, 129ś10'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.25 Uwajima Maru off Moji, 34ś20'N, 134ś20'E, and Sagami Maru off Wakamatsu, and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 157 eight miles off Niigata harbor.

Japanese auxiliary patrol vessel Pa 25 is damaged by aircraft one kilometer off Omaesaki.

* 23 May, Wednesday 1945

Pacific
Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese cargo vessels Sagami Maru at 34ś00'N, 131ś00'E and 2 Shinri Maru off Hesaki, 33ś58'N, 131ś02'E, and Kimigayo Maru west of Hime Jima, 33ś06'N, 129ś43'E. Mine damages merchant cargo ship Iwai Maru three kilometers southeast of Mushima.

* 24 May, Thursday 1945

Pacific
Aircraft from TF 58 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) attack airfields in southern Kyushu.

Japanese aircraft attack U.S. positions and ships at Okinawa; strikes continue on 25 May. Kamikazes damage destroyer escort William C. Cole (DE-641), 26ś45'N, 127ś52'E; high speed transport Sims (APD-50), 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E; and large support landing craft LCS(L)-121; friendly fire damages destroyer Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663), 26ś20'N, 127ś43'E. Escort carrier Suwannee (CVE-27) is damaged when plane landing on her flight deck explodes upon landing, 24ś00'N, 124ś00'E.

PBMs sink Japanese Special Coast Defense Ship No.21 off China coast, 20ś58'N, 110ś30'E.

Thirty USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Niigata, Nanao, and Fushiki, Japan. Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) sinks Japanese cargo vessel No.14 Kaishin Maru west of the mouth of Kammon Channel, 34ś31'N, 130ś54'E. Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Fukuei Maru off Shodo Jima, Kinryuzan Maru off Moji, Tatsufuku Maru off Hesaki, Inaba Maru west of Oshima, Kagawa prefecture, and (USAAF B-29-laid mine) merchant tanker No.7 Nanko Maru off Motoyamamisaki, 33ś55'N, 131ś20'E; and damage transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kiyokawa Maru off Motoyamamisaki, and merchant cargo ships Nitcho Maru 44 kilometers southwest of Onna Jima, Yamazumi Maru at 34ś05'N, 130ś51'E, and No.2 Tomoe Maru at 32ś52'N, 129ś15'E.

* 25 May, Friday 1945

Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink high speed transport Bates (APD-47), 26ś41'N, 127ś47'E, and medium landing ship LSM-135; and damage destroyers Guest (DD-472), 26ś22'N, 127ś44'E, and Stormes (DD-780), 27ś06'N, 127ś38'E; destroyer escort O'Neill (DE-188), 26ś20'N, 127ś43'E; high speed transports Barry (APD-29), 26ś30'N, 127ś00'E (see 21 and 22 June), and Roper (APD-20), 26ś34'N, 127ś36'E; high speed minesweeper Butler (DMS-29), 26ś12'N, 127ś50'E; and minesweeper Spectacle (AM-305), 26ś40'N, 127ś52'E. Friendly fire damages destroyer Cowell (DD-547), 26ś41'N, 126ś50'E. Japanese plane torpedoes U.S. freighter William B. Allison in Buckner Bay; six merchant sailors and a stevedore die in the explosion. The 34-man merchant complement, 28 Armed Guard sailors and 150 stevedores, however, unload the ship's cargo.[15]

Submarine Blenny (SS-324) sinks Japanese gunboat Kairyu Maru, 06ś04'S, 107ś27'E.

Submarine Ray (SS-271) sinks Japanese schooner Tsuki Maru 35 miles east of Kaiyo Island 39ś04'N, 123ś06'E.

British submarine HMS Thorough sinks Japanese cargo ship Nittei Maru off west coast of Borneo, 06ś45'S, 112ś31'E.

British submarine HMS Trenchant sinks Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa 105 east of Mandalike Island 06ś23'S, 110ś55'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese cargo vessel Hikawa Maru at 33ś58'N, 131ś02'E, and merchant tanker No.3 Toyo Maru 3.2 kilometers off Hesaki, 33ś55'N, 131ś20'E. Mines also sink transport Tobi Maru northwest of Kyushu 33ś58'N, 130ś52'E, cargo ship Matsushima Maru two miles south of Matsuzaki Island and merchant cargo ships Shiragi Maru near Hesaki, and No.1 Nissan Maru off Mutsure, and damage destroyers Sakura seven kilometers off Hesaki Light and Tsubaki off Shimonoseki anchorage, Patrol Boat No.104 5.4 kilometers off Futaoi Light, army cargo ships Ginsei Maru and Ginzan Maru three kilometers off Mutsure Island merchant cargo ships No.3 Shinto Maru off Hesaki, and Iyo Maru east of the mouth of Kammon Channel, and merchant tanker No.4 Nanko Maru 6.5 kilometers off Hesaki.

USAAF planes sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Amoy Maru off north coast of Tsushima, 34ś46'N, 129ś23'E.

Japanese merchant vessel Kokei Maru is sunk by aircraft off Pusan, Korea.

Japanese transport Kamishima Maru is damaged by stranding off north coast of Java, N.E.I., 06ś25'S, 111ś00'E.

* 26 May, Saturday 1945

Pacific
Thirty USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Fukuoka, Karatsu, and Fushiki, Japan. Mines sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 172 at entrance to Fushiki harbor, Honshu, 36ś48'N, 137ś05'E, and merchant cargo ships Mogi Maru south of Hime Jima, 33ś43'N, 131ś38'E, Shiokubi Maru off Motoyamazakiand 9 Kaishin Maru at 34ś00'N, 130ś50'E, and No.6 Miyakawa Maru 3.5 kilometers south of Hesaki, 33ś55'N, 131ś02'E, and damage Japanese gunboat Hirota Maru, 34ś18'N, 133ś32'E, transport Akeshima Maru near Moji, 34ś47'N, 131ś35'E, and transport Inari Maru off Motoyamamisaki, and army cargo ships Ginzan Maru off Takenoko signal station and Igasa Maru 2.2 kilometers south of Hesaki, and merchant cargo ships Kunugi Maru outside Kobe harbor, 34ś39'N, 135ś11'E, Shozan Maru off Tokuyama, Shimonoseki Strait, 33ś57'N, 131ś46'E, and Mitsukisan Maru at 33ś52'N, 131ś02'E.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage high speed minesweeper Forrest (DMS-24), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E, and submarine chaser PC-1603, 26ś25'N, 127ś53'E.

Submarine Billfish (SS-286) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.7 Kotobuki Maru off Nagasaki, Japan, 33ś19'N, 129ś31'E.

Japanese guardboat Kaishin Maru is damaged by stranding at north end of Paramushiro Island Kurils.

* 27 May, Sunday 1945

Pacific
Admiral William F. Halsey Jr., Commander Third Fleet, relieves Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, Commander Fifth Fleet, of operational control at Okinawa. TF 58 thus becomes TF 38.

Off Okinawa, two kamikazes damage destroyer Braine (DD-630), 26ś25'N, 128ś30'E; kamikazes also damage destroyer Anthony (DD-515), 26ś25'N, 128ś30'E, high speed minesweeper Southard (DMS-10), 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E, high speed transports Loy (APD-56), 26ś30'N, 127ś30'E, and Rednour (APD-102), 26ś29'N, 127ś21'E, surveying ship Dutton (AGS-8), 26ś15'N, 127ś59'E, submarine chaser PCS-1396 and degaussing vessel YDG-10, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; destroyer escort Gilligan (DE-508) is damaged by dud torpedo fired by kaiten from Japanese submarine I 367, 26ś47'N, 127ś47'E; minesweeper Gayety (AM-239) is damaged by near-miss of bomb, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E; large support landing craft LCS-52 is damaged by near-miss of kamikaze; fleet tug Pakana (ATF-108) is damaged by strafing, 26ś22'N, 127ś44'E.

In the final mine-laying operation of Phase III of Operation STARVATION, eleven USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Moji, Japan. USAAF B-29-laid mines sink cargo vessels Chizan Maru off Wadanomisaki light, 33ś30'N, 130ś30'E, and Kongo Maru in Shimonoseki Strait off Hakata, 33ś41'N, 130ś15'E, and merchant tanker Hojo Maru off south coast of Yoshimi Island and damage merchant cargo ship Kifune Maru 1.4 kilometers north of Niigata light.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kinei Maru off Kushiro light, 42ś54'N, 144ś18'E.

Submarine Tigrone (SS-419) sinks Japanese guardboat No.3 Yawata Maru off Tori Jima, 29ś24'N, 141ś01'E.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.3 Misago Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft at entrance to Ise Wan, Japan, 34ś37'N, 137ś19'E.

Japanese naval vessel Shinho Maru is sunk by aircraft off Sosa, Chiba prefecture.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Daito Maru is sunk by aircraft off Yosu.

Commanding General, Alaskan Department, requests Navy assistance in evacuating local citizens endangered as Yukon River floods (see 28 and 31 May).

Europe
U.S. freighter John Woolman, in convoy ATM 167, is damaged by mine 16 miles off Dunkirk, France; there are no fatalities among the ship's complement.

* 28 May, Monday 1945
Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes sink destroyer Drexler (DD-741), 27ś06'N, 127ś38'E, and damage attack transport Sandoval (APA-194), 26ś15'N, 127ś51'E, and large support landing craft LCS(L)-119. A suicider crashes and damages U.S. freighter Mary A. Livermore in Buckner Bay, 26ś12'N, 127ś46'E; the 27 Armed Guards and 75 Construction Battalion sailors on board contribute men to firefighting efforts (four Armed Guard sailors, as well as seven merchant seamen, die in the explosion and fires). Another kamikaze crashes and damages U.S. freighter Brown Victory off Ie Shima; two of the 27 Armed Guards are killed instantly, and 18 injured (one merchant sailor and an Armed Guard sailor die of their wounds later). Still another suicider crashes U.S. freighter Josiah Snelling off Okinawa; Armed Guard gunfire manages to deflect the Japanese plane from its suicidal course toward the amidships deckhouse and into a less vulnerable part, saving the ship from worse damage. There are no fatalities on board.

Submarines Blueback (SS-326) and Lamprey (SS-372) battle Japanese submarine chaser Ch.1 in a surface gunnery action off Japara, N.E.I., 06ś28'S, 110ś37'E, and damage the enemy escort vessel.

Submarine Ray (SS-271) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Biko Maru northwest of Changshan, 38ś21'N, 123ś58'E.

Commander, Kodiak Sector, Alaskan Sea Frontier, dispatches four PBYs (three from FAW 1 and one from NAS Kodiak) to Fairbanks, via Anchorage, Alaska, to provide assistance in evacuating citizens threatened by rising Yukon River floodwaters (see 31 May).

USAAF B-29-laid mines sink Japanese transport Akitsu Maru south of Kure, and damage Coast Defense Vessel No.29 off Kyushu, 33ś07'N, 129ś44'E, merchant cargo ships Mishimasan Maru three kilometers off Tateishikzaki and Annette Fritzen Go at 33ś53'N, 130ś05'E; and fishing boat No.3 Genei Maru outside Sasebo Bay.

* 29 May, Tuesday 1945

Pacific
Off Okinawa, kamikazes crash destroyer Shubrick (DD-639), 26ś38'N, 127ś05'E, and high speed transport Tatum (APD-81), 26ś40'N, 127ś50'E; groundings account for damage to motor minesweeper YMS-81, 26ś16'N, 127ś52'E, and tank landing ship LST-844, 26ś17'N, 127ś51'E.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) sinks Japanese cargo vessel Umatsu Maru off Mutsure Jima, 34ś00'N, 130ś50'E, and damage army cargo ship No.6 Unyo Maru 3.6 miles off Hesaki light, 31ś41'N, 129ś45'E, and merchant cargo ship No.5 Nissen Maru off Mutsure Jima.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Etsunan Maru is sunk by RAF-laid mine at 10ś30'N, 99ś24'E; later that day, submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) torpedoes Kamiyama Maru as she picks up Etsunan Maru survivors, and forces the rescuing ship to take refuge at Cape Khokwang.

Submarine Sterlet (SS-392), despite proximity of escorting Coast Defense Ship No.65, sinks Japanese army cargo ships Kuretake Maru and Tenryo Maru, 46ś46'N, 144ś16'E.

* 30 May, Wednesday 1945

Pacific
Planes (VC 82) from escort carrier Anzio (CVE-57) sink Japanese submarine I 361, 400 miles southeast of Okinawa, 22ś22'N, 134ś09'E.

Submarine Blenny (SS-324) sinks Japanese cargo ship Hokoku Maru 40 miles southwest of Bandjermasin, 04ś09'S, 114ś16'E.

Submarine Croaker (SS-246), despite proximity of escorting auxiliary submarine chaser Kenkai Maru, sinks No.154 Shuttle Boat and No.146 Shuttle Boat at 04ś50'S, 113ś10'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) sink Japanese transport Hakuun Maru off Hakata, Japan, 33ś36'N, 130ś25'E, and merchant cargo ships Fujitama Maru off Wadanomisaki light, 34ś30'N, 135ś11'E, Kasumi Maru .8 kilometers off Mijizaki, and No.14 Takasago Maru northwest of Tadotsu, 35ś15'N, 133ś44'E, and damage army cargo ships Hyuga Maru 3.6 kilometerssouth-southeast of Genka Jima and Shinno Maru at mouth of Tsuruga Bay.

* 31 May, Thursday 1945

Pacific
Four PBYs (three from FAW 1 and one from NAS Kodiak) dispatched to Fairbanks, via Anchorage, by Commander, Kodiak Sector, Alaskan Sea Frontier, return to Kodiak, their mission of providing assistance in evacuating citizenry threatened by rising Yukon River floodwaters having been completed.

Soviet merchantman Uzbekistan and U.S. freighter American Star are damaged in collision off Dutch Harbor, Alaska; big harbor tug YTB-191 provides assistance.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) sink Japanese cargo ship Man Maru off Hesaki light, and damage gunboat Kazan Maru off Genka Jima Light, 33ś40'N, 129ś57'E, army cargo ships No.2 Yoro Maru southeast of Hesaki and Peking Maru off Onna Jima, and merchant cargo ship Jindai Maru northwest of Mutsure Jima. USAAF B-29-laid mine damages transport Tensho Maru at 34ś35'N, 135ś15'E, but Tensho Maru sinks after being towed into Osaka harbor.

June

* 1 June, Friday 1945

Pacific
Naval Air Facility, Peleliu Island Palau Islands, is established.

Naval Air Base, Tarawa, is disestablished.

USAAF B-29s (458 strong) bomb Osaka; in the course of the raid on that Japanese port city, the B-29s damage army cargo ships Yamazono Maru, Shinwao Maru, and army tankers Shunsho Maru and Eijun Maru, and merchant cargo ships No.2 Kimagayo Maru, Daito Maru, Hokuju Maru, Denshin Maru, Biyo Maru, Tonegawa Maru, and merchant tankers Ohyama Maru and Encho Maru.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) sink Japanese army cargo ship Seishu Maru off Shodo Jima, and merchant cargo ships Abukamagawa Maru 34ś34'N, 134ś14'E, and No.7 Kenkon Maru and Meitei Maru off Shimonoseki, 34ś58'N, 130ś56'E, merchant tanker Yoko Maru, 34ś30'N, 135ś15'E, merchant cargo ship Myosei Maru in Shimonoseki Strait, 33ś58'N, 131ś03'E; and damage merchant cargo ship Kishun Maru north by east of Mojizaki light, Goko Maru northwest of Wakamatsu, 33ś58'N, 130ś41'E, Unten Maru west of Seto, Inland Sea, and Shinano Maru outside Fushiki harbor, and cargo vessel Shinju Maru 35ś42'N, 136ś04'E, and No.1 ToyoMaru at entrance of Shimonoseki Strait, 33ś57'N, 130ś40'E.

Submarine chaser PC-1599 is damaged by grounding off Okinawa, 26ś25'N, 127ś43'E.

British submarine HMS Tiptoe sinks Japanese cargo ship Tobi Maru off Matasiri Island 04ś40'S, 115ś32'E.

Europe
Naval Advanced Base, Bremerhaven, Germany, is established.

* 2 June, Saturday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) bombs airfields in southern Kyushu, Japan; attack is repeated on 3 June.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Mikamasan Maru southeast of Shiriyazaki, 41ś22'N, 141ś28'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) damage Japanese cargo ships Nissho Maru two kilometers north of Tateishisakiand 3 Yubari Maru west of the mouth of Kammon Strait, Kashima Maru at 33ś58'N, 130ś42'E, Katsura Maru between Yoshi Jima and Sanakai Jima, and No.1 Toyo Maru at entrance of Shimonoseki Strait, 33ś48'N, 130ś42'E.

Japanese cargo vessel Kojin Maru is sunk, cause unspecified, near Rabaul.

Army coastal cargo vessel FS 34 reports to District Coast Guard Officer, Ketchikan, Alaska, for temporary duty. FS 34 will operate out of Dutch Harbor under the Coast Guard for a four-month period, transporting construction materials, fuel, supplies and workers to expedite the building of direction finder stations on the islands of St. Paul, Unimak, and St. George.

* 3 June, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Naval task group (Rear Admiral Lawrence F. Reifsnider) lands Marines on Iheya Jima, Ryukyus.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage cargo ship Allegan (AK-225), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E, and large infantry landing craft LCI(L) 90.

Submarine Blueback (SS-326) sinks unnamed Japanese merchant fishing boat, 05ś39'S, 106ś47'E.

Submarine Segundo (SS-398) sinks Japanese merchantman No.94 Anto Maru off Jinsen, Korea, 36ś41'N, 125ś23'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Bomber Command) sink Japanese naval vessel No.15 Hakutetsu Maru in Inland Sea, army cargo ship Taiei Maru, 3.7 kilometers off Motoyama light, 38ś56'N, 137ś05'N, merchant cargo ships Osara Maru off Motoyama Bay, Konei Maru outside Karatsu harbor, 33ś33'N, 129ś58'E, and Momo Maru at 34ś35'N, 134ś15'E, and damage minelayer Tokiwa two kilometers off Bakuchizaki, and merchant cargo ship Erimo Maru off Hime Jima light, 33ś47'N, 131ś14'E.

Japanese ship No.6 Tankai Maru is sunk by aircraft, Hitakata, Ibaraki prefecture.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Anri Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś57'N, 129ś13'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Anjo Maru is damaged by aircraft off Pusan, Korea.

Destroyer Porter (DD-800), operating with TF 92, is damaged in collision with U.S. Army cable ship Silverado, the latter being convoyed by escort vessel PCE-893, off Kuluk Bay, Adak, Alaska, in "extremely poor" visibility conditions.

* 4 June, Monday 1945
Europe
U.S. freighter Colin P. Kelly, Jr., bound for Antwerp, Belgium, in convoy TAM 89, is damaged by mine off the Downs, 51ś22'48"N, 02ś35'E; there are no fatalities among the ship's complement (which includes a 37-man Armed Guard), but the ship is later written off as a total loss.

Black Sea
U.S. freighter New Bern Victory, en route to Constanta, Rumania, is damaged by mine six miles off Odessa, USSR; there are no casualties to the ship's complement and the ship is later repaired and returns to active service.

Pacific
District patrol vessel YP-41 is damaged by operational casualty off Okinawa, 26ś18'N, 127ś52'E.

Submarine Billfish (SS-286) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Taiu Maru off Chinnampo, Korea, 38ś32'N, 124ś45'E.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese transport Ryujin Maru off Hachinohe, 40ś54'N, 141ś29'E.

USAAF B-24s (13th Air Force) sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 112 and motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No. 162 and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Kenkai Maru in Java Sea off Laut Island 05ś00'S, 116ś04'E.

Mines sink Japanese weather observation ship Hijun Maru 5.5 miles off Hesaki, 33ś54'N, 131ś06'E, and cargo ships Aichi Maru (location unspecified), Hinode Maru off Moji City; No.2 Shiwa Maru off Taishu Light; unidentified tugboat off south end of Motoyamazaki; merchant cargo ships Kifune Maru off Niigata and No.5 Yamabishi Maru at 33ś44'N, 131ś06'E; and damage transport Tsukushi Maru at 33ś50'N, 131ś19'E, and merchant cargo ship Sawa Maru two kilometers off Mutsure, 33ś54'N, 130ś54'E, and Chikushi Maru off Motoyama Bay.

Japanese tanker Hasu Maru is damaged by mine in Berhala Straits, between Sumatra and Lingga anchorage.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Miyakawa Maru is sunk by marine casualty off Hirato Jima.

USAAF planes sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Shobu Maru at 34ś20'N, 124ś30'E.

Japanese cargo ship Banshu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś27'N, 129ś35'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Taikai Maru is damaged by aircraft, 31ś18'N, 129ś24'E.

* 5 June, Tuesday 1945

Pacific
Typhoon off Okinawa damages battleships Indiana (BB-58), Massachusetts (BB-59), Alabama (BB-60), and Missouri (BB-63); carriers Hornet (CV-12) and Bennington (CV-20), small carriers Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30), escort carriers Windham Bay (CVE-92), Salamaua (CVE-96), Bougainville (CVE-100), and Attu (CVE-102), heavy cruisers Baltimore (CA-68), Quincy (CA-71), and Pittsburgh (CA-72), light cruisers Detroit (CL-8), San Juan (CL-54), Duluth (CL-87), and Atlanta (CL-104), destroyers Schroeder (DD-501), John Rodgers (DD-574), McKee (DD-575), Dashiell (DD-659), Stockham (DD-683), De Haven (DD-727), Maddox (DD-731), Blue (DD-744), Brush (DD-745), Taussig (DD-746), and Samuel N. Moore (DD-747), destroyer escorts Donaldson (DE-44), Conklin (DE-439), and Hilbert (DE-742), oilers Lackawanna (AO-40) and Millicoma (AO-73), and ammunition ship Shasta (AE-6).

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage battleship Mississippi (BB-41), 26ś09'N, 127ś35'E, and heavy cruiser Louisville (CA-28), 26ś07'N, 127ś52'E.

Destroyer Dyson (DD-572) is damaged when she is accidentally rammed by destroyer escort Abercrombie (DE-343) at Kerama Retto, Okinawa, 26ś09'N, 127ś49'E. Tank landing ship LST-540 is damaged by operational casualty off Okinawa.

Destroyer escort French (DE-367), on antisubmarine screening duties off Peleliu, bombards Malakal and Arakabesan Islands, Palaus.

Minesweeper Scuffle (AM-298) is damaged by grounding in Brunei Bay, 08ś01'N, 117ś13'E.

Gasoline tanker Sheepscot (AOG-24) is damaged by grounding off Iwo Jima, 24ś46'N, 141ś18'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 230 is sunk in collision with army transport Azusa Maru one mile south of Sop-To light, Korea, 34ś00'N, 127ś18'E. Azusa Maru is damaged in the collision.

Japanese guardboat No.13 Kintoku Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft off Fujinamiohama, Japan.

Mines sink Japanese cargo ship No.5 Yawata Maru off Tsunemi, Moji; and merchant cargo ship Taisho Maru two kilometers off Mutsure Island 33ś54'N, 130ś54'E, and damage destroyer Yoizuki 5.8 kilometers northwest of Hime Jima light, escort destroyer Shii in Bungo Straits, army cargo ship Toyo Maru near Aohama, merchant cargo ship Annette Fritzen Go off Asa Jima, Fusan, 33ś56'N, 131ś03'E, and cargo vessel Toyo Maru off Shimonoseki, 33ś57'N, 131ś02'E.

Japanese fast transport T.9 is damaged by aircraft, north of Chichi Jima.

Japanese army cargo ship Taiko Maru is damaged by marine casualty off Kannonzaki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Nansei Maru is damaged by marine casualty, near Moji.

* 6 June, Wednesday 1945

Pacific
Off Okinawa, minesweepers Requisite (AM-109) and Spear (AM-322) are damaged in collision, 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E; light minelayers Harry F. Bauer (DM-26) and J. William Ditter (DM-31) are damaged by kamikazes, 26ś14'N,128ś01'E, and landing craft flotilla flagship LC(FF)-995 is damaged by operational casualty.

Mines sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 195, Nanao Bay, Honshu, Japan, 37ś10'N, 137ś05'E; guardboat No.5 Yawata Maru off Tsurumi; merchant cargo ship Gassan Maru off Moji, 34ś00'N, 130ś50'E, destroyer Kaki off Kominase, 33ś46'N, 130ś24'E, escort destroyer Habuto 1.3 kilometers north of Kannonzaki light, and cargo ship No. 18 Tamon Maru off Hesaki light.

Japanese army cargo ship No.20 Hokko Maru is damaged by marine casualty off east coast of Aomori prefecture.

Auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 251 (ex-submarine chaser Ch 51) is damaged by aircraft, three miles off Akashima.

* 7 June, Thursday 1945

Pacific
Phase IV of Operation STARVATION, an intensified blockade of northwestern Honshu and Kyushu, begins as 26 USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Fukuoka, Japan.

TG 74.3 (Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey), comprising three U.S. light cruisers, one Australian light cruiser, and seven destroyers, provides close cover and fire support for minesweepers and underwater demolition teams off Brunei Bay.

Carrier Randolph (CV-15) is damaged when accidentally crashed by stunting USAAF P-38 fighter, Leyte, P.I.

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage escort carrier Natoma Bay (CVE-62), 24ś46'N, 126ś37'E, and destroyer Anthony (DD-515), 27ś07'N, 127ś38'E; operational casualties account for damage to medium landing ship LSM-270, landing craft flotilla flagship LC(FF)-988 and tank landing craft LCT-1054; tank landing ship LST-540 is damaged by grounding, 26ś21'N, 127ś45'E; destroyer Beale (DD-471) is damaged in collision with gasoline tanker Yahara (AOG-37) at Kerama Retto, 26ś10'N, 127ś20'E.

Submarine Shad (SS-235) sinks Japanese army transport Azusa Maru and tanker No.22 Nanshin Maru, 50 miles southwest of Yoso-do, Korea, 33ś55'N, 126ś50'E.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese guardboat Hanshin Maru in Sea of Japan, 42ś41'N, 143ś53'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.43 Hino Maru is sunk by aircraft off Hiradojima, Miyanoura.

Mines sink Japanese auxiliary minelayer Hakun Maru near Hong Kong, merchant cargo ship No.2 Yubari Maru west of the mouth of Kammon Strait, and damage merchant cargo ship Taigen Maru outside Fushiki harbor.

* 8 June, Friday 1945

Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) planes attack Kanoya Airfield, Kyushu, Japan.

TG 74.3 (Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey) bombards Japanese positions in preparation for the landings at Brunei Bay, covering the reconnaissance parties ashore; bombardment is repeated on 9 June (see 7 June). During sweeping operations in Brunei Bay, minesweeper Salute (AM-294) is sunk by mine, 05ś08'N, 115ś05'E.

As fighting continues on Okinawa, Hospital Apprentice First Class Fred F. Lester, serving with a rifle platoon, sees a wounded marine beyond the front lines. As he advances under heavy fire, Lester is hit and severely wounded. He attempts unaided to drag the wounded marine to safety, but is hit again. Although paralyzed on his right side, Lester succeeds in dragging the marine to cover. Realizing he has been mortally wounded, the corpsman, spurning medical attention for himself, directs marines to treat the casualty he had brought to safety, thus saving that man's life. Lester devotes his last efforts to directing the treatment of two other wounded marines before he dies. For his courage "above and beyond the call of duty," Lester is awarded the Medal of Honor, posthumously.

British submarine HMS Trenchant torpedoes and sinks Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara 14 nautical miles west-southwest of Muntok, in northern entrance of Bangka Straits, 02ś00'S, 104ś56'E.

Submarine Cobia (SS-245) sinks Japanese transport Hakusa and tanker No.22 Nanshin Maru off southern French Indochina, 08ś56'N, 105ś37'E.

Japanese submarine tender Chogei is damaged by mine, 1.6 kilometers southwest of Bakuchizaki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Ojima Maru is damaged by aircraft, between Ainoura and Tainosaki.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping near Bandjermasin, sinking Shuttle Boat No.466 and damaging Shuttle Boat No. 423 near mouth of Barita River.

* 9 June, Saturday 1945

Pacific
Naval task group (Rear Admiral Lawrence F. Reifsnider) lands Marines on Aguni Jima, Ryukyus.

Naval task group (Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford) bombs and bombards Okino Daito Jima, Ryukyus.

Twenty-seven USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits.

Submarine Sea Owl (SS-405) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.41 in Tsushima Strait, southeast of Mokpo, Korea, 34ś22'N, 128ś11'E.

Submarine Crevalle (SS-291) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hokuto Maru west of Aomori Prefecture, in western approaches to Tsugaru Strait, 40ś54'N, 139ś48'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) attacks Japanese shipping off northwest coast of Honshu, sinking merchant cargo ships Sagawa Maru and Shoyo Maru, 38ś10'N, 138ś20'E.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese transport Kamishika Maru off southern Hokkaido, 41ś49'N, 141ś11'E.

Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Wakatama Maru off east coast of Korea, 37ś32'N, 129ś10'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.35 Banshu Maru, 36ś19'N, 136ś12'E, and Inaura Maru, .7 kilometers off Takase light, 34ś00'N, 131ś00'E.

PB4Ys or PBMs sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Kaishin Maru at 37ś05'N, 129ś08'E.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping off Bandjermasin, sinking cargo vessel Koryu Maru and 423 Shuttle Boat and No.444 Shuttle Boat, and damaging cargo vessel No.8 Nippo Maru.

* 10 June, Sunday 1945
Pacific
TG 74.3 (Rear Admiral Russell S. Berkey) cruiser and destroyer gunfire and strikes by USAAF and RAAF planes support landing of Australian troops at Brunei Bay, Borneo.

Naval task group (Rear Admiral Joseph J. Clark) bombs and bombards enemy airfield and other installations on Minami Daito Jima, Ryukyus.

Off Okinawa, destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579) is sunk by kamikaze, 27ś06'N, 127ś38'E; despite the fires and exploding ammunition, Lieutenant Richard M. McCool, Jr. unhesitatingly places his ship, large support landing craft LCS(L)(3)-122 alongside the sinking warship to take off her survivors (see 11 June).

Also off Okinawa, destroyer escort Gendreau (DE-639) is damaged by shore battery, 26ś03'N, 127ś12'E.

Submarine Crevalle (SS-291) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Daiki Maru in western approaches to Tsugaru Strait, 40ś44'N, 139ś48'E.

Submarine Dace (SS-247) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking merchant cargo ship Hakuyo Maru in Sea of Okhotsk, about 120 miles west of Shimushu Island 47ś21'N, 149ś07'E.

Submarine Flying Fish (SS-229) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Taga Maru off Seishin, northwestern Korea, 41ś42'N, 129ś34'E.

Submarine Skate (SS-305) sinks Japanese submarine I 122 in Sea of Japan, six miles off Cape Rokugo lighthouse, 37ś30'N, 137ś24'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411), attacking Japanese shipping off Hokkaido, sinks merchant cargo ship No.2 Taigen Maru off Otaru, 43ś23'N, 140ś39'E; transport No.8 Unkai Maru off Shakotan Mizaki, 43ś55'N, 141ś13'E; and cargo ship Jintsu Maru, 43ś28'N, 140ś28'E.

Submarine Tench (SS-417) sinks Japanese merchant tanker No.6 Shoei Maru, 41ś15'N, 141ś31'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, commence mining waters of the Korean archipelago. The intent is to drive Japanese shipping, forced by the work of PB4Ys and PBMs to carry out nocturnal operations (sheltering by day in small protected anchorages) out into the open sea to facilitate mast-head attacks. The mines thus planted could sink undiverted shipping and place an additional burden on the already overtaxed Japanese minesweeping force. On this initial mission, the first aerial mining using Privateers, however, the PB4Ys encounter intense antiaircraft fire from Japanese warships in Tsushima Strait during the run-in to the objective, Pusan harbor. The PB4Ys mine the waters along the Korean coast between Shinchi-To and Seigan-To instead (see 11 June-1 July).

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 63 is sunk in collision west of Mokpo, Korea, 34ś50'N, 126ś10'E.

Mines damage Japanese escort destroyer Habuto, 2.6 kilometers north of Kannonzaki, and guardboat Choei Maru off Shinminato.

PB4Ys (VB 102ś) sink Japanese merchant tanker Tado Maru off west coast of Korea, 36ś00'N, 125ś00'E.

* 11 June, Monday 1945

Pacific
Off Okinawa, Japanese air attacks continue against ships on radar picket stations; large support landing craft LCS(L)(3)-122 is damaged when kamikaze crashes near her conning tower. Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Richard M. McCool, Jr., although wounded at the outset, releases men trapped in a burning compartment, suffering further injuries in so doing. For his courageously saving the lives of his men and inspiring his crew to save their ship, in addition to his actions the previous day in rescuing survivors of kamikazed destroyer William D. Porter (DD-579), McCool is awarded the Medal of Honor.

Elsewhere off Okinawa, a kamikaze crashes alongside U.S. freighter Walter Colton; the ship receives additional damage from friendly fire of nearby ships in the anchorage. Of the combined complement of 41 merchant sailors, 29 Armed Guards and 11 Construction Battalion men, only three men suffer injuries. Dock landing ship Lindenwald (LSD-6) is also damaged by friendly fire, 26ś17'N, 127ś53'E.

Cruisers and destroyers (Rear Admiral John H. Brown, Jr.) bombard Japanese installations on Matsuwa, Kurils.

Twenty-six USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Tsuruga, Japan. Japanese merchant cargo ship Hiwaka Maru is sunk by mine, 34ś44'N, 125ś52'E.

Okinawa-based PB4Y-2s (VPB 118) fly second aerial mining mission into the Korean archipelago, but fog, blanketing the entire objective, compels the Privateers to jettison the mines en route back to base.

Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.3 Shinyo Maru off Genzan, Korea, 39ś24'N, 128ś59'E.

Submarine Crevalle (SS-291) sinks Japanese gunboat No.5 Hakusan Maru off Henashi Zaki, Honshu, 40ś43'N, 139ś51'E.

Submarine Flying Fish (SS-229) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Meisei Maru near Rashin, Korea, 41ś47'N, 131ś44'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kofuku Maru, 40ś28'N, 139ś47'E.

Submarine Segundo (SS-398) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Fukui Maru, in the Yellow Sea off the Shantung peninsula, 37ś11'N, 123ś23'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hakuju Maru at Ha Jima, southern Kyushu, 42ś37'N, 129ś45'E.

PB4Y-2 sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 237 at entrance to Ise Bay, 34ś30'N, 137ś06'E; the explosion of the enemy patrol vessel, however, heavily damages the attacking Privateer.

Japanese guardboat No.5 Nichiei Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft southwest of Paramushiro, Kurils, 50ś00'N, 155ś00'E.

Japanese cargo ship Kimi Maru is sunk by aircraft off west coast of Aomori prefecture.

* 12, Tues. --
Pacific
Off Okinawa, light cruiser Vicksburg (CL-86) is damaged when own shell bursts as it leaves muzzle, 26ś10'N, 127ś20'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ships Shinsen Maru and Kaiwa Maru, 40ś11'N, 139ś46'E.

Submarine Skate (SS-305) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ships Yozan Maru, Kenjo Maru, and Zuiko Maru, and damages Kankyo Maru in Togi harbor, northern Honshu, 37ś08'N, 136ś42'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese guardboat Daido Maru west of Wakkanai, Hokkaido, 45ś08'N, 141ś10'E.

Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Keito Maru, 37ś30'N, 129ś20'E.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 57 and passenger ferry No.2 Kuroshio (ex-landing ship T.149) are sunk by British destroyers HMS Tartar, HMS Eskimo, and HMS Nubian (10th Destroyer Flotilla), 20 miles north ofSabang, Sumatra, 06ś20'N, 94ś45'E, as the enemy is engaged in withdrawing his troops from the Andamans.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Myoken Maru is sunk by aircraft, Atsuta dockyard.

Okinawa-based PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), using radar, mine the waters off Chin-To, Korean Archipelago. The same waters are mined again the following day.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s sink Japanese army cargo ship Aizan Maru in Hakata Bay, 33ś38'N, 130ś22'E, merchant cargo ships Sagami Maru, 25 miles off Kaburazaki, and Fumitsuki Maru off Shirasu, 33ś57'N, 130ś44'E, and liaison ship Shimonoseki Maru at 36ś30'N, 130ś19'E, and damage army tanker Yamadono Maru, 2.5 kilometers off Manabe Island.

* 13 June, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Large infantry landing craft LCI(L)-871, on routine patrol along the east coast of Urukthapel Island Palaus, engages Japanese artillery and mortar batteries.

Twenty-nine USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Niigata, Japan. Mines laid in these and previous plants by B-29s sink merchant cargo ship Matsuo Maru, 3.4 kilometers south of Motoyama light, and Hiyoshi Maru and No.8 Nissho Maru off Hesaki light, 33ś54'N, 131ś07'E, Koryu Maru off Hesaki light, 33ś55'N, 131ś07'E, and damage escort destroyer Io, 1.7 kilometers southeast of Kannonzaki, and merchant cargo ships Kinyo Maru, Kyokenzaki, Kammon Strait, Kannon Maru (unspecified location), Hakujitsu Maru at 33ś5837'N, 130ś44'E, Takakurasan Maru at 37ś07'N, 137ś03'E, and 2 Kofuku Maru, 37ś07'N, 137ś03'E.

Off Okinawa, battleship Idaho (BB-42) is damaged by grounding, 26ś14'N, 127ś57'E.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320) is damaged by mine (U.S. or British proximity-fuzed) in Gulf of Siam, 11ś45'N, 99ś50'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Bonefish (SS-223) sinks Japanese cargo ship Oshikasan Maru in Japan Sea, 38ś30'N, 136ś58'E.

Submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Meiho Maru, 39ś00'N, 128ś05'E.

Submarine Skate (SS-305) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hattenzan Maru, 37ś20'N, 134ś28'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) mistakenly sinks Russian cargo ship Transbalt, 45ś44'N, 140ś48'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kaisho Maru is sunk by aircraft, 35ś49'N, 126ś23'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Koun Maru off Macao, 23ś30'N, 113ś30'E.

* 14 June, Thursday 1945

Pacific
British TG 111.2 (Rear Admiral Eric J.P. Brind, RN), comprising fleet carrier HMS Implacable, escort carrier HMS Ruler, four light cruisers and five destroyers, attacks Truk atoll to neutralize Japanese air bases there (see 15 June).

Motor gunboat PGM-24 is damaged when accidentally rammed by light minelayer Thomas E. Fraser (DM-24) off Okinawa, 25ś30'N, 126ś00'E.

Submarine Sea Devil (SS-400), despite presence of two escorts, sinks Japanese transport Wakamiyasan Maru in the northern Yellow Sea, 37ś35'N, 123ś30'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Seizan Maru off western Sakhalin, 47ś03'N, 142ś01'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, mine waters between Gyuji-To, Toso-To and Jobai-To, Korean Archipelago, encountering antiaircraft fire from nearby anchored shipping. The same waters are mined each day over the next three days, but the Privateers encounter no further antiaircraft fire on those occasions.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29s sinks Japanese army cargo ship No.18 Umajima Maru at 33ś39'N, 130ś15'E.

PB4Y bombs Japanese shipping off Bandjermasin, sinking No.470 Shuttle Vessel.

Black Sea
U.S. freighter Attleboro Victory, en route to Constanta, Romania, is damaged by mine in the Black Sea, 44ś59'N, 30ś54'E. There are no casualties to the ship's complement (which includes 12 Armed Guard sailors) and the ship is later repaired and returns to active service.

* 15 June, Friday 1945

Pacific
British TG 111.2 (Rear Admiral Eric J.P. Brind, RN), bombards Japanese installations, Truk atoll.

Fifteen motor minesweepers (YMS), accompanied by the high speed transport Cofer (APD-62) and landing craft equipped with light minesweeping gear, arrive off Balikpapan, Borneo, to begin mine clearance operations.

Thirty USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Fushiki, Fukuoka, and Karatsu, Japan.

Destroyer escort O'Flaherty (DE-340) is damaged in collision with escort carrier Block Island (CVE-106) off Okinawa, 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Koan Maru, 39ś53'N, 139ś40'E.

Japanese guardboats Gion Maru and Jinko Maru are sunk by U.S. aircraft, Cam Ranh Bay, French Indochina.

Japanese freighter No.2 Tanshin Maru is sunk by marine casualty, near Malay peninsula.

USAAF B-24s (10th Air Force) attack Japanese convoy in Gulf of Siam, damaging destroyer Kamikaze and minesweeper W.4 and sinking merchant tanker Toho Maru off Samui Island 09ś25'N, 99ś54'E,

Japanese merchant cargo ship Heiryu Maru sinks after colliding with submerged wreck southwest of Shinshin Island Korea, 36ś39'N, 126ś07'E.

Japanese cargo vessel Junkawa Maru is sunk by mine, 04ś41'S, 106ś13'E.

* 16 June, Saturday 1945
United States Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland is established.

Pacific
Off Okinawa, destroyer Twiggs (DD-591) is sunk by aerial torpedo, 26ś08'N, 137ś35'E, and escort carrier Steamer Bay (CVE-87) is damaged by aircraft operational casualty, 24ś00'N, 128ś00'E.

Submarine Piranha (SS-389) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eiso Maru, 41ś57'N, 140ś56'E.

British submarine HMS Taciturn sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 105 and unnamed air warning picket hulk (ex-Dutch submarine K-XVIII) off Surabaya, Java, N.E.I.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Wakatake Maru is sunk by aircraft, Keelung harbor.

Japanese army cargo ship Taikyu Maru is sunk by mine west of the mouth of Kammon channel.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Takeshima Maru is sunk by aircraft, 34ś35'N, 125ś58'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kinsho Maru is sunk, agentand location unspecified.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.35 Banshu Maru is sunk by mine, 33ś57'N, 130ś43'E.

Japanese destroyer Natsuzuki is damaged 3.1 kilometers off Mutsure Island.

* 17 June, Sunday 1945

Pacific
Twenty-seven USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Kobe, Japan.

Gasoline tanker Chestatee (AOG-49) is damaged in collision with U.S. tanker Sinclair Superflame off Luzon, 07ś04'N, 122ś06'E.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) attacks Japanese convoy, sinking Japanese auxiliary minelayer Eijo Maru off Matsuta Misaki, Hokkaido,, 42ś38'N, 139ś49'E.

Submarine chaser PC-794 is damaged when she strikes an uncharted rock off Theodore Point, Otter Island Alaska, 52ś45'10"N, 172ś53'20"E.

Japanese cargo ship Kongo Maru is sunk by aircraft, north of Shumushu Island.

Japanese fast transport T.16 is damaged by aircraft, 15 miles off Oshima.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.46 is damaged by marine casualty north of Tsingtao, China.

Japanese naval vessel Bingo Maru is damaged by marine casualty, two kilometers off Paekyongdo.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Jintsugawa Maru is sunk by marine casualty off Najin, Korea.

* 18 June, Monday 1945

Pacific
Battleship Nevada (BB-36) and two destroyers (Captain Homer L. Grosskopf), en route from Pearl Harbor to Saipan, bombards shore installations on Emidj Island, Jaluit Atoll, Marshalls, coordinated with bombing by land-based planes from U.S. bases in the Marshalls.

Lieutenant General Simon B. Buckner, USA, commander of the Tenth Army, is killed on Okinawa; Major General Roy S. Geiger, USMC, assumes temporary command of the Tenth Army to direct its final combat operations on the island.

Rear Admiral Forrest B. Royal, Commander, Amphibious Group 6, dies on board amphibious force flagship Rocky Mount (AGC-3) of coronary thrombosis.

Motor minesweeper YMS-50, damaged by mine off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś18'S, 116ś49'E, is scuttled by light cruiser Denver (CL-58).

Submarine Apogon (SS-308), attacking Japanese convoy RU, sinks transport Hakuai Maru and guardboat No.2 Kusonoki Maru southwest of Paramushiro, Kurils, 50ś30'N, 155ś01'E (see 19 June).

Submarine Bonefish (SS-223), after conferring with Tunny (SS-282) at 37ś02'N, 135ś32'E, off western coast of Honshu, sinks Japanese cargo ship Konzan Maru, 37ś13'N, 137ś18'E. Bonefish, however, is later sunk by escort destroyer Okinawa, Coast Defense Vessel No.63, Coast Defense Vessel No.75, Coast Defense Vessel No.158 and Coast Defense Vessel No.207 in Sea of Japan, 37ś18'N, 137ś55'E.16

Submarine Bullhead (SS-332) sinks Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.58 Sakura Maru in Sunda Strait, off Merak, 05ś35'S, 106ś02'E.

Submarine Dentuda (SS-335) sinks Japanese guardboats Reiko Maru and Heiwa Maru in East China Sea, 30ś45'N, 126ś00'E.

Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) sinks Japanese ship Wakae Maru at 38ś25'N, 128ś34'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118) continue aerial mining of waters in Korean archipelago, sowing mines in the waters north of Roka-To.

Mines sink Japanese transport Shintai Maru west of Noto-Hanto, 36ś50'N, 134ś36'E, auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 197, 1.48 kilometers southwest of Mojizaki light, and merchant cargo ships Nissho Maru off Moji, and Bizan Maru at 33ś58'N, 130ś44'E, and damage naval vessel Shintai Maru at 36ś59'N, 136ś43'.

Marine casualties damage Japanese merchant cargo ships No.1 Oshima Maru east of Tachang Shan Island, Shinko Maru one kilometer off Nisshin, and Hazuki Maru off Kuzuiwa.

Japanese Motor Gunboat No.54 is sunk by aircraft off Port Arthur.

* 19 June, Tuesday 1945

Pacific
Destroyer Dunlap (DD-384), while patrolling north of Chichi Jima, sinks Japanese luggers Gorgen Maru, Legaspi Maru, and cargo ship Kasidori Maru; the enemy vessels are en route to evacuate non-combatants from Chichi Jima to the Japanese home islands, and to take off supplies of gasoline.

Twenty-eight USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Niigata, Miyazu, and Maizuru, Japan.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118) continue aerial mining of waters in Korean archipelago, sowing mines in the waters north of Roka-To, in a repeat of the mission flown the previous day. On this occasion, however, all planes are damaged by antiaircraft fire when they strafe a ship encountered in the vicinity.

Submarine Bullhead (SS-332) sinks Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.57 Tachibana Maru in Sunda Strait, off Merak, 05ś56'S, 106ś00'E.

Submarine Cabezon (SS-334), attacking Japanese convoy beset by Apogon (SS-308) the previous day, sinks merchant cargo ship Zaosan Maru southwest of Paramushiro, Kurils, 50ś39'N, 154ś38'E.

Submarine Sea Dog (SS-401), attacking Japanese convoy off northwest coast of Hokkaido, sinks army cargo ship Kokai Maru and merchant cargo ship No.3 Shinhei Maru, and damages merchant vessel Naga Maru, 43ś12'N, 140ś19'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Koshun Maru is lost to marine casualty, 4.5 kilometers off Yura Saki, eastern Bungo Suido..

Japanese merchant cargo ship Hattenzan Maru is sunk by aircraft off Masan, Korea; freighter Heian Maru is damaged by marine casualty off Hunghae, 36ś03'N, 129ś35'E..

Japanese merchant tanker No.1 Nanki Maru is sunk by mine off Aki-Nada, in western part of the Inland Sea; guardboat No.3 Kaigyo Maru is damaged by mine 1.9 kilometers off He Saki, Japan.

Atlantic
U.S. freighter Calvin Coolidge, en route from Le Havre, France, to Boston, Massachusetts, is damaged by mine, 49ś50'N, 04ś57'W. There are no casualties to the 56 merchant crew, 31 Armed Guard sailors and 457 embarked troops.

* 20 June, Wednesday 1945

Pacific
TG 12.4, en route from Pearl Harbor to Leyte, attacks Wake Island; planes from carriers Hancock (CV-19) and Lexington (CV-16) and small carrier Cowpens (CVL-25) (Rear Admiral Ralph E. Jennings) bomb Japanese installations.

Tank landing ship LST-562 is damaged when accidentally rammed by tank landing craft LCT-1310, Brunei Bay, Borneo, 04ś29'N, 114ś01'E.

Minesweepers Device (AM-220) and Dour (AM-223) are damaged in collision off Okinawa, 26ś00'N, 127ś00'E.

Motor minesweeper YMS-368 is damaged by mine off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś19'S, 116ś58'E.

Tank landing ship LST-288 is damaged by operational casualty off Okinawa.

Submarine Kraken (SS-370) sinks Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.58 Tachibana Maru in Sunda Strait, off Merak, 05ś56'S, 106ś00'E.

Submarine Tinosa (SS-283), on patrol off the east coast of Korea, sinks Japanese army cargo ship Taito Maru, 36ś04'N, 130ś26'E, and merchant cargo ship Kaisei Maru, 35ś39'N, 130ś29'E.

Japanese merchant tanker Nanshin Maru is sunk by mine, possibly laid by submarine Ray (SS-271) on 22 February 1944, off Cape St. Jacques, French Indochina.

Mine sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kenan Maru in north Kyushu channel, 33ś59'N, 130ś48'E, mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) sinks merchant tanker No.1 Nanki Maru off Aki-Nada, 33ś58'N, 131ś01'E, and damage merchant cargo ships Nitto Maru 5.7 kilometers off Tateishi light, and Keizan Maru seven kilometers southeast of Motoyamazaki. Cargo ship Huashan Maru is sunk by B-29-laid mine near Fukuoka, Kyushu, 33ś38'N, 130ś22'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kamome Maru is sunk by aircraft between Pusan, Korea, and Yosu.

USAAF B-24s (Fifth Air Force) on shipping sweep off coast of Korea sink cargo ship Keijo Maru off Mokpo, 34ś47'N, 126ś23'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118) continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago in a repeat of the mission of the previous day, but on this occasion encounter heavy antiaircraft fire from Japanese warships in the vicinity.

* 21 June, Thursday 1945

Pacific
Okinawa is declared secured 82 days after the initial landings; Japanese air attacks on U.S. ships offshore, however, continue. Kamikazes damage destroyer escort Halloran (DE-305), 26ś00'N, 128ś00'E, and sink medium landing ship LSM-59, while she is escorting fleet tug Lipan (ATF-85) and high speed transport Barry (APD-29). Barry (previously damaged by kamikaze on 24 May) and in tow of Lipan, is en route to Ie Shima (see 22 May 1945 and 22 June).17 In addition, suicider planes damage seaplane tenders Curtiss (AV-4) and Kenneth Whiting (AV-14), 26ś10'N, 127ś18'E.

Twenty-seven USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Oura, Senzaki, Nanao, Fushiki and Osaka, Japan.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters in channel between Hikin-To, Iion-To, and Gantai-To; one plane encounters antiaircraft fire from Japanese warship in vicinity. Waters north of Roka-To are mined again as well.

Landing craft repair ship Endymion (ARL-9) is damaged by Japanese submarine I 36 north of Truk, 12ś41'N, 156ś20'E.

Motor minesweeper YMS-335 is damaged by shore battery, Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś18'S, 116ś50'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Hizen Maru, 41ś19'N, 141ś28'E.

Submarine Piranha (SS-389) damages Japanese merchant cargo ship Shirogane Maru, 39ś28'N, 142ś10'E.

* 22 June, Friday 1945

Pacific
High speed transport Barry (APD-29) (previously damaged twice by kamikazes) sinks as the result of damage received the previous day (see 24 May 1945 and 21 June).

Off Okinawa, kamikazes damage high speed minesweeper Ellyson (DMS-19), 26ś04'N, 127ś55'E; and tank landing ship LST-534, 26ś18'N, 127ś49'E; medium landing ship LSM-213 is damaged by operational casualty.

Motor minesweeper YMS-10 is damaged by shore battery, Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś18'S, 116ś51'E.

USAAF B-29s (162 strong) bomb naval facility at Kure, Japan, destroying the incomplete submarines I 204 and I 352, and damaging escort destroyer Nire and submarine RO 67.

Submarine Crevalle (SS-291) damages Japanese escort destroyer Kasado, 43ś23'N, 139ś47'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks unnamed Japanese fishing boat, 42ś08'N, 140ś58'E.

Submarine Piranha (SS-389) damages Coast Defense Vessel No.196, 39ś32'N, 142ś11'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Yubu Maru in Kammon Channel, 34ś00'N, 131ś00'E, Tokasegawa Maru off Tsutura, in Kammon Channel, 33ś55'N, 131ś20'E, Taigen Maru near Kammon Channel, 34ś00'N, 130ś30'E, and Ungetsu Maru north of Mutsure, and damage transport Tatsumiya Maru one kilometer off Ganryu Jima Light.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters in channel between Hikin-To, Iion-To, and Gantai-To.

PBMs bomb lighthouse and Japanese shipping off south coast of Korea, 36ś55'N, 125ś47'E.

Mediterranean
U.S. freighter Pierre Gibault, en route from Izmir, Turkey, to Oran, Algeria, is damaged by mine off Kythera Island 36ś04'30"N, 26ś06'30"E. Greek destroyer escort Themosticles takes off the wounded (seven Armed Guard sailors) and dead (two merchant sailors and two Armed Guards) soon thereafter. The ship, beached on 26 June 1945 off Kythera Island is subsequently written off as a total loss.

* 23 June, Saturday 1945

Pacific
Twenty-six USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Karatsu, Fukuoka, Sakai, and Niigata, Japan.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters in channel north of Iion-To and Gantai-To, and off Ninshi-To and Chi-To.

Motor minesweeper YMS-364 is damaged by shore battery, Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś19'S, 116ś52'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 42 in Java Sea, 05ś44'S, 114ś16'E, and after undergoing counterattack by auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 113, sinks Cha 113 and No. 833 Shuttle Boat, 05ś45'S, 114ś16'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese merchant sailing junk No.293 Antung Maru, 37ś54'N, 125ś34'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Goshu Maru off Mutsure light, and damage merchant cargo ship Kocho Maru 1.5 kilometers off Takenoko light.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Shingishu Maru is damaged by aircraft off Pusan, Korea.

* 24 June, Sunday 1945

Pacific
Destroyer escort Neuendorf (DE-200) is damaged in collision, P.I., 10ś41'N, 122ś35'E.

Motor minesweeper YMS-339 is damaged, accidentally, by U.S. aircraft off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś19'S, 116ś52'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese merchant sailing junk No.284 Antung Maru, 38ś36'N, 124ś40'E.

British submarine HMS Statesman damages Japanese submarine depot ship Komahashi off northern Sumatra.

British submarine HMS Torbay sinks unnamed merchant coaster [motor sailboat] in Malacca Strait.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Katsura Maru, 34ś19'N, 133ś35'E; No.8 Kenkon Maru, 2.4 kilometers off Mutsure light, and Tatsukaba Maru, at mouth of Karatsu Bay; and damage merchant cargo ships Tsurukawa Maru, 33ś55'N, 131ś05'E, and Unzen Maru, 35ś33'N, 133ś17'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa in a repeat of mission carried out the previous day, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters north of Iion-To and Gantai-To, and off Ninshi-To and Chi-To. The Privateers, upon completion of the mining operation, strafe targets of opportunity that include railroad facilities, airports and Japanese shipping, sinking merchant ship Pluto Go off Mokpo.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Wakamatsu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 33ś47'N, 131ś31'E.

* 25 June, Monday 1945
Pacific
PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters north of Chin-To. Upon completion of the mining operation, the Privateers strafe targets of opportunity that include lighthouses and Japanese shipping.

Twenty-six USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Tsuruga and Ohama, Japan. Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Anri Go off Mutsure, and Kozan Maru off Wakamatsu; and damage escort destroyer Kuga in Fukagawa Bay.

Underwater demolition teams, covered by aircraft, begin operations on the beaches at Balikpapan, Borneo, in advance of landings slated to begin there.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Katori Maru is sunk by aircraft, 36ś02'N, 129ś25'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Ise Maru is sunk by aircraft, outside Sakito harbor.

* 26 June, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Naval task group (Captain Charles A. Buchanan) lands marines on Kume Jima, Ryukyus.

Underwater demolition teams at Balikpapan continue operations to clear obstacles, covered by close support unit (an element of TG 78.2) comprising 10 landing craft [LCS(L)], 8 rocket-equipped infantry landing craft [LCI(R)] and 6 infantry landing craft (gunboats) [LCI(G)].

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in waters north of Chin-To, and north of Iion-To and Gantai-To.

Destroyer escort Halloran (DE-305) is strafed by Japanese aircraft in Davao Gulf, P.I.

Off Balikpapan, Borneo, motor minesweeper YMS-39 is sunk by mine, 01ś19'S, 116ś49'E; motor minesweeper YMS-365, damaged by mine, 01ś18'S, 116ś50'E, is scuttled by U.S. forces.

Off Okinawa, small seaplane tender Suisun (AVP-53) is damaged when accidentally rammed by tank landing craft LCT-1407, 26ś10'N, 127ś19'E.

Destroyers Bearss (DD-654), John Hood (DD-655), Jarvis (DD-799), and Porter (DD-800) sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 73, Cha 206 and Cha 209, and guardboat No.2 Kusunoki Maru, and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 198, south of Onekotan, Kurils, 49ś40'N, 155ś30'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384), attacking Japanese convoy, sinks gunboat Kamitsu Maru and merchant cargo ship Eikan Maru seven miles off Todozaki, southern Honshu, 39ś25'N, 142ś04'E, but although damaged by depth charges, remains on patrol.

Japanese escort destroyer Enoki is sunk by mine, Obama Wan, Fukui, Japan, 35ś28'N, 135ś44'E. Destroyer Hatsuume is damaged by mine off Maizuru.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kisei Go is sunk by aircraft, 34ś43'N, 127ś15'E.

Japanese submarine I 162 is damaged by marine casualty off south coast of Korea.

Japanese naval vessel Bingo Maru is damaged by aircraft, East China Sea.

Japanese cargo ship Nadamitsu Maru is damaged by aircraft off Yodoe, Tottori prefecture.

Japanese cargo ship No.11 Shinsei Maru is damaged by marine casualty east of Kamoizaki.

* 27 June, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Twenty-nine USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Hagi, Niigata, Kobe, and Osaka, Japan.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in fields off Chin-To and northwest of Roka-To.

Destroyer Caldwell (DD-605) is damaged by mine in Brunei Bay, Borneo, 05ś07'N, 115ś06'E.

Submarine Blueback (SS-326) sinks Japanese submarine chaser Ch 2 north of Lombok, Java Sea, 07ś25'S, 116ś00'E.

Japanese submarine I 165 is sunk by naval land-based aircraft (VPB 142), 450 miles east of Saipan, Marianas, 15ś28'N, 153ś39'E.

Japanese auxiliary minelayer Kyushu Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft east of Otsu, Japan.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Mifuku Maru outside Nanao harbor, 37ś06'N, 137ś02'E, and No.7 Kaishin Maru off Mutsure, Japan, and damage escort destroyer Sakito, 34ś13'N, 126ś36'E, army cargo ship Maoka Maru, .3 kilometers off Niigata light, and merchant cargo ships Yuzuki Maru off Moji, and Mifunesan Maru off Harima-Nada.

Japanese army cargo ship Hozu Maru is sunk by aircraft, near Rabaul, New Britain.

Japanese submarine chaser Ch 19 is damaged by aircraft, south of Korea; merchant cargo ship Keisei Maru is damaged by aircraft, near Mokpo, Korea.

Navy land-based aircraft damage Japanese cargo vessel Keijo Maru, 34ś19'N, 126ś27'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.7 Nichiyu Maru is damaged by marine casualty, 36ś53'N, 129ś26'E.

* 28 June, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Japanese submarine I 36 carries out unsuccessful kaiten attack on general issues stores ship Antares (AKS-3) southeast of the Marianas, 13ś10'N, 154ś57'E; destroyer Sproston (DD-577) comes to Antares's aid, sinking one kaiten and damaging I 36, 12ś50'N, 154ś50'E.

Off Balikpapan, Borneo, motor minesweeper YMS-47 is damaged by mine, 01ś19'S, 116ś55'E; motor minesweeper YMS-49 is damaged by shore battery, 01ś00'S, 117ś00'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago in a repeat of mission the previous day, sowing mines in fields off Chin-To and northwest of Roka-To. Although fighter opposition materializes to this mission, the Privateers "after considerable sparring" drive off the enemy without loss.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Daikokusan Maru (off Moji, Japan) and damage cable ship Osei Maru (three kilometers southeast of Jizozaki) and merchant cargo ship Yahiko Maru (34ś21'N, 130ś56'E).

Japanese naval vessel Toyokawa Maru is damaged by marine casualty 450 meters southeast of Hikoshima.

* 29 June, Friday 1945
Pacific
Twenty-five USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Maizuru and Sakata, Japan. Mines laid by B-29s in these and previous plants sink merchant cargo ship Kyokuto Maru off Mutsure, and damage naval vessel Soshu Maru two kilometers off Tsuruga light, 35ś41'N, 136ś05'E, merchant cargo ships Akizuki Maru in Tsuruga harbor and 1 Nichiyu Maru at 34ś04'N, 130ś52'E, and Hiyoriyama Maru outside Sakai harbor.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in fields off Gyuji-To, Jobai-To, and Toso-To.

* 30 June, Saturday 1945
Naval vessels on hand (all types)--67,952. Personnel: Navy--3,383,196; Marine Corps--476,709; Coast Guard--171,192. Total personnel--4,031,097.

Pacific
Open lighter YC-1272, beached on south side of Cerritos Channel, San Pedro, California, is lost during June (date indeterminate).

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, continue aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in fields off the south central coast.

Off Balikpapan, Borneo, destroyer Smith (DD-378) is damaged by shore battery, 01ś17'S, 116ś53'E; minesweeper YMS-314 by mine, 01ś18'S, 116ś51'E.

Submarines Baya (SS-318) and Capitaine (SS-336) attack Japanese Makassar-to-Surabaya convoy MASU-705, engaging the escorting submarine chaser Ch 5 and sinking cargo vessel Bandai Maru, 06ś27'S, 117ś13'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Hokushin Maru is lost to unknown cause in South China Sea, about 15ś00'N, 115ś00'E.18

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Ryuho Maru is sunk by aircraft, 35ś01'N, 140ś10'E.

Mines damage Japanese escort destroyer Nara, six miles west-southwest of Shimonoseki, Japan, 33ś54'N, 130ś49'E, Coast Defense Vessel No.154, 2.8 kilometers off Hesaki light, and merchant cargo ships Chikuma Maru, 15 kilometers off Himejima, Taruyasu Maru, 37ś07'N, 137ś04'E, and Taisei Maru, 35ś00'N, 133ś00'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.215 is damaged 2.8 kilometers off Iwasaki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Taiyu Maru is damaged by aircraft, Moji harbor.

Open lighter YC-1272, beached on south side of Cerritos Channel, San Pedro, California, is lost during June (date indeterminate).

July

* 1 July, Sunday 1945

Pacific
TG 78.2 (Rear Admiral Albert G. Noble) lands Australian troops [Seventh Australian Division (Reinforced) less one brigade] at Balikpapan, Borneo; landing is covered by Allied naval gunfire and aircraft. This, the final major amphibious assault of the Borneo campaign, is unopposed.

Over 530 USAAF B-29s firebomb Ube, Kure, Shimonoseki, and Kumamoto, Japan; auxiliary minelayer Himetaka Maru is damaged at Kure.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118), flying from Okinawa, conclude aerial mining of waters of Korean archipelago, sowing mines in fields off Chin-To. VPB 118 wraps up its mining operations this date having sown 195 mines. The aircrew notice an absence of shipping in the areas mined, leading to the conclusion that the effort "has effectively stopped the movement of enemy ships in theinner channels around the southwest coast of Korea."

Twenty-four USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Nanao and Fushiki, Japan. Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Tenyu Maru at entrance of Niigata harbor, and Naoshima Maru three miles north of Shodo Jima, and damage merchant cargo ships Yamaji Maru at 34ś28'N, 135ś08'E, and Eijun Maru off Moji, Japan.

Submarine Haddo (SS-255) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.72 and merchant cargo ships Konri Maru and 1 Taiun Maru and No.2 Taiun Maru in Yellow Sea off west coast of Korea, 38ś08'N, 124ś38'E.

Japanese minesweeper depot ship Chohei Maru and merchant cargo ship Koa Maru are damaged by U.S. aircraft, Woosung, China.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Mitakesan Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś20'N, 129ś24'E.

USAAF planes (5th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Shinneisho Maru at mouth of Yangtze River, 31ś21'N, 121ś38'E.

* 2 July, Monday 1945

Pacific
Japanese planes attack fleet units patrolling off Okinawa; high speed transport Scribner (APD-122) is narrowly missed by aerial torpedo.

Submarine Apogon (SS-308) damages Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 58 and Cha 65, 49ś28'N, 154ś19'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) employs rockets in bombardment of Japanese shore installations at Kaihyo Island off the east coast of Karafuto; this is the first successful use of these weapons against shore positions by a U.S. submarine.

Submarines Haddo (SS-255) and Paddle (SS-263) attack Japanese shipping, sinking one unnamed cargo vessel and leaving another drifting, 37ś55'N, 124ś58'E.

Mines sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 188 in Sea of Japan, 1.5 kilometers off Mutsure light, 33ś59'N, 130ś52'E, and damage army motor sailer Nanko Maru, by mine, .5 kilometers off Kammon light.

Japanese merchant tanker No.5 Nanki Maru is sunk by marine casualty, 34ś18'N, 141ś25'E. Marine casualties (most likely groundings or storms) account for damage to cargo ship Awa Maru between Hakodate and Yokohama, and cargo vessel Annette Fritzen at entrance to Pusan harbor, Korea.

USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping and installations at Kure, sinking cargo vessel Himetaka Maru, 34ś11'N, 132ś31'E.

USN land-based planes sink Japanese sailing vessel Nishima Maru off Gunzan, west coast of Korea, 35ś50'N, 126ś30'E, and cargo ship No.12 Shima Maru at 35ś43'N, 126ś32'E.

* 3 July, Tuesday 1945

Europe
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Germany, (Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley) establishes headquarters at Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Pacific
Over 560 USAAF Air Force B-29s firebomb Kochi, Himeji, Takamatsu, and Tokushima, concluding the raid early the following morning.

Final mine plant of Phase IV of Operation STARVATION: 31 USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Maizuru and Funakawa, Japan.

Japanese merchant tanker No.5 Nanko Maru is sunk by marine casualty, Seto, Inland Sea.

Japanese army cargo ship Hoei Maru is sunk by aircraft, 34ś22'N, 126ś25'E.

USAAF B-24s bomb Japanese shipping at Bandjermasin, sinking cargo vessel No.3 Misaki Maru.

* 4 July, Wednesday 1945

Pacific
TF 32 (Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf), consisting of 3 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 4 escort carriers, 11 destroyers and 4 destroyer escorts, departs Buckner Bay to provide cover for the minesweeping operation slated to begin the following day (see 5 July).[19]

Destroyer Murray (DD-576) intercepts Japanese hospital ship Takasago Maru as she evacuates sick and wounded members of Wake Island garrison. Murray reports subsequently that the many months of isolation and bombardment have reduced life on the atoll to a mere struggle for survival.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese guardboats Koshe Maru and Mashuye Maru in the Yellow Sea, east of Tsingtao, China, 37ś15'N, 123ś19'E.

Japanese auxiliary patrol vessel Pa No.177 is destroyed by fire, following raid by USAAF B-29s on Tokushima, Japan (see 3 July).

Mines damage Japanese transport Tsukushi Maru southeast of Shimonoseki, 33ś50'N, 131ś19'E, and damage army cargo ship Taiko Maru off Bakuchizaki, and merchant cargo ship Sagami Maru off Osaka.

Marine casualties account for damage to Japanese merchant cargo ships Hiyoriyama Maru outside Sakai harbor, and Unzen Maru three miles south of Taki harbor.

* 5 July, Thursday 1945

Pacific
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur announces the liberation of the Philippines.

TF 39 (Rear Admiral Alexander Sharp) composed of 7 light minelayers (DM), 52 minesweepers (AM), 6 high speed minesweepers (DMS), 49 motor minesweepers (YMS) and 7 netlayers, begins minesweeping operations in the East China Sea.

Destroyer Smith (DD-378) is accidentally damaged by depth charge off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś00'S, 117ś00'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.11 Sapporo Maru outside Odomari harbor, southwest of Sakhalin, 46ś04'N, 142ś14'E.

Submarines Lizardfish (SS-373) and Puffer (SS-268) bombard Japanese port facilities and shipping at Chelukan Buwang, on north coast of Bali; Lizardfish sinks auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 37 and No.153 Shuttle Vessel, in addition to barges and landing craft, 08ś10'S, 114ś50'E. Fires started by the shelling destroys small cargo vessel Hino Maru. Puffer destroys cargo vessels Heiyo Maru and Nihon Maru in Bulelong Roads, 08ś04'S, 115ś05'E.

Mines sink Japanese transport Toyokawa Maru near Mutsure Jima, 33ś56'N, 130ś53'E, and merchant tanker No.1 Tosei Maru, 1.7 kilometers off Niigata harbor, and damage merchant cargo ships Miurasan Maru at 34ś47'N, 128ś49'E, Enho Maru at 33ś29'N, 130ś15'E, and Take Maru near Moji, Japan.

Japanese landing ship T.147 is damaged by aircraft off Hachijo Jima.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Awa Maru is damaged by aircraft, 20 miles off Katsuura light.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Hirano Maru is damaged by aircraft, 41ś11'N, 140ś04'E.

USAAF planes sink Japanese cargo vessel Tone Maru at 03ś20'S, 114ś35'E.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.95 is damaged by marine casualty, Tsurumi harbor.

* 6 July, Friday 1945

Pacific
Mines sink Japanese merchant cable ship Toyo Maru, 73 miles northeast of Tobigasuhana, merchant cargo ship Shori Maru off Ogushi, and merchant cargo ships No.5 Tokai Maru off Mutsure Light, 33ś59'N, 130ś52'E, and Shinei Maru near Shimonoseki, 33ś54'N, 131ś01'E; and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 153 off Niigata harbor; army cargo ships Ujina Maru, 120 meters north of Niigata light, and Nissho Maru, at mouth of Senzaki Bay, and merchant cargo ship Sakaki Maru, 3.1 kilometers south of Motoyama light.[20]

Japanese merchant cargo ship Mitsuminesan Maru is damaged by marine casualty near Chinhae, Korea.

* 7 July, Saturday 1945

Atlantic
President Truman, Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, and Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy embark in heavy cruiser Augusta (CA-31) for Antwerp, Belgium, on the first leg of their trip that will ultimately take them to Potsdam.

Pacific
Submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Koun Maru, 42ś21'N, 141ś28'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Meizan Maru at mouth of Mokpo harbor, and Nachizan Maru in KammonStrait, and damage merchant tanker No.10 Kinyu Maru, Osaka harbor, and cargo ships Tairi Maru off Hime Jima, and Taiju Maru and No.5 Tokai Maru (location unspecified).

* 8 July, Sunday 1945

Pacific
Submarine Cod (SS-224) rescues officers and men of Dutch submarine O 19 that had been stranded on Ladd Reef, in South China Sea, 300 miles northwest of Brunei Bay. O 19 is then scuttled by torpedoes and gunfire.

Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 85 off Quelpart Island 33ś50'N, 126ś42'E.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) sinks Japanese merchant passenger/cargo ship Saitsu Maru near Dairen, Korea, 38ś48'N, 121ś25'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Mikunisan Maru is sunk by aircraft at mouth of Mokpo harbor, Korea.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Sumera Maru is damaged by aircraft near Sakitozaki.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.95 is damaged by mine inside Yokosuka harbor.

Japanese army cargo ship Tensho Maru and merchant cargo ship Koshin Maru are damaged by collision at 40ś14'N, 131ś42'E.

* 9 July, Monday 1945

Pacific
USAAF B-29s (475-strong) firebomb Sendai, Sakai, Gifu, and Wakayama, concluding the raid early the following morning; 61 B-29s bomb the oil refinery at Yokkaichi.

Phase V of Operation STARVATION, aimed at the total blockade of the Japanese home islands, begins as 30 USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Niigata and Nanao. Mines sink cargo ship Nippu Maru outside Wakamatsu harbor, damage cargo ship Kamishima Maru off Wakamatsu, and damage army cargo ship Gakujo Maru at 33ś57'N, 130ś43'E, merchant cargo ships Shinto Maru outside Wakamatsu harbor, and Sanzen Maru, five kilometers southeast of Genkai Jima light, and merchant tanker Mitsu Maru in Kobe harbor.

Motor minesweeper YMS-84 is sunk by mine off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01ś19'S, 116ś48'E.

Submarine Bluefish (SS-222) sinks Japanese auxiliarysubmarine chaser Cha 50 off east coast of Malaya, 02ś13'N, 105ś03'E.

Japanese gunboat Choun Maru is damaged by aircraft, 36ś13'N, 140ś42'E.

Japanese merchant tanker Tenwa Maru is damaged by marine casualty in Kobe harbor, Japan.

* 10 July, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from TF 38, the fast carrier task force (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) attack airfields on the Tokyo plain, Japan.

Submarine chaser SC-521 founders and sinks, Solomon Islands, 11ś03'S, 164ś50'E.

Tank landing ship LST-1107 is damaged by grounding off Okinawa, 26ś21'N, 126ś47'E.

Submarine Hammerhead (SS-364) sinks Japanese cargo ship Sakura Maru and merchant tanker No.5 Nanmei Maru, 09ś38'N, 101ś31'E.

Submarine Lionfish (SS-298) attacks Japanese submarine I 162 144 kilometers south of Ashisurisaki, 32ś31'N, 131ś54'E. Although Lionfish claims two hits and to have sunk her quarry, I 162 escapes undamaged.

Submarine Moray (SS-300) sinks Japanese merchant whaler No.6 Fumi Maru east of Kinkazan, 38ś11'N, 142ś15'E.

Submarine Runner (SS-476) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.27 off Tadosaki, northern Honshu, 39ś20'N, 142ś07'E.

Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Sakishima Maru north of Quelpart Island 33ś39'N, 126ś40'E.

Japanese guardboat No.3 Kashima Maru and merchant cargo ship No.10 Hachiryu Maru are sunk by U.S. aircraft 40 miles north of the mouth of the Yangtze.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Air Force) sinks Japanese cargo ship Nippu Maru outside Wakamatsu harbor, 33ś06'N, 129ś43'E; merchant cargo ship Chikuma Maru is sunk by mine, 18 kilometers off Mojizaki; merchant vessel Tsukuba Maru is damaged 4.5 miles west of Osaka harbor.

* 11 July, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Twenty-seven USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits andthe waters off Najin and Pusan, Korea (marking the first mining operation in Korean waters by B-29s) and off Maizuru, Japan. Mines sink Japanese escort destroyer Sakura off Osaka, 35ś50'N, 135ś20'E, and merchant cargo ship No.3 Takechi Maru near Shodo Jima, and damage merchant vessel Tatsutyuyu Maru off Senzaki.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese guardboat No.15 Seiho Maru and merchant diesel sampan No.15 Seiho Maru off Hokkaido, 44ś03'N, 146ś30'E.

Submarine Kingfish (SS-234) sinks Japanese fishing boat Inari Maru off Maedate, Japan, 38ś03'N, 142ś29'E.

* 12 July, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Submarine chaser PC-582 is damaged by grounding, P.I., 11ś05'N, 125ś20'E.

Mines sink Japanese salvage ship Nasu Maru near Niigata, Japan, cargo vessel No.3 Fukushin Maru off Osaka harbor lighthouse, merchant cargo ship Kojun Maru 180 miles east of Niigata light, 37ś57'N, 139ś04'E, and tanker Mitsu Maru in Akashi Strait, 33ś38'N, 135ś03'E; and damage freighters Takarasan Maru outside Wakamatsu harbor, Japan, and Nasu Maru off Niigata.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Hakara Maru is damaged by aircraft off Hakata.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kashi Maru is damaged by marine casualty off south end of Chizenmisaki.

* 13 July, Friday 1945
Pacific
TF 95 (Rear Admiral Francis S. Low), comprising large cruisers Alaska (CB-1) and Guam (CB-2), four light cruisers and nine destroyers, sorties from Leyte Gulf to conduct anti-shipping sweeps in the East China Sea.[21]

TF 93 (Rear Admiral John H. Brown, Jr.), comprising light cruisers Richmond (CL-9) and Concord (CL-10) and five destroyers, commences an anti-shipping sweep; these ships will pass down the Kurile Island chain and into the Sea of Okhotsk. Although shadowed by Japanese planes, TF 93 will not be attacked.

Italy declares war on Japan.

Thirty-one USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Masan, Reisui, and Chongjin, Korea, and Fukuoka, Japan. Mines (laid this day and on previous occasions) sink merchant cargo ships No.7 Agata Maru and No.13 Yamabishi Maru, Wakamatsu harbor, and damage merchant cargo ship Hayahi Maru ten kilometers north of Mutsure light; cargo ship Korasan Maru in Shimonoseki Strait, 33ś56'N, 130ś56'E.

Japanese guardboats No.7 Myojin Maru and No.6 Sakae Maru are sunk by U.S. aircraft off Chichi Jima, 27ś04'N, 142ś11'E.

British submarine HMS Trenchant sinks unnamed Japanese schooner, western Celebes, 03ś10'S, 118ś50'S.

* 14 July, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Since bad weather prevents attacks on the primary targets (airfields in northern Honshu and Hokkaido), planes from TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) hit shipping, rail facilities, and ground installations in those areas instead; attack is repeated on 15 July. TF 38's planes sink escort destroyer Tachibana and Coast Defense Vessel No.219 in Hakodate harbor, Hokkaido, 41ś48'N, 140ś41'E, Coast Defense Vessel No.65 and Coast Defense Vessel No.74, 15 miles south of Muroran, Hokkaido, 42ś21'N, 140ś59'E, submarine chaser Ch 48, 2.1 kilometers off Nakanegishi; auxiliary minesweepers No.2 Choyo Maru, five miles off Kikonai, 41ś38'N, 140ś35'E and 3 Keijin Maru, northeast of Shiriyasaki, 41ś30'N, 141ś30'E, Sonobe Maru off Hiroo, Hokkaido, 42ś11'N, 143ś36'E and 2 Tamazono Maru, Kushiro Pier, Hokkaido, 42ś58'N, 144ś25'E; guardboats Chitose Maru, four miles off Kayabe, Hokkaido and 18 Eikoku Maru off Cape Shiobuki, Hokkaido and 2 Meiji Maru off Hakodate, Ojima Maru off Shiriyasaki, 41ś30'N, 141ś40'E; gunboat Hokoku Maru off Oma-saki, Tsugaru-kaikyo, 41ś33'N, 141ś08'E, and transport No.1 Un'yo Maru off Muroran, Hokkaido, 42ś21'N, 140ś59'E; army cargo vessel No.6 Nissen Maru near Tsugaru Strait; merchant vessels Taisei Maru and Shimofusa Maru at west entrance of Tsugaru Strait, and Osaki Maru, Hakodate; merchant cargo ships Shichiyo Maru, 43ś47'N, 141ś12'E; Imizu Maru, Furubiba, Otaru Bay; Setagawa Maru, off Yongtok; Eiho Maru and No.5 Kaisei Maru, Hakodate; and Saito Maru off east coast of Korea, and train ferries No.2 Seikan Maru and 3 Seikan Maru and 4 Seikan Maru and 10 Seikan Maru, Tsugaru Maru, Shoho Maru and Hiran Maru, merchant cargo ships Senzan Maru and Awa Maru in Aomori-Hakodate area.22 In addition, TF 38 planes damage destroyer Yanagi in Tsugaru Strait; Coast Defense Vessel No.205 outside Otaru harbor, and Coast Defense Vessel No.215, Hakodate harbor; auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 72 and auxiliary minesweeper Minakami Maru off Usujiri; guardboat Miya Maru off the eastern mouth of Tsugaru Strait; auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Tamazono Maru, Kushiro Pier, Hokkaido, 42ś58'N, 144ś25'E; army vessels Kaizan Maru outside Hachinohe harbor, and Sachi Maru off Otaru; army cargo ship Taisho Maru (location unspecified); train ferries No.6 Seikan Maru and 8 Seikan Maru, Matsumae Maru in Aomori-Hakodate area; merchant cargo ships Eitoku Maru, Hanasaki Maru, and Kenkoku Maru in Hakodate harbor; merchant cargo ships Taka Maru and 23 Hokuryu Maru, Eireki Maru, and No.3 Koun Maru off Muroran; merchant vessel Hokushin Maru in Tsugaru Strait; merchant cargo ships Shoho Maru off Yobetsu; Hirano Maru (beached), Miuyama Bay; Kotsu Maru and No.13 Kyodo Maru, Otaru; Shunko Maru (location unspecified); Hachirei Maru, nine miles off Iwanai; Toyo Maru off Cape Temma; merchant tankers No.5 Kyoei Maru, beached off Matsumae, and No.6 Shoun Maru, beached off Akashi, and dredger Kushiro Maru, location unspecified.

Three battleships, two heavy cruisers, and nine destroyers of TU 34.8.1 (Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth) bombard the coastal city of Kamaishi, Honshu; this is the first naval gunfire bombardment of the Japanese homeland. The primary target is the Japan Ironworks plant.

Tank landing ships LST-684 and LST-826 are damaged by grounding off Okinawa, 26ś12'N, 127ś57'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Senju Maru off Moji, Japan, and Kiukiang Maru at 35ś06'N, 129ś43'E.

* 15 July, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Three battleships, two light cruisers, and eight destroyers of TU 34.8.2 (Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger) bombard steel and iron works at Muroran on southern coast of Hokkaido, primarily targeting the large Nihon Steel Company and Wanishi Iron and Steel ManufacturingCompany.

In a repeat of the attacks the previous day, TF 38 planes sink Japanese minesweeper W.24 off Tsugaru, northern Honshu, 41ś38'N, 141ś00'E; Coast Defense Vessel No.219 off northern Honshu, 41ś48'N, 140ś41'E; auxiliary submarine chaser Bunzan Maru off Hachinoe, Honshu; guardboat Shinei Maru, Shirojiri, Hokkaido, merchant cargo ships Shoka Maru, Otaru; Tokai Maru at entrance to Sutsu Bay; No.5 Seikai Maru off Mutsure; Urakawa Maru and Toyu Maru off Nemuro, Japan; and Shinko Maru at 40ś48'N, 140ś05'E; merchant train ferry No.1 Seikan Maru near Miumaya; and merchant fishing boat No.15 Taisho Maru off Ofuyo; and damage merchant cargo ship Rijo Maru off Aomori. TF 38 planes damage escort destroyer Kasado, and Coast Defense Vessel No.47 and Coast Defense Vessel No.55, off Otaru; escort destroyers Io and Fukue and auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 81 and Yaryu Maru, Hachinoe harbor, Honshu; Coast Defense Vessel No.215, Fukushima anchorage; Coast Defense Vessel No.221 at entrance to Tsugaru Strait; and submarine chaser Ch 47, Yamada anchorage. Auxiliary minesweeper Fuji Maru is stranded after bomb damage off Hakodate, Hokkaido.

Twenty-seven USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Najin, Wonsan, Hungnam and Pusan, Korea, and off Naoetsu and Niigata, Japan. Japanese cargo ship Sorachi Maru is damaged by mine in Rashin harbor. Merchant cargo ship No.5 Nichiyu Maru is damaged by mine off Tomita.

Light minelayer Thomas E. Fraser (DM-24) is damaged in collision with miscellaneous auxiliary Elk (IX-115) off Okinawa, 26ś13'N, 127ś50'E.

Submarine Bluefish (SS-222) sinks Japanese submarine I 351, 100 miles east-northeast of Natuna Besar, Borneo, 05ś44'N, 110ś06'E.

Submarine Skate (SS-305) sinks Japanese transport Miho Maru east of South Sakhalin, Kurils, 48ś29'N, 147ś36'E.

* 16 July, Monday 1945
United States
First atomic bomb test is held at Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Pacific
TF 37, the British fast carrier task force (Vice Admiral Henry B. Rawlings, RN), comprising one battleship, four aircraft carriers, eight light cruisers and 18 destroyers, joins Third Fleet. The British force will operate as part of the U.S. Third Fleet until hostilities end.

Aircraft (VC 13) from escort carrier Anzio (CVE-57) teams with destroyer escort Lawrence C. Taylor (DE-415) to sink Japanese submarine I 13, 540 miles east of Yokohama, Japan, 34ś28'N, 150ś55'E.

Submarine Baya (SS-318) sinks Ambon-bound Japanese torpedo boat Kari in Java Sea, 05ś48'S, 115ś53'E.

Submarine Blenny (SS-324) sinks Japanese gunboat Nankai west of Surabaya, Java, N.E.I., 05ś26'S, 110ś33'E.

Mines sink Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Byoritsu Maru at entrance to Chongjin Bay; merchant cargo ship Nanjin Maru off Wakamatsu, merchant cargo ships Nissho Maru off Mutsure, and Taikosan Maru off Motoyama-misaki; and merchant cargo vessel Rijo Maru off Ube; and irreparably damage submarine depot ship Nachi Maru north of Kyushu, off Mutsure Jima, 33ś59'N, 130ś52'E.

Japanese merchant tanker No.6 Toyu Maru is damaged by aircraft, Kudamatsu.

* 17 July, Tuesday 1945
Europe
Potsdam (TERMINAL) Conference begins. Attended by President Truman, British Prime Minister Churchill and Soviet Premier Stalin, this will be the last wartime meeting of the heads of state of those respective powers.

Pacific
Aircraft from TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) and British TF 37 (Vice Admiral Henry B. Rawlings, RN) attack airfields in the Tokyo area.

Five battleships, two light cruisers, and ten destroyers of TU 34.8.2 (Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger) bombard heavily industrialized Mito-Hitachi area of Honshu. British battleship HMS King George V and two British destroyers are attached to the force, making this the first joint U.S.-British bombardment of the Japanese homeland. Carrier Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) provides night combat air patrol to cover the operation.

Twenty-eight USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Chongjin, Korea, and Nanao and Fushiki, Japan.

Over 200 USAAF B-24s, B-25s and A-26s, and P-47s, attack Kiangwan airdrome, Shanghai, which contains the largest concentration of Japanese aircraft in China.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.204 is damaged by marine casualty, Senzaki Bay.

Mediterranean
U.S. freighter John H. Hammond is damaged by mine off Elba, 42ś55'30"N, 10ś08'00"E; the three Armed Guard sailors are uninjured in the incident, but three merchant sailors die and four are injured. The ship is subsequently towed to Piombino, Italy.

* 18 July, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from TF 38 strike Yokosuka Naval Base and airfields in the Tokyo area, Japan. Primary target at the former place is Japanese battleship Nagato, which is damaged. TF 38 planes also sink training ship (ex-armored cruiser) Kasuga, escort destroyer Yaezakura (60% completed) and submarine I 372, submarine chaser Harushima, auxiliary patrol vessels Pa No.37, Pa No.110 and Pa No.122 at Yokosuka.23 TF 37 and TF 38 planes sink Japanese motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.28 at Yokosuka, and damage battleship Nagato, motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.256, landing ship T.110, target ship Yakaze, and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 225.

TG 35.4 (Rear Admiral Carl F. Holden), composed of four light cruisers and the destroyers of DesRon 62, detached from TG 38.1, conduct anti-shipping sweep off the entrance to Sagami Nada and bombard Japanese radar installations at Cape Nojima, Honshu (see 19 July). En route to the objective, destroyers Hank (DD-702) and Wallace L. Lind (DD-703), detached to take a radar contact under fire, mistakenly shell (but do not damage) submarine Gabilan (SS-252).

Planes from carrier Wasp (CV-18) bomb Japanese installations on Wake Island.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.112 south of Sakhalin, Japan, 46ś04'N, 142ś16'E.

Submarine Cero (SS-225) is damaged by aerial bomb off Kurils, 45ś14'N, 148ś41'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) is damaged by depth charges off Malaya, 04ś41'N, 103ś30'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

British submarine HMS Trenchant, attacks Japanese convoy, sinking army shuttle vessel Hayabusa Maru and damaging cargo vessels No.3 Taikyo Maru and 3 Nichiei Maru and No.2 Saiwai Maru northwest of Lombok Island 08ś22'S, 116ś02'E,

USN land-based planes sink Japanese merchant cargo vessels Chishima Maru off Kawajiri, 34ś36'N, 125ś00'E, Shintai Maru at 34ś25'N, 130ś40'E, and Tagami Maru off Tsushima, 34ś47'N, 137ś02'E.

Japanese escort carrier Kaiyo is damaged by mine, 135 miles northwest of Satamisaki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Tenyo Maru is sunk (cause unknown), north of Honshu.

Japanese fast transport T.9 is damaged by aircraft four miles east of Hatsushima.

Japanese merchant tanker No.8 Horai Maru is damaged by marine casualty, Atsuta, north of Ishikari.

* 19 July, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Twenty-nine USAAF B-29s mine the waters off the Japanese ports of Niigata, Kobe, Osaka, Maizuru and Miyazu, and the Korean ports of Wonsan and Hungnam.

TF 38 planes damage Japanese carriers Amagi and Katsuragi, and battleship Haruna at Kure, Japan.

TG 35.4 (Rear Admiral Carl F. Holden) concludes its bombardment of Japanese radar installations at Cape Nojima, Honshu.

Aircraft carrier Antietam (CV-36) is damaged by premature explosion of 5-inch shell during gunnery exercises, Hawaiian Operating Area.

Japanese planes attack U.S. fleet units off Okinawa; one kamikaze crashes and damages destroyer Thatcher (DD-514), 26ś15'N, 127ś50'E; another nearly crashes destroyer Charles J. Badger (DD-657).

Submarine Bumper (SS-333), attacking Japanese convoy in Gulf of Siam, sinks fleet tanker No.3 Kyoei Maru.

Mines sink Japanese merchant dredger Daikoku Maruinside Niigata harbor.

* 20 July, Friday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Bumper (SS-333) attacks Japanese convoy in Gulf of Siam, sinking guardboat No.3 Kyoraku Maru, 08ś08'N, 103ś40'E.

Submarine Threadfin (SS-410) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.39 northwest of Mokpo, Korea, 35ś01'N, 125ś42'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Tatsutagawa Maru is sunk by mine, Shimonoseki Strait.

Japanese merchant ship Shintai Maru is lost to unknown cause in Gulf of Siam.

* 21 July, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Sea Robin (SS-407) sinks Japanese cargo vessels Chio Maru and Yoshi Maru 30 kilometers east of Shinishi Island 33ś45'N, 126ś25'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Nichiyo Maru in Tomita harbor, and damage army cargo ship Kazuura Maru off Pusan, Korea.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Meiyu Maru is damaged by aircraft, 5.4 kilometers off Makinoshima light.

* 22 July, Sunday 1945
Pacific
TF 93 (Rear Admiral John H. Brown, Jr.) consisting of light cruisers Richmond (CL-9) and Concord (CL-10) and five destroyers, conducts unopposed bombardment of installations at Suribachi, Paramushiro, Kurils.

DesRon 61, on anti-shipping sweep in vicinity of Sagami Bay, picks up on its radar screens a four-ship Japanese convoy about five miles west of Nojima Zaki and engages it (see 23 July).

Twenty-six USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Najin, Pusan and Masan, Korea.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.7 Toshi Maru is wrecked off Sata-Misaki, Japan, 31ś00'N, 130ś40'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Katori Maru off Niigata; unnamed merchant motor sailer, 1.5 kilometers off Cape Motoyama; and damage auxiliary submarinechaser Cha 20 off Kobe, Japan; and merchant cargo ships Kojo Maru, off Niigata; Choyo Maru, off Najin; and Daikoku Maru, Hagi harbor; and merchant tanker Yuyo Maru, 1.6 kilometers off Mushima light.

Japanese merchant ship Hokko Go is sunk by aircraft, 35ś10'N, 129ś30'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.3 Manei Maru is sunk by USAAF mine laid by B-29 (20th Air Force) ten kilometers west of Funagawa, Honshu, 39ś53'N, 139ś52'E.

Japanese merchant fishing boat No.58 Nanshin Maru is damaged by aircraft, 35ś20'N, 130ś00'E.

* 23 July, Monday 1945
Pacific
DesRon 61 concludes its engagement with a Japanese convoy off Sagami Bay, sinking No.3 Hakutetsu Maru off Mora, Chiba prefecture, 34ś54'N, 139ś50'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) lands an eight-man commando party which blows up a Japanese train on east coast of Karafuto.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 117 off Java, N.E.I., 08ś10'S, 115ś29'E.

Submarine Sea Poacher (SS-406) sinks Japanese guardboat No.2 Kiri Maru between Onoosaki and Shoyasaki, Japan, 37ś16'N, 141ś04'E.

Mines sink Japanese guardboat No.2 Taisho Maru off Chinhae, Korea; merchant tug Kaiko Maru and cargo ship Shoko Maru off Niigata; merchant cargo ships No.1 Taiha Maru and No.2 Taishin Maru off Moji; No.6 Nissho Maru, Kammon Strait; Yamadori Maru outside Wakamatsu harbor, and merchant cargo ship No.2 Tsurukawa Maru off Wakamatsu, and merchant vessel Kocho Maru off Mutsure; and damage merchant cargo ship Gizan Maru near Moji.

USAAF B-24s (5th Air Force) on antishipping sweep off south coast of Korea sink Japanese merchant tanker No.15 Horai Maru off Hokko, 36ś02'N, 129ś23'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.5 Adaka Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś36'N, 130ś55'E.

* 24 July, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from TF 38 launch two-day attack on the Inland Sea area, Japan, striking Kure Naval Base and airfields at Nagoya, Osaka, and Miho. TF 38 planes sink battleship-carrier Hyuga in Hiro Bay, Kure, 34ś10'N, 132ś33'E; heavy cruiser Tone, 34ś14'N, 132ś27'E (she is pushed aground to facilitate salvage) and training ship (ex-coast defense ship) Iwate off Eta Jima, 34ś14'N, 132ś30'E; target ship (ex-battleship) Settsu at Kure; guardboat Kaiwa Maru north of Himejima, Kyushu; and damage carrier Ryuho and battleship-carrier Ise at Kure; battleship Haruna and light cruiser Oyodo off Eta Jima; heavy cruiser Aoba at Kure Navy Yard; escort destroyer Hagi and fast transport T.19 at Kure; torpedo cruiser Kitakami and destroyers Yoizuki and Hari, near Kure; escort destroyer Kaba, Osaka; escort destroyer Tsubaki near Okayama, 34ś38'N, 133ś50'E; Coast Defense Vessel No.190, Tanabe harbor; Coast Defense Vessel No.4, Toba; transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kiyokawa Maru, beached at Shida, Shimonoseki Straits. Carrier Amagi is hit by only one rocket off Kurahashi Jima, Kure, 34ś11'N, 132ś30'E, but its passage close by the commanding officer so unnerves the captain that he unhesitatingly orders the ship abandoned.

Japanese escort carrier Kaiyo is damaged by planes from British carriers HMS Formidable, HMS Indefatigable, and HMS Victorious. Kaiyo's travails, however, do not end there. She is damaged by USAAF mine (laid by a 20th Air Force B-29) off Beppu; destroyer Yukaze takes the wounded warship in tow (see 29 July).

Aircraft [service unspecified] sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Ito Maru off Kominase light; Inari Maru, Moji harbor; Komyo Maru off Okinoshima light; No.2 Ise Maru off Mihogasaki; Kinokawa Maru, off Yoshiura; merchant tankers No.9 Kinyu Maru off Tsurushima; Sabang Maru, Okurokami Island; Kanatsu Maru, Awashima anchorage; merchant tug Mutsurejima Maru off Kagaji, Oita prefecture; merchant vessels [types unspecified] Sugamada Maru, Jinzai harbor, and Sen Maru off Hakodate.

Aircraft [service unspecified] sink/damage Japanese merchant cargo ships Kagetsu Maru off Uwajima, and Shokai Maru outside Shimotsu harbor.

Aircraft [service unspecified] damage Japanese merchant cargo ship Kurogane Maru, Kobe, Japan; and merchant tanker Gyokuei Maru, by aircraft, 33ś55'N, 131ś45'E.

Guardboats No.3 Seisho Maru and Taiko Maru are sunk by U.S. aircraft at Kobe, Japan.

Auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 98 is sunk by aircraft, Moji, Japan.

Japanese transport No.11 Kaishin Maru is sunk by aircraft, 33ś31'N, 129ś47'E.

TG 35.3 (Rear Admiral J. Cary Jones, Jr.) consisting of four light cruisers (from TG 38.3) and six destroyers (from TG 38.4) conducts high-speed anti-shipping sweep across Kii Suido. Destroyer Colahan (DD-658) fires upon only surface contact, which proves to be submarine Toro (SS-422), on lifeguard station south of Shikoku. Fortyunately, Toro is not damaged in this case of mistaken identity (see 25 July).

Escort carrier Vella Gulf (CVE-111), as TU 19.6.1, carries out air strikes on Pagan, one of the two remaining bases in the Marianas. She carries out strikes against Rota (the other) two days later.

Destroyer escort Underhill (DE-682), damaged by kaitens from Japanese submarine I 53 off Luzon, 19ś20'N, 126ś42'E, is scuttled by submarine chasers PC-803 and PC-804, and escort patrol vessel PCE-872.

Submarine Chub (SS-329) sinks Japanese tug (ex-Dutch Ginah), 07ś46'S, 114ś24'E.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper Wa.3 is sunk by aircraft , Surabaya, Java, N.E.I.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Koichi Maru, Wonsan harbor, Korea, and Himekawa Maru, four kilometers off Himejima; and damage auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 226, off Moji; and merchant tanker Tatsukusu Maru, Hagi.

Japanese merchant tanker No.6 Nanki Maru is damaged by marine casualty, 38ś18'N, 141ś25'E.

* 25 July, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
TF 38 air strikes on targets of opportunity in Inland Sea area continue. TF 38 planes sink Japanese guardboats No.10 Dairi Maru and No.2 Kompira Maru off Moji, and No.10 Fukuei Maru in Bungo Suido, 33ś00'N, 132ś10'E; army tanker Kaisoku Maru, off Hiro; merchant cargo ship Daio Maru at 35ś06'N, 129ś40'E; merchant tankers No.6 Ryuei Maru off eastern part of Okurokami Island; and No.6 Kinyu Maru off east coast of Anishima; and damage heavy cruiser Aoba, Kure, 34ś13'N, 132ś31'E; Coast Defense Vessel No.4, Toba, and merchant cargo ships No.6 Tokai Maru and No.5 Shokai Maru off Shimane peninsula; Meiho Maru, Agenosho; and merchant tanker Tenwa Maru, Kanoya.

TG 35.3 (Rear Admiral J. Cary Jones, Jr.) of four light cruisers (from TG 38.3) and six destroyers (from TG 38.4) bombards Kushimoto Seaplane Base, airfield near Shiono Misaki, Honshu, and adjacent facilities.

Thirty USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) mine the waters off Chongjin and Pusan, Korea, and Fushiki, Nanao, Ohama and Tsuruga, Japan. Mines laid by B-29s sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Hoshi Maru at mouth of Maizuru Bay, 34ś35'N, 135ś21'E and Eian Maru off Tottori, Honshu, 35ś33'N, 133ś14'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) bombards lumber mill and sampan-building yard at Shibetoro, destroying 35 sampans under construction.

British submarine HMS Stubborn sinks Makassar-bound Japanese Patrol Boat No.2 (ex-destroyer Nadakaze) in Java Sea, 07ś06'S, 115ś42'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Azuna Maru is damaged, agent unspecified, Hakata Bay.

* 26 July, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Destroyer Lowry (DD-770) is damaged by on-board tetrachlorethane (chemical) explosion, Philippine Sea, 19ś30'N, 128ś00'E.

U.S. aircraft sink Japanese auxiliary minesweepers No.18 Hinode Maru and Rikuzen Maru off Haeju-Won, Korea, 37ś58'N, 126ś40'E, and 37ś58'N, 125ś40'E, respectively.

Aircraft [service unspecified] sink Japanese merchant tanker Seria Maru near Aioi; merchant cargo ship Mishima Maru near Hizen, Oshima; and merchant fishing vessel No.40 Misago Maru off Uketo.

Japanese target ship (ex-battleship) Settsu is damaged by marine casualty, Eta Jima harbor.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Annette Fritzen Go is damaged by mine, off Pusan, Korea.

Cargo ship Spica (AK-16) and U.S. freighters Jonathan Harrington and Enos A. Mills depart Dutch Harbor, Alaska, for Point Barrow, transporting men and supplies for Navy Petroleum Reserve 4 (see 3, 8, 10, 22, 24 and 25 August).

* 27 July, Friday 1945
Pacific
Potsdam Declaration calling for unconditional surrender is delivered to the Japanese government. The Japanese, however, ignore the ultimatum, prompting President Truman to approve plans to drop atomic weapons on Japan.

Twenty-five USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Niigata, Miyazu, Maizuru and Senzaki, Japan. Mines laid by USAAF B-29s sink Japanese army cargo ship Unten Maru off Suo Nada, 33ś56'N, 131ś11'E ; merchant cargo ships Meiko Maru off Kokushi, Yamaguchi prefecture, 34ś10'N, 130ś55'E, and No.55 Banshu Maru, Odo Strait, Shimonoseki; and damage merchant cargo ships Jinstugawa Maru off Fushiki and Tatsumaki Maru off Wakamatsu signal station.

Cargo ship Ganymede (AK-104) is damaged in collision with Army barge BKP 42 (346th Harbor Craft Company), P.I., 11ś11'N, 125ś05'E.

U.S. freighter John A. Rawlins is damaged by Japanese aerial torpedo in Naha harbor, Okinawa; in addition to the 39-man merchant crew, 28 Armed Guards and 191 Construction Battalion men are on board at this time. Of those men, only three are injured; the ship, however, will ultimately be written off as a total loss.

U.S. freighter Pratt Victory is torpedoed by Japanese plane south of Ie Shima; the blast sinks tank landing craft LCT-1050 that lies moored alongside discharging cargo. There are no fatalities among the 27-man Armed Guard on board Pratt Victory, which offloads the remainder of her cargo without further incident.

Submarine Pargo (SS-264) is damaged by depth charges and aerial bombs off northern Celebes, 01ś35'N, 125ś20'E, but remains on patrol.

Submarine Pogy (SS-266) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Chikuzen Maru southwest of Kyogasaki, about 90 miles north of Tottori, Honshu, 37ś00'N, 134ś02'E.

British submarine HMS Tudor sinks Japanese fishing vessel at 06ś15'S, 108ś08'E.

USAAF planes (5th Air Force) sink Japanese landing ship T.176 off southern Kyushu, 31ś00'N, 130ś33'E.

Japanese transport Doshi Maru is sunk by aircraft off Nishitomari.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.40 Giso Maru, is sunk by aircraft off Urajiri.

Aircraft sink/damage Japanese merchant cargo ships Rokuzan Maru off southeast coast of Korea, and Yushin Maru, 35ś35'N, 129ś33'E.

Aircraft damage Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser No.11 Shonan Maru inside Chefoo harbor, China; and damage merchant tanker No.2 Seiko Maru off Osaka.

* 28 July, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from TF 38 of the Third Fleet (Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.) strike Inland Sea area, between Nagoya, and Northern Kyushu; principally targeting the Kure Naval Base. TF 38 planes sink battleship Haruna off Eta Jima, eight miles northwest of Kure, 34ś15'N, 132ś29'E; battleship-carrier Ise, five miles northwest of Kure, 34ś12'N, 132ś31'E; training ship ex-coast defense vessel Izumo off Eta Jima, 34ś14'N, 132ś30'E; heavy cruiser Aoba, Kure Navy Yard, 34ś13'N, 132ś31'E, light cruiser Oyodo, 34ś13'N, 132ś25'E; submarine I 404, Kure; escort destroyer Nashi, Mitajirizaki, Kure, 34ś14'N, 132ś30'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 34ś48'N, 134ś28'E; and No.6 Kinyu Maru at 34ś23'N, 134ś50'E. 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.

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, 35ś42'N, 132ś42'E; merchant cargo ships No.8 Shinto Maru, 35ś06'N, 129ś45'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.

The four escort carriers in TF 32 (Rear Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf) providing cover for the ongoing minesweeping operations in the East China Sea (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) is sunk by kamikaze, on radar picket station approximately 50 miles southwest of Okinawa, 25ś43'N, 126ś55'E; she is the last Allied vessel to be lost to that weapon. Destroyer Prichett (DD-561) is damaged by near-miss of suicide plane, 25ś43'N, 126ś56'E, as she assists the mortally damaged Callaghan. Reflecting the depth of desperation reached by the Japanese kamikaze forces, Callaghan's assailant is a bomb-carrying WILLOW (primary training biplane)!

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) damages Japanese No.165 Shuttle Boat, 09ś09'S, 115ś25'E.

Submarine Sennet (SS-408), attacking Japanese convoy off western Honshu, sinks merchant cargo ships Hagikawa Maru, eight miles west of Noshiro harbor, 40ś17'N, 139ś50'E, and No.15 Unkai Maru and Hakuei Maru off Sakata, 39ś49'N, 139ś47'E.

Japanese auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Keijin Maru sinks after running aground off Owase, Japan, 34ś05'N, 136ś14'E.

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

Japanese transport Teiritsu Maru, damaged by mine sown by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force); she is run aground .2 kilometers southwest of Bakuchizaki, 35ś32'N, 135ś20'E (see 30 July).

* 29 July, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Three battleships, four heavy cruisers, and ten destroyers of TU 34.8.1 (Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth) begins bombardment of shops, aircraft factory, and other facilities at Hamamatsu, Honshu. British battleship HMS King George V and three destroyers operates independently but joins in the bombardment. Carrier Bon Homme Richard (CV-31) supplies precautionary night combat air patrols and spotter aircraft.

Twenty-six USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Najin, Korea, and Fukuoka, Japan. Merchant cargo ship Tatsukashi Maru, damaged by mine, is beached off Pusan, Korea.

Heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) is torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarine I 58 northeast of Leyte, 12ś02'N, 134ś48'E.

Destroyer Cassin Young (DD-793) and high speed transport Horace A. Bass (APD-124) are damaged by suicide planes off Okinawa, 26ś08'N, 127ś58'E and 26ś17'N, 127ś34'E, respectively.

USAAF P-47s (7th Air Force) on sweep for targets of opportunity in the Nagasaki, Japan, area, sink auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 207, 32ś00'N, 130ś00'E.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) damage Japanese escort carrier Kaiyo in Hiji harbor, Beppu Wan, 33ś20'N, 131ś32'E.

Aircraft sink Japanese army cargo ship No.18 Ono Maru and merchant cargo ship Tangetsu Maru off Ulsan, Korea, and merchant passenger ship Tenzan Maru, 35ś40'N, 132ś39'E.

USAAF B-25s and P-51s on antishipping sweep off southeast coast of Korea sink Japanese army cargo ship Hokusei Maru off Kuryungpo; merchant cargo ship Seishin Maru, 35ś32'N, 127ś30'E; tanker Yushin Maru, and cargo vessel Shoryu Maru, 35ś32'N, 127ś30'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.12 Reisui Maru is sunk/damaged by aircraft, 34ś59'N, 128ś59'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kokyu Maru is damaged by aircraft near Pusan, Korea.

USAAF A-26s damage Japanese merchant tanker No.5 Yamamizu Maru off Nagasaki.

Marine casualties sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Sumioyoshi Maru outside Kamaishi harbor, and damage merchant cargo ships Miesan Maru near Shira Jima, and No.2 Mitsu Maru south of Cape Wakamiya, Iki Island and also result in the loss of guardboats Asahi Maru east of Pusan, Korea, and No.6 Kaiyo Maru off Cape Wakamiya, Korean Strait.

* 30 July, Monday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from TF 38 (Admiral William F. Halsey, Jr.) bomb airfields and industrial targets in central Honshu, and fly sweeps against Japanese shipping in Maizuru Bay. TF 38 planes sink escort vessel Okinawa six miles north-northwest of Maizuru, 35ś30'N, 135ś21'E; submarine chaser Ch 26 in Korea Strait, 34ś47'N, 128ś27'E; minelayer Toshima off Maizuru; auxiliary submarine chasers Keisho Maru and Chikuzen Maru, and guardboat No.12 Kogyo Maru at Imaura; auxiliary submarine chasers No.2 Nippon Maru in Usami Bay and No.53 Banshu Maru off Obama; guardboat No.10 Sumiyoshi Maru eight miles north of Kohi Jima; merchant cargo ships Kashi Maru (off Tsuruga, 35ś30'N, 135ś21'E) and Taruyasu Maru off Maizuru; merchant ship Kamogawa Maru off Ullung Island 35ś20'N, 130ś30'E; and damage escort destroyer Takane near Maizuru; submarine depot ship Chogei, submarines I 153 and I 202, and Coast Defense Vessel No.2 and minelayer Tatsumiya Maru off Maizuru; Coast Defense Vessel No.27 in Korea Strait, 34ś47'N, 128ś27'E; auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 182 off Ito; guardboat No.18 Sumiyoshi Maru, damaged by TF 38 aircraft, is run aground north of Kohi Jima. TF 38 planes also damage merchant cargo ship Shotai Maru and merchant vessel Fukuan Maru off Maizuru. British carrier planes from TF 37 complete the destruction of transport Teiritsu Maru, aground off Maizuru, 35ś92'N, 135ś20'E.

Three battleships, four heavy cruisers, and ten destroyers of TU 34.8.1 (Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth) completes bombardment of shops, aircraft factory, and other facilities at Hamamatsu, Honshu, Japan. One British battleship and three destroyers take part in this effort as well.

Task force (Rear Admiral Alexander Sharp) completes minesweeping operations in the East China Sea; his ships sweep approximately 7,300 square miles and destroy 404 mines without casualty.

British midget submarines XE 1 (towed to the area by submarine HMS Spark) and XE 3 (towed by HMS Stygian) penetrate into Singapore Harbor to attack Japaneseheavy cruisers Myoko and Takao, respectively (see 31 July).

Submarine Sennet (SS-408) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Yuzan Maru near Mutsuta Mizaki, western Hokkaido, 42ś36'N, 139ś49'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink destroyer Hatsushimo inside Miyazu Bay, 12 miles west-northwest of Maizuru, Japan, 35ś33'N, 135ś12'E; and passenger/cargo vessel Shokei Maru at 42ś36'N, 139ś48'E, and damage destroyer Yukikaze near Miyazu.

Aircraft sink Japanese army cargo ship Gessan Maru off Ulsan, Korea; merchant passenger ship Shokei Maru in Miyazu Bay; merchant cargo ships No.2 Shozan Maru off Ulgi, and Koshin Maru off Pang-O-Jin; and merchant cargo ship Shinko Maru off Choshi; and damage merchant cargo ships Choko Maru off Himo; Shoko Maru, Wakasa Bay; and No.5 Kenkon Maru at 35ś44'N, 124ś57'E; merchant tug Hokusan Maru, Pusan, Korea; and merchant cargo ship Nissho Maru off Tsuruga.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Matsuura Maru is damaged by marine casualty, beached, at mouth of Yujin harbor.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.15 Yamabishi Maru is lost to marine casualty, Wakasa Bay.

* 31 July, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 25, conducting anti-shipping sweep in Suguru Gulf, bombard railroad yards and industrial area of Shimuzu, Japan.

PB4Ys (FAW 1) operating from Yontan Field, Okinawa, destroy a span of the Seisen River bridge, severing the main north-south double track railroad line in Korea.

Destroyer Bancroft (DD-598) is damaged in collision with miscellaneous auxiliary Carondelet (IX-136) off Luzon, 14ś50'N, 120ś15'E.

Submarine Thornback (SS-418) damages Japanese submarine chaser Ch 42 five miles off Osaki, Japan, 38ś53'N, 141ś35'E.

Japanese heavy cruiser Takao is damaged by charges placed by British midget submarines XE 3 and XE 1 the night before, at Singapore (see 30 July).[24]

Mines sink Japanese guardboat No.5 Teru Maru off Wonsan, Korea; and naval auxiliary No.5 Matsumae Maru off Pusan, Korea.

Auxiliary submarine chaser No.9 Kamoi Maru is damaged by grounding, Ukushima.

Japanese naval vessels sunk during July 1945 (exact date unspecified): guardboats No.51 Tama Maru, by U.S. aircraft, at mouth of Yangtze River; No.3 Kaigyo Maru, by mine, east of the mouth of Kammon Strait; and No.5 Shinshu Maru, by U.S. aircraft, off Japan [exact location unspecified]; auxiliary minesweeper No.2 Keijin Maru, by aircraft, four kilometers north of Shiriya.

Japanese merchant vessels damaged during July 1945 (exact date unspecified): cargo ships Shojun Maru, agent unknown, near Masan, Korea; Imazugawa Maru, by aircraft, location unspecified; No.8 Hino Maru, agent unknown, at northern entrance of Kammon Strait; and No.1 Shinyo Maru, agent and location of loss/damage unspecified; tanker No.11 Yoshitomo Maru, agent and location of loss/damage unspecified.

August

* 1 August, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
TG 12.3 attacks Wake Island. Planes from small carrier Cabot (CVL-28) bomb installations. Battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38) bombards the atoll but is damaged by shore battery, 19ś20'N, 166ś30'E.

TG 95.2 (Rear Admiral Francis S. Low), a fast striking group consisting of large cruisers Alaska (CB-1) and Guam (CB-2), four light cruisers and nine destroyers, departs Okinawa and proceeds into the East China Sea to conduct anti-shipping sweeps off Shanghai, China.

TG 95.3 (Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf), consisting of three battleships, a heavy cruiser, a light cruiser, three escort carriers, six destroyers and three destroyers escorts, accompanies TG 95.2 to furnish covering support.

Heaviest USAAF B-29 raid to date: 774 planes drop 6,632 tons of bombs on five different targets in Japan. Additionally, in what will be the largest operation of its kind, 42 USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Najin and Chongjin, Korea, and Hamada, Japan. Japanese escort vessel Ikura is damaged by mine in Oguchi Channel.

USAAF B-24s (Far East Air Force) bomb Nagasaki dockyard area, damaging motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.102; USAAF B-25s and fighter-bomber aircraft (Far East Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping in Nagasaki harbor, damaging merchant cargo ship Kinko Maru and tanker Tada Maru. Other USAAF (Fifth Air Force) planes sink merchant cargo ship Hayabusa Maru near Eboshi light, 33ś41'N, 129ś59'E.

Japanese merchant tanker Chokai Maru is damaged by marine casualty, 34ś38'N, 134ś56'E.

British submarines HMS Thorough and HMS Taciturn attack Japanese shipping in Bulelong Roads; while Taciturn engages shore batteries, Thorough sinks cargo vessels Hino Maru and Shoei Maru and shells warehouses.

Submarine chaser PC-784 collides with Army tug LT 666 in a dense fog off entrance to Amchitka, Alaska, harbor; both vessels suffer damage but there are no injuries to either crew.

* 2 August, Thursday 1945
Europe
Potsdam (TERMINAL) Conference attended by President Truman, British Prime Minister Clement Attlee (who had replaced Churchill as prime minister in the July general elections in Britain), and Russian Premier Stalin, ends.

Pacific
PV (FAW-18), flown by a relief crew from VPB-28, en route from Saipan to Jinamoc, Philippine Islands, makes initial sighting of survivors from sunken heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) around 11ś32'N, 133ś34'E.25

Destroyers Conner (DD-582) and Charrette (DD-581) intercept and search Japanese hospital ship Tachibana Maru, which is found to be carrying arms and ammunition in boxes marked with red crosses; the destroyers place prize crew of 80 marines and sailors on board. Tachibana Maru is then taken to Morotai for examination.

Submarine Bugara (SS-331) operating against Japanese coastal shipping off the Malay peninsula, sinks schooner with gunfire and takes on board crew. One lifeboat, however, sinks and fouls the submarine's port screw, damaging it, 06ś40'N, 101ś51'E. Later, Bugara happens across Malay pirates attacking Chinese-manned Japanese schooner en route to Singapore, 06ś21'N, 102ś15'E. The brigands flee upon Bugara's approach. After taking off the Chinese crew (who are grateful for the submarine's timely arrival, the Malayan cutthroats having already killed two crewmen) and sinking the schooner, Bugara then pursues the pirates and destroys them. Later, Bugara's divers, working in the dark, repair the screw damaged earlier in the day.

Army tender TP 122 grounds off East Cape, Amchitka, near Irakin Point; rescue tug ATR-32 is sent to the scene to assist.

USAAF mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship Santo Maru off Niigata, Japan, 37ś57'N, 139ś04'E, and damage minesweeper W.17 south of Chinhae, Korea, 36ś06'N, 128ś40'E.

* 3 August, Friday 1945

Pacific
Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.3 Kamikage Maru outside Najin harbor and Tairetsu Maru in Kobe harbor, 34ś39'N, 135ś12'E; and transport Aga Maru off Takatakao Light; and damage army ship Osho Maru off Tsuruga, 35ś40'N, 136ś04'E; and merchant cargo ships Kokuyo Maru east of Hesaki and Shotai Maru in Fushiki harbor.

Cargo ship Taii Maru is damaged, agent unspecified, 5.6 kilometers off Karasu Jima.

British submarines HMS Trump and HMS Tiptoe attack Japanese Batavia-to-Singapore convoy escorted by Patrol Boat No. 109, sinking army cargo vessel Tencho Maru, 05ś07'S, 106ś05'E.

Navy Petroleum Reserve 4 Expedition, formed around cargo ship Spica (AK-16) and U.S. freighters Jonathan Harrington and Enos A. Mills, anchors off Icy Cape, Alaska. There it will remain until ice conditions improve at Point Barrow, its ultimate destination (see 8, 10, 22, 24 and 25 August).

* 4 August, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Japanese merchant tanker Koshin Maru is sunk by mine in Osaka harbor, 34ś37'N, 135ś18'E. Mines also damage army cargo ship Tensho Maru outside Najin harbor, and merchant tanker No.4 Nanko Maru near Hesaki harbor light.

Navy PBMs sink Japanese vessel No.1 Hanshin Maru off China coast, 32ś57'N, 117ś26'E.

Adriatic
U.S. freighter William J. Palmer is sunk by mine five miles out of Trieste, Italy, 45ś34'15"N, 13ś36'15"E.

* 5 August, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Twenty-eight USAAF B-29s mine the waters off Najin, Korea, and Geijitsu, Tsuruga, Oura and Hagi, Japan.

Destroyer escort Earl V. Johnson (DE-702) is damaged by explosion [near-miss of kaiten fired by submarine I 53, Philippine Sea, 20ś17'N, 128ś07'E.

Destroyer Bristol (DD-857) is damaged in collision with oiler Ashtabula (AO-51) off Iwo Jima, 29ś00'N, 142ś00'E.

Submarine Aspro (SS-309) rescues USAAF P-51 pilot deep in Sagami Wan, covered by PB4Ys that splash 4 of 12 Japanese planes that try to interfere with the extraction.

Submarine Billfish (SS-286), attacking Japanese convoy in the Yellow Sea, sinks merchant cargo ship Kori Maru off the Kwantung Peninsula, 38ś51'N, 121ś59'E.

Submarine Pogy (SS-266) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kotohirasan Maru in the Japan Sea about 30 miles west of Akita, Honshu, 39ś52'N, 138ś52'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 Island.

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

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

* 6 August, Monday 1945

Pacific
USAAF B-29 "Enola Gay" (509th Composite Group) drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Honshu; USN Commander William S. Parsons is the weaponeer on this mission.

TG 95.3 planes, from escort carriers Lunga Point (CVE-94), Makin Island (CVE-93) and Cape Gloucester (CVE-109) (Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf) strike enemy shipping in Tinghai Harbor, China.

Carrier Intrepid (CV-11)'s air group bombs Japanese installations on Wake Island as the ship is en route from Pearl Harbor to join TF 38 in the western Pacific.

TF 58 planes damage Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.37 and small minelayer/netlayer Kyosai east of Nojimazaki, 34ś52'N, 139ś58'E.

Submarine Bugara (SS-331) comes across British submarine HMS Sleuth and four Japanese junks. Bugara, in display of Anglo-American cooperation, assists the British boat by sinking two of the enemy craft by gunfire, 06ś51'N, 101ś44'E.

Submarine Bullhead (SS-332) is sunk, probably by Japanese Army aircraft (73d Chutai), off Bali, Java Sea, 08ś20'S, 115ś42'E.

USAAF B-25s and P-51s (Far East Air Force) attack Japanese shipping in Tsushima Strait, sinking merchant cargo ships No.7 Shintai Maru and Kowa Maru five miles east of Tsuno Jima, 34ś26'N, 129ś16'E.

USAAF mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships No.2 Chokai Maru off Fushiki Light, 38ś49'N, 137ś04'E, Isojima Maru in south channel of Kammon Strait, 33ś56'N, 130ś56'E, and No.2 Kozan Maru at 33ś53'N, 132ś00'E.

Japanese auxiliary minelayer Kinjo Maru and auxiliary netlayer Kosei Maru, are damaged by aircraft, near Kujukuruhama.

* 7 August, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Submarine Pargo (SS-264), attacking Japanese convoy off northeastern Korea, sinking merchant cargo ship Rashin Maru, 41ś15'N, 131ś19'E.

Thirty USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Maizuru and Sakai, Japan, and Najin, Korea.

USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) on shakedown flight bomb Japanese installations at Truk, sinking auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 66, 07ś23'N, 151ś53'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Rumoe Maru is sunk by aircraft near My Tho, French Indochina.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) attack Japanese convoy off Fusan, Korea, sinking Coast Defense Vessel No.39 at 35ś06'N, 129ś03'E, and merchant tankers No.7 Kinyu Maru and No.9 Nanki Maru near Koje-Do, 34ś55'N, 128ś44'E.

Japanese army cargo ship Kibitsu Maru is sunk by mine 250 meters east of Hiraiso, 34ś37'N, 135ś03'E.

Japanese merchant ship Keizan Maru is damaged by aircraft 13 miles south-southwest of Hime Jima light. Japanese merchant cargo ships Daigen Maru and Chiyotama Maru are damaged when they collide four miles south of Funagawa pier.

* 8 August, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
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, 46ś41'N, 151ś43'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.

USAAF B-24s, B-25s, A-26s, P-51s and P-47s (Far East Air Force) 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.

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

* 9 August, Thursday 1945

Pacific
USAAF B-29 "Bock's Car" (509th Composite Group) drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Kyushu; USN Commander Frederick W. Ashworth is the weaponeer on this mission. In the nuclear devastation unleashed upon that Japanese port city, merchant tanker Tsuruoka Maru is damaged.

USN carrier-based aircraft from TF 38 carriers (Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.) pound Japanese shipping and airfields, ranging from northern Honshu and Hokkaido to the coast of Korea, sinking auxiliary submarine chasers Shintohoku Maru and 2 Kongo Maru and 6 Takunan Maru, minesweepers W.1 and W.33, and fleet tanker Juko Maru, and merchant cargo ship No.36 Banshu Maru off Hamada, 39ś30'N, 142ś04'E. USN (TF 38) and British carrier aircraft (TF 37) sink escort vessels Amakusa and Inagi off Onagawa.

Off Honshu, retaliatory air strikes by Japanese planes result in friendly fire damage to destroyer John W. Weeks (DD-701), 35ś00'N, 143ś00'E; kamikaze damages destroyer Borie (DD-704) at 37ś21'N, 143ś45'E.

TU 12.5.6--battleship New Jersey (BB-62), light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80) and four destroyers--bombards Wake Island while en route from Pearl Harbor to Eniwetok.

TU 34.8.1, battleships and cruisers (Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth) shells industrial targets at Kamaishi, Honshu. Two British light cruisers participate in the bombardment as well.

Soviet forces enter Korea. Russian planes sink Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.82 north of Joshin, Korea, 41ś21'N, 131ś12'E, and merchant vessels Kasado Maru and No.2 Ryuho Maru off Kamchatka, Sea of Okhotsk.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) shells Tambelan Island 230 miles east of Singapore, destroying Japanese radio station.

Destroyer escort Johnnie Hutchins (DE-360), carrying out an antisubmarine sweep on the convoy route between Leyte and Okinawa, sinks what may have been kaitens launched by I 58, known to have been in the area at that time.

USAAF B-25s on antishipping sweeps against Japanese shipping traffic off the coast of Korea sink auxiliary submarine chaser No.63 Hino Maru west of Koje-do, merchant cargo ship No.7 Yamabishi Maru off Tsushima, 35ś09'N, 129ś30'E, and army cargo ship Daito Maru, 15 miles off Chongjin, Korea.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Izu Maru is sunk by aircraft, Shiogama harbor.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.7 Yamanami Maru is sunk by U.S. aircraft, 25ś15'N, 138ś44'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Kagoshima Maru and [type unspecified] Toyoshima Maru are sunk by aircraft off Pusan, Korea.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Senko Maru is sunk by aircraft off Chongjin, Korea, Tensho Maru is damaged.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Ryuho Maru is sunk by aircraft off Utka.

Japanese merchant cargo ships Edamitsu Maru and Sotsu Go, tanker Empo Maru are sunk by aircraft off Najin, Korea. Japanese merchant cargo ship Rakusan Maru is damaged by aircraft.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.6 Banshu Maru is damaged by aircraft off Hamada, Japan.

Japanese destroyer Yanagi and minelayer Tokiwa are damaged by aircraft, Ominato, Japan.

Japanese escort vessel Yashiro and Coast Defense Vessel No.87, and army cargo ship Ryuwa Maru, and merchant cargo ship Meiyu Maru are damaged by aircraft off Unggi, Korea.

USAAF B-25s (5th Air Force) damage Japanese fast transport T.21 off Tsuwa Jima, 33ś59'N, 132ś31'E. Although T.21 is run aground to permit salvage, she never returns to active service (see 10 August).

Japanese transport Choun Maru is damaged by aircraft, location unspecified.

Mines damage Japanese merchant cargo ships Enoshima Maru in Oguchi channel, Nanao; Genyo Maru, 35ś51'N, 131ś15'E; Shinri Go, 34ś06'N, 131ś19'E; and damage merchant vessel Okita Maru near Sumoto.

* 10 August, Friday 1945
Pacific
USN carrier-based planes from fast carrier task forces of the Third Fleet (Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.), pound 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, 38ś26'N, 141ś30'E, auxiliary minesweeper No.2 Kongo Maru off Onagawa, 38ś30'N, 141ś29'E; merchant cargo ship Masayoshi Maru and tanker No.3 Nanki Maru in Sakata harbor, 38ś55'N, 139ś49'E; merchant cargo ship No.14 Horai Maru off east coast of Korea, 37ś00'N, 130ś24'E; merchant cargo ship No.5 Nishiki Maru off Hachinohe harbor; and cargo ship Chichibu Maru in Keelung harbor, Formosa, 42ś20'N, 130ś24'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, 38ś15'N, 139ś22'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, 41ś26'N, 129ś49'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, 34ś43'N, 129ś50'E, and damage Coast Defense Vessel No. 194, Coast Defense Vessel No. 198 and army cargo ship Tairetsu Maru, 34ś42'N, 130ś13'E.

Thirty-one USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) mine Shimonoseki Straits 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, 37ś08'N, 136ś50'E, and merchant cargo ships Harada Maru at 34ś23'N,134ś57'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.

Soviet forces enter Korea. Russian planes sink Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.82 north of Joshin, Korea, 41ś21'N, 131ś12'E, and merchant vessels Kasado Maru and No.2 Ryuho Maru off Kamchatka peninsula, in Sea of Okhotsk.

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 (see 22, 24 and 25 August).

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 any injuries suffered in the incident. The ship is later written off as a total loss.

Japanese fast transport T.21 sinks as the result of damage suffered the previous day off Tsuwa Jima, 33ś59'N, 132ś31'E.

* 11 August, Saturday 1945
Pacific
TG 95.4 (Captain Henry J. Armstrong, Jr.) comprising four light minelayers (DM), 40 minesweepers (AM) and 10 motor minesweepers (YMS), and various supporting vessels, departs Buckner Bay, Okinawa, to proceed into the East China Sea to conduct minesweeping operations.

TF 38 planes damage Japanese destroyer Kaba and submarines I 36, I 159, and I 402 at Kure, Japan.

Destroyer McDermut (DD-677) is damaged by small-caliber naval gunfire in Kurils, 49ś30'N, 155ś01'E.

Submarine Chub (SS-329) sinks Japanese army auxiliary sailing vessel No.32 Sakura Maru, 06ś40'S, 115ś44'E.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) puts landing party and Australian commandoes ashore at Terampah Harbor, Matak Island Anambas Islands, that destroys a gasoline dump, captures intelligence documents, and rescues an Indian POW.

Submarine Jallao (SS-368) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Teihoku Maru, 38ś03'N, 133ś12'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.2 Nisshin Maru eight kilometers off Wakamatsu light, 33ś45'N, 131ś30'E, and damage landing ship T.153 two miles east-northeast of Kanawaiwa, Japan.

Japanese merchant vessel Wajun Go is damaged by marine casualty near Funagawa.

* 12 August, Sunday 1945
Pacific
TF 92, comprising two light cruisers and 12 destroyers (Rear Admiral John H. Brown, Jr.) bombards Japanese installations on Matsuwa Island and at Kurabu Cape and Suribachi Bay, Paramushiro Island Kurils. A pre-bombardment sweep of the Sea of Okhotsk results in the destruction of ten trawlers.

Japanese submarine I 58 conducts unsuccessful kaiten attack on dock landing ship Oak Hill (LSD-7) while she is en route from Okinawa to Leyte Gulf accompanied by destroyer escort Thomas F. Nickel (DE-587).

Battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38) is damaged by aerial torpedo, Buckner Bay, Okinawa, 26ś14'N, 127ś50'E.

Aircraft sink Japanese auxiliary patrol vessel Pa 166 five miles southeast of Urasaki, Japan, and merchant cargo ship Hozugawa Maru off the east coast of Korea, 35ś00'N, 126ś00'E, and damage Kitanami Maru off Mishima light.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.1 Shinyo Maru north of Kyushu, and damage merchant cargo ship Yurakawa Maru eight kilometers off Wakamatsu light, and army cargo ship No.16 Tamon Maru in Koguchi Channel, Nanao, 37ś07'N, 137ś02'E.

* 13 August, Monday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from fast carrier task force (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) bomb targets in the vicinity of Tokyo.

USAAF OA-10A extracts TBM crew (VT 87) from Ticonderoga (CV-14) from the inner reaches of Tokyo Bay midway between Yokohama and Kizarazu, marking the first time that a U.S. plane has accomplished a rescue in those waters.

Attack transport Lagrange (APA-124) is crashed by suicide plane, Buckner Bay, Okinawa, 26ś14'N, 127ś52'E.

Submarine Atule (SS-403) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.6 and damages Coast Defense Vessel No.16 off Hokkaido, 42ś16'N, 142ś12'E.

Submarine Torsk (SS-423) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Kaiho Maru, 36ś17'N, 136ś09'E.

USAAF B-24s and/or B-25s operating against Japanese shipping in Korea Strait sink guardboat Ayanami Maru at 34ś50'N, 131ś10'E and damage merchant cargo ship Tatsukiri Maru at 34ś35'N, 131ś23'E.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.11 Tosei Maru is damaged by aircraft off Hekata.

Japanese army tanker No.10 Nitto Maru is damaged by mine, 34ś22'N, 130ś54'E.

* 14 August, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Japan accepts the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration and agrees to surrender ("VJ Day"). General of the Army Douglas MacArthur is named Supreme Allied Commander to receive the enemy's capitulation and conduct the occupation of his homeland.

Thirty-five USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits and the waters off Nanao, Maizuru and Hamada, Japan, in the final B-29 minelaying operations of the war.

Submarine Spikefish (SS-404) sinks Japanese submarine I 373, then en route from Sasebo to Takao, 190 miles southeast of Shanghai, China, 29ś00'N, 124ś00'E.

in Sea of Japan, submarine Torsk (SS-423) sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.13 at 35ś44'N, 134ś38'E, and Coast Defense Vessel No.47 at 35ś41'N, 134ś38'E.

Mines laid by USAAF B-29s (20th Air Force) sink Japanese gunboat Hirota Maru off Mutsure, Japan, 33ś59'N, 130ś52'E, cargo ship Mikamasan Maru at 39ś18'N, 126ś28'E, and merchant cargo ships Yojo Maru in Osaka harbor, 34ś38'N, 135ś28'E; and Kashima Maru off coast of Korea, 35ś10'N, 129ś00'E.

Marine casualties account for damage to Japanese merchant tankers No.8 Nankai Maru at 36ś54'N, 126ś12.5'E and tanker Nanki Maru 300 miles off Bontensen.

Aircraft (nationality and type unidentified) sink Japanese merchant cargo ship No.6 Hatokama Maru off Tanoura. and damage merchant cargo ships No.5 Shinko Maru at 34ś35'N, 131ś23'E, and Tatsusugi Maru at 34ś12'N, 129ś46'E. Merchant cargo ship No.3 Takakawa Maru, damaged by aircraft, is beached north of Hirato Island.

* 15 August, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Before receiving the announcement of the end of hostilities, planes from fast carrier task force (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) raid airfields in the vicinity of Tokyo, encountering heavy aerial opposition. Second strike is cancelled while it is en route to objectives; pilots jettison their ordnance and return to their carriers.

TG 30.6 (Commodore Rodger W. Simpson) is formed to liberate, evacuate, and care for Allied POWs in Japan.

Japanese escort vessel Kanju is sunk by Russian aircraft off Wonsan, 39ś10'N, 127ś27'E.

Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 167 is sunk by accident, Kure.

Japanese merchant cargo ship No.12 Yamabishi Maru is damaged by aircraft, 34ś41.5'N, 129ś36'E.

Mediterranean
U.S. freighter William D. Byron is damaged by two mines off Savona, Italy, 44ś00'N, 09ś00'E; one of four Armed Guard sailors is injured.

* 16 August, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Destroyer Healy (DD-672) makes sonar contact with underwater object about 100 miles east of Iwo Jima and carries out depth charge attack.

Submarine Piper (SS-409) is attacked in Japan Sea by unknown assailant.

* 17 August, Friday 1945
Pacific
General Prince Higashikuni becomes Prime Minister of Japan and forms a new cabinet.

Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.46 is sunk by mine off Mokpo, Korea, 34ś51'N, 126ś02'E.

* 19 August, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Formation of fleet Marine and bluejacket landing forces from officers and men afloat begins; these men are transferred, at sea, to transports for the impending occupation of Yokosuka under Commander, TF 31 (see 20 August). Japanese delegates arrive in Manila to receive surrender instructions.

Japanese escort vessel Oki is damaged by mine off Pusan, Korea.

* 20 August, Monday 1945
Pacific
TF 31 (Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger) is formed to assume responsibility for the occupation of Yokosuka naval base.

Navy patrol planes reconnoiter Indochina and south China coasts; Japanese fighters attempt to intercept them.

* 21 August, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Two Chinese junks (Lieutenant Livingston Swentzel Jr., USNR) manned by 7 Americans and 20 Chinese guerrillas are attacked by Japanese junk (with a crew of 83 men) while enroute from Haimen to Shanghai, China. In a 45-minute action, the Chinese craft, directed by Lieutenant Swentzel, engage the enemy with bazookas, machine guns, and grenades. Upon boarding the Japanese craft, the Allied force finds 45 dead and 35 wounded; the victory has been achieved at the cost of four Chinese killed, and one American and five Chinese wounded. For his heroism above and beyond the call of duty, Lieutenant Swentzel is awarded the Navy Cross in what probably proves to be the last surface action of World War II.

Japanese escort vessel Miyake is damaged by mine near Moji, Japan, 33ś58'N, 131ś00'E.

Tenth Army security patrols on Okinawa by this point have captured 69 Japanese and killed 218 since the island is declared secure.

Asiatic Wing, Naval Air Transport Service, is established at Oakland California.

* 22 August, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Captain Harold B. Grow, Atoll Commander, Majuro, accepts surrender of Mille Atoll, Marshalls (the first Japanese garrison to capitulate in the Pacific) on board destroyer escort Levy (DE-162).

Navy Petroleum Reserve 4 Expedition, formed around cargo ship Spica (AK-16) and U.S. freighters Jonathan Harrington and Enos A. Mills, discharges remainder of tonnage at Point Barrow (see 24 and 25 August).

Japanese antiaircraft batteries near Hong Kong fire upon navy patrol planes over China Coast.

Japanese destroyer Asagao is damaged by mine in Shimonoseki Straits.

* 23 August, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Planes from TG 38.4 (Rear Admiral Arthur W. Radford) search for Japanese shipping between Hachijo Jima and the Bonins. Such movement would have been contrary to surrender instructions, but the searching aircraft report no violations.

* 24 August, Friday 1945
Pacific
U.S. freighters Jonathan Harrington and Enos A. Mills, of the Navy Petroleum Reserve 4 Expedition, are damaged by ice floes off Point Barrow, Alaska (see 25 August).

* 25 August, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from carrier task groups begin daily flights over Japan to patrol airfields, shipping movements, and to locate and supply prisoner of war camps; operation continues until 2 September.

TG 95.4 (Captain Henry J. Armstrong, Jr.) returns to Buckner Bay having completed its mine clearance work in the East China Sea and destroyed 578 mines during eleven days of sweeping.

Carrier Wasp (CV-18) and destroyer Chauncey (DD-667) are damaged by typhoon.

Chief of Naval Operations accords Navy Petroleum Reserve 4 Expedition a "well done" for accomplishing its mission "in an expeditious and seamanlike manner in spite of fog and ice."

* 27 August, Monday 1945
Pacific
Third Fleet (Admiral William F. Halsey Jr.) stands into Sagami Wan, the outer bay to Tokyo, Japan.

Japanese submarine I 14 surrenders to destroyers Murray (DD-576) and Dashiell (DD-659) east of northern Honshu. Prize crew from destroyer escort Bangust (DE-739) boards I 14 about 450 miles east of Nojima Zaki.

Japanese submarine I 400 surrenders to destroyers Blue (DD-744) and Mansfield (DD-728) east of northern Honshu; destroyer escort Weaver (DE-741) places boarding party on board I 400.

PB4Y (FAW 18) lands at Atsugi Airdrome, 14 miles from,Tokyo, because of mechanical difficulties. No Japanese approach the plane, which returns to Iwo Jima the same day.

* 28 August, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
USAAF technicians land at Atsugi Airdrome, near Tokyo; these are the first American troops to land in Japan.

Administrative and operational control of the Seventh Fleet (Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid) passes from Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area (General of the Army Douglas MacArthur) to Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet (Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz).

* 29 August, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet, arrives in Tokyo Bay on board PB2Y, and breaks his flag in battleship South Dakota (BB-57).

Submarine Segundo (SS-398) encounters Japanese submarine I 401 off northeast coast of Honshu, and "after considerable negotiation," places prize crew on board.

TG 30.6 (Commodore Rodger W. Simpson) arrives in Tokyo Bay to undertake emergency evacuation of Allied POWs in waterfront areas. Guided by TBMs from small carrier Cowpens (CVL-25) and taken to the scene by LCVPs from high speed transport Gosselin (APD-126), Commodore Simpson carries out his orders. The appearance of the LCVPs off the camp at Omori (the first liberated) triggers "an indescribable scene of jubilation and emotion" by the former captives, some of whom swim out to the approaching landing craft.

Japanese garrisons on Halmahera and Morotai surrender.

* 30 August, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Landings by the occupation forces begin in the Tokyo Bay area under cover of guns of the Third Fleet plus Naval and USAAF aircraft.

Rear Admiral Robert B. Carney and Rear Admiral Oscar C. Badger accept surrender of Yokosuka Naval Base. Headquarters of Commander Third Fleet is established there.

Conference is held on board destroyer Stack (DD-406) at Truk to discuss the surrender of that Japanese base. Brigadier General Leo D. Hermle, USMC, is the leader of U.S. representatives.

Four motor torpedo boats transport 50 Japanese troops from Miti Island to Morotai, to contact scattered units there to effect a complete surrender.

U.S. freighter Peter White is damaged by mine 50 miles from Mauban, Luzon, 14ś37'N, 122ś26'E; only four men of the ship's total complement (52 merchant sailors, one passenger, and 17 Armed Guards) are injured, and the ship reaches Leyte.

* 31 August, Friday 1945
Pacific
Rear Admiral Francis E. M. Whiting accepts surrender of Marcus Island on board destroyer Bagley (DD-386).

Marines (Company "L," Third Battalion, Fourth Marines) land at Tateyama Naval Base, Honshu, on the northeast shore of Sagami Wan, and accept its surrender. They will reconnoiter the beach approaches and cover the landing of Army's 112th Cavalry.

Japanese submarine I 401 surrenders to submarine Segundo (SS-398) at entrance to Tokyo Bay.

U.S. freighter Joseph Carrigan is damaged by mine in Brunei Bay, Borneo.

Japanese merchant vessels sunk/damaged during August 1945 (exact dates indeterminate): refrigerated cargo ship Banshu Maru, agent unknown, location unspecified. Cargo ship Eito Maru, by aircraft, off Murozu. Cargo ship No.1 Taikai Maru, by aircraft, location unspecified.

Japanese merchant vessel damaged during August 1945 (exact date indeterminate): cargo ship Shincho Maru, by mine, off Ube.

September

* 1 September, Saturday 1945
Pacific
Two civilian internment camps are located in Tokyo area; internees are evacuated in hospital ship Benevolence (AH-13).

* 2 September, Sunday 1945
Pacific
Japanese surrender documents are signed on board battleship Missouri (BB-63) at anchor in Tokyo Bay. General of the Army Douglas MacArthur signs for the Allied Powers; Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signs for the U.S.

TF 33 (Rear Admiral John L. Hall) lands army forces at Yokohama.

Japanese surrender Palau Islands in ceremony on board destroyer escort Amick (DE-168).

Japanese surrender Truk in ceremony on board heavy cruiser Portland (CA-33).

Japanese surrender Pagan Island northern Marianas, on board destroyer Rhind (DD-404).

Japanese surrender Rota, Marianas, in ceremony on board destroyer escort Heyliger (DE-510).

* 3 September, Monday 1945
Pacific
Japanese surrender Wake Island in ceremony on board destroyer escort Levy (DE-162).

Escort carrier Anzio (CVE-57) is damaged in collision with oiler Suamico (AO-49) while fueling off Okinawa.

* 4 September, Tuesday 1945
Pacific
Japanese surrender Aguijan Island Marianas, in ceremony on board Coast Guard Cutter No.83425.

* 5 September, Wednesday 1945
Pacific
Japanese surrender Yap Island in ceremony on board destroyer Tillman (DD-641).

* 6 September, Thursday 1945
Pacific
Japanese surrender Maleolap Atoll in ceremony on board destroyer escort Wingfield (DE-194).

U.S. troops begin return to United States as TF 11 (Vice Admiral Frederick C. Sherman) sails from Tokyo Bay for the west coast.

* 11 September, Tuesday 1945
Operation MAGIC CARPET begins.

* 11 September to 31 December 1945 --
Between the signing of the capitulation documents on board the battleship Missouri (BB-63) and the end of the year, Japanese garrisons on the Asiatic mainland and on by-passed islands scattered throughout the western Pacific surrender. Occupation of Japan progresses and the administrative organization of the U.S. naval forces in the area is adjusted where necessary to enable the Navy to carry out occupation and demilitarization duties. Naval combat strength shrinks as demobilization procedures are set in motion. On 10 October 1945 Headquarters of the Commander in Chief U.S. Fleet (Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King) is disestablished.

Footnotes

[1] The Liberty ship is beached the next day to prevent further damage; the Navy subsequently repairs her. She is renamed Harcourt and classified as a miscellaneous auxiliary (IX-225).

[2] Rear Admiral Theodore E. Chandler, Commander Cruiser Division Four, who, as a captain, had commanded light cruiser Omaha (CL-4) when she seized German blockade runner Odenwald in November 1941, is fatally wounded in the attack on Louisville.

[3] She is reported as overdue, presumed lost, on 16 February 1945.

[4] She is towed to Saigon, but is never repaired, and is ultimately broken up there.

[5] A thorough search of Dutch Harbor and all other sector activities fails to disclose any trace of this particular district craft, and it is stricken from the Register this date. It's exact fate is unknown.

[6] Two possible explanations for Kete's disappearance exist, neither definitive: (1) she strikes a mine about 20 March 1945 in a field laid by minelayer Tokiwa and auxiliary minelayer Koei Maru less than a month before (27 February 1945) or (2) is sunk by one of four Japanese submarines (Ro 41, Ro 49, Ro 56 or I 8--all lost soon thereafter) believed to be in the vicinity sometime between 20 and 23 March, east of Okinawa. The most likely candidate of the four is Ro 41. Kete is listed as overdue, presumed lost, on 16 April 1945.

[7] During the retirement phase, destroyer Preston (DD-795) rescues eight survivors from a downed USAAF B-29.

[8] While no definitive explanation exists for Snook's loss, there are three possibilities: (1) she is sunk by Japanese naval aircraft (256th, 453rd and 951st Air Flotilla) on 9 April 1945 near the Shuzan Islands; (2) she is sunk by patrol-escort vessel Okinawa, Patrol-Escort Vessel No.8, Patrol-Escort Vessel No. 32 and Patrol-Escort Vessel No. 52 after being detected by planes from the afore-mentioned naval air flotillas; or (3) she is possibly sunk by Japanese submarine I 56 while Snook was operating on lifeguard duty (her last assignment) in the Nansei Shoto region. She is listed as overdue, presumed lost, on 16 May 1945.

[9] She is listed as overdue, presumed lost, on 1 May 1945.

[10] RO 67 is ultimately decommissioned 20 July 1945 and used as a pontoon at Sasebo.

[11] Yamato only carries enough fuel for a one-way voyage. Plans call for the massive battleship to be beached off Okinawa to employ her 18.1-inch guns in defense of the island.

[12] German submarine U-853 was known to have been in the vicinity at the time; whether or not she conducted an attack that sank Eagle 56, however, may never be known, since U-853 is sunk with all hands on soon thereafter (see 6 May 1945).

[13] Some sources list Bream's victim as Teishu Maru; ULTRA material, however, uses the German name, and refers to communications between Tokyo and Berlin concerning her loss.

[14] "Superb damage control measures and fire fighting," South Dakota's war diarist notes, "quickly brought the fire under control and narrowly averted a major disaster." South Dakota lay alongside ammunition ship Wrangell (AE-12) at the moment the first tank exploded.

[15] Fleet tug Tenino (ATF-115) later tows William B. Allison, written off by the War Shipping Administration as a total loss, to Kerama Retto, where she undergoes repairs and is taken over by the Navy for use as a mobile storehouse for lubricants and drummed petroleum products. Classified as a miscellaneous auxiliary (IX-117), she is renamed Gamage.

[16] She is reported as overdue, presumed lost, on 30 July 1945.

[17] Barry, decommissioned that morning, sailed loaded with empty powder cases, shell cases, ammunition tanks and empty oil drums, being employed to a picket station off Okinawa as a decoy to "absorb several suiciders." The already-damaged submarine chaser PC-1603 was earmarked for the same purpose.

[18] Probable agent of destruction is submarine Lagarto which is assigned to patrol the South China Sea at that time. Lagarto does not return from her war patrol.

[19] This force will operate approximately 150 miles northwest of Okinawa.

[20] Japanese Monograph No. 116 lists two army vessels (unspecified as to type) identified only by number (No. 94 and No. 1491) that are damaged by aircraft off Quelpart Island.

[21] Those operations, carried out between 21 and 23 July, yield a paucity of targets, since no Japanese shipping larger than sampans (several of which are sunk) is encountered.

[22] The sinking of the seven train ferries on the 14th and one the following day, together with the damage inflicted upon three additional vessels of this type, is deemed a severe blow to transportation facilities between Hokkaido and the main island of Honshu, virtually cutting off important agricultural and mineral supplies of the northern island.

[23] Submarine chaser Harushima had originally been the U.S. Army cable ship Colonel G. F. E. Harrison, salvaged from Mariveles Bay, Luzon, P.I., in 1942.

[24] XE 1 had been earmarked to attack Japanese heavy cruiser Myoko, also at Singapore, but could not find her, and ended up joining XE 3 in attacking Takao.

[25] Ironically, the patrol plane commander who makes the sighting, Lieutenant (j.g.) S.M. Worthington, USNR, is himself forced down at sea while making his first patrol with VPB-28 on 5 August 1945. He and his crew are rescued by destroyer escort Leslie L.B. Knox (DE-580).

The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II

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