January 1945.
    Combat continues in the Philippines. B-29's from China and Marianas bomb Japan. Softening up operations underway on Iwo Jima. Battle of the Bulge has been halted and Bastone relieved.
Jan 1 . Army troops land on Fais Island, Caroline Islands, to capture and destroy Japanese radio station.
B-25's and FBs make low-level attacks on Negros airfields. B-24's, with P-38 cover, bomb Clark Field.
19 B-24's from Saipan bomb Iwo Jima. 9 more make random snooper raids.
Luftwaffe makes low level attack on all front line airfields.
Jan 2 . 46 B-29's, operating from Calcutta area, attack railroad bridge at Bangkok and targets of opportunity.
Jan 3 . TF 38 (VAdm McCain) begins operations against Japanese airfields and shipping near Formosa.
Leading groups of U.S. fleet bound for Lingayen Gulf make daylight passage of Surigao Strait.
57 Marianas based B-29's bomb docks and urban areas of Nagoya. 21 others bomb alternates.
1,100 HBs, escorted by 11 fighter groups, bomb targets in W Germany, including 17 rail & comm centers.
Allied counterattack on Bulge.
Jan 4 . Japanese air attacks continue against Lingayen Gulf-bound forces.
A kamikaze irreparably damages Ommaney Bay (CVE-79), sunk by USN.
Jan 5 . Japanese air attacks continue against Lingayen Gulf- bound forces.
Kamikazes damage Louisville (CA-28) , Helm (DD-388) , Manila Bay (CVE-61), and Savo Island (CVE-78), Stafford (DE-411) , and 3 smaller ships.
Suiciders also damage HMAS Australia (CA) and destroyer HMAS Arunta (DD).
Planes from escort carrier group sink Momi, damage Hinoki and Sugi west of Manila Bay.
Crusier/destroyer task group and USAAF B-24's/P-38's pound Jimas, Bonins.
David W. Taylor (DD-551) is damaged by mine off Chichi Jima ; destroyer Fanning by gunfire.
Off Iwo Jima, Dunlap, Cummings, Ellet (DD-398) and Roe (DD-418) sink landing ship.
Three US light cruisers and nine destroyers, bombards Kurils.
Jan 6 . Japanese suicide plane attacks intensify against Lingayen Gulf invasion force.
Kamikazes damage battleships New Mexico (BB-40) (killing members of an observing British military mission) and California (BB-44), Columbia (CL-56) and Newcomb (DD-586) (also hit by friendly fire) and Richard P. Leary (DD-664), Louisville (CA-28), Allen M. Sumner (DD-692), and O'Brien (DD-725).
Lowry (DD-770) is damaged by friendly fire.
Kamikazes sink Long (DMS-12), and damage Southard (DMS-10), Brooks (APD-10) and Walke (DD-723).
As a consequence of the kamikaze attacks, TF 38 (VAdm McCain) shifts from Formosa to airfields and shipping in Luzon area. In South China Sea off northern Luzon, Navy carrier-based planes sink army cargo ship, 2 tankers, and four smaller merchant ships.
Jan 7 . Bombardment group and planes from escort carrier group of TF 77 pound Japanese defenses of Lingayen Gulf. Enemy air attacks in the area sinks two minesweepers and damage APA and LST.
Over 1,000 heavy bombers, escorted by 13 fighter groups, bomb rail, communications, bridges in Germany.
Jan 8 . Japanese aerial onslaught on Lingayen Gulf invasion force, kamikazes damage escort carriers Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) and Kadashan Bay (CVE-76)
A suicider damages HMAS Australia (CA) again.
Gunboat LCI(G)-404 is damaged by suicide swimmers off Palaus.
US submarine attack group sinks 3 ships, damages 4.
During this period, submarines sink about one ship a day in other parts of Pacific.
Mines and aircraft start to take their toll around the Japanese home islands.
Jan 9 . US 6th Army lands at Lingayen Gulf on Luzon ; troops initially encounter little resistance
Japanese air attacks and demolition boats continue against the invasion forces off the beaches. Kamikazes crash Mississippi (BB-41), Columbia (CL-56), and Hodges (DE-231), Third hit on HMAS Australia (CA) finally sends her for repairs.
Friendly fire damages Colorado (BB-45)
Japanese demolition boats damage AP-168 and 2 LSTs.
TF 38 (VAdm McCain) attack airfields and shipping in the Formosa area; sink two escort vessel, two tankers, and three cargo ships ; damage 8 escort vessels, an oiler and a cargo ship.
Jan 10 . Demolition boats infiltrate the transport areas off Lingayen, sinking two gunboats and damaging Robinson (DD-562) and Philip (DD-498), War Hawk (AP-168) and LST-610.
Japanese air attacks damage Wickes (DD-578); kamikazes damage Leray Wilson (DE-414), and Dupage (APA-41).
Seven ships damaged by collision trying to avoid kamikazes.
30 Guam-based B-24's bomb airfields on Iwo Jima.
Jan 11 . Off Luzon, Belknap (APD-34) is damaged by kamikaze; LST-270 and LST-918 are damaged by shore battery; and LST-700 is damaged by friendly fire.
Japanese submarines commence operation KONGO, employing suicide torpedoes, kaitens; I-36 launches kaitens that damage ammunition ship Mazama (AE-9) and LCI-600 at Ulithi.
Jan 12 .TF 38 (VAdm McCain) operating in the South China Sea hits Japanese airfields, and other shore installations in SE French Indochina ; sink training cruiser Kashii 4 landing ships, 18 escorts, 13 tankers, 16 cargo, 3 transports, and nearby Vichy French Lamotte-Picquet (CL).
Off the west coast of Luzon, kamikazes damage Richard W. Suesens (DE-342) and Gilligan (DE-508); Zeilin (APA-3); and LST-700; suicide pilots target U.S. merchant ships, damaging freighters Elmira Victory (friendly fire also accounts for damage to the ship); Otis Skinner, Edward M. Wescott; and at Subic Bay Kyle V. Johnson, (129 of 506 Army troops die) ; and David Dudley Field. Friendly fire accounts for damage to APD-13, LST-710 and LST-778.
I 47 launches kaitens that damage U.S. freighter Pontus H. Ross off Hollandia, New Guinea. Kaiten attacks I 53 at Kossol Roads, Palau; I 56 at Manus, in the Admiralties; and by I 58 at Apra Harbor, Guam, are unsuccessful. ¹
Jan 13. Kamikaze attacks against Lingayen Gulf invasion shipping culminate in suicide plane crashing and damaging Salamaua (CVE-96).
Jan 14. Corairs and PT boats attack Japanese troops escaping Leyte.
Jan 15. Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75) is damaged by accidental explosion of bombs during operations off Luzon.
TF 38 (VAdm McCain) attacks Japanese shipping and aircraft off Formosa and the China coast. Carrier planes sink two destroyers, destroyer transport, fleet tanker, and army cargo ship and damage three other ships.
Jan 16. TF 38 (VAdm McCain) strikes Japanese shipping and installations at Hong Kong, Hainan Island and along the China coast. Off Hong Kong TF 38 planes sink 1 transport, 5 tankers, 1 cargo, 1 escort and damage other escorts.
North and South wings of Allies meet up as Battle of Bulge ends with return to former lines.
Jan 17. Nearly 80 B-29's, out of Chengtu, China, bomb air fields Shinchiku. 8 others hit SE China.
Warsaw occupied by Soviet forces.
Jan 18. Japanese raiding parties land on Peleliu, Palau Islands. The attempt to damage aircraft on the ground and destroy ammunition is not successful.
Jan 19. Twentieth AF begins move from China to India.
62 XXI BC B-29's hit Kawasaki aircraft plant at Akashi and 9 other sites
Germans in full retreat on Eastern front.
8thAF 600+ heavy bomber raids.
Jan 20. Operation KONGO concludes with Japanese submarine I 48 carrying out unsuccessful Kaiten attack on U.S. shipping at Ulithi
Hungary signs armistice with Allies.
Jan 21. TF 38 (VAdm 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 Ticonderoga (CV-14) and Maddox (DD-731); and Langley (CVL-27) is damaged by bomb. Accidental explosion of bombs carried by TBM (VT 7) damages carrier Hancock (CV-19)
TF 38 planes sink 7 tankers, 7 cargo ships and damage 3 destroyers.
Landing craft LCT-253 founders and sinks in heavy weather enroute to Tarawa. [what is a craft, not ship, doing at sea?]
FDR starts 4th term.
Jan 22. TF 38 (VAdm. 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 2 cargo and 2 tankers.
B-24's, escorted by P-38's, bomb Heito airfield in first major FEAF strike on Formosa.
Jan 23. 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.
Mines laid by RAF Liberators the previous day sink tanker and cargo ship south of Sumatra.
28 B-29's from China bomb Mitsubishi engine plant at Nagoya. 36 hit secondary targets.
Jan 24. Indiana (BB-58), three heavy cruisers, seven destroyers and a light minelayer, bombards Iwo Jima, together with USAAF B-24's (escorted by P-38's).
NE of Iwo, destroyers Dunlap (DD-384) and Fanning (DD-385) sink 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.
Guardfish (SS-217) mistakenly sinks salvage vessel Extractor (ARS-15) in Philippine Sea.
Jan 25. Almost daily 10 to 20 B-24 attack Iwo Jima to suppress enemy fighters intercepting B-29's.
70-plus B-29's mine the 6 approaches to Singapore harbor and at Saigon, Camranh Bay, Pakchan R, Penang harbor, Koh Si Chang Channel, and Phan Rang Bay.
Jan 26. US submarines average sinking two ships a day.
Jan 27. Twentieth AF 4 B-29 groups complete move to India.
22 B-29's based in India hit navy yard and arsenal at Saigon. 1 bombs bridge at Bangkok. Results are poor.
62 B-29's from the Marianas bomb secondary targets in Tokyo. Fighter opposition is the heaviest to date and 5 B-29's are downed. 4 others ditch or crash-land. B-29 gunners claim 60 fighter kills, the highest claim to date.
Soviets complete occupation of Lithuania.
Jan 29. Troops landed near San Antonio, northwest of Subic Bay. They encounter no enemy opposition, move rapidly inland and seize all initial objectives.
First convoy over Burma Road since Apr'42.
1000-plus heavy bombers attack W.German. 19 Guam-based B-24's bomb Iwo Jima.
Jan 30. 513 POWs of Death March rescued.
38th I.D. land on Grande Island Subic Bay; they encounter no enemy opposition. Cavalier (APA-37) is torpedoed by sub RO 46
Battle of Bulge ends with return to former lines.
Jan 31. Army troops land at Nasugbu, south of the entrance to Manila Bay. A RCT of the 11th Airborne is airdropped at Tagtaytay Ridge, 14 miles inland and link up on 3 Feb.
Japanese suicide boats attack the screen and sink submarine chaser PC-1129, the unit flagship.
< Dec 44     Home     Feb 45 >
The war of 60 years ago slowly unfolds, week by week.

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Theater Key : Pacific ; Europe ; SW Pac ; China ; Burma ; America.

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The Japanese reported most kaiten attacks were sucessful because any explosion was counted as a hit. Usual causes were destruction of the kaiten by gunfire or detontation by a suicide pilot unable to make a sucessful attack.   All submarines made the same sucess report, even tho the explosion might have been caused by crossing a wake.

7th - Saipan
8th - Heavy Bombers, England
9th - Medium bombers ETO , was MidEast
10th - China/Burma MB,FB?
11th - Suribachi (near Russia)
12th - Italy
13th - moved from  NewGuinea to Leyte
14th - China HB
15th  - Italy HB
20th - China to India B-29 Every drop of gas, each bomb,etc. for B-29's had to be flown into China. 
	Japanese advance threatening Kunming required other supplies.
20th - later Saipan
FEAF - Philippines. Started in Australia