WEDNESDAY, 10 JANUARY 1945
USA: U.S. Navy plane forces down a Japanese balloon bomb 30 miles west of
Alturas, California. This was the 15th balloon bomb found in North America. The paper balloon, envelope, rigging and apparatus were recovered and shipped to Moffett Field and reinflated for testing.
ALASKA (Eleventh Air Force): Three B-24s on an armed photo mission bomb and photograph Kurabu Airfield on Paramushiru, scoring hits on the runway.
CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 2 B-24s bomb the Cap-Saint-Jacques area of French Indochina. In Burma, 50+ P-51s, P-40s, and P-38s pound various targets of opportunity throughout the Wanling area and 6 P-40s hit targets of opportunity in the Muse area. The 25th Fighter Squadron, 51st Fighter Group, based at Yunnani with P-51s, sends a detachment to operate from Leangshan, China.
INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): In Burma, 75 fighter-bombers pound troop concentrations, supplies, tanks, artillery, and buildings at Kawnglang, Nampa-chi, Man Namman, Pangkai, Mong Yai, Namhsan, Namyao, Se-ping, Panghai, and in the Hosi area; 17 P-47s knock out a bridge, damage another at Bawgyo and 2 others at Ho-kho; 8 P-47s support ground forces in the Si-U battle sector; 8 others hit supplies and ferry crossing at Ta-mawngtawn. 472 transport sorties are flown to forward bases and frontline areas. The 165th Liaison Squadron (Commando), 1st Air Commando Group, moves from Kawlin to Ye-U, Burma with UC-64s and L-5s (a detachment is operating from Inbaung, Burma).
AAFPOA (Seventh Air Force): Thirty Guam based B-24s operating in 2 separate formations, bomb airfields on Iwo Jima; 2 other B-24s, on armed reconnaissance, hit airfield on Woleai. Iwo Jima airfields are hit again on the night of 10/11 Jan by B-24s flying snooper missions from Guam.
SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-24s bomb Grace Park Airfield and warehouse area near Manila, A-20s and fighter-bombers pound trucks, trains, railroad yards, railroads, and highways over wide areas of N and S Luzon, and bomb Vigan and Laoag Airfields. About 60 P-40s bomb and strafe the Galela area. B-25s and P-38s hit Kendari Airfield. Other B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers, operating in smaller forces, hit numerous shipping and communications targets, airfields, and other targets throughout the Philippine . HQ XIII Fighter Command moves from Sansapor to Leyte. The detachment of the 12th Fighter Squadron, 18th Fighter Group, operating from Wama Airfield with P-38s, returns to base at Sansapor. Crashed is P-61B 43-39445 (survived).
USN: Japanese assault demolition boats infiltrate the transport areas off Lingayen, sinking infantry landing craft (mortar) LCI(M)-974, 16°06'N, 120°14'E and infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-365, and damaging destroyers USS Robinson (DD-562) and USS Philip (DD-498), transport USS War Hawk (AP-168) and tank landing ship USS LST-610. Japanese air attacks against the fleet off Lingayen continue, damaging destroyer USS Wickes (DD- 578),16°04'N, 118°55'E; kamikazes damage destroyer escort USS Leray Wilson (DE-414), 16°20'N, 120°10'E, and attack transport USS Dupage (APA-41), 16°17'N, 120°15'E.
High speed transport USS Clemson (APD-31) and battleship USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) are damaged in collision off the west coast of Luzon at roughly Lat 16°20'N, Long 120°10'E. Clemson is also accidentally rammed the same day by attack transport Latimer (APA-152), 16°20'N, 120°10'E; oiler Guadalupe (AO-32) is damaged in collision with Nantahala (AO-60), 20°06'N, 121°34'E; tank landing ship LST-567 is damaged in collision with LST-610, 16°20'N, 120°10'E.
USS Puffer (SS-268) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.42 and damages Coast Defense Vessel No.30 in the East China Sea, 26°45'N, 126°11'E.
Merchant vessel No.2 Seikai Maru is damaged by aircraft off Mukai Jima.
