June 8, 1945
Today in World War II Pacific History
Day by day chronology

FRIDAY, 8 JUNE 1945

CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): In China, 15 P-51s and P-40s attack bridges near Hankow, north of Sinsiang, and SE of Tayung, knocking out the latter; seventeen other fighters bomb and strafe river-craft, warehouses, trucks, airfield, town areas, and general targets of opportunity around Hwangkang, Ichang, Hengyang, Laohokow, and Tehsien.

INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): HQ 12th Bombardment Group (Medium) moves from Fenny to Pandaveswar and Madhaiganj respectively with B-25s.

HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 104 P-51D Mustangs fly Very Long Range Mission 17 (VLR Mission 17) from Iwo Jima to attack Kagamigahara Airfield and Meiji Airfield in the Nagoya area but abort due to bad weather. The 548th Night Fighter Squadron, VII Fighter Command (attached to AAFPOA), moves from Iwo Jima to Ie Shima with P-61s.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: Bad weather cancels Formosa strikes and limits operations on Luzon to fighter-bomber strikes against Cagayan Valley targets. Labuan Airfield is bombed by B-24s, while other B-24s and B-25s and P-38s attack gun positions at Balikpapan.

USMC: Corsairs from VMF-512 took off from USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107) performing 25 sorties including Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and anti-submarine patrols plus strikes against the Sakishima Gunto armed with bombs and rockets. Her aircraft bomb Ishigaki Airfield and Hirara Airfield. Rockets are fired at a radar station on Ishigaki and dispersal areas at Miyako Shima, buildings on Erabu Shima and a bridge and installations at the south end of Ishigaki Airfield. Strafing was performed against installations at the northwest end of Ishigaki Airfield and Miyako Shima. Also, five to six camouflaged ships in the bay off Funaki on the west coast of Iriomote Shima were strafed, leaving them burning and smoking. Lost is FG-1D Corsair 87913 (MIA)

Australian Army: At 4:35am, three LCA and three ALC15 make a night amphibious landing at Porton in northwest Bougainville, both waves land at the wrong locations and grounded on coral reefs and the soldiers waded ashore to establish a 100m x 100m perimeter that came under fire from Japanese machine guns in bunkers.

Royal Navy: HMS Trenchant fires a spread of torpedoes hitting and sinking Ashigara.

References
NARA "USS Gilbert Islands CVE-107 War Diary 29 November 1943 to 2 September 1945" page 28
(Page 28) "On 8 June [1945], Second Lieutenant Logan Millard White, Jr. U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, in an F4U [sic FG], was shot down over the target."
NARA "USS Gilbert Islands CVE-107 War Diary June 1945" page 4
(Page 4) "Five of six camouflaged ships in the bay on the west coast of Iriomote Shima, estimated 100 to 150 feet in length, were strafed and left burning and emitting much black smoke. One F4U-1D [sic FG-1D] airplane, piloted by 2nd Lt. Logan Millard White, Jr. 031359, USMCR, was reported shot down over the target."