MR 203(2) Sec. 39 War Department Operational Summaries - April 1-12, 1945

Apr 1-12, 1945 0SD Letter, 5-3-72 MR 203 (2), Sec. 39 - WAR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONAL SUMMARY April 1-12, 1945 MR 203(2), Sec. 39 - WAR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONAL SUMMARY (2)E02 TOP SECRET DECLASSIFIED 08D Letter, 5-3-72 WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1219 0700 April 11 to 0700 April 12, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE 203(2) TOP SECRET 6 4 2 o 2 4 6 8 IO 12 14 16 18 20 Kin 54 5 STADE PEmden Paremen BIM ORANIENBURG + Londoner Berlin ORotterdom 52 5 6 oBrussels Cologne ©Leipzig 20 PLAUEN Abbeville TOP SECRET o Frankfurt Proque 50 4g o Paris ORennes Noncy Munich TOP P*SECRET DECLASSIFIER Latre O-Tours o 48 Vienna 46 INNSBRUCK Budopest o o Bern °Bolzono 46 4 Lyon Bordeoux 44 OMilon PTrieste state SANTERNO RIVER o Toulouse Bologna 9 44 CENTRAL EUROPE o o OSplit 42 so o 50 100 ISO 200 a STATUTE MILES 2 o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 IS 24-87117-300 TOP SECRET DECLASSIFIED OSD Letter, 5-8-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 10 April. Two hundred fourteen RAF heavy bombers attacked railyards at Leipzig. That night, 307 others bombed railyards at Plauen; 76 additional planes again struck a railyard at Leipzig. Seventy-seven Mosquito bombers raided Berlin. Two enemy planes were shot down. From all these operations eight bombers and one Mosquito are missing. 11 April. A preliminary report indicates that 1,300 heavy bombers of the 8th Air Force, escorted by 825 fighters, attacked railyards, oil plants and factories deep in southern Germany. Four bombers and two fighters are missing. Six hundred twenty escorted heavy bombers of the 15th Air Force attacked rail targets in northern Italy. Two enemy planes were shot down; ten bombers and three fighters are missing. 1 TOP SECRET WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG GRONINGEN Weier ...... COMMUNIQUE OLDENBURG FREMEN VILDESHAUSEN NICHBURG BERLIN GIFHORN AMSTERDAM OSHABRUECK HANNOVER BRUNSWICK DEVENTER MAGDEBURG HAMM HALBERSTADT -CORTHUND NORDHAUSEN SONDER HAUSEN FIRST CAN ARMY 1 TRTURA GOTHA TOP SECRET SECOND BR ARMY NEWTH USA ARMY TRANSFURE ACHVEINEURT OSD Letter, 5-3-78 DECLASS FIFTEENTHIUS ARMYA FIRST 05 ARMY TOP SEGRET ARERIBURG > THIRD US ARRY NUERABERG PARIS WERE HEILDRONN KARCSBURE "CRAILSHEIN SEVENTH us ARMY TRANSBURG MUNICH FIRST FB ARMY WLPORT JEOF SECRET DECLASSIFIED 080 Letter, 5-3-72 EUROPEAN THEATER 10 April. During the 24 hours to sunset, the Tactical Air Forces, according to incomplete reports, flew 3,908 sorties and dropped 1,754 tons of bombs. Medium bombers attacked rail bridges in Czechoslovakia and railyards and other targets in central and northwestern Germany. Fighters supported our ground forces throughout the battle zone. Sixty-four enemy planes were destroyed; we lost 23. 11 April. By noon Canadian troops had captured Deventer and pushed northeast of the town. An armored thrust gained more than ten miles towards Oldenburg. On the British Second Army front gains up to 12 miles were made along a 35-mile front northwest of Osnabrueck. Other units advanced beyond the Weser north and south of Nienburg; progress was also reported northeast of Hannover. Ninth Army armor, by-passing Brunswick to the north, gained 40 miles along the Elbe Canal and captured Gifhorn. XIX Corps infantry was two miles from Brunswick; other units, by-passing Brunswick to the south, advanced to within 12 miles of Halberstadt. On the First Army front, the VII Corps closed a gap between forward elements of that Corps and the XIX Corps and pushed east of the super- highway, north of Goettingen. Armor of the VII Corps gained up to 22 miles on a 13-mile front, captured Nordhausen and advanced eight miles beyond the city. Units of the V Corps gained 25 miles on a 16-mile front against light resistance, reaching Sondershausen. The First and Ninth Armies continued the reduction of the Ruhr pocket. The XVI Corps, driving to the south towards the Ruhr River, 2 TOP SECRET TOP DECL SWORET DECLASSIFIED Latter, 5-8-78 virtually completed the capture of the industrial area between Dortmund and Essen; the latter town was captured. First Army units driving to the west from the eastern side of the pocket scored gains up to six miles along a 15-mile front. Other units advanced up to seven miles along the southeastern side of the pocket on a front of more than 50 miles. Third Army troops made gains up to ten miles on a 23-mile front and were closing in on Erfurt from the west and southeast. The XII Corps made gains of six miles on a 16-mile front south of Ilmenau; other units pushed 16 miles southeast of Meiningen. Seventh Army troops, driving to the southeast, gained ten miles on an eight-mile front; leading units were 15 miles northwest of Bamberg. The XXI Corps entered Schweinfurt from the west against moderate resistance and armored units advanced eight miles along a five-mile front southeast of the city. The VI Corps was encountering stubborn resistance in Heilbronn where house-to-house fighting continues. On the front of the French First Army German units withdrew from the area south of Karlsruhe; the French I and II Corps, advancing along a 20-mile front into the Black Forest, pushed 15 miles south of Karlsruhe. According to a late communique, armored elements atabbing more than 50 miles to the east have reached Magdeburg on the Elbe River. 3 TOP SECRET MILAN ERON VENICE PADUA CREMONA River Po OBD FERRARA PARMA TOP SECRET VALET DV COMACCHIC ARGENTA' & TOPOSHORT TOP CRET LUGO SREMA RIMINI CARHARA EIGHT PO VALLEY VCE 10 o IO 20 30 40 - APPROXIMATE MILES LINE AS OF 10 APRIL 1945 LINE AS OF 11 APRIL 1945 WED TOP Letter non Letter, 5-8-78 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 10 April. The Tactical Air Force flew 1,599 sorties. Troops and gun positions generally west of Lugo were attacked by 436 medium bombers. Fighters and fighter bombers continued to strike close-support targets in the battle area and north Italian communication lines. The Balkan Air Force flew 133 sorties against communications, strong points and coastal gun positions in Yugoslavia. The Coastal Air Force flew 99 sorties; targets in northeastern and northwestern Italy and transportation in Yugoslavia were attacked. One enemy plane was destroyed; we lost four. 11 April. The British Eighth Army offensive continued to gain ground; by afternoon they had gained some four miles along a seven- mile front. Leading elements were within eight miles of Argenta. To the southwest, other units driving northwest reached the Santerno River on an eight-mile front. Bridgeheads were established west of Lugo and three battalions are across the river. On our Fifth Army front, Japanese-American troops continuing their drive north of Massa crossed the Frigido River and advanced to within a mile of Carrara. Other Army troops crossed the River west of Massa and made limited gains south of the town. 4 TOP SECRET are 0037 YOUR Appoint MANDALAY MEIKTILA Irrawaddy AKYAB / BURMA River de LEGEND LINE AS OF 10 APRIL 45 LINE AS OF II APRIL 45 SCALE o o so 100 APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON MOULMEIN BANGKOK TOP SECRET SEA OF JAPAN YELLOW LOYANG SEA NAGASAKI TOP SECRET LAOMOKOW KUCHEN o SHANGHAI ORD Letter, TOP DECLASSIF WENCHOW OOCHOW AMOY SWATOW CANTON CHINA TAKAO HONGKONG IDO o IDO 200 300 400 500 taxxxx LUICHOW PENINSULA SCALE OF MILES SOUTH CHINA SEA OULF - 150° DECLASSIFIED TOP SECRET ASIATIC THEATER 9 April. Among 1,531 Eastern Air Command sorties, 681 were offensive. Heavy bombers hit railroad targets in southern Burma; medium bombers attacked enemy headquarters in the Meiktila area and fighters continued their daily attacks on enemy troops, positions and supply dumps throughout the battle zones. 8-10 April. The 14th Air Force reported 162 sorties during this period. Small missions of B-24's bombed docks at Hongkong and Canton and medium bombers hit rail targets through central China. Fighters attacked targets along the French Indo-China border and continued to hit rail targets in central China. 10 April. There were no significant changes on the Burma battlefronts. 5 TOP SECRET 140° + PRIFING. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC ORIYAMA 209 400 we MP - TRATEM MILES NANKING. Shanghar Chungking* RYUSYU is, x OKINAWA Canton + . Marcus I TOP SECRET PORMOSA JOL BURMA FRENCH 5 % Uracas I + Wakel, THAILAND SOUTH INDO LUSON CHINA Salpan I % Teongi Atoll &BANSKOK CHINA SEA Guam BUSUANGA I 1. CEBU PHILIPPINE IS Eniwetok 0 Yaps MINDAMAO PALAU IS Fonape Jalujto JOLO Xapingamarangil BORNEO + .Ocean LESDS BISHARCK IS. AMBON NEW GUINEA SOLOMON - TIMOR Christmas 1g 100° no 25-20729-100 BOAC TABACO BAY BAY MINDORO MASBATE BUSUANGA CALAMIANES ISLANDS SAMAR TBALOGAN CAPIZ aso TOP SECRET PANAY BOGO JLOILO LEYTE CEBU QUADALURE LINE AS OF 11 APR LINE AS OF 8 APR SURITAO NEGROS CENTRAL SEA TAGBILARAN PHILIPPINE ISLANDS DUMAGUETTE MINDANA 10 APR BOTUAN o IO 20 30 40 50 75 100 MILES N - JACNOTAN IMUGAN LINGAYEN I CORPS XI CORPS xxx MANILA L.DE BAY XIV CORPS LINE AS OF 11 APR LUCBAN AMPACOC - LINE AS OF 10 APR ATTIONAL LUZON 2 o 10 so N MILES 28-21341-200 TOP. SHORET DECLASSIFIED TOP SECRET SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 10 April. Among 576 sorties flown throughout the area, 485 planes supported our ground forces on the Luzon fronts. Twenty- three B-24's bombed southern Formosa, and 22 others hit airdromes on Celebes and Ambon. Two enemy planes were destroyed. On Luzon, I Corps troops attacked a Japanese pocket 25 miles southwest of Lingayen. In the Imugan area, 58 caves were sealed and a trail junction secured; southeast of Imugan, we reduced a strong enemy position. North of Laguna de Bay, the XI Corps seized the summit of Mt. Mataba against heavy fire. Southeast of Laguna de Bay, the XIV Corps occupied Sampaloc, and cleared Atimonan and the Lucban-Tayabas road. In the Legaspi area, we captured several large enemy supply dumps. We have reached the Curon mines on Busuanga Island without contact. The Americal Division on Cebu occupied a hill two miles north of Guadalupe against strong opposition. On Jolo, we secured Zettle Field, several miles of road northeast of Jolo and high ground two miles east of the town. 11 April. A US Regimental Comb⁻⁺ Team landed near Tagbilaran on Bohol Island and pushed rapidly inland. 6 TOP SECRET 128" IHAYA SHIMA ATH IZEMA SHIMA IE SHIMA AGUNI SHIMA MOTORY PEN HMUS 111 MAR CORPS XXX KERAMA RETTO US XXIV CORPS . NAHA TSUGEN LANDING - 10 APR - N - 26* 269 OKINAWA SHIMA if APPROX MILES LINE AS OF 11 APR LINE AS OF 10 APR 128° 28-33159-50 TOP. SECRET TOP.SHORET 5-8-72 PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 10 April. On Okinawa Marine units continued to advance on the Motobu Peninsula; this area has now been cleared except for the northern end. Patrols have advanced along western coast of the Ishikawa Isthmus some four miles from the base of the Motobu Peninsula. On the southern part of the island, the XXIV Corps consolidated its positions northeast of Naha. A combat team of the 77th Division landing on Tsugen Island off the south- eastern end of Okinawa encountered considerable resistance. 12 April. Two hundred and fifty-three B-29's were airborne to attack targets on Honshu. One hundred thirty-seven hit the chemical plants at Koriyama, 96 struck the Musashino aircraft engine factory at Tokyo, and 20 others bombed secondary targets. 7 TOP SECRET 20 13 2,4 25 1.2 BAUNAS MINSK o LINE AS OF 10 APRIL 1945 BERLIN o LINE AS OF 11 APRIL 1945 WARSAW o BRESLAU- KIEV 50 PRAGUE KRAKOW 48 MUNICH Danabe Rx VIENNA BUDAPEST o OGUL NN VENICE 5 BUCHAREST 44 ZENICA SABAJEVO SOFIA A 24 OTIRANA 50 PSKOV RIGA a EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 o 50 100 - APPROXIMATE MILES n. 24 I's EN 20 0 24 IS 15-1204-200 TOP SECRET TOP BECLASS SECRET 5-8-72 EASTERN FRONT 11 April. Soviet troops continued to advance in the Slovak mountains and along the Morava River. Vienna has been cleared between the Danube Canal and the river. In Yugoslavia, Partisans captured Ogulin, near the Adriatic coast, and Zenica, 30 miles northwest of Sarajevo. 8 TOP SECRET U WAR DEPARTMENT DAILY OPERATIONAL SUMMARY No. 1218 0700 April 10 to 0700 April 11, 1945 COPY FOR THE WHITE HOUSE TOP SECRET 6 4 2 o 2 4 -6 8 IO 12 14 16 is 20 Kill 54 TADE PEmon HAMBURG Paramen ORAN ENBURG Londong *Berlin o ORotterdam 52 oBrussels Cologne OLeipzig 20 PLAUEN Abbeville a ofronkfurt Progue TOP SECRET 50 4a o o Paris ORennes Noncy REGENSBURG o OTours Munish TOP.SECRET TOP. DECL DECLASSIF) ASSIFIED SSIF IED secure 46 Vienne 7 Budopest o 0 Barn PASSAU o Bolzono 46 Lyon 4 44 OMlion o Pirieste // RAB Toulouse Bologna ? MQLA CENTRAL EUROPE o o 42 so D $0 100 iso EDO P. STATUTE WILES 1 Y 2 o 2 4 6 e 10 12 14 16 18 24-87117-300 TOP SECRET 5-3-72 EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN - STRATEGIC AIR 9 April. Thirty-eight RAF heavy bombers attacked Hamburg oil storage areas and 17 others bombed submarine shelters in Hamburg harbor. That night, 591 heavy bombers and nine Mosquitoes attacked shipping at Kiel. One hundred and five Mosquito bombers raided Berlin, Plauen and Hamburg. From all of these missions six bombers are missing. 10 April. The 8th Air Force dispatched 1,317 heavy bombers escorted by 876 fighters to attack airfields in central Germany and the aircraft assembly plant at Oranienburg, north of Berlin. Preliminary reports give our losses as 26 bombers and two fighters; 30 additional fighters are still unreported. Our fighters claim to have shot down 18 enemy aircraft, of which 17 were jet-propelled, and to have destroyed 294 enemy aircraft on the ground. Tactical targets along the Santerno River were attacked by 868 heavy bombers of the 15th Air Force, in support of British Eighth Army operations in the Imola area. Four bombers are missing. TOP SECRET A WESTERN FRONT HAMBURG GRONINGEN OLDENBURG BREMEN WESTERBORK HEPPEL BERLIN HEPPEN AMSTERDAM HANNOVER DEVENTER ALAELO BRUNSWICK OSNABRUECK ROL ZKINDEN: HAMM PORTHUND MORDHAUSEN GOETT INGE LEIPZIG ESSEN FIRST CAN ARMY* COLOGNE EFFURT BRUBSELS $ ACOTHA TOP SECRET 5-3-72 SECOND DR ARMY WINTH MS ARMY AL IN IFTEENTH US-ARM FRANKFUR SCHWEINEURT F. FRIT US ARMY T JOI BAD MERGENTHEIM THIRD US ARMY OFFERHETM HEILBRONN PARIS /METZ ROTHENBURG SEVENTH US ARMY PFORZHEIM STRASBOURG MUNICH o FIRST FR ARMY BELFORT 25 so = 150 TOP SECRET 0-8-78 EUROPEAN THEATER 9 April. The Tactical Air Forces flew 4,479 sorties and dropped 2,051 tons of bombs. Ordnance depots, railyards, oil storage areas, ammunition dumps and airfields near our front lines were the principal targets. Fighters and fighter bombers attacked highway traffic. One hundred twenty-two enemy aircraft were destroyed; we lost eight planes. 10 April. The Canadian First Army made limited progress north- east of Deventer where the enemy was still resisting. West of Almelo, resistance weakened and an advance of ten miles was scored. Elements of the Canadian II Corps closing in on Meppel were within a mile of the town. Polish armor advanced some 13 miles to reach Westerbork which had previously been seized by Allied airborne troops. The armored thrust northeast of Meppen has been expanded to a width of ten miles. The British Second Army straightened its lines in the area between Osnabrueck and Meppen and continued to advance to the northeast. On the right, British armor was three miles southwest of Bremen. East of the Weser, Allied columns made substantial gains on a wide front and averaged 10 mile advances, north of Hannover. On our Ninth Army front, infantry advanced some eight miles to capture Hannover, and armor drove 14 miles to cut the superhighway between Hannover and Brunswick. Other divisions pushing east on a 30-mile front averaged 15 mile gains. We are within five miles of Brunswick. First Army troops, meeting light resistance, advanced three miles 2 TOP SECRET TOP SECRET 5-3-72 along a 15-mile front, southeast of Holzminden. Northeast of Goettingen, our armor gained 16 miles on a five-mile front despite heavy opposition. On the right of the First Army, advances of from 11 to 18 miles were registered, reaching a point ten miles southwest of Nordhausen. The Ninth and First Armies continued the reduction of the Ruhr pocket. Infantry reached the Ruhr River southeast of Essen and made gains up to five miles on a 15-mile front between Essen and Dortmund. Other elements made progress on a ten-mile front south of Hamm. US forces driving in from the east and south further compressed the pocket by advances up to eight miles. The Third Army, advancing on a 20-mile front east and northeast of Gotha, made gains up to ten miles. Forward elements were three miles southwest of Erfurt. Local progress was reported south of Gotha. The Seventh Army made local gains along a 20-mile front north- east of Schweinfurt. To the south, between Bad Mergentheim and Uffenheim, our forces were advancing south toward Rothenburg. Other units made local progress along a 13-mile front northeast of Heilbronn where fighting still continues in the city. First French Army troops advanced slightly along a 35-mile front extending to the east and west of Pforzheim. 3 TOP SECRET MILAN and PADUA CREMONA 4% TOP SECRET FERRARA PARMA TOP SECRET FUSTGNANO LUGO RAVENNA COTIGNOBA RIMINI PO VALLEY NCE 10 0 0 20 30 40 APPROXIMATE MILES LINE AS of10 APRIL 1945 LINE AS OF 9 APRIL 1945 nn --- ftor, 5-3-70 MEDITERRANEAN THEATER 9 April. The Tactical Air Force flew 1,399 sorties. Two hundred eighty-two medium bombers with lighter planes bombed and strafed gun positions, occupied areas, and troop concentrations in the Lugo- Imola area, in support of the British Eighth Army attack. Others hit industrial targets in the western Po Valley and rail and road transportation throughout northern Italy. Three planes are missing. The Balkan Air Force flew 178 sorties against rails and enemy positions in northern Yugoslavia and gun positions on Rab Island. The Coastal Air Force bombed fuel installations and a fort in northwestern Italy and attacked rails in Yugoslavia. 10 April. The Fifth Army, continuing its attack along the Mediterranean coast, cleared Massa; patrols have pushed across the Frigido River, northeast of the town. The British Eighth Army, following a two-day air bombardment and heavy artillery preparation, launched an attack on a two-corps front to the northwest across the Senio River. Bridgeheads across the river were secured by both Corps and advances up to three miles were made along a 15-mile front. The villages of Cotignola, Lugo and Fusignano were taken. Farther to the southwest the X Corps repulsed two counter- attacks south of Imola. 4 TOP SECRET DECLASSIFIED TOP SHORET avou oczy BURMA ROAD Solaten R R Irrowaddy MANDALAY MYITTHA WUNDWIN ME EKTILA THAZI Irrowaddy PYAWBWE YAMETHIN AKYAB Salween River TAUNGUP PROME BURMA River LEGEND LINE AS OF 9 APRIL 45 LINE AS OF 10 APRIL 45 PEGU SCALE o o 50 00 APPROXIMATE MILES RANGOON MARTABAN MOULMEIN TOP SECRET 5-3-78 ASIATIC THEATER 7-8 April. The Eastern Air Command flew 2,891 sorties, of which 1,220 were offensive in this two-day period. Twenty-four B-24's attacked supply dumps at Moulmein. Additional formations of heavy bombers hit rail and highway lines from Pegu to Martaban. Lighter aircraft supported Allied ground forces throughout Burma. One plane is missing. 9 April. Thirty-four fighters strafed airfields near Bangkok. Nineteen enemy planes were destroyed; we lost three planes. 8-9 April. During this period, the 14th Air Force flew 26 previously unreported offensive sorties. Four heavy bombers attacked shipping in Tongking Gulf and the South China Sea. Other planes hit rail targets in north China, and supported French troops in French Indo-China. 9 April. Indian troops of the British Army made substantial progress in their southward drive from the Meiktila area; they captured Thazi and cleared most of the main line of the Rangoon- Mandalay railway between Thazi and Pyawbwe. Leading elements of this thrust were five miles northwest of Yamethin. Northeast of Wundwin, advances up to five miles were made along a ten-mile front, clearing a salient in Allied lines and virtually freeing the rail line from Wundwin to Myittha. 5 TOP SECRET - 140° + PUPINE. CENTRAL WESTERN PACIFIC 20% TORTER MILES NANKING KAGOSHIMAL KANOYA Shange Chungking* BONIN 15. OKINAWA CHICHI JIMA PESCADORES Canton *Marruel TOP. SECRAT PURMORA NURMA FRENCH HONGKONG as Wakel, TRAILAND IRDO SOUTH LURGE CHINA STaong Avill CRIMA SEA NEGROS /Guam BOSUANGA CEBU PHILIPPINE IS Two SULU. MINDAMAD 3 EXPALATIS ARCH Ponape JOLO Xapingamerangs! BORNEO have Ocean BISMARCK IS NEW GUINEA SOLONO - TIMOR Christmals no" 25-20729-100 008-19618-08 TOP SECRET STIR NOZN7 STOY ddV 6 30 SV 3NI 1 LAMON DAY LINE AS OF 10 APR CORPS AVX L.DE RAY SAHOO IXAM CORPS I 343 BURGO N 82-8-9 '201107 080 TOP SECRET Approximote Miles OSI 001 09 0 09 (! PHILIPPINE ISLANDS BORNEO SULU ARCHIPELAGO T GROFF on oror "NORTH MINDANAO SEA nins GOMDEN PALAWAN ADDRINA OLWINA PANAY S BJV 6 o UNOPPOSED LANDING SAMAR BUSUANGA WYBOSHO $ SEC H / N A N V 3 0 0 S E NOZON & N SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA 7-8 April. During this period, 231 previously unreported sorties were flown. Forty-nine B-24's bombed targets on Cebu, Negros and Mindanao. Fifty-two Solomons-based planes attacked targets in the Bismarcks and Solomons. One plane is missing. 9 April. Despite adverse weather which grounded several bomber groups more than 465 sorties were reported throughout the theater. Targets on Luzon were bombed by 362 planes. Search planes over Formosa, the Pescadores, Hongkong and French Indo-China, sank a small freighter and a coastal vessel, and fired two other vessels. One enemy plane was destroyed. On Luzon, the I Corps, supported by tanks, air and artillery, captured high ground around Kapintalan in the Balete Pass area against heavy resistance. A Japanese night attack against XI Corps positions, southwest of Ipo, was repulsed. South of Laguna de Bay, several enemy counterattacks on XIV Corps positions, northeast of Lucban, wore re- pulsed. Airborne forces, driving across the peninsula, reached Atimonan on the east coast of Luzon. This drive isolated all Japanese forces on the Legaspi peninsula. Elements of the 41st Division landed unopposed on Busuanga Island, north of Palawan. An infiltration into our lines on, Cebu partly destroyed an ammunition dump. Some progress was reported southeast and southwest of Talamban. Our troops on Jolo captured the town of Jolo. According to late communique, we now completely control the Sulu Archi- pelago and all organized enemy resistance in southern Luzon has collapsed. The landing on Busuanga Island was made to bring aid to the lepers of Culion Colony who have received no food, supplies or medical aid for three years. TOP SECRET TOM BRD Letter, 5-3-72 128° IHAYA SHIMA 47- IZEMA SHIMA IE SHIMA 14 AGUNI SHIMA MOTOBU PEN ORA WAN 111 MAR CORPS CMN AIRFIELD XXX KERAMA RETTO US XXIV CORPS - - N - 26° 26 OKINAWA SHIMA , if APPROX MILES LINE AS OF 10 APR - LINE AS OF 9 APR - COMMUNIQUE REPORT ..... 125° 20-23100-00 TOP SECRET PACIFIC OCEAN AREA 8 April. Ten B-29's bombed an airfield near Kanoya and 38 others hit Kagoshima and its airfield. Sixteen fighters attacked targets on Chichi Jima. Night fighters harassed enemy positions in the Bonins; nine others attacked targets in the Palaus. 9 April. On Okinawa, the Marines have established their lines across the base of the Motobu Peninsula and cleared approximately its eastern half. Their right flank is based on Ora Bay on the east coast of the island. To the south, XXIV Army Corps positions now run across the island some three miles northeast of Naha and our forces were being subjected to heavy artillery and large calibre mortar fire. Twenty field artillery battalions are supporting our infantry. Transport planes are now using Yontan airfield. 7 TOP SECRET DECLASSIETER TOP SHORET 2.0 2,6 28 30 BAUNAS MINSK BERLIN LINE AS OF 9 APRIL 1945 LINE AS OF 10 APRIL 1945 WARSAW o BRESLAUM KIEV, a PRAGUE AND KRAKOW & MUNICH anube TRENCIN VIENNA BUDAPEST as VENICE 5 BUCHAREST 44 o SOFIA 47 14 OTIRANA M PSKOV RIGA % 30 EASTERN FRONT KAUNAS 50 0 50 100 APPROXIMATE MILES n 14 26 n - 20 2% 24 2% TOP SECRET FOR SECRET EASTERN FRONT 11 April. In Slovakia, Soviet troops captured Trencin. Northeast of Vienna other units continued to advance on the city which has been cleared of Germans up to the west bank of the Danube canal. 8 TOP SECRET PUBLICATION AND MICROFILM COPYING RESTRICTIONS Reel duplication of the whole or of any part of this film is prohibited. In lieu of transcripts, however, enlarged photocopies of selected items contained on these reels may be made in order to facilitate research.