Chronology of World War II

July 1945

Monday, July 2nd

Air Operations, CBI

CHINA

28 14th Air Force P-51s attack various targets.

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Air Operations, East Indies

Supplementing Royal Australian Air Force efforts, FEAF B-24s attack defenses at Balikpapan.
B-25s attack troops at Bintula.
XIII Fighter Command P-38s and US Navy and Marine Corps carrier-based aircraft support Australian Army ground forces at Balikpapan. Australian Army ground forces capture the town area and vital oil facilities at Balikpapan.

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Air Operations, Formosa

V Bomber Command B-24s attack the airfield at Toyohara.

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Air Operations, Japan

In what might be the final aerial engagement over the Japanese home islands by US Marine Corps land-based fighters, VMF-311 and VMF-224 F4Us down 8 Japanese fighters between 1015 and 1045 hours.
During the night, 39 315th Very Heavy Bomb Wing B-29s attack an oil refinery at Maruzen.

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Air Operations, Philippines

V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack Japanese Army troops on Luzon.

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Dutch East Indies

The Australians capture the oil installations on Balikpapan and extend their beachhead.

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Allied Planning

Secretary of War Henry Stimson, concerned that the invasion of the Japanese home islands will result in far greater casualties that Okinawa, appeals to the president to make some adjustment of the Allied demand for Japan's unconditional surrender.

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Japan, Home Front

Only 200,000 people remain in Tokyo. All others have been evacuated to safer areas. Japan says 5 million civilians have been killed or wounded in the American air raids.

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Pacific

Rockets are fired at Kaihyo Island, northern Japan, by the US submarine Barb (SS-220), the first underwater craft to do so.
The Japanese merchant tanker No.5 Nanki Maru (834t) is sunk by marine casualty southeast of Yokohama.
The Japanese submarine chaser CHA-188 is sunk by a mine in the Sea of Japan.

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