Chronology of World War II

August 1945

Monday, August 13th

Air Operations, Japan

Task Force 38 carrier aircraft attack Japanese aircraft on the ground, claiming 250 destroyed and 149 damaged.
V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s attack shipping in the Inland Sea and between Kyushu and Korea.
FEAF fighter-bombers patrol aggressively over Kyushu.
In the 11th Air Force’s final combat mission, 6 28th Composite Bomb Group B-24s attack Kashiwabara with the aid of radar.
A VBF-16 F6F downs a C6N 'Myrt' reconnaissanceplane at sea at 0515 hours.
2 VBF-85 F4Us down a Ki-45 'Nick' fighter 20 miles from Task Force 38 at 1100 hours.
A VF-86 F6F downs a Ki-45 'Nick' fighter over Task Force 38 at 1120 hours.
2 VBF-85 F4Us down a B7A 'Grace' torpedo bomber 122 miles from Task Force 38 at noon.
VF-86 F6Fs down 2 B7A 'Grace' torpedo bombers off Honshu at 1300 hours.
A VF-16 F6F downs a B7A 'Grace' torpedo bomber 50 miles from Task Force 38 at 1340 hours.
2 VF-1 F4U down a D4Y 'Judy' dive bomber 10 miles from Task Force 38 at 1345 hours. 2 VBF-85 F4Us down a B6N 'Jill' torpedo bomber 12 miles from Task Force 38 at 1400 hours.
VF-87 F6Fs down a D4Y 'Judy' dive bomer and a B6N 'Jill' dive bomber near Task Force 38 at about 1600 hours.
A VF-49 F6F downs a D4Y 'Judy' dive bomber 20 miles from Task Force 38 at 1623 hours.
A VF-34 F6F pilot downs a Ki-84 'Frank' fighter at sea at 1650 hours.
A VF-38 F6F downs a J1N 'Irving' fighter at sea at 1815 hours.
VF(N)-91 F6Fs down 3 Ki-45 'Nick' fighters and 2 P1Y 'Galaxy' bombers at sea between 1835 and 1915 hours.

[

]

Air Operations, Korea

507th Fighter Group P-51s down a G4M 'Betty' bomber, a K5Y 'Willow' biplane trainer, and 18 Japanese fighters near Keijo between 1349 and 1415 hours, as 48 P-47s are conducting a fighter sweep between Ie Shima and Keijo. 1 P-47 is downed, but its pilot is later rescued.

[

]

Air Operations, Malaya

XIII Fighter Command P-38s attack shipping around Singapore.

[

]

Air Operations, Pacific

Sub-Lt Saburo Sakai, one-eyed Zero 'ace' with 64 victories, shoots down a B-29 near Tokyo.
As a further incentive to get the Japanese to surrencer, 1,600 aircraft attack Tokyo in one of the most concentrated raids of the war.
Millions of copies ot Japanese translations of the Potsdam Declaration are dropped on Japan's cities. The document calls on the Japanese 'to follow the path of reason' or face 'utter destruction'.

[

]

Air Operations, Philippines

In the 13th Air Force’s final combat mission, XIII Bomber Command B-25s attack Japanese Army ground forces on Luzon.

[

]

Diplomatic Relations

The Japanese surrender documents, approved by Pres Truman, are sent to Gen MacArthur. American aircraft fly over Tokyo and other Japanese cities dropping millions of leaflets explaining the position reached in the surrender negotiations and the true state of affairs in Japan. However, the Japanese 'hawks' still refuse to admit defeat.

Mongolia declares war on Japan.

[

]

Occupied Germany

French troops are deployed in West Berlin.

[

]

Pacific

Aircraft from the carriers raid Tokyo in which many Japanese aircraft are destroyed on the ground.
The US attack transport Lagrange (APA-124) is damaged by a suicide bomber in the Okinawa area.
The Japanese submarine I-373 is sunk by the US submarine Spikefish (SS-404) off China.
The US submarine Atule (SS-403) sinks the Japanese coast defense vessel No. 6 off Hokkaido, Japan.

[

]