Air War At Sea

TUE 10 OCT 1944
Pacific
In the first occasion since the Marianas campaign in which all four carrier task groups operate together as one unit, TF 38 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) pounds Japanese shipping and installations on Okinawa and other islands in the Ryukyus. TF 38 planes sink submarine depot ship Jingei, landing ship T.158, minelayer Takashima and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 87, north-northwest of Okinawa, 26°39'N, 127°52'E. In or near Naha harbor, Navy carrier-based aircraft sink auxiliary minesweeper Shimpo Maru, 26°13'N, 127°40'E, and No.6 Hakata Maru, guardboats No.26 Nansatsu Maru and No.5 Daisei Maru, 26°13'N, 127°41'E; guardboat Yuki Maru and motor torpedo boats Gyoraitei No.493, Gyoraitei No.496, Gyoraitei No.498, Gyoraitei No.500, Gyoraitei No.805, Gyoraitei No.806, Gyoraitei No.810, Gyoraitei No.812, Gyoraitei No.813, Gyoraitei No.814, Gyoraitei No.820 and Gyoraitei No.820, 26°30'N, 128°00'E; army cargo ship Horai Maru, 26°38'N, 127°54'E; merchant cargo ships Taikai Maru, Fukura Maru, Koryu Maru, and Tetsuzan Maru, 26°13'N, 127°39'E. Elswhere in the vicinity, Navy planes sink auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Takunan Maru off Okino Daito Jima, 25°30'N, 131°00'E, and army cargo ship Hirota Maru off Miyako Jima, 24°26'N, 125°20'E, and merchant cargo ship Nanyo Maru off Kume Jima. TF 38 planes damage Coast Defense Ship No.5 and submarine chaser Ch 58 off Okinawa; and guardboat No.6 Daisei Maru, cargo ship Toyosaka Maru, and merchant cargo ship No.7 Takashima Maru outside Koniya harbor.

Motor torpedo boat PT-368 is damaged by grounding off western New Guinea, 01°59'N, 127°57'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese transport Gokuku Maru northwest of Hirado Jima, Kyushu, 33°31'N, 129°10'E.

Submarine Lapon (SS-260) sinks Japanese army transport Ejiri Maru in South China Sea west of Luzon, 16°10'N, 119°44'E.

Dutch submarine Zwaardvisch sinks Japanese guardboat Koei Maru southwest of Bawean Island, N.E.I., 05°57'S, 112°29'E.