Grandpappy McCain Attacks!

WED 18 OCT 1944
Pacific
TG 38.1 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) and TG 38.4 (Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison) attack principal Japanese airfields near Manila and shipping in the harbor, sinking passenger-cargo ship Hoeisan Maru, 14°35'N, 120°50'E, and army cargo ship Urato Maru and merchant cargo ship Tempi Maru, 14°35'N, 120°55'E. Meanwhile, TG 38.2 (Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan) pounds enemy shipping off northern Luzon, sinking auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 95, transports Taiho Maru and Hokurei Maru (damaged on 5 October by Cabrilla*), and merchant cargo ships Hoten Maru, Terukuni Maru, and Tsingtao Maru off Camiguin, northern Luzon, 18°54'N, 121°51'E; cargo ship Shinko Maru near Babuyan Channel, 18°35'N, 121°40'E; and landing ships T.135 and T.136 and minelayer/netlayer Maeshima off northeastern Luzon, 17°46'N, 120°25'E. Cargo ship No.3 Taibi Maru may have also been lost in these attacks at this time.The first bombardment ships begin shelling Japanese installations on Leyte.

Seventh Fleet aircraft, meanwhile, sink Japanese ships Daikoku Maru, No.2 Gokuku Mar, No.8 Nankai Maru, Rinkyu Maru, Yoto Maru, and Zuin Maru in the Cebu area.

Submarine Bluegill (SS-242) sinks Japanese army cargo ships Arabia Maru and Chinzei Maru, and merchant cargo ship Hakushika Maru in South China Sea, west-southwest of Manila, 14°06'N, 119°40'E.

Submarine Raton (SS-270) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Taikai Maru and army cargo ship Shiranesan Maru in South China Sea, southwest of Luzon, 12°37'N, 118°46'E.

Special Air Task Force (STAG 1) operations continue in Southwest Pacific as three TDRs are launched against lighthouse on Cape St. George, New Ireland. None hit the target.

Atlantic
Naval Advanced Base, La Havre, France, is established.

Mediterranean
Motor torpedo boat PT-558 is damaged in engagement with two German R-boats west of Portofino; while retiring to Leghorn, Italy, PT-561 is damaged by heavy seas. Tank landing ship LST-906 drags anchor and is damaged when driven ashore by heavy sea, Leghorn.

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*SS-288, to be specific. Possibly 6 October.