Kamikazes

SAT 25 NOV 1944
Pacific
TG 38.2 (Rear Admiral Gerald F. Bogan) and TG 38.3 (Rear Admiral Frederick C. Sherman) aircraft bomb Japanese shipping off central Luzon. Planes from carrier Ticonderoga (CV-14) sink heavy cruiser Kumano (see 6 and 9 November 1944) in Dasol Bay, 15°45'N, 119°48'E. F6Fs, SB2Cs and TBMs from carriers Ticonderoga and Essex (CV-9), along with F6Fs and TBMs from small carrier Langley (CVL-27) attack convoy about 15 miles southwest of Santa Cruz, on the west coast of Luzon, and sink coast defense ship Yasojima (ex-Chinese cruiser Ping Hai), 15°45'N, 119°45'E, and landing ships T.112, T.142, and T.161, 15°40'N, 119°45'E. Planes from carrier Intrepid (CV-11) sink fast transports T.6 and T.10, and damage fast transport T.9 and escort destroyer Take, Balanacan Harbor, Marinduque Island, 13°25'N, 121°55'E. Planes from Essex and Langley sink army cargo ship No.6 Manei Maru and damage cargo ship Kasagisan Maru in San Fernando harbor, 16°37'N, 120°19'E.

Kamikazes breach the fleet's fighter defenses, however, and press home determined attacks, damaging carriers Essex, Intrepid and Hancock (CV-19), 15°47'N, 124°14'E, and small carrier Cabot (CVL-28), 15°42'N, 123°09'E. Small carrier Independence (CVL-22) is damaged by crash of own aircraft into island structure, 15°58'N,125°14'E.

Japanese merchant tanker Ceram Maru is damaged by aircraft in Manila Bay.

Motor torpedo boat PT-363 is sunk by shore battery off Cape Gorango, Halmahera Island, 00°55'N, 127°50'E.

Submarine Atule (SS-403) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Santos Maru off Sabtang Island, Luzon, 20°12'N, 121°51'E. Although Atule claims destruction of the escorting submarine chaser Ch 33, the latter survives the attack.

Submarine Cavalla (SS-244) sinks Japanese destroyer Shimotsuki, west of Borneo, 02°28'N, 107°20'E.

Submarine Haddo (SS-255) damages Japanese escort destroyer Shimushu, 14°00'N, 119°25'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) attacks Japanese convoy about 60 miles west of Manila, and sinks Coast Defense Vessel No.38 off Bataan peninsula, 14°33'N, 119°51'E.

Submarine Mingo (SS-261) attacks Japanese convoy SIMA-05, sinks army transport Manila Maru about 90 miles northwest of Miri, Sarawak, 05°30'N, 113°24'E, and survives a depth-charging by escort vessel Kurahashi.

Submarine Pomfret (SS-391) sinks Japanese Patrol Boat No.38 and transport Shoho Maru, Luzon Strait, 20°18'N, 121°34'E.

USAAF B-24s (14th Air Force), on night reconnaissance flight over the South China Sea, attack Japanese shipping south of Hainan Island, bombing and strafing Hida Maru and escorting minesweepers W.17 and W.18, 16°44'N, 108°24'E, damaging both minecraft. Hida Maru takes the crippled W.18 in tow (see 26 November 1944).

Chinese aircraft attack Japanese river gunboats on the Yangtze near Anking, China, sinking Fushimi and damaging Sumida.