"suicide swimmers"

MON 8 JAN 1945
Pacific
During continuing Japanese aerial onslaught on the Lingayen Gulf invasion force, kamikazes damage escort carriers Kitkun Bay (CVE-71), 15°48'N, 119°09'E, and Kadashan Bay (CVE-76), 15°10'N, 119°08'E. A suicider also crashes close aboard Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia, ending her support operations that day.

Infantry landing craft (gunboat) LCI(G)-404 is damaged by suicide swimmers, Yoo Passage, Palaus.

Submarine Balao (SS-285) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Daigo Maru southwest of Korea, 34°28'N, 122°39'E.

Coordinated submarine attack group, TG 17.21 (Commander Charles E. Loughlin) attacks Japanese convoy off northwest coast of Formosa. Barb (SS-220) sinks merchant cargo ships Anyo Maru, 24°34'N, 120°37'E, and Shinyo Maru, 24°55'N, 120°26'E (which explodes violently, forcing Barb deep and tearing off deck gratings); and merchant tanker Sanyo Maru, 24°37'N, 120°31'E, and damages army cargo ship Meiho Maru, 24°25'N, 120°29'E; Picuda (SS-382) damages cargo ship Rashin Maru, 24°41'N, 120°40'E; and Queenfish (SS-393) damages tanker Manju Maru, 24°25'N, 120°28'E. In the confusion generated by TG 17.21's attack, merchant tanker Hikoshima Maru runs aground in Tungshiao Bay.

Submarine Piranha (SS-389) damages auxiliary netlayer No.2 Shinto Maru in the Nansei Shoto, 29°55'N, 130°05'E.

Japanese ship No.22 Seikai Maru is sunk by mine off Haha Jima.

Cargo ship Malay Maru is damaged by mine (laid by British submarine HMS Stoic on 3 June 1944) off west coast of Malaya, 05°57'N, 100°14'E.

Europe
U.S. freighter Blenheim is damaged by explosion of German rocket bomb at Antwerp, Belgium; Armed Guard quarters are wrecked and there are 20 casualties among the 44 merchant sailors, 25 Armed Guard and one passenger on board at the time.