Friendly Fire & Collisions

TUE 20 FEB 1945
Pacific
Army troops, covered by USMC aircraft, are landed on Biri Island P.I., to insure control of San Bernardino Strait.

Off Iwo Jima, light cruiser Biloxi (CL-80) is hit by friendly fire, 25°47'N, 141°15'E; destroyer Bradford (DD-545) collides with uncharted submerged wreckage, 24°45.8'N, 141°19.44'E; attack transports Napa (APA-157) and Logan (APA-196) are damaged in collision, 24°46'N, 141°19'E; tank landing ship LST-779 and medium landing ship LSM-216 are damaged by mortar fire.

Submarine Guavina (SS-362), attacking Japanese convoy rounding Cape Padaran, French Indochina, damages merchant tanker Eiyo Maru, 11°22'N, 109°22'E.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366), attacking Japanese convoy about 175 miles northwest of Singapore, sinks merchant cargo ship Daizen Maru, 00°42'S, 106°18'E. Although Hawkbill claims sinking one other cargo vessel, the two ships in company with the lost freighter, Kanto Maru and Nankai Maru, survive unscathed.

Submarine Pargo (SS-264) sinks Japanese destroyer Nokaze off Cape Varella, French Indochina, 12°48'N, 109°38'E; destroyer Kamikaze in company with Nokaze at the time of Pargo's attack, unsuccessfully counterattacks with depth charges.

Submarine Pintado (SS-387) is damaged by aerial bomb, Gulf of Siam, 07°25'N, 111°56'E, but remains on patrol.

Japanese army ship Rozan Maru is sunk by mine below Taku, China.

Japanese cargo vessel No.34 Kashiwa Maru is sunk by mine off Surabaya.