"into the hills"

MON 9 APR 1945
Pacific
U.S. Army troops (163rd RCT) supported by three destroyers and USMC planes, land on Jolo, Sulu Archipelago, P.I. The Japanese garrison withdraws into the hills.

Twenty USAAF B-29s mine Shimonoseki Straits.

Off Okinawa, escort carrier Chenango (CVE-28) is damaged by crash of F6F (VF 25) on flight deck; kamikaze damages destroyer Sterett (DD-407), 26°47'N, 128°42'E; destroyer Porterfield (DD-682) is damaged by friendly fire, 26°34'N, 128°28'E; high speed transport Hopping (APD-51) is damaged by shore battery, 26°15'N, 127°55'E, as is tank landing ship LST-557, 26°14'N, 127°57'E; attack cargo ship Starr (AKA-67) is damaged by premature explosion of assault demolition boat, 26°20'N, 127°44'E.

Destroyers Mertz (DD-691) and Monssen (DD-798) sink Japanese submarine RO 56, 45 miles east of Okinawa, 26°09'N, 130°21'E.

Submarine Parche (SS-384) sinks Japanese minesweeper W.3 as she is escorting transport (ex-armed merchant cruiser) Ukishima Maru northeast of Sendai, 39°07'N, 141°57'E. Later, Sunfish (SS-281) attacks Ukishima Maru at the entrance to Yamada Bay, 39°30'N, 142°05'E. Although Sunfish claims damage, Ukishima Maru reaches port unscathed.

Submarine Spadefish (SS-411) damages Japanese merchant cargo ship Ritsu Maru off west coast of Korea, 37°21'N, 125°08'E. Ritsu Maru attempts to run aground to facilitate salvage, but sinks before she can accomplish her goal.

Submarine Tirante (SS-420) attacks Japanese convoy TAMO-53 in Yellow Sea, sinking army tanker Nikko Maru and damaging Coast Defense Vessel No.102, 36°50'N,123°55'E; transport (ex-seaplane carrier) Kiyokawa Maru evades Tirante and ultimately tows the damaged Coast Defense Vessel No.102 to safety.

USN land-based aircraft attack Japanese shipping in Kwangchow Bay, China, sinking cargo vessel Minko Maru, 21°26'N, 111°20'E.

Mines damage Japanese training ship (ex-armored cruiser) Izumo and fast transport T.19 off Okurokami Island.

Europe
U.S. freighter Solomon Juneau, bound for Cherbourg, France, in convoy TBC 123, is torpedoed by German midget submarine off Dungeness, England 50°53'15"N, 01°03'45"E. Of the 41-man Armed Guard, one man is blown overboard and lost; a second dies of injuries. None of the 41-man merchant complement are casualties, and the ship is towed to safety.