Japanese Cabinet Resigns

THU 5 APR 1945
Pacific
Naval Advanced Air Base, Iwo Jima, is established.

In Japan, the cabinet of Premier Koiso Kuniaki resigns; Admiral Suzuki Kantaro becomes Prime Minister.

Submarine Besugo (SS-321) twice attacks Japanese light cruiser Isuzu in the Flores Sea (see 6-7 April).

Boarding party from submarine Bluegill (SS-242) completes destruction of beached and abandoned fleet tanker Honan Maru (see 28 March) with demolition charges and incendiaries, near Nha Trang, French Indochina.

Off Okinawa, battleship Nevada (BB-36) is damaged by shore battery, 26°13'N, 127°40'E; a dud aerial torpedo damages light minelayer Harry F. Bauer (DM-26), 26°30'N, 127°30'E. Collisions account for damage to seaplane tender (destroyer) Thornton (AVD-11) and oiler Escalante (AO-70), 24°24'N, 128°58'E; landing craft repair ship Agenor (ARL-3) and tank landing ship LST-646, 24°46'N, 141°19'E; tank landing ships LST-273 and LST-810, 26°25'N, 127°42'E; tank landing ship LST-923 (with tank landing ship LST-20); tank landing ship LST-940 [with attack cargo ship Diphda (AKA-59)], 26°21'N, 127°43'E; and tank landing ship LST-1000 (with tank landing ship LST-20), 26°21'N, 127°44'E; tank landing ship LST-698 is damaged by grounding, 26°24'N, 127°45'E.

U.S. shore battery sinks Japanese auxiliary minelayer No.2 Shinto Maru and damages auxiliary minelayer Taian Maru in Naha Harbor, Okinawa, 26°30'N, 128°00'E.

Destroyer Hudson (DD-475) sinks Japanese submarine RO 41 west of Okinawa, near Kerama Retto, 26°22'N, 126°30'E.

Submarine Hardhead (SS-365) attacks unescorted Japanese convoy SASI-45, damaging cargo ship Araosan Maru in the Gulf of Siam, 09°37'N, 102°48'E (see 6 April).

PBMs attack Japanese convoy, sinking merchant cargo ship No.2 Tokai Maru in Pinghai Wan, 22°45'N, 116°10'E; USAAF B-24s, B-26s, and P-38s (5th Air Force) attack same convoy, sinking cargo ship Kine Maru, 22°24'N, 115°28'E.

USAAF B-24s (Far East Air Force) bomb Japanese shipping at Hong Kong, damaging Coast Defense Vessel No.52 and Coast Defense Vessel No.1, submarine chasers Ch 9 andCh 20, 22°45'N, 116°10'E, and fleet oiler Kamoi.

Mine laid by USAAF B-29 (20th Bomber Command) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship No.13 Nichinan Maru two miles southeast of Hesaki Light, 33°58'N, 131°02'E,. Cargo ship Iki Maru is damaged by mine, 33°54'N, 130°53'E.

Japanese cargo ship Jozan Maru is damaged by mine, 01°23'N, 104°01'E.

Atlantic
U.S. tanker Atlantic States is torpedoed by German submarine U-857 off Cape Cod, 42°07'N, 70°00'42"W; there are no casualties to either the merchant crew or the 12-man Armed Guard. Auxiliary Guinevere (IX-67) rescues the crew (with the exception of five men, including the Armed Guard officer, who remain on board to keep the ship trimmed) while destroyer escort Richard S. Bull (DE-402) stands by to render assistance. Later, old tug Wandank (ATO-26), assisted by rescue tugs ATR-14 and ATR-89, tow the damaged ship to Boston where she is repaired.