Twofer: Artillery Fire & Coronary Thrombosis Kill Flag Officers

MON 18 JUN 1945
Pacific
Battleship Nevada (BB-36) and two destroyers (Captain Homer L. Grosskopf), en route from Pearl Harbor to Saipan, bombard shore installations on Emidj Island, Jaluit Atoll, Marshalls, coordinated with bombing by land-based planes from U.S. bases in the Marshalls.

Lieutenant General Simon B. Buckner, USA, commander of the Tenth Army, is killed on Okinawa*; Major General Roy S. Geiger, USMC, assumes temporary command of the Tenth Army to direct its final combat operations on the island.

Rear Admiral Forrest B. Royal, Commander, Amphibious Group 6, dies on board amphibious force flagship Rocky Mount (AGC-3) of coronary thrombosis.

Motor minesweeper YMS-50, damaged by mine off Balikpapan, Borneo, 01°18'S, 116°49'E, is scuttled by light cruiser Denver (CL-58).

Submarine Apogon (SS-308), attacking Japanese convoy RU, sinks transport Hakuai Maru and guardboat No.2 Kusonoki Maru southwest of Paramushiro, Kurils, 50°30'N, 155°01'E (see 19 June).

Submarine Bonefish (SS-223), after conferring with Tunny (SS-282) at 37°02'N, 135°32'E, off western coast of Honshu, sinks Japanese cargo ship Konzan Maru, 37°13'N, 137°18'E. Bonefish, however, is later sunk† by escort destroyer Okinawa, Coast Defense Vessel No.63, Coast Defense Vessel No.75, Coast Defense Vessel No.158 and Coast Defense Vessel No.207 in Sea of Japan, 37°18'N, 137°55'E.

Submarine Bullhead (SS-332) sinks Japanese auxiliary sailing vessel No.58 Sakura Maru in Sunda Strait, off Merak, 05°35'S, 106°02'E.

Submarine Dentuda (SS-335) sinks Japanese guardboats Reiko Maru and Heiwa Maru in East China Sea, 30°45'N, 126°00'E.

Submarine Tinosa (SS-283) sinks Japanese ship Wakae Maru at 38°25'N, 128°34'E.

PB4Y-2s (VPB 118) continue aerial mining of waters in Korean archipelago, sowing mines in the waters north of Roka-To.

Mines sink Japanese transport Shintai Maru west of Noto-Hanto, 36°50'N, 134°36'E, auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 197, 1.48 kilometers southwest of Mojizaki light, and merchant cargo ships Nissho Maru off Moji, and Bizan Maru at 33°58'N, 130°44'E, and damage naval vessel Shintai Maru at 36°59'N, 136°43'E.

Marine casualties damage Japanese merchant cargo ships No.1 Oshima Maru east of Tachang Shan Island, Shinko Maru one kilometer off Nisshin, and Hazuki Maru off Kuzuiwa.

Japanese Motor Gunboat No.54 is sunk by aircraft off Port Arthur.

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*By enemy artillery fire, making him the highest-ranking United States military officer lost to enemy fire during World War II. Did not know his pappy was a traitor & then Gov. of Kain-tuck in a previous century.

†She is reported as overdue, presumed lost, on 30 July 1945.