Last Bastille Day Of War

SAT 14 JUL 1945
Pacific
Since bad weather prevents attacks on the primary targets (airfields in northern Honshu and Hokkaido), planes from TF 38 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) hit shipping, rail facilities, and ground installations in those areas instead; attack is repeated on 15 July. TF 38's planes sink escort destroyer Tachibana and Coast Defense Vessel No.219 in Hakodate harbor, Hokkaido, 41°48'N, 140°41'E, Coast Defense Vessel No.65 and Coast Defense Vessel No.74, 15 miles south of Muroran, Hokkaido, 42°21'N, 140°59'E, submarine chaser Ch 48, 2.1 kilometers off Nakanegishi; auxiliary minesweepers No.2 Choyo Maru, five miles off Kikonai, 41°38'N, 140°35'E and 3 Keijin Maru, northeast of Shiriyasaki, 41°30'N, 141°30'E, Sonobe Maru off Hiroo, Hokkaido, 42°11'N, 143°36'E and 2 Tamazono Maru, Kushiro Pier, Hokkaido, 42°58'N, 144°25'E; guardboats Chitose Maru, four miles off Kayabe, Hokkaido and 18 Eikoku Maru off Cape Shiobuki, Hokkaido and 2 Meiji Maru off Hakodate, Ojima Maru off Shiriyasaki, 41°30'N, 141°40'E; gunboat Hokoku Maru off Oma-saki, Tsugaru-kaikyo, 41°33'N, 141°08'E, and transport No.1 Un'yo Maru off Muroran, Hokkaido, 42°21'N, 140°59'E; army cargo vessel No.6 Nissen Maru near Tsugaru Strait; merchant vessels Taisei Maru and Shimofusa Maru at west entrance of Tsugaru Strait, and Osaki Maru, Hakodate; merchant cargo ships Shichiyo Maru, 43°47'N, 141°12'E; Imizu Maru, Furubiba, Otaru Bay; Setagawa Maru, off Yongtok; Eiho Maru and No.5 Kaisei Maru, Hakodate; and Saito Maru off east coast of Korea, and train ferries No.2 Seikan Maru and 3 Seikan Maru and 4 Seikan Maru and 10 Seikan Maru, Tsugaru Maru, Shoho Maru and Hiran Maru, merchant cargo ships Senzan Maru and Awa Maru in Aomori-Hakodate area.* In addition, TF 38 planes damage destroyer Yanagi in Tsugaru Strait; Coast Defense Vessel No.205 outside Otaru harbor, and Coast Defense Vessel No.215, Hakodate harbor; auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 72 and auxiliary minesweeper Minakami Maru off Usujiri; guardboat Miya Maru off the eastern mouth of Tsugaru Strait; auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Tamazono Maru, Kushiro Pier, Hokkaido, 42°58'N, 144°25'E; army vessels Kaizan Maru outside Hachinohe harbor, and Sachi Maru off Otaru; army cargo ship Taisho Maru (location unspecified); train ferries No.6 Seikan Maru and 8 Seikan Maru, Matsumae Maru in Aomori-Hakodate area; merchant cargo ships Eitoku Maru, Hanasaki Maru, and Kenkoku Maru in Hakodate harbor; merchant cargo ships Taka Maru and 23 Hokuryu Maru, Eireki Maru, and No.3 Koun Maru off Muroran; merchant vessel Hokushin Maru in Tsugaru Strait; merchant cargo ships Shoho Maru off Yobetsu; Hirano Maru (beached), Miuyama Bay; Kotsu Maru and No.13 Kyodo Maru, Otaru; Shunko Maru (location unspecified); Hachirei Maru, nine miles off Iwanai; Toyo Maru off Cape Temma; merchant tankers No.5 Kyoei Maru, beached off Matsumae, and No.6 Shoun Maru, beached off Akashi, and dredger Kushiro Maru, location unspecified.

Three battleships, two heavy cruisers, and nine destroyers of TU 34.8.1 (Rear Admiral John F. Shafroth) bombard the coastal city of Kamaishi, Honshu; this is the first naval gunfire bombardment of the Japanese homeland. The primary target is the Japan Ironworks plant.

Tank landing ships LST-684 and LST-826 are damaged by grounding off Okinawa, 26°12'N, 127°57'E.

Mines sink Japanese merchant cargo ships Senju Maru off Moji, Japan, and Kiukiang Maru at 35°06'N, 129°43'E.

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*The sinking of the seven train ferries on the 14th and one the following day, together with the damage inflicted upon three additional vessels of this type, is deemed a severe blow to transportation facilities between Hokkaido and the main island of Honshu, virtually cutting off important agricultural and mineral supplies of the northern island.