Submarines Terminate Patrols

WED 18 JUL 1945
Pacific
Aircraft from TF 38 strike Yokosuka Naval Base and airfields in the Tokyo area, Japan. Primary target at the former place is Japanese battleship Nagato, which is damaged. TF 38 planes also sink training ship (ex-armored cruiser) Kasuga, escort destroyer Yaezakura (60% completed) and submarine I 372, submarine chaser Harushima*, auxiliary patrol vessels Pa No.37, Pa No.110 and Pa No.122 at Yokosuka.

TF 37 and TF 38 planes sink Japanese motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.28 at Yokosuka, and damage battleship Nagato, motor torpedo boat Gyoraitei No.256, landing ship T.110, target ship Yakaze, and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 225. TG 35.4 (Rear Admiral Carl F. Holden), composed of four light cruisers and the destroyers of DesRon 62, detached from TG 38.1, conduct anti-shipping sweep off the entrance to Sagami Nada and bombard Japanese radar installations at Cape Nojima, Honshu (see 19 July). En route to the objective, destroyers Hank (DD-702) and Wallace L. Lind (DD-703), detached to take a radar contact under fire, mistakenly shell (but do not damage) submarine Gabilan (SS-252).

Planes from carrier Wasp (CV-18) bomb Japanese installations on Wake Island.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.112 south of Sakhalin, Japan, 46°04'N, 142°16'E.

Submarine Cero (SS-225) is damaged by aerial bomb off Kurils, 45°14'N, 148°41'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

Submarine Hawkbill (SS-366) is damaged by depth charges off Malaya, 04°41'N, 103°30'E, and is forced to terminate her patrol.

British submarine HMS Trenchant attacks Japanese convoy, sinking army shuttle vessel Hayabusa Maru and damaging cargo vessels No.3 Taikyo Maru and 3 Nichiei Maru and No.2 Saiwai Maru northwest of Lombok Island 08°22'S, 116°02'E.

USN land-based planes sink Japanese merchant cargo vessels Chishima Maru off Kawajiri, 34°36'N, 125°00'E, Shintai Maru at 34°25'N, 130°40'E, and Tagami Maru off Tsushima, 34°47'N, 137°02'E.

Japanese escort carrier Kaiyo is damaged by mine, 135 miles northwest of Satamisaki.

Japanese merchant cargo ship Tenyo Maru is sunk (cause unknown), north of Honshu.

Japanese fast transport T.9 is damaged by aircraft four miles east of Hatsushima.

Japanese merchant tanker No.8 Horai Maru is damaged by marine casualty, Atsuta, north of Ishikari.

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*Submarine chaser Harushima had originally been the U.S. Army cable ship Colonel G. F. E. Harrison, salvaged from Mariveles Bay, Luzon, P.I., in 1942.