South China Sea raid

South China Sea raid
Part of Pacific Theater of World War II
Aerial black and white photo of a river with buildings on its left-hand shore. A large column of smoke is rising from near the bank of the river.
Smoke rising from Saigon after facilities and ships in the city were attacked by United States Navy aircraft on 12 January 1945
Date10–20 January 1945
Location
South China Sea
Status US victory
Belligerents
 United States  Japan
Commanders and leaders
William Halsey Jr.
John S. McCain Sr.		 Hisaichi Terauchi
Casualties and losses

Aircraft losses between 3 and 25 January:

  • 98 aircraft, 136 aircrew (combat)
  • 103 aircraft, 31 aircrew (operational)[1]

Losses between 3 and 25 January:

  • 300,000 tons of shipping
  • 615 aircraft[1]
Hundreds of civilians killed and wounded

The South China Sea raid (designated Operation Gratitude) was an operation conducted by the United States Third Fleet between 10 and 20 January 1945 during the Pacific War of World War II. The raid was undertaken to support the liberation of Luzon in the Philippines, and targeted Japanese warships, supply convoys and aircraft in the region.

After attacking airfields and shipping at Formosa and Luzon, the Third Fleet entered the South China Sea during the night of 9–10 January. Aircraft flying from its aircraft carriers attacked Japanese shipping off French Indochina on 12 January, sinking 44 vessels. The fleet then sailed north and attacked Formosa again on 15 January. Further raids were conducted against Hong Kong, Canton and Hainan the next day. The Third Fleet departed the South China Sea on 20 January and, after making further attacks on Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands, returned to its base on 25 January.

The Third Fleet's operations in the South China Sea were highly successful. It destroyed many Japanese ships and aircraft, while losing relatively few of its own aircraft. Historians have judged the destruction of cargo vessels and oil tankers to have been the most important result of the raid, as these losses contributed to closing a supply route which was vital to the Japanese war effort. Subsequent attacks by Allied aircraft and warships forced the Japanese to cease sending ships into the South China Sea after March 1945.

  1. ^ a b Brown 2009, p. 278.