A Taiwan air force C-130 dropping paratroopers over Choshu Sky in a jointed military exercise in 2004. Choshu is still a very important military staging area for Taiwan Army's elite Mechanized Infantry 298 brigade(i.e.,機械化步兵旅第298旅),which based in the vicinity of Choshu area. This area is heavily defended by Taiwan military for a possible Chinese invasion. China views Taiwan as a relegate province. Neverthless, Taiwan considers itself as an independent country with own constitution, land, and people. Japan colonized Taiwan from 1895 to 1945. This bombing raid occurred in the Spring of 1945 but also marked the final year of Japanese colonial occupation of Taiwan.

WHAT HAPPENED OVER CHOSHU SKY IN 1945?

TUESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 1945 (US ARMY AIR FORCE CHRONOLOGY) SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: B-25s and fighters over Formosa thoroughly blast the town of Choshu, and also hit railroad yards, vehicles, railway rolling stock, and buildings.

Detailed Choshu Bombing Report in Chinese by Dr. Fang-Ming Hsu (許芳銘 國立東華大學資訊管理學系 副教授兼系主任) and Dr. Paul Hsiao

Where is Choshu? Southern Taiwan (Operational Navigation Chart) original scale 1:1,000,000 Portion of ONC J-12, Defense Mapping Agency 1984 (400K) Not for navigational use Choshu is current day Chao Chaou, Taiwan. (look for the town of Chao Chou to the west of Kaohsiung (Takao in WWII))<

My home town Choshu (current day Chao-Jou (潮州鎮),Ping-Tung County), Formosa (Taiwan) was bombed by 63 B-25Js bombers from 38th bomb group and 345th bomb group,US ARMY FIFTH AIR FORCE based in Luzon island, Philippines, Feb 20,1945 (**Reference 1). Choshu was bombed because bad weather with low visibility in Kagi (Chia-Yi), the primary target. Choshu was selected as the secondary target for this mission. Choshu had an active Japanese air strip. The defense of Choshu air space was the sole responsibility of Japanese Imperial Army. There were 63 B-25 bombers (9 B25s from 501 bomb squadron broke away from formation and could not make the bomb run) participated in this raid with 32 P-47 from 35th Fighter group as fighter cover. The town itself was thoroughly bombed. Casualty unknown. My father was a 7 years old kid back then. He remembered seeing B-25s flew into town at the tree top level. He could see the waist gunners. My deceased grandmother was cooking lunch at the time. She hurried up and took all the kids to the bomb shelter. According to her description, a lot of people died during the raid. The grusome scene remained for days in the town with human limbs hanging on trees. She was still in horror when she recounted the story when I was a kid in 1960s. It was a very bad day indeed. That fateful February day in 1945. It was so unfortunate that not much historical records had been kept and maintained with Chao-Jou Town Archive. After years of research and collaboration with US Air Force History Office, I was able to obtain the original mission log and even bombing pictures. My deep thank to the US Air Force for providing me with such precious historical records. I have subsequently sent all the information back to the township Archive. It is my hope that this part of history will be preserved for the future generations in Chao-Jou and listed in the town history. Why set up this page on the Internet? THIS PAGE WAS RESPECTFULLY SET UP IN MEMORY OF my deceased grandparents and THOSE WHO PERISHED DURING THE CHOSHU BOMBING RAID in 1945. According to the US record, 4 B-25 crew members died after crash landed in the Luzon Strait (The Strait between Formosa and Luzon island). One Fighter pilot missing in action and never found. My heart also goes out to their families!! Finally, I am most grateful to Mr. Joe O'keffe with 405 bomb squadron (38th bomb group, 5th Air Force) from 7/44 to 7/45 participated in the Choshu bombing mission for providing me with his memory and personal accounts on the mission to Choshu in 1945 when he based in Luzon island as part of US Fifth Air Force.

"> B-25 carrier launch from the movie Pearl Harbor

(Choshu Bombing Report, 1945 Mission Report)345 Bomb Group First Strike Against Formosa (Choshu, 2/20/1945 (Tuesday) Primary Target: Kagi, Formosa; Secondary Target:Choshu) Warpath Across the Pacific is the finest history of an air combat unit ever published! Twenty years in preparation, this encyclopedic World War II history of the 345th Bomb Group, the famous "Air Apaches," contains 448 pages, a quarter of a million words of thrilling text, nearly 700 photos, including a 32-page color section, 48 full-color aircraft profiles and 5 magnificent B-25 combat paintings by top aviation artist Jack Fellows, plus 13 comprehensive maps and definitive appendices with details of crews, casualties and aircraft. Fully indexed. (Copyright 1997 International Research & Publishing Corp. P.O. Box 3334 High Mar Station Boulder, Colorado 80307 USA (303) 499-0530

"> Tribute to North American B-25 Mitchell

PHOTO 1: Choshu Bombing (2/20/1945) Provided by DENNIS CASE, GS-9, DAF Archivist AFHRA/RSA US Air Force History Department

PHOTO 2: Choshu Bombing (2/20/1945) Provided by DENNIS CASE, GS-9, DAF Archivist AFHRA/RSA US Air Force History Department

PHOTO 3: Choshu Train station taken before the bombing by 500th bomb sqaudron of 345th bomb group based on Luzon, Philippines (2/20/1945) Provided by DENNIS CASE, GS-9, DAF Archivist AFHRA/RSA US Air Force History Department

(Dr. Paul Hsiao (蕭俊偉博士), San Francisco, California, USA)***Especially welcome if you're accessing this page from Taiwan!!

Reference 1:The Army Air Forces in World War II Series (Prepared Under the Editorship of Wesley Frank Craven, Princeton University James Lea Cate, University of Chicago ) Vol. 5 -- The Pacific: MATTERHORN to Nagasaki, June 1944 to August 1945 (May be available through your local library or inter-library loan!)

WELCOME: SEND YOUR EMAIL TO PAUL HSIAO,PHARM.D.

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Formosa (Taiwan) City Plans

Introduction of Choa-Chou (Choshu) town (Chinese) 潮州鎮位於屏東平原之中央，為全縣之中心點，東仰大武山巒，東北與萬巒鄉接鄰，西北東港溪連接竹田鄉，東南臨新埤鄉，西南毗連崁頂鄉，東西約7公里，南北約5公里，全鎮面積42.4331公里，人口數約57835人。

Choa-Chou (Choshu) town (Chinese)-Current day picture page

Combat Pacific 7 December 1941 - 2 September 1945

Japanese Military Air Bases in the Formosa area: Koshun, Taito, Kagi, Kwarenko and Taihoku (For joint use) Takao, Toko, Tainan, Taichu, Shinchiku and Mako (For Navy) Kato, Choshu, Heito, Hozan, Tainan and Taichu (For Army) **Choshu had am active airstrip at the outskirt of the town in WWII. The airstrip was used and defended by Japanese Imperial Army. My deceased grandparents ran a bakery shop at that time at the center of the town. I remember my grandmother told me that many Japanese soldiers shopped at her bakery. Japan colonised Formosa (Taiwan) from 1895 to 1945. (reference:Operational Plans of the Japanese Navy against the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands and China Developments Leading to the Formation of Attack Plans Against Hawaii)

US Navy assigned "LADEN" for Choshu, Formosa as a code word for its operation

The Importance of Formosa (from Luzon Versus Formosa by Robert Ross Smith; Command Decisions) Studying various plans for Allied entry into the strategic triangle, the Joint Chiefs and their subordinate advisory committees concluded that Formosa constituted the most important single objective in the target area. [5] The island possessed so many obvious advantages and was located in such a strategically important position that most planners in Washington believed the Allies would have to seize it no matter what other operations they conducted in the western Pacific. Until they seized Formosa, the Allies would be unable to establish and secure an overwater supply route to China. Formosa, therefore, seemed a necessary steppingstone to the China coast. Moreover, Allied air and naval forces could sever the Japanese lines of communication to the south much more effectively from Formosa than from either Luzon or the south China coast alone. Furthermore, from fields in northern Formosa, the Army Air Forces' new B-29's could carry heavier bomb loads against Japan than from more distant Luzon. [6] Many planners considered Formosa such a valuable strategic prize that they devoted considerable attention to the possibility of bypassing all the Philippines in favor of a direct descent upon Formosa. Discussion of this proposal waxed and waned in Washington during much of 1943 and 1944 despite the fact that the strategic outline

Email to me from Mr. Joe O'keefe, who was an Engineer Gunner and a Tech Sergeant with 38th Bomb group on a B-25 participated in the actual Choshu bombing on February 20, 1945. (I'm grateful that Mr. O'kefee granted permission and allowed me to put his two email in the original form on my website. Reading his email made me feel like I was on the mission with him. Dr. Paul Hsiao)

Mr. Joe O'Keefe with 405 bomb squadron (38th bomb group, 5th Air Force) from 7/44 to 7/45 participated in the Choshu bombing mission. (Picture:In front of a B-25J; Mr. O'Keefe is in lower right. Capt.Hawkins upper right)

Interview with T/Sgt Loren C. "Red" Bates (The 403rd Bomb Squadron) I think the hottest target in Formosa was Tainan where we bombed Japanese Suicidal Aircraft on the ground. We bombed the harbors of Hong Kong, China with fire bombs consisting of 50 gallon barrels filled with a fire solution. I remember my greatest fears were getting off the ground, weather and Anti Aircraft Fire. (from Kensmen.com)

Specification of the North American B-25J Mitchell

A very comprehensive B25 page (lots of good quality pictures!!)

Information on North American B-25 Mitchell

Southern Taiwan (Operational Navigation Chart) original scale 1:1,000,000 Portion of ONC J-12, Defense Mapping Agency 1984 (400K) Not for navigational use Choshu is current day Chao Chaou, Taiwan. (look for the town of Chao Chou to the west of Kaohsiung (Takao in WWII))

Taiwan Strait Area 1998 (452K)

Major Taiwan Air Bases Modern days

Souther Taiwan Map in Chinese

United States Strategic Bombing Survey Summary Report (Pacific War) Washington, D.C. 1 July 1946

The Campaigns of the Pacific War United States Strategic Bombing Survey (Pacific) Naval Analysis Division United States Government Printing Office Washington: 1946

US NAVY ATTACK AGAINST FORMOSA in WWII( October 12, 1944 - Carrier-based aircraft from the Third Fleet, under Admiral Halsey) commence a 5-day attack against Japanese shipping, airfield facilities and industrial plants on Formosa and northern Luzon in the Philippines. These strikes meet with intensive counterattacks by Japanese aircraft. The destroyer USS Prichett (DD-561) is accidentally damaged by naval gunfire in the Formosa area.

January 3, 1945 - Aircraft from a fast carrier task force under Vice Admiral McCain commence a 2-day strike on Japanese shipping and aircraft in the Ryukyu Islands and Formosa.

This web site is maintained by the Air Force History Support Office (AFHSO) at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. AFHSO is responsible for writing books, monographs, studies, and reports to preserve the history of the U.S. Air Force.

345 Bomb Group Page (1) Lots of WWII Photos

345 Bomb Group Page (1) Lots of WWII Photos

Welcome to the 345th Bomb Group ( AIR APACHES) Reunion Association (Photo pages included)

HyperWar Project-WWII (great website with lots of original materials and links)

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR THE 38TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP "The Sun Setters" WWII

Useful WWII links

WWII POW camps in Formosa

List of POW camps(China, Formosa...)