Year 1945

Diary for Sunday, April 29, 1945: Italy SURRENDER OF 1 MILLION GERMAN TROOPS IN NORTHERN ITALY AND AUSTRIA, signed in secret at Caserta, near Naples (effective May 2). Western Front […]

Diary for Saturday, April 28, 1945: Occupied countries Italy: MUSSOLINI AND HIS MISTRESS, CLARA PETACCI, CAPTURED AND SHOT by Communist Partisan leader ‘Colonel Valerio’ (Walter Audisio) at Dongo (Lake Como).

Diary for Friday, April 27, 1945: Russian Front Battle of Berlin: Russians capture suburbs of Potsdam, Spandau and Rathenow; central districts of Neuköln and Tempelhof. Western Front Bremen captured by

Diary for Thursday, April 26, 1945: Russian and Western Front RUSSIAN AND AMERICAN FORCES LINK UP at Torgau on the Elbe. Western Front Patton crosses Danube in Regensburg sector. Russian

Diary for Wednesday, April 25, 1945: Russian Front Battle of Berlin: Zhukov and Konev forces near Potsdam to complete their ‘iron ring’ around the city. Air War Germany: 381 RAF

Diary for Tuesday, April 24, 1945: Russian Front Battle of Berlin: Konev‘s and Zhukov’s troops link up in southern suburbs. Western Front British troops reach Bremen. Italy La Spezia naval

Diary for Monday, April 23, 1945: Russian Front Frankfurt-on-Oder captured by Zhukov. Occupied countries Czechoslovakia: Government-in­-Exile calls for final national uprising. Home Fronts Britain: Black-out restric­tions cancelled. Italy British 8th

Diary for Sunday, April 22, 1945: Russian Front Battle of Berlin: Russians capture Weissensee district. Hitler decides to remain in Berlin. Italy US 5th Army reaches river Po at Ostiglia.

Diary for Saturday, April 21, 1945: Russian Front BATTLE OF BERLIN. ZHUKOV‘S TROOPS ENTER SUBURBS. Konev attacks north of Dresden. Western Front French occupy Stuttgart. Italy ALLIES CAPTURE BOLOGNA. General

Diary for Friday, April 20, 1945: Western Front ‘Stars and Stripes’ raised over rostrum of Nuremberg Stadium ­scene of Nazi Party rallies. Lattre de Tassigny’s French 1st Army execute rapid

Diary for Thursday, April 19, 1945: Okinawa US 24th Corps, 10th Army, launches general assault on outer defenses of ‘Shuri Line’, in the south, after preparatory bombardment by 139 planes,

Diary for Wednesday, April 18, 1945: Western Front 370,000-strong Army Group B. surrenders in Ruhr ‘Pocket’; Field Marshal Model commits suicide. Royal Engineers begin constructing Bailey Bridge over the Rhine,

Diary for Tuesday, April 17, 1945: Okinawa Americans capture Yae-Taki Hills in Motobu Peninsular. Air War Europe: Mosquito bombers attacking Gestapo HQ at Odense, Denmark. Pacific: B-29 Superfortress carry out

Diary for Monday, April 16, 1945: Russian Front ZHUKOV OPENS OFFENSIVE ON BERLIN. Western Front Canadians take Groningen; Americans enter Nuremberg. Okinawa Americans land on Ie Shima Island. Air War

Diary for Sunday, April 15, 1945: Western Front US 1st Army captures Leuna. 2nd Armored Division (US 9th Army) forced to withdraw from bridgehead over river Elbe near Magdeburg, after

Diary for Saturday, April 14, 1945: Western Front Holland: Arnhem captured by British forces. Germans offer fierce resistance and demolish bridge before retreating. Bavaria: Patton captures Bayreuth. Okinawa Americans attack

Diary for Saturday, April 13, 1945: Russian Front Austria: VIENNA CAPTURED by Tolbukhin’s 3rd Ukrainian Front. Western Front Patton captures Jena. Air War Pacific: 327 B-29 Superfortress bombers destroy arms

Diary for Thursday, April 12, 1945: Home Fronts USA – DEATH OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT at Warm Springs, Georgia; aged 63. Vice-President Truman takes the oath of office. Goebbels comments ‘This

Diary for Wednesday, April 11, 1945: Russian Front Russians cross Danube Canal in Vienna. Western Front US 9th Army reaches river Elbe, near Magdeburg. Canadians cross river Ijssel. Italy Operation

Diary for Tuesday, April 10, 1945: Western Front Americans capture Hanover. Okinawa After massive preparatory barrage, US 96th Division seizes part of Kakazu Ridge. Air War Britain: Last enemy sortie