Year 1945

Diary for Friday, June 1, 1945: Burma British 12th Army joins 14th Army. Okinawa Americans pursue retreating Japanese towards south Coast. Air War Pacific: 27 P-51 Mustang fighters collide during […]

Diary for Thursday, May 31, 1945: Okinawa 6th Marine Division runs into strong Japanese rearguard near Hill 46. Sea War Merchant shipping losses in May 1945: 3 Allied ships with

Diary for Wednesday, May 30, 1945: Occupied countries Germany: Zhukov appointed Russian representative on Allied Control Commission. Iran: Foreign Minister demands withdrawal of all British, US and Russian forces. Home

Diary for Tuesday, May 29, 1945: Okinawa Marines capture Shuri Castle, former Japanese HQ, and Shuri town (both are in total ruins). Syria Fighting between French forces and Syrian Nationalists

Diary for Monday, May 28, 1945: Okinawa US Marines advance to Naha Harbour and Kokuba Estuary. Occupied countries Germany: ‘Lord Haw-Haw‘ ‘William Joyce) captured by British troops. Sea War Atlantic:

Diary for Sunday, May 27, 1945: Sea War Pacific: Japanese submarine pack makes unsuccessful attacks on US convoys on Leyte-Okinawa and Guam­-Okinawa routes (May 27 – June 28).

Diary for Saturday, May 26, 1945: Okinawa US guns and bombers pound Japanese troops withdrawing from Shuri Line. Occupied countries Germany: SHAEF HQ trans­ferred from Rheims to Frankfurt-am-Main.

Diary for Friday, May 25, 1945: Secret War Allied European Commands asked not to reveal Ultra Secret. Home Fronts USA: Over 60 casualties in Wast at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland.

Diary for Thursday, May 24, 1945: Okinawa 9 Japanese bomber-transports approach the island (8 lost); survivor crash­-lands 12-man suicide squad on Yontan airfield, which destroys 8 planes, petrol and ammunition

Diary for Wednesday, May 23, 1945: Occupied countries Germany: Members of Dönitz Government, German High Command and General Staff, taken into custody and interned aboard liner Patria in Flensburg harbor.

Diary for Tuesday, May 22, 1945: Okinawa Persistent heavy rain until early June seriously reduces mobility of US armor and gives Japanese respite, during which they evacuate wounded and equipment

Diary for Monday, May 21, 1945: Home Fronts Japan: 2 million students mobilized in ‘Student Defense Corps’. USA: Humphrey Bogart marries Lauren Bacall. Okinawa Americans capture Sugar Hill – exposing

Diary for Sunday, May 20, 1945: Okinawa Chocolate Drop Hill secured by US infantry after savage fighting around maze of interconnected tunnels. Japanese counter-attack on ‘The Horseshoe’ (200 killed).

Diary for Saturday, May 19, 1945: Sea War Pacific: British submarine Terrapin depth-charged.

Diary for Friday, May 18, 1945: Okinawa Sugar Loaf Hill captured by US Marines. Home Fronts Britain: Avro Lancaster ‘Aries’ flies over North Magnetic Pole for first time in history

Diary for Thursday, May 17, 1945: Okinawa Lieutenant-General Simon Bolivar Buckner, Jr., commanding general of US 10th Army, takes personal command of operations. Marines reach crest of Sugar Loaf Hill,

Diary for Wednesday, May 16, 1945: Occupied countries Channel Islands: British forces liberate Alderney. Okinawa US 6th Marine Division suffers heavy casualties.

Diary for Tuesday, May 15, 1945: Sea War Japanese cruiser Haguro trapped and torpedoed by 5 British destroyers in Malacca Strait (night May 15-16). Occupied countries Yugoslavia: Surrender of last

Diary for Monday, May 14, 1945: Air War Pacific – DAYLIGHT FIRE RAID ON NAGOYA: In order to further undermine Japanese moral and indus­trial output, following severe psycho­logical blow of

Diary for Sunday, May 13, 1945: Okinawa Americans take Conical Hill at east end of Shuri Line. Occupied countries Germany: Scots Guards occupy Heligoland. Home Fronts Britain: Thanksgiving Service in