 In Italy... On the west coast, American units from US 5th Army begin to attack north near
Massa, south of La Spezia.
On the Western Front... Allied forces cross the Weser River at several points.
In the Philippines... On Luzon, south and west of Manila, the US forces on either side of Laguna de Bay are beginning to make significant gains in their attacks. In Manila Bay, on Caballo Island, American troops pour thousands of gallons of a diesel/gasoline mixture into Fort Hughes and set it on fire but fail to entirely eliminate Japanese resistance.
In the Ryukyu Islands... The battleship, USS Nevada, is damaged by Japanese fire from a shore battery.
In Tokyo... General Koiso and his cabinet resign. Admiral Suzuki forms the new government. Togo is Foreign Minister and
Hiranuma, President of the Privy Council. There is less military influence in this Cabinet than in Koiso's and all its members are agreed that no reasonable offer of peace should be turned down. Some even go as far as to think that any offer should be accepted if this is the only way that invasion can be avoided.
In Moscow... Molotov, the Soviet Commissar for Foreign Affairs, tells the Japanese ambassador that the USSR does not intend to renew the 1941
non-aggression pact.
In Washington... It is announced that General MacArthur will take control of all army forces in the Pacific theater of operations and Admiral Nimitz will command all naval forces in preparation for the invasion of Japan.
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