Chronology of World War II

Sunday, April 1, 1945

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, American forces launch Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. Two corps of the US 10th Army (General Buckner) land in the area of Hagushi, in the southwest of the island. US Task Force 51 (Admiral Turner) provides the 1,200 transports and landing ships with over 450,000 Army and Marine Corps personnel embarked. The troops landed are from US 3rd Amphibious Corps (Geiger) with US 6th and 1st Marine Divisions, on the left or northern flank, and 24th Corps (Hodge) with US 7th and 96th Infantry Divisions, on the right or southern flank. On land, US forces encounter almost no resistance on the first day and establish a beachhead three miles deep and nine miles wide. (Okinawa is 70 miles long and a maximum of 10 miles wide.) Kadena and Yontan airfields are captured. Japanese forces on the island, consisting of the 130,000 troops of the Japanese 32nd Army (General Ushijima), are entrenched in concealed positions and caves, mostly to the south of the American landing area along the Shuri Line. (There are also 450,000 civilians on the island.) At sea, US TF58 and TF54 as well as the British Pacific Fleet conduct air and naval bombardments. Japanese conventional and Kamikaze air strikes hit the battleship USS West Virginia, and the carrier, HMS Indomitable, along with eight other ships.

On the Western Front... The US 1st and 9th Armies link up at Lippstadt, cutting off the German forces in the Ruhr which consist of 325,000 men mostly from German 15th Army and 5th Panzer Army of German Army Group B (Field Marshal Model). Other elements of US 1st Army capture Paderborn while US 9th Army units take Hamm. To the north, forces of British 2nd Army have crossed the Mitteland Canal near Munster and are advancing to Osnabruck.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces of 3rd Ukrainian Front capture Sopron in western Hungary, to the south of Vienna, in a continuing advance. The 2nd Ukrainian Front, to the north, also continues to advance. On the Oder River, German resistance at Glogau is eliminated by elements of 1st Ukrainian Front.

In the Philippines... The US 158th Regiment (General MacNider) lands at Legaspi in the southeast of Luzon and takes the town and nearby airfield. Elsewhere on Luzon American forces are beginning to advance toward the southeast of Manila after much hard fighting against the Japanese forces of the Shimbu Group (General Yokoyama). Forces of the Japanese 14th Army (General Yamashita), in the north of the island, have also engaged by American and Filipino forces.

In Italy... British Guards and Commando units attack over the River Reno between Lake Comachio and the sea.

Monday, April 2, 1945

On the Western Front... The British 2nd Army continues its advance north of the Ruhr River. Munster is taken. The Canadian 1st Army also begins to move north and east from between Nijmegen and Emmerich.

On the Eastern Front... In southeast Hungary, Magykanizsa falls to the Soviet advance while in Slovakia, Kremnica is captured.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, forces of the US 10th Army easily advance across the island to the east coast and make some progress to the north and south. At sea, in addition to the bombardment and air support missions performed by the US naval forces, there are attacks by the British carriers on Skashima Gunto Island. In Japanese Kamikaze attacks four US transports are badly damaged with many casualties among the troops aboard.

In the Philippines... Part of the US 163rd Regiment is landed on Tawitawi, in the Sulu Archipelago.

Tuesday, April 3, 1945

In the Philippines... Part of the US 40th Division lands on Masbate to assist Filipino guerrillas who have controlled part of it for several days.

In the Ryukyu Islands... In Kamikaze attacks by Japanese planes, one escort carrier and other ships are hit. On Okinawa, American artillery spotter planes begin operating from Kadena airfield.

On the Eastern Front... In Austria, the Soviet forces take Wiener Neustadt. Almost all of Hungary is now clear of Axis troops while in Czechoslovakia Bratislava is besieged.

Wednesday, April 4, 1945

On the Eastern Front... Bratislava falls to troops of the Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front.

On the Western Front... British and Canadian units take Osnabruck and move on Minden. US 9th Army units have reached the river Weser opposite Hameln. Troops from US 3rd Army capture Kassel while other units take Gotha and advance near Erfurt. French units take Karlsruhe. The Nazi gold reserves are captured in the salt mine at Merkers

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, the forces of US 10th Army begin to meet the first real Japanese resistance on the ground. Troops of US 24th Corps are brought to a halt on a line just south of Kuba while the forces of 3rd Amphibious Corps have reached the Ishikawa Isthmus. A storm damages many landing craft and hampers further reinforcement.

Thursday, April 5, 1945

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.

Friday, April 6, 1945

On the Eastern Front... In East Prussia, the Soviet 3rd Belorussian Front begins its final attacks on Konigsberg after several days of preparatory bombardment and air attacks. To the south, forces of the 3rd Ukrainian Front enter the suburbs of Vienna. Yugoslavian forces capture Sarajevo.

On the Western Front... American forces enter Hamm.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, the US 3rd Amphibious Corps continues to advance in the north, but the US 24th Corps is held by Japanese forces along the first defenses of the Shuri Line. There are numerous Kamikaze attacks on shipping during the day, as part of Operation Kikusui. The aircraft carriers USS Jacinto and HMS Illustrious are hit as well as 25 other ships including 10 small warships.

In Japan... The Japanese battleship Yamato sails from the Inland Sea with a cruiser and 8 destroyers on a Kamikaze mission to Okinawa. The battleship only has enough fuel to reach the island and it is intended to beach the Yamato off Okinawa and fight any American forces nearby. US submarines sight the Yamato several times and report its position during the day.

Saturday, April 7, 1945

In the East China Sea... The Japanese battleship Yamato is sighted by planes from the American carrier groups which attack the battleship in two waves, involving 380 aircraft. The Yamato suffers 10 torpedo hits and 5 bomb hits before sinking. Some 2498 Japanese are killed on board the battleship. The planes, from US Task Force 58 , also sink the Japanese cruiser Yahagi and 4 destroyers accompanying the battleship. A total of 10 planes are lost.

In the Ryukyu Islands... Japanese Kamikaze attacks damage the carrier USS Hancock and the battleship Maryland as well as other ships.

Over Japan... American P-51 Mustang fighters, based on Iwo Jima, escort B-29 Superfortress bombers on a raid to Tokyo.

On the Western Front... Most of US 1st and 9th Armies are heavily engaged around the Ruhr pocket. Among the gains in the Allied advance to the east is Gottingen. Free French paratroops are dropped north of Zuider Zee in Holland.

Over Germany... RAF Mosquito bombers raid Berlin from bases on the continent, for the first time. American bombers strike airfield and railway targets.

Sunday, April 8, 1945

In Burma... The forces of the British 14th Army have completed regrouping, following their successes at Mandalay and Meiktila, and are now ready for a final offensive against the remaining Japanese forces. The British 4th Corps is to advance down the Sittang Valley and British 33rd Corps by the Irrawaddy Valley. All of the units have been reorganized to make them more mobile.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, the forces of US 3rd Amphibious Corps, attacking northward on the island, have cut the neck of the Motobu Peninsula and US 6th Marine Division begins operations to clear it of Japanese forces. At sea, there are less intense Kamikaze attacks.

In the Philippines... The US forces on Negros are reinforced by the landing of a second regiment, in the northwest of the island, near Bacolod.

On the Eastern Front... In Austria, the Soviet forces push on west of Vienna despite German counterattacks. There is heavy fighting in the Austrian capital. In East Prussia, the Soviet attacks on Konigsberg begin to break through the defenses.

On the Western Front... On the southern flank, troops of the French 1st Army take Pforzheim as they continue their drive to the southeast. To the immediate north, US 7th Army units capture Schweinfurt. Other Allied armies farther north also advance.

Monday, April 9, 1945

On the Eastern Front... The surviving German defenders of the Konigsberg fortress surrender to the Red Army forces. Some of the German troops in East Prussia continue to resist in the Samland Peninsula.

On the Western Front... In the attacks against the Ruhr pocket, US 9th Army units penetrate into Essen and reach the famous Krupp factories. Other British and American units, including some more from US 9th Army, are advancing near the Leine River to the east.

In Italy... The Allied spring offensive begins with attacks by British 8th Army (General McCreery). Initially, the Polish 2nd Corps advances along Route 9 toward Imola supported by British 5th and 10th Corps the right and left flanks. The objectives of the offensive include Ferrara and Bologna while the US 5th Army, which is scheduled to begin operations on April 14th, is to strike at Bologna and past Modena to the Po River.

In Liberated Italy... A Liberty ship loaded with aircraft bombs blows up in Bari harbor killing 360 and injuring 1730.

Over Germany... In a British RAF attack on German navy ships in Kiel, during the night, the Admiral Scheer capsizes, while the Admiral Hipper and Emden are damaged beyond repair. During the day, the US 8th Air Force targets jet fighter bases in the area of Munich.

In Germany... Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Admiral Canaris (former chief of the Abwehr) and Major General Oster are hanged at the Flossenburg Concentration Camp.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, there are unsuccessful attacks by US 24th Corps around Kakazu along the Japanese held Shuri Line. At sea there are less intense Kamikaze attacks. However, in two days of the Japanese suicide strikes have badly damaged 3 destroyers and 2 other ships.

In the Philippines... In the Sulu Archipelago, the US 163rd Infantry Regiment, of US 41st Division, lands on Jolo. There is no Japanese resistance. Other 41st Division units land on Busuanga in the Calamian group.

Tuesday, April 10, 1945

On the Western Front... Forces of Canadian 1st Army pressure German positions in Holland and begin operations to cross the Ijssel River. British 2nd Army is advancing toward Bremen. Hanover falls to the US 13th Corps (part of US 9th Army). US 3rd Army advances toward Erfurt and US 7th Army advances toward Nuremberg.

Over Britain... The last German sortie over British territory during the war is conducted by a Luftwaffe Ar234 reconnaissance jet.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, after a massive preparatory barrage, the US 96th Infantry Division seizes part of Kakazu Ridge.

In the Philippines... On Luzon, the advance of US 14th Corps reaches Lamon Bay and the coastal town of Mauban is captured.

In Burma... Thazi, east of Meiktila, is captured by the British 4th Corps.

Wednesday, April 11, 1945

On the Eastern Front... In Vienna, Soviet troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front have reached the Danube Canal near the city center.

On the Western Front... Forces of the British 2nd Army cross the Leine River near Celle. Leading armored units of the US 9th Army reach the Elbe River, south of Magdeburg. Forces of US 3rd Army capture Weimar. Other elements capture the Mittlewerke underground V2 factory at Nordhausen.

In Italy... Carrara is captured by the US 92nd Infantry Division (an element of US 5th Army) in its advance from Massa. In the east, forces of British 8th Army have now pushed the leading units over the Senio River to the Santerno River, where bridging operations begin.

In the Occupied Dutch East Indies... Sabang is shelled by the battleships Queen Elizabeth and Richelieu of the British Eastern Fleet (Admiral Walker). Two escort carriers give air cover and attack installations and shipping at Port Blair and Emmahaven.

In the Philippines... Units of the Americal Division land on Bohol.

In the Ryukyu Islands... Japanese Kamikaze attacks damage the battleship USS Missouri and the carrier Enterprise. British carriers attack Sakashima Gunto.

Thursday, April 12, 1945

In the United States... President Roosevelt dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at Warm Springs in Georgia. Vice-President Truman becomes President. Truman has so far had limited involvement in the work of the Roosevelt administration (he was a surprising choice as running mate in 1944) and among the subjects on which he receives his first briefing in the next few days in the atomic weapons project.

On the Western Front... US 9th Army forces cross the Elbe River near Magdeburg, while in the rear of their advance, Brunswick falls. Troops of the US 3rd Army take Erfurt. In the south, French units take Baden Baden. To the rear, the Ruhr pocket has been further reduced by the capture of Essen by American attacks.

In Italy... British 8th Army has three separate bridgeheads over the Santerno. On the right of the attack, British 5th Corps is advancing along the north bank of the Reno.

In the Ryukyu Islands... Japanese Kamikaze attacks achieve hits on several of the radar picket ships as well as 2 battleships and 8 other vessels. USS Mannert L. Abele, a destroyer, is sunk by a Japanese Baka rocket-propelled piloted missile. The picket destroyer patrols, which provide the radar early warning of Kamikaze strikes, are vulnerable but give American fighter aircraft time to intercept the suicide planes. British carriers attack Sakashima Gunto. On Okinawa, fighting continues on the Motobu Peninsula, in the north, and around Kakazu, in the south, along the Japanese held Shuri Line but US 10th Army forces make little ground in these areas.

In Burma... The British 4th Corps advance continues in the Sittang Valley. There is fighting at Pyaubwe and Yamethin. To the west of Meiktila, British 7th Indian Division from (part of British 33rd Corps) captures Kyaukpadaung.

Friday, April 13, 1945

On the Eastern Front... Vienna falls to Soviet troops of 3rd Ukrainian Front after heavy fighting.

On the Western Front... The Nazi concentration camps at Belsen and Buchenwald are liberated by British and American forces respectively. Jena is captured by US 3rd Army units. To the south, US 7th Army forces take Bamberg.

In Italy... New Zealander troops capture Massa Lombarda, southwest of Lake Comacchio.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, elements of the US 6th Marine Division not engaged on the Motobu Peninsula continue to advance up the west coast of the island and reach the northwest tip at Hedo Point. Japanese Kamikaze attacks hit a destroyer. British carriers attack Sakashima Gunto.

In the Philippines... In Manila Bay, American forces land on Fort Drum, known as "the Concrete Battleship", and begin to pour 5,000 gallons of oil fuel into the fortifications. This is then set on fire and burns for five days, eliminating the Japanese garrison.

Over Japan... Some 327 American B-29 Superfortress bombers attack Tokyo during the night, dropping some 2139 tons of incendiaries. The nominal target area is the arms manufacturing district.

In Santiago... The government of Chile declares war on Japan.

Saturday, April 14, 1945

In Italy... US 5th Army joins British 8th Army in mounting the spring offensive operations. There are attacks on either side of the roads to Bologna from Florence and Pistoia. Vergato is captured.

On the Western Front... The US 3rd Army captures Bayreuth.

In the North Atlantic... Allied forces conduct Operation Teardrop. Two carrier task groups carry out an extensive search for Seewolf U-boats suspected of transporting V2 rockets to be launched against New York city.

In Germany... Reichsfuhrer SS Himmler orders that no prisoners at Dachau "shall be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy alive."

In the Philippines... The US 14th Corps continues its advance onto the Bicol Peninsula in the southwest of Luzon. Calauag is taken. In north Luzon, US 1st Corps continues attacking near Baguio but fails to make significant progress.

In the Ryukyu Islands... Japanese Kamikaze attacks damage the battleship USS New York. On Okinawa, American forces attack strong Japanese defenses in the hilly Motobu Peninsula in the north.

Sunday, April 15, 1945

On the Western Front... In Holland, troops of Canadian 1st Army complete the capture of Arnhem and attack toward Gronigen. Units of the US 9th Army, which have crossed the Elbe River near Magdeburg, are forced to retreat. The US 1st Army takes Leuna. Meanwhile, Operation Venerable is launched against the German garrison in the fortress of Royan, at the mouth of the Gironde River; heavy napalm bomb attacks by the US 8th Air Force and shelling by the Free French battleship Lorraine are followed by an attack by Free French and American forces.

In Italy... Both US 5th and British 8th Armies continue their attacks. Elements of the Polish 2nd Corps (part of British 8th Army) has reached the Sillario River after crossing the Santero River.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces begin a final offensive against the German held positions in the Samland Peninsula.

In Burma... The British 20th Indian Division (part of British 33rd Corps) captures Taungdwingyi and moves toward Magwe and Thayetmyo. Other units of British 33rd Corps are still fighting farther up the Irrawaddy River.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, the US 6th Marine Division assaults Yae Hill but is driven back by the Japanese defense.

Monday, April 16, 1945

On the Eastern Front... The Red Army launches the final offensive on Berlin. The 1st Belorussian Front (Marshal Zhukov), to the east, and 1st Ukraine Front (Marshal Konev), to the southeast, lead the assault with support from 2nd Belorussian Front (Marshal Rokossovsky) in the north. Stalin is nominally in command of the operation and at this time it is not clear whether the armies commanded by Zhukov, or those commanded by Konev, are to make the final assault on the city. The two Soviet Fronts comprise over 2,000,000 men with more than 6000 tanks and self-propelled guns, about 6000 aircraft and almost 16,000 artillery tubes. The German troops defending the line are organized into Army Group Vistula (General Heinrici), facing 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts, and Army Group Center (Field Marshal Schorner), facing 1st Ukrainian Front. There are about 1,000,000 German troops deployed in fairly strong and well-prepared positions overlooking the west bank of the Oder River and Neisse River, however, they lack significant stocks of armor, artillery and aircraft. After the massive artillery preparation, the attacks of 1st Belorussian Front begin from the Soviet bridgehead already taken west of the Oder, near Kustrin. By a well-timed short withdrawal the forces of the German Army Group Vistula have avoided the worst effects of this Soviet bombardment, but they have insufficient strength to do more than hold the Soviet attack temporarily. The attack of 1st Ukrainian Front begins a little later over the Neisse, north and south of Triebel.

On the Western Front... US 7th Army units reach the outskirts of Nuremberg. The special prisoner of war camp at Colditz is liberated by other Allied units during the day.

In the Ryukyu Islands... The US 77th Infantry Division lands on the small island of Ie Shima and encounters heavy Japanese resistance.

In Burma... In the Arakan, Taungup falls to the British forces.

In the Philippines... American forces land on Fort Frank and find it abandoned. This completes the capture of the islands in Manila Bay.

Tuesday, April 17, 1945

On the Eastern Front... The Soviet attacks east of Berlin continue. In the very fierce battles, which have developed, the Germans are fighting with skill and desperation but are slowly being forced to give ground. Meanwhile, in Austria and Czechoslovakia, the Soviet attacks and German losses continue, Zisterdorf and Polten are taken in Austria.

In Italy... Allied offensive operations continue. On the right flank of the British 8th Army attacks, Argenta falls to forces of the British 5th Corps after an amphibious move across Lake Coamchio. North and east of Argenta there are no more rivers before the Po River and the British units are soon passing through what becomes known as the "Argenta Gap." West of Argenta, the British 13th Corps enters the line between British 5th Corps and the Polish 1st Corps which is moving northwest toward Bologna. US 5th Army attacks continue as well, though with slower progress because of the more difficult terrain south and west of Bologna.

On the Western Front... Germans units in the Ruhr are beginning to surrender on a large scale. There is also fighting near Bremen and Nuremberg.

In the Philippines... There are American landings in the Moro Gulf at Cotabatu. The assault units are from US 24th Infantry Division from US 10th Corps (General Sibert). Admiral Noble commands 3 cruisers and a destroyer force in support. The American forces which landed at Zamboanga early in March have already cleared a large part of the southwest of the island, but the majority of the Japanese 35th Army (General Suzuki) remains intact. There is no initial opposition to the new landings.

Wednesday, April 18, 1945

On the Western Front... The last German forces resisting in the Ruhr Pocket surrender. Field Marshal Model, commanding German Army Group B inside the pocket, commits suicide. About 325,000 German prisoners have been taken in this area by the Allied forces. Meanwhile, the US 9th Army captures Magdeburg and troops of US 3rd Army cross the Czechoslovakian border after a rapid advance.

Over Germany... British RAF bombers strike Heligoland -- dropping 5000 tons of bombs.

In Germany... Oberst Steinhoff (176 victories) suffers severe burns when his Me262 crashes near Munich. [He recovers and ultimately become Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe of the Federal Republic of Germany in the postwar era.]

On the Eastern Front... Except in a small area along the axis of advance of 1st Ukrainian Front, the Soviet forces engaged in the battle for Berlin have advanced less than 10 miles toward the city. However, the German defense is being worn down.

In the Ryukyu Islands... American Ernie Pyle, Pulitzer Prize winning war correspondent, is killed on Ie Shima at age 45.

Thursday, April 19, 1945

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, the US 24th Corps now has three divisions in the line and all three begin attacks after a heavy ground and air bombardment. The heaviest efforts are on coastal flanks.

In Burma... In the south, along the Irrawaddy River, Magwe is taken by British 20th Indian Division advancing southwest from Meiktila. In the Sittang Valley, Pyinmana falls to the British 5th Indian Division, which now leads the advance of British 4th Corps. Farther north between Meiktila and the Irrawaddy River, British 33rd Corps completes the clearance of the Mount Popo area and capture Chauk.

In the Philippines... In the advance by US 1st Corps units, on the northwest coast of Luzon, Vigan is taken.

On the Western Front... The US 1st Army captures Leipzig. The British 2nd Army reaches the Elbe south of Namburg.

Friday, April 20, 1945

On the Western Front... Nuremberg and Stuttgart are taken in the Allied advance. The American flag is raised over the rostrum of the Nuremberg Stadium -- scene of Nazi Party rallies. In the Stuttgart area, the French 1st Army is advancing rapidly along the Neckar Valley, trapping German forces in the the Black Forest in Bavaria.

On the Eastern Front... In northern Germany, forces of the Soviet 2nd Belorussian Front join in the advance from the Oder River line, on a 30-mile frontage southwest of Stettin. To the south, German resistance on the Oder and Neisse river lines has been eliminated. Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front capture Protzel and units of 1st Ukrainian Fronts cross over the Spree River.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, US 3rd Amphibious Corps completes the capture of the Motobu Peninsula and the whole of the main northern part of the island. The US 24th Corps, on the Shuri Line, continue to attack but the limited gains made cannot be held against the Japanese counterattacks.

Saturday, April 21, 1945

On the Eastern Front... Leading elements of the 1st Belorussian Front reach the eastern suburbs of Berlin. Meanwhile, the 1st Ukrainian Front attacks northward from Dresden.

In Moscow... A mutual assistance treaty is concluded between the Soviet government and the Provisional Government of Poland, based on the Lublin Committee. The further recognition bestowed on the communist Poles, at a time when the London based Polish government in exile continues to receive western recognition, becomes an issue in postwar period.

In Italy... Bologna is captured by units of the Polish 2nd Corps (part of British 8th Army). Units of US 2nd Corps (part of US 5th Army) enter the town a few hours later. US 5th Army forces have now cleared the Appenines and advancing rapidly on the Lombard Plain. East of Bologna, British 8th Army is advancing rapidly.

In Burma... The British 4th Corps advance in the Sittang Valley is beginning to pull ahead of the parallel efforts in the Irrawaddy Valley. Yedashe is taken by the British 5th Indian Division, while in the rear the airfields around Pyinmana are being cleared to be put into Allied service. In the Irrawaddy Valley, Yenangyaung falls to British 33rd Corps units mopping up in the rear of the main advance.

In the Philippines... The heavy fighting near Baguio is continuing, with the attacks of the US 37th Division making some gains near the Irisan River and the 33rd Division advancing to the west of the city.

In the Ryukyu Islands... The US 77th Infantry Division completes the occupation of Ie Shima. The island and its airfield have been secured after six days of heavy fighting during which about 5000 Japanese troops have been killed. The division is ferried to Okinawa to join in the battle in the south.

Sunday, April 22, 1945

In the Philippines... The US 31st Infantry Division is landed at Moro Gulf. The US 24th Division is already advancing inland and has nearly reached Kabakan. Meanwhile, on Jolo, the last Japanese resistance comes to an end as their final strong-points fall to the US forces. Scattered individual Japanese soldiers remain at large.

In Burma... In the Sittang Valley, Toungoo falls to the British 5th Indian Division.

In Germany... Himmler meets Count Bernadotte of the Swedish Red Cross and gives him a message to pass to the western Allies, offering a German surrender to the British and Americans but not to the Soviets. The message is passed to the Allies on the 24th.

On the Western Front... US 7th Army units cross the Danube at Dillingen and Baldingen.

In Italy... Units of 2nd and 4th US Corps (parts of US 5th Army) reach the Penaro River in their advance to the Po River. On the left flank Modena is taken.

Monday, April 23, 1945

In Italy... Advance units of both US 5th and British 8th Armies reach the Po River. US 5th Army units manage to cross the river south of Mantua.

On the Eastern Front... Both Soviet 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian Fronts continue to advance toward Berlin. In the rear of these advances, Frankfurt (on Oder) and Cottbus are captured by Soviet troops.

In Berlin... Hitler receives a message from Goring, offering to take over the leadership of the country should Hitler be unable to continue with that task while besieged in Berlin. Hitler is infuriated and orders Goring arrested.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, the attacks of US 24th Corps begin to achieve some gains, notably by US 96th Division.

In the Philippines... Units of US 37th Division reach the outskirts of Baguio.

Tuesday, April 24, 1945

On the Eastern Front... In the battle for Berlin, Soviet troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front (Konev) penetrate into the suburbs of Berlin from the south while the forces of the 1st Belorussian Front (Zhukov) continue attacking into the city from the east. Other Soviet units of the two fronts are moving around the city to the north and south to complete the encirclement of the city. Large parts of the German 9th Army and 4th Panzer Army, both part of German Army Group Vistula (Heinrici) are cut off to the east of Berlin as a result of the northwest advance of the Soviet 1st Ukrainian Front.

On the Western Front... The British 2nd Army launches attacks near Bremen. Dessau on the Elbe River is taken by US 1st Army. To the south, on the Danube River, Ulm is captured and in the Black Forest area the French 1st Army continues its advance.

In Italy... Units of both US 5th Army and British 8th Army begin to cross the Po River at several points near Ferrara and to the west. Ferrara is captured. On the west coast, La Spezia falls to the US 92nd Division. German forces are incapable of stopping the Allied advance.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, Japanese forces defending the Shuri Line, in the south, begin tactical withdrawals.

Wednesday, April 25, 1945

On the Western Front... Elements of US 1st Army link up with the Soviet forces at Torgau on the Elbe River. US 3rd Army crosses the Danube near Regensburg and assault the city.

On the Eastern Front... Soviet forces complete the encirclement of Berlin near Ketzin. The 1st Belorussian and 1st Ukrainian froms continue to attack, from the east and south, into the city. South of the capital, elements of 1st Ukrainian Front advancing toward the Elbe River, link up with American units at Torgau. Meanwhile, in East Prussia, Pillau is taken. (Since early in the year, about 140,000 wounded and 40,000 refugees have been evacuated to the west from Pillau.) A few German troops continue to hold out at the tip of the Samland Peninsula.

Over Germany... British RAF bombers attack Berchtesgaden and coastal batteries at Wangerrooge (in the Frisian Islands).

Over Occupied Czechoslovakia... American planes strike Pilsen, nominally the Skoda Works.

In Italy... Mantua, Parma and Verona are among the towns liberated by the Allies as German resistance begins to collapse and significant numbers of German troops surrender.

In Occupied Italy... In addition to the extensive partisan operations, there are uprisings in Milan and Genoa.

In Burma... In the Irrawaddy Valley, mopping up operations continue. Salin is captured by British forces. The British 33rd Corps advance is closing on Allanmyo. The British 5th Indian Division, in the Sittang Valley, continues to advance rapidly and captures of Perwegen. Japanese forces around Rangoon and in other parts of southern Burma are beginning to withdraw through Pegu to the east in order to withdraw into Thailand.

In San Francisco... An international conference begins to draw up the constitution of a United Nations Organization.

Thursday, April 26, 1945

On the Western Front... The British 2nd Army completes the capture of Bremen. US 3rd Army units take Regensburg while other elements enter Austria. In the south, the French 1st Army reaches Lake Constance.

On the Eastern Front... In the continuing Soviet advances in the fighting in Berlin, the Dahlem and Seimensstadt districts are captured. Other Soviet units take the port of Stettin on the Baltic coast and Brno in Czechoslovakia.

In Italy... US 5th Army units head north from Verona toward the Brenner Pass and west toward Milan. The British 8th Army has crossed the Adige River and moves northeast toward Venice and Trieste.

In Liberated France... Marshal Petain is arrested when he crosses into France from Switzerland.

In the Philippines... There is a further American landing on Negros, this time by units of the Americal Division in the southwest of the island. The troops advance well inland before encountering Japanese resistance.

In Burma... Armor of the British 14th Army capture Toungoo in the drive south from Meiktila to Rangoon.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, the US 24th Corps attacks the along the Japanese held Maeda Escarpment (Shuri Line). American armor reaches the reverse slope.

Friday, April 27, 1945

On the Eastern Front... In Berlin, the Soviet forces have captured the Templehof airfield and are making progress in Spandau, Grunewald and other areas. To the north of the capital, troops of 2nd Belorussian Front begin to advance rapidly, taking Prenzlau and Angermunde.

In Germany... The western Allies reply to the peace proposals Himmler offered earlier in the month with a total refusal and a reminder of the established demand for unconditional surrender.

In Italy... Forces of US 5th Army liberate Genoa, which is already substantially controlled by Italian partisan forces.

In the Philippines... US forces capture Baguio, on Luzon. Fighting continues in the Bicol Peninsula.

In the Occupied Dutch East Indies... A squadron of 3 cruisers and 6 destroyers, commanded by Admiral Berkey, make a preparatory bombardment of targets in the Tarakan area in the northeast of the island of Borneo.

Saturday, April 28, 1945

In Occupied Italy... Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, as well as other Fascist leaders are caught by partisans near Lake Como as they attempt to escape to Switzerland. They are shot and their bodies transported to Milan and hung up by the heels in the main square, where a mob then mutilates the corpses.

On the Eastern Front... The battle of Berlin continues with Soviet troops having now penetrated to within a mile of Hitler's bunker from the east and the south. Most of the Potsdamer Strasse has been cleared by troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front.

On the Western Front... The US 7th Army captures Augsburg in its advance south toward Austria. Other Allied units are crossing the Elbe River in the north and others are advancing on Munich in the south.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, fighting along the Shuri Line continues. American forces employ tanks, flame-throwers and artillery in an effort to destroy Japanese defensive positions.

In the Occupied Dutch East Indies... The preparatory bombardment of targets in the Tarakan area in the northeast of the island of Borneo continues.

Sunday, April 29, 1945

On the Western Front... The concentration camp at Dachau is liberated, along with 30,000 surviving inmates, by troops from US 3rd Army. The troops then continue to advance toward Munich. South of the Danube River, US 3rd Army units reach the River Isar.

In Italy... The Allied armies continue to advance quickly. Venice is liberated by British 8th Army.

In Liberated Italy... The unofficial surrender of German forces in Italy is signed at Caserta. The German representatives are present here because of a secret negotiation between the head of the OSS mission in Switzerland, Allan Dulles, and SS General Wolff. These talks have been going on since much earlier in the year, but because of their clandestine nature, the German representatives at Caserta cannot guarantee that the surrender will be ratified by Vietinghoff, commanding German forces in Italy.

On the Eastern Front... In Berlin, Soviets make gains in the Moabit district and in the Wilmersdorf area. North of the capital, Red Army units capture Anklam and other towns. In the south, Soviet pressure in Austria and Czechoslovakia continues.

In Berlin... Hitler marries his mistress, Eva Braun, and prepares his Political Testament, appointing Admiral Donitz as his successor and describing how Germany has failed him in the struggle against Bolshevism.

In Burma... In the Irrawaddy Valley, Allanmyo falls to the advances of British 33rd Corps. The remaining Japanese units in this area are losing cohesion as a result of the British attacks. In the Sittang Valley, the British 17th Indian Division captures Nyaunglebim and continues attacking near Payagyi.

In the Philippines... The US 185th Regiment (General Brush) lands near Padan Point with naval support by a destroyer force commanded by Admiral Struble. There is little Japanese resistance.

In the Occupied Dutch East Indies... The preparatory bombardment of targets in the Tarakan area in the northeast of the island of Borneo continues.

In the Arctic... The last convoy battle of the Second World War begins as 14 German U-boats attack convoy RA-66 which consists of 24 ships with an escort including 2 escort carriers, 1 cruiser, 9 destroyers and 13 other ships.

Monday, April 30, 1945

In Berlin... Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide in their rooms in Hitler's bunker at 1530 hours. Their bodies are carried outside and cremated with gasoline.

On the Eastern Front... In Berlin, Soviet forces reach the Reichstag from the north. Other government buildings are also captured. To the north, troops of the 2nd Belorussian Front advance toward Straslund, Waren and Wittenberge. In Czechoslovakia, Mor Ostrava is occupied after a lengthy battle. German forces continue to hold a part of Maravia and most of Bohemia. Slovakia has been completely overrun by Soviet forces.

On the Western Front... Forces of French 1st Army enter Austria near Lake Constance, in the south, while units of British 2nd Army, in the north, advance toward the Baltic coast.

In the Ryukyu Islands... On Okinawa, Japanese counterattacks and infiltration attempts along the Shuri Line area are defeated. There is heavy fighting in the Maeda and Kochi Ridge positions. The US 1st Marine and 77th Divisions replace the US 27th and 96th Divisions in the line.

In the Occupied Dutch East Indies... The preparatory bombardment of targets in the Tarakan area in the northeast of the island of Borneo continues. A small American landing force goes ashore on the island of Sadan.

In the Arctic... German U-boats continue to attack convoy RA-66.