- January 4
- Sixty-nine American B-29 bombers from the Marianas Islands attack Kobe, Japan, with incendiary bombs, destroying 2.5 million square feet of the city. [362.18]
- (evening) Over 350 British bombers attack German gun positions at Royan, France. Most of the town is destroyed. Hundreds of civilians are killed, but the German garrison does not surrender. [84.267,348]
- January 5
- British Bomber Command makes an air raid against rail yards at Ludwigshafen, Germany. [638.35]
- (evening) 659 British bombers attack Hanover, Germany, inflicting great damage. 31 planes are shot down. [84.268,348]
- January 7
- British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery gives a press conference about British and American cooperation in the Ardennes offensive. What he says comes pff as arrogant and belittling. [698.19]
- (evening) About 600 British bombers attack Munich, Germany. They inflict great destruction to the centre and industrial areas. [84.268,348]
- January 8
- Adolf Hitler orders panzers to withdraw from the farthest reach of the bulge in France. [166.348] [277.289]
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- January 9
- The US 6th Army lands on central Luzon in the Philippines. [166.320] [522.1989,2005]
- January 12
- Soviet forces begin an assault toward Berlin, 300 miles away. 70 divisions of the 1st Ukrainian Front cross the Vistula River near Baranov, 120 miles south of Warsaw, Poland. [85.51] [237.37] [277.291] [373.420] [447.37] [485.9]
- January 13
- British Royal Marine Commando unit launches a third assault on Kapelsche Veer, Holland, at night. Germans, safely underground, fire mortar shells on their own positions, inflicting heavy casualties on the British attackers. [170.34]
- January 14
- British bombers conclude three air raids over two days on rail targets at Saarbrücken, Germany. 568 sorties are flown, dropping 1660 tons of bombs. Only one plane is shot down. [84.262]
- (evening) 587 British bombers attack an oil plant at Leuna, Germany. [84.267]
- January
- France issues a postage stamp to commemorate the liberation of the country. [340.1050]
- January 16
- In Germany, Arthur Nebe is arrested. He had been director of Reich Criminal Police and member of Nazi resistance since 1938. He was in hiding since July 24. [691.208]
- In Athens, Greece, the National People's Liberation Army is defeated by government and British forces. [31.717]
- (evening) 328 British bombers attack Zeitz, near Leipzig, Germany. [84.267]
- (evening) 237 British bombers attack the oil plant at Brüz, in Czechoslovakia. [84.267]
- January
- A German naval mechanic accidentally fires a torpedo at a flotilla of 30 Biber midget submarines. They all explode in a chain reaction. [81.102]
- War action in Italy halts at the Senio River for the winter. [1.24]
- The German Messerschmidt Me-262 jet fighter-bomber is released for use. [698.26]
- Americans suspend plans for large-scale anthrax production. [51.241]
- January 17
- Soviet forces liberate Warsaw, Poland. [383.41] [474.55] [766.42]
- Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is picked up by Russian NKVD secret police in Budapest, Hungary. (He is not ever seen again in the West. During his time in Europe, he saved about 20,000 Jews from Nazi detainment.) [710.31] [711.30]
- January 19
- Soviet forces reach the German frontier in Silesia. [277.294]
- January 20
- The commander of the American airforce on the Mariana islands, General Haywood Hansell, is replaced by General Curtis Le May. [362.17]
- German forces in Hungary surrender to the Soviet army. [474.55]
- January 22
- Four squadrons of British Spitfire planes knock out a German liquid oxygen factory at Alblasserdam. [339.315]
- January 23
- German Dr. Hans Gisevius crosses from Germany into Switzerland, after hiding since July 20, 1944. [691.205]
- January 24
- Soviet armored units reach the Oder River south of Breslau. [85.51]
- January 25
- The British Joint Intelligence Committee recommends air attacks on Berlin and other east German towns. [84.269]
- January
- 172 American B-29 bombers attack Tokyo, Japan, burning 27,000 buildings. [362.18]
- January 26
- (0725 hours) In Holland, the Canadian 4th Armoured Division launches Operation Elephant, to take Kapelsche Veer on a small island in the Maas River from German occupation. [63.50] [170.34]
- American 2nd Lieutenant Audie L. Murphy kills or wounds about fifty German soldiers. (He is later awarded the Medal of Honor medal.) [684.39] [772.58]
- British Air Ministry head Charles Portal seeks and receives approval from SHAEF Chiefs of Staff and General Spatz for one big air attack on Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, or Chemnitz, where such an attack would hamper German troop movement and evacuation from the eastern front. [84.270]
- January 27
- The Soviet Red Army liberates Auschwitz. [475.2]
- The British Air Ministry instructs Bomber Command to bomb east German cities to exploit confused conditions during the Russian advance. [84.270]
- January 28
- American troops regain the front lines against the Germans held on December 16. Allied armies suffered about 83,000 casualties, and lost about 800 tanks. Germany lost over 100,000 men, 800 tanks, and 1000 aircraft. [277.289] (German casualties 220,000, lost 1400 tanks [239.8])
- January 29
- More American forces land on central Luzon. [166.320]
- January 30
- German passenger ship Wilhelm Gustloff is struck by three Soviet torpedoes off Danzig. The ship quickly capsizes, with the loss of 5200-5400 of estimated 6100 on board. Worst sea loss ever. [749.102]
- In Malta, British and American representatives meet over five days to discuss military strategy, Italy, China, and occupation zones in Germany. [407.21] [529.2017]
- January 31
- Final German forces abandon Kapelsche Veer island in the Maas River, Holland. [170.34]
- (1004 hours) American Private Edward Donald Slovik of the 28th Infantry Division is executed by firing squad for desertion. [712.38] [716.11]
- Soviet forces reach the lower Oder River near Küstrin. [277.294]
- More American forces land on central Luzon, the Philippines. [166.320]
- February 1
- US General Dwight Eisenhower issues a directive authorizing Operations Veritable and Grenade. [698.22]
- February 2
- German Dr. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler is executed, at age 61. [691.205]
- (evening) Over 500 British bombers attack Wiesbaden, Germany. [84.269]
- February 3
- About 1000 American B-17 bombers of the US 8th Air Force attack Berlin, Germany. A reported 25,000 civilians are killed. [84.271]
- US 1st Cavalry Division enters Manila, Philippines. [166.320] [522.1989]
- About 400 American bombers attack rail and oil targets in Magdeburg, Germany. [84.271]
- February 4
- The Yalta Conference takes place, over eight days, to discuss post-war policies. Russia asks for an Allied air bombing of Berlin and Leipzig. [84.270] [166.350] [407.21] [529.2017]
- US General Omar Bradley relays an order to General Courtney Hodges of the US 1st Army to seize the Schwammenauel Dam near Schmidt on the Roer River, and other dams. [698.23]
- February 7
- (evening) 285 British Lancaster bombers and ten Mosquito Pathfinders drop 1384 tons of high explosives on Cleve, Germany. The high explosives cause huge craters. A total of 900 heavy bombers take part in the evening's bombings, including Goch, Weeze, Udem, Geldern, and Calcar. [84.269] [698.44]
- 100 Lancaster bombers attack the synthetic oil plant at Wanne-Eickel, Germany. [638.36]
- February 8
- (0500 hours) 1334 guns of the British and Canadian armies facing German defenders open fire in advance of Operation Veritable. Over 24 hours, over 500,000 rounds are fired. [698.47]
- (1030 hours) In Europe, the 1st Canadian Army, plus additional Allied formations, launches Operation Veritable, to clear the Reichswald Forest, break the Siegfried Line, clear the Hochwald Forest defences, and close up the Rhine river. [1.31] [63.50] [244.49] [569.96]
- (evening) 487 British bombers attack oil targets at Pölitz, Germany. [84.281]
- February 11
- At Yalta, representatives of Great Britain, the USA, and the Soviet Union sign a secret agreement on certain post-war issues. After victory over Japan, the Soviet Union is to receive the Kurile Islands, and southern Sakhalin and adjacent islands. [533.19] [606.10]
- February 12
- Poland issues ten postage stamps noting the dates of liberation of various Polish cities. [343.272]
- February 13
- (early morning) The US 8th Air Force in England cancels a scheduled assault on Dresden, Germany. [84.271]
- Soviet forces capture Budapest, Hungary. 110,000 prisoners are taken to Russia. [277.294] [383.40] [416.E5]
- (about 2200 hours) 368 British bombers attack an oil plant at Böhlen, near Leipzig, Germany. This raid is intended to occupy Germany night-fighters from the main air assault on Dresden. [84.271]
- (about 2205 hours) The first wave of British bombers attack Dresden, Germany, dropping target markers (white flares and green target indicators) and incendiaries. This is the start of Operation Thunderclap, a directive of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, to destroy German cities. [84.271] [638.36]
- (about 2210 hours) Nine British Mosquito bombers mark the stadium near the centre of Dresden with red target indicators. [84.272]
- (2215-2230 hours) The main British bombing force of 244 Lancasters arrive over Dresden, bombing the centre of the town with 881 tons of incendiaries and high explosives, starting a firestorm. [84.272] [478.56]
- February 14
- (about 0130 hours) 529 more British Lancaster bombers arrive over Dresden, dropping 1700 tons of bombs around the edges of the fire. Over 1680 acres are destroyed in the city centre, over 86,000 houses destroyed or damaged, 20,000 to 25,000 killed. (Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels exaggerates the death toll to 200,000.) [5.111] [84.272] [478.56] [699.7]
- 311 American B-17 bombers attack the marshalling yards at Dresden. [84.272] [478.56]
- 294 American B-17 bombers attack rail targets at Chemnitz. [84.272]
- In the harbor of Ostend, Belgium, a gasoline spill ignites among British and Canadian patrol boats. Torpedoes and other ammunition explode, destroying boats and harbor structures. 26 Canadian and 35 British sailors are killed and most boats of 29th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla are destroyed. [241.11] [442.11] [454.47]
- (evening) 329 British bombers attack Chemnitz. [84.272]
- (evening) A second wave of 388 British bombers attack Chemnitz. [84.272]
- February 15
- (morning) In Dresden, Germany, the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady) collapses from the extreme heat of the previous night's firestorm bombing. [68.3]
- 210 American B-17 bombers attack the marshalling yards at Dresden. [84.273]
- About 300 American B-17 bombers attack Kottbus, 20 miles from Dresden. [84.273]
- February
- The 1st Canadian Corps ends its campaign in Italy, moving to north-west Europe to be re-united with the Canadian 1st Army. 92757 Canadians served in Italy, suffering 26254 casualties. [1.24] [442.19]
- In Germany, General Erich Fromm is brought before the People's Court on a charge of cowardice for his part in the bomb plot against Adolf Hitler in July 1944. He is condemned to death. [22.86]
- SHAEF produces the "Ruhr Transportation Plan", designed to concentrate air attacks on links between the Ruhr and the rest of Germany. [84.279]
- British Bomber Command makes an air raid on Mainz, Germany. 5670 buildings are destroyed; 1100-1200 are killed. [638.37]
- In Canada, a voluntary repatriation plan is announced by the federal government. People in Canada of Japanese descent are offered the choice of moving to Japan after the war, or moving east of the Rocky Mountains. [7.327]
- February 16
- Soviet forces surround Breslau, Germany. [85.52]
- North of Scotland, Canadian frigate St. John sinks German submarine U-309. [27.22]
- British bombers attack railways at Wesel, Germany, over four days. [84.279] [638.37]
- 800-ship American armada arrives at Iwo Jima. [734.56]
- February 19
- (0830 hours) 450 ships with 30,000 men of the US 4th and 5th Marine divisions begin landing on Iwo Jima to attack Japanese forces. By the end of the day, 30,000 have landed, with 500 dead and and 1500 wounded. [51.191] [100.37] [166.320] [216.141] [239.8] [522.1989,2007] [734.48,57]
- February 20
- The Soviet 6th Army launches an all-out attack on the southern sector of German town of Breslau. [85.52]
- On Iwo Jima, American private first class Jacklyn Lucas covers two Japanee grenades to save the Marines around him. He survives, and is later awarded the Medal of Honor. [734.54]
- February 21
- Allied forces break through the Siegfried Line in Europe. [1.31]
- The US 503rd Parachute Regimental Combat Team liberates Corregidor, Philippines. [522.2007] (March [219.131])
- (evening) 137 British bombers attack the Mittelland Canal in Germany, breaching it. [84.279]
- February 22
- In the English Channel, off Falmouth, German submarine U-1004 torpedoes and sinks Canadian corvette HMCS Trentonian, with the loss of six lives. [27.22] [700.37]
- February 23
- (morning) The US 1st and 9th Armies begin crossing the Roer river in Germany. [245.41] [416.E5]
- American Marines capture Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. [166.320] [216.141] [734.50]
- British Bomber Command makes an air raid on Essen, Germany, inflicting great damage. [638.37]
- The Turkish National Assembly declares war on Germany. [38.172]
- A German submarine torpedoes Canadian merchant ship Point Pleasant Park north-west of Capetown, South Africa. [117.24]
- (evening) 378 British bombers attack Pforzheim, in southern Germany. The resulting firestorm kills 17,000. [84.277]
- February
- Germans abandon the V-2 rocket research site of Peenemünde. [339.371]
- February 25
- German 1st Battalion of the 26th Parachute Regiment lands in Breslau, to help defend the city. [85.53]
- US 21st Bomber Command makes the first mass incendiary bomb raid on Tokyo. [522.1989]
- North of Florence, Italy, Canadian participation in fighting in Italy ends. Over 90,000 soldiers participated, with nearly 6,000 killed. [556.9]
- February 26
- (0345 hours) In Holland, Operation Blockbuster begins with an artillery barrage by the Canadian 1st Army on northern frontline in Germany. [99.23] [245.41] [569.101]
- In Europe, 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisions and 4th Armoured Division begin attacking German defences in the Hochwald Forest and Balberger heights. [1.32]
- February 27
- British Bomber Command makes a final air raid on the Alma Pluto benzol plant in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Severe damage is inflicted to all vital installations. [638.37]
- February 28
- British Bomber Command makes an air raid on the Nordstern oil plant in Gelsenkirchen, inflicting severe damaged. [638.37]
- (month unknown)
- General Dwight Eisenhower presents the US 101st Airborne Division with Distinguished Unit Citation, the first time an entire division is given the award. [25.11]
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