WE REMEMBER AUGUST 27th

1939:     Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano recommends British acceptance of Hitler's latest offer. The cabinet learns from Lord Halifax of 'Mr D', Birger Dahlerus, and his efforts. (Andy Etherington)

Colonel Josef Beck, Polish Foreign Minister agrees to consider an exchange of population between the predominantly German and predominantly Polish areas.  (Andy Etherington)

Khalkin-Gol: Trapped Japanese forces attempt a breakout, it fails. Southern Group captures Peschanaya Heights and Zelenaya Hill and clear the left bank of the Khailastyn-Gol. (Andy Etherington)

In Germany, Flugkapitan Erich Warsitz makes the first jet-propelled flight in a Heinkel He-178. Warsotz circled Marienehe Airfield but the flight was cut short because (1) the landing gear would not retract and (2) a bird was sucked into the engine intake but Warsitz made a safe dead stick landing. Unfortunately this famous aircraft was sent to the Berlin Air Museum and was destroyed in a 1943 Allied bombing raid. (Jack McKillop)

In the U.S., the New York World's Fair sets daily attendance record when 306,480 people attend the events on this Sunday. (Jack McKillop)

1940:     ICELAND: RAF Coastal Command establishes an air base at Kaldadarnes, 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Reykjavik, to assist with convoy protection. The air echelon of the first unit assigned, No. 98 Squadron equipped with Battle Mk. Is, arrives today; the ground echelon had arrived on 31 July.  (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)

RAF 4 Group (Whitley). Bombs industrial targets at Turin and Milan - aircraft factory at Augsburg - marshalling yards at Mannheim.

RAF Fighter Command: Weather restricts enemy action. At night widely scattered raids hit airfields and industrial areas.
Losses: Luftwaffe, 9; RAF, 1. (Andy Etherington)

In London an air raid stops play at Lord's cricket ground. At Biggin Hill, Kent: Sqn-Ldr Eric Laurence Moxey (b. 1894), RAFVR, volunteered to tackle two unexploded bombs. He was killed when one went off. (George Cross) At Cranfield, Bedfordshire: AC Vivian Hollowday (1916-77) pulled two men from a crashed and burning plane, but they and a third man were dead. He made a similar rescue attempt in July. (George Cross) (Andy Etherington)

NBBS, broadcasting from Germany, extols the British public to horsewhip Churchill and his underlings and to burn their property. They then deny that the station (NBBS) is German. 'The fact that we are British must be clear from every word we broadcast.' (Andy Etherington)

Laws forbidding anti-Semitism in the French press are repealed by the Vichy government. (Andy Etherington)

Britain completes the withdrawal of troops from Shanghai. (Andy Etherington)

US President Franklin D Roosevelt signs a joint resolution authorizing the callup of Army Reserve and National Guard units for a period of one year.    (Jack McKillop)
     AMPLIFYING THE ABOVE:
The induction of National Guard units will begin on 16 September and continue for a seven-month period until March 1941. (Jack McKillop)

In New Zealand, the 3rd Echelon of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force departs for Egypt; they arrive on 29 September. (Jack McKillop)

In Canada, the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade with the Calgary Highlanders, embarks for the United Kingdom; they arrive in Scotland on 4 September. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.: Attorney General Robert H. Jackson gives President Franklin D. Roosevelt a ruling in which the legal framework for the transfer of destroyers to the British can be accomplished. During the day, Roosevelt confers with Secretary of the Navy William "Frank" Knox, Secretary of War Henry Stimson and Secretary of State Cordell Hull concerning a compromise to resolve the impasse that has arisen over the proposed destroyers-for-bases agreement. Subsequently, Roosevelt meets with Admiral Harold R. Stark, Chief of Naval Operations, Secretary of the Navy Knox and Secretary of State Hull, and British Ambassador Lord Lothian; these men review the proposal arrived at earlier that day. Admiral Stark certifies that the destroyers involved are no longer essential to the defense of the United States, thus clearing the way for their transfer. (Jack McKillop)
     President Franklin D Roosevelt signs a joint resolution authorizing the callup of Army Reserve and National Guard units for a period of one year. The induction of National Guard units will begin on 16 September and continue for a seven-month period until March 1941. (Jack McKillop)

FRENCH CAMEROON: Free French emissaries LeClerc and Boislambert depart Victoria, British Cameroons, in native canoes for Douala, French Cameroon where the Government Palace is occupied without resistance. The next day LeClerc travels by train to Youande to accept the transfer of power from the Vichy authorities.  (Jack McKillop)

LUXEMBOURG: German currency and foreign exchange controls are applied to the country.  (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The 15,007 ton British armed merchant cruiser HMS Dunvegan Castle (ex SS Dunvegan Castle) en route to Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-46 about 129 nautical miles (239 kilometers) north-northwest of Galway, County Galway, ƒire (now Ireland) in position 55.05N, 11.00W. However, she remains afloat long enough for the survivors to be taken off by the destroyer HMS Harvester (H 19) and corvette HMS Primrose (K 91). (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)

1941:     The German attack against Tallinn begins. (John Nicholas)

The Iranian government resigns. (John Nicholas)

The Japanese government sends a protest to the US government concerning the shipment of goods from the US to Vladivostok, USSR via Japanese waters. (Jack McKillop)

In Japan, Prince Fumimaro Konoye, prime minister of Japan, invites U.S. President Roosevelt to meet with him "to discuss from a broad standpoint all important problems between Japan and America covering the entire Pacific  area, and to explore the possibility of saving the situation."  (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-570 (Type VIIC) is captured about 146 nautical miles (270 kilometers) southeast of Reykjavik, Iceland, in position 62.15N, 18.35W, after being damaged by an RAF Hudson Mk. II, aircraft "S" of No. 269 Squadron based at Kaladarnes, Iceland. The sub is initially towed to Thorlakshofn, Iceland, and later transferred to England and commissioned into the RN as HMS Graph (P 715) on 19 September1941. Eventually taken out of service in February 1944, she was stricken 20 March 1944 after running aground near the Scottish island of Islay and broken up in 1961.   (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)

ƒIRE (Now Ireland): An RN Fairey Fulmer makes a forced landing on Tramore Strand in County Donegal. The aircraft is returned to the British. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.: In baseball, Charlie Root becomes the first Chicago Cubs' pitcher to win 200 games; he finishes the 1941 season, his last in the major leagues, with 201 wins. Root is best known for giving up Babe Ruth's "called" home run in the third game of the 1932 World Series. In today's game, the Cubs beat the Boston Braves 6-4 at Braves Field in Boston. (Jack McKillop)

1942:     1942:

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS: The USAAF 11th Air Force sends four B-17 Flying Fortresses, six B-24 Liberators, and two P-38 Lightnings to fly weather, reconnaissance and patrol missions over Atka Island, located east of Adak, and Japanese-held Kiska Island. The Japanese begin to transfer the Attu Island garrison to Kiska Island, which is completed on 16 September.  (Jack McKillop)

CANADA: The Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service is established. (Jack McKillop)

CUBA: The Cuban Navy and Air Force join the Allied anti-submarine campaign.  (Jack McKillop)

GREENLAND: The German ship "Sachsen" anchors in Hansa Bay, Sabine Island, Northeast Greenland, and a landing party sets up a weather station, code name "Holzauge."  (Jack McKillop)

MEDITERRANEAN SEA: US Army Middle East Air Force B-24 Liberators bomb a convoy, hitting a merchant ship which is reported sinking.  (Jack McKillop)

THE NETHERLANDS: The USAAF 8th Air Force in England flies Mission 6: Seven B-17s bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam at 1740 hours without loss.  (Jack McKillop)

NEW GUINEA: During the day, fresh Australian troops advance unopposed to K.B. Mission but during the night, the Japanese, with tanks, renew their attack and split the defending force which withdraws. Meanwhile, the Japanese overland drive on Port Moresby continues, with the Australians falling back gradually but Australian reinforcements are moving to the forward area.  (Jack McKillop)ÊÊÊÊ
     USAAF B-26 Marauders and P-400 Airacobras of the Allied Air Force bomb Buna Airfield, Northeast New Guinea, while RAAF Kittyhawks strafe the beachhead and fuel dumps at Milne Bay, Papua New Guiena.  (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: On Guadalcanal, A battalion of the 5th Marine Regiment lands about 1,000 yards (914 meters) west of Kokumbona and starts east along the shore while a company pushes west from Kukum by overland trail to intercept the Japanese withdrawal inland. That night, the "Tokyo Express" lands 128 Imperial Japanese Army troops northwest of Taivu Point.  (Jack McKillop)
     The rear echelon of the USAAF's 67th Fighter Squadron, fourteen P-400 Airacobras, arrives at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, from Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands.  (Jack McKillop)

U.S.: The first of the four Iowa Class battleships, the Iowa (BB-61), is launched at the U.S. Navy Yard, New York, New York.  (Jack McKillop)
     The motion picture "The Talk of the Town" is released today. This romantic comedy, directed by George Stevens, stars Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ronald Colman, Edgar Buchanan and Glenda Farrell; Lloyd Bridges has an uncredited bit part. The plot has a political activist (Grant) accused of arson and murder hiding out in the home of his childhood sweetheart (Arthur) who has just rented a room to an unsuspecting law professor (Colman). Grant and Arthur try to convince Colman that there's a human side to the law. The film is nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. (Jack McKillop)

U.S.S.R.: German Army Group B continues the battle for Stalingrad. Meanwhile, Army Group B presses closer to the oil prize of Grozny, seizing Prokhladny and raching the Terek River.   (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)
      In Siberia, the German Kriegsmarine attacks the Arctic Russian town and port of Dikson, named after the Swedish Baron Oscar Dickson. The German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer, accompanied by two U-boats, destroys Dikson and a large icebreaker by shelling. The attack is part of Operation WUNDERLAND, aiming to stop Soviet convoys sent from Asian ports to support the Soviet Northern Fleet. Dikson is a strategic link on this route. No Soviet attempts to retaliate are known but as a result of WUNDERLAND the Soviet High Command orders an initiative to reinforce the Arctic coast. Therefore the NKVD, in charge of traffic and exploitation in Siberia, starts to plan a railway along the coast to make army operations possible in the area. (Jack McKillop)

1943:     USSR:     Kotleva is captured by VatutinÕs troops and Sevsk by RokossobskyÕs Central Front.

The US Eighth Air Force's VIII Air Support Command and VIII Bomber Command both fly missions.
     The  VIII Air Support Command flies Missions 36A & 36B against targets in France: (1) 35 B-26Bs bomb Nord Airfield at Poix at 0826 hours. (2) 21 B-26Bs are dispatched to the Rouen Power Station but the mission is aborted because of bad weather and extremely heavy enemy fighter opposition.
     The VIII Bomber Command flies Mission 87: 187 B-17s bomb the German rocket-launching site construction at Watten, France between 1846 and 1941 hours; they claim 7-0-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; 4 B-17s are lost. The mission escort consists of 173 P-47 Thunderbolts; they claim 8-1-2 Luftwaffe aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost. This is the first of the Eighth Air Force's missions against V-weapon sites (later designated NOBALL targets). (Jack McKillop)

ITALY: A British reconnaissance party lands at Bova Marina, on the toe of the Italian boot, and finds the area undefended.   (Jack McKillop)
     The General Pietro Badoglio government secretly moves former dictator Benito Mussolini to a mountaintop resort in the Apennine mountains 70 miles (113 kilometers) east of Rome. For the past month, Mussolini's guards have moved him from place to place to foil German rescue schemes.  (Jack McKillop)
    While being escorted by 150 P-38 Lightnings, 69 Northwest African Strategic Air Force (NASAF) B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb two targets in Sulmona, 52 bomb the marshalling yard, losing one aircraft, and 17 hit armaments; meanwhile, NASAF medium bombers hit the Benevento and Caserta marshalling yards. Northwest African Tactical Air Force B-25 Mitchells, B-26 Marauders and A-20 Havocs, and fighters attack targets in southern Italy, including Cantanzaro rail and road junction, guns near Reggio di Calabria, Sibari rail junctions, Cetraro marshalling yard, barracks at Tarsia, train and repair shops at Paola, and a barge at Diamante.   (Jack McKillop)
     During the night of 27/28 August, 45 RAF Liberators of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group bomb the marshalling yard at Salerno without loss.  (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: The U.S. 172d Infantry Regiment of the 43d Infantry Division lands on Arundel Island off the northwest tip of New Georgia Island. The regiment meets determined opposition by the Japanese.  (Jack McKillop)
     Ten USAAF Thirteenth Air Force B-24 Snoopers, i.e., B-24s Liberators equipped with radar devices that permit blind bombing, begin operations from Carney Field, Guadalcanal. Twelve B-25s, 8 P-40s, and 8 USMC F4U Corsairs strafe barges and shoreline targets at Kakasa on Choiseul Island; and P-39 Airacobras strafe barges and shore targets at Ringa Cove on New Georgia Island.  (Jack McKillop)
     The USN's Fighting Squadron Thirty Three (VF-33), equipped with F6F-3 Hellcats, lands on Guadalcanal for shore-based duty. These are the first F6Fs deployed to the war zone.  (Jack McKillop)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: USN Composite Squadron One (VC-1) in the escort aircraft carrier USS Card (CVE-11) has a busy day with German submarines. TBF Avengers and F4F Wildcats attack U-508 but the sub escapes. Later, they sink U-847 about 829 nautical miles (1 535 kilometers) southwest of Lagens Field, Azores Island, in position 28.19N, 37.58W, by Mk. 24 air launched acoustic homing torpedoes (FIDO). All hands, 62 men, on the U-boat are lost.  (Jack McKillop)

In France, ex French president Lebrun is arrested by the Gestapo. Lebrun deferred to the National Assembly's 10 July 1940 vote approving Marshal Henri Petain as head of state and then he retired to Vizille in the Italian zone of occupation. He was arrested after the Germans moved in and deported to Austria from 1943 to 1945. He survived the war and met with de Gaulle shortly after the war ended to acknowledge the General's leadership. (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: Field Marshal von Manstein tells Adolf Hitler that his Army Group South can't hold off the Soviet offensives in southern Russia and Ukraine. He urges falling back to the Dnieper, the largest river in the western Soviet Union. Hitler insists the Donets area must be held. (Jack McKillop)

Whilst on A/S duties in the Bay of Biscay sloop HMS Egret is attacked by
13 Dornier aircraft one of which released an Hs.293 glider bomb. When the
smoke of the initial explosion cleared, all that could be seen of Egret was
her upside down bow section. Egret was thus the first ship to be sunk by a
guided missile. (Alex Gordon)

BRAZIL: A Junkers Ju.52/3m, msn 5459, registered PP-SPD to the Brazilian airline VASP (Viacao Aerea Sao Paulo S.A.), strikes a building and crashes at Rio de Janeiro; 3 of the 21 aboard the aircraft survive.  (Jack McKillop)

EIRE:      An RAF Liberator Mk. V, s/n BZ802, aircraft "V" of No. 86 Squadron based at RAF Aldergrove, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, crashes at Kilmacown, County Cork; all 7 crewmen are killed.  (Jack McKillop)

In the U.S., two motion pictures are released today.
   * "Phantom of the Opera," a horror thriller based on the novel by Gaston Leroux and directed by Arthur Lubin, stars Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, Claude Rains, Leo Carrillo and Hume Cronyn. The plot involves a ghost who haunts the Paris Opera House. The film is nominated for four technical Academy Awards and wins two.
   * "Watch on the Rhine," a drama based on the Lillian Hellman play, is directed by Herman Shumlin and stars Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Lucile Watson, Beulah Bondi and Donald Woods. German Lukas and his American wife Davis return to Washington where it is discovered that he is part of the German underground. He is forced to shoot a German count and then flee where he is pursued by German agents. The film is nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Lukas) and Best Supporting Actress (Watson). Lukas wins the Best Actor Award. (Jack McKillop)

1944:     BURMA: The British 36th Division, continues down the Mogaung-Mandalay railroad corridor and captures Pinbaw.  (Jack McKillop)

CAROLINE ISLANDS: A USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberator based in the Mariana Islands, flies a photo reconnaissance mission of Woleai Atoll, and then bombs Yap Island.  (Jack McKillop)

DENMARK: Sixty USAAF Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the airfield at Esbjerg with the loss of one aircraft and one aircraft bombs the marshalling yard at Flensberg.  (Jack McKillop)

FRANCE: In northern France, the Canadian 4th Armoured and 3d Divisions begin crossing the Seine River between Elbeuf and Pont de l'Arche and clear Tourlaville. The French 2d Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division drive northeast to the outskirts of Paris, the French overcoming strong opposition at Le Bourget Airfield. The U.S. VIII Corps completes the encirclement of Brest while Third Army armored units reach the Marne River at Ch‰teau-Thierry, secure crossings, and overrun the town. The U.S. 12th Army Group allocates priority in supply to the U.S. First Army rather than Patton's Third Army. Supplies are becoming increasingly short.  (Jack McKillop)
     In southern France, the French 2d Corps constinues to clear the environs of Toulon but halts when the Germans agree to surrender the peninsula tomorrow. At Marseille, Fort St. Nicolas surrenders, but scattered opposition remains. In the evening, the German command requests an interview to discuss surrender terms.
     In northern France, the USAAF Ninth Air Force's IX Bomber Command attacks troop concentrations in the Rouen area, Rouen bridge, the Boursin navigational beam station at Boulogne-sur-Mer, and Bucy-les-Pierrepont and Foret de Samoussy fuel dumps; fighters cover ground forces and fly sweeps and armed reconnaissance in the Senlis area and south of the Loire River claiming 16 aircraft (11 in the air) destroyed, and losing 6.  (Jack McKillop)
     In southeastern France and Italy, the USAAF Twelfth Air Force sends B-25s and B-26s to hit gun emplacements in the Marseille area.  (Jack McKillop)
     Whilst attempting the clearance of a German minefield 5 miles (8 kilometers) off the Normandy coast between Fecamp and Cap d'Antifer near Le Harve, three British minesweepers are attacked by Allied aircraft: (1) HMS Hussar (J 82) of the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla is sunk by rockets fired by RAF Typhoon Mk IBs of No 263 and 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron resulting in 55 casualties; (2) HMS Britomart (J 22)is also sunk with 22 casualties; and (3) HMS Salamander (J 86) is so seriously damaged that she is beyond repair. In all 78 officers and ratings were killed and 149 wounded, in what was the most serious "friendly fire" incident involving RN ships of the war.  (Alex Gordon and Jack McKillop)
     Two hundred twenty one RAF Bomber Command aircraft bomb the Mimoyecquest V-1 site at Marquise while 24 Lancasters bomb two ships in Brest Harbor and claimed hits on both.  (Jack McKillop)

GERMANY: Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb eight targets: 45 bomb Heligoland Island using H2X radar, 37 bomb the port area at Emden, 35 bomb the airfield at Brondom, 34 bomb the Wilhelmshaven port area using H2X radar, five bomb the airfield at Husum, and six aircraft bomb individual targets of opportunity. Only two aircraft are lost.  (Jack McKillop)
     The USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force, based in Italy, bombs two I.G. Farben synthetic oil refineries at Blechhammer: 213 B-24 Liberators bomb the Blechhammer South facility (28 using H2X radar) and 137 B-17 Flying Fortresses bomb the Blechhammer North facility.  (Jack McKillop)
     During the day, RAF Bomber Command dispatches 243 aircraft, 216 Halifaxes 14 Mosquitos and 13 Lancasters on a historic raid to Homberg, the first major raid by Bomber Command to Germany in daylight since 12 August 1941, when 54 Blenheims had attacked power-stations near Cologne for the loss of 10 aircraft. This raid was escorted by nine squadrons of Spitfires on the outward flight and seven squadrons on the withdrawal. One Me110 is seen; the Spitfires drove it off. There was intense flak over the target but no bombers were lost. The target was the Rheinpreussen synthetic-oil refinery at Meerbeck. The bombing was based on Oboe marking but 5-8/10ths cloud produced difficult conditions, though some accurate bombing was claimed through gaps in the clouds.  (John Nicholas and Jack McKillop)
     During the night of 27/28 August, 27 RAF Mosquitos bomb Mannheim using H2S radar while four visually bomb Duisburg.  (Jack McKillop)Ê

ITALY: The British Eighth Army makes steady progress northward toward the main Gothic Line postions.  (Jack McKillop)
     USAAF Twelfth Air Force medium bombers attack bridges at Berceto; fighter-bombers continue armed reconnaissance in the Po Valley and over roads leading north from the battle line north of the Arno River; and A-20 Havocs bomb targets of opportunity in the Po Valley.   (Jack McKillop)
     One hundred fifty five B-24 Liberators of the USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force bomb four targets: 56 bomb the railroad bridge at Ferrara, 52 bomb a railroad viaduct at Aviso while 46 a second railroad viaduct at Aviso, and one bombs a railroad bridge at Latisana.  (Jack McKillop)
     During the night of 27/28 August, USAAF Twelfth Air Force  aircraft fly armed reconnaissance in north central Italy while 54 RAF Liberators of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group bomb troop concentrations at Pesano.  (Jack McKillop)

JAPAN: In the Kurile Islands, five USAAF Eleventh Air Force B-24 Liberators based in the Aleutian Islands bomb and photograph Kashiwabara on Parmushiru Island in two raids; and 4 B-25 Mitchells on a shipping sweep east of the northern Kurile Islands bomb and strafe picket boats damaging one and leaving another sinking; and a USN PV-1 Ventura sinks a Japanese ship. Another PV-1 attacks a Soviet tanker firing 50 caliber (12.7 mm) shells from stem to stern.  (Jack McKillop)

PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: USN submarine USS Stingray (SS-186) lands men and supplies on Luzon to support guerilla operations against the Japanese.  (Jack McKillop)

ROMANIA: Focsani falls to troops of the Second Ukrainian Front while Galati, the third largest city in Romania and chief port on the Danube, falls to troops of the Third Ukrainian Front.  (John Nicholas and Jack McKIllop)

VOLCANO ISLANDS: A USAAF Seventh Air Force B-24 Liberator based in the Mariana Islands, bombs Iwo Jima.  (Jack McKillop)

YUGOSLAVIA: Twenty nine B-24 Liberators of the USAAF's Fifteenth Air Force visually bomb a railroad bridge at Borovnica and six bomb the marshalling yard at Pec.  (Jack McKillop)
     During the night of 27/28 August, six RAF Liberators of No. 205 (Heavy Bomber) Group mine the Danube River.  (Jack McKillop)

1945:     BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO: An armed truce has been declared throughout New Britain Island.  (Jack McKillop)

BURMA:  Contact has been established with the Japanese troops in the Sittang valley and they now await specific surrender instructions.  (Jack McKillop)

JAPAN: With most surrender and occupation arrangements made, the Allied fleet prepares to enter Sagami Wan (Bay) and the adjacent Tokyo Bay. To facilitate this operation, the Japanese destroyer HIJMS Hatsukakura brings out several Japanese naval officers to provide piloting services. Fear of treachery remained strong, so the visitors are carefully searched and treated sternly. However, there are no hostile incidents, and the pilots safely bring the U.S. and British warships into their anchorages. Part of this armada is the USN's Third Fleet under Admiral William F. Halsey Jr. The Third Fleet consists of 23 aircraft carriers, 12 battleships, 26 cruisers, 116 destroyers and destroyer escorts and 12 submarines.   (Jack McKillop)
      B-29 Superfortresses of the USAAF's Twentieth Air Force begin supplying prisoners-of-war and internee camps in Japan, China, and Korea with medical supplies, food, and clothing. The first supply drop (to Weihsien Camp near Peking, China) is followed by a concentrated effort of 900 sorties in a period of less than a month. 4,470 tons of supplies are dropped to about 63,500 prisoners in 154 camps.  (Jack McKillop)
     A USN PB4Y-2 Privateer of Patrol Bombing Squadron One Hundred Sixteen (VPB-116) based on Iwo Jima, lands at Atsugi Airfield because of mechanical problems. The Japanese do not approach the aircraft and the plane returns to Iwo Jima the same day. Actually there was no mechanical problem. The squadron commander had rounded up an all-volunteer crew and planned the whole thing.  (Jack McKillop)

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Isolated Japanese garrisons are reported to be ignorant of the ceasefire.  (Jack McKillop)

U.S.: President Harry S. Truman says that the situation in the Pacific continues to have many elements of danger and urges Congress to continue the draft (conscription) for a further two years.  (Jack McKillop)