(Occupied Europe)
Following to the unconditional surrender of Germany in May 1945 two countries declared war on Japan. The first was the liberated German occupied Norway on the 6th July 1945. The second was the Italian government, previously an ally to Germany on the 14th July 1945.
(Pacific)
When the Japanese occupied the Philippine Islands in early 1942, American General Douglas MacArthur was ordered to evacuate to Australia. Upon leaving he vowed to return and liberate the islands. On the 20th October 1944 he landed on Leyte Island and he commented “I have returned”. Accompanying this event was the famous photograph of MacArther wading ashore. Ending one of the worst military disasters in American history, U.S. troops recaptured the islands, and MacArthur declared the Philippines liberated on the 5th July 1945.
Beginning in November 1944 Mariana based USAAF B-29 bombers and P-51 Mustang fighters conducted a series of periodical attacks on Tokyo. On the 4th, 5th & 6th July 1945 P-51s taking off from newly liberated airfields on Iwo Jima, attacked airfields in and around Tokyo destroying many enemy aircraft on the ground.Unconfirmed reports of enemy destruction range between 20 to 60 aircraft. During the course of the three raids one U.S. P -51 Mustang was lost. Aircraft from the U.S. Navy carrier fleet attacked Tokyo airfields and surrounding targets on the 10th & 17th July 1945. Over 140 P-51s flew from their airfields at Iwo Jima on the 28th July 1945 and hit various airfields and military targets. The bombing on Tokyo continued until the end of the Pacific war in August 1945.
24th – Bombing of Kure by U.K and USAThe Japanese heavy battlecruiser Haruna had fought in almost every major action in the Pacific. In February 1945 she was assigned to the Kure Naval District and moored at the naval base. To destroy the last remnants of the Japanese navy, on the 24th July 1945, the U.S. Task Force 38 began a series of aerial attacks on the Kure Naval Base. On the 28th July 1945 Haruna was hit by eight bombs and sank at her moorings in the late afternoon.
USS Indianapolis was a heavy cruiser of the American Fifth Fleet and participated in numerous battles across the Central Pacific. From 1943 Indianapolis was flagship to the Fifth Fleet. On the 31st March 1945 the fleet were bombarding Okinawa and being constantly attacked by Japanese fighter aircraft. Indianapolis sustained considerable damage when an enemy fighter dropped a bomb from a height of 25 ft. directly on the cruiser. After temporary repairs, although still damaged, she steamed under her own power to Mare Island for major repairs. She was then despatched to San Francisco Naval base for an overhaul. On the 16th July 1945, following the repairs and overhaul, Indianapolis received orders to undertake a secret mission. Her mission was to transport the components for the atomic bombs to Tinian Island. She set a speed record from San Francisco, via Pearl Harbour to deliver the bomb components on Tinian Island by the 26th July 1945. After her stop at Tinian Island she continued enroute to Guam. On the 30th July 1945 she was struck by two torpedoes fired from Japanese submarine L-58. Within twelve minutes Indianapolis sank and of nearly 1,200 crewmen approximately 300 went down with the cruiser. With too few lifeboats and many without life jackets the remainder of the crew were adrift in shark infested waters. Poor communications meant rescue attempts did not begin until early August 1945.
Kobe was the sixth largest city in Japan and had the largest port. It was also home to the largest concentration of shipbuilding and marine engine manufacturing in the country. The Bombing of Kove was part of the strategic bombing campaign on Japan beginning in March 1945. A further four more raids were conducted against Kobe until the 19th July 1945 when 27 B-29 bombers dropped several naval mines in the Kobe area and surrounding waters. On the 30th July 1945 P-51 fighters attacked airfields, railways and other significant targets throughout the Kobe/Osaka region, which turned out to be the last attack on Kobe.
28th – Jap battleships Haruna and Ise sunk
30th – USS Indianapolis sunk by Jap submarine
31st – U.S. air attacks on Kobe and Nagoya
July bombing raids on oil fields in Osaka
(Other Theatres)
In Europe following the unconditional surrender of Germany in May 1945, two countries declared war on Japan. With the surrender of Germany, the first declaration was by Norway on the 6th July 1945. Norway’s original plans were to remain neutral during the war but Nazi Germany attacked and occupied the country in April 1940. Norwegian king Haakon VII and the pre-war government escaped to London and a government in exile was formed. During the German occupied period a pro-German puppet government collaborated with the Germans. The second declaration was by Italy on the 14th July 1945, who was previously allied to Germany before seeking an armistice with the Allies,
16th – U.S. conduct Trinity Test at Alamogordo, New Mexico (See Trinity (nuclear test) wiki)
(Other Theatres)
17th – Potsdam Conference begins }
In America, as part of the Manhattan Project, the first detonation of a nuclear weapon called Trinity was conducted in New Mexico at the Alamogordo Test Range. Beginning in 1942 the Manhattan Project was a research and development programme designated into finding a new source of energy following the discovery of nuclear fission in 1938. The military’s ultimate aim for Trinity was for producing a nuclear weapon ahead of a similar project from Germany before the unconditional surrender. The first detonation of the atomic bomb Trinity was on the 16th July 1945.
The Potsdam Conference was held In the Soviet zone of occupation and began on the 17th July 1945. Representing the Soviet Union was General Secretary Joseph Stalin. The United Kingdom was represented by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the U.S. by President Harry S. Truman. The administration of defeated Germany was the major topic on the agenda and countering the effects of the war. Truman became increasingly suspicious of the Soviets intentions when he realised Stalin’s actions in Eastern Europe was seen as aggressive expansionism.
During the conference Truman mentioned to Stalin of an unspecified “powerful new weapon but Stalin’s spy network had already informed him of the atomic bomb test. On the 26th July 1945, the Potsdam Declaration gave an ultimatum to Japan for an unconditional surrender or meet with prompt destruction, but did not mention the new bomb. The Japanese did not respond to the ultimatum.
In Briain during the European war years Churchill was prime minister and Clement Attlee was deputy prime minister in a coalition government. Both Churchill and Attlee were prepared to maintain a coalition government until after the Japanese had been defeated in the Pacific. Churchill was forced to resign and call a general election after Herbert Morrison, Labour’s coalition Home Secretary had objected. Ironically it was Churchill who had appointed Morrison as Home Secretary. The result of the general election was announced on the 26th July 1945 and Attlee as the new prime minster flew to Potsdam to represent Briain during the conference. The Potsdam Conference continued into e
26th – Atlee replaces Churchill as Prime Minister in general election } (See Clement Attlee Wiki)
In Britain, during the European war Churchill was prime minister and Clement Attlee was his deputy in a coalition government. Churchill was a member of the Conservative party and Attlee was a Labour party member. Both Churchill and Attlee were prepared to maintain a coalition government until the Japanese were defeated in the Pacific. Churchill was forced to resign and call a general election after Herbert Morrison, Labour’s Home Secretary had objected to the continuation of the coalition government, Ironically, it was Churchill who had appointed Morrison as Home Secretary. The election was held on the 26th July 1945 and Attlee was duly elected as the new prime minister. The newly elected Labour party inherited a country facing bankruptcy, owing to the lend/lease agreement with the USA. They also had the herculean task of overcoming food, housing and resource shortages.
—
26th – Atlee flies to Potsdam }
26th – Potsdam Declaration issued arly August 1945. However, the newly elected Labour government inherited a country close to bankruptcy and had the herculean task of overcoming food, housing and resources shortages. }———————————————————————————————————————
The Potsdam Declaration was issued on the 26th July 1945.
—————————————————-
SECOND WORLD WAR
June 1945
(Europe)
At the Yalta Conference in February 1945 Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union discussed the occupation of post war Germany. However, the French were not involved in the Yalta Conference. On the 5th June 1945 the Allies, which now included France, agreed to occupy and administer four separate areas of Germany. Britain occupied northern Germany, the United States occupied the south, France occupied the extreme south-west and the Soviet Union occupied eastern Germany.
Berlin, as the nation’s capital, although in the Soviet Union sector, was also divided into four zones, as per the rest of the country (microcosm of Germany). The occupation ensured that the Nazi Party was sought out and brought to justice, it also ensured an equivalent Nazi type organisation would not be in a position to begin hostilities again. This coupled with the fact that roughly 80% of German infrastructure was in need of repair or reconstruction.
—
Ameland and Schiermonnikoog are two Dutch islands in the Waddell Sea. The Germans surrendered on the 3rd and 11th June 1945 respectively. The latter was last part of Europe liberated by Allied troops after the Germans surrendered.
One of the first challenges facing the British government was the demobilisation of the British Armed Forces back into civilian life. Prior to the end of the European War plans had been implemented for the demobilisation of the armed forces regarding procedures. Age and time spent in uniform determined when most servicemen and servicewomen were released from the armed forces. Priority was given to men aged fifty or more and married women. A small number of so-called “Key workers”, whose occupational skills were vital for postwar reconstruction, were also released ahead of their allotted time. Each serviceman or woman being demobilised passed through a special demobilisation centre. Demobilised servicemen received a one-off grant payment and the promise for the right to return to their old jobs. They also received a set of civilian clothing which included the so-called “Demob Suit”. The demobilisation process was slow because of the numbers involved, with approximately 4.3 million men and women returning to “civvy street” by 1947. Returning to civilian life servicemen and women found conditions to be extremely bad. In the six years of war the home front had endured bombardment and blockades resulting in shortages of many basic essentials. One of the biggest challenges, after many years apart, was that husbands and wives had to adjust to living together again.
(Pacific
The first stage of the Borneo Campaign was the capture of the Tarakan Island on the 15th June 1945. An amphibious landing on south-west Tarakan on the 1st May 1945 was launched by Australian troops and a small Netherlands East Indies contingent. Opposing the attack the Japanese defence for the island consisted of approximately 2,200 men from the Imperial Japanese Army and Japanese Imperial Navy. Prior to the Japanese occupation in January 1941, Tarakan formed part of the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Tarakan supplied the Japanese with oil from the islands two oil fields. During the course of 1942 Allied bombing destroyed the oil production and storage facilities. The Allies main aim for attacking Tarakan was to capture and develop the airfields, and ultimately restore the oil fields. Tarakan’s heavily forested hills needed to be cleared before the Allies could secure the island and protect the airfield. Approximately 1,700 Japanese defenders were dug into positions protected by minefields and booby traps. Australian tanks offered little support to the infantry assault owing to the thick jungle, swamps and steep hills. They did, however, provide supporting fire but air cover and artillery provided the majority of the supporting fire. On the 12th May 1945 Australian troops were slowly advancing when they were held up by three well positioned machine gun posts. Australian corporal John Mackey led his men to attack one machine gun post. He took out the post with a grenade. Moving on to a second post he killed two members of the gun crew when he was killed by machine gun fire. For this brave action he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. On the 16th May 1945 Australian troops had reached the eastern coast of the island. The same day the NEI had captured the remainder of the southern end of the island meeting very little resistance. However, the Japanese garrison was gradually destroyed and the island was declared secure on the 21st June 1945. It took the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)J engineers eight weeks to restore the damaged airfields to a usable state while the infantry was fighting the Japanese in the hills. The airfields were finally opened on the 28th June 1945. Serious damage to Tarakan’s oilfields delayed production, but on the 27th June 1945 the first oil pump was restored. Tarakan’s oilfields did not become fully operational until after the end of the war.
The island of Borneo, before the Second World War, was divided between British Borneo in the north and Dutch Borneo in the south. Both countries were in Borneo to assist in developing the oilfields. The Japanese invaded and occupied the island in late1941/early 1942. The Battle of North Borneo began on the 10th June 1945 when Australian troops were involved in a series of amphibious landings around Brunei Bay. Initially Japanese opposition was light, but the time Brunei was captured on the 15th June 1945 Japanese resistance had been reinforced. Both sides suffered heavy casualties in the resulting battle. The Borneo Campaign ended in August 1945.
On the 15th June 1945, Japan’s second largest city of Osaka was bombed for the fourth time in the month. 300,000 houses were destroyed when 444 B-29’s bombed 2.9 sq. miles (4.9 km2) of the city. On this raid the city suffered the heaviest destruction. Further bombing raids on Osaka continued until the end of the war in August 1945.
The island of Okinawa was invaded by the United States Army and United States Marine Corps on the 1st April 1945. The 82-day battle ended on the 21st June 1945 when the last remnants of the retreating Japanese resistance ceased on Southern Okinawa. On the 22nd June 1945, to mark the end of organised resistance on Okinawa, a flag raising ceremony was held. The Battle of Okinawa was the last major battle in the Pacific, and most probably the bloodiest. The Japanese suffered casualties of over 100,000 in total including many military suicides. The Allies suffered approximately 80,000 casualties in total. The civilian population of Okinawa, who were still in residence during the fighting, suffered 40,000 to 150,000 casualties. Actual casualty figures cannot be confirmed.
(Other Theatres)
The Bay Museum & Research Facility 