Air Operations, Carolines

307th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack bivouacs and supply dumps in the Woleai Atoll.

Air Operations, CBI

• 7 7th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attack Kalewa, Mandalay, and Myitkyina.
• 19 10th Air Force B-25s attack targets of opprtunity along the Tiddim road.
• More than 20 B-25s and fighter-bombers attack the airfield at Myitkyina and artillery positions at Hopin.
• More than 20 A-31s attack artillery batteries near Buthidaung.
• 17 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack the airfield at Heho and the Kangaung at Meiktila.
• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s based in China attack targets near Wan Pa-Hsa.
• 459th Fighter Squadron P-38s down 8 Ki-43 'Oscar' fighters over the Kangaung airfield at Meiktila at 1345 hours.

• 14th Air Force P-40s attack Japanese Army troops in Mamien Pass and near Mengta (Burma) and Pingkai.

• 36 10th Air Force A-31s attack Moirang.

• 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a bridge at Kenglaung.

Air Operations, Europe

• 30 Mosquitos are sent to Ludwigshafen, 10 to Carpiquet airfield near Caen and 3 to Leverkusen, 43 aircraft lay mines from Kiel to Biscay, 6 aircraft are on Resistance operations, and there are 2 Serrate patrols and 1 RCM and 24 OTU sorties.
• 3 mine-laying Lancaster and 1 OTU Wellington are lost.

Air Operations, New Guinea

• V Bomber Command B-24s and B-25s attack Biak Island, the Wakde Islands, Maffin Bay, Sarmi, and Sawar.
• B-24s, A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack numerous targets between Hansa Bay and Wewak.
• 380th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s based in Australia search for shipping in Geelvink Bay.
• An estimated 16 Japanese fighters attack a 5 Air Force F-7 over Biak Island, but 49th Fighter Group P-40s down 7 of the Japanese fighters between 1125 and 1135 hours.

Burma

The Chinese and Americans reach the upper reaches of the river Namkwi, 15 miles from Myitkyina.

France, Politics

The Consultative Assembly asks the French National Liberation Committee to become the government of the Republic.

Italy

The German position on the Gustav line is beginning to collapse and they start withdrawing to the 'Adolf Hitler' ('Dora') Line which is immediately south of Rome. The French push on once more to take San Giorgio on the Liri. Farther north in the Liri Valley the British 78th Div reaches the Cassino-Pinaturo road. The Canadian Corps is put in to the line to try to exploit this advance.

Marshalls

US naval air bases are established at Ebeye and Roi-namur, Kwajalein Atoll. The air bases are used for the next few weeks to hit remaining Japanese installations in the Marshalls.

Mediterranean

The German submarine U-731 is sunk by US naval land-based aircraft (VP-63) and British surface craft in the western Mediterranean.

Occupied Europe

German measures against Jews reach a crescendo. During the next 12 days, 62 railway cars, laden with Jewish children, are sent from Hungary to death-camps in Poland. Atrocities against Jews take place in every German-held territory throughout Europe.

Soviet Union, Home Front

Patriarch Sergei, Head of the Government-approved Russian Orthodox Church dies at age 77.

Images from May 15, 1944

Sherman Tanks Assemble for an Attack during the Assault on the Gustav Line at Cassino, Italy, 15 May 1944

Sherman Tanks Advance during the Assault on the Gustav Line at Cassino, Italy, 15 May 1944

Lt Carl M. Bisciglia, 349th Infantry Regiment, St. Paul, Minnesota, looks at knocked out German anti-aircraft weapon. Fifth Army, Santa Maria area, Italy. 15 May 1944

Knocked Out German Anti-aircraft Weapon

Col Sidney Hinds, Gen Dwight Eisenhower, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Maj-Gen Edward Brooks inspecting troops in Britain, 15 May 1944

Inspecting Troops in Britain

Col Sidney Hinds, Gen Dwight Eisenhower, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Maj-Gen Edward Brooks inspecting troops in Britain, 15 May 1944

Inspecting Troops in Britain

Italian civilians taking refuge near air raid shelter wait to be fed and sheltered by Allied military government authorities. African troops, possibly French colonial, can be seen supervising the crowd, Italy, 15 May 1944

Civilians Taking Refuge near Air Raid Shelter

View of the Garrison Hill battlefield with the British and Japanese positions shown. Garrison Hill was the key to the British defences at Kohima.

Garrison Hill Battlefield

Knocked out German tank in the Ausente Valley with American tanks, equipment and ammunition in background. Fifth Army, Ausente Valley area, Italy, 15 May 1944

Knocked Out German Tank

US 5th Army M10 Tank Destroyer of the 3rd Algerian Division Plows through the Outskirts of Ausonia, Italy, 15 May 1944

P-51Bs with Wing Tanks Assembling for Take-off, Lashenden, England, 15 May 1944