Air Operations, Bonin and Volcano Islands

• 24 VII Bomber Command B-24s attack Iwo Jima.
• 12 B-24s attack Chichi Jima.
• During the night, 5 VII Bomber Command B-24s conduct snooper raids against Iwo Jima and Chichi Jima.

Air Operations, Carolines

4 VII Bomber Command B-24s attack the Truk Atoll while escorting photo-reconnaissance aircraft.

Air Operations, CBI

• 12 10th Air Force B-25s attack targets of opportunity and road traffic in the Loilem area.
• 56 10th Air Force P-47s attack troops, occupied towns, and supplies at 4 locations.
• 20 P-47s support Allied ground forces in the Mongmit and Myitson areas.
• 8 P-47s attack a ferry at Li-lu.
• 6 P-47s attack a bridge at Hay-ti.

• 15 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack various rail lines in the Yangtze River area.

Air Operations, Europe

Dresden, Magdeburg and Cottbus are attacked by 1,000 bombers of the 8th Air Force.

• 1 Halifax flies an RCM sortie.

• 37 Lancasters and 18 Halifaxes lay mines in the Oslo Fjord and in the Kattegat, and there are 6 Mosquito patrols and 2 RCM sorties.
• 1 Mosquito crashes in France.

• 210 1st Air Division B-17s attack the city of Dresden (secondary).
• 353 2nd Air Division B-24s attack a synthetic-oil plant at Magdeburg (secondary).
• 435 3rd Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Cottbus (secondary).
• 58 3rd Air Division B-17s attack a marshalling yard at Rheine (target of last resort).
• 19 heavy bombers attack several targets of opportunity.
• 2 heavy bombers and 1 of 433 VIII Fighter Command escorts are lost.

• Approximately 90 9th Air Division B-26s attack marshalling yards at Mayen and Sinzig.

• Except for a limited mission against an ammo dump, 12th Air Force B-25s are grounded by bad weather, but XXII TAC P-47s are able to attack rail targets in northeastern Italy and the Po River valley.

• 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack the shipyard at Fiume.

• 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack an oil refinery, freight yards at five locations, a good depot, and three marshalling yards, all in the Vienna area, as well as marshalling yards at Graz, Klagenfurt, and Wiener-Neustadt, an ordnance depot at Graz, and targets of opportunity.

Air Operations, Formosa

12 38th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack 2 bridges spanning the Sobun River in southern Formosa.

Air Operations, Japan

• 33 of 117 XXI Bomber Command B-29s dispatched attack an aircraft plant at Nagoya, 54 B-29s attack Hamamatsu, a target of last resort, and 16 B-29s attack various targets of opportunity and last resort.
• 1 B-29 is lost.

Air Operations, Philippines

• FEAF B-24s, V Bomber Command A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack Corregidor.
• 348th Fighter Group P-47s strafe barges carrying Japanese Army ground troops from Manila to Bataan and Corregidor.
• B-25s, A-20s, and fighter-bombers attack the Bataan Peninsula throughout the day.
• Fighter-bombers attack Caballo Island.
• Various aircraft attack the Echague and Tuguegarao airfields and Fort William McKinley on Luzon.

Air Operations, Western Pacific

• A VF-3 F6F downs a G4M 'Betty' bomber at sea only 25 miles from Task Force 58.
• As the Iwo Jima invasion fleet and Task Force 58 move toward the objective, XXI Bomber Command B-29s and US Navy PB4Ys based in the Marianas scout ahead in order to clear the air of Japanese reconnaissance aircraft.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-1053 is sunk off Bergen during a diving accident, the exact circumstances of which are unknown.

U-1053

CBI

In the XXXIII Corps sector, the Indian 20th Division meets with increasingly stubborn resistance by the Japanese around the bridgehead over the Irrawaddy.

In the British IV Corps sector, the Indian 7th Division extends its bridgeheads over the Irrawaddy, while some of its units take Pakokku, west of the river.

Eastern Front

The 2nd Belorussian Front consolidates its positions in northwest Poland, north of Bromberg (Bydgoszcz). In northern Silesia troops of the 1st Ukraine Front take Grüberg (Zielona Gora), southwest of Poznan, and penetrate into Brandenburg.

The Germans are still counterattacking in Hungary. The Russians announce that in Budapest they have found the bodies of 2 divisional generals who have committed suicide. They claim to have taken 9,000 prisoners at Schneidemühl (Pila).

Fighting flaires up again in East Prussia in the area of Frauenburg-Landsberg-Zintem (Frombork-Górowo-Ilaweckie). In northern Latvia the German 16th and 18th Armies repel Russian attacks, while making arrangements to evacuate their encircled forces.

In Ivan S. Konev's attacks west of the Oder, Breslau has now been surrounded.

The Soviet 49th and 65th Armies push back the German 4th Army 10 miles.

The Germans launch Operation SONNENWENDE, an attempt to destroy the spearheads of the 1st Belorussian Front in Pomerania. The attacking 11th SS Panzer Army is divided into 3 groups: Central Group - III SS Panzer Corps; Western Group - XXIX Panzer Corps; Eastern Group - Führer Grenadier Div, 163rd and 281st Infantry Divs. Only the III SS Panzer Corps makes any gains.[MORE]

Germany, Home Front

Martial law is proclaimed in Germany with the establishment of summary courts. Death sentences would be ordered for anyone found guilty of attempting to 'undermine German resolution of striking power.'

Japan, Policy

The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters submits a report on the war situation to the Supreme War Council. Despite difficulties raised by the American offensives in the Marianas and the Philippines, Japan has the means to continue to fight as long as her people have the courage and determination to do so. It is apparent that the US is planning for an invasion of the Japanese home islands. The estimated is that the Americans will land on Kyushu first. Defenses are prepared and reinforcments are snet that will build to a total of 900,000 troops defending the island.

Pacific

The US submarine Swordfish (SS-193) is reported as presumed lost in the Pacific Ocean area.

Philippines

In the XIV Corps area, bitter fighting continues within Manila. The 40th Division, to the right rear, continues to clear the enemy from the hills in its zone. The 185th Infantry gains its final objective--Hill 1500. The 108th Infantry is attempting to regain Hill 7 and the 160th to clear the objective in the division's center.

The I Corps assumes responsibility for a portion of the XIV Corps' zone lying generally north of the east-west line through Tarlac. The 158th RCT assembles in the vicinity of Tarlac, passing to army reserve. The 126th Infantry, 32nd Division, occupies the San Manuel-Asingan-San Nicolas triangle, releasing the entire 127th Infantry for a drive up the Villa Verde Trail.

In the XI Corps area, the 38th Division conpletes a mop-up of the enemy's Zigzag position. After a preparatory bombardment, South Force lands on Mariveles coast at 1000. Gen Chase takes command ashore, relieving Rear-Adm Arthur D. Struble, CTG 78.3. No opposition is met, but a Japanese counterattack during the night--the last organized enemy effort on the east coast--is repulsed.

Western Front

A new corps goes into action in the Canadian 1st Army's Operation VERITABLE, the Canadian II Corps, which takes up positions on the left of the British XXX Corps on the line, south to north, Grave-Groesbeek-Cleve-Emmerich. Until February 25 the new corps carries out limited attacks with the 3rd and 2nd Canadian Divs in the direction of Calcar, which is the first objective; after that the units are re-grouped for an attack on a huge scale.

Further south, the British XXX Corps' main thrusts are against the German positions that prevent it from reaching Goch, the second important objective.

There is action again on the US 7th Army front where the XV Corps begins limited attacks to straighten up and shorten the line.[WE]

Images from February 15, 1945

Attempting To Draw Enemy Fire

Ration Breakdown Point

US Soldier Guarding POWs

Dresden Following the Raid

Dead Japanese Soldier

Berlin, February 1945

Half-track Moving in the Hurtgen Forest

Machine Gun Position