Air Operations, CBI

• 20 10th Air Force P-47s sweep roads across central Burma.
• 16 P-47s attack supply dumps.
• A 1st Air Commando Group P-47 downs a light liaison plane near Bkhun Yuam.

• 22 38th Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack a convoy of 4 freighters and 4 escorts off Quemoy Island. 1 freighter and a Japanese destroyer are claimed as sunk and 2 freighters and 1 destroyer are damaged.
• 2 B-25s are downed by ships’ fire, and 2 others that are damaged fly inland and crash land.

• FEAF B-25s attack coastal shipping near Qui Nhon.
• 4 449th Fighter Squadron P-38s attack motor vehicles between Hoa Binh and Son La.

Air Operations, Europe

• 153 aircraft including 125 Halifaxes, 16 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of Nos. 4 and No 6 Groups attempt to hit the railway yards at Recklinghausen, but cloud and a strong wind spoil the Pathfinder marking and the bombing is well scattered.
• There are no losses.
• 99 Lancasters of No. 3 Group attack the railway yards at Hamm and 14 Lancasters of No. 9 Squadron attack the railway bridge at Arnsberg. Bombs are seen to explode in the target area at both targets.
• There are no losses.

• 224 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitos of No. 5 Group attack the synthetic oil plant near Böhlen. This accurate attack puts the plant out of action and it is still inactive when captured by American troops several weeks later.
• 9 Lancasters are lost.

The scene after another successful attack on an oil target. This was one such facility near Bohlen.

Böhlen

• 166 Lancasters of Nos. 1, 6 and 8 Groups carry out an equally effective attack upon the oil refinery at Hemmingstedt.
• 1 Lancaster is lost.

• Support and 70 training aircraft make a diversionary sweep over France, 12 Lancasters make a feint raid on Halle, 38 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 27 to Bremen and 16 to Kassel, 9 Lancasters minelaying off Heligoland, and there are 55 Mosquito patrols and 47 RCM sorties.
• 3 aircraft are lost: 1 Lancaster from the Halle raid and 1 Fortress and 1 Liberator RCM aircraft.

Air Operations, Formosa

22 V Bomber Command B-24s attack a barracks and the northern town area at Tainan.

Air Operations, Pacific

Nagoya is hit by B-29 incendiaries.

Air Operations, Philippines

• XIII Bomber Command B-24s attack troops and supplies on Cebu.
• V Bomber Command B-24s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack targets on Luzon.

Air Operations, Western Pacific

Task Force 58 slowly withdraws from the coast of Japan under intermittant air attack. At 1454 hours, a kamikaze that narrowly misses the USS Hancock crashes into a destroyer in the Task Group 58.2 formation. At 1626, the USS Enterprise is damaged by friendly anti-aircraft fire as Task Force 58.2 fights off an attack force of 18 G4M 'Betty' bombers and an estimated 30 other aircraft. A number of the 'Bettys' are carrying manned MXY7 Oka rocket-propelled bombs, seen here by the US carrier pilots for the first time.

• A VT(N)-90 TBM crew downs an unidentified airplane at sea at 0520 hours.
• A VBF-86 F4U downs a C6N 'Myrt' reconnaissance plane at sea at 1120 hours.
• A VF-47 F6F downs a Ki-44 'Tojo' fighter near Task Force 58 at 1300 hours.
• VF-45 F6Fs down 2 B6N 'Jill' torpedo bombers 70 miles from Task Force 58 at 1440 hours.
• A VF-47 F6F downs a D4Y 'Judy' dive bomber near Task Force 58 at 1630 hours.
• A VF-6 F6F downs a Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter near Task Force 58 at 1635 hours.
• A VF-47 F6F downs a C6N 'Myrt' reconnaissance plane near Task Force 58 at 1640 hours.

Britain, Home Front

The death of Lord Alfred Douglas, poet and much-maligned friend of Oscar Wilde is reported. He was 75.

Burma

In the British XXXIII Corps sector, the 19th Indian Div takes the last major positions held by the Japanese in Mandalay. Mandalay is now totally under Allied control. This marks the consummation of Slim's victory over Gen Kimura's Burma Area Army, which now retreats toward Rangoon with losses up to a third of its strength.

In the northern sector the British 36th Div reaches Mogok and advances in the southeast toward Kyaukme.

Eastern Front

Troops of the 1st Belorussian Front under Zhukov take Dabie Altdamm in Pomerania and wipe out the last German bridgehead across the Oder, opposite Stettin. In East Prussia, the 3rd Belorussian Front takes Braunsberg (Braniewo), near the coast northeast of Elbing. The Red Army keeps up strong pressure on Gdynia and Danzig. Gen Gotthard Heinrici, one of the best defensive tacticians in the German army, is appointed to succeed Himmler in command of the Vistula Army Group; until he does command is temporarily taken over by Gen Hans von Tippelskirch. Heinrici will have the task of building up defenses along the Oder for when the Soviets extend their advance toward Berlin, but Army Group Vistula has already lost a large part of its original force in the fighting a Pomerania. It is perhaps unnecessary to point out that only the small pockets holding out near Danzig are anywhere near the Vistula.

The Hermann Göring Panzer Corps is wiped out in Oppeln: 30,000 killed and 15,000 taken prisoner.[MORE]

Germany, Home Front

Hitler makes his last public appearance, decorating children who had distinguished themselves in combat.

Iwo Jima

The 5th Marine Div advances slowly northwest toward the sea.

Japan

The carriers are replenishing to prepare for operations around Okinawa, but the Japanese attacks continue. The destroyer Halsey Powell (DD-686) is damaged by a suicide plane off Japan.

Pacific

The US submarine Devilfish (SS-292) is damaged by a suicide plane near the Volcano Islands.

Philippines

On Luzon in the US I Corps sector the Americans advance from the Bauang area on San Fernando, which the Japanese have evacuated overnight. Fighting continues around Norton's Knob.

Western Front

Units of the 78th Div, VII Corps, US 1st Army, continue to advance north along the Rhine and reach Geislar, Oberpleis and Bergahausen, cutting the road that runs from Eudenbach to Buchhols.

In the US 3rd Army sector the 4th Arm Div, XII Corps, blocks the roads leading to Worms. The 94th Div, XX Corps, is still advancing swiftly; some units of the 12th Arm Div reach the Rhine north of Mannheim. While the 80th Div converges on Kaiserslautern, halting level with Enkenbach and Neukirchen, northeast of Kaiserslautern, the 10th Arm Div by-passes the town to north and south and makes for the sector between Neukirchen, Enkenbach and Hochspeyer.

The US 7th Army is across the Siegfried Line in the XXI Corps and XV Corps sectors. The 70th Div of XXI Corps occupies Saarbrücken and makes contact with the XX Corps. On the right flank of the army, the divisions of the VI Corps are finding difficulty in penetrating the Siegfried Line.

Images from March 20, 1945

The crew of a Lee tank pose with a captured Japanese flag during the advance south of Mandalay, Burma, 20 March 1945

Tank Crew South of Mandalay

Führer und Reichskanzler (Leader and Reich Chancellor) Adolf Hitler touches the face of Wilhelm 'Willi' Hubner a Hitlerjugend during an awards ceremony behind the Reich Chancellery, March 20, 1945

Adolf Hitler Touches the Face a Hitlerjugend

14th Army, 17 Indian Div, 7 Indian Div, 255th Indian Tank Brigade, 116th RAC (Gordon Highlanders), A Lee tank during the advance south from Mandalay, 20 March 1945.

A Lee Tank during the Advance

Co. C, 300th Combat Engineers, repairing roads between Fritzdorf and Overich, Germany, 20 March 1945. (Photo: Riel Crandall)

Road Repair

The strafing damaged B-24 #42-50390 almost to salvage status, 392nd BG, Mission #263, Target Hemmingstedt

Damaged B-24 Liberator

Soldier carrying mortar in baby carriage in Saarbrucken as troops moved into the city today, 20 March 1945. 274th Infantry Regiment, 70th Division

Moving Into Saarbrucken

American soldiers take cover on the Nibelungen bridge over the Rhine River, as German snipers on the opposite bank of the Rhine take aim, 20 March 1945

US Soldiers Take Cover

A Lee tank supporting infantry during the advance south from Mandalay, 20 March 1945.

A Lee Tank Supporting Infantry