Air Operations, CBI

• 76 58th Very Heavy Bomb Wing B-29s attack stores in Rangoon in 2 waves with 519 tons of bombs.
• 12 10th Air Force B-25s and 41 fighter-bombers attack numerous targets directly behind the Japanese Army battle lines.
• 16 fighter-bombers support Chinese Army ground forces in the Hsipaw area.

• 1 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25 and 24 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack rail yards and lines Chukiatsi, Shihkiachwang, and between Chenghsien and Sinsiang.

Air Operations, East Indies

Japanese aircraft mount what turns out to be the last in a long series of attacks against US bases on Morotai.

Air Operations, Europe

• 227 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of Nos. 1 and 8 Groups are sent to bomb Hildesheim. The target is the railway yards. These are bombed, but the surrounding built-up areas also suffers severely in what is virtually an area attack. This is the only major Bomber Command raid of the war on Hildesheim and the post-war British survey found that 263 acres or 70 per cent of the town, had been destroyed. 4 Lancasters are lost.
    There is an attack on Dülmen by 130 aircraft includin 106 Halifaxes, 12 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of Nos. 4 and 8 Groups. This is an area attack and the town is soon burning after a concentrated raid in clear weather conditions. No other details are available.
• There are no losses.

• 124 aircraft including 100 Halifaxes, 12 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of Nos. 6 and 8 Groups bomb Dorsten. Dorsten is a rail and canal center and also the location of a Luftwaffe fuel dump. All these targets are believed to have been hit, but the town probably suffers as well.
• There are no losses.
• 100 Lancasters of No. 3 Group carry out a G-H attack on the town of Bocholt, probably with the intention of cutting communications. The town is seen to be on fire.
• There are no losses.
• 102 Lancasters of No. 5 Group attack bridges at Bremen (82 aircraft) and Nienburg (20 aircraft of No. 617 Squadron). The bridge at Nienburg is destroyed while the bombing at the Bremen bridge appears to be accurate, but no results are seen.
• There are no losses.

• 56 Mosquitos are sent to Berlin, 8 to Paderborn and 6 to Bochum, 21 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos lay mines in Oslo Fjord, and there are 30 Mosquito patrols and 39 RCM sorties.
• 2 Intruder Mosquitos of No. 100 Group are lost.

• 450 1st Air Division B-17s and 289 3rd Air Division B-17s attack ten German Army bases and emcampments.
• 325 2nd Air Division B-24s attack three Luftwaffe airdromes.
• 208 3rd Air Division B-17s attack two Luftwaffe airdromes.
• 21 heavy bombers attack secondary targets and targets of opportunity.
• 1 B-17 and 3 of 632 VIII Fighter Command escorts are lost.

• 798 9th Air Division bombers attack communications centers, a marshalling yard, flak concentrations, and seven towns.
• 9th Air Force fighters and fighter-bombers attack rail lines.
• 8th, 9th, and 1st Tactical Air Force fighter pilots down 22 Luftwaffe fighters over Germany between 1230 and 1340 hours.

• 12th Air Force B-25s attack bridges at four locations.

• XXII TAC P-47s attack rail and communications targets.
• During the night, XXII TAC A-20s and A-26s attack crossing points in the Po River valley.

• 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack two oil refineries and rail targets in Vienna, and marshalling yards at Graz, Klagenfurt, Wels, and Zeltweg.

• 15th Air Force heavy bombers attack an oil refinery and a marshalling yard.

• 136 15th Air Force B-17s severely damage Germany's largest remaining synthetic-fuel factory, at Ruhland, and several attack an aluminum works at Lauta.
• 3 B-17s are downed by Luftwaffe fighters.
• Pilots of the 1st, 14th, 31st, and 82nd Fighter Groups down 5 Luftwaffe aircraft over Ruhland and Papa Airdrome between 1225 and 1345 hours.

Air Operations, Formosa

Although briefed for multiple targets, poor weather over Formosa forces all of the 77 V Bomber Command B-24s dispatched to attack the airfield at Tainan.

Air Operations, Philippines

• XIII Bomber Command B-24s, 494th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s, V Bomber Command A-20s and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing F4Us attack Cebu City and other targets on Cebu especially ammo and supply dumps.
• V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s and A-20s attack many targets on Luzon.

Atlantic

The US freighter Charles D. McIver (7176t) sinks after striking a mine as she leaves Antwerp, Belgium in Convoy ATM-100. There are no casualties and the four boatloads of survivors are rescued by the British motor minesweeper BYMS-2278 and the tank landing ship LST-430. The freighter is later written off as a total loss.

Battle of the Atlantic

• After a collison with the Canadian frigate New Glasgow, U-1003 then hit the bottom very violently at 60m. The U-boat surfaced to survey the damage. The damage was so extensive, it was decided to scuttle her.

U-1003

Class	Type VIIC/41
CO	Oberleutnant zur See Werner Struebing
Location	Atlantic, N of Lough Foyle
Cause	Collision/scuttling
Casualties	18
Survivors	31

• German U-boats attack Wales-bound Convoy TBC-102 and Ghent,Belgioum-bound Convoy BTC-103. U-399 torpedoes and sinks the US freighter John R. Park (7194t). All hands are rescued by the US freigher American Press. U-1195 torpedoes and sinks the US freighter James Eagan Lane (7176t). British freigher Monkstone and rescue tug Flaunt picks up the survivors. The freghter is eventually beached by two tugs, but is subsequently written off as a total loss.

Dutch East Indies

The Japanese carry out their last air raid on Morotai Island in the Moluccas.

Eastern Front

The 3rd Belorussian Front continues its attacks against German pockets in East Prussia, while the 2nd Belorussian Front makes a little progress against the Germans' fortified line in front of Gdynia and Danzig. The 1st Ukraine Front breaches the enemy lines west and south of Oppeln (Opole) in Silesia. In Hungary, the 3rd Ukraine Front steps up its offensive to break through the German lines between Lake Balaton and the Danube. Hard fighting continues at Székesfehérvár.

The Soviet 49th Army reaches the Baltic near Zoppot, effectively isolating Danzig from Gotenhafen, and the German 4th Army is isolated at Heiligenbeil.

The Soviet 5th Shock and 8th Guards Armies linke up at Golzow, encircling 2,000 German troops in Küstrin.

The German 6th Army is overrun by the Soviet 4th, 6th Guards Tank and 9th Guards Armies, trapping the 6th SS Panzer Army. Dietrich orders his units to fight their way out to the west.[MORE]

Iwo Jima

Supported by tanks armed with flame-throwers, the 5th Marine Div continues its slow advance toward the sea in the northwest of the island.

Japan

As the task force continues to prepare for further operations on Okinawa, the Japanese continue their attacks but this day many are made by manned rocket bombs.

Pacific

The US submarine Perch (SS-313) sinks the Japanese Communication Vessel No. 463 en route to Balikpapan.

Philippines

On Luzon units of the US 25th Division, I Corps, advancing along the valley of the Putlan River toward Balete Pass are held up by strong Japanese resistance. In the other sectors mopping up proceeds in the positions taken the previous day.

The Americal Division prepares to invade the island of Cebu, west of Leyte and east of Los Negros. The US 8th Army under Gen Robert L. Eichelberger continues with its program for the systematic occupation of the southern Philippines. The islands are defended by 102,000 men of the Japanese 35th Army, mostly concentrated on Mindanao, under command of Gen Sosaku Suzuki.

Ryukyu Islands

Since March 18 in preparation for the landing, Task Force 58 has been carrying out a series of air and naval attacks against the defenses of Okinawa and enemy shipping, damaging 16 Japanese warships and transports and destroying over 500 enemy aircraft on the ground or in combat.

Spain

Don Juan, the Pretender, demands the resignation of Franco and the restoration of the Monarchy.

Western Front

During the night the III Corps, US 1st Army, begins limited attacks across the Wied River. On the southern flank of the army the V Corps liberates the region between the Wied and Rhine Rivers. The XII Corps, US 3rd Army, completes the capture of the west bank of the Rhine and then prepares to cross the river. The 5th Div re-groups near Oppenheim and begins to cross the Rhine near Nierstein. In the XX Corps sector, the 89th Div prepares to cross the Rhine near the bridgehead established by the 5th Div. The 10th Arm Div, XII Corps, captures Landau.

Units of the US 7th Army continue their advance toward the Rhine. In the VI Corps sector the 103rd Div reaches Klingenmünster and the 36th approaches Bergzabern, while the 14th Arm Div completes the capture of Steinfeld.

Images from March 22, 1945

Dülmen

RAF Bomb Bocholt

Ruins of Wesel, Germany

Photo Taken by a Pilot

Victor Bridge

US Troops Crossing the Rhine

784th Tank Battalion Preparing to Cross the Rhine

Liberated Allied Prisoners

Working On Iwo Jima Airstrip

[March 21st - March 23rd]