Air Operations, CBI

• 1 308th Heavy Bomb Group B-24s attacks a bridge.
• Nearly 100 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack shipping and port facilities at Taku and numerous targets across southern and eastern China.

• 13 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack bridges at 5 locations, including Kaifeng, China.
• 20 51st Fighter Group P-51s attack coastal rail and road traffic.
• 12 P-51s and P-38s attack targets of opportunity in several cities.
• 48 V Bomber Command B-24s operating in 8 6-plane formations attack facilities and bridges throughout the coastal area.
• 16 B-25s sweep rail lines between Phanrang and Binh Dinh.

Air Operations, East Indies

• FEAF B-24s attack the Mandai airfield on Celebes.
• 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s attack the Labuan airfield and Kuching.
• XIII Fighter Command P-38s attack airfields at Jesselton, Kudat, and Sengkawang on Borneo.

Air Operations, Japan

• 40 313th Very Heavy Bombt Wing B-29s attack the Kanoya, Miyakonojo and Oita airfields on Kyushu and the Matsuyama airfield on Shikoku. 1 B-29 attacks a target of opportunity.
• 94 VII Fighter Command P-51s attack the Kisarazu airfield on Honshu.

Air Operations, Philippines

• XIII Bomber Command B-24s and XIII Fighter Command P-38s attack targets on Mindanao.
• V Bomber Command B-24s, B-25s, and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack targets on Luzon.
• 1st Marine Aircraft Wing PBJs, SBDs, and F4Us support the US X Corps on Mindanao.

Atlantic

The Liberty ship Horace Binney hits a mine off Flushing and almost breaks in two, but a remarkable salvage operation saves the ship and its cargo.

Baltic Sea

The final German evacuation convoys leave from Courland, Latvia. 126 small craft are involved. 1,420,000 people have been evacuated from Pomerania and East Prussia since January 25.

Eastern Front

The remains of the German 16th and 18th Armies, cut off for months in northern Latvia, surrender to the Leningrad Front. South and southeast of Berlin, Dresden and Görlitz surrender to the armies of the 1st Ukraine Front, some units of which cross the Czechoslovak frontier and advance south toward Prague, where the patriots in revolt are already attacking the Germans. Units of the 4th Ukraine Front take Olmütz and Sternber, north of Olmütz.

In Croatia the Germans are till fighting against Tito's troops, who liberate Zagreb.

Army Group Kurland, 189,000 troops, begins to lay down its arms.

The Soviet 5th Guards Army captures the ruins of Dresden, as the 4th Ukrainian Front takes Olomouc.[MORE]

Europe

The British and Americans celebrate VE-Day (Victory in Europe). Truman, Churchill and King George VI all make special broadcasts.

In Prague the German forces surrender. The units of Army Group Kurland, long cut off in Latvia surrender also. Most of the German pockets which have been holding out in eastern Germany have also given in. Crown Prince Olaf and British and Norwegian troops land in Norway.

Göring surrenders near Fischhorn in Austria.

The German surrender to the Russians is signed at Karlshorst, near Berlin. Field Marshal Keitel, Marshal Zhukov and Air Marshal Tedder ratify the Rheims surrender document.

Occupied Norway

Crown Prince Olaf lands at Oslo from a British warship and proclaims the surrender of the German occupying forces.

Okinawa

Torrential rain holds up operations by land, sea and air. The 1st Marine Div blows up several enemy positions in caves on Nan Hill which were holding up the advance on Height 60. On the east coast the 7th Div improves its positions.

Philippines

On Luzon in the US XI Corps sector, the 145th Inf overcomes Japanese resistance and takes the ridge near Guagua southeast of Mount Pacawagan, coming within 500 meters of Guagua and blocking a track along the Mariquina River.

On Mindanao, units of the US 24th Div establish a bridgehead over the Talomo River, north of Mintal, in spite of strong Japanese resistance. The 31st Div clears up the Colgan woods, and some units reach Maramag airfield. American units land on Samar Island.

On Negros the Americans in the south of the island continue their slow progress against stong Japanese opposition.

United States, Home Front

Pres Truman declares May 9 to be 'V-E Day', the day of victory in Europe.

Images from May 8, 1945

Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel signs the final surrender terms on 8 May 1945 in Berlin.

Signing the Final Surrender

A group of women wearing dresses representing flags of the Allied powers outside the Eglise de la Madeleine on VE Day in Paris.

Flags of the Allied Powers

May 8, 1945: German General Hans-Jurgen Stumpff of the Luftwaffe, German Field Marshal and German chief-of-staff Wilhelm Keitel, and Admiral Hans-Georg Von Friedeburg of the German Navy pose before officially signing the German definitive act of surrender at the headquarters of the Soviet forces in the Berlin suburb of Karlshost (Photo: AFP)

Signing the Act of Surrender

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth are joined by their daughters, Princess Elizabeth (left) and Princess Margaret (right), on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as the crowd cheers at their VE Day appearance on May 8, 1945 (Photo: AP)

Britain's Royals VE Day Appearance

Men of the US Army 77th Infantry Division at Okinawa, Japan listening to radio reports for the German surrender, May 8, 1945

Listening to Reports of German Surrender