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, Europe

• Fighter units mount the last USAAF operational combat missions of the war in Europe--amounting to several hundred effective sorties, mostly in the form of sweeps over territory still held by the German Army. 9 German military airplanes and 1 9th Air Force F-6 are downed between 0715 and 2005 hours.
• 12 B-17s from the 8th Air Force's 406th Heavy Bomb Squadron drop surrender leaflets over Germany while 11 F-5 photo-reconnaissance aircraft of the 7th Reconnaissance Group conduct damage-assessment missions, also over Germany. At the end of the day, wartime air operations in the ETO are officially concluded although surrender leaflets will continue being dropped until May 31, 1945.

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.
• U-3503 is attacked and damaged by Liberator 'K' of No 86 Squadron on May 6. The U-boat sustained such damage that it was decided to scuttle the boat and seek internment in Sweden for the crew.

U-3503

CBI

Japanese forces are stopped by a Chinese counterattac, supported by 14th Air Force. The Chinese force inflict over 11,000 casualties on the enemy in the first major victory for the Chinese in two years.

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.

Pacific

• The US submarine Bowfin (SS-287) sinks the Japanese fishing boat No.3 Daito Maru (880t) southeast of Todogasaki.
• Mines sink the Japanese merchant cargo ship Shuncho Maru south of Futaoi Jima.

Philippines

On Luzon in the US XI Corps sector, the 145th Infantry 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 Division establish a bridgehead over the Talomo River, north of Mintal, in spite of strong Japanese resistance. The 31st Division clears up the Colgan woods, and some units reach Maramag airfield. American units land on Samar Island.

8th Army reports that the Leyte-Samar area has been cleared, and that over 24,000 Japanese troops have been killed and another 439 taken prisoner since February. American losses are reported as 432 killed, 1,852 wounded, and 22 missing.

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

Signing the Final Surrender

Flags of the Allied Powers

Signing the Act of Surrender

Britain's Royals VE Day Appearance

Listening to Reports of German Surrender