Air Operations, Carolines

Royal Navy carrier aircraft from the heavy carrier HMS Implacable attack the Truk Atoll day and night.

Air Operations, CBI

• 3 341st Medium Bomb Group B-25s and 47 14th Air Force fighter-bombers attack stores and numerous road, rail, and river targets.

Air Operations, East Indies

• Supplementing Royal Australian Air Force efforts, FEAF B-24s attack artillery positions at Balikpapan.
• 42nd Medium Bomb Group B-25s and XIII Fighter Command P-38s attack targets around Brunei and Kudat.

Air Operations, Formosa

• 84 V Bomber Command B-24s attack the airfield at Taichu.
• 2 386th Bomb Squadron B-32s attack a sugar mill at Taito with 16 2,000-pound bombs.
• B-25s attack Rokko and the airfield at Okaseki.

Air Operations, Japan

• 444 XXI Bomber Command B-29s attack Osaka and Amagasaki with 3,157 tons of incendiary bombs. 25 B-29s attack other targets.
• 2 B-29s are lost.
• VII Fighter Command P-51s dispatched to escort B-29s over Japan abort in the face of bad weather.
• During the night, 30 505th Very Heavy Bomb Group B-29s sow mines in Shimonoseki Strait and off Fukuoka, Fushiki, and Karatsu.

Air Operations, Philippines

V Bomber Command B-25s and A-20s, and V Fighter Command fighter-bombers attack various targets on Luzon.

Air Operations, Ryukyus

US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft support US 10th Army ground forces on Okinawa and attack airfields in the Sakishima Islands.

Air Operations, Pacific

The blighted city of Osaka is revisited by US B-29s, and is bombarded with a further 3,000 tons of bombs and incendiaries.

Britain, Home Front

Parliament is dissolved in anticipation of the first General Election since 1935.

Burma

The mopping up in the Shan Mountains are ends. Mountbatten addresses a Victory Parade in Rangoon.

Dutch East Indies

Australian forces complete clearing the islands of Labuan and Muara, off Borneo.

Okinawa

The Marines in action of Kunishi Ridge are unable to advance and suffer heavy casualties. The 1st Div, already short of men, is integrated with the 8th Regiment of the 2nd Marine Div. The elimination of the Japanese positions on Mount Yaeju and Mount Yuza by the XXIV Corps goes on slowly.

Damaged in a collision in the Okinawa area is the US destroyer escort O'Flaherty (DE-340).

Philippines

On Luzon in the north of the island, Filipino guerrillas seize Cervantes. The US 37th Div pushes on in the Cagayan valley, eliminating a Japanese strongpoint about 3 miles from Santiago, near Cabanatuan.

Images from June 15, 1945

Honor Men-Army, Navy and Marine Corps leaders, American heroes and their families photographed with President Harry Truman after presentation ceremonies. The uniformed Medal of Honor recipients are, left to right: Marine Major Everett P. Pope, of Wollaston, Mass.; Army PFC Gino J. Merli, Teckville, Pa.; Marine PFC Luther Skaggs, Jr., Henderson, Ky.; and Marine Lieutenant Carlton R. Rouh, Lindenwold, N.J. In the background are General George C. Marshall, Army Chief of Staff; Marine Corps Commandant, General Alexander A. Vandegrift, and Navy Secretary James V. Forrestal. The tot standing by the President is seven-year-old Florette Graham, of Lindenwold, N.J., the niece of Lieutenant Rouh.

Medal of Honor Recipients

Shells from a British Pacific Fleet cruiser falling on Japanese oil tanks at Truk during the 15 June 1945 bombardment

Bombardment of Truk

I-165 class submarine - Kaiten type 1

I-165 Class Submarine

Labuan, 15 June 1945. Members of a patrol from 'A' Company, Australian 2/43rd Infantry Battalion, disembark from a boat and walk along a large fallen tree, as they move inland to investigate reports of Japanese activity.

Searching for Japanese Activity