|
28 Jan |
The Battle of the Bulge
ends - from now on the German Army is on retreat
into Germany itself. |
|
13 Feb |
The bombing raids on the
German city of Dresden start. Many thousands of
civilian lives would be lost in the firestorm
created by 1,300 Allied bombers. |
|
16 Feb |
The Battle of Iwo Jima
starts as the US Navy begins a 3 day bombardment of
the island. |
|
19 Feb |
US Marines land on Iwo
Jima. |
|
23 Feb |
US Marines raise the US
flag on the summit of Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima.
Of over 20,000 Japanese defenders, only 1,000 were
taken prisoner. |
|
7 March |
British and American
troops cross the Rhine. |
|
29 March |
The last bomb of the war
to fall on Britain, a V1. |
|
1 April |
America troops take
Okinawa – the last island held by the Japanese.
|
|
12 April |
Death of F D Roosevelt. |
|
13 April |
Russians forces capture
Vienna. |
|
18 April |
All resistance in the
Ruhr ends and 370,000 German prisoners are taken. |
|
22 April |
Hitler decides to
stay in Berlin 'until the end'. |
|
25 April |
American and British
troops meet at Torgau in Germany. |
|
30 April |
Hitler commits suicide. |
|
2 May |
Berlin surrenders
to the Russian Army. |
|
|
4 May |
The German VII Army
surrenders. |
|
7 May |
Germany surrenders
unconditionally. |
|
8 May |
Victory in Europe (VE)
Day.
Listen
now to Winston Churchill as he greets the crowds on
VE Day (right): |
|
11 May |
German forces in
Czechoslovakia surrender. |
|
22 June |
Japanese resistance on
Okinawa ends. |
|
12 July |
In a General Election in
Britain, Atlee replaces Churchill as prime minister. |
|
6 Aug |
The first atomic bomb is
dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima by a US
B29 Superfortress bomber, called the 'Enola Gay'. It
is estimated that 200,000 people die as a result. |
 |
|
9 Aug |
A second atomic bomb
'Fat Man' is dropped on the Japanese military port
of Nagasaki by US Superfortress 'Bockscar', a
further 200,000 deaths result. |
|
2 Sept |
Japan surrenders.
Victory in Japan (VJ) Day is celebrated. |