Thursday, May 25, 1944. Japanese victory at Henan, Operation Rösselsprung in Yugoslavia, Breakthrough at Anzio.

Japanese troops in Henan.

The Japanese won the Battle of Central Henan in China.  During the battle, Chinese peasants in the Henan area acted as sort of a third independent agrarian forces, attacking the Nationalist Chinese Army and the Japanese. Actions against the Nationalist army were in spired by the 1938 Yello River Flood of the late 1930s and the famine of 1942.

The Germans began a combine air and ground assault on the headquarters of the Yugoslav Partisans at Drvar.  The offensive included German mountain troops, SS paratroopers (all regular German paratroopers were in the Luftwaffe) and Yugoslav collaborationist.

SS Paratroops grather for Operation Rösselsprung, the counter partisan offensive in Yugoslavia.

I hadn't been aware of the existence of a SS paratrooper battalion, but there was one, which showed the increasing importance of the SS in the German forces late in the war.  

An operation like this, also, demonstrates the degree to which the Germans were losing control of Yugoslavia.

Repaired US tank in Italy returns to action.

The Fifth Army broke through to the Anzio beachhead and captured Cisterna.

Sgt. Joe Petrowski of the 337th Inf. Regt., examining sights on an 88mm gun abandoned by the Germans. Terracina area, Italy, 25 May, 1944.

Last prior edition:

Wednesday, May 24, 1944. Hitler to Caesar.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, Aircraft, boats and ships, German Army, Italian Navy, Italy, World War Two