Wednesday, January 31, 1945. Fifty miles from Berlin.

"Reading his first mail since moving into frontline position is Sgt. John W. Carter of Gastonia, N.C., Battery C, 616th F.A. Bn., 10th Mtn. Div. 31 January, 1945. Cutigliano area, Italy.

Battery B, 616th Field Artillery Battalion, 10th Mountain Division.

The Red Army closed to within fifty miles of Berlin.

The Battle for Kapelsche Veer ended in a victory for the Canadian Army.

The Waffen SS murdered over 160 Polish POWs at Podgaje.  The Polish troops were members of the Communist Polish People's Army.

The Battle of Hill 170 ended in a victory for the British and Indian Armies.

Destroyed Japanese tank on Luzon, January 31, 1945.

The 11th Airborne was landed, by sea, near Nasugbu without opposition.

The execution of Pvt. Eddie Slovik, about which there's been much handwringing, was carried out.  He had been convicted of desertion and is the only US soldier to be executed for the same since the Civil War.  Desertion was becoming a problem in the U.S. Army, contrary to the way we'd like to remember the war (draft dodging was as well), and he was made an example of.

Last edition:

Thursday, January 30, 1945. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Adolf Hitler, Army, boats and ships, Franklin Roosevelt, Malta Conference, Philippine Resistance, Philippine Scouts, Raid at Cabanatuan, Rangers, Winston Churchill, World War Two, Yalta Conference