The Battle of Paris ended at 2:30 p.m. when German commander Dietrich von Choltitz surrendered the French capital against orders.
Dietrich von Choltitz with Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque and Jacques Soustelle in the M3 Scout Car.
De Gaulle arrived in the city at 4:00 p.m. to cheering crowds.
Versailles was liberated by French troops.
124 residents of Maillé, Indre-et-Loire were murdered by the Germans in reprisal for actions by the French Resistance.
The Red Ball Express truck convoy system of emergency supply provision began and would run for 83 days.
US and French forces liberated Avignon without opposition.
The British 8th Army commenced Operation Olive in Italy.
Belgian No. 4 Troop of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando raided Île d'Yeu, which turned out to be unoccupied.
Romania declared war on Germany.
The Germans scuttled the U-18, U-24 and U-178. The U-667 hit a mine in the Bay of Biscay and sank. The Z24 was sunk by Allied aircraft. The U-1000 hit a mine off of Pilau and was damaged beyond repair.
The US prevailed in the Battle of Aitape.
The Japanese destroyer Yūnagi was sunk northeast of Cape Bojeador, Luzon by the USS Picuda.
"Coast Guardsman Kent C. Pompella, boatswain’s mate second class, displays the picturesque facial fashions of the fighting South Sea invader. On his face he sports a 10 months growth of briers and in his ears a pair of shark tooth earrings." Pompella passed away in January 2000 at the age of 79, a resident of Cloverdale, California. The last 20 years of his life he ran a hotel in that city, behind which he planted a large garden. He was a commercial fisherman prior to that. Earrings in men, it might be noted, were extremely unusual at the time.
Last edition:
