January 19th, 1945 (FRIDAY)
FRANCE: Versailles: Montgomery is furious as Eisenhower rejects his strategy for a push to the Rhine in favour of General Bradley's.
GERMANY: U-2371 laid down.
U-4706 launched.
U.S.S.R.: Polar Fleet: DD "Deyatelnii" (ex-I 45 "Churchill") - by U-boat, in Rinda bay area, at Kolsk Gulf. (Sergey Anisimov)(69)
Moscow: The fears of the Polish government in London came true today when President Bierut, the leader of the Soviet-sponsored Lublin Committee, issued a decree announcing the round-up of "irresponsible members" of the Home Army and followers of the London government. The decree urged all armed forces in the liberated areas to outlaw the "Home Army murderers who are provoking civil strife". Of General Bor-Komorowski, the leader of the Warsaw uprising, it says: "His provocative rising and later surrender of arms considerably aided the Germans." There seems little doubt now that the Lublin Committee intends to carry out a purge of all those who do not follow the communist line.
SOUTH AFRICA: ASW trawler HMS Northern Isles beached and lost near Durban
CHINA: Japanese troops take Chingyuan, on the Canton to Hankow railway.
BURMA: L/Naik Sher Shah (b.1917), 16th Punjab Regt., broke up two attacks by crawling among the Japanese and firing at close range. Wounded, he went in a third time, but was killed. (Victoria Cross)
MALAYA: Submarine HMS Penang damaged by Japanese aircraft near Penang. Sunk by Japanese surface forces later that day. No survivors.
U.S.A.: The federal government relinquishes control of the United States' railways after settling a wage dispute.