January 26th, 1945 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: The USAAF 8th Air Force, 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron (Air-Sea Rescue) is formed from Detachment B of the 65th Fighter Wing.U -1051 is sunk in the Irish Sea south of the Isle of Man, position 53. 39N, 05. 23W, by ramming and depth charges from the British frigates HMS Aylmer, Calder, Bentinck and Manners. 47 dead (all hands lost).
Frigate HMS Manners has her stern blown off by a Zaunkönig fired by U-1172 and is towed to Barrow. She was not repaired. There are 36 casualties. Location: Irish Sea 21 miles W of Anglesey. (Alex Gordon)(108)
The following AP report was released to the newswires - A Berlin broadcast asserted today that U-boats had sunk six fully-laden Allied supply ships and two destroyers en route from Britain to France. The broadcast declared that the cargo ships totalled approximately 43.900 tons and included three large tankers. There has been no Allied confirmation. The following AP report was released to the newswires - The French news agency today quoted Ankara reports that one of Germany's new secret weapons is an "artillery submarine" which might be used for terror bombardments of American coastal cities. Neutral travellers who reached the Turkish city were declared to have said the submarines were in the final stages of construction. But the program was reported delayed by patriot sabotage so that there was little chance they could be used before the fall of Berlin.
Minesweeper HMS Bramble launched.
Frigate HMS Manners torpedoed by U-1172. Constructive total loss. Sold for scrap on 3 Dec 1946.
FRANCE: American Lt. Audie Murphy is wounded.
GERMANY: Frankfürt-am-der-Oder is declared a 'Festungstadt'
or fortress city. Most of its non-essential civilians will be moved west. (Russ Folsom)
U-3524 commissioned.
CANADA: Tug HMCS Beamsville assigned to Esquimalt.
U.S.A.: Washington: Lt. Audie Murphy is awarded the Medal of Honor.
Submarine USS Irex launched.
Submarines USS Moray and Capitaine commissioned.