12 May 1945

Frigates HMCS Loch Alvie, Nene and Matane departed Clyde with Convoy JW-67.

Frigate HMCS Stone Town and corvette HMCS Humberstone departed Londonderry with escort for Convoy ONS-50.

GERMANY: OSS agent Robert Matteson and two other agents capture Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Himmler's deputy after Heydrich's assassination. The special operation was ordered after intelligence that he was organizing ex-SS men to form a resistance. (William L. Howard)

BURMA: Rfn Lachhiman Gurung (b.1917), 8th Gurkha Rifles, threw back Japanese grenades until one blew off his right fingers. He then fired his rifle with his left hand for four hours. (Victoria Cross)

NORTH BORNEO: Cpl John Bernard Mackey (b.1922), Australian Military Forces, overcame two posts - one a heavy machine gun - and died charging a third. (Victoria Cross)

PACIFIC OCEAN: Hundreds of kikusai [floating chrysanthemums] airmen are committing suicide in a vain attempt to "annihilate" the American invasion of Okinawa. Up to yesterday no less than six major kikusai attacks, using a total of 1,092 suicide pilots as well as conventional air attack, had been mounted. Swarms of the body-crashing kamikazes have also assaulted the Allied carrier task groups covering the Okinawa operation. During the sixth mass attack on 11-12 May the fleet carriers USS BUNKER HILL and USS ENTERPRISE were hit. The Bunker Hill suffered very heavy casualties, with 392 dead. Next day the battleship USS NEW MEXICO was hit. The British Pacific Fleet again came in for its share of suicide attacks when it returned to the task of neutralizing the Sakishima Islands. On 4 May HMS Victorious and HMS FORMIDABLE were hit and on 9 May HMS Victorious and HMS FORMIDABLE (again) were hit. The carriers suffered little damage, the kamikazes crumpling on their armoured decks.

A reinforced company from the U.S. Army's 27th Infantry Division occupies Tori Shima located west of Okinawa. The two Japanese on the island jump in to the sea as the Americans approach.

CANADA: At the end of hostilities on 11 May 45, U-190 reported its position as 42-35N, 43-05W, at 1001GMT. HMCS Victoriaville and Thorlock were detached from inbound Convoy ON-300. Incorrect information about U-190's position and course at first put them off the track. Homing on U-190's radio transmissions, U-190's steaming lights were sighted at 2303GMT some 500 miles east of Cape Race. HMCS Thorlock went alongside at 2340GMT on 11 May. It was found that they had followed orders by jettisoning secret documents in weighted bags, and by disposing of all ammunition - even the acoustic torpedoes. The White ensign flew from U-190 at 0001GMT on 12 May. All of U-190's crew with the exception of 9 engine-room personnel and 3 upperdeck watch keepers were transferred to the corvettes. By 0200 the contingent was steaming at 9kts for the Bay of Bulls Nfld, where it arrived at 0600GMT on 14 May. HMCS Prestonian delivered the fifty-four prisoners to Halifax on 16 May. Subsequently taken to Halifax, U-190 commissioned into the RCN on 14 May 45 as HMCS U-190. Lt DW Pope RNR took command of the boat 25 Jun 45 before she left St John's. Pope's XO was Lt KC Tyron RCNVR, senior Canadian aboard. Testing and evaluation were carried out. Paid off on 24 Jul 47, and on 21 Oct 47 U-190 was sunk by Canadian Naval a/c near the position where she had sunk HMCS Esquimalt. The intent at the time was to have Naval a/c, 8 Seafires, 8 Fireflies, 2 Ansons, and 2 Swordfish attack U-190 with rockets and this was to be followed by HMCS Nootka, Haida, New Liskeard which would bombard U-190 with guns and Hedgehog. Almost before the ships, had a chance to enter the act, U-190 pointed its bows into the air after the first rocket attack and slipped silently beneath the sea.

Cape May, New Jersey: U-858 is steaming here under escort. Tomorrow she will come into port flying the black flag of surrender with most of her crew on deck. She will be the first U-boat to surrender since Admiral Dönitz ordered his fleet to cease hostilities just over a week ago on 4 May.

Dönitz has agreed to the Allied demand that the U-boats should surrender rather than be scuttled in the German navy tradition. However, many of the commanders of the 377 U-boats still at sea bitterly resent his order. They are preparing to scuttle their boats or sail them to neutral countries to avoid the humiliation of surrendering to the enemy.

Destroyer USS Orleck launched.

Submarine USS Sea Devil commissioned.

Destroyers USS Fred T Berry and Gurke commissioned.

Escort carrier USS Kula Gulf commissioned.