May 16th, 1945 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Frigates HMCS Loch Alvie and Nene detached from Convoy JW-67 to escort 14 surrendered U-boats from Trondheim to Loch Eribol.
GERMANY: U-287 mined and sunk in the Elbe Estuary.
DENMARK: The German garrison on Bornholm Island, surrenders.
INDIAN OCEAN: The Japanese cruiser Haguro while conducting evacuations in the Nicobar Islands, with destroyer Kamakaze, is caught in the Malacca Straits. The British force, commanded by Captain M.L. Power, DesFlot.26, HMS VERULAM, HMS VIRAGO, HMS VIGILANT, HMS VENUS and HMS SAUMAREZ sink Haguro in what will become the last surface action involving major warships.The IJN ships left Singapore on May 10. The British Destroyer Flotilla is part of the British Force 61 of the British East Indies Fleet under Vice-Admiral Walker. This larger force is composed of 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 4 escort carriers, 8 destroyers and a submarine. The destroyer flotilla was detached due to the slow speed of the BBs and CVEs. (Tim Lanzendorfer)
JAPAN: During the night of 16/17 May, the USAAF's Twentieth Air Force flies Mission 175: 25 B-29 Superfortresses mine Shimonsoeki Strait, Japan while two others hit targets of opportunity.
CANADA: Patrol vessel HMCS Wolf paid off Esquimalt, British Columbia.
U.S.A.: U-234 surrendered at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Destroyer USS Rich laid down.