August 19th, 1945 (SUNDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: King George and Queen Elizabeth lead nationwide thanksgiving services to mark Victory Sunday.
U.S.S.R.: Pacific Fleet ship loss - MMS "KT-152" (ex-"Neptun") - by aviation at Shumshu Is. area. (Sergey Anisimov)(69)
MANCHURIA: Mukden: High-ranking Allied PoWs including Lt-Gen Jonathan Wainwright, who led the American's last stand on Corregidor in the Philippines in 1942, have been found safe and well in a small PoW camp 100 miles from Mukden in Manchuria. They were rescued by a volunteer team of US doctors which parachuted into the area shortly before it fell under Russian control. Also among the 34 freed PoWs are Lt-Gen Arthur Percival, commander of the Singapore garrison at its surrender in 1942, and the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies, Mr van Starkenborch Stachouwer.
FAR EAST: Two B-25Js of the US Far East Air Force's 345th Bombardment Group (Medium) intercept 2 IJN G4M "Betty" bombers north of Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands. The Japanese aircraft carry a delegation from Tokyo enroute to Manila, Philippine Islands, to meet General MacArthur's staff to work out details of the surrender. The G4Ms are painted all white with green crosses on the wings, fuselage and vertical tail surface and use the call signs "Bataan I" and "Bataan II." The Japanese land on Ie Shima and transfer to USAAF C-54 Skymasters for the flight to Manila. On the return flight from Ie Shima to Japan, the Japanese aircraft run out of fuel and ditch in Tokyo Bay but the delegation is rescued and completes the mission.
Pictures of the delegation and Envoy
PACIFIC OCEAN: The formation of fleet
Marine and Navy landing forces from officers and men afloat begins; these men
are transferred, at sea, to transports for the impending occupation of Yokosuka
under Commander, Task Force 31.
FORMOSA: Subhas Chandra Bose, the Indian Nationalist leader is killed in an air crash.
CANADA: HMC ML 075 paid off.
USA: The War Production Board removes most of its controls over manufacturing activity.
