November 18th, 1945 (SUNDAY)
BULGARIA: Communist Fatherland Front wins general election.
IRAN: The Tudeh Party, a Communist dominated organization, foments a rebellion in the Iranian province of Azerbaijan. When the Iranian government attempts to intervene against the rebels, Soviet military forces in the region support the uprising and Red Army troops refuse to evacuate Iranian territory.
CANADA:
Frigate HMCS St Catharines paid off.
Frigate HMCS Thetford Mines paid off Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Minesweeper HMCS Elm Lake completed and assigned to USSR as T-193.
U.S.A.: Aircraft carrier USS Princeton commissioned.
MEXICO: Esquadron Aereo de Pelea 201 of the Mexican Air Force returns to Mexico from duty in the Pacific Theater. 300 strong, these volunteers made history as Mexico's first - and only - military force to serve outside the Latin American nation's borders. Also known as the "Aztec Eagles," they flew side-by-side with Americans in the Army's 5th Air Force, 58th Fighter Group.
Assigned to Clark Field in the Philippines, the squadron flew 59 combat missions during its six months at war. The pilots' targets were oil depots, bridges, ships, ports and ground forces. Five Mexican pilots were killed. 31 pilots flew P-47D Thunderbolt in missions to Luzon and Formosa.
After the war, members of the squadron received U.S. Air Medals and the Mexican Medal of Valor. Mexico erected a modest monument to their service in Mexico City's sprawling Chapultapec Park. The unit is still operational and is based in Cozumel, flying Pilatus light planes on coastal patrol. (Drew Halevy and Gordon Rottman)