SprueStack Zero Hour: WW2 day by day

18 March 1945

What happened on this day in the Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, with a source for every entry.

About this page

Each day we list events from the Second World War that happened on that date, from 1939 to 1945. Every entry names its source and links to it, so you can read further. Entries are sourced and machine-screened before they go up, a subset is human-reviewed, and we add more over time.

7 of 12 sourced entries for this date, chosen by the editor.

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Entries

Italy

15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army’s II Corps area, Italian Legnano Gp is attached to corps and placed under command of 91st Div, later relieving 2 regts of that div. 85th Div passes to army reserve.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Japan

In preparation for Operation ICEBERG (invasion of the Ryukyus), carrier planes of TF 58 attack Japanese homeland to neutralize enemy airfields on Kyushu.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
Luzon

In U.S. Sixth Army’s I Corps area, 33d Div TF (1st Bn, 130th Inf, reinf) assembles near Bauang for rcn in force of Bauang-Naguilian area.

Source US Army CMH chronology (opens external site)
40th Infantry Division, spearheaded by the 185th US Infantry Regiment, lands unopposed in Tigbauan, forcing the Japanese forces to surrender and General Macario Peralta and Gen. Gen.

Source Wikipedia (opens external site)
China-Burma-India Theater

THOR mission records show at least 83 Allied sorties (8 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1945-03-18, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force. Targets included BURMA.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
Mediterranean Theater

THOR mission records show at least 26 Allied sorties (6 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1945-03-18, flown by unidentified Allied air units. Targets included ITALY.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.
Pacific Theater

THOR mission records show at least 580 Allied sorties (87 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1945-03-18, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force, USAAF 20th Air Force, USAAF 13th Air Force, USAAF 7th Air Force.

Source US Air Force THOR (opens external site)

THOR is a secondary compilation with known gaps, not a complete record.

The full list for this date is being cleaned and will return soon.

Sources listed with each entry. Spotted an error? Tell us.

18 March in other years 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944

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18 March 1945

Entries

15th Army Group: In U.S. Fifth Army’s II Corps area, Italian Legnano Gp is attached to corps and placed under command of 91st Div, later relieving 2 regts of that div. 85th Div passes to army reserve.

In preparation for Operation ICEBERG (invasion of the Ryukyus), carrier planes of TF 58 attack Japanese homeland to neutralize enemy airfields on Kyushu.

In U.S. Sixth Army’s I Corps area, 33d Div TF (1st Bn, 130th Inf, reinf) assembles near Bauang for rcn in force of Bauang-Naguilian area.

40th Infantry Division, spearheaded by the 185th US Infantry Regiment, lands unopposed in Tigbauan, forcing the Japanese forces to surrender and General Macario Peralta and Gen. Gen.

THOR mission records show at least 83 Allied sorties (8 recorded unit missions) in the China-Burma-India Theater on 1945-03-18, flown by USAAF 10th Air Force. Targets included BURMA.

THOR mission records show at least 26 Allied sorties (6 recorded unit missions) in the Mediterranean Theater on 1945-03-18, flown by unidentified Allied air units. Targets included ITALY.

THOR mission records show at least 580 Allied sorties (87 recorded unit missions) in the Pacific Theater on 1945-03-18, flown by USAAF 5th Air Force, USAAF 20th Air Force, USAAF 13th Air Force, USAAF 7th Air Force.

Talk about it