This Week in WWII - By Tom "Crash" Davis

August 22, 1945:  Japanese forces in Manchuria surrender to the Soviet Army.

August 23 1943:  The month long offensive known as the Battle of Kursk concludes.  German losses are about a half million men and nearly two thousand tanks.  Soviet losses approach a million men and over six thousand tanks.  Yet the Germans begin the long retreat back to Berlin.  

August 23, 1944  The Romanian government breaks with the Axis, surrenders to the Soviet Union and joins the Allies.


August 24, 1945:  Bob Feller, discharged as a Chief Petty Officer on August 22, 1945, having received six campaign ribbons and eight battle stars while serving as a Gun Captain aboard the battleship USS South Dakota, is honored with  civic luncheon in Cleveland.  Over 1000 attend a banquet in his honor at the Carter Hotel.  Addressing the crowd, Mr. Feller says, "The real heroes didn't come home."

August 25, 1944.  Paris is liberated.  De Gaulle and Free French forces march down the Champs Elysees.  The German Generals in charge of the city defy Hitler's orders to burn Paris to the ground.

American forces, having landed in the south of France take Grenoble and Avignon.  Among their number is super soldier Audie Murphy.