10 Sqn. Seven aircraft to oil plant Salzbergen. One returned early, six bombed. One attacked by fighter but not damaged.

51 Sqn. Nine aircraft to oil plant Salzbergen. All bombed. Two aircraft to oil plant Bochum. Both bombed. Opposition severe.

77 Sqn. Six aircraft to marshalling yards Hamm. All bombed. Three enemy aircraft sighted but these did not attack.

Impressed with German paratroop tactics, Churchill orders a corps of at least 5,000 soldiers to be trained in parachuting.

Evidence about "Knickebein" , a German radio navigation aid, is given to a British cabinet level committee, by R.V. Jones. The actions taken after this meeting result in progress and plays a large part in lessening the effects of the German Blitz. Because his advice was ignored, Henry Tizard resigns. Tizard had been in the forefront of the British use of radar. This results in Frederick Lindemann, (Lord Cherwell), becoming one more of Churchill's scientific advisor.

FRANCE: Italian soldiers push into France on a wide front. The attacks occur through various Alpine passes and are defeated.
The French receive the terms for Armistice by the Germans in a railroad carriage at Compiègne, France. There will be no discussion of the terms allowed by the Germans. This is the same location and the same railroad carriage used to present the Allied terms to the Germans in 1918.

The terms allow the government known to history as Vichy France; they provide for the demobilization of the French Armed Forces and reparations.

At 1150 ACOS Hatston (Acting Captain C. L. Howe, RN) instructed the combined squadrons to prepare a striking force. The short notice, combined with the need for the aircraft to be fitted with both long range tanks and torpedo couplings limited the available effort to a paltry six Swordfish, one sub-flight of three from each squadron. Lt. J. H. Stenning, RN of 821 was the strike commander, Lt. J. C. Reed, RN led the 823 sub-flight. There would be no escort.

At 1245 the six aircraft departed Hatston with orders to fly to a designated point 40 miles off the Norwegian coast, turn northwards to search for the enemy fleet, and to return to RAF Sumburgh in the Shetlands. The intended point was reached at 1445, and a short search begun which resulted in the enemy force being sighted ahead at 1458, Scharnhorst in the center of a circular screen with one escort ahead, one astern, and two on either beam. The attacks approached from the port bow. The attack commenced at 1508 with a diving attack from 8,000 feet. The long-range AA fire, opened at as the Swordfish descended through 4,000 feet was considered inaccurate, but the close range AA fire from Scharnhorst was both heavy and effective, shooting down two from 823: 4M shot down in flames (S-Lt.(A) Maurice Phillip White, RN (P), NA1 Charles Herbert Arthur G. Hull (TAG)) while 4R was seen to make a controlled force-landing nearby (S-Lt.(A) Leonard Beale Cater, RN (P), LA Frederick Walter Davis (TAG)), but in the event, neither crew was recovered from the cold North Sea waters. During the withdrawal S-Lt.(A) O. A. G. Oxleys of 821 sighted four approaching Bf-109s. He continued climbing and escaped after dragging his Stringbag into the cloudbank at 13,000 feet!

Oxley, separated from the remainder of the striking force, and without an observer on board, managed to navigate his way back to Hatston. The other three survivors managed a safe return to RAF Sumburgh as planned.

Unfortunately for the British cause, none of the six torpedoes dropped hit home in this, the last act of the NORWEGIAN CAMPAIGN.

GERMANY: Rastenburg, East Prussia: Hitler and his staff arrive at the Wolfsschanze [Wolf's Lair], Hitler's eastern headquarters.

In response to the failed attack on the US battleship Texas Doenitz instructs his U-boats thus:

Fuhrer orders avoidance any incident with USA during next few weeks. Orders will be rigidly obeyed in all circumstances. In addition attacks till further orders will be restricted to cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers and then only when identified beyond doubt as hostile. Fact that warship is sailing without lights will not be regarded as proof of enemy identity.

U.S.S.R.: Fighter pilots are ordered not to fire on a German plane which flies over Soviet airspace. The border guard is put on alert, but is forbidden to take any "provocative" action.

Soviet submarine M-120 launched.

ETHIOPIA: The Italian garrison at Jimma surrenders to Ethiopian troops under British command.
General Gazzera escapes capture when the British forces take Jimma, sw of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

SYRIA: Australian and Free French troops occupy Damascus, and the "Habforce" Commonwealth army advances from Syria into Iraq. Habforce is three British and Indian brigades including the British 4 Cav Bde. They are still subject to persistent French air attack on the approaches to Palmyra. (Michael Alexander)

Damascus: General Legentilhomme's Free French forces have taken Damascus, 15 days after Allied troops invaded Vichy Syria. The city, which Vichy troops evacuated yesterday, surrendered to Colonel Cateau and the Australians. It has been a bloody triumph; the bodies of 200 Punjabis in the Damascus suburb of Mezze - not to mention French, Australian and British ones on the line of advance - are testament to that.

CANADA: Corvette HMCS Oakville launched Port Arthur, Ontario.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Royal Navy prize SS CRITON is returning to Freetown is intercepted by by Vichy warships AIR FRANCE 4 and EDITH GERMAINE. After refusing to stop and go into Conakry, she is fired upon by AIR FRANCE 4 from a range of about 50 yards. AIR FRANCE 4 fires 45 shells into CRITON along her waterline, some shells narrowly missing Peter de Neumann's boat, which is being launched on the far-side (and therefore invisible) from AIR FRANCE 4. Captain Dobeson is the last to leave CRITON, but fell into de Neumann's boat and badly injured himself. Apart from this no one suffered more than bruising and shock.

SS CRITON sinks off Conakry, French Guinea.

UNITED KINGDOM: The first production Hawker Tempest fighter, a MK V (JN 729) makes its maiden flight. (22)

Corvettes HMCS Arnprior (ex-HMS Rising Castle) and Petrolia (ex-HMS Sherborne Castle) laid down Harland and Wolff Ltd Belfast.

FRANCE: Jean Moulin of the Council of National Resistance arrested by the Germans. (Glenn Steinberg) Moulin, who escaped to England in 1941 in order to meet the Free French leader de Gaulle, agreed to be parachuted back into his native country on 1 January last year, charged with the mission of co-ordinating the many rival resistance groups operating there. Today he was to bring his task to fruition at a top-secret meeting in Lyons with Resistance leaders from across France. Instead he and several others discovered too late that they had been betrayed, when the hated German secret police raided the house and took them all into captivity.

GERMANY: There is a devastating Allied air raid on Wuppertal. (Glenn Steinberg)

Berlin: Himmler orders Jewish ghettoes in occupied Russia to be liquidated.

U-1056, U-1057, U-1274 laid down.

FRENCH MOROCCO: The USAAF 480th Antisubmarine Group is activated at Port Lyautey, it is equipped with four squadrons of B-24s.

TERRITORY OF ALASKA: A fighter strip is completed at Shemya in the Aleutian Islands. All missions are cancelled due to weather for tenth straight day. (Edward S. Miller)

U.S.A.:

Mission 428: 1,234 bombers and 1,170 fighters in four forces are dispatched to hit targets in Germany; 45 bombers and four fighters are lost:

1. 145 of 163 B-17s begin shuttle bombing missions (Operation FRANTIC) between the UK and bases in the USSR; 72 P-38 Lightnings, 38 P-47 Thunderbolts and 57 P-51 Mustangs escort the B-17s to the target (synthetic oil plant at Ruhland, Germany); 123 B-17s bomb the primary target, 21 bomb Elsteriverda and a lone B-17 bombs Riesa due to a bomb rack malfunction; after the attack, the supporting P-51s are relieved 50 miles (80 km) SE of Poznan, Poland by 65 other P-51s which are to accompany the B-17s to the USSR; 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Brest Litovsk, 20 to 30 Luftwaffe fighters attack the force; in the resulting battle a P-51 and six German fighters are destroyed; a B-17 is lost (to unknown causes) on the flight; 144 B-17s land in the USSR, 73 at Poltava, and the rest at Mirgorod; the 64 remaining P-51s land at Piryatin. During the night of 21/22 June the 73 B-17s which earlier landed at Poltava are attacked for two hours by an estimated 75 German bombers led by aircraft dropping flares; 47 B-17s are destroyed and most of the remainder severely damaged; heavy damage is also suffered by stores of fuel and ammunition. 

This USAAF shuttle run is made in conjunction with a large-scale effort against targets in the Berlin area as follows: 

2. 456 B-17s attack Berlin; 12 other hit targets of opportunity; they claim 16-20-19 Luftwaffe aircraft; 16 B-17s are lost; escort is provided by 99 P-38s, 95 P-47s and 73 P-51s; they claim 4-0-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; one fighter is lost. 

3. Of 368 B-24s dispatched, 69 hit Genshagen, 52 hit Marienfelde, 47 hit Berlin, 40, hit Potsdam, 28 hit Niederschonweide, 23 hit Genshagen, 16 hit Rangsdorf, ten hit Trebbin, eight hit Selvig, eight hit Stendal, seven hit targets of opportunity in the Berlin area and one hits Bederekesa; they claim 13-3-3 Luftwaffe aircraft; 19 B-24s are lost; escort is provided by 148 P-38s, 147 P-47s and 116 P-51s; they claim 13-0-6 Luftwaffe aircraft; a P-51 is lost.

4. Of 207 B-17s, 103 hit Berlin, 80 hit Basdorf and five hit targets of opportunity; nine B-17s are lost; escort is provided by 108 P-38s, 81 P-47s and 91 P-51s; a P-38, a P-47 and a P-51 are lost.

    Personal Memory:  My diary for today reads: "Big B," Berlin, Germany. It's biggest raid of the war--so far. Flak intense and accurate. Several planes from this field did not return. (Lt Allen). Passed by Hamburg. It is still burning big and black from our yesterday's raid. We were lucky today. Only a few holes. 26,000 ft. Over enemy territory two hours and thirty minutes. Carried eight, five hundred pound GP and two five hundred pound incendiaries." Each B-17 was loaded with 2,700 gallons of gas and five tons of bombs giving us a take off weight of sixty five thousand pounds. The empty B-17G weighs about 36,000 pounds. Beiser and I were in the Wing "B" which was in the high position. We were in position 4 leading the low squadron. There were 18 planes in our group and we were to be airborne for 8 hours and 18 minutes. We were to drop our bombs "In Train' instead of the usual salvo. We heard rumors that this was a retaliation for all the Buzz Bombs that were hitting London

  every day.  At the target the FLAK was from at least two batteries and was continuously aimed at our squadron. I noticed a triple burst about a quarter mile to our left. Then another every three seconds or so, each one a few dozen yards closer and tracking our speed and altitude to perfection. Finally a triple burst came at us and was only about a hundred feet off our left wing and I heard shrapnel strike the side of our plane. I knew that the next burst would be dead center on us but I noticed that from the shape of the bursts that we were getting out of their range. And the killer burst never came as the gunners moved back to a group following us.  I think that this was the most scared that I had been in combat. So far. Three of our 18 planes were shot down and only two got through the mission unscathed. Lt. Allen from our 427th squadron was shot down as was Lt. H.G. Way at about the same time. What is remarkable is that our plane only had a few holes on the left side aft  er all this FLAK.  When we examined the strike photos after returning to base we were startled to see that a B-17  was out of position under our group. Later pictures show a five hundred pound bomb taking off his left horizontal stabilizer and he was lost.  Score: Milk runs 13, Others 6 (Dick Johnson)

Mission 429: In the late afternoon, 31 B-24s bomb CROSSBOW (V-weapon) supply sites at Oisemont/Neuville and Saint-Martin-L'Hortier and 39 bomb a rocket site at Siracourt, France. AA fire shoots down a B-24; escort is provided by 99 P-47s, meeting no enemy aircraft, but a group strafes railroad and canal targets.

Mission 430: Five B-17s drop leaflets in France. 

21 B-24s fly CARPETBAGGER missions in France during the night.

The USAAF's Ninth Air Force dispatches 250+ B-26 Marauders and A-20 Havocs to bomb 13 V-weapon sites in the Pas de Calais area of France. 700+ fighters escort Eighth Air Force bombers over Germany, bomb bridges south and west of Paris, and strafe rail and road traffic and communications centres north and west of Paris.

Frigate HMS Zanzibar commissioned.

FRANCE: Whilst operating off the Normandy Sword beach area, destroyer HMS Fury is mined and has to be taken in tow. However, she breaks free from her tow in bad weather, and is driven ashore where she becomes a constructive total loss. (Alex Gordon)(108)

FINLAND: General Krutikov's 7th Army begins new Russian attacks. The defenders are the Finnish VI Corps between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega. 

The defenders are VI corps of Lt. Gen. Paavo Talvela's Onega Group. Finns started their withdrawal from River Syväri (Svir) towards the PSS-line already on 17 June, but the move went undetected by the Soviets for a while. There are still Finnish troops on the front-line, their mission is to delay the enemy as long as possible to gain time to fortify the PSS- and U-lines further west.

The offensive begins with a massive artillery and aerial preparation at 7 am, and Gen. Krutikov's 12 division-strong army starts crossing the River Svir around noon. At the point of main effort Finnish delaying force consists of only one battalion (of the 5th Division), and it is soon forced to withdraw. Gen. Talvela orders the 5th Division to fight for every inch, but, faced by enemy many times superior in numbers, it has to start withdrawing towards the PSS-line.

After the capture of Viipuri, Soviet forces on the Karelian Isthmus receive new orders. They are to reach the (north-south) level of Imatra-Lappeenranta by 28 June, and then continue towards the River Kymijoki.

Finland asks terms for peace via Sweden. The USSR tries to continue it's success after taking of Viborg, but all attacks are repulsed in this sector during the rest the end of war. A Soviet attack by 7th Army in Svir sector begins. 

The first German weapon shipments arrive in Finland. (Gene)

Soviet troops land at Piisaari Island. Auxiliary gunboats Aunus and Viena with German AF barges are sent to attack Soviet units in Koivisto Sound. Aunus damaged by bombs. While covering these MTB Taisto 1 caught fire and explodes after gun and bomb hits from IL-2 planes south from Oritsaari Island. One man is lost and 3 wounded. The only operational total loss of the MTB fleet.

U.S.S.R.: Baltic Fleet, Ladoga Lake and Chudskoe Lake Flotillas: MS "N47" (ex-BP "N26") and MS "N53" (ex-BP "N39") - mined close to Cape Seiveste, in Bijorkezund area.  (Sergey Anisimov)(69)

NEW GUINEA: US forces are unable to dislodge the Japanese from the caves of Biak.

PACIFIC OCEAN: The USN's Task Groups 58.1, 58.2 and 58.3 continues searching for the remaining ships of the IJN's First Mobile Fleet. At 2030 hours local, the task groups begin retiring towards Saipan.

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Lavallee commissioned.

U.S.A.: CINCPAC COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 58, In the afternoon of June 19 (West Longitude Date) carrier-based reconnaissance planes of the Fifth Fleet sighted a Japanese fleet, which included carriers and battleships, approximately midway between the Mariana Islands and Luzon. Aircraft of our fast carrier task force were immediately ordered to attack and made contact with the enemy fleet before dusk.

Enemy losses and our own losses have not yet been assessed.

Additional details will be made known as they become available.

In the ground fighting on Saipan Island, our assault troops made advances in a northerly direction along the western shore of Magicienne Bay and made progress against an enemy strong point at Nafutan Point.

Severe fighting continues.

CINCPAC PRESS RELEASE NO. 452, Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Four bombed Shimushu in the Kuriles before dawn on June 17 (West Longitude Date). Fires were started near the airfield. No opposition was encountered. Paramushiru Island was bombed by Ventura search planes of Fleet Air Wing Four and Liberators of the Eleventh Army Air Force before dawn on June 19. Antiaircraft fire was meagre and no attempt was made, to intercept our force.

Truk Atoll was attacked by Seventh Army Air Force Liberators during daylight on June 19. Intense antiaircraft fire was encountered but there was no fighter opposition. Ponape Island was bombed by Seventh Army Air Force Liberators and Mitchells on June 19.Mille, Maloelap and Wotje Atolls were bombed on June 19 by Corsair fighters and Dauntless dive bombers of the Fourth (Denis Peck)

Submarine USS Menhaden laid down.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: During an aircraft attack by an RAF 86 Sqn on U-743, one man was killed and 2 more wounded.

The Twentieth Air Force, XXI Bomber Command flies Mission 214: 25 Boeing B-29 Superfortresses mine the sea approaches around Fushiki, Senzaki, Nanao, and Yuya Bay, Japan during the night of 21/22 June; 2 others mine alternate areas. 

U.S. Navy Consolidted PB4Y-2 Privateers of Patrol Bombing Squadron One Hundred Eighteen (VPB-118) operating from Yontan Airfield, Okinawa mine the waters of the Korean Archipelago, between Hakin Do, Iion Do and Gantai Do.

Tokyo: With US troops now only 400 miles from Japan, Emperor Hirohito yesterday urged senior ministers and service chiefs to find a way to end the war by diplomatic means. The emperor took the unusual initiative after a final farewell radio message from Okinawa indicating that collapse was imminent. It was sent by Generals Sho and Ushijima before they committed ritual suicide together by leaning on their sabres as they faced north to Tokyo. In a death-note General Sho wrote: "I depart without regret, shame or obligations."

Okinawa: The three-month-long battle for Okinawa, the bitterest campaign so far in the Pacific is over. Admiral Chester Nimitz's HQ declared today that the stubborn Japanese defence force, reduced to 30,000 men in the last week, has finally disintegrated. About 1,700 surrendered today and 1,000 yesterday. Hundreds of Japanese committed suicide by jumping from the cliffs into the sea, but most chose to follow their own code of honour and fight to the death. At least 9,000 Japanese have died in the last three days, since the final US push began with the arrival of reinforcements of the 8th Marine Regiment. One of the final victims was the US Tenth Army commander, Lt-Gen Buckner, killed by shrapnel as he inspected the ridgeline that the enemy had chosen for its final stand.

Okinawa now becomes the forward base for invading Japan, 400 miles away; B-29s bombing Japan from here will carry more bombs as they will need less fuel than is required for the 3,000-mile round-trip from the Marianas.

The human price of the 82-day conquest of Okinawa dwarfs all other battles in the Pacific. US total casualties are 49,151 with 12,520 killed or missing and 36,631 wounded. American losses on Okinawa nearly exceeded the total for the six Pacific campaigns that led to it. For the Japanese, Okinawa has been a struggle to the death with approximately 110,000 killed and only 7,400 taken prisoner. Civilian casualties are 80,000. US estimates fear that invading Japan will spark a worse death struggle, with 250,000 dead.

Kamikazes are still active off Okinawa. A kamikaze sinks a medium landing ship (LSM) and damages three other ships. A kamikaze attacks the destroyer escort USS Halloran (DE-305); the ships gunners shoot the plane down but it lands 75 yards (68.6 m) from the ship and an exploding bomb kills three crewmen and causes considerable damage to hull and superstructure. Two seaplane tenders are damaged by Kamikazes. An aircraft crashes USS Curtiss (AV-4) and its bomb rips two holes in her hull and exploded on the third deck, killing 35 and wounding 21 of her crew. Effective damage control keeps her afloat and four days later she was underway for the U.S. USS Kenneth Whiting (AV-14) shoots down a kamikaze but part of the plane hits the ship, causing minor damage and wounding five men.

COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Aparri, the last Japanese port on Luzon, falls to the US.

CANADA:

U.S.A.: The 20-minute black and white documentary "Fight for the Sky" is released in the U.S. This film, produced by the USAAF and narrated by Ronald Reagan, depicts the exploits of the American fighter pilots who destroyed the German Luftwaffe and allowed the Allies to proceed with the invasion of Europe.