World War II Database

• Home
• » Events
• » WW2 Timeline
• » 15 May 1944

• Shokaku arrived at Tawi-Tawi, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Shokaku | CPC]
• Hungarian Jews began to be deported to Auschwitz Concentration Camp in occupied Poland. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
• Hans Speidel arranged a meeting between Erwin Rommel and anti-Hitler conspirators, but he would ultimately attend on his stead. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Destroyer Yukikaze arrived at Tawi-Tawi, Philippine Islands. ww2dbase [Yukikaze | CPC]

• The Kachin guide leading H Force of US 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) was bit by a venomous snake, but Colonel Charles Hunter forced him to continue forward to stay on schedule of the Myitkyina, Burma offensive. Meanwhile, M Force (Lieutenant Colonel George McGee, Jr.) reached Arang, Burma; by this time, most of the men of M Force were sick and exhausted; 50 were left behind for evacuation by air under the care of medical officer Captain Henry Stelling, while the others continued the march toward their objective of Myitkyina Airfield further south. ww2dbase [Battle of Myitkyina | Charles Hunter | CPC]

• Over the following three days, about 7,500 prisoners of the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in occupied Czechoslovakia were transferred to the Auschwitz Concentration Camp in occupied Poland; part of the reason was to relieve Theresienstadt's overcrowded condition in preparation of a visit by the International Red Cross and the Danish Red Cross in the following month. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Theresienstadt Concentration Camp | Terezín, Cechy | CPC]

• US Navy 127th Construction Battalion relieved the 48th Construction Battalion in the work to build aviation gasoline facilities at Maui, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Maui | CPC]

• Anglo-Indian troops pushed Japanese troops out of Potsangbam, 2 miles south of Bishenpur, India. To the north near Kohima, Indian 33rd Brigade captured Treasury Hill with little Japanese opposition. ww2dbase [Battle of Imphal-Kohima | Potsangbam, Manipur | CPC]

• British 78th Division joined in on the attack of Cassino, Italy as German troops withdrew from Gustav Line to Hitler Line 30 miles to the south of Rome, Italy. ww2dbase [Battle of Monte Cassino | TH, CPC]

• Submarine USS Tinosa arrived at Majuro Lagoon at the end of her sixth war patrol. For her fourth, fifth, and sixth patrols combined, Tinosa received the Presidential Unit Citation. For performance during her sixth patrol, Tinosa's commanding officer, Commander Weiss, received his second Navy Cross, and the assistant approach officer, LtCdr James Hunnicutt, received the Silver Star. ww2dbase [Tinosa | Majuro | DS]

• Anti-submarine hunter-killer Task Group 22.3 departed Norfolk, Virginia, United States with Escort Carrier USS Guadalcanal as flagship and Captain Daniel V. Gallery in command. The remainder of the Task Group consisted of Destroyer Escorts, USS Pillsbury, USS Pope, USS Flaherty, USS Chatelain, and USS Jenks. ww2dbase [The Capture of the U-505 | Norfolk, Virginia | DS]

15 May 1944 Interactive Map