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• US Seventh Army captured Worms, Germany. ww2dbase [Advance to the Rhine | TH]
• Hitler issued the Nero Decree, which was a scorched Earth policy to prevent any industry, utility, or transportation from being used by the advancing Allied and Soviet armies. Albert Speer, the Armaments Minister, recognized the need for this infrastructure after the war and undermined efforts to carry out the decree. ww2dbase [Albert Speer | TH]
• General of Panzer Troops Walther Nehring replaced Gotthard Heinrici as the commander of the German 1.Panzerarmee. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Adolf Hitler ordered Gotthard Heinrici to replace Heinrich Himmler as the commander of Group Vistula as suggested by Heinz Guderian. ww2dbase [CPC]
• France signed an economic pact with the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. ww2dbase [CPC]
• USS Sea Robin departed Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, continuing her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Sea Robin | CPC]

• Anglo-Indian troops attempted to cross the moat of Fort Dufferin in Mandalay, Burma in failure, suffering heavy casualties. A commando raid was put together to penetrate the fortress, but it would not be carried out due to the unexpected Japanese surrender on the next day. ww2dbase [Battle of Meiktila-Mandalay | CPC]

• Soviet troops captured the heights over Zoppot, Germany (formerly of Danzig; now Sopot, Poland) near the city of Danzig. ww2dbase [East Pomeranian Offensive | CPC]

• Dwight Eisenhower, Walter Bedell Smith, and Kay Summersby arrived at Cannes, France to take a short break from the war. He spent much of the next three days sleeping and simply doing nothing. ww2dbase [Dwight Eisenhower | CPC]

• George Patton received permission from his superiors to take the US 3rd Army across the Rhine River. ww2dbase [Crossing the Rhine | CPC]

• USS S-35 was decommissioned from service at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | S-35 | CPC]
• USS Parche departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her fifth war patrol. ww2dbase [Pearl Harbor Navy Base and Ford Island Naval Air Station | Parche | CPC]

• In Japan, aircraft of US Navy TF 58 attacked targets on Kyushu and Honshu (Kure, Osaka, and Kobe), destroying submarine I-205 (still under construction) and damaging many warships. ww2dbase [Bombing of Tokyo and Other Cities | CPC]
• Light carrier Ryuho was damaged by three bombs and two rockets delivered by US aircraft at Kure, Japan between 0720 and 0905 hours. 20 were killed and 30 were wounded. Her flight deck and boiler room were damaged, and a gash on the port side caused her to settle in six feet of water on the aft side. ww2dbase [Ryuho | CPC]
• Light carrier Hosho was attacked by 7 US aircraft off Kure, Japan at 0532 hours, receiving three hits, which caused minor damage and killed six. ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
• USS Yorktown (Essex-class) continued air operations against the three southernmost islands of Japan. ww2dbase [Battle of Iwo Jima | Yorktown (Essex-class) | DS]

• USS Franklin was struck by a 250-kilogram bomb by a Japanese D4Y3 or D3A aircraft, which broke through the fir planks and detonated in the hangar deck; the 22 aircraft in the hangar deck, which were in the process of arming and refueling, burst in blames. A second bomb, ignition of gasoline vapors, or ignition of ammunition destroyed a further 31 aircraft. Damage control teams were able to save the ship. 724 were killed and 265 were wounded. ww2dbase [Franklin | CPC]
• USS Kete was ordered to depart Ryukyu Islands area for refueling at Midway, then to sail on to Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. ww2dbase [Kete | CPC]
• USS Bluefish damaged a Japanese boat south of Japan with her deck gun. ww2dbase [Bluefish | CPC]

• USS Iowa departed San Francisco, California, United States. ww2dbase [Iowa | CPC]

19 Mar 1945 Interactive Map