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U.S. Navy battleship USS New Mexico (BB-40) being hit by a Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate special attack aircraft at dusk off Okinawa, 12 May 1945; photo taken from heavy cruiser USS Wichita (CA-45). While she was approaching her berth in the Hagushi anchorage, just after sunset on 12 May, she was attacked by two kamikazes. One of them plunged into her. She was set on fire and 54 members of New Mexico's crew were killed, while a further 119 were wounded. Swift action led to the fires being extinguished within 30 minutes.

 

The Avia B-135 was a Czech fighter used exclusively by the Bulgarian Air Force. It was based on a previous prototype, the B-35. The 135 was underpowered, had a wood fixed pitch prop, and average armament. In service, they had engine problems and many were used as trainers. 4 135s, however, intercepted B-24 formations that flew over Bulgarian airspace after bombing Ploesti oil fields and possibly shot down 1 B-24. It had 860hp and a top speed of 535kph (332mph). It was armed with 2 0.30 cal machine guns and a 20mm autocannon. The 135 was a modern design, but was never developed further to work out the kinks and saw little action.
 


A Swedish soldier and Norwegian resistance member shaking hands at the border, celebrating the end of German occupation in Norway, Värmland/Hedmark, 7 May 1945.

German forces in Denmark surrendered on 5 May, and on the same day, General Eisenhower dispatched a telegram to resistance headquarters in Norway, which was passed on to General Franz Böhme; it contained information on how to make contact with Allied General Headquarters. Karl Dönitz dismissed Reichskommissar of Norway Josef Terboven from his post on 7 May, transferring his powers to General Böhme. At 21:10 on the same day, the German High Command ordered Böhme to follow the capitulation plans, he made a radio broadcast at 22:00 in which he declared that German forces in Norway would obey the capitulation orders.

Photograph taken by Dan Gunnar.
 

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