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• Specially-modified American B-29 bombers arrived at Tinian, Mariana Islands in preparation of future atomic bomb missions. ww2dbase [Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki | CPC]
• Destroyer USS Longshaw, stuck on a reef, was sunk by Japanese shore battery at Okinawa, Japan. ww2dbase [Okinawa Campaign | CPC]
• King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded Philip Gardner a Victoria Cross for his daring rescue of comrades at Tobruk, Libya on 23 Nov 1941. ww2dbase [George VI | CPC]
• USS Missouri arrived at Apra Harbor, Guam, Mariana Islands. In the afternoon, she became the flagship of Admiral William Halsey of the US Navy 3rd Fleet. ww2dbase [Missouri | CPC]
• Captain Keiji Furutani was named the commanding officer of light carrier Hosho. ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
• Marshal Tito, in negotiations with British and US representatives over disputed territory, claimed to have the right to add Trieste to Yugoslav territory, and refused to leave the area. ww2dbase [Josip Tito | AC]

• German Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner was captured by Americans in Austria. ww2dbase [Prague Strategic Offensive | CPC]
• Ferdinand Schörner surrendered to the Americans in Austria. ww2dbase [Ferdinand Schörner | CPC]

• Vice Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. of US Navy Carrier Task Force 2 broke his flag aboard USS Shangri-La at Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands. ww2dbase [Shangri-La | John McCain | Ulithi | CPC]

• USS Flying Fish arrived at Guam, Mariana Islands. ww2dbase [Flying Fish | CPC]
• USS Springer arrived at Guam, ending her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Springer | CPC]

• P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft based in Ie Shima near Okinawa attacked airfields on Kyushu, Japan. ww2dbase [CPC]

• USS Segundo encountered two bodies floating in the water in the East China Sea; her crew identified them to be one American and one Japanese. ww2dbase [Segundo | East China Sea | CPC]
• USS Bergall damaged a small Japanese vessel with her deck gun in the South China Sea. ww2dbase [Bergall | South China Sea | CPC]

• In the morning, four PV-1 Ventura aircraft of US Navy VPB-137 squadron took off from Clark Field in the Philippines to attack a sugar refinery and butanol plant operated by the Meiji Corporation in Taito (now Taitung), Taiwan. The four approached from the southeast in low altitude and dropped a total of 12 500-pound bombs on the target. One of them was hit by a 25-millimeter shell from a nearby anti-aircraft gun emplacement, injuring the turret gunner. The four aircraft proceeded northward toward Karenko (now Hualien), attacking targets of opportunity along the way, before turning out to sea to return to the Philippines. ww2dbase [Taito | CPC]

• US Navy gave the firm North American Aviation a contract for three XP-86 prototype jet fighters. ww2dbase [CPC]

18 May 1945 Interactive Map