Today 17 April 2015. On this day in military history:
In 1942:
In Murmansk there was held a solemn presentation of the English orders of the Soviet pilot Boris Safonov, I. Tumanova, A. Kovalenko and A. Kukharenko for courage and skill in aerial combats with the enemy.
To Australia arrived first troops and military equipment from the United States.
In 1943:
In the Kuban began air combat aircraft of the North-Caucasian front (from April 20 – more than 900 aircraft) with enemy aircraft (1200 cars), which lasted until 7 June 1943. Before our aircraft had the task to gain air superiority as the enemy possessed a quantitative superiority.
From April 17 to June 7, the Soviet air force produced about 35,000 sorties, the enemy lost 1 100 aircraft, 800 of them in the air. Official data about our losses there, but they were not less. For courage and bravery in these battles 52 Soviet pilots were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
The first major air battle lasted from 17 to 24 April. These days our pilots made 1 427 sorties, destroying in air battles 152 enemy aircraft.
In 1944:
Troops of the 1st Ukrainian front took up defensive position at the turn to the West Torcida – Brody – East of Buchach – Stanislav – court – further along the borders of Czechoslovakia and Romania.
Troops of the 2nd Ukrainian front advanced on 200-250 kilometers and began the liberation of Romania. Upon completion of these operations ended the Soviet offensive in right-Bank Ukraine is one of the largest in the war. On the 2nd Ukrainian front began to reign lull: preparations have begun for future Iasi-Businessday surgery.
Just in Dnipropetrovsk-Zakarpatskoy operations involved 2 406 100 people. Losses amounted to 270 198 of 839 people dead and 330 wounded. For the winter-spring offensive of the enemy losses amounted to 1 million 200 thousand people killed, wounded and prisoners.
On the night of April 17, our air force long-range has made a massive RAID on the railway junction and river port of Galati (Romania).
In Kiev took place the funeral of army General Nikolai Vatutin, commander of the 1st Ukrainian front, who died of wounds on 15 April.
In 1945:
Troops of the 1st Byelorussian front, advancing on Berlin's direction, broke through the enemy's defenses on the Seelow heights. On the Samland Peninsula West of Konigsberg troops of the 3rd Belorussian front occupied the city and port of Fischhausen. Troops of the 2nd Ukrainian front captured the Austrian town of Zistersdorf and 30 more localities.
American forces cleared the Japanese from Manila Bay.
American troops landed on the island of Mindanao (Philippines). Two Japanese division of General Suzuki had a stubborn resistance. According to modern sources, the American 8th army lost in battles in Mindanao about 9 thousand soldiers.
In Ottawa, an agreement was signed between the governments of the USSR, Canada, the USA and the UK ("the Fourth Protocol") about the Soviet Union supplies of food and weapons in order to assist in waging war against a common enemy.
