Victory in Europe: A look back as WWII was nearing its end

How the long, bloody march toward victory in Europe began and ended

Stars and Stripes reporter had a front-row seat to the end of the war

At 3 a.m. on April 30, 1945, my father, Charles Kiley, had to check out a remarkable story—The Associated Press was reporting that the Germans had surrendered to the Allies.

Many say the war ended on May 8. Russia disagrees

When did World War II end officially in Europe? It depends on whom you ask.

By late 1944, tide had turned; Allies closed in on victory in Europe

By the dawn of 1945, the war in Europe was finally going the Allies’ way. That hadn’t always been the case.

GALLERY

Front pages from the front lines of the end of World War II

The Stars and Stripes published over 30 editions during the course of WWII, advancing with the Allied forces, establishing new editions and shutting down earlier ones as the front lines progressed.

UNCOVERING A FATHER'S HONOR

WWII captain's secret mission to save hundreds from Soviets

Capt Robert Trimble had to restrain his anger at being duped into a role that was a “one-way ticket to a firing squad” if the Russians discovered what he was doing.

GALLERY

Berlin rises from the ashes but ghosts of war remain

When World War II ended, Berlin lay in ruins. Half-starved survivors eked out a bare existence without food, heat, shelter and hope. Seventy years later, Germany has risen to the economic powerhouse of Europe.

GALLERY

Uncovering Nazi horror

As the Allies swept deep into German-occupied territory, they discovered the most terrible secret of the Third Reich– the vast network of slave labor and extermination camps at the heart of what came to be known as the Holocaust.

Victory in Japan: The final chapter of WWII

It came out of nowhere on Dec. 7, 1941. It would end almost four years later, in an equally stunning fashion.

In WWII, few cities saw devastation like Chongqing

When the air-raid alarms sounded, people hid in the shelters. They ran for the caves dug into the mountains. But there were never enough hiding places from the Japanese bombs, and not enough for Chen Guifang's parents.

Chinese WWII pilot: From war hero, to outcast, to hero again

By all accounts, Long Qiming was a Chinese hero during World War II. He piloted cargo planes over the Himalayas, helping to resupply China after Japan's military had cut off land routes into the country's interior.

A-bomb ended World War II, but set stage for the Cold War

The release of two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945 helped end World War II but ushered in the Cold War, a conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union that dragged on nearly half a century.

Pacific veterans, families recall Japanese WWII surrender on 70th anniversary

Robert McCaffrey remembers floating in the Pacific Ocean with burning gasoline lapping inexorably toward him after the action of a Japanese suicide pilot.

In China, long-delayed recognition for troops who fought in World War II

Sun Yinbai’s contribution to the Allied victory in World War II should have earned him some kind of commendation. But like tens of thousands of others who served in Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek’s forces, Sun found history dealt him a cruel hand after the global conflict’s end in 1945.

Radar operator has vivid memories of atomic bomb raid

Seventy years ago this month, Bill Barney was part of the mission that effectively ended the most destructive war in human history.

3 facts you may not know about World War II

From those who continued to fight after surrender to when Brazil declared war — here are three things that have drawn less attention than the epic struggles of Normandy, Stalingrad and the islands of the Pacific.

Grit, luck: Fighting the bloody battle for Okinawa

The Battle of Okinawa is one of the bloodiest and most tragic chapters of the Pacific war, claiming the lives of 110,000 Japanese troops, 140,000 Okinawan civilians and 12,520 American servicemembers. It’s etched in the memory of every survivor.

Letters of peace, love from a kamikaze pilot

More than a half century before al-Qaida and the Islamic State, the kamikazes were the suicide bombers of their time. Like many of them, Ryoji Uehara died in the Battle of Okinawa. Unlike most of his comrades, Uehara is widely known for the letters he left behind, revealing a poet and an intellectual, not a mindless drone.

World War II vets remember the end of the war

Wednesday marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, arguably the most momentous conflict in world history.

‘Ignored Heroes’ details lives of workers who participated in secret atomic bomb project

During World War II, tens of thousands of Americans spent years working on a secret project, the purpose of which was revealed only when an atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima.

Rarely seen images of death and damage that survived Hiroshima

To help ensure that future generations never forget the horrors of nuclear war, a Japanese photography education organization is hosting a month-long photo exhibition with images that document the death and damage. These rare images survived censorship laws and were collected over several years for the 70th anniversary of the bombing.

No hesitation: When Truman said yes to the bomb

President Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki came with regret over the loss of life, but without hesitation.

THE JAPANESE PERSPECTIVE

After wartime terror and defeat, a life rebuilt around America

Toshi Tokunaga Cooper and her coworkers listened on the radio as Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender to the Allies on Aug. 15, 1945. It was the first time the Japanese public had heard his voice, and the news was devastating.

Veterans recall joy, sorrow during commemoration of WWII victory

Thirteen veterans of the war stood as a wreath was laid for the soldiers interred at the cemetery and a 21 gun salute was fired.

Would Japan have surrendered without the atomic bombings?

In the United States, generations were taught that Japan would never have surrendered so quickly without use of the atomic bomb and that victory would have required a bloody invasion of the Japanese mainland, costing hundreds of thousands of lives. Japanese students were generally taught a very different narrative.

When the president said yes to the bomb: Truman's diaries reveal no hesitation, some regret

President Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki came with regret over the loss of life, but without hesitation.

By late 1944, tide had turned; Allies closed in on victory in Europe

By the dawn of 1945, the war in Europe was finally going the Allies’ way. That hadn’t always been the case.

GALLERY

The rarely seen images of death and damage that survived Hiroshima

To help ensure that future generations never forget the horrors of nuclear war, a Japanese photography education organization is hosting a month-long photo exhibition with images that document the death and damage. These rare images survived censorship laws and were collected over several years for the 70th anniversary of the bombing.

FEATURE REPORT

The bloody battle for Okinawa: Veterans recall the luck, grit that got them through

The Battle of Okinawa is one of the bloodiest and most tragic chapters of the Pacific war, claiming the lives of 110,000 Japanese troops, 140,000 Okinawan civilians and 12,520 American servicemembers. It’s etched in the memory of every survivor. Though their numbers are dwindling — most are in their early 90s — they all have stories to tell, including the moral quandaries they faced.

GALLERY

Front pages from the front lines of the end of World War II

The Stars and Stripes published over 30 editions during the course of WWII, advancing with the Allied forces, establishing new editions and shutting down earlier ones as the front lines progressed.

First-person account: I survived Hiroshima

Suddenly, a bright light flashed. Instantly, I squatted down and covered my face with my hands. We had been instructed to do so to protect ourselves when we were bombed. Otherwise, we were told that our eardrums would burst and eyeballs would pop out.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Japs Scream Their Dread Of Fire-Spitting Tanks As Oki Escarpment Becomes A Funeral Pyre

Now that censorship has been lifted on the details of flame-throwing tanks, it’s possible to tell how they clicked during the largest-scale tank action of the Okinawa campaign.

TIMELINE

Major events in the Pacific Theater

From Iwo Jima to Okinawa, and onto Japan's final surrender aboard the USS Missouri, Stars and Stripes invites you to follow along with this interactive timeline.

FEATURE REPORT

August 1945: After years of 'leapfrogging,' Allied forces close in

A day after Pearl Harbor, the U.S. declared war on Japan, starting a nearly four-year campaign in places most Americans had never heard of. The conflict would end in stunning fashion, with the only two atomic bombs ever used in war. But in the early months of the conflict, the outlook for the Allies looked bleak.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Pfc. Kills 30 Japs In 15 Minutes, Snaps Line Battalion Couldn’t Dent

In his one-man massacre, Pfc. Clarence B. Craft of Santa Ana., Calif., a former truck drive, married and the father of a four-year-old son, wiped out 30 Japanese in a matter of 10 to 15 minutes.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Only 12, But They Lick 150 Japs

The 12 men were all that were left of a rifle platoon, after days of battle against strong Jap fortifications on Kakazu Ridge, the “Siegfried Line” of Okinawa. It was a battle of 12 against 150.

INTERACTIVE

Key moments during the battle for Okinawa

On Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945, the most audacious and complex enterprise undertaken by the American amphibious forces — eclipsed only by Normandy — took place in the Pacific.

Many say the war ended on May 8. Russia disagrees

When did World War II end officially in Europe? It depends on whom you ask.

GALLERY

Uncovering Nazi horror

As the Allies swept deep into German-occupied territory, they discovered the most terrible secret of the Third Reich– the vast network of slave labor and extermination camps at the heart of what came to be known as the Holocaust.

The 390-year-old tree that survived an atomic bomb

Moses Weisberg was walking his bicycle through the National Arboretum in Northeast Washington when he stopped at a mushroom-shaped tree. The first thing he noticed was the thickness of the trunk, estimated at almost a foot and a half in diameter. And then there was the abundance of spindly leaves, a healthy head of hair for a botanical relic 390 years old.

Stars and Stripes reporter had a front-row seat to the end of the war

At 3 a.m. on April 30, 1945, my father, Charles Kiley, had to check out a remarkable story—The Associated Press was reporting that the Germans had surrendered to the Allies.