# List of last occurences in WWII **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2015, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709 "2015-05-24T07:30:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/21 "2015-05-25T00:41:16Z")
I’d be curious to know when the last chemical or biological attack was carried out by Japan—the best reference I can find claims [May, 1945 (in China)](https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzlNgS70OHAC&pg=PA260&dq=japan+chemical+weapons+china&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KG1iVZzoBcLWsAWU9IGwDg&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=japan&f=false), but the whole matter’s rather hazy. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/22 "2015-05-25T01:57:08Z")
WW2 still has the largest killings in many categories: Biggest in person executioner: [Vasily Blokhin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Blokhin) who personally carried out much of the Katyn Massacre. Moving out a bit in range we have the biggest sniper: Simho Hayha who killed almost 1000 Soviets during the finno-soviet war. (Probably) Biggest tactical killer ever: Stuka bomber [Hans Rudel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Ulrich_Rudel) who destroyed 2,000 vehicles including several warships. Biggest one-shot killer: well, the atom bombs. These are WW2 last in that they have not been surpassed 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/23 "2015-05-25T02:25:39Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Has anyone fought on skis since WWII? I’ve seen pictures of Indian and Pakistani troops on skis in the Siachen Glacier conflict. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/24 "2015-05-25T02:56:54Z")
Any one an idea what would be the last warcrime committed during WWII? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/25 "2015-05-25T03:34:29Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve seen pictures of Indian and Pakistani troops on skis in the Siachen Glacier conflict. All over the LOC, not just Siachen. And Pakistani troops have used skis in mountainous terrain all over FATA in the current Insurgency. ---
**Author:** ![CraterLayer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/87869e/32.png) [@CraterLayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CraterLayer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/26 "2015-05-25T03:43:15Z")
On August 16, 1945, the day after Japan surrendered, there were only four American airmen still alive at the Osaka Kempei Tai prison. The men were told that they were being freed and were given back their uniforms, unloaded weapons, personal effects and even their parachutes. Korean forced-laborers reported that the men were smiling and waved to them as they were leaving the camp. One even yelled that they were “going home”. Instead the Japanese led them to the cemetery where a large hole had been dug. They were beheaded and thrown into the ditch. On top of them were piled their personal effects, along with those of the 55 Americans previously killed, and any other evidence that Americans had ever been held there. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/27 "2015-05-25T04:03:21Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Of course the Japanese didn’t surrender in the [Philippines](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baguio#World_War_II) until September 3. The last Japanese soldier to surrender in the Philippines was Lt. Hiroo Onoda who heldout until March 1974. He finally came out only after being relieved of duty by his former commanding officer. One other holdout, Private Teruo Nakamura, was discovered in Indonesia and finally surrendered in December 1974. He is believed to have been the last holdout, although there were unconfirmed reports throughout the 1980s of more stragglers throughout the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. The last Japanese soldier killed in action was PFC Kinshichi Kozuka, who was killed in a shootout with Philippine police in October 1972. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/28 "2015-05-25T04:15:04Z")
In March of 1945, my dad (a bombardier) dropped his last B-17 load of bombs on Germany. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/29 "2015-05-25T04:31:04Z")
> [@CraterLayer](#): > > On August 16, 1945, the day after Japan surrendered, there were only four American airmen still alive at the Osaka Kempei Tai prison. The men were told that they were being freed and were given back their uniforms, unloaded weapons, personal effects and even their parachutes. Korean forced-laborers reported that the men were smiling and waved to them as they were leaving the camp. One even yelled that they were “going home”. > Instead the Japanese led them to the cemetery where a large hole had been dug. They were beheaded and thrown into the ditch. On top of them were piled their personal effects, along with those of the 55 Americans previously killed, and any other evidence that Americans had ever been held there. I was going to respond to the question about the last war crime with a proper prevarication about how well, no one could really know the last individual war crime, and we could at best look for the last Major Atrocity that was notable enough to be recorded. And then you come out with this. Dammit. ---
**Author:** ![dr\_zippermeyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dr\_zippermeyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dr_zippermeyer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/30 "2015-05-25T16:08:07Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > In March of 1945, my dad (a bombardier) dropped his last B-17 load of bombs on Germany. Does that count? I guess that counts. I wonder where the bombs landed. BTW in case you haven’t read US B-17 bombardier’s account “Shot at and Missed” I highly highly recommend it. One of the best books I have ever read and oddly also one of the funniest. ---
**Author:** ![dr\_zippermeyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dr\_zippermeyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dr_zippermeyer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/31 "2015-05-25T16:12:59Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > The last Japanese soldier to surrender in the Philippines was Lt. Hiroo Onoda who heldout until March 1974. He finally came out only after being relieved of duty by his former commanding officer. One other holdout, Private Teruo Nakamura, was discovered in Indonesia and finally surrendered in December 1974. He is believed to have been the last holdout, although there were unconfirmed reports throughout the 1980s of more stragglers throughout the South Pacific and Southeast Asia. > > The last Japanese soldier killed in action was PFC Kinshichi Kozuka, who was killed in a shootout with Philippine police in October 1972. This is so interesting stuff. They purposely searched these last guys because they knew their names and everything right? So what about those no one searched for because they were thought to be dead? I wouldn’t be surprised if many were left even after 1974. I think in some remote villages people could tell some really interesting stuff about strange campfires, missing food etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/32 "2015-05-25T18:37:12Z")
> [@dr\_zippermeyer](#): > > This is so interesting stuff. They purposely searched these last guys because they knew their names and everything right? So what about those no one searched for because they were thought to be dead? I wouldn’t be surprised if many were left even after 1974. I think in some remote villages people could tell some really interesting stuff about strange campfires, missing food etc. See the [link](http://www.wanpela.com/holdouts/list.html) in post 15; it contains a great deal of information on Japanese holdouts. Nobody was looking for Lt. Hiroo Onoda who had been declared legally dead in Japan 15 years prior. He also wasn’t the last confirmed Japanese holdout to surrender, though widely (mis)known as such. [Private Teruo Nakamura](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teruo_Nakamura) was arrested by Indonesian soldiers on December 18, 1974. Two further Japanese didn’t surrender until 1989, but aren’t widely regarded as ‘true’ holdouts as they had joined the Communist Party of Malaya to continue the war against Britain. [Shigeyuki Hashimoto and Kiyoaki Tanaka](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-01-15/news/9001040661_1_japanese-soldiers-and-civilians-japanese-people-wartime) surrendered when their guerrilla group laid down its arms on December 2, 1989. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/33 "2015-05-26T01:29:33Z")
Five or ten years ago The History Channel (I think) did a really good re-enactment documentary about Lt. Onoda. He originally was part of a party of holdout soldiers of which he was the ranking soldier. They were involved in several ‘incidents’ with local peoples and authorities (including stealing food and even some shootings). A Japanese college student who heard about the story went there to try and contact him. He was successful and the two talked over the course of several days. Lt. Onoda still refused to believe the war was over, but the college student learned a lot about him, including the name of his superior officer. He went back to Japan and located him, and they (along with Philippine authorities) coaxed him out of the jungle to surrender. His uniform was still in reasonable condition and his service rifle was still functioning\*!\* I believe the Philippine president gave him a full pardon for any crimes committed (which may have included murder) and he returned to Japan a national hero. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/34 "2015-05-26T13:33:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > A lot of people mistakenly think the Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944-Jan 1945) was the last German offensive of the war. But the real last German offensive was Operation Spring Awakening. It was an attempt to recapture some oil fields in Hungary in March 1945. How do you define “German Offensive”? Hitler ordered the IX Army and XII Army to disengage the enemy on their fronts, and move to the relief of Berlin, which was almost completely encircled. Both armies attempted to do so, beginning around 22 April. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/35 "2015-05-26T13:46:24Z")
> [@CraterLayer](#): > > On August 16, 1945, the day after Japan surrendered, there were only four American airmen still alive at the Osaka Kempei Tai prison. The men were told that they were being freed and were given back their uniforms, unloaded weapons, personal effects and even their parachutes. Korean forced-laborers reported that the men were smiling and waved to them as they were leaving the camp. One even yelled that they were “going home”. > Instead the Japanese led them to the cemetery where a large hole had been dug. They were beheaded and thrown into the ditch. On top of them were piled their personal effects, along with those of the 55 Americans previously killed, and any other evidence that Americans had ever been held there. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![dr\_zippermeyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@dr\_zippermeyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dr_zippermeyer)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/36 "2015-05-27T18:19:39Z")
Last battlefield in Europe: Georgian Wehrmacht volunteers uprising on Texel (5 April 1945 – 20 May 1945) > **[Georgian uprising on Texel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_uprising_on_Texel)** > > Ceasefire > Georgian Legion Dutch resistance > Chronology of the liberation > The Georgian uprising on Texel (Dutch: Opstand der Georgiërs) (5 April 1945 – 20 May 1945) was an insurrection by the 882nd Infantry Battalion Königin Tamara (Queen Tamar or Tamara) of the Georgian Legion of the German Army stationed on the German-occupied Dutch island of Texel (pronounced Tessel). The battalion was made up of 800 Georgians and 400 Germans, with mainly German officers. It was one of the last battles in th... “Shortly after midnight on the night of 5–6 April 1945, the Georgians rose up and gained control of nearly the entire island. Approximately four hundred German soldiers were killed in the initial uprising, almost all while sleeping in the quarters they shared with Georgians, who used knives and bayonets.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/37 "2015-05-27T18:37:04Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > How do you define “German Offensive”? > > Hitler ordered the IX Army and XII Army to disengage the enemy on their fronts, and move to the relief of Berlin, which was almost completely encircled. Both armies attempted to do so, beginning around 22 April. As I said above, that sounds to me more like a defensive operation than an offensive. And I’d also question whether the operation ever got going. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/38 "2015-05-27T19:03:19Z")
Last German unit to surrender: Weather troop Haudegen (“swashbuckler”) on September 4, 1945 (on the Arctic island of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean). → [Operation Haudegen - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Haudegen) ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/39 "2015-05-27T19:08:33Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As I said above, that sounds to me more like a defensive operation than an offensive. And I’d also question whether the operation ever got going. It was Hitler issuing nonsensical orders to largely non-existent troops. See map [here](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Battle_of_Berlin_1945-b.png), IX Army was itself surrounded. From wiki on Hitler’s orders: > [@](#): > > When the old southern flank of the IV Panzer Army had some local successes counter-attacking north against the 1st Ukrainian Front, Hitler gave orders that showed his grasp of military reality was completely gone. He ordered the IX Army to hold Cottbus and set up a front facing west.[57] Then they were to attack the Soviet columns advancing north. This would supposedly allow them to form a northern pincer that would meet the IV Panzer Army coming from the south and envelop the 1st Ukrainian Front before destroying it.[58] They were to anticipate a southward attack by the III Panzer Army and be ready to be the southern arm of a pincer attack that would envelop 1st Belorussian Front, which would be destroyed by SS-General Felix Steiner’s Army Detachment advancing from north of Berlin.[59] Later in the day, when Steiner explained that he did not have the divisions to do this, Heinrici made it clear to Hitler’s staff that unless the IX Army retreated immediately, it would be enveloped by the Soviets. He stressed that it was already too late for it to move north-west to Berlin and would have to retreat west.[59] Heinrici went on to say that if Hitler did not allow it to move west, he would ask to be relieved of his command.[60] > > On 22 April, at his afternoon situation conference, Hitler fell into a tearful rage when he understood that his plans of the day before were not going to be realised. He declared that the war was lost; he blamed the generals and announced that he would stay on in Berlin until the end and then kill himself.[61] In an attempt to coax Hitler out of his rage, General Alfred Jodl speculated that General Walther Wenck’s XII Army, which was facing the Americans, could move to Berlin because the Americans, already on the Elbe River, were unlikely to move further east. This assumption was based on his viewing of the captured Eclipse documents, which organized the partition of Germany among the Allies.[62] Hitler immediately grasped the idea, and within hours Wenck was ordered to disengage from the Americans and move the XII Army north-east to support Berlin.[59] It was then realised that if the IX Army moved west, it could link up with the XII Army. In the evening Heinrici was given permission to make the link-up.[63] ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709/40 "2015-05-27T19:21:59Z")
Last German servicemen to be executed for desertion: Sailors Bruno Dörfer and Rainer Beck on Mai 13, 1945 (i. e. 5 days after Germany surrendered). → [13 May 1945 German deserter execution - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_May_1945_German_deserter_execution) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/list-of-last-occurences-in-wwii/720709.md?page=3)