The Imperial Navy
21-04-2004, 11:30
I am sorry those of you who think i am focusing too much on the European Theatre-But i'm writing up what i know.
Hope you enjoy-this took me A-G-E-S...
---Timeline: Starting January 1939 and will continue gradually---
January 1939,
Hitler predicts in a speech to the "Reichstag" that a war in Europe would lead to "the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe":"The destruction of the Jews", "Auswanderung oder Evakuierung".
February 1939,
Japanese troops occupy Hainan Island.
15 March 1939,
Germany troops move to occupy Czechoslovakia. The German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia are claimed.
18 March 1939,
Stalin ask for coalition against Hitler, Chamberlain refused, maybe Neville was right?
22 March 1939,
"Das Mermelgebiet" annexed by the German Reich.
28 March 1939,
The Spanish Civil War ended, Madrid surrenders; General Franco in Madrid.
April 1939,
Great Britain and France guarantee the armed help to Greece and Romania, should they be attacked by Germany or Italy. Formal Anglo-French guarantees are presented to Poland.
7 April 1939,
Italian troops invade Albania,
The policies and financial dealings of the Albanian King force Italy to occupy Albania, in which it has long standing political and financial interests.
Germany abrogates the 1934 Nonaggression Pact and the 1935 Anglo-German Naval Agreement.
14 April 1939,
Roosevelt ask Hitler and Mussolini to stop the violence and make a proposal to hold a conference.
May 1939,
From May to September 1939 Japan and the Soviet Union fought a fierce, large-scale undeclared war on the Mongolian plains that ended with a decisive Soviet victory with two important results: Japan reoriented its strategic emphasis toward the south, leading to war with the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands; and Russia freed itself from the fear of fighting on two fronts, thus vitally affecting the course of the war with Germany.
The second stage of China's War of Resistance Against Japan stretched from the Suizao Campaign of May 1939 to the Changde Campaign of March 1944. In this stage, everyone was in the war together. From the cities to the villages, the whole of society was mobilized.
22 May 1939,
Germany and Italy sign "The Pact of Steel," a formal alliance.
15 August 1939,
Indian troops arrive in Egypt to reinforce British forces around the Suez Canal.
19 August 1939,
Fourteen German U-boats are sent to patrol the North Atlantic Ocean.
23 August 1939,
Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact in Moscow, a secret protocol dividing eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
26 August 1939,
Hitler's garantees the neutrality of Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Swiss.
31 August 1939,
German SS troops put on a false attack on a German radio station at Gliewitz.Dressed in Polish uniforms to convince the world that Poland is the aggressor nation and to justify their comming invasion of Poland.
1 September 1939,
(till 28 September). The German naval training ship 'Schleswig Holstein' fires opening shots of World War II and shells the Polish naval base at Westerplatte.
The navy intended to use the World War I battleship Schleswig-Holstein, 3 cruisers, and two flotillas of destroyers to bombard shore installations at Gdynia and the garrison at Hel (north of Danzig).
"Operation Weiss": German troops invade Poland. German tanks thundered across the Polish border at precisely 0445 hours, supported by Junkers Ju87 ("Stuka" named Sturzkampfflugzeug) dive-bombers.
Adolf Hitler was working on the new kind of warfare "Blitzkrieg", Lightning War that involved massive use of tanks, motorized infantry and airforce. Tactics of Blitzkrieg designed new role for tanks, spearheads for quick penetration of enemy territory.
At 9.00 am England and France issue an ultimatum to Germany.
2 September 1939,
Italy declares neutrality in the German/Poland conflict.
The ocean liner S.S. Athenia is torpedoed by the German U-boat U30. Over 112 civilians died at sea, 69 women, 16 children and 28 men. America and Canada were popular destinations, trying to escape from War.
3 September 1939,
Begin of World War II. Irak and Saudia-Arabia break diplomatic relations, Great Britain and France, follow by India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, declare war on Germany and begin the phoney war ("drole de guerre") in the west.
4 September 1939,
British air force bombs German warships at Kiel.
5 September 1939,
Neutrality statement of the United States. The new Prime Minister, Nobuyuki Abe, from Japan promises to keep out of the war in Europe.
7 September 1939,
France troops cross the German border at the "Saar-front".
8 September 1939,
After days of naval bombardment and the landing of assault troops, the Westplatte garrison surrenders.
16 September 1939,
Britain starts convoy service for merchant shipping.
The British Carrier "Courageous", 22.500 tons, sunk by the U-29, German Kriegsmarine.
17 September 1939,
Russian troops invade eastern Poland.
19 September 1939,
Soviet and Germany meet at Brest-Litovsk.
24 September 1939,
Began of the bombing of Warsaw with 1150 bombers. Warsaw is blitzed from the air as the German ground forces prepare for an assault on the capital.
25 September 1939,
Warsaw again bombed by 400 German aircraft dropping incendiary, highexplosive bombs. The water pipes ruptured and its fire-fighters evacuated, the fires cannot be quenched.
27 September 1939,
Warschau (Poland) surrenders to Nazi Germany.
29 September 1939,
Form of German-Russia treaty of frontier- and friendship at Moskou, providing for division of Poland. Esthonia signs mutual assistance pact with Sovjet Union.
2 October 1939,
The Pan-American Conference sets up the 300 mile security and neutrality zone around the American coast agreed on 23 September. Within this zone all hostile actions by the belligerent powers is forbidden.
6 October 1939,
The last Polish ground troops surrender. Polish national losses: 700.000 men captured by the Germans, 200.000 men by the Russians and great loss of life; more than 120.000 troops could escape. Thereby German lost 10.000 men and Russia several hundred.
13 October 1939,
Admiral Donitz attempts his first 'wolf pack' deployment of U-boats tactics, in which groups of submarines were assembled to engage in sustained attacks on a convoy, but without success.
14 October 1939,
The British Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak sunk by the German U-boat U47 (Leutnant Prien), which has penetrated the hiding place of the English fleet in the bay of Scapa Flow (Scotland) at 1.23u, with 833 men on board.
4 November 1939,
Neutrality Act of 1939 becomes law. USA neutrality law amended, modifying embargo on arms sales to belligerents ("cash and carry").
8 November 1939,
The first murder attempt on Adolf Hitler is made in a Bürgerbräukeller (a Munich beer hall) in Munchen by carpenter George Elser.
15 November 1939,
"Völkische Ausrottungsznahmen" in Poland, the leader Frank and Seys-Inquart order Jews to wear a white bracelet with a "Star of David".
30 November 1939,
The Russian-Finnish Winterwar: Russian troops invade Finland, in winter, and reach the Mannerheim Line, Finland's main defensive position reaches five days later, with few access roads, very low temperature (-46º) and in the North constantly darkness.
Russia attacks Finland, but the invasion only penetrates border areas and is carried out so inefficiently that Germany (and the world) thinks the Russian army is of poor quality. But Russia had purged its officer corps in the three years before and not yet completed the training of enough officers.
Denmark, Sweden and Norway declare their strict neutrality in the Russo- Finnish war.
December 1939,
The Finnish Government ask the League of Nations for intervention.
Finnish 9th Division defeated Russian 163th Division near Suomussalmi. Russian offensive no success.
13 December 1939,
Battle of the River Plate. The Admiral Graf Spee had been operating very successfully aginst merchant shipping in the South Atlantic when she was caught off the River Plate by the British cruisers Achilles, Ajax, and Exeter, still with only superficial damage
17 December 1939,
The German battleship Graf Spee is scuttled off the coast of Montevideo, Uraguary. Few days later Captain Langsdorf of the Graf Spee shoot himself through the head.
--1940--
4 January 1940,
Germany creates General Council for War Economy under Goering.
8 January 1940,
Food rationing in England and France (at 11 Januari). Britain introduces ration cards for butter, sugar, bacon and ham.
1 February 1940,
(till 3 February). Finnish troops, 6 div., successfully defence against the 7th and 13th Russian Army at the "Mannerheimlinie".
16 February 1940,
The British destroyer "Cossack" rescues 299 British seamen from German prison ship Altmark in the Norwegian "Josing-fjord". Sweden refuses to intervene on the side of Finland.
23 February 1940,
Begin in the Northern Icesea of the blockade of transport from Etching out of Scandinavia to Germany from the Allied.
8 March,
At the beginning of the war a gas attack was greatly feared; the government issued everyone with gas masks to be carried at all times. As the threat receded, the masks became a nuisance rather than a need, but nevertheless had to be carried throughout the war. Gas drill was a regular feature of air raid precaution training and practice.
11 March 1940,
The first example of an aircraft sinking a U-boat, the U-31 is attacked and sunk off Wilhelmshaven by a RAF Blenheim.
Atlantis, the first of a dozen German commerce raiders, puts to sea. These 'ghost' ships are to prey on merchantmen sailing without the protection of a convoy. Their 60.000 nautical miles range will see them in action in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
12 March 1940,
Finland signs a treaty with Russia (Moskow) giving up a large amount of territory.
18 March 1940,
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini hold a conference at Brenner Pass; Italy joins the war with Germany.
8 April 1940,
French and British navy troops mine Norwegian coastal waters and ports.
9 April 1940,
(till 10 April)."Operation Weserübung": German troops invade Denmark and Norway, in a quick and lightning action. (Blitzkrieg)
15 April 1940,
Allied caught by surprise try to help poor Norway troops. British troops occupy the port of Narvik, Norway, also Namsos, Trondheim and Andalsness. Germans fleet with great loses.
27 April 1940,
Himmler order to built Concentration Camp Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss becomes Commandant.
3 May 1940,
Pro-Nazi Norwegian Army Major Vidkun Quisling becomes leader of Norway, King Haakon fly away from Norway.
7 May 1940,
Leopold Amery(MP) blasts the government of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. His bad statement concerning the German invasion of Norway and Chamberlain lead to Chamberlain's ouster as Prime Minister of Great Britain (England).
10 May 1940,
(till 4 June). Operation "Gelb": German troops invade the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
10 May 1940,
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigns. Winston Churchill (65 years) formed a National Government and became Prime Minister of Great Britain (England).
British troops land on Iceland.
10 May 1940,
The Netherlands opens its flood gates in an attempt to slow-down the German Army's advance.
The German ultimatum ordering the Dutch commander of Rotterdam to cease fire was delivered to him at 10:30 a.m. on May 14, 1940. At 1:22 p.m., German bombers set the whole inner city of Rotterdam ablaze, killing 30.000 of its inhabitants.
11 May 1940,
Capture of Eben Emael (Belgian) and Maastricht. The Fortress Eben Emael formed the northern most part of the French defence line running along the German border.
Allied forces occupy Netherlands West Indies.
13 May 1940,
Queen Wilhelmina has a narrow escape from the Netherlands and arrives in England.It was feared that the Germans would attempt a raid to seize Queen Wilhelmina, infant crown princess Beatrix, and other members of the Dutch Royal Family. Netherlands government flees to England.
First Speech of Winston Churchill: "Blood, Sweat and Tears," 13 May, 1940.
14 May 1940,
The bombing of Rotterdam; 617 killed.
German troops, the 12th Army, invade France, forces the front at Sedan.
15 May 1940,
The Netherlands surrenders to Nazi Germany at Rijsoord. Seys-Inquart Government Commissioner of the Netherlands, numbers of losses after 4 days war: 2890 killed; 6889 wounded; 29 missing.
19 May 1940,
British Royal Air Force planes bomb Bremen and Hamburg,in Germany.
27 May 1940,
(till 4 June). The admiralilty gives the start for Operation "Dynamo"; Nearly 350,000 British, French, and other allied troops are rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk.
28 May 1940,
King Leopold of Belgium agreed to capitulate: Belgium surrenders to Germany. Allied capture Narvik, Norway and at 3 June evacuation from Narvik.
The steamer "Mona's Isle" is the first ship which arrived in Dunkirk and came under fire from coastal batteries and leaved with more than 100 dead on board.
29 May 1940,
Dunkirk is encircled by German artillery and fired by the Luftwaffe but the evacuation continues with French troops joining the theatre. Lost are the destroyers HMSS Wakeful, Grafton and Grenade. Even though the Germans had clear weather, the Stukas are less effective around Dunkirk than Gôring had expected. Their ability to hit land convoys and static targets is not matched when faced wîth the armada of vessels going to and from the French coast. While more than 860 vessels are going on runs to and from the Dunkirk beaches, the German bombardment decreases and some units move back to prepare for action elsewhere in France.
3 June 1940,
Only 2 miles from the harbour away, the Germans still do not prevent Operation "Dynamo". A late arrival of various French forces and civilians leaved just 40.000 to be captured. The last vessel to depart Dunkirk, the destroyer HMS Shikari, sailed at 3.30 hours with 338 men. Just 6 hours later von Kluge's 4th Army entered the town. Elsewhere, Gôring has transferred his bombers inland and begins a programme of bombing airfields and industrial sites around Paris.
5 June 1940,
(till 24 June) Begin of the battle of France and Corsica, called "Operation Rot".
8 June,
German troops capture again Narvik, end of the evacuation of Allied troops from Narvik.
Carrier Glorious sunk at Norway wad, German battleship Scharnhorst heavily damage.
10 June 1940,
Norway troops surrenders.
The Fascist Government of Italy declares war on England and France, Italian troops invade France and bomb Malta for the first time. Malta is used as a bomber base for raids against Italy and Lybia, the aircraft used were Wellingtons.
11 June 1940,
First RAF Air attack on Turin, Whitley bombers bomb the Fiat- factories, 1200 km.
Italians' airplanes attack French bases in Tunisia and Corsica.
13 June,
Paul Reynaud, the Premier of France broadcasts a final appeal for American intervention.
14 June 1940,
German troops, 6th German Army, enter Paris, France. General Frere (French 7th Army) leaves Paris without fighting and von Studnitz leads the 87th Infantry Division in ints triumphal entry march. The western allied forces completely lost control over the European continent.
Spain declares not belligerents.
15 June 1940,
French troops abandon the Maginot Line.
Russia invade Litauen, Letland, Estland, Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina.
16 June 1940,
Paul Reynaud resigns as Premier of France.
18 June 1940,
From London Charles de Gaulle, become "Leader of the Free France", talks for the first time to the people of France; continue the War.
Hitler and Mussolini meet in Munchen.
20 June,
France allows Japan to penetrate Japanese troops in North-Indo China.
22 June 1940,
France (General Huntziger) signs an armistice with Germany at Compiegne (Rethondes), France. Fall of France; German troops occupy northern and western France. Collaborationist Vichy government set up in south-eastern France.
24 June 1940,
Armistice sign at Rome between Italy and France, armistice 25 June at 1.35u in France.
27 June 1940,
Romania, under the demands of Joseph Stalin, cedes Bessarabia and northern Bucovina to the Soviet Union.
29 June,
Italo Balbo shot down above Tobruk by his own anti-aircraft artillery.
30 June 1940,
German forces land in the Channel Islands, the only part of the British Isles that they will occupy. Dônitz visits Brittany to view the U-boat bases which he believes will hugely increase the potential of his U-boat fleet. Now freed from having to make passage north of the British Isles to reach the Atlantic, the U-boats will surely be able to impose his will upon the all-important shipping lanes to and from the USA. With occupation of Norwegian, Danish, Belgian, Dutch, and French ports, the Kriegsmarine is in a position to control the seas of northern Furope in which Great Britain now seems ever more isolated. Indeed, a surge of success has been seen in June, with Allied shipping of more than 350,000 tons being lost to the U-boats.
July 1940,
Vice-Admiral Somerville takes command of Force H, a group consisting of the carrier HMS Ark Royal, battlecruiser HMS Hood, and two battleships plus cruisers and destroyers. Its first action will be against the French who, though claiming that none of their vessels will be allowed to faIl into German or Italian hands, are proving reluctant to take determined action to avoid this.
3 July 1940,
Operation "Katapult": French War Fleet in the port Mers el Kébir near Oran (N.Africa) attack by British War-ships. Ships of the British Mediterranean Fleet destroyed units of the French Fleet to prevent them falling into German hands.
9 July 1940,
By a vote of Parliament, the capital of France is moved to Vichy. First battle between Warships from Italy and England at Punta Stilo, Italian battleship Conti di Cavour heavily damage.
10 July 1940,
(till 25 August) The Battle of Britain begins, maybe "Operation Seelowe", invasion in England, the first great air-attack on England on 10 July.
11 July 1940,
Marshal Henri Philippe Petain (84 years), the old fighter from WW I, becomes Premier of France.
"Der Kanalkampf": German air attacks on British convoys intensify.
19 July 1940,
Adolf Hitler broadcasts for peace to England, it is immediately rejected.
"Street of Birma" closes for 3 month, China's supply stopped.
21 July 1940,
Estland, Letland and Litauen are annexed by the Soviet Union.
22 July 1940,
The Special Operations Executive (S0E) is created in Great Britain to train and activate people to act subversively against the German forces in occupied Europe. The Americans will later establish the Office of Strategic Services (0SS) to perform a similar role and, on many occasions, to work in concert with S0E.
25 July 1940,
A US decision to limit its exports of oil places an immediate and continuing problem with the Japanese who have come to rely on foreign supplies. Their stocks dwindle from this day and cause them to look to the Dutch East Indies and Malaysia.
2 August 1940,
The Chief of the German Ministry of Economics and Armament is requested to set a programme in train which will increase the army's strength to 180 divisions; this in preparation for the invasion of Russia. Hitler orders the 'destruction of the RAF and the British aircraft industry' and states that the necessary air offensive must start on 5 August. The significance of this is that it accords the Luftwaffe an independence of role and action that has not been permitted hitherto. Its 'offensive force', rapidly assembled in France, the Low Countries and Norway, will consist of almost 1,700 aircraft including bombers, fighters, Stuka dive-bomhers and fighter-destroyers. Field Marshal Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 will play the major role because its bases are the closest to England; in support will be Field Marshal Sperrle's Luftflotte 3; General Stumpffs Luftflotte 5 wil operate from Norwegian bases against sites in the English Midlands. At this point the Germans remain unaware that the fighters which will be ranged against them are controlled by ground radar, a crucial asset in the weeks to come.
3 August 1940,
England lost Somalia to Italy, British evacuate Berbera. The Italian Air Force dominates to the offensive against British Somaliland. Within 10 days the British have to evacuate the capital Berbera because there is no aerial support in this region.
8 August 1940,
"Adlerangriff": Göring orders the Luftwaffe to destroy the RAF defence-system (fighters and radar) within 4 days. The first large wave of German bombers assault England.
The American Aircraft war production range: 900 planes pro month.
12 August 1940,
Raids by Messerschmitt Bf 110s and Stukas on radar stations along the coasts of Kent, Sussex and the Isle of Wight fial to break the system. RAF HQ reports 5 German aircraft shot down and others damaged; the Germans report their air raid on Portland Harbour with vessels damaged and ground installations destroyed.
.
13 August 1940,
"Adlertag": Intensification of the Battle of Britain; Airfight between Germany and Britain, nearly 1500 Luftwaffe flights above England. The fighters of Fighter Command, Hurricanes and especially Spitfires be equal to Messerschmitts Bf-109, Junkers Ju-87 (Stuka) and bombers Junkers Ju-88, Dornier Do-17Z and Heinkel He-111.
24 August 1940,
The German battleship Bismarck enters service. Through an accidental loss of course, a German bomber offloads over the centre of London with some loss of civilian life.
25 August 1940,
In a reprisal for the London bombing of the night before, the RAF attacks Berlin.
5 September 1940,
Marshall Ion Antonescu, Fascist leader, is appointed Prime Minister of Romania. Antonescu sent out loyalty to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
6 September 1940,
King Carol of Romania abdicates in favor of his son Michael, at the urging of Marshall Antonescu and Hitler.
7 September 1940,
(till 1 October) Begin of the "Blitzkrieg" of London, attacks from the air, marking the first air blitz of the city. More than 900 aircraft attack London. By this action the German effectively 'invade England from the air, but within another 10 days Hitler will have cancelled his plans for Operation 'Sealion', the full-scale invasion of England. Goering's Luftwaffe fails to bring Britain to her knees in month October.
13 September 1940,
First Italian offensive in North-Africa; Italy invade Egypt, the objective is to lock the Suez Canal. Stop at Sidi Barrani; because they didn't become enough material to continue.
16 September 1940,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Selective Service bill, which begins America's first peace-time draft.
17 September 1940,
Italian troops (Marshal Graziani) invade Egypt from Libya; stopping at Bardia till Sidi-Barrani because of supply problems again.
19 September 1940,
French landed troops at Naval port Dakar (West Africa), counter a possible landing of the "Free France" of Charles de Gaulle.
20 September 1940,
The Allied convoy HX-72 is attacked by a U-boat wolfpack; 12 0f the 41 ships were sunk. Commander Schepke wasn't detected in his U100.
21 September 1940,
Planned Operation "Seelöwe" today postponed.
23 September 1940,
(till 26 September). Operation "Menace": Attack of English naval forces at Dakar, preperation to a landing of Gaullistic troops. Charles De Gaulle's troops failure to invade Dakar.
27 September 1940,
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact in Berlin.
7 October 1940,
German troops invade Romania to "defend" its oil fields.
12 October 1940,
Hitler postpones Operation 'Sealion' until the spring of 1941. His priorities are now elsewhere and Goring has been unable to achieve the vital air superiority. The operation will never receive the go-ahead.
16 October,
Over 16.000.000 men register for the draft in the United States.
23 October 1940,
Hitler meets General Francisco Franco at Hendaye, in southern France, and offers him Gibraltar and territory in northern Africa to join the war. Franco is uncertain about the offer and comes to no agreement.
24 October 1940,
French Chief of State Marshal Petain and Adolf Hitler meet to promote the "new order" of Europe.
28 October 1940,
Italian troops invade Greece from Albania with 155.000 men. After becoming fully mobilised the Greeks can field 420.000 men.
1 November 1940,
Italian aircraft bomb Athens and Salonika, Greece.
5 November 1940,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected for the third time as President.
10 November 1940,
Former British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain dies at his home in Hampshire, England.
Begin of transport from American warplanes from New Foundland to North-Ireland.
11-12 November 1940,
Visit from Molotow to Berlin. Conference of Hitler and von Ribbentrop about Sowjet Unions joining to the Pact of Three. British aircraft attack Taranto Harbor, Italy.
15 November 1940,
A German blitz on Coventry and Birmingham, England destroys most of the cities.
The Ghetto of Warsaw is closed.
19 November 1940,
Greek troops defeat the invading Italians and mount a counter-attack against the Italians, I, II and III Corps, driving the greater part of Italian Ninth Army back into Albania.
20 November 1940,
Hungary and some days later Rumania declares its support for Germany and Italy.
December 1940,
Quotation; Hitler about Barbarossa: The German Armed Forces must be prepared to cruh Soviet Russia in a quick campign even before the end of the war againt England... Preparations... are to begun now... and are to be completed by 15 May 1941.
2 December 1940,
Greek forces capture 5.000 Italian troops.
9 December 1940,
British offensive begins; Tobruk captured and the Italians collapse and retreat, 48.000 men are taken prisoner by the British.
15 December 1940,
(till 9 Febrary 1941). Operation " Compass": British troops (Wavell), 31.000 men and 225 tanks, defeat the Italian Army in Egypt, march from Sidi Barrani to El-Agheila. In this period British troops destroys 8 Italian div., 130.000 Italian prisoners of war, 470 tanks and 1300 guns the prize. British losses: 500 dead, 1371 wounded, 55 missing.
--1941--
January 1941,
Field Marshall Sir Harold Alexander is appointed Commander of the British I Corps, Burma.
10 January 1941,
The Lend-Lease bill is introduced in the U.S. Congress.
Heavy German attacks by dive-bombers on British convoys to Malta (in Sicilian channel) results in loss of 'Southampton' and damage to 'Illustrious'.
20 January 1941,
(till 18 May). After successfull fight in North-Africa, British troops were sent to East-Africa with Indian and South Afican (from Kenya) forces invade Abessinie, Eritrea and Somaliland and dislodge the Italians.
20 January,
(18 till 23 Januari). Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini hold a conference at Berghof.
7 February 1941,
Battle of Beda Fomm
The Battle of Beda Fomm was a catastrophic Italian defeat at the hands of the British during the North African Campaign. The battle took place near Beda Fomm, 190 km south of Benghazi on the Libyan coast road. Elements of the British 7th Armoured Division had cut across the desert and set up a road block in which the retreating 10th Italian Army was ambushed. Over 25.000 prisoners, 100 tanks, 216 guns, and 1.500 other vehicles were captured. Although the Allied force now lacks serviceable vehicles and has suffered 555 dead and 1.400 wounded, its modest numbers have decimated an Italian group 5 times larger.
10 February 1941,
England breaks-off diplomatic relations with Romania.
Successive victories for Allies with 130.000 Italians captured in two month offensive.
12 February 1941,
Erwin Rommel arrives in North Africa to command the Afrika Corps. The German Africa Corps (Rommel) to Tripoli, Libye (N.Afica) and Tobruk, called "Operation Sonneblume".
16 February 1941,
Bulgaria and Turkey sign a non-aggression pact.
10.000 Jews in Vienna deport to Polen.
1 March 1941,
Nazi extermination camps begin full operation. These include Auschwitz, Bamberg, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Chelmno, Jena, Sobibor and Treblinka. Over 2.600.000 Polish Jews are among those killed during the course of the war. Over 12.000 people would be killed daily at Auschwitz alone. By 1945 nearly 6 million Jews and more than 3 million Communists, gypsies, socialists and other dissidents will be exterminated.
1 March 1941,
Bulgaria joins the Axis Tripartite Pact.
7 March 1941,
The German U-Boat U47, which sank the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak, is sunk by allied destroyers, with its entire crew aboard.
9 March 1941,
New Italian offensive against Greece and run aground at 16 March.
11 March 1941,
The Lend-Lease Act becomes law. Three months after the invasion, the United States extended assistance to the Soviet Union through this Lend-Lease Act.
25 March 1941,
Yugoslavia joins the Axis Tripartite Pact.
27 March 1941,
A military coup in Yugoslavia over throws Paul, Regent of Yugoslavia and replaces him with King Peter II.
28 March 1941,
Italian Navy ships attacks British convoys to Greece.
British Royal Navy ships defeat the Italian Navy at Cape Matapan, the Mediterranean.
30 March 1941,
(till 30 may) The German Africa Corps (Rommel) launches a counteroffensive at El-Agheila in the Cyrenaica (Libya) against British forces in Egypt.
All German and Italian merchantman-ships seized in the USA.
31 March 1941,
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau bombed at Brest.
4 April 1941,
Addis Abeda (Ethiopia) capture by the British, a month later Emperor Haile Selassi returnes to his city.
Coup d'état in Irak: man in Power is General Rasch Ali Gailani; anti-British, pro-As.
6 April 1941,
"Operation Marita" the Balkan States campaign: Germany invades Yugoslavia (till 17 April) and Greece (till 30 April).
Italian troops to from Albania.
6 April 1941,
(till 9 April). No co-operation by Yugoslavia, Hitler's reprimand: 3 days heavily bombardment of Belgrado (17.000 people died).
10 April 1941,
Greenland is placed under U.S. control.
Tobruk surrounds by German troops.
13 April 1941,
German troops capture Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Japan and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact.
16 April 1941,
(till 17 April). 460 German bombers attack London.
Begin Japanese treaty with the United States.
18 April 1941,
The Yugoslav Army surrenders to German forces in Belgrado. King Peter II flees.
24 April 1941,
King George of Greece flees the country. Operation "Demon": Nearly 50,000 men rescued from little beaches and harbors of South-Greece, these action took part till 29 April.
27 April 1941,
German forces capture Athens, Greece.
30 April 1941,
Germany occupation of Greece (in Saloniki) a fact: 223.000 Greece and 21.900 British prisoners of war. German losses; 2.559 dead, 5.820 wounded and 3.169 missing.
7 May 1941,
Joseph Stalin becomes the Premier of the Soviet Union.
May 1941,
(till 9 May). The greatest RAF Air attacks on Germany: total 359 bombers, of which 317 to Hamburg and Bremen.
The career of the most successful German raider Pinguin comes to an end near the Seychelles when she is sunk by fire from the heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall. The raider has sunk or captured 32 ships.
The Mediterranean convoys come under air attack and engage the Italian aîrcraft.
9 May 1941,
(till 30 May). Great Britain takes control of Iraq.
10 May 1941,
General Draja Mihailowitsj, leader of the Chetniks, begin his organized resistance against the Germans in Rawna Gora.
Rudolf Hess parachutes from a Messerschmit-110, after 1200 km into Scotland on a "peace mission".
10 May 1941,
German bombers assault London in what tums out to be the final heavy mission of the Battle of Britain. More than 500 aircraft drop high*explosive and incendiary bombs which result in many fires and cause more than 3,000 casualties induding many dead. Some 27 German aircraft are lost. In the preceding ten months approximately 50.000 metric tons of bombs have been dropped on the UK, but the Battle of Britain has heen lost, and with it has gone Germany's chance of winning the war. Partly because of their lack of long-range fighters and heavy bombers, but also because of the eventual mastery of the RAF fighter squadrons and their tactics, the Germans will regard this as first significant turning*point in World War Two.
15 May 1941,
British planned some attacks in the desert (N-Africa) against the Africa Corps (Rommel), but failed it was a great loss of material and soldiers: Operations "Tiger","Brevity", "Battle-Axe" and "Crusader".
16 May 1941,
Duke Amadeo of Aosta, Governor of Italian East Africa, Commander in Chief of the Italian Armies in Eritea and Ethiopia surrenders forces under his command to the British Army at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia.
18 May 1941,
Admiral Lutjens sails the battleship Bismarck from Gdynia in consort with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. Two supply ships and 5 tankers are stationed in Atlantic, and scouting ships are sent out in advance of the main vessels to search for suitable prey.
The Kingdom of Croatia is created under Italian Prince from part of Yugoslavia.
20 May 1941,
"Operation Merkur": German troops invade the British-held island of Crete.
The full German assault on Crete commences with air attacks followed by paratroops dropped on the four airfields. They suffer heavy losses. Some 23.000 troops and 600 aircraft are deployed. The British and Greek forces are short of equipment and firepower but know the Germans are coming; they will outnumber them considerably. The Mediterranean fleet is offshore preventing any German arrivals by sea. The German side of the mission begins well but is then hit by delays in the flights of the aircraft bringing more troops, by heavy ground fire against those who do land and loss of communication between many of the constituent parts of the invasion. Towards the end of the day, the withdrawal of New Zealand units from Maleme airfield gives the Germans an unexpected foothold.
20 May 1941,
Walter Schellenberg of the RSHA tells the German military commander in France that further Jewish emigration should be prevented in view of transportation problems and the fact that a "Final Solution [Endloesung] of the Jewish question" is foreseeable.
21 May 1941,
In Crete the Germans develop their position at Maleme, enabling troops to be flown in.
24 May 1941,
The German battleship Bismarck sunk the British Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS Hood.
26 May 1941,
(till 10 July). Africa Corps (Erwin Rommel) march Tobruk to El-Alamein.
27 May ,
A flying-boat locates Battleship 'Bismarck' on his way to Brest. Force-H and the aircraft from Ark Royal, have the best chance of preventing the Bismarck from reaching that port. However in bad weather these aircraft first attack the cruiser HMS Sheffield in error, but later a flight of Swordfish score 2 hits on the 'Bismarck', which affect her steering gear and bring her almost to a stop. Further attacks that night by torpedo and from the British battleships finished the job.
1 June 1941,
British forces surrender the island of Crete. About 18.000 Allied troops have been taken off the beaches, but 17.000 men were taken prisoner; the Germans record 7,000 casualties including many dead. The cruiser HMS Calcutta is sunk while assisting the Crete evacuation. It has proved a hollow victory; its significance in the overall war plan is minimal and it turns Hitler against large-scale airborne actions which could have helped his cause in other theatres.
In Irac, the British enter Baghdad.
4 June 1941,
Kaiser William II dies in exile at Doorn, The Netherlands.
8 June 1941,
(till 12 July). British and Free-French troops invade Libanon and Syria (both from Vichy, government Petain), leaders are General Maitland, Wilson and Catroux.
14 June 1941,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt order all German assets frozen. The Department of States also closes all German consul and propaganda offices in the United States.
15 June 1941,
Operation Battleaxe fails to relieve Tobruk.
21 June 1941,
Damascus, Syria is captured by British and Free-French troops.
Hitler convinces Mussolini to allow Rommel to invade Egypt and set aside the invasion of Malta, named "Operation Hercules". Mussolini accepts the proposal after heavy consideration.
Malta was a strategic point for British convoys which supplied Commonwealth forces in Africa. The invasion of Malta would take form in the landing of three Italian parachute battalions and one German parachute division and bombarded by both Italian and German aircraft. After the capture of Malta, Rommel would drive the Axis forces into Egypt.
22 June 1941,
Operation "Barbarossa": Germany declares war on and begins (3.15u) an invasion of the Soviet Union. The Eastern Front quickly becomes 2,000-miles wide. Italy (60,000 men to Ukraine), Finland, and Romania also joined the German battle against the Soviet Union and declare war.
26 June 1941,
Finland and Hungaria declare war to Russia.
7 July 1941,
American troops join British troops in the occupation of Iceland.
13 July ,
Syria is completely captured by Allied troops (Russian and British).
July 1941,
At a meeting in Berlin, Himmer reveals the plan for the Final Solution to his subordinate, Höss, and puts him in charge of developing a large-scale killing center at Auschwitz.
21 July 1941,
First Air attack (200 bombers) by the Luftwaffe on Moskow.
24 July,
The Japanese occupy French Indo-China with the consent of the Vichy French Government.
26 July 1941,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders all Japanese assets frozen. He also orders the suspension of all trade with Japan and lay an embargo on oil, give rise to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
31 July 1941,
Göring's orders Heydrich to "evacuate" all European jews; The formal order for the planning of a coordinated Final Solution of the Jewish problem throughout Nazi-occupied Europe, already drafted by Eichmann, is signed by Goering.
6 August 1941,
American and British governments warn Japan not to invade Siam (Thailand).
9 August 1941,
(till 13 August). U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet at Placentia Bay, off the coast of Newfoundland, and sign the Atlantic Charter, a document outlining the Allied war aims.The Origin of the "United Nations" come into.
25 August 1941,
British and Soviet troops invade Persia (Iran), to save the oilfields of Abadan and the important railways and ways to Russia for the supply of war material for Russia.
26 August 1941,
Retreating Soviet troops destroy the great dam on the Dnieper River.
3 September 1941,
The efficacy of Zyklon B (prussic acid) is tested on 600 Russian POWs and 298 sick prisoners at Auschwitz. General deportation of German Jews begins.
7 September 1941,
(and 8 September).The first British raid on Berlin, 1700 km.
In the early years of the war, bombing Germany was the only means of striking directly at the enemy's homeland and war production. Plans for a major bombing offensive, known as the strategic air offensive, were ambitious, but limited by technical difficulties in the early stages.
8 September 1941,
German forces encircle Leningrad, the Soviet Union and take the 90-day offensive against the city.
11 September 1941,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares a shoot-on-sight order against all German and Italian shipping.
16 September 1941,
Riza Khan is forced to abdicate the Persian throne. British and Soviet forces jointly occupy the country.
18 September 1941,
Japanese Commander order for preperation of actions in the Pacific.
19 September 1941,
German forces capture Kiev, after six weeks of fighting, the capital of the Soviet Ukraine. German High Command releases 650.000 russian soldiers prisoners of war have been taken, 884 tanks and 3.718 guns. Soviet loss of life reached half a million, Germany lost 100.000 men.
"Grossaktion" in Kiev: Wehrmacht kills 52.000 men and women, 34.000 are jews.
"Einsatzgruppen" im Osten kills ca. 1.000.000 people (September, October and November).
28 September 1941,
Conference at Moskow; Stalin, Harriman (United States) and Beaverbrook (United Kingdom).
The United States extended assistance to the Soviet Union through its Lend-Lease Act of March 1941.
2 October 1941,
Begin of Operation "Typhoon": attack on Moskow (Von Bock).
14 October 1941,
German forces are within 60 miles of Moscow.
16 October 1941,
The Soviets set-up a temporary capital at Kuibyshev.
Begin of systematic deportation of jews to Polen and East-Europe.
17 October 1941,
General Hideki Tojo becomes Prime Minister of Japan, gone is Konoye. Formation of Cabinet Todjo.
20 October 1941,
(till 5 December) German offensive for Moskow, "Unternehmen Taifun".
31 October 1941,
A German U-boat, U-552 (Type VIIC, the "Red Devil" boat) commanded by Erich Topp, accidently sank the first WW II U.S. warship to be lost in war, the Navy destroyer Reuben James. Over 100 U.S. sailors were killed.
2 November 1941,
Begin of the furious battle between the "Chetniks" of Mihailowitsj and the partisans of Tito. Tito was the Communist partisan leader of Yugoslavia and later the President.
7 November 1941,
The greatest combine British Air-Operation, during WW II, 387 Bombers on there way to different targets at the other side of the North Sea, also to Berlin ( 1700 km): Whitleys, Wellingtons, Stirlings, Halifaxs.
12 November 1941,
The successful German raider Atlantis is sunk by the cruiser German raider HMS Devonshire off the coast of West Africa. The Royal Navy is increasingly effective in its pursuit of German shipping because of improved code-breaking techniques.
The Germans have a numerical superiority, in respect of tank strength, over the Allies in North Africa. After a day of heavy fighting around Sidi Rezegh, the 4th, 7th and 22nd Armoured Brigades coming out of the confrontations badly. New Zealand troops have joined the Allies in the area, as part of XIII Corps.
14 November 1941,
U-boat 81 sunk Britisch career "Ark Royal" near Gibraltar.
U.S. and Japanese (Koeroesoe and Nomoera) representative begin talks in Washington, D.C., to try to ease tensions between the two countries.
18 November 1941,
(till 30 December 1941).British troops (Claude Auchinleck) launch an offensive (Operation Crusader relieves Tobruk) in Libya, Africa (Bardia-El-Agheila).
6 December 1941,
(till 31 January). Soviet troops counter-attack at the whole front. Radio Moskow: Moskow would be defend till the last man died.
7 December 1941,
Japanese aircraft launch a surprise attack on American naval forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Imperial Government of Japan declares war to Britain, Canada, Australia and the United States. Losses United States: 8 American battleships, 3 Cruisers and 3 Destroyers destroyed; 2344 killed, 876 wounded, 966 missing. 1 O'clock: Koeroesoe and Nomoera ask for a conversation with Cordell Hull.
8 December 1941,
The United States declares war on Japan, US finds itself at war with both Japan and Germany. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill informs the British parliament that Britain is at war with Japan.
8 December 1941,
Gassing of Jews begins at Chelmno (Kulmhof). Other death camps come "on line" later: Belzec (March 1942); Sobibor (April-May 1942); Treblinka (July 1942).
8 December 1941,
Japanese troops invade The Philippines and Malaya, attack Hongkong, bomb Guam.
10 December 1941,
Japanese aircraft sink the British Royal Navy ships Prince of Wales and Repulse off the coast of Malaya. Japanese troops landed at Luzon (The Philippines).
11 December 1941,
Germany and Italy declare war on the United States and sign new military alliance with Japan.
13 December 1941,
Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States.
14 December 1941,
Convoy HG-76 sails from Gibraltar to the UK, covered by the carrier HMS Audacity and twelve other escorts. The group will be attacked by 12 U-boats but will sink 5 and bring down 2 German bombers; the carrier, a destroyer and 2 of the merchantmen will be lost.
19 December 1941,
Hitler takes up Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht, Von Brauchitsch retires.
19 December 1941,
(till 4 June 1942).In this period Chennault destroys with his "Flying Tigers" 247 Japanese planes, 300 damage and 1500 Japanese killed.
22 December 1941,
(till 14 january 1942).Conference of Washington (Arcade), U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet in Washington, D.C.
Japanese troops land on Mindano and Wake island.
25 December 1941,
British forces surrender Hong Kong to the Japanese.
--1942--
1 January 1942,
Twenty-six nations sign the Declaration of the United Nations.
2 January 1942,
Japanese troops enter Manila, The Philippines, the Americans withdraw to the peninsula of Bataan.
4 January 1942,
Chinese claim victory over Japanese at Changsha.
7 January 1942,
President Roosevelt proposes a budget which will fund the production of 125.000 aircraft, 75.000 tanks, 35.000 guns and 8 million tons of shipping by the end 1943.
11 January 1942,
Japanese troops invade the Netherland East Indies with advance strategy which will take in Borneo, Sarawak, Sumatra and Bali and Timor. The Japanese plan to move from island to island, knocking out enemy aircraft on the ground and then delivering seaborne troops who will make good the airfield, or build a new one, ready for flights to the next obiective. The landing at Manado in Celebes is reinforced by paratroops and marks the first airborne operation in the Pacific. The US carrier Saratoga is attacked by Japanese submarine Hawaii.
Japanese troops capture Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
11 January 1942,
Operation "Paukenschlag" for the coast of the United States; U-boats sunk 142.373 ships tonnage.
15 January 1942,
Japanese troops (16th Army) invade Burma.
17 January 1942,
The isolated German troops falls at Halfaya and more than 5000 German and Italian troops are captured. The first U-boat attack on an Artic convoy by the U454; a destroyer and a merchantman were sunk.
20 January 1942,
"Der Wannsee Conference" is held in Berlin, subject was to coordinate the Final Solution; Reinhard Heydrich, subordinate of Himmler and head of the RSHA (Reichssicherheitshauptamt) presides. Eichmann takes official notes at the meeting which survive as evidence, present were too Schöngarth and Freisler.
21 January 1942,
(till september 1942) Africa Corps Germany (Rommel) march from El-Agheila to El-Alamein.
22 January 1942,
The Netherlands destroys oil refinery at Balikpapan, Borneo.
25 January 1942,
Japanese troops landed in New Britain, Borneo, New Ireland and on the Solomons Islands.
The first American troops arrives at Northen-Ireland.
6 February 1942,
Japanese troops capture Borneo oil fields.
Allies lose Benghazi and halt German advance at the Gazala line.
12 February 1942,
The "Scharnhorst", "Gneisenau" and "Prinz Eugen" escape from Brest through the North-Sea.
15 February 1942,
Singapore (and General Perceival) surrender to the Japanese (General Yamashita). General Percival surrenders Singapore to General Yamashita to bring to an end to a very sorry episode for the British. Britain have lost 138.000 men, Japan nearly 10.000. The British have been left short numbers, equipment and air support.
22 February 1942,
Formation of USA Army Bomber Command, leader General Eaker. President Roosevelt order D.MacArthur to leave Bataan.
27 February 1942,
(till 1 March).The battle of the Java Sea, Japanese troops, defeat an Allied fleet, with 5 Cruisers and 9 Destroyers, under Dutch command, Rear-Admiral Doorman.
3 March 1942,
During the night of 3 March, the English carried out a treacherous air-raid on the residential quarter of Paris, as a result of which more than 600 were killed and 1000 wounded. The British Government had the nerve to express their sympathy to the families of the victims of their cold blooded murder. The scale of the crime is incredible; entire streets are razed to the ground in the affected workers' quarter'.
7 March 1942,
British citizens and troops are evacuated from Rangoon, Burma.
9 March 1942,
American, British, and Dutch troops (General ter Poorten) surrender Java to the Japanese.
21 March 1942,
Germans "Arbeitseinsatz" (Saukel); bring in 7.5 million "fremdarbeiter" and 30 million German citizen to work in German factories.
28 March 1942,
First Jews (Slowakia) arrives at Auschwitz, Birkenau for gassing.
British attack (raid) on the strategically important port of St.Nazaire. Through the pressure of Stalin to start a second front against Germany from Britain in the west, Churchill ordered an attempt to land at St. Nazaire at the mouth of the Loire with the aim of putting the German U-boat base out of action. In addition to high casualties of the British, a destroyer, 9 motor-boats and 4 torpedo boats were destroyed. The U-boat base suffered no damage'.
29 March 1942,
The presence of Tirpitz in Norwegian waters, together with other large German ships, will now begin to exercise the minds of the British Admiralty to a remarkable degree.
2 April 1942,
(till 8 April). Heavy air attacks from the "Luftwaffe" and Italian bombers on Malta, to make the island "free for the storm".
9 April 1942,
Japanese forces capture Bataan, The Philippines. 75.000 men on their march over about 100 km to Camp O'Donnell, the "Death-March", 54.000 arrived.
12 April 1942,
Rear Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten appointed Chief of Combined Operations with a seat on the British Chiefs of Staff Committee.
18 April 1942,
The Doolittle raid, starting from Carrier "Hornet" with North American B-25B Mitchells, on Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan.
After the winter at the Eastern front, German/Russia front for the new offensive.
29 April 1942,
Persecution of Jews: Order to wear the "Star of David" to all Jews in Europe.
Japanese troops capture Lashio, Birma and cut off "the street of Birma". Begin of the allied air-lift Assam to China.
May 1942,
(till 8 May). Japanese and American navies clash in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Japanese lost carrier "Shoho" and heavily damage carrier "Shokaku"; American lost carrier "Lexington", a tanker and a destroyer.
4 May 1942,
Operation "Ironclad": British troops land in Madagascar. British troops capture the Vichy French-controlled port of Diego Suazez, Madagascar (Africa).
6 May 1942,
End of the American armed resistance (11.574 men) on The Philippines. Japanese troops capture Corregidor.
15 May 1942,
British troops draw back at the border of India.
17 May 1941,
(till 28 May). The Battle of Charkow.
18 May 1942,
Large American Expeditionary Force reaches Northern Ireland.
26 May 1942,
Operation "Theseus"; Capture Tobruk. Africa Corps advance from Bir Hakeim, the turning movement at the battle of Gazala.
27 May 1942,
The attempt on Heydrich. The "Gestapo" execute 1331 Czech.
29 May 1941,
Mexico declares war on Germany, Italy, and Japan.
30 May 1942,
The first 1000 bomber raid. A 1047 bombers of the Royal Air Force above Cologne, take off from 52 airfields, dropped 1455 ton bombs; 460 killed and 45.000 homeless. British losses: 40 bombers , 45 heavily damage of which 12 lost by landing.
Canterbury, England attack by the Luftwaffe.
1 June 1942,
RAF airraid, 1036 bombers (31 lost), on the "Ruhr gebiet" and Essen, Germany.
RAF bombed Germany regularly impotant places with long-range bomber; Hampdens, Vickers Wellington, Whitleys, Halifaxs, Lancasters and Stirlings.
The US build-up for Midway includes the positioning of 25 submarines in the area.
June 1942,
The Germans add their new heavy 'super' artillery, the Karl mortar the 80cm Dora gun, to the bombardment of Sevastopol.
4 June 1942,
(till 8 June) The Battle of Midway. Begin of the 4-day air-naval battle of Midway. In this battle of planes; Japanese lost carriers "Akagi", "Kaga" , "Soryu" and "Hiryu", American lost carrier "Yorktown", sank by a Japanese submarine.
4 June 1942,
Japanese offensive against the 12th Chinese Armygroup; result capture of airbase Fuchow.
21 June 1942,
The Nazi German Africa Corps under (just) Field Marshall Erwin Rommel capture Tobruk, about 25.000 British prisoners of war.
25 June 1942,
Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower commander of U.S. forces in Europe.
30 June 1942,
Rommel at El Alamein.
Rommel pass the Egyptian border (24 June). Rommel establish the next destinations: El Alamein- Alexandrië-Nile-delta-Caïro; reach at 30 June!
1 July 1942,
German and Romanian troops capture Sevastopol, Russia after 8 month siege. General on Manstein is promoted to Field Marshal. The Germans have expended more han 46.000 shells and 20.000 tons of bombs against Sevastopol; the figure is marginally less than the total dropped on the UK during 1941.
(till 31 July) German U-boats sunk 93 Allied cargo-boats, 454.535 tons, to the bottom of the Ocean at the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of the USA, North Sea and the Mediterranean.
1 July 1942,
The first heavy bomber from the US 8th Army Air Force, a B-17 Flying Fortress, lands at Prestwick.
7 July 1942,
Over 1.000.000 German troops are diverted to capture the Soviet oil fields in the Caucasus.
17 July 1942,
Himmler, on his second visit to Auschwitz, personally witnesses killing procedures using Zyklon B.
22 July 1942,
Destruction Camp Treblinka openend.
22 July 1942,
(till 3 October) Revolt at the Warsaw Gettho; 310.332 Jews on transport to Concentration Camps; Illness,starvation and searching food were rife in the ghetto.
26 + 27 July 1942,
Mass attack from the RAF on Hamburg (repeat at 28+29 July).
27 July 1942,
Germany capture Rostov-on-Don, Soviet Union.
August 1942,
Field Marshall Sir Harold Alexander is appointed Commander-in-Chief of British forces by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
7 August 1942,
U.S. Marines land at Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands. The American begin landings in the Solomons, troops gain footholds on Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Gavutu.
8-9 August 1942,
Battle of Savo Island. Night surface actions; Japanese cruisers engages an Allied force and destroy 4 Allied cruisers near Salvo Island, Guadalcanal.
9 August 1942,
Gandhi and his chief supporters of committee "Quit India" are jailed in India causing mass riots.
German troops reach Maikop oil-field in Russia.
10 August 1942,
(till 13 August). Operation "Pedestal": Britsh attempt to sail a supply convoy to Malta.
17 August 1942,
Japanese begin operations to reinforce Guadalcanal.
The first serious Air attack from the USA with 12 B-17's (Flying Fortress), from Eighth Air Force, on shunting yards from Rouen, France, escort by British Spitfire. In September the first B-24's Liberators arrived.
19 August 1942,
British raid on Dieppe. British and Canadian commandos, 4de and 6de brigade of 2de Canadian division (General-major Roberts) with tanks and air support, attempt a raid on Dieppe, France. German forces defeat and capture the commandos.
22 August 1942,
Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.
23-25 August 1942,
Battle of the Eastern Solomons, air and surface actions.
26 August 1942,
Russian bombers raid on Berlin and other German cities.
28 August 1942,
Russian counter-attack at Leningrad (Lieutenant-general Goworow).
The German reach the Wolga north from Stalingrad.
31 August 1942,
The Battle of Alam Halfa (Egypt), British forces under General Montgomery defeat Rommel's Afrika Korps. Rommel attacks at Alam Halfa, but is repulsed and his armour is considerably weakened. Generals Alexander and Montgomery came, Generals Auchinleck and Ritchie are gone. The Eighth Army receives 300 Sherman tanks in September.
10 September 1942,
British troops occupy Madagascar.
12-13 September 1942,
Battle of Edson's ridge (bloody ridge) successful defense of Henderson airfield.
15 September 1942,
Begin of the Battle of Stalingrad.
22 September 1942,
German troops at the centre of Stalingrad.
29 September 1942,
In the second and final raid of its mission, a Japanese aircraft deployed from a submarine off the coast of Oregon, flies over forests inland to drop incendiary bombs. These were the only bombing raids made on the United States.
4 October 1942,
The Sixth Army of General Paulus is out of ideas, how to break through into the centre of Stalingrad but one more effort is called for. The Germans have more skilled urban fighters in their ranks but they are still struggling to make an impact. The Sovjets plan to force any German breakthrough into zones which they control, and then counter on their terms.
7 October 1942,
The tractory factory in Stalingrad is scene of the most fierce fighting in the city.
On Guadalcanal the US 1st Marine Division breaks out from the beachhead to try to create a larger safety zone around the airstrip Henderson Field.
11 October 1942,
Battle of Cape Esperance. Night surface actions to maintain Guadalcanal supply routes. The American have radar, but use it poorly, the Japanese have better torpedoes. Both sides troopships reach their destinations. The Americans get 3.000 men ashore; the Japanese will land artillery, tanks and other material, but lose more ships.
12 October 1942,
A Coastal Command Liberator sinks U597 in the first success by a single aircraft from this RAF section.
23 October 1942,
At 21.40 the begin of the British offensive:"Lightfoot" at El Alamein. Few days later (25) Rommel is back from Rome at the front.
24-27 October 1942,
Battle of Santa Cruz. Long range naval battle between American and Japanese forces near Santa Cruz island. Japanese heavy losses on Guadalcanal.
5 November 1942,
Operation "Super charge": The break through of the Battle of Alamein, British troops (Bernhard Montgomery) defeat Rommel's Afrika Korps, on the march to Tunis (March 1943).
Admiral Darlan arrives in Algiers.
8 November 1942,
Operation "Torch": Allied forces (110.000 men) under Dwight D. Eisenhower land in North Africa.
8 November 1942,
Vichy France breaks-off diplomatic relations with the United States. Germany capture Vichy (South-France).
Hitler declares at the "Löwenbräukeller" te München : "Stalingrad is defeated"!
11 November 1942,
Operation "Anton": German-Italian troops occupy South France and Corsica.
12-15 November 1942,
The Air-Sea battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battles of Guadalcanal; the turning point in the Pacific. The Japanese send 11.000 men to Guadalcanal in 11 transports escorted by destroyers. Another Japanese force of 2 battieships, 2 cruisers and 14 destroyers is sent to bombard Henderson Field. There are also 2 carriers in the area. With just 5 cruisers and 8 destroyers, US Admiral Callaghan moves to locate the ships heading for the position offshore of the airfield. When the 2 fleets engage the Japanese lose 2 cruisers and many of their other ships are damaged; the Americans lose 2 cruisers and 4 destroyers. Although the Americans should have used their superior radar to secure an even greater advantage, the Japanese transports are forced to turn away. On 14 November Admiral Tanaka attempts a new approach for his troops bound for Guadalcanal. The US carrier Enterprise is back on duty and her aircraft join with those from Henderson Field to attack the Japanese ships. 7 transports and 2 warships are lost, but Tanaka sails on, now receiving protection from a new formation consisting of the battleship Kirishima, 4 cruisers and 9 destroyers under the command of Admiral Kondo. The Americans have also reformed their fleet, deploying the battleships Washington and South Dakota and 4 destroyers. In the middle of the night the 2 forces clash. The naval action off Guadalcanal sees South Dakota retiring damaged early on, but Washington sinking Kirishima. Tanaka manages to land 4.000 troops but the hazards of surface approach and landing will see the Japanese resorting to submarine-borne supply in future.
13 November 1942,
British forces recapture Tobruk from the Germans.
Hitler assure Petain not to occupy Toulon.
19 November 1942,
7.30u; Soviet forces begin a counteroffensive to break-out of Stalingrad.The "South West front": about 3 tank-, 2 cav.corps and 21 inf.div., the "Donjetsfront": about 20 inf.div., 6 tankbrig. and 2 motor.brig.
21 November 1942,
Field Marshall Von Manstein be in charge of leadership at the Armygroup "Don".Charge: "Stop the Russian attack". The German 6th Army try to defend Stalingrad against the Russian. Fight at fortress Stalingrad.
25 November 1942,
Operation "Lila", German troops capture Toulon, the French Fleet sunk their on war-ships.
22 German divisions captive between Wolga and Don.
November 1942,
Los Alamos is selected as the site for an Atomic Bomb Laboratory. Robert Oppenheimer is named the Director.
30 November 1942,
Battle of Lunga Point. The continuing efforts of the 'Tokyo Express' to resupply the Japanese on Guadalcanal.
12 December 1942,
(till 23 December).German Armygroup "Hoth", with 2 tankdiv., try to set free the surrounded Germans at Stalingrad.Von Paulus with the permission of Hitler to do a break out of Stalingrad provided that Stalingrad must be hold.
24 December 1942,
Admiral Jean Francois Darlan, Head of French Armed Forces and High Commissioner in French North Africa, is murdered. He is replaced by General Henri Giraud.
28 December 1942,
The Germans Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht give order retreat of the German Armygroup A out of the Kaukasus.
--1943--
see next TIN post-out of room here
Hope you enjoy-this took me A-G-E-S...
---Timeline: Starting January 1939 and will continue gradually---
January 1939,
Hitler predicts in a speech to the "Reichstag" that a war in Europe would lead to "the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe":"The destruction of the Jews", "Auswanderung oder Evakuierung".
February 1939,
Japanese troops occupy Hainan Island.
15 March 1939,
Germany troops move to occupy Czechoslovakia. The German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia are claimed.
18 March 1939,
Stalin ask for coalition against Hitler, Chamberlain refused, maybe Neville was right?
22 March 1939,
"Das Mermelgebiet" annexed by the German Reich.
28 March 1939,
The Spanish Civil War ended, Madrid surrenders; General Franco in Madrid.
April 1939,
Great Britain and France guarantee the armed help to Greece and Romania, should they be attacked by Germany or Italy. Formal Anglo-French guarantees are presented to Poland.
7 April 1939,
Italian troops invade Albania,
The policies and financial dealings of the Albanian King force Italy to occupy Albania, in which it has long standing political and financial interests.
Germany abrogates the 1934 Nonaggression Pact and the 1935 Anglo-German Naval Agreement.
14 April 1939,
Roosevelt ask Hitler and Mussolini to stop the violence and make a proposal to hold a conference.
May 1939,
From May to September 1939 Japan and the Soviet Union fought a fierce, large-scale undeclared war on the Mongolian plains that ended with a decisive Soviet victory with two important results: Japan reoriented its strategic emphasis toward the south, leading to war with the United States, Britain, and the Netherlands; and Russia freed itself from the fear of fighting on two fronts, thus vitally affecting the course of the war with Germany.
The second stage of China's War of Resistance Against Japan stretched from the Suizao Campaign of May 1939 to the Changde Campaign of March 1944. In this stage, everyone was in the war together. From the cities to the villages, the whole of society was mobilized.
22 May 1939,
Germany and Italy sign "The Pact of Steel," a formal alliance.
15 August 1939,
Indian troops arrive in Egypt to reinforce British forces around the Suez Canal.
19 August 1939,
Fourteen German U-boats are sent to patrol the North Atlantic Ocean.
23 August 1939,
Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact in Moscow, a secret protocol dividing eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
26 August 1939,
Hitler's garantees the neutrality of Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark and Swiss.
31 August 1939,
German SS troops put on a false attack on a German radio station at Gliewitz.Dressed in Polish uniforms to convince the world that Poland is the aggressor nation and to justify their comming invasion of Poland.
1 September 1939,
(till 28 September). The German naval training ship 'Schleswig Holstein' fires opening shots of World War II and shells the Polish naval base at Westerplatte.
The navy intended to use the World War I battleship Schleswig-Holstein, 3 cruisers, and two flotillas of destroyers to bombard shore installations at Gdynia and the garrison at Hel (north of Danzig).
"Operation Weiss": German troops invade Poland. German tanks thundered across the Polish border at precisely 0445 hours, supported by Junkers Ju87 ("Stuka" named Sturzkampfflugzeug) dive-bombers.
Adolf Hitler was working on the new kind of warfare "Blitzkrieg", Lightning War that involved massive use of tanks, motorized infantry and airforce. Tactics of Blitzkrieg designed new role for tanks, spearheads for quick penetration of enemy territory.
At 9.00 am England and France issue an ultimatum to Germany.
2 September 1939,
Italy declares neutrality in the German/Poland conflict.
The ocean liner S.S. Athenia is torpedoed by the German U-boat U30. Over 112 civilians died at sea, 69 women, 16 children and 28 men. America and Canada were popular destinations, trying to escape from War.
3 September 1939,
Begin of World War II. Irak and Saudia-Arabia break diplomatic relations, Great Britain and France, follow by India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, declare war on Germany and begin the phoney war ("drole de guerre") in the west.
4 September 1939,
British air force bombs German warships at Kiel.
5 September 1939,
Neutrality statement of the United States. The new Prime Minister, Nobuyuki Abe, from Japan promises to keep out of the war in Europe.
7 September 1939,
France troops cross the German border at the "Saar-front".
8 September 1939,
After days of naval bombardment and the landing of assault troops, the Westplatte garrison surrenders.
16 September 1939,
Britain starts convoy service for merchant shipping.
The British Carrier "Courageous", 22.500 tons, sunk by the U-29, German Kriegsmarine.
17 September 1939,
Russian troops invade eastern Poland.
19 September 1939,
Soviet and Germany meet at Brest-Litovsk.
24 September 1939,
Began of the bombing of Warsaw with 1150 bombers. Warsaw is blitzed from the air as the German ground forces prepare for an assault on the capital.
25 September 1939,
Warsaw again bombed by 400 German aircraft dropping incendiary, highexplosive bombs. The water pipes ruptured and its fire-fighters evacuated, the fires cannot be quenched.
27 September 1939,
Warschau (Poland) surrenders to Nazi Germany.
29 September 1939,
Form of German-Russia treaty of frontier- and friendship at Moskou, providing for division of Poland. Esthonia signs mutual assistance pact with Sovjet Union.
2 October 1939,
The Pan-American Conference sets up the 300 mile security and neutrality zone around the American coast agreed on 23 September. Within this zone all hostile actions by the belligerent powers is forbidden.
6 October 1939,
The last Polish ground troops surrender. Polish national losses: 700.000 men captured by the Germans, 200.000 men by the Russians and great loss of life; more than 120.000 troops could escape. Thereby German lost 10.000 men and Russia several hundred.
13 October 1939,
Admiral Donitz attempts his first 'wolf pack' deployment of U-boats tactics, in which groups of submarines were assembled to engage in sustained attacks on a convoy, but without success.
14 October 1939,
The British Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak sunk by the German U-boat U47 (Leutnant Prien), which has penetrated the hiding place of the English fleet in the bay of Scapa Flow (Scotland) at 1.23u, with 833 men on board.
4 November 1939,
Neutrality Act of 1939 becomes law. USA neutrality law amended, modifying embargo on arms sales to belligerents ("cash and carry").
8 November 1939,
The first murder attempt on Adolf Hitler is made in a Bürgerbräukeller (a Munich beer hall) in Munchen by carpenter George Elser.
15 November 1939,
"Völkische Ausrottungsznahmen" in Poland, the leader Frank and Seys-Inquart order Jews to wear a white bracelet with a "Star of David".
30 November 1939,
The Russian-Finnish Winterwar: Russian troops invade Finland, in winter, and reach the Mannerheim Line, Finland's main defensive position reaches five days later, with few access roads, very low temperature (-46º) and in the North constantly darkness.
Russia attacks Finland, but the invasion only penetrates border areas and is carried out so inefficiently that Germany (and the world) thinks the Russian army is of poor quality. But Russia had purged its officer corps in the three years before and not yet completed the training of enough officers.
Denmark, Sweden and Norway declare their strict neutrality in the Russo- Finnish war.
December 1939,
The Finnish Government ask the League of Nations for intervention.
Finnish 9th Division defeated Russian 163th Division near Suomussalmi. Russian offensive no success.
13 December 1939,
Battle of the River Plate. The Admiral Graf Spee had been operating very successfully aginst merchant shipping in the South Atlantic when she was caught off the River Plate by the British cruisers Achilles, Ajax, and Exeter, still with only superficial damage
17 December 1939,
The German battleship Graf Spee is scuttled off the coast of Montevideo, Uraguary. Few days later Captain Langsdorf of the Graf Spee shoot himself through the head.
--1940--
4 January 1940,
Germany creates General Council for War Economy under Goering.
8 January 1940,
Food rationing in England and France (at 11 Januari). Britain introduces ration cards for butter, sugar, bacon and ham.
1 February 1940,
(till 3 February). Finnish troops, 6 div., successfully defence against the 7th and 13th Russian Army at the "Mannerheimlinie".
16 February 1940,
The British destroyer "Cossack" rescues 299 British seamen from German prison ship Altmark in the Norwegian "Josing-fjord". Sweden refuses to intervene on the side of Finland.
23 February 1940,
Begin in the Northern Icesea of the blockade of transport from Etching out of Scandinavia to Germany from the Allied.
8 March,
At the beginning of the war a gas attack was greatly feared; the government issued everyone with gas masks to be carried at all times. As the threat receded, the masks became a nuisance rather than a need, but nevertheless had to be carried throughout the war. Gas drill was a regular feature of air raid precaution training and practice.
11 March 1940,
The first example of an aircraft sinking a U-boat, the U-31 is attacked and sunk off Wilhelmshaven by a RAF Blenheim.
Atlantis, the first of a dozen German commerce raiders, puts to sea. These 'ghost' ships are to prey on merchantmen sailing without the protection of a convoy. Their 60.000 nautical miles range will see them in action in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
12 March 1940,
Finland signs a treaty with Russia (Moskow) giving up a large amount of territory.
18 March 1940,
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini hold a conference at Brenner Pass; Italy joins the war with Germany.
8 April 1940,
French and British navy troops mine Norwegian coastal waters and ports.
9 April 1940,
(till 10 April)."Operation Weserübung": German troops invade Denmark and Norway, in a quick and lightning action. (Blitzkrieg)
15 April 1940,
Allied caught by surprise try to help poor Norway troops. British troops occupy the port of Narvik, Norway, also Namsos, Trondheim and Andalsness. Germans fleet with great loses.
27 April 1940,
Himmler order to built Concentration Camp Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss becomes Commandant.
3 May 1940,
Pro-Nazi Norwegian Army Major Vidkun Quisling becomes leader of Norway, King Haakon fly away from Norway.
7 May 1940,
Leopold Amery(MP) blasts the government of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. His bad statement concerning the German invasion of Norway and Chamberlain lead to Chamberlain's ouster as Prime Minister of Great Britain (England).
10 May 1940,
(till 4 June). Operation "Gelb": German troops invade the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
10 May 1940,
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigns. Winston Churchill (65 years) formed a National Government and became Prime Minister of Great Britain (England).
British troops land on Iceland.
10 May 1940,
The Netherlands opens its flood gates in an attempt to slow-down the German Army's advance.
The German ultimatum ordering the Dutch commander of Rotterdam to cease fire was delivered to him at 10:30 a.m. on May 14, 1940. At 1:22 p.m., German bombers set the whole inner city of Rotterdam ablaze, killing 30.000 of its inhabitants.
11 May 1940,
Capture of Eben Emael (Belgian) and Maastricht. The Fortress Eben Emael formed the northern most part of the French defence line running along the German border.
Allied forces occupy Netherlands West Indies.
13 May 1940,
Queen Wilhelmina has a narrow escape from the Netherlands and arrives in England.It was feared that the Germans would attempt a raid to seize Queen Wilhelmina, infant crown princess Beatrix, and other members of the Dutch Royal Family. Netherlands government flees to England.
First Speech of Winston Churchill: "Blood, Sweat and Tears," 13 May, 1940.
14 May 1940,
The bombing of Rotterdam; 617 killed.
German troops, the 12th Army, invade France, forces the front at Sedan.
15 May 1940,
The Netherlands surrenders to Nazi Germany at Rijsoord. Seys-Inquart Government Commissioner of the Netherlands, numbers of losses after 4 days war: 2890 killed; 6889 wounded; 29 missing.
19 May 1940,
British Royal Air Force planes bomb Bremen and Hamburg,in Germany.
27 May 1940,
(till 4 June). The admiralilty gives the start for Operation "Dynamo"; Nearly 350,000 British, French, and other allied troops are rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk.
28 May 1940,
King Leopold of Belgium agreed to capitulate: Belgium surrenders to Germany. Allied capture Narvik, Norway and at 3 June evacuation from Narvik.
The steamer "Mona's Isle" is the first ship which arrived in Dunkirk and came under fire from coastal batteries and leaved with more than 100 dead on board.
29 May 1940,
Dunkirk is encircled by German artillery and fired by the Luftwaffe but the evacuation continues with French troops joining the theatre. Lost are the destroyers HMSS Wakeful, Grafton and Grenade. Even though the Germans had clear weather, the Stukas are less effective around Dunkirk than Gôring had expected. Their ability to hit land convoys and static targets is not matched when faced wîth the armada of vessels going to and from the French coast. While more than 860 vessels are going on runs to and from the Dunkirk beaches, the German bombardment decreases and some units move back to prepare for action elsewhere in France.
3 June 1940,
Only 2 miles from the harbour away, the Germans still do not prevent Operation "Dynamo". A late arrival of various French forces and civilians leaved just 40.000 to be captured. The last vessel to depart Dunkirk, the destroyer HMS Shikari, sailed at 3.30 hours with 338 men. Just 6 hours later von Kluge's 4th Army entered the town. Elsewhere, Gôring has transferred his bombers inland and begins a programme of bombing airfields and industrial sites around Paris.
5 June 1940,
(till 24 June) Begin of the battle of France and Corsica, called "Operation Rot".
8 June,
German troops capture again Narvik, end of the evacuation of Allied troops from Narvik.
Carrier Glorious sunk at Norway wad, German battleship Scharnhorst heavily damage.
10 June 1940,
Norway troops surrenders.
The Fascist Government of Italy declares war on England and France, Italian troops invade France and bomb Malta for the first time. Malta is used as a bomber base for raids against Italy and Lybia, the aircraft used were Wellingtons.
11 June 1940,
First RAF Air attack on Turin, Whitley bombers bomb the Fiat- factories, 1200 km.
Italians' airplanes attack French bases in Tunisia and Corsica.
13 June,
Paul Reynaud, the Premier of France broadcasts a final appeal for American intervention.
14 June 1940,
German troops, 6th German Army, enter Paris, France. General Frere (French 7th Army) leaves Paris without fighting and von Studnitz leads the 87th Infantry Division in ints triumphal entry march. The western allied forces completely lost control over the European continent.
Spain declares not belligerents.
15 June 1940,
French troops abandon the Maginot Line.
Russia invade Litauen, Letland, Estland, Bessarabia and Northern Bucovina.
16 June 1940,
Paul Reynaud resigns as Premier of France.
18 June 1940,
From London Charles de Gaulle, become "Leader of the Free France", talks for the first time to the people of France; continue the War.
Hitler and Mussolini meet in Munchen.
20 June,
France allows Japan to penetrate Japanese troops in North-Indo China.
22 June 1940,
France (General Huntziger) signs an armistice with Germany at Compiegne (Rethondes), France. Fall of France; German troops occupy northern and western France. Collaborationist Vichy government set up in south-eastern France.
24 June 1940,
Armistice sign at Rome between Italy and France, armistice 25 June at 1.35u in France.
27 June 1940,
Romania, under the demands of Joseph Stalin, cedes Bessarabia and northern Bucovina to the Soviet Union.
29 June,
Italo Balbo shot down above Tobruk by his own anti-aircraft artillery.
30 June 1940,
German forces land in the Channel Islands, the only part of the British Isles that they will occupy. Dônitz visits Brittany to view the U-boat bases which he believes will hugely increase the potential of his U-boat fleet. Now freed from having to make passage north of the British Isles to reach the Atlantic, the U-boats will surely be able to impose his will upon the all-important shipping lanes to and from the USA. With occupation of Norwegian, Danish, Belgian, Dutch, and French ports, the Kriegsmarine is in a position to control the seas of northern Furope in which Great Britain now seems ever more isolated. Indeed, a surge of success has been seen in June, with Allied shipping of more than 350,000 tons being lost to the U-boats.
July 1940,
Vice-Admiral Somerville takes command of Force H, a group consisting of the carrier HMS Ark Royal, battlecruiser HMS Hood, and two battleships plus cruisers and destroyers. Its first action will be against the French who, though claiming that none of their vessels will be allowed to faIl into German or Italian hands, are proving reluctant to take determined action to avoid this.
3 July 1940,
Operation "Katapult": French War Fleet in the port Mers el Kébir near Oran (N.Africa) attack by British War-ships. Ships of the British Mediterranean Fleet destroyed units of the French Fleet to prevent them falling into German hands.
9 July 1940,
By a vote of Parliament, the capital of France is moved to Vichy. First battle between Warships from Italy and England at Punta Stilo, Italian battleship Conti di Cavour heavily damage.
10 July 1940,
(till 25 August) The Battle of Britain begins, maybe "Operation Seelowe", invasion in England, the first great air-attack on England on 10 July.
11 July 1940,
Marshal Henri Philippe Petain (84 years), the old fighter from WW I, becomes Premier of France.
"Der Kanalkampf": German air attacks on British convoys intensify.
19 July 1940,
Adolf Hitler broadcasts for peace to England, it is immediately rejected.
"Street of Birma" closes for 3 month, China's supply stopped.
21 July 1940,
Estland, Letland and Litauen are annexed by the Soviet Union.
22 July 1940,
The Special Operations Executive (S0E) is created in Great Britain to train and activate people to act subversively against the German forces in occupied Europe. The Americans will later establish the Office of Strategic Services (0SS) to perform a similar role and, on many occasions, to work in concert with S0E.
25 July 1940,
A US decision to limit its exports of oil places an immediate and continuing problem with the Japanese who have come to rely on foreign supplies. Their stocks dwindle from this day and cause them to look to the Dutch East Indies and Malaysia.
2 August 1940,
The Chief of the German Ministry of Economics and Armament is requested to set a programme in train which will increase the army's strength to 180 divisions; this in preparation for the invasion of Russia. Hitler orders the 'destruction of the RAF and the British aircraft industry' and states that the necessary air offensive must start on 5 August. The significance of this is that it accords the Luftwaffe an independence of role and action that has not been permitted hitherto. Its 'offensive force', rapidly assembled in France, the Low Countries and Norway, will consist of almost 1,700 aircraft including bombers, fighters, Stuka dive-bomhers and fighter-destroyers. Field Marshal Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 will play the major role because its bases are the closest to England; in support will be Field Marshal Sperrle's Luftflotte 3; General Stumpffs Luftflotte 5 wil operate from Norwegian bases against sites in the English Midlands. At this point the Germans remain unaware that the fighters which will be ranged against them are controlled by ground radar, a crucial asset in the weeks to come.
3 August 1940,
England lost Somalia to Italy, British evacuate Berbera. The Italian Air Force dominates to the offensive against British Somaliland. Within 10 days the British have to evacuate the capital Berbera because there is no aerial support in this region.
8 August 1940,
"Adlerangriff": Göring orders the Luftwaffe to destroy the RAF defence-system (fighters and radar) within 4 days. The first large wave of German bombers assault England.
The American Aircraft war production range: 900 planes pro month.
12 August 1940,
Raids by Messerschmitt Bf 110s and Stukas on radar stations along the coasts of Kent, Sussex and the Isle of Wight fial to break the system. RAF HQ reports 5 German aircraft shot down and others damaged; the Germans report their air raid on Portland Harbour with vessels damaged and ground installations destroyed.
.
13 August 1940,
"Adlertag": Intensification of the Battle of Britain; Airfight between Germany and Britain, nearly 1500 Luftwaffe flights above England. The fighters of Fighter Command, Hurricanes and especially Spitfires be equal to Messerschmitts Bf-109, Junkers Ju-87 (Stuka) and bombers Junkers Ju-88, Dornier Do-17Z and Heinkel He-111.
24 August 1940,
The German battleship Bismarck enters service. Through an accidental loss of course, a German bomber offloads over the centre of London with some loss of civilian life.
25 August 1940,
In a reprisal for the London bombing of the night before, the RAF attacks Berlin.
5 September 1940,
Marshall Ion Antonescu, Fascist leader, is appointed Prime Minister of Romania. Antonescu sent out loyalty to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
6 September 1940,
King Carol of Romania abdicates in favor of his son Michael, at the urging of Marshall Antonescu and Hitler.
7 September 1940,
(till 1 October) Begin of the "Blitzkrieg" of London, attacks from the air, marking the first air blitz of the city. More than 900 aircraft attack London. By this action the German effectively 'invade England from the air, but within another 10 days Hitler will have cancelled his plans for Operation 'Sealion', the full-scale invasion of England. Goering's Luftwaffe fails to bring Britain to her knees in month October.
13 September 1940,
First Italian offensive in North-Africa; Italy invade Egypt, the objective is to lock the Suez Canal. Stop at Sidi Barrani; because they didn't become enough material to continue.
16 September 1940,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Selective Service bill, which begins America's first peace-time draft.
17 September 1940,
Italian troops (Marshal Graziani) invade Egypt from Libya; stopping at Bardia till Sidi-Barrani because of supply problems again.
19 September 1940,
French landed troops at Naval port Dakar (West Africa), counter a possible landing of the "Free France" of Charles de Gaulle.
20 September 1940,
The Allied convoy HX-72 is attacked by a U-boat wolfpack; 12 0f the 41 ships were sunk. Commander Schepke wasn't detected in his U100.
21 September 1940,
Planned Operation "Seelöwe" today postponed.
23 September 1940,
(till 26 September). Operation "Menace": Attack of English naval forces at Dakar, preperation to a landing of Gaullistic troops. Charles De Gaulle's troops failure to invade Dakar.
27 September 1940,
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact in Berlin.
7 October 1940,
German troops invade Romania to "defend" its oil fields.
12 October 1940,
Hitler postpones Operation 'Sealion' until the spring of 1941. His priorities are now elsewhere and Goring has been unable to achieve the vital air superiority. The operation will never receive the go-ahead.
16 October,
Over 16.000.000 men register for the draft in the United States.
23 October 1940,
Hitler meets General Francisco Franco at Hendaye, in southern France, and offers him Gibraltar and territory in northern Africa to join the war. Franco is uncertain about the offer and comes to no agreement.
24 October 1940,
French Chief of State Marshal Petain and Adolf Hitler meet to promote the "new order" of Europe.
28 October 1940,
Italian troops invade Greece from Albania with 155.000 men. After becoming fully mobilised the Greeks can field 420.000 men.
1 November 1940,
Italian aircraft bomb Athens and Salonika, Greece.
5 November 1940,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected for the third time as President.
10 November 1940,
Former British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain dies at his home in Hampshire, England.
Begin of transport from American warplanes from New Foundland to North-Ireland.
11-12 November 1940,
Visit from Molotow to Berlin. Conference of Hitler and von Ribbentrop about Sowjet Unions joining to the Pact of Three. British aircraft attack Taranto Harbor, Italy.
15 November 1940,
A German blitz on Coventry and Birmingham, England destroys most of the cities.
The Ghetto of Warsaw is closed.
19 November 1940,
Greek troops defeat the invading Italians and mount a counter-attack against the Italians, I, II and III Corps, driving the greater part of Italian Ninth Army back into Albania.
20 November 1940,
Hungary and some days later Rumania declares its support for Germany and Italy.
December 1940,
Quotation; Hitler about Barbarossa: The German Armed Forces must be prepared to cruh Soviet Russia in a quick campign even before the end of the war againt England... Preparations... are to begun now... and are to be completed by 15 May 1941.
2 December 1940,
Greek forces capture 5.000 Italian troops.
9 December 1940,
British offensive begins; Tobruk captured and the Italians collapse and retreat, 48.000 men are taken prisoner by the British.
15 December 1940,
(till 9 Febrary 1941). Operation " Compass": British troops (Wavell), 31.000 men and 225 tanks, defeat the Italian Army in Egypt, march from Sidi Barrani to El-Agheila. In this period British troops destroys 8 Italian div., 130.000 Italian prisoners of war, 470 tanks and 1300 guns the prize. British losses: 500 dead, 1371 wounded, 55 missing.
--1941--
January 1941,
Field Marshall Sir Harold Alexander is appointed Commander of the British I Corps, Burma.
10 January 1941,
The Lend-Lease bill is introduced in the U.S. Congress.
Heavy German attacks by dive-bombers on British convoys to Malta (in Sicilian channel) results in loss of 'Southampton' and damage to 'Illustrious'.
20 January 1941,
(till 18 May). After successfull fight in North-Africa, British troops were sent to East-Africa with Indian and South Afican (from Kenya) forces invade Abessinie, Eritrea and Somaliland and dislodge the Italians.
20 January,
(18 till 23 Januari). Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini hold a conference at Berghof.
7 February 1941,
Battle of Beda Fomm
The Battle of Beda Fomm was a catastrophic Italian defeat at the hands of the British during the North African Campaign. The battle took place near Beda Fomm, 190 km south of Benghazi on the Libyan coast road. Elements of the British 7th Armoured Division had cut across the desert and set up a road block in which the retreating 10th Italian Army was ambushed. Over 25.000 prisoners, 100 tanks, 216 guns, and 1.500 other vehicles were captured. Although the Allied force now lacks serviceable vehicles and has suffered 555 dead and 1.400 wounded, its modest numbers have decimated an Italian group 5 times larger.
10 February 1941,
England breaks-off diplomatic relations with Romania.
Successive victories for Allies with 130.000 Italians captured in two month offensive.
12 February 1941,
Erwin Rommel arrives in North Africa to command the Afrika Corps. The German Africa Corps (Rommel) to Tripoli, Libye (N.Afica) and Tobruk, called "Operation Sonneblume".
16 February 1941,
Bulgaria and Turkey sign a non-aggression pact.
10.000 Jews in Vienna deport to Polen.
1 March 1941,
Nazi extermination camps begin full operation. These include Auschwitz, Bamberg, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Chelmno, Jena, Sobibor and Treblinka. Over 2.600.000 Polish Jews are among those killed during the course of the war. Over 12.000 people would be killed daily at Auschwitz alone. By 1945 nearly 6 million Jews and more than 3 million Communists, gypsies, socialists and other dissidents will be exterminated.
1 March 1941,
Bulgaria joins the Axis Tripartite Pact.
7 March 1941,
The German U-Boat U47, which sank the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak, is sunk by allied destroyers, with its entire crew aboard.
9 March 1941,
New Italian offensive against Greece and run aground at 16 March.
11 March 1941,
The Lend-Lease Act becomes law. Three months after the invasion, the United States extended assistance to the Soviet Union through this Lend-Lease Act.
25 March 1941,
Yugoslavia joins the Axis Tripartite Pact.
27 March 1941,
A military coup in Yugoslavia over throws Paul, Regent of Yugoslavia and replaces him with King Peter II.
28 March 1941,
Italian Navy ships attacks British convoys to Greece.
British Royal Navy ships defeat the Italian Navy at Cape Matapan, the Mediterranean.
30 March 1941,
(till 30 may) The German Africa Corps (Rommel) launches a counteroffensive at El-Agheila in the Cyrenaica (Libya) against British forces in Egypt.
All German and Italian merchantman-ships seized in the USA.
31 March 1941,
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau bombed at Brest.
4 April 1941,
Addis Abeda (Ethiopia) capture by the British, a month later Emperor Haile Selassi returnes to his city.
Coup d'état in Irak: man in Power is General Rasch Ali Gailani; anti-British, pro-As.
6 April 1941,
"Operation Marita" the Balkan States campaign: Germany invades Yugoslavia (till 17 April) and Greece (till 30 April).
Italian troops to from Albania.
6 April 1941,
(till 9 April). No co-operation by Yugoslavia, Hitler's reprimand: 3 days heavily bombardment of Belgrado (17.000 people died).
10 April 1941,
Greenland is placed under U.S. control.
Tobruk surrounds by German troops.
13 April 1941,
German troops capture Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Japan and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact.
16 April 1941,
(till 17 April). 460 German bombers attack London.
Begin Japanese treaty with the United States.
18 April 1941,
The Yugoslav Army surrenders to German forces in Belgrado. King Peter II flees.
24 April 1941,
King George of Greece flees the country. Operation "Demon": Nearly 50,000 men rescued from little beaches and harbors of South-Greece, these action took part till 29 April.
27 April 1941,
German forces capture Athens, Greece.
30 April 1941,
Germany occupation of Greece (in Saloniki) a fact: 223.000 Greece and 21.900 British prisoners of war. German losses; 2.559 dead, 5.820 wounded and 3.169 missing.
7 May 1941,
Joseph Stalin becomes the Premier of the Soviet Union.
May 1941,
(till 9 May). The greatest RAF Air attacks on Germany: total 359 bombers, of which 317 to Hamburg and Bremen.
The career of the most successful German raider Pinguin comes to an end near the Seychelles when she is sunk by fire from the heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall. The raider has sunk or captured 32 ships.
The Mediterranean convoys come under air attack and engage the Italian aîrcraft.
9 May 1941,
(till 30 May). Great Britain takes control of Iraq.
10 May 1941,
General Draja Mihailowitsj, leader of the Chetniks, begin his organized resistance against the Germans in Rawna Gora.
Rudolf Hess parachutes from a Messerschmit-110, after 1200 km into Scotland on a "peace mission".
10 May 1941,
German bombers assault London in what tums out to be the final heavy mission of the Battle of Britain. More than 500 aircraft drop high*explosive and incendiary bombs which result in many fires and cause more than 3,000 casualties induding many dead. Some 27 German aircraft are lost. In the preceding ten months approximately 50.000 metric tons of bombs have been dropped on the UK, but the Battle of Britain has heen lost, and with it has gone Germany's chance of winning the war. Partly because of their lack of long-range fighters and heavy bombers, but also because of the eventual mastery of the RAF fighter squadrons and their tactics, the Germans will regard this as first significant turning*point in World War Two.
15 May 1941,
British planned some attacks in the desert (N-Africa) against the Africa Corps (Rommel), but failed it was a great loss of material and soldiers: Operations "Tiger","Brevity", "Battle-Axe" and "Crusader".
16 May 1941,
Duke Amadeo of Aosta, Governor of Italian East Africa, Commander in Chief of the Italian Armies in Eritea and Ethiopia surrenders forces under his command to the British Army at Amba Alagi, Ethiopia.
18 May 1941,
Admiral Lutjens sails the battleship Bismarck from Gdynia in consort with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. Two supply ships and 5 tankers are stationed in Atlantic, and scouting ships are sent out in advance of the main vessels to search for suitable prey.
The Kingdom of Croatia is created under Italian Prince from part of Yugoslavia.
20 May 1941,
"Operation Merkur": German troops invade the British-held island of Crete.
The full German assault on Crete commences with air attacks followed by paratroops dropped on the four airfields. They suffer heavy losses. Some 23.000 troops and 600 aircraft are deployed. The British and Greek forces are short of equipment and firepower but know the Germans are coming; they will outnumber them considerably. The Mediterranean fleet is offshore preventing any German arrivals by sea. The German side of the mission begins well but is then hit by delays in the flights of the aircraft bringing more troops, by heavy ground fire against those who do land and loss of communication between many of the constituent parts of the invasion. Towards the end of the day, the withdrawal of New Zealand units from Maleme airfield gives the Germans an unexpected foothold.
20 May 1941,
Walter Schellenberg of the RSHA tells the German military commander in France that further Jewish emigration should be prevented in view of transportation problems and the fact that a "Final Solution [Endloesung] of the Jewish question" is foreseeable.
21 May 1941,
In Crete the Germans develop their position at Maleme, enabling troops to be flown in.
24 May 1941,
The German battleship Bismarck sunk the British Royal Navy battle cruiser HMS Hood.
26 May 1941,
(till 10 July). Africa Corps (Erwin Rommel) march Tobruk to El-Alamein.
27 May ,
A flying-boat locates Battleship 'Bismarck' on his way to Brest. Force-H and the aircraft from Ark Royal, have the best chance of preventing the Bismarck from reaching that port. However in bad weather these aircraft first attack the cruiser HMS Sheffield in error, but later a flight of Swordfish score 2 hits on the 'Bismarck', which affect her steering gear and bring her almost to a stop. Further attacks that night by torpedo and from the British battleships finished the job.
1 June 1941,
British forces surrender the island of Crete. About 18.000 Allied troops have been taken off the beaches, but 17.000 men were taken prisoner; the Germans record 7,000 casualties including many dead. The cruiser HMS Calcutta is sunk while assisting the Crete evacuation. It has proved a hollow victory; its significance in the overall war plan is minimal and it turns Hitler against large-scale airborne actions which could have helped his cause in other theatres.
In Irac, the British enter Baghdad.
4 June 1941,
Kaiser William II dies in exile at Doorn, The Netherlands.
8 June 1941,
(till 12 July). British and Free-French troops invade Libanon and Syria (both from Vichy, government Petain), leaders are General Maitland, Wilson and Catroux.
14 June 1941,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt order all German assets frozen. The Department of States also closes all German consul and propaganda offices in the United States.
15 June 1941,
Operation Battleaxe fails to relieve Tobruk.
21 June 1941,
Damascus, Syria is captured by British and Free-French troops.
Hitler convinces Mussolini to allow Rommel to invade Egypt and set aside the invasion of Malta, named "Operation Hercules". Mussolini accepts the proposal after heavy consideration.
Malta was a strategic point for British convoys which supplied Commonwealth forces in Africa. The invasion of Malta would take form in the landing of three Italian parachute battalions and one German parachute division and bombarded by both Italian and German aircraft. After the capture of Malta, Rommel would drive the Axis forces into Egypt.
22 June 1941,
Operation "Barbarossa": Germany declares war on and begins (3.15u) an invasion of the Soviet Union. The Eastern Front quickly becomes 2,000-miles wide. Italy (60,000 men to Ukraine), Finland, and Romania also joined the German battle against the Soviet Union and declare war.
26 June 1941,
Finland and Hungaria declare war to Russia.
7 July 1941,
American troops join British troops in the occupation of Iceland.
13 July ,
Syria is completely captured by Allied troops (Russian and British).
July 1941,
At a meeting in Berlin, Himmer reveals the plan for the Final Solution to his subordinate, Höss, and puts him in charge of developing a large-scale killing center at Auschwitz.
21 July 1941,
First Air attack (200 bombers) by the Luftwaffe on Moskow.
24 July,
The Japanese occupy French Indo-China with the consent of the Vichy French Government.
26 July 1941,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders all Japanese assets frozen. He also orders the suspension of all trade with Japan and lay an embargo on oil, give rise to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
31 July 1941,
Göring's orders Heydrich to "evacuate" all European jews; The formal order for the planning of a coordinated Final Solution of the Jewish problem throughout Nazi-occupied Europe, already drafted by Eichmann, is signed by Goering.
6 August 1941,
American and British governments warn Japan not to invade Siam (Thailand).
9 August 1941,
(till 13 August). U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet at Placentia Bay, off the coast of Newfoundland, and sign the Atlantic Charter, a document outlining the Allied war aims.The Origin of the "United Nations" come into.
25 August 1941,
British and Soviet troops invade Persia (Iran), to save the oilfields of Abadan and the important railways and ways to Russia for the supply of war material for Russia.
26 August 1941,
Retreating Soviet troops destroy the great dam on the Dnieper River.
3 September 1941,
The efficacy of Zyklon B (prussic acid) is tested on 600 Russian POWs and 298 sick prisoners at Auschwitz. General deportation of German Jews begins.
7 September 1941,
(and 8 September).The first British raid on Berlin, 1700 km.
In the early years of the war, bombing Germany was the only means of striking directly at the enemy's homeland and war production. Plans for a major bombing offensive, known as the strategic air offensive, were ambitious, but limited by technical difficulties in the early stages.
8 September 1941,
German forces encircle Leningrad, the Soviet Union and take the 90-day offensive against the city.
11 September 1941,
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares a shoot-on-sight order against all German and Italian shipping.
16 September 1941,
Riza Khan is forced to abdicate the Persian throne. British and Soviet forces jointly occupy the country.
18 September 1941,
Japanese Commander order for preperation of actions in the Pacific.
19 September 1941,
German forces capture Kiev, after six weeks of fighting, the capital of the Soviet Ukraine. German High Command releases 650.000 russian soldiers prisoners of war have been taken, 884 tanks and 3.718 guns. Soviet loss of life reached half a million, Germany lost 100.000 men.
"Grossaktion" in Kiev: Wehrmacht kills 52.000 men and women, 34.000 are jews.
"Einsatzgruppen" im Osten kills ca. 1.000.000 people (September, October and November).
28 September 1941,
Conference at Moskow; Stalin, Harriman (United States) and Beaverbrook (United Kingdom).
The United States extended assistance to the Soviet Union through its Lend-Lease Act of March 1941.
2 October 1941,
Begin of Operation "Typhoon": attack on Moskow (Von Bock).
14 October 1941,
German forces are within 60 miles of Moscow.
16 October 1941,
The Soviets set-up a temporary capital at Kuibyshev.
Begin of systematic deportation of jews to Polen and East-Europe.
17 October 1941,
General Hideki Tojo becomes Prime Minister of Japan, gone is Konoye. Formation of Cabinet Todjo.
20 October 1941,
(till 5 December) German offensive for Moskow, "Unternehmen Taifun".
31 October 1941,
A German U-boat, U-552 (Type VIIC, the "Red Devil" boat) commanded by Erich Topp, accidently sank the first WW II U.S. warship to be lost in war, the Navy destroyer Reuben James. Over 100 U.S. sailors were killed.
2 November 1941,
Begin of the furious battle between the "Chetniks" of Mihailowitsj and the partisans of Tito. Tito was the Communist partisan leader of Yugoslavia and later the President.
7 November 1941,
The greatest combine British Air-Operation, during WW II, 387 Bombers on there way to different targets at the other side of the North Sea, also to Berlin ( 1700 km): Whitleys, Wellingtons, Stirlings, Halifaxs.
12 November 1941,
The successful German raider Atlantis is sunk by the cruiser German raider HMS Devonshire off the coast of West Africa. The Royal Navy is increasingly effective in its pursuit of German shipping because of improved code-breaking techniques.
The Germans have a numerical superiority, in respect of tank strength, over the Allies in North Africa. After a day of heavy fighting around Sidi Rezegh, the 4th, 7th and 22nd Armoured Brigades coming out of the confrontations badly. New Zealand troops have joined the Allies in the area, as part of XIII Corps.
14 November 1941,
U-boat 81 sunk Britisch career "Ark Royal" near Gibraltar.
U.S. and Japanese (Koeroesoe and Nomoera) representative begin talks in Washington, D.C., to try to ease tensions between the two countries.
18 November 1941,
(till 30 December 1941).British troops (Claude Auchinleck) launch an offensive (Operation Crusader relieves Tobruk) in Libya, Africa (Bardia-El-Agheila).
6 December 1941,
(till 31 January). Soviet troops counter-attack at the whole front. Radio Moskow: Moskow would be defend till the last man died.
7 December 1941,
Japanese aircraft launch a surprise attack on American naval forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Imperial Government of Japan declares war to Britain, Canada, Australia and the United States. Losses United States: 8 American battleships, 3 Cruisers and 3 Destroyers destroyed; 2344 killed, 876 wounded, 966 missing. 1 O'clock: Koeroesoe and Nomoera ask for a conversation with Cordell Hull.
8 December 1941,
The United States declares war on Japan, US finds itself at war with both Japan and Germany. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill informs the British parliament that Britain is at war with Japan.
8 December 1941,
Gassing of Jews begins at Chelmno (Kulmhof). Other death camps come "on line" later: Belzec (March 1942); Sobibor (April-May 1942); Treblinka (July 1942).
8 December 1941,
Japanese troops invade The Philippines and Malaya, attack Hongkong, bomb Guam.
10 December 1941,
Japanese aircraft sink the British Royal Navy ships Prince of Wales and Repulse off the coast of Malaya. Japanese troops landed at Luzon (The Philippines).
11 December 1941,
Germany and Italy declare war on the United States and sign new military alliance with Japan.
13 December 1941,
Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States.
14 December 1941,
Convoy HG-76 sails from Gibraltar to the UK, covered by the carrier HMS Audacity and twelve other escorts. The group will be attacked by 12 U-boats but will sink 5 and bring down 2 German bombers; the carrier, a destroyer and 2 of the merchantmen will be lost.
19 December 1941,
Hitler takes up Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht, Von Brauchitsch retires.
19 December 1941,
(till 4 June 1942).In this period Chennault destroys with his "Flying Tigers" 247 Japanese planes, 300 damage and 1500 Japanese killed.
22 December 1941,
(till 14 january 1942).Conference of Washington (Arcade), U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet in Washington, D.C.
Japanese troops land on Mindano and Wake island.
25 December 1941,
British forces surrender Hong Kong to the Japanese.
--1942--
1 January 1942,
Twenty-six nations sign the Declaration of the United Nations.
2 January 1942,
Japanese troops enter Manila, The Philippines, the Americans withdraw to the peninsula of Bataan.
4 January 1942,
Chinese claim victory over Japanese at Changsha.
7 January 1942,
President Roosevelt proposes a budget which will fund the production of 125.000 aircraft, 75.000 tanks, 35.000 guns and 8 million tons of shipping by the end 1943.
11 January 1942,
Japanese troops invade the Netherland East Indies with advance strategy which will take in Borneo, Sarawak, Sumatra and Bali and Timor. The Japanese plan to move from island to island, knocking out enemy aircraft on the ground and then delivering seaborne troops who will make good the airfield, or build a new one, ready for flights to the next obiective. The landing at Manado in Celebes is reinforced by paratroops and marks the first airborne operation in the Pacific. The US carrier Saratoga is attacked by Japanese submarine Hawaii.
Japanese troops capture Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
11 January 1942,
Operation "Paukenschlag" for the coast of the United States; U-boats sunk 142.373 ships tonnage.
15 January 1942,
Japanese troops (16th Army) invade Burma.
17 January 1942,
The isolated German troops falls at Halfaya and more than 5000 German and Italian troops are captured. The first U-boat attack on an Artic convoy by the U454; a destroyer and a merchantman were sunk.
20 January 1942,
"Der Wannsee Conference" is held in Berlin, subject was to coordinate the Final Solution; Reinhard Heydrich, subordinate of Himmler and head of the RSHA (Reichssicherheitshauptamt) presides. Eichmann takes official notes at the meeting which survive as evidence, present were too Schöngarth and Freisler.
21 January 1942,
(till september 1942) Africa Corps Germany (Rommel) march from El-Agheila to El-Alamein.
22 January 1942,
The Netherlands destroys oil refinery at Balikpapan, Borneo.
25 January 1942,
Japanese troops landed in New Britain, Borneo, New Ireland and on the Solomons Islands.
The first American troops arrives at Northen-Ireland.
6 February 1942,
Japanese troops capture Borneo oil fields.
Allies lose Benghazi and halt German advance at the Gazala line.
12 February 1942,
The "Scharnhorst", "Gneisenau" and "Prinz Eugen" escape from Brest through the North-Sea.
15 February 1942,
Singapore (and General Perceival) surrender to the Japanese (General Yamashita). General Percival surrenders Singapore to General Yamashita to bring to an end to a very sorry episode for the British. Britain have lost 138.000 men, Japan nearly 10.000. The British have been left short numbers, equipment and air support.
22 February 1942,
Formation of USA Army Bomber Command, leader General Eaker. President Roosevelt order D.MacArthur to leave Bataan.
27 February 1942,
(till 1 March).The battle of the Java Sea, Japanese troops, defeat an Allied fleet, with 5 Cruisers and 9 Destroyers, under Dutch command, Rear-Admiral Doorman.
3 March 1942,
During the night of 3 March, the English carried out a treacherous air-raid on the residential quarter of Paris, as a result of which more than 600 were killed and 1000 wounded. The British Government had the nerve to express their sympathy to the families of the victims of their cold blooded murder. The scale of the crime is incredible; entire streets are razed to the ground in the affected workers' quarter'.
7 March 1942,
British citizens and troops are evacuated from Rangoon, Burma.
9 March 1942,
American, British, and Dutch troops (General ter Poorten) surrender Java to the Japanese.
21 March 1942,
Germans "Arbeitseinsatz" (Saukel); bring in 7.5 million "fremdarbeiter" and 30 million German citizen to work in German factories.
28 March 1942,
First Jews (Slowakia) arrives at Auschwitz, Birkenau for gassing.
British attack (raid) on the strategically important port of St.Nazaire. Through the pressure of Stalin to start a second front against Germany from Britain in the west, Churchill ordered an attempt to land at St. Nazaire at the mouth of the Loire with the aim of putting the German U-boat base out of action. In addition to high casualties of the British, a destroyer, 9 motor-boats and 4 torpedo boats were destroyed. The U-boat base suffered no damage'.
29 March 1942,
The presence of Tirpitz in Norwegian waters, together with other large German ships, will now begin to exercise the minds of the British Admiralty to a remarkable degree.
2 April 1942,
(till 8 April). Heavy air attacks from the "Luftwaffe" and Italian bombers on Malta, to make the island "free for the storm".
9 April 1942,
Japanese forces capture Bataan, The Philippines. 75.000 men on their march over about 100 km to Camp O'Donnell, the "Death-March", 54.000 arrived.
12 April 1942,
Rear Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten appointed Chief of Combined Operations with a seat on the British Chiefs of Staff Committee.
18 April 1942,
The Doolittle raid, starting from Carrier "Hornet" with North American B-25B Mitchells, on Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan.
After the winter at the Eastern front, German/Russia front for the new offensive.
29 April 1942,
Persecution of Jews: Order to wear the "Star of David" to all Jews in Europe.
Japanese troops capture Lashio, Birma and cut off "the street of Birma". Begin of the allied air-lift Assam to China.
May 1942,
(till 8 May). Japanese and American navies clash in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Japanese lost carrier "Shoho" and heavily damage carrier "Shokaku"; American lost carrier "Lexington", a tanker and a destroyer.
4 May 1942,
Operation "Ironclad": British troops land in Madagascar. British troops capture the Vichy French-controlled port of Diego Suazez, Madagascar (Africa).
6 May 1942,
End of the American armed resistance (11.574 men) on The Philippines. Japanese troops capture Corregidor.
15 May 1942,
British troops draw back at the border of India.
17 May 1941,
(till 28 May). The Battle of Charkow.
18 May 1942,
Large American Expeditionary Force reaches Northern Ireland.
26 May 1942,
Operation "Theseus"; Capture Tobruk. Africa Corps advance from Bir Hakeim, the turning movement at the battle of Gazala.
27 May 1942,
The attempt on Heydrich. The "Gestapo" execute 1331 Czech.
29 May 1941,
Mexico declares war on Germany, Italy, and Japan.
30 May 1942,
The first 1000 bomber raid. A 1047 bombers of the Royal Air Force above Cologne, take off from 52 airfields, dropped 1455 ton bombs; 460 killed and 45.000 homeless. British losses: 40 bombers , 45 heavily damage of which 12 lost by landing.
Canterbury, England attack by the Luftwaffe.
1 June 1942,
RAF airraid, 1036 bombers (31 lost), on the "Ruhr gebiet" and Essen, Germany.
RAF bombed Germany regularly impotant places with long-range bomber; Hampdens, Vickers Wellington, Whitleys, Halifaxs, Lancasters and Stirlings.
The US build-up for Midway includes the positioning of 25 submarines in the area.
June 1942,
The Germans add their new heavy 'super' artillery, the Karl mortar the 80cm Dora gun, to the bombardment of Sevastopol.
4 June 1942,
(till 8 June) The Battle of Midway. Begin of the 4-day air-naval battle of Midway. In this battle of planes; Japanese lost carriers "Akagi", "Kaga" , "Soryu" and "Hiryu", American lost carrier "Yorktown", sank by a Japanese submarine.
4 June 1942,
Japanese offensive against the 12th Chinese Armygroup; result capture of airbase Fuchow.
21 June 1942,
The Nazi German Africa Corps under (just) Field Marshall Erwin Rommel capture Tobruk, about 25.000 British prisoners of war.
25 June 1942,
Lieutenant General Dwight D. Eisenhower commander of U.S. forces in Europe.
30 June 1942,
Rommel at El Alamein.
Rommel pass the Egyptian border (24 June). Rommel establish the next destinations: El Alamein- Alexandrië-Nile-delta-Caïro; reach at 30 June!
1 July 1942,
German and Romanian troops capture Sevastopol, Russia after 8 month siege. General on Manstein is promoted to Field Marshal. The Germans have expended more han 46.000 shells and 20.000 tons of bombs against Sevastopol; the figure is marginally less than the total dropped on the UK during 1941.
(till 31 July) German U-boats sunk 93 Allied cargo-boats, 454.535 tons, to the bottom of the Ocean at the Atlantic Ocean, near the coast of the USA, North Sea and the Mediterranean.
1 July 1942,
The first heavy bomber from the US 8th Army Air Force, a B-17 Flying Fortress, lands at Prestwick.
7 July 1942,
Over 1.000.000 German troops are diverted to capture the Soviet oil fields in the Caucasus.
17 July 1942,
Himmler, on his second visit to Auschwitz, personally witnesses killing procedures using Zyklon B.
22 July 1942,
Destruction Camp Treblinka openend.
22 July 1942,
(till 3 October) Revolt at the Warsaw Gettho; 310.332 Jews on transport to Concentration Camps; Illness,starvation and searching food were rife in the ghetto.
26 + 27 July 1942,
Mass attack from the RAF on Hamburg (repeat at 28+29 July).
27 July 1942,
Germany capture Rostov-on-Don, Soviet Union.
August 1942,
Field Marshall Sir Harold Alexander is appointed Commander-in-Chief of British forces by Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
7 August 1942,
U.S. Marines land at Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands. The American begin landings in the Solomons, troops gain footholds on Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Gavutu.
8-9 August 1942,
Battle of Savo Island. Night surface actions; Japanese cruisers engages an Allied force and destroy 4 Allied cruisers near Salvo Island, Guadalcanal.
9 August 1942,
Gandhi and his chief supporters of committee "Quit India" are jailed in India causing mass riots.
German troops reach Maikop oil-field in Russia.
10 August 1942,
(till 13 August). Operation "Pedestal": Britsh attempt to sail a supply convoy to Malta.
17 August 1942,
Japanese begin operations to reinforce Guadalcanal.
The first serious Air attack from the USA with 12 B-17's (Flying Fortress), from Eighth Air Force, on shunting yards from Rouen, France, escort by British Spitfire. In September the first B-24's Liberators arrived.
19 August 1942,
British raid on Dieppe. British and Canadian commandos, 4de and 6de brigade of 2de Canadian division (General-major Roberts) with tanks and air support, attempt a raid on Dieppe, France. German forces defeat and capture the commandos.
22 August 1942,
Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.
23-25 August 1942,
Battle of the Eastern Solomons, air and surface actions.
26 August 1942,
Russian bombers raid on Berlin and other German cities.
28 August 1942,
Russian counter-attack at Leningrad (Lieutenant-general Goworow).
The German reach the Wolga north from Stalingrad.
31 August 1942,
The Battle of Alam Halfa (Egypt), British forces under General Montgomery defeat Rommel's Afrika Korps. Rommel attacks at Alam Halfa, but is repulsed and his armour is considerably weakened. Generals Alexander and Montgomery came, Generals Auchinleck and Ritchie are gone. The Eighth Army receives 300 Sherman tanks in September.
10 September 1942,
British troops occupy Madagascar.
12-13 September 1942,
Battle of Edson's ridge (bloody ridge) successful defense of Henderson airfield.
15 September 1942,
Begin of the Battle of Stalingrad.
22 September 1942,
German troops at the centre of Stalingrad.
29 September 1942,
In the second and final raid of its mission, a Japanese aircraft deployed from a submarine off the coast of Oregon, flies over forests inland to drop incendiary bombs. These were the only bombing raids made on the United States.
4 October 1942,
The Sixth Army of General Paulus is out of ideas, how to break through into the centre of Stalingrad but one more effort is called for. The Germans have more skilled urban fighters in their ranks but they are still struggling to make an impact. The Sovjets plan to force any German breakthrough into zones which they control, and then counter on their terms.
7 October 1942,
The tractory factory in Stalingrad is scene of the most fierce fighting in the city.
On Guadalcanal the US 1st Marine Division breaks out from the beachhead to try to create a larger safety zone around the airstrip Henderson Field.
11 October 1942,
Battle of Cape Esperance. Night surface actions to maintain Guadalcanal supply routes. The American have radar, but use it poorly, the Japanese have better torpedoes. Both sides troopships reach their destinations. The Americans get 3.000 men ashore; the Japanese will land artillery, tanks and other material, but lose more ships.
12 October 1942,
A Coastal Command Liberator sinks U597 in the first success by a single aircraft from this RAF section.
23 October 1942,
At 21.40 the begin of the British offensive:"Lightfoot" at El Alamein. Few days later (25) Rommel is back from Rome at the front.
24-27 October 1942,
Battle of Santa Cruz. Long range naval battle between American and Japanese forces near Santa Cruz island. Japanese heavy losses on Guadalcanal.
5 November 1942,
Operation "Super charge": The break through of the Battle of Alamein, British troops (Bernhard Montgomery) defeat Rommel's Afrika Korps, on the march to Tunis (March 1943).
Admiral Darlan arrives in Algiers.
8 November 1942,
Operation "Torch": Allied forces (110.000 men) under Dwight D. Eisenhower land in North Africa.
8 November 1942,
Vichy France breaks-off diplomatic relations with the United States. Germany capture Vichy (South-France).
Hitler declares at the "Löwenbräukeller" te München : "Stalingrad is defeated"!
11 November 1942,
Operation "Anton": German-Italian troops occupy South France and Corsica.
12-15 November 1942,
The Air-Sea battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battles of Guadalcanal; the turning point in the Pacific. The Japanese send 11.000 men to Guadalcanal in 11 transports escorted by destroyers. Another Japanese force of 2 battieships, 2 cruisers and 14 destroyers is sent to bombard Henderson Field. There are also 2 carriers in the area. With just 5 cruisers and 8 destroyers, US Admiral Callaghan moves to locate the ships heading for the position offshore of the airfield. When the 2 fleets engage the Japanese lose 2 cruisers and many of their other ships are damaged; the Americans lose 2 cruisers and 4 destroyers. Although the Americans should have used their superior radar to secure an even greater advantage, the Japanese transports are forced to turn away. On 14 November Admiral Tanaka attempts a new approach for his troops bound for Guadalcanal. The US carrier Enterprise is back on duty and her aircraft join with those from Henderson Field to attack the Japanese ships. 7 transports and 2 warships are lost, but Tanaka sails on, now receiving protection from a new formation consisting of the battleship Kirishima, 4 cruisers and 9 destroyers under the command of Admiral Kondo. The Americans have also reformed their fleet, deploying the battleships Washington and South Dakota and 4 destroyers. In the middle of the night the 2 forces clash. The naval action off Guadalcanal sees South Dakota retiring damaged early on, but Washington sinking Kirishima. Tanaka manages to land 4.000 troops but the hazards of surface approach and landing will see the Japanese resorting to submarine-borne supply in future.
13 November 1942,
British forces recapture Tobruk from the Germans.
Hitler assure Petain not to occupy Toulon.
19 November 1942,
7.30u; Soviet forces begin a counteroffensive to break-out of Stalingrad.The "South West front": about 3 tank-, 2 cav.corps and 21 inf.div., the "Donjetsfront": about 20 inf.div., 6 tankbrig. and 2 motor.brig.
21 November 1942,
Field Marshall Von Manstein be in charge of leadership at the Armygroup "Don".Charge: "Stop the Russian attack". The German 6th Army try to defend Stalingrad against the Russian. Fight at fortress Stalingrad.
25 November 1942,
Operation "Lila", German troops capture Toulon, the French Fleet sunk their on war-ships.
22 German divisions captive between Wolga and Don.
November 1942,
Los Alamos is selected as the site for an Atomic Bomb Laboratory. Robert Oppenheimer is named the Director.
30 November 1942,
Battle of Lunga Point. The continuing efforts of the 'Tokyo Express' to resupply the Japanese on Guadalcanal.
12 December 1942,
(till 23 December).German Armygroup "Hoth", with 2 tankdiv., try to set free the surrounded Germans at Stalingrad.Von Paulus with the permission of Hitler to do a break out of Stalingrad provided that Stalingrad must be hold.
24 December 1942,
Admiral Jean Francois Darlan, Head of French Armed Forces and High Commissioner in French North Africa, is murdered. He is replaced by General Henri Giraud.
28 December 1942,
The Germans Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht give order retreat of the German Armygroup A out of the Kaukasus.
--1943--
see next TIN post-out of room here