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WW2 Events by Day of the Week
Putting the conflict into a realistic and relatable perspective.
Total Events: 141
for Thursday
1939
Thursday
August 31st |
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Adolph Hitler provides the final orders for the invasion of Poland. |
1939
Thursday
September 28th |
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Polish forces fighting it out at the Modline fortress officially surrender. |
1939
Thursday
November 30th |
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Five Soviet armies cross into Finland, beginning the Winter War. |
1940
Thursday
February 1st |
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The Soviets enact a new offensive against Finnish positions along the Mannerheim Line, beginning with artillery attack accounting for some 300,000 shells. |
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6,000 French soldiers join some 120,000 total Allied soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk on this day. |
1940
Thursday
August 15th |
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74 Luftwaffe aircraft launched from bases in Denmark and Norway are lost on what will be remembered as "Black Thursday". |
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Prince Paul of Yugoslavia is forceably removed from power via a coup led by Bora Mirkovic and Dusan Simovic. Simovic is installed as the new ruler of Yugoslavia and quickly makes an effort to break Yugoslavia's commitment to the Tripartite Pact with the Axis. |
1941
Thursday
April 10th - April 16th |
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Three divisions of British, Australian and New Zealand troops at the Aliakmon Line in the Vermion Mountains are defeated. |
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The first US combat action against Germany occurs - this being the USS Niblack destroyer firing on a marauding German U-boat violating the US security zone. |
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Yugoslavian leadership, along with the army, surrenders to the Germans. |
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The British launch Operation Brevity against Rommel's dug-in forces, making little progress against the prepared defenders. |
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The HMS Greyhound, a British destroyer, is downed by German bombers. |
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New Zealand troops are repelled from an attempt to retake the airfield at Maleme from the Germans. |
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A hunter-killer group of 14 Royal Navy ships, including the battleships HMS King George V, HMS Hood and the HMS Prince of Wales, leave Scapa Flow. |
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Panzergruppe 2 and Panzergruppe 3 now form up as part of General Gunther von Kluge's 4th Panzer Army. |
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Guderian's forces cross the Dniepr River 50 miles outside of Smolensk. |
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The German Army begins to tighten the noose around the encircled Soviet forces numbering some 25 divisions. |
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The German encirclement of Soviet forces is completed. |
1941
Thursday
August 21st |
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The first Royal Navy convoy on its way to deliver supplies through Arctic waters into the Soviet Union leaves Scapa Flow comprised of 7 ships. |
1941
Thursday
September 25th |
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The Crimea finds itself cutoff from the rest of the Soviet Union by German Army forces made up of German Army Group South. |
1941
Thursday
December 11th |
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As expected, Germany and Italy side with Japan and officially declare war on the United States |
1941
Thursday
December 25th |
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The Japanese 48th Division makes substantial progress against American forces, working their way towards the capital city of Manila. |
1942
Thursday
January 1st - July 31st |
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Some 800,000 of Leningrad's citizens are evacuated through the frozen passage above Lake Lagoda. |
1942
Thursday
January 1st |
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The German U-boat fleet now numbers some 331 operational vessels. |
1942
Thursday
January 1st - March 1st |
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Off the east coast of the United States, some 216 vessels fall prey to the German U-boat scourge in this span. |
1942
Thursday
January 1st - January 31st |
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Over the course of the month, three Soviet armies, under the command of Major-General D.T. Kozlov, are called to the newly created "Crimea Front". |
1942
Thursday
January 15th |
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Japanese forces invade Burma beginning their assault at Victoria Point. |
1942
Thursday
February 5th |
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Rostov is officially abandoned by General Manstein's forces. |
1942
Thursday
February 12th |
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German Army Group B is renamed Army Group Center. |
1942
Thursday
February 12th |
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German Army Group Don is renamed Army Group South. |
1942
Thursday
February 19th |
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The Japanese 1st Air Fleet conducts a surprise attack on Allied ships at Broome and Darwin. Twelve ships are sunk in the assault. |
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Street fighting throughout Kharkov erupts once more as German forces enter Kharkov. |
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The Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo enters the Bay of Bengal. |
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An 85-strong Japanese Navy aircraft contingent attacks airfields and targets of opportunity at Trincomalee, Ceylon. |
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The HMS Hermes is one of four Royal Navy ships sunk by Japanese Navy aircraft. |
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American forces fighting on the Bataan Peninsula finally surrender to the Japanese. |
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Spring over Russia brings about seasonal rains turning once solid and dependable ground into a muddy nightmare for both armies. As such, offensives are limited or stalled altogether. |
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German Army forces partially regroup and recover from the constant barrage of Soviet offensives. |
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By this time, over 1 million German soldiers have been killed in action since the start of Operation Barbarossa. |
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The Japanese invasion of Port Moresby is called off. |
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Allied Task Force 44, headed by Royal Navy Rear-Admiral Crace, moves in to intercept the Japanese invasion force. However, the force is prematurely spotted by Japanese reconnaissance aircraft resulting in a counter-assault of the Task Force by Japanese Navy warplanes. Crace and his force never make the intercept. |
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The USS Neosho and the USS Sims are sunk by Japanese aircraft. |
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The Allies spot the Japanese Covering Group escorting the invasion force. |
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The USS Lexington and the USS Yorktown launch their attack planes and sink the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho in the process. |
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The convoy system is formally adopted by the United States in an effort to protect its merchant shipping in the Atlantic. |
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While trying to take Sidra Ridge, German Panzer force casaulties begin to mount significantly. |
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The final Imperial Japanese Task Force leaves mainland Japan. |
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At 9:18AM, Nagumo reacts to the American presence and changes the course of his Carrier Strike Force. |
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At 12:00PM, Imperial Japanese Navy bomber aircraft strike against the attacking USS Yorktown. |
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By 2:30PM, the USS Yorktown is severely damaged bu does not sink. |
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By 3:00PM, the crew of the USS Yorktown has abandoned their carrier. The damaged vessel is towed by USN ships. |
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At 5:00PM, the Imperial Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu is set ablaze after being struck by no fewer than five direct bomb hits from aircraft of the USS Enterprise. |
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The initial American assault on the Japanese carrier strike force is over by 10:00AM. |
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All incoming USN Devastator attackers are shot down by Japanese Zero fighters in the span of six minutes. |
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The first wave of USN carrier dive-bombers has difficulty in locating their Japanese targets. |
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At 10:25AM, a follow-up strike made up of 37 Dauntless dive bombers finds the Japanese carriers - now stocked with armed and fueled aircraft on their decks. |
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At 8:37AM, aircraft of the second Japanese strike force returns to their respective carriers for rearming and refueling. |
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At 7:52AM, USS Enterprise and USS Hornet launch their dive bombers and torpedo planes. |
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Between 9:30AM and 10:00AM, Torpedo planes from the USS Enterprise and USS Hornet begin their attacks on the Japanese carriers. |
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At 4:30AM, the bombing of Midway Island begins with aircraft from Vice-Admiral Nagumo's First Carrier Strike Force. |
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The three Japanese carriers - Kaga, Soryu and Akagi - are struck with bombs and ultimately sunk. |
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At 8:20AM, a surprised Nagumo receives his first report of American carriers in the area. |
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At 9:00AM, USS Yorktown launches her aircraft with Nagumo's carrier force as the prime target. |
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American fighter aircraft take heavy losses but force the Japanese Navy to launch a second attack. |
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At 7:28AM, a Japanese reconniassance plane spots spots ten undetermined USN surface ships 200 miles northeast of the Japanese Midway invasion force. |
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The Allies go into full retreat as the Germans advance. |
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The German Army breaks out of their pocket near Sidi Muftah. |
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German forces breaking out near Sidi Muftah target the British 7th Armored Division near El Adem. |
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The German-allied Romanian Mountain Corps and 30th Army Corps launch their attack on Sevastopol. |
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The city of Tobruk, defended by the 2nd South African Division, is completely surrounded by German forces. |
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The last of the Soviet forces are evacuated by sea leaving little to stop the German onslaught. |
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The Soviet city of Sevastopol officially falls to the Germans. |
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German Army Group South is renamed Army Group B and placed under the control of Field Marshal von Bock. |
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The German Army begins its move towards Rostov. |
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Rostov falls to the German Army Group A, netting some 83,000 Soviet prisoners as a result. |
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Hitler issues a supplemental directive to Operation Blue requiring his 6th Army to take Stalingrad. |
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The German Army crosses the Kuban River near Armavir. |
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US Navy and Marine forces position themselves near Guadalcanal. |
1942
Thursday
August 20th |
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The first of thirty-one US fighter aircraft arrive at Henderson Field. |
1942
Thursday
September 3rd |
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The Germans enact an offensive aimed at the heart of Stalingrad. |
1942
Thursday
September 3rd - October 23rd |
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General Montgomery decides to make El Alamein a war of numbers and stockpiles his supplies to eventually try and overwhelm the Germans. |
1942
Thursday
September 10th |
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100,000 incendiary bombs are dropped on Dusseldorf by no fewer than 476 RAF bombers. |
1942
Thursday
September 24th |
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The German Army makes headway toward Tuapse. |
1942
Thursday
October 1st - October 31st |
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With a lull in the fighting, Soviet forces near Leningrad are able to receive much needed supplies and reinforcements. |
1942
Thursday
November 12th |
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German paratrooper forces attack the British paratroopers near Bone but are repelled. |
1942
Thursday
November 12th |
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British paratroopers land near Bone and take the nearby airfield. |
1942
Thursday
November 12th |
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German paratroopers move into the area near the airfield at Bone. |
1942
Thursday
November 19th |
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The Soviets push forward a new two-part offensive - Operation Uranus - north of Stalingrad and break through the Romanian-held defenses. |
1942
Thursday
November 26th |
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Medjez el Bab falls to the Allies. |
1942
Thursday
December 24th |
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The Soviet Army launches a fresh attack at Kotelnikovo, routing its Romanian defenders and putting them into full retreat. |
1942
Thursday
December 31st |
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The Battle of Barents Sea takes place. Convoy JW51B comes under attack from German surface ships comrpised of the battleships KMS Admiral Hipper and KMS Lutzow along with 6 destroyers. Six British destroyers are up to the task as they repel the much larger force at the cost of two Royal Navy destroyers. No merchant vessels are lost to enemy fire. The loss in battle forces the resignation of German Navy Admiral Raeder and leaves Adolph Hitler hungry for blood. |
1943
Thursday
January 14th |
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In an effort to replenish and build up their army ranks along the East Front, German Generals proposed conscription service of the Baltic people for service . |
1943
Thursday
January 14th |
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U-boat bases at Cherbourg and Lorient are targeted by the Royal Air Force. |
1943
Thursday
February 18th |
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General von Arnim and General Rommels forces finally meet at Kasserine. |
1943
Thursday
February 25th |
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Rommel relocates his forces east and plans his defense against Montgomery and his 8th Army at the Mareth ine. |
1943
Thursday
February 25th |
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Kasserine is now firmly in Allied control, the Germans having retreated and Rommel's attention now elsewhere. |
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RAF Bomber Command numbers total some 950 bombers of various types. Most important are the Avro Lancasters. |
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No fewer than eight German U-Boats shadow convoy PQ17. |
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Fighting in the Kursk salient officially ends. |
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US General George C. Patton and his fabled 7th Army move along the west of the island at speed, claiming the Sicilian capital of Palermo in the process. |
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After some time, the British finally capture the port at Catania. Though a vital and strategic victory, their advance delays the operation some. |
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Soviet Army forces move towards Kharkov, liberating the city of Belgorod in the process. |
1943
Thursday
August 12th |
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Some 100,000 Axis soldiers are successfully rescued from Sicily. The rest are captured by advancing Allied forces. |
1943
Thursday
September 30th |
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The German Army falls as far back as the Dniepr River. |
1943
Thursday
September 30th |
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By this date, the Soviet Army has established no less than five bridgeheads crossing the Dniepr River, keeping the Germans at bay for the time being. |
1943
Thursday
October 14th |
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Some 291 USAAF bombers of the 13th Bombardment Wing are once-again launched against Schweinfurt. Though 30% of German ball-bearing production is knocked out, 60 American aircraft do not return to home bases in the UK. The high level of losses in these raids forces the USAAF to temporarily suspend long-range bombing attacks into Germany. |
1943
Thursday
November 18th |
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444 RAF bombs drop ordnance on the German capital of Berlin with only 9 loss to enemy fire. |
1944
Thursday
January 27th |
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The siege of Leningrad is declared by Soviet leader Stalin as over. |
1944
Thursday
January 27th |
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The Moscow-Leningrad railway route is reopened in favor of the Soviets. |
1944
Thursday
February 10th |
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In a counter offensive, crack German paratroopers repel US forces and previous Allied gains are lost. |
1944
Thursday
February 17th |
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The Allies lose some four miles of territory but stand fast outside of Anzio. |
1944
Thursday
February 24th |
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With weather clearing, operations of Big Week continue. 266 American bombers strike Schweinfurt. |
1944
Thursday
February 24th |
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Over 900 American bombers are sent airborne to bomb aircraft-producing factories including Schweinfurt. |
1944
Thursday
February 24th |
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733 RAF bombers strike at Schweinfurt in a night time raid. 33 aircraft are lost. |
1944
Thursday
February 24th |
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The USAAF 1st Division launches another bombing raid on Schweinfurt through 238 bombers and long-range escort fighters. Eleven aircraft are lost. |
1944
Thursday
February 24th |
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A British bomber force made up of Handley Page Halifaxes and Avro Lancasters take part in a night-bombing raid on Schweinfurt, dropping some 2,000 tons of ordnance on the area. |
1944
Thursday
March 23rd - May 10th |
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A lengthy six-week period allows the Allies to rebuild their forces - though this period allows the Germans to increase their defensive foothold. |
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795 RAF bombers attack Nuremburg with 95 aircraft lost to action. This mission marks the biggest RAF loss to date. |
1944
Thursday
March 30th - March 31st |
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Some 100 Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax bombers mistakenly drop 400-tons of ordnance on Schweinfurt, thinking that it is their target of Nuremburg. |
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The fourth offensive to take Cassino is put into action. |
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Approximately 2,000 Allied artillery guns open up on Cassino. |
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A combined British, Polish and American assault converge on Cassino involving the British 13th Corps, the Polish II Corps and the US 5th Army. |
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The Poles take Monte Calvario. |
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The British take the town of Cassino. |
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Monte Cassino falls to the Allies, costing some 50,000 casualties along both sides of the battlefield. |
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The US VI Corps continues its gains and eventually combines with the arriving UU Corps. The road to Rome is now in the hands of the US Army and steps are taken for the final assault on the capital. |
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Totaling over 1.2 million troops, the 1st Baltic Front - along with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts - are put into action along four fronts. Vitebsk is quickly taken and controlled. The 3rd Panzer Army suffers heavy losses. |
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Operation Bagration is put into action with General Zhukov in command. |
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The Soviets take Bobruysk. |
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The 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts close in and around the city of Minsk, attempting to join forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front. |
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Vilnius, Lithuania is captured by Soviet ground troops. |
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A new Soviet land offensive is launched with elements of the Soviet 1st and 4th Ukranian Fronts. Their target is Germany Army Group North in the Ukraine on their way to southern Poland. |
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A combined British and Canadian force is stopped outside of Caen by a determined German defense. |
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While the British 2nd Army and 2nd Canadian Division can now lay claim to Caen, they fall short of advancement against Falaise. As such, Operation Goodwood is stopped. |
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Lvov is clamed by the Ukranian Fronts. |
1944
Thursday
September 21st |
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British XXX Corps is slowed down once more, this time by German anti-tank forces and artillery emplacements north of Nijmegen and along the route to Arnhem. |
1944
Thursday
September 21st |
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British paratroopers at Arnhem give up control of their bridge against a stronger German foe and instead concentrate on surviving by utilizing the town of Arnhem itself as a defense. |
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Further landings of US forces on the Kerama Islands, complete its capture for the Allies. |
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Allied forces find and locate the Japanese defenders along the southern portion of Okinawa. Heavy defenses are noted. |
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Japanese defenders are pushed back towards Naha by American forces. The Japanese defensive lines are reset as territory is lost. The Americans report 1,000 casualties in their assaults. |
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The Berlin suburbs gradually fall under Soviet control as fighting rages on everywhere. |
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| All Events By Day of the Week |
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