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WW2 Events by Day of the Week
Putting the conflict into a realistic and relatable perspective.
Total Events: 196
for Tuesday
1939
Tuesday
September 5th |
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The Bosnia becomes the first merchantman to be sunk by the German U-boats. |
1939
Tuesday
September 19th |
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German and Soviet army elements finally meet one another in Poland at Brest-Litovsk. |
1939
Tuesday
December 5th |
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After some initial advances, the Soviet Army if forced to stop by the Finnish defenses at the Mannerheim Line. |
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A new Soviet offensive on the Karelian isthmus fails. |
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Finland responds to the Soviet surrender overture with negotiations. |
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After months of fighting and countless lives lost on both sides, the Finnish government officially accepts the surrender terms of the Russian proposal in an internal vote numbering 145 to 3. |
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Facing light opposition, German Panzer Corps XV, XLI and XIX are free to set up three key bridge-heads covering Dinant, Montherme and Sedan. |
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Panzer Corps XV and XIX break through the Allied defenses at Sedan, allowing German forces to completely bypass the formidable defenses at the French Maginot Line. |
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An Allied counterattack against the German Army near Arras ends in failure as the attack is itself countered by another advancing German land force. |
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With the fight gone out of them, the Belgian Army surrenders to the German 6th and 18th armies. Their actions, however, supply the evacuating Allies with much-needed time. |
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By the end of this day, some 25,473 British soldiers have been evacuated from France. |
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Belgium falls to Germany in just 18 days. |
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With Belgium out of the way, German Army elements begin making their way towards the French coastline in an attempt to completely eliminate Allied forces for good. |
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King Leopold of Belgium orders his army to surrender to the Germans. By this time, his government has already relocated to Paris, France. |
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German Luftwaffe bombers cease bombardment of Dunkirk. |
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Some 40,000 French soldiers are taken prisoner by Germany at the fall of Dunkirk. |
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Operation Dynamo - the evacuation of Allied forces at Dunkirk - officially ends. 338,326 total soldiers are saved including 113,000 French troops. |
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Hitler delivers Fuhrer Directive 17 as Operation Sea Lion - the land invasion of the British mainland to occur between September 19th and September 26th. |
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"Eagle Day" is enacted - a four day bombardment of key RAF airfields and radar installations. Poor weather initially delays the assault and any bombing thereafter produces mixed results. |
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Portland is heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe. |
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Andover is heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe. |
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Southampton is heavily bombed by the German Luftwaffe. |
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At least 40 total Luftwaffe aircraft are destroyed by the RAF and ground-based flak teams. |
1940
Tuesday
September 3rd |
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Due to consistent Luftwaffe losses and inconclusive results across the entire campaign, Hitler postpones Operation Sea Lion to September 21st. |
1940
Tuesday
September 17th |
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With the unexpected results of his campaign against Britain, Hitler officially postpones Operation Sea Lion indefinitely. |
1940
Tuesday
October 1st - October 30th |
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German BF 110 twin-engine nightfighters take advantage of the new Lichtenstein radar systems to track, target and engage RAF bombers. |
1940
Tuesday
November 12th |
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Swordfish E4H is downed by enemy anti-aircraft fire, killing her co-pilot. |
1940
Tuesday
November 12th |
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At 1:01 AM, The sinking Littorio is struck by another torpedo. |
1940
Tuesday
November 12th |
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By 1:22 AM, the attack on Taranto harbor is officially over. |
1940
Tuesday
November 12th |
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Swordfish E5H misses her mark against the Vittorio Veneto. |
1940
Tuesday
November 12th |
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By 3:30 AM, all but two Swordfish aircraft are accounted for. |
1940
Tuesday
November 12th |
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Swordfish L5F scored a direct hit via bomb on the Trento. |
1940
Tuesday
December 10th |
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Selby Force has removed the Italian 1st Libyan Division out of Maktila. |
1940
Tuesday
December 10th |
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Some 38,000 Italian soldiers are taken prisoner by the Allies. |
1940
Tuesday
December 10th |
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Selby Force sets its eyes on Sidi Barrani. |
1940
Tuesday
December 10th |
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Italian forces stationed at Sidi Barrani are all but surrounded by the Allies. |
1940
Tuesday
December 10th |
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The Italian camps at Tummar East fall to the Allies. |
1940
Tuesday
December 10th |
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The Italian XXI Corps is in full retreat. |
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The Lend-Lease Bill is signed into law by American President Franklin Roosevelt allowing the United States the unrestricted ability to help supply the Allies in their fight against the Axis. |
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Prince Paul of Yugoslavia offers his allegiance to the Axis, signing the Tripartite Pact. |
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The German port of Emden is bombed by six Wellington bomber aircraft. |
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A massive German bombing raid on the Yugoslavian capital city of Belgrade nets over 300,000 civilian casualties. |
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229 RAF bomber aircraft rain 40,000 incendiary ordnance on the German naval base at Kiel. |
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At about 2:00 PM, the second wave of German paratroops land around Heraklion and Rethymnon. |
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The first day of the German invasion of Crete sees little progress as many strategic positions are not under German control yet. |
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In-air losses for the second wave of German paratroopers is nearly equal to the first thanks to the stellar Allied flak defenses on Crete. |
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Between 1:30 and 2:00 PM, the second wave of German airborne troops take off from Greece towards drop zones in Crete. |
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At least 500 Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft are utilized in the first wave of airdrops over Crete. |
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At approximately 7:00 AM, the first German airborne troops land at locations near Maleme and Khania. |
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Allied flak teams destroy as many as 50% of the invading German transport planes in the first few hours of the operation. |
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The German heavy cruiser KMS Prinz Eugen and the battleship KMS Bismarck leave port for the North Sea. |
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Operation Mercury is officially launched. |
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Allied forces retreat to defensive positions at Galatas. |
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At 8:47 AM, the Bismarck is now being raked from front to rear by the guns of the Royal Navy warships. The battleship HMS King George V and the HMS Rodney unleash their short range armament on the hapless German ship. |
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The German Army takes Heraklion and her all-important airfield. |
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At 10:00 AM, the Bismarck's guns fall silent s she takes on water and burns. |
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The first escorted convoy - HX129 - crosses the Atlantic. |
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At 10:36 AM, the mighty German battleship Bismarck sinks into blue depths, leaving only 115 German sailors to recount her story. |
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Panzergruppe 2 and Panzergruppe 3 cross the Berezina River west of Minsk, heading towards Smolensk and Vitebsk. |
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The Soviet counterattack at Smolensk is driven back by Guderian's forces. |
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The German Army begins to encircled in Soviet Army pockets held up outside of Smolensk, Vitebsk and Mogilev. |
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A Soviet offensive meant to break the German stranglehold fails due to poor coordination. |
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The Soviet defense of Smolensk is obliterated and falls taking with it the end of the Soviet 16th and 20th Armies. |
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The drive to Smolensk nets a total of 600,000 Russian prisoners of war, 5,700 tanks and 4,600 artillery pieces. |
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300,000 Soviet prisoners, 3,200 tanks and 3,100 artillery guns are captured by the Germans at Smolensk. |
1941
Tuesday
December 9th - December 13th |
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General Guderian's Panzergruppe 2 is cut off from General Kluge's 4th Army. |
1941
Tuesday
December 16th |
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Amid the mounting pressures and expectations of his superiors back in Germany, Field Marshal von Bock requests reassignment away from Army Group Centre. |
1941
Tuesday
December 23rd |
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The order is given by American General Douglas MacArthur to retreat from Luzon and take up positions on the Bataan Peninsula. |
1941
Tuesday
December 23rd |
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The American military detachment at Wake Island surrenders. During their stand, the Americans accounted for at least 1,000 Japanese casualties and 4 Japanese navy warships. |
1941
Tuesday
December 23rd |
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Despite an out-numbered yet heroic resistance on the part of American forces, Wake Island falls to the Japanese. |
1941
Tuesday
December 23rd |
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MacArthur's forces are cut-off from further retreat by a Japanese Army force advancing from the south. |
1942
Tuesday
February 17th |
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Adolph Hitler meets with General Manstein to plan a German counter-offensive. |
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The Japanese enact an offensive to take Corregidor Island, a strategic point providing access to Manila Bay. |
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Soviet ground forces launch a pre-emptive offensive against German-held Kharkov. |
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German forces enact Operation Fridericus and attempt to take Izyum. |
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Rommel begins his offense against the Gazala Line, made up of some 50 miles of British defenses. |
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Group Cruewell, made up of the Italian X and XI Corps, launches an assault on the northern portion of the Gazala Line in an attempt to divert Allied forces from the real attack coming from the south. |
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Beginning at 7:00PM, the German 90th Infantry Division, the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions and the Italian XX Corps under Rommel launch their offensive along the southern portion of the Gazala Line. |
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600 German artillery guns open fire on Sevastopol. |
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German General von Paulus attacks at Belgorod. |
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Evacuation of Russian soldiers from Sevastopol begins with help from the Soviet Black Sea Fleet under Vice-Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky. |
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German General Field Marshal List takes command of the new Army Goup A, made up of the 1st Panzer Army and the 17th Army. |
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Bad weather cancels this original date for Operation Rutter. Discussions begin on whether or not to nix the entire endeavor. It returns to the planning stages under a new name - Operation Jubilee. |
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This date is set aside for Operation Rutter - the amphibious landing at the port city of Dieppe in occupied France. |
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The macabre resolution of "not one step backwards" is issued by Stalin to his generals and troops. |
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Elements of the German Army cross the Aksay River towards Stalingrad. |
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A Japanese counteroffensive sees an amphibious landing take place at Taivu. This landing zone is just 32 miles east of Henderson Field. |
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Stalingard is officially under siege by the Germans Army. |
1942
Tuesday
September 1st - September 30th |
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The month is spent ironing out plans for the Allied invasion of German-occupied North Africa. |
1942
Tuesday
September 1st - September 30th |
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German progress throughout the Casucasus is slowed by Soviet resistance and fuel/supply shortages. |
1942
Tuesday
September 1st |
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Germany Army elements, backed by Romanians cross the Kerch Straits. |
1942
Tuesday
September 1st |
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The Germans establish a bridgehead over the Terek River. |
1942
Tuesday
September 8th |
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The US Marine landings result in the destruction of vital Japanese supplies and the recovery of important operational data. |
1942
Tuesday
September 15th - October 7th |
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The Japanese begin building up their forces to reclaim Henderson Field. |
1942
Tuesday
September 15th |
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The Soviet Army is unleashed on Voronezh. |
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Malgobek falls to the German Army. |
1942
Tuesday
November 17th |
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The Allies capture Beja. |
1943
Tuesday
January 12th |
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German Caucasus elements make it to their bridgehead over the Kuban River. |
1943
Tuesday
January 12th |
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Soviet troops make headway against the defensive lines at the Don River held by Hungarian and Italian troops. |
1943
Tuesday
January 12th |
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The Soviets enact Operation Spark and cut a path through the German lines clearing a path to Leningrad. This offers the citizens of the city some much needed foot rations. |
1943
Tuesday
January 19th |
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The Soviets retake the city of Shlusselburg. |
1943
Tuesday
February 2nd |
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The German Army north pocket at Stalingrad formally surrenders to the Soviet Army. |
1943
Tuesday
February 2nd |
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The liberation of Stalingrad is officially over. |
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The German U-boats are unleashed once more, this time operating in substantially smaller groups. |
1943
Tuesday
June 1st - June 30th |
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British and American authorities work together to formulate the Pointblank Directive - a combined air bombing campaign against the air production facilities of the German Luftwaffe. |
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Soviet Marshal-General Rokossovsky and his Central Front army engage in a counter-attack against the German offensive. The counter-attack fails but is enough to slow the German 9th Army some. A measly 6 miles of territory is gained by the Germans. |
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Adolph Hitler orders an end to Operation Citadel. |
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By this date, some 478,000 Allied troops have landed on Sicily. |
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Allied airborne elements parachute into Sicily and capture key bridges. However, a German counter-attack drives back any gains of the day. |
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RAF bombers make use of "Window" foil strips to disrupt enemy tracking radars. |
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44,600 Hamburg civilians are killed by RAF bomber attacks. |
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Soviet forces of the Steppe, Voronezh and South-West Fronts initiate a new offensive against German Army Group South just outside of the Kursk salient. |
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At around 4:50PM, elements of the 4th Bomber Group begin landing at their pre-determined bases in North Africa. Twenty-four aircraft from the group are noted lost. |
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The US 3rd Division gives the official "all clear" from their position in Messina. Operation Husky is a success and Sicily is firmly in Allied hands. |
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With only limited-range Allied fighter escorts, the first major air raid on Schweinfurt and Regensburg is launched. The air raid consists of 230 aircraft from the 1st Bombardment Wing and 146 aircraft of the 4th Bombardment Wing. |
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Bad weather delays the original 5:30AM launch time of the operation. |
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Aircraft of the 4th Bombardment Wing take-off at 6:20AM in an effort to reach its target in daylight. |
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German Luftwaffe defense fighters attack the 4th Bombardment Wing formations passing over Germany. |
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At 11:18AM, the 1st Bombardment Wing finally takes off. |
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Some 250 German fighters, already alerted to the bomber group presence, are launched to repel subsequent air attacks. |
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At approximately 3:00PM, the 1st Bomber Group finally reaches its targets after incurring heavy losses from German fighters. Their bombing run ensues over Schweinfurt. |
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Sometime between 11:46AM and 12:09M, the 4th Bomber Group makes their bombing run on targets at Regensburg. |
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At approximately 6:00PM, elements of the 1st Bomber Group begin landing back at their UK bases. Some 36 aircraft are missing. |
1943
Tuesday
November 30th |
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The British and Americans devise Operation Argument to counter the Luftwaffe threat through a round-the-clock bombing offensive; bad weather postpones any action. |
1944
Tuesday
January 11th |
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French Expeditionary Corps assail the outer defences at Cassino, achieving modest gains. |
1944
Tuesday
January 11th |
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The first major Allied offensive to take Cassino is launched. |
1944
Tuesday
January 18th - February 9th |
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US forces begin making headway through the Liri Valley, capturing ground at Monte Calvario. |
1944
Tuesday
January 25th |
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The Anzio beachhead continues to grow with Allied troops and equipment, making it a prime target for the regrouping Germans. |
1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th |
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The 4th Indian Division is charged with taking both Monte Calvario and Monastary Hill. |
1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th |
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The 2nd New Zealand Division is charged with taking the railway station at Cassino. |
1944
Tuesday
February 15th |
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Following the Allied aerial bombardment, the second major Allied offensive to take Cassino is launched. |
1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th |
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The 2nd New Zealand Division assault is twarted and driven back, suffering high casualties. |
1944
Tuesday
February 15th |
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German forces, having never held a defensive position in the monestary proper, move into the resulting debris from the surrounding mountain slopes and set up solid defensive positions within the rubble. |
1944
Tuesday
February 15th |
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In an effort to destroy the believed German defensive positions atop Monte Cassino, Allied bombers numbering 229 strong, lay waste to the monestary. |
1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th |
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The 4th Indian Division assault is repelled and driven away, suffering high casualties. |
1944
Tuesday
February 22nd |
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American bomber groups begin medium bombing operations from bases within Italy. |
1944
Tuesday
February 22nd |
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The Allies replace the ineffective Major-General Lucas with Major-General Lucius Truscott. |
1944
Tuesday
February 22nd |
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Bad weather forces many-an-inflight accident for US bomber groups. Some 41 aircraft are lost. Nijmegen is accidentally bombed, causing over 200 civilian deaths. |
1944
Tuesday
February 29th |
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Von Mackensen cancels the German offensive amidst mounting casualties and little gain. |
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The US VI Corps breaks out of the Anzio perimeter and takes ground well into the Alban Hills. |
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At 4:00PM, the mobilized German 21st Panzer Division launches a counter-attack. |
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By 8:00PM, the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division out of Juno beach connects with the British 50th Division out of Gold beach. This union becomes the largest Allied-held pocket in the north of France to this point. |
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Omaha statistics are grim and the group holds the least amount of real estate at just 4.3 miles across and 1.2 miles inland. However, they do hold positions in Vierville sur Mer, Colleville and St-Laurent sur Mer. |
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The first town in France - Ste Mere Eglise - is liberated by the Allies, this honor falling to the American forces from Utah beach and paratroopers from the previous day's drops. |
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The Allied elements at Sword beach hold onto a 6-by-6 mile piece of land though they are still cut off from the Allies at Juno. |
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American forces at Utah beach hold pockets of land totaling just over 6 miles. |
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By midnight, D-Day is more or less over. Not all objectives are captured but progress is made nonetheless. |
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The German 21st Panzer Division is repelled by a combined Allied armor and air assault, saving further actions at Sword. |
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The German counter-attack reaches the beachhead at Sword. |
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No less than five key bridges over the Dives River are blown up by British paratroopers. |
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The British and Canadian forces out of Gold and Juno beaches enjoy the largest footholds in France, encompassing land holdings some 9 miles wide and 6.2 miles inland. |
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British and French special forces elements out of Sword beach connect with the British paratroopers holding the key bridges over the Orne River. |
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Elements of the US 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions land across the Cotentin Peninsula. Despite all the planning, their dropzones are widely scattered. |
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British paratroopers of the 6th British Airborne Brigade land near Benouville. |
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British paratroopers destroy the coastal fortifications at Merville. |
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In preparation for the arrival of the regular armies by way of amphibious landing, British and American airborne paratroopers arrive in France just after midnight. |
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Despite the confusion on the part of the misdropped Allied paratroopers, the defending Germans are thrown into an equal level of confusion, noting Allied airdrops all around them. |
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Allied naval warships open up with their guns on German defensive positions along the French coast. |
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At approximately 6:30AM, American Army forces begin landing at two key beaches, codenamed Utah and Omaha. |
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US Army forces arriving at Utah beach find themselves some 2,000 yards away from where they should be. The result is the force finds little German opposition at Utah. Their original landing zone was to be centered around Les-Dunes-de-Varreville. Total casualties from the landing are 300 personnel. |
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The Canadians out of Juno beach take Bernieres at about 11:00AM. |
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The British paratroopers take the bridges over the Caen Canal and the Orne River. |
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Near the town of Pouppeville, the US 4th Infantry Division at Utah beach connects with the 101st Airborne Division paratroopers. |
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The US Army forces arriving at Omaha beach face a prepared, stout and veteran defense made possible by the German 352nd Division. After 2,400 casualties, the 1st US Infantry Division holds a beachhead. |
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At approximately 10:00AM, British forces out of Gold beach take La Riviere. |
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The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division makes its way towards Juno beach. The German defenses, heavy seas and underwater obstacles cause a loss of 30 percent of the landing craft. The onshore result is equally grim as the Canadians are assaulted by the prepared Germans. |
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The British 3rd Division arriving at Sword beach face a stouter German defense but are able to overwhelm the enemy and establish a foothold. |
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The British 50th Division pushed some 6 miles inland. |
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The combined British and Canadian forces at Gold face little opposition and claim their objectives with little incident. |
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At approximately 7:25AM, forces of the British and Canadian armies wade ashore at beaches codenamed Gold and Juno. |
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By 8:00AM, most of the German defenders at or near Gold and Sword beaches have been cleared or are on the run. |
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Minsk falls to the Soviet offensive. |
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By this date, the 160,000-strong German 4th Army alone reports losses of 130,000 troops. |
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German losses total 400,000 personnel. |
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The German 9th Army is obliterated under the might of the Red Army. |
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The British and Canadian launch Operation Goodwood against Caen. British armored elements are brought to bear against the dug-in and prepared Germans. The goal is to take all of Caen before focusing on Falaise. |
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US Army forces seize complete control of the town of St. Lo on the Contentin peninsula. Control of this strategic zone now allows for larger, prepared and controlled Allied offensives towards inland France. |
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The move westward continues. |
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US General George S. Patton and his 3rd Army manage their way through Avranches towards Liore and Brittany. |
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US General Omar Bradley talks with British General Benard Law Montgomery about a plan to encircle some 21 divsions of Germans in the Falaise-Argentan pocket. Montgomery likes what he hears and give the plan the green light. |
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General Patton reaches Le Mans and then heads north to Argentan. |
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Stretched and strained supply lines bring the Soviet war machine to a halt. |
1944
Tuesday
August 15th - August 29th |
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During another running battle, convoy JW59 and her surface warships inflict damage on the KMS Tirpitz. |
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After some additional fighting that results in a further 10,000 German soldiers killed, the trapped elements of the German Army at Normandy surrender to the Allies. In all, some 50,000 soldiers of the German Army are taken prisoner. |
1944
Tuesday
September 19th |
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The British XXX Corps officially unites with the US 82nd Airborne Division forces having landed at Grave. |
1945
Tuesday
February 13th |
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805 RAF bombers level the German city of Dresden, killing up to 130,000 of its inhabitants. The attack is notable for Dresden held little to no military or strategic value for Germany. |
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The American 27th Infantry Division lands at Tsugen. The island is just to the east of Okinawa proper. |
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General Zhukov and his 1st Belorussian army break into the Berlin suburbs. |
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Berlin formally and unconditionally surrenders to the Soviet legions and Western Allies. General Jodl signs for the defeated Germans and Generals Bedell Smith and Suslaparov for the Allies. |
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German Generaloberst Hans Krebs approaches Chuikov with the formal German surrender. |
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General Chuikov makes his way into the center of Berlin. |
1945
Tuesday
May 1st - May 31st |
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The last Artic Convoy voyage - with the designation of JW67 - between Britian and Russia is completed. |
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German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels murders his wife and six children before taking his own life. |
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Soviet artillery opens up once again, this time in a massive barrage against the Chancellery and surrounding areas. |
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By May of 1945, the U-boat scourge in the Atlantic is over, completing one of the more important battles in all of World War 2. |
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This day is formally announced as "VE Day" and celebrations break out across the world, though fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese Empire is ongoing. |
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| All Events By Day of the Week |
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