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Post by ChefEd on Oct 14, 2023 13:57:49 GMT
NOVEMBER 19401-30 NOV | | Submarines of the Regia Marina join the Kriegsmarine in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Blitz continues. Over 10,000 British civilian dead or wounded. | 1 NOV | | Italian forces continue their advance into Greece. | 3 NOV | | First night in two months that London has not been bombed by the Luftwaffe. U-99 sinks two British AMCs, the Laurentic and the Patroclus. | 4 NOV | | Greece launches its first counterattack against the invading Italians. | 5 NOV | | Kriegsmarine pocket battleship Admiral Scheer intercepts British convoy HX-84. The solitary escort, AMC Jervis, defends the convoy. The Jervis and five merchantmen are sunk. | 6-7 NOV | | British force take then lose Gallabat in East Africa. | 7 NOV | | French free Forces invade Libreville in Equatorial West Africa. By 14 November Equatorial West Africa becomes Free French. | 8-10 NOV | | Italian invasion suffers a setback when Greek forces capture 5,000 Italians. | 9 NOV | | Former British PM Neville Chamberlain dies at 71. | 11 NOV | | Italian bombers attack Harwich, in England. | 11-12 NOV | | British Swordfish torpedo bombers attack the Italian port at Taranto. Italian battleships Littorio, Conte Cavour, and Caio Diulio, plus two other ships are damaged. Japan will use this attack as a model for their future attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. | 14 NOV | | The Luftwaffe carries out a massive bombing raid on Coventry. | 14-16 NOV | | Greek counterattacks have stalled the Italian invasion. British air, sea, and land reinfoorcements continue to arrive in Greece. | 15 NOV | | Anti-submarine air patrols begin out of Bermuda. | 18-19 NOV | | The first detection of a German submarine by airborne radar is achieved. | 20 NOV | | Hungary joins the Tripartite Pact. | 21 NOV | | Almost all Italian forces have been forced back into Albania. | 26 NOV | | British carrier-based aircraft attack Rhodes and Tripoli. Work begins to build the ‘Jewish Ghetto’ in Warsaw, under the guise of a ‘health measure’. | 27 NOV | | Italian and British naval forces clash off Sardinia. Despite the superior Italian gunpower, the Italians break off the engagement. The Rumanian ‘Iron Guard’ arrest and execute multiple prominent persons, including the former Prime Minister, setting off riots. German forces assist in the clamp down of the unrest. | 30 NOV | | Greek forces continue their counterattacks against the Italians, gaining ground in Macedonia. |
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Post by ChefEd on Oct 20, 2023 21:39:03 GMT
DECEMBER 1940DEC 1-31 | | German operations in the Atlantic are hampered due to poor weather. Only 37 ships are sunk. The Blitz: 3,800 civilian dead, with 5,250 injured. | 3 DEC | | Britain orders 60 merchant ships from the U.S. | 4 DEC | | Greek forces continue their advances against the invading Italians. | 9 DEC | | Britain begins an attack against the Italians in the Western Desert. British troops flank and envelop the Italian front lines and capture two Italian armed camps. The assault is a complete surprise to the Italians. | 10 DEC | | Sidai Barrani falls to the British. There have already been 20,000 prisoners since the offensive began. | 11 DEC | | The British offensive continues with five of seven Italian divisions ruined and 14,000 more prisoners taken. | 13 DEC | | German forces are increased in Rumania, in preparation for an invasion of Greece. | 16-24 DEC | | Italian and British naval forces are active in supporting land operations, via shelling of enemy ports and facilities. | 17 DEC | | British forces capture Capuzzo, Sollum, and three other positions near the Egyptian Libyan border. Italian forces have retreated to Bardia. | 20 DEC | | Bulgaria begins a clamp down on the country’s 50,000 Jews, as well as the Free Masons and other ‘secret societies’. | 23 DEC | | Greek forces continue their advances against the Italians. | 25 DEC | | German cruiser Admiral Hipper battles British forces off Cape Finisterre, before breaking off and returning to Brest with engine trouble. | 27 DEC | | German raiders Komet and Orion, operating in the Pacific, shelling facilities and sinking ships involved in the phosphate industry. | 28 DEC | | Greece pauses its advances against the Italians in order to consolidate their gains and improve lines of communications. | 29 DEC | | President Roosevelt, during one of his ‘fireside’ chats, declares he wishes the U.S. to become the “Arsenal of Democracy”. |
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Post by ChefEd on Oct 28, 2023 15:26:06 GMT
JANUARY 19411 JAN | | X Flieger Korps in Sicily has increased to 96 bombers and 25 fighters. Eventually the Korps will increase to 270 bombers. At this time Malta has only 15 Hurricanes. | 2 JAN | | President Roosevelt announces the plans to build 200 7,500 ton freighters to a standardized design. These would later be known as Liberty Ships. | 3 JAN | | The 6th Australian Division joins the British North African forces, replacing the 4th Indian Division, whish has been reassigned to the Sudan. The Australian division leads the assault against Bardia. 30,000 Italian prisoners are taken. | 4 JAN | | The outnumbered Greeks continue their attacks against the Italians, into Albania. The Italian forces blunt the Greek assault. | 5 JAN | | Bardia falls to the British forces. 40,000 more Italian troops have been captured. Allied casualties in the assault number less than 500. | 6 JAN | | Advance units of the British forces reach Tobruk. | 8 JAN | | British bombers attack Naples, damaging the battleships Giulio Cesare and the Vittorio Veneto. | 9 JAN | | British forces complete the encirclement of Tobruk. | 10 JAN | | The X Flieger Korps conducts its first operation, against British naval forces and convoys. | 11 JAN | | Stukas from X Flieger Korps attack the British cruisers Southampton and Gloucester, sinking the Southampton and damaging Gloucester. | 12 JAN | | British aircraft from Malta attack the German airfield at Catania, Sicily. | 16-19 JAN | | German aircraft make multiple attacks on Malta, damaging the port facilities, and multiple ships. | 19 JAN | | British forces in Sudan attack the Italians in Eritrea, making some advances. | 21 JAN | | The Australian 6th Division leads the assault against Tobruk. | 22 JAN | | Tobruk falls, after the Italians destroy some of the port facilities. 27,000 Italian prisoners are taken. Allied losses are less than 500 men. Italian forces are falling back in Eritrea. | 26 JAN | | Italian forces encircled at Mechili escape. | 29 JAN | | Italian forces quit Derna and make their retreat westward. British forces advance into Italian Somaliland from Kenya. | 30 JAN | | Derna falls to the British forces. |
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Post by ChefEd on Nov 1, 2023 19:56:28 GMT
FEBRUARY 19411-28 FEB | | Only 22 U-Boots make it into the Atlantic. Combined with air and surface vessels, 196,800 tons of allied shipping are sunk. Civilian casualties from the continuing Blitz amount to 789 dead and 1,068 wounded. | 1 FEB | | Admiral Hipper heads out to the Atlantic for commerce raiding. Hipper sink seven ships, then returns to Brest. | 2 FEB | | British and Australian forces pursue the Italian forces retreating west across Libya. RN planes from HMS Formidable attack Mogadishu. | 3 FEB | | German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau pass through the Denmark Strait out into the Atlantic. Before returning to France, they sink 22 ships for 115,600 tons. | 5 FEB | | British and Australian forces capture 5,000 more Italian soldiers on their drive west. | 6 FEB | | Benghazi is taken by the British. | 7 FEB | | 25,000 more Italians are captured as they attempt to break through the Allied encirclement near Beda Fomm | 9 FEB | | British forces stop their forward advance in North Africa. British Royal navy forces attack Genoa, Leghorn and La Spezia. | 12 FEB | | German General Erwin Rommel arrives in Tripoli | 14 FEB | | German units begin to arrive in Tripoli, which will eventually become the Afrika Korps. British forces continue their advance into Somaliland | 20 FEB | | British and German units meet for the first time in North Africa. | 23 FEB | | Italian forces in Somaliland are pushed back by advancing British forces. Free French forces land in Eritrea. | 25 FEB | | British forces capture Mogadishu from the Italians. Italian light cruiser Diaz is sunk by British forces. |
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Post by ChefEd on Nov 11, 2023 13:51:22 GMT
MARCH 19411 MAR | | Bulgaria joins the Tripartite Pact Free French Forces take Kaffra in southeast Libya | 2 MAR | | German forces begin to move into Bulgaria. Bulgaria will be the German jumping off point in its invasion of Greece. | 4 MAR | | Britain makes a strong commando raid into Norway. Though successful, Germany makes reprisals against the Norwegian citizenry. | 6 MAR | | After Dutch worker strikes, organized mostly by Dutch Communists, Germany executes 18 Dutch resistance members. | 7 MAR | | British destroyer Wolverine sinks German u-boot U-47, commanded by ace captain Günther Prien. Two more leading u-boot aces will also be killed in the coming weeks. | 9 MAR | | Italian forces begin a 12-division offensive into Greece, with some local successes. | 10 MAR | | British forces have advanced 600 miles into Abyssinia before encountering any Italian troops. | 11-12 MAR | | The United States passes the Lend-Lease Act and approves $7 Billion to support the Act. | 13 MAR | | The Italian army continues its attack into Greece but is held fast by Greek defenses. | 15 MAR | | Indian troops attack into Eritrea have mixed results. | 16 MAR | | Britain lands forces at and takes Berbera in East Africa. Italy calls off its latest attack into Greece. Greece is unable to bolster its positions against the Italians, as they prepare for the presumed German invasion. | 16-17 MAR | | U-100 and U-99 are sunk. Allied radar features heavily in these sinkings. | 17 MAR | | British forces advance on and occupy Jijiga, East Africa, abandoned by the Italians. | 19 MAR | | British battleship Malaya is damaged by torpedoes from U-106, while on convoy duty. It retires to the US for repairs. The first major British warship to do so. | 20 MAR | | British forces continue their advance into East Africa, taking Hargeisa. | 22 MAR | | Britain gains more successes against the defending Italians in East Africa. | 24 MAR | | Rommel’s forces retake El Agheila from British forces. | 25 MAR | | Yugoslavian government representatives sign the Tripartite Pact. | 26 MAR | | Italian ‘explosive’ boats make a night attack in Suda Bay, Crete. Sinking a freighter and damaging the British cruiser York. British forces continue their advances in Abyssinia. | 26-29 MAR | | The battle of Cape Malapan plays out, with a British Victory, that will influence future naval engagements with the Italian navy. | 26 MAR | | Italian forces, with new allies, begin attacks against the British in East Africa, with no appreciable gains. | 27 MAR | | A coup topples the Yugoslavian government, because of its pro-German stance. Hitler signs a directive approving an invasion of Yugoslavia, which may delay the Greek and Russian invasions that are in planning. | 30 MAR | | The United States takes numerous German, Italian, and Danish commercial ships into “protective custody’. | 31 MAR | | Rommel’s troops attack British forces at Mersa Brega. They inflict many casualties, but do not take the positions. The British cruiser Bonaventure is sunk by Italian motor torpedo boats in the Eastern Mediterranean. |
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Post by ChefEd on Nov 18, 2023 18:59:02 GMT
APRIL 19411-30 APR | | Battle for the Atlantic: Germany has 32 U-Boots in service, with 81 boots in trial and training in the Baltic. British convoy escorts are expanding their range with refueling available in Iceland. U-Boots sink 43 ships for 249,000 tons. German aircraft sink 116 vessels in all theaters. Total Allied losses, from all causes, are 195 ships for 687,000 tons. Throughout the month RAF bombers attack Brest, Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, Emden, and Mannheim. | 1 APR | | British forces abandon Mersa Brega. British forces capture Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. | 1-3 APR | | A coup in Iran topples the Iraqi government. The usurpers are anti-British. Britain sends troops from India and the Middle East to protect oil supplies. | 2 APR | | Axis forces move eastward along a wide front, with three columns. Ark Royal reinforces Malta with Hurricanes. | 4 APR | | President Roosevelt approves the use of US facilities to repair RN ships, and to refuel when in combat situations. Axis forces continue their advance across Cyrenaica. | 6 APR | | Despite a non-aggression pact with Yugoslavia, Germany invades Yugoslavia. The invasion includes assaults along the Greek frontier. Gneisenau and Scharnhorst are damaged by British aerial attacks. Allied forces take Addis Ababa. | 7 APR | | Bermuda opens as a US naval facility. | 8 APR | | Mechili falls to the Axis forces, and Rommel begins his focus on Tobruk. | 9 APR | | Large numbers of Greek forces surrender to the advancing Germans. | 10 APR | | Zagreb falls to the Germans. Rommel’s first thrust into Tobruk is repulsed. | 10-12 APR | | German pressure is forcing British forces to pull back in Greece | 11 APR | | Tobruk is encircled. Remaining Allied forces withdraw to the Egyptian frontier. | 12 APR | | Belgrade surrenders. | 14-18 APR | | Deteriorating conditions in Greece force the cancellation of reinforcements from Egypt. | 16 APR | | A breakaway Croat government is formed. In the coming months Croat Catholics will murder 500,000 Orthodox Serbs. A convoy of four German troop ships, supported by Italian destroyers, are sunk by British destroyers. Less than half of the troops are rescued. | 19-21 APR | | British forces begin to withdraw from front line positions in Greece, in preparation to evacuate from the country. | 24 APR | | Evacuation of troops from Greece begins, with 11,000 men being taken off. | 23 APR | | German raider Thor returns to port, having sunk 12 ships, and damaging two more. | 25-29 APR | | Withdraw and evacuation of British forces in Greece continue. By April 29 50,000 troops have been evacuated. | 27 APR | | Reinforcements and supplies reach Malta, including 23 more Hurricanes. | 30 APR | | A heavy Axis attack against Tobruk commences, with limited to no gains. |
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Post by ChefEd on Nov 24, 2023 16:37:09 GMT
MAY 19411-31 MAY | | Britain’s code breaking efforts begin to bear fruit against the Kriegsmarine U-Boots sink 58 ships, 14 by U-107, for 325,500 tons. Allies lose a total of 139 ships. The first three British Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents are parachuted into France. | 1 MAY | | Iraqi troops begin to actively operate against British Forces in Iraq. | 4 MAY | | Rommel suspends attacks against Tobruk. A stalemate ensues, with operations only at night. British air forces attack a German airfield at Mosul, Iraq. British forces drive off the Italian defenders at Amba Alagi, in East Africa. | 5-6 MAY | | British destroyers begin ‘supplies in-wounded out’ runs to Tobruk for most nights, until the end of the siege. | 6 MAY | | Indian troops arrive in Iraq to support the British troops already there. | 16-12 MAY | | British convoys run both eastward and westward between Gibraltar and Alexandria. Only one transport is lost to Italian air attacks. | 7 MAY | | German weather trawler München is captured off Iceland. Secret papers related to the Enigma machine are taken. | 8 MAY | | British heavy cruiser Cornwall sinks the German raider Pinguin. The Pinguin had sunk 28 ships for 136,550 tons. | 8-10 MAY | | Indian forces in East Africa make progress against the entrenched Italians. | 9-11 MAY | | U-110 is boarded and captured. Code books and an Enigma machine are taken. | 10 MAY | | British forces begin a limited offensive in Iraq. | 10-11 MAY | | On the night of 10 May, Rudolf Hess (deputy leader of the Nazi Party) flies to Scotland, on an unsanctioned peace mission. He is captured, and also disavowed by Hitler. | 13 MAY | | Martin Borman is selected to replace Rudolf Hess in the Nazi Party hierarchy. The exiled Mufti of Jerusalem calls for all Islamic countries to fight against Britain. | 14-15 May | | After Allied attacks on Italian positions near Amba Alagi, demoralized Italians withdraw during the night. | 15 May | | British air forces attack German airfields in Syria. | 15-16 MAY | | British forces in North Africa conduct a minor offensive to prepare for their planned major offensive against the Axis forces. There are mixed results. | 15-19 MAY | | German air forces conduct raids on Crete in preparation for their invasion. | 18 MAY | | British forces gain ground in Iraq. Vichy French forces in Syria are told to meet force with force, in response to British air attacks on airfields supporting German air forces. | 18-22 MAY | | Bismark and Prinz Eugen take to the sea. Britain responds by deploying as many ships as they can spare to track and ultimately attack the German duo. | 19 MAY | | 7,000 Italians surrender at Amba Alagi. To date 230,000 Italian troops have been killed or captured in East Africa. 80,000 Italian troops remain. | 20 MAY | | Germany conducts an airborne invasion of Crete. Their only notable success of the day was the taking of Máleme airfield. British naval forces blockade the island from German seaborne troops. | 21 MAY | | Ark Royal delivers 48 aircraft to Malta. | 21-23 MAY | | German forces in Crete continue to gain ground. With air superiority German troops are being ferried into Máleme by air uncontested. German reinforcement convoys are being stopped, but the British are losing ships to the Luftwaffe. | 24 MAY | | The Hood is sunk by gunfire from the Bismark. | 25 MAY | | Prinz Eugen has left Bismark to operate independently. | 26 MAY | | British Swordfish torpedo planes damage the Bismark’s steering. This slows the Bismark, allowing British surface forces to close and engage. | 27 MAY | | Bismark is reduced to a hulk by the battleships Rodney and King George V. She is later sunk by torpedoes from the cruisers Dorsetshire and Norfolk. After many days of intense fighting, British forces begin a withdrawal from Crete. Romel’s troops retake the ground lost to the British two weeks earlier. British forces begin advancing in Iraq. | 28-31 MAY | | Allied forces in Crete continue their withdrawal and evacuation from Crete. During the battle 17,00 men were killed or captured, with 19,200 men are evacuated or escaped from the island. German losses, mostly killed, are 7,000. Despite the absolute success of the operation Hitler orders no further airborne operations. | 30 MAY | | Iraqi forces cease to resist the occupying British. The Iraqi forces will not provide any further support to the Axis for the remainder of the war. |
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Post by ChefEd on Dec 2, 2023 15:17:43 GMT
JUN 19411-20 JUN | | German submarines sink 61 ships for 310,000 tons. Total Allied ship losses are 109 ships for 432,000 tons. Britain adds its first escort carrier, the Audacity, into service for convoy protection and submarine searches. German bombings in England begin to slack off, as Luftwaffe units are siphoned off for Operation Barbarossa. | 1 JUN | | British forces advance in Iraq. The pro-British Iraqi Regent returns to Iraq. | 2 JUN | | Vichy grants Axis use of the port of Bizerte. | 3-23 JUN | | British forces, using decoded Enigma messages, intercept and sink nine supply vessels used to support the Bismark and German merchant raiders. | 4 JUN | | Kaiser Wilhelm dies. | 6 JUN | | Ark Royal and Furious deliver more Hurricanes to Malta. | 8 JUN | | British and Free French forces invade Syria, to counter the presence of Luftwaffe units operating out of Syria against Iraq. German units had already evacuated Syria. | 10 JUN | | Italy loses its last Red Sea port, captured by an Indian battalion. | 13 JUN | | German pocket battleship Lützow is damaged by British aircraft, and returns to port. She will not put to sea for 7 months. Vichy announces the arrest of 12,000 Jews, and interned I n concentration camps, under the premise they were plotting against Franco-German cooperation. | 14 JUN | | Ark Royal and Victorious deliver more Hurricanes to Malta. President Roosevelt freezes all German and Italian assets in the United Staes. | 15 JUN | | British forces launch an offensive aimed at the relief of Tobruk, and fail. Despite some local setbacks, the British advance into Syria continues. | 16 JUN | | Intiative in North frica switches to the Axis. Vichy forces begin to stall the British advance in Syria The U.S. closes all German and Italian consulates in the U.S. | 17 JUN | | General Wavell wires Churchill that the attempt to relieve Tobruk has failed. British forces resume their advance into Syria | 18 JUN | | Turkey and Germany sign a treaty of friendship. | 19-20 JUN | | Vichy forces stop the Britiah advance at Damascus. | 18 JUN | | Finland calls up all reservists under the age of 45. | 21 JUN | | Over 18,000 Italian troops have been taken prisoner in the past few days. Damascus falls to the British. | 22 JUN | | Germany invades USSR in Operation barbarossa Churchill announces that any country fighting against ""Nazisim"" will be rendered aid. | 22-29 JUN | | British forces in Syria continue to advance against the Vichy forces. | 23 JUN | | German forces make 'astonishing' advances in the USSR. | 23-29 JUN | | Ten U-Boats attack convoy HX-133. Five cargo ships are lost to two submarines. | 24 JUN | | President Roosevelt announces that he intends to send aid to the USSR. | 25 JUN | | Rapidly advancing German units are about to close several large salients of encircled USSR forces. Sweden announces it will allow German to transit up to one full division across Sweden from Norway to Finland. | 26 JUN | | Finland declares war on the USSR. | 26-30 JUN | | Ark Royal and Victorious deliver three shipments of Hurricans to Malta. | 27 JUN | | Hungary declares war on the USSR. | 29 JUN | | Garman forces continue to 'link up' encircling many USSR units. |
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Post by ChefEd on Dec 9, 2023 19:47:51 GMT
JULY 19411-6 JUL | | Axis forces continue their advances in the USSR. | 3 JUL | | In his first public broadcast since the beginning of the Axis invasion, Stalin calls for an all out effort, as well as a scorched earth policy. Italian resistance ends in East Africa, with another 7,000 Italians surrendering in Abyssinia. | 7-17 JUL | | Despite several Soviet counterattacs, the Axis advancse in Russia continue. | 7 JUL | | American troops arrive in Iceland for garrison duties. Forces include the US Marine First Brigade, as well as transports, battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. | 9 JUL | | 300,000 Soviet troops have been captured, and 40 divisions wiped from the books. | 12 JUL | | Moscow is bombed for the first time. London and Moscow sign an agreement for mutual assistance and forbiddance of separate peace. A new Italian commander has been assigned to North Africa, nominally the leader of all Axis forces in North Africa. | 14 JUL | | German aircraft from Crete bomb Suez. | 17 JUL | | Political Commissars are reinstated in the Soviet Army and Navy. | 19 JUL | | The U.S. Navy forms Task Force-1 (TF-1) to operate out of Iceland, to protect the garrison their, and to protect the shipping of all nationalities. | 21-27 JUL | | Operation Substance commences to supply Malta. Force H is tasked to protect these convoys, including aircraft carriers Renown and Ark Royal and battleship Nelson. | 24 JUL | | Japan demands that Vichy abandon Indochina. Scharnhorst is damage by British bombers. The damage means that all three heavy German ships (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen) in the Brest area are out of commission for the near future. | 26 JUL | | Japanese assets are frozen by the United States and Britain, as well as Japanese assets in the Dutch East Indies. Roosevelt orders the Philippine Army be fully incorporated into the U.S. Army. General MacArthur, who commands the Philippine Army, is also asssigned to command the U.S. forces in the Philippines as well. | 28 JUL | | Japanese forces begin to occupy Indochina. | 30 JUL | | The U.S. Gunboat Titiula is attacked by Japanese bombers in Chungking. Air operations are conducted over the next five days by the Royal Navy aircraft against German forces in Norway. | 31 JUL | | German forces in North Africa are reorganized. Rommel now has two armored division, one infantry division. Seven Italian divisions are also available in theater. | 31 JUL-4 AUG | | Force H covers another convoy to Malta. This covering force makes attacks on Sardinia while en-route. |
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Post by ChefEd on Dec 16, 2023 17:19:22 GMT
AUGUST 1941
1-30 AUG | | German U-Boats sink 23 ships for 80,300 tons, mostly around the UK. Total Allied shipping losses are 41 ships fr 130,700 tons. British Bomber Command, despite many night time raids have had mediocre to poor results, at best. Germany and her allies continue to make significant gains in their advance into the Soviet Union. | 1 AUG | | President Roosevelt prohibits export of oil and and aviation gasoline to any countries except Britain and her allies,, and only to the Western hemisphere. Japan is not happy. | 2 UG | | Lend Lease aid begins to depart to the USSR. | 1-5 AUG | | German gains in Russia cntinue to grow. 310,000 prisoners are taken around Smolensk alone. | 6 AUG | | Japanese envo Konoye presents Japan's willingness to make concessions in China and Indochina. They are unacceptable to the U.S. | 7-8 AUG | | Russia bombs Berlin. | 9-12 AUG | | Roosevelt and Churchill meet at Placentia Bay, New Foundland. | 12-18 AUG | | Under pressure from the Australian government, 6,000 Poles have been landed at Tobruk, and 5,000 Australians brought out. | 14-17 AUG | | Black Sea fleet vessals evacuate naval base at Nikolayev. Thirteen vessels under construction are towed out. 11 others, including abattleship are blown up by the retreating Soviets. | 17 AUG | | Japan receives a formal warning from the United States, regarding its actions in the Asia. | 19 AUG - 10 SEP | | Spitsbergen is evacuated: Norwegians to Britain, Soviets to the USSR. The first convoy to the Soviet Union leaves Iceland. Carrier Argus delivers Hurricanes and RAF pilots to the Soviet Union. | 23 AUG | | German merchant cruiser Orion arrives at the Gironde Estuary after 510 days at sea. She sank six ships for 39,000 tons, and sank seven more while on patrol the raider Komet. | 24 AUG | | A Soviet counterattack in the Gomel area fails. Finnish attacks gain some ground near Viipuri. | 24-25 AUG | | Force H, in the Mediterranean, attack Tempio, in norther Sardinia, and lay mines off of Leghorn. Italian battleships leave port to counter Force H, but no contact is made. Italian cruiser Balzano is torpedoed by the British submarine Triumph. | 25-27 AUG | | British and Soviet forces enter Iran, to protect the oil supplies from reported 'German tourists'. | 27 AUG | | U.570 is captured and taken to Iceland, It will eventually enter service for Britan as the HMS Graph. | 28 AUG | | A new Iranian government calls for its forces to cease firing on British and Soviet Troops. | 28-30 AUG | | Soviets continue their withdrawals and retreats. Finnish troops stop their advance once the reach their original frontier. |
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Post by ChefEd on Jan 3, 2024 16:20:42 GMT
SEPTEMBER 1941
1-31 SEPT | | Allied shipping losses amount to 84 ships for 285,900 tons. 53 ships and 202,800 tons attributed to U-Boots. Britain continues its bombing of targets in Germany and France. Italian Intelligence accomplishes a coup, by stealing the ""Black Code"" from the US embassy in Rome. | 1 SEP | | US Navy begins patrolling the Denmark strait. | 4 SEP | | US destroyer USS Greer is attacked by and responds to a German submarine. | 6 SEP | | Japan begins war preparations against the US and her allies. The SD (Security branch of the SS) dictates all Jews over the age of six are to wear a Star of David badge. | 8 SEP | | Finnish troops cut the rail link to Murmansk, forcing the building of a new rail link to Murmansk. | 8-14 SEP | | The Royal navy delivery 69 more Hurricanes to Malta. | 9 SEP | | The Spanish Blue Division arrives in Russia to fight alongside the german forces. | 10 SEP | | German forces begun a breakout over the Dniepr. | 11 SEP | | Following the attack on the USS Greer, Roosevelt orders US warships to 'shoot on sight', in areas under US 'protection'. | 12 SEP | | German forces link up near Lokhvitsa, encircling 600,000 Soviet troops. The first snowfall in Russia is reported. Quisling bans the Boy Scouts and other youth organizations in Norway. All boys are now obligated to join the youth section of his Nasjonal Samling Party, which is modelled after the Hitler Youth. | 12-22 SEP | | Relief operations for Tobruk continue. 6,300 men and supplies are brought in to relieve 6,000 Australian troops who are removed for rest and refit. | 15 SEP | | Leningrad is surrounded, beginning a siege that will last until early 1944. Several hundred thousand Soviet civilians will die during the siege. | 17 SEP | | British and Soviet troops enter and occupy Tehran, Iran. | 18 SEP | | Roosevelt askes Congress for nearly $6Billion for Lend-Lease. | 19 SEP | | Kiev falls after over forty days of fighting. Soviet losses are near 500,000. German losses are near 100,000 men. | 20 SEP | | Italian 'midget' submarines attack ships in Gibraltar, sinking two ships. | 24 SEP | | The first German submarine enters the Mediterranean. The first of many German submarines that will serve in the Mediterranena by the end of the year. | 24-30 SEP | | British convoy is sent to supply Malta, supported by a heavy contingent of RN ships. The Italian navy sorties against this convoy, but the heavy ships never engage. Only one transport is lost. | 25 SEP | | The Crimea is isolated by German forces. | 27 SEP | | 4,000 Italian troops surrender in East Africa. In the US, the first 'Liberty' ships are launched, the first of 312 on order. | 29 Sep - 11 OCT | | The first of regular convoys to and from Archangel begin. |
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Post by ChefEd on Jan 3, 2024 16:22:42 GMT
OCTOBER 1941
1-31 OCT | | German U-Boot Strength is 80 operational submarines out of 198 vessels. Increased operations in the Mediterranean cause Allied shipping losses in the Atlantic to drop. Bomber Command conducts 2,600 sorties over Germany, dropping 3,000 tons of bombs. 126 planes are lost. | 2 OCT | | Operation Typhoon, the assault of Moscow, begins. | 4 OCT | | German forces cut off another 100,000 Soviet troops in the south. | 8 OCT | | About 600,000 Soviet troops are captured during the drive on Moscow. Heavy rains begin to fall, starting to hinder German mobile operations. | 9 OCT | | Roosevelt askes Congress to approve arming merchant ships, and to repeal certain provision of the 'Neutrality Act'. | 12-26 OCT | | Another 7,000 troops are delivered to Tobruk, while evacuating nearly 8,000. | Mid-OCT | | German forces have mixed results in their drive on Moscow. They are gaining ground in some sectors, while facing stubborn resistance in others. | 15 OCT | | German authorities in Poland decree that any Jews found outside of the ghettos will be summarily executed. | 15-16 OCT | | Soviets evacuate 35,000 from Odessa to Sevastopol. | 16 OCT | | What became known as the 'Night of Panic', foreign diplomats and much of the Soviet government evacuate Moscow and relocate at Kuibyshev. Japanese Prime Minister Konoye resigns. War Minster Tojo assumes leadership. Tojo assumes the posts of Prime Minister, War Minster, and Home Affairs Minister. Petain orders the arrest of Daladier, Reynaud, and Blum, with the charges they were responsible for the French defeat at the hands of Germany. | 16-17 OCT | | During the night U-568 torpedoes the destroyer USS Kearny, killing 11 sailors. | 18-21 OCT | | Britain bolsters Malta with more aircraft, as well as two additional cruisers and two destroyers. | 19 OCT | | Stalin announces he will remain in Moscow, even though the bulk of the government has relocated. The Soviet government declares harsh punishments will be meted out to looters and defeatists. | 20 OCT | | In Nantes the German commander is killed by resistance members. 50 hostages are shot in reprisal. | 22 OCT | | In Bordeaux a similar incident as in Nantes occurs and 50 more hostages are shot. | 25 OCT | | The Prince of Wales heads for the Far East. | 28 OCT | | German advance on Moscow is halted due to strong defenses, worn troops, and the weather. German troops continue with modest advances in the South. | 29 OCT | | Soviet reinforcements from Siberia arrive to bolster the Moscow defenses. | 30 OCT | | The German advance on Moscow is officially halted until the ground freezes over, allowing mobile units to maneuver. | 31 OCT | | The US destroyer USS Reuben James is sunk, with the loss of 100 sailors. It is the first US warship lost. |
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Post by ChefEd on Jan 13, 2024 18:21:50 GMT
NOVEMBER 19411-30 NOV | | Allied shipping losses are lowest in the war, to date at 104,600 tons. U-Boots only sink 13 ships, for 62,200 tons. Germany now has 10 submarines operating in the Mediterranean. British bombing campaign, continues, with heavy losses. It is condidered likely that Bomber Command has lost more crewmen than German civilians have been killed. Moe than 60% of Axis supplies have been lost in transit to North Africa, with only 30,000 tons arriving during the month. | 3 NOV | | Germany continues the tightening of its encirlcement of Leningrad. | 5 NOV | | Japan continues its peace negotiations with the US, with a deadline for completion at the end of November. | 6 NOV | | President Roosevelt announces a loan of $1,000,000,000 to the USSR to help finance Lend-Lease. German blockade runner Odenwald is captured by the US cruiser Omaha off of the coast of Brazil. | 8-9 NOV | | British Force K attacks and destroys an Italian convoy of 7 transports, with one escort. Italian covering force does not engage the British ships. | 11 NOV | | Allied forces begin their final effort to drive out the last Italian forces in East Africa. | 12 NOV | | 34 more Hurricanes are delivered to Malta | 13 NOV | | Aircraft carrier Ark Royal is torpedoed by German U-Boots U-81 and U-205. US Congress changes its Neutrality Laws, passed by a slim margin, allowing the armament of merchant ships, and their entry into war zones. | 14 NOV | | Ark Royal sinks from damage incurred the previous day. | 15 NOV | | German forces renew their drive on Moscow. | 18 NOV | | British Operation Crusader begins in North Africa. Eleven Japanese submarines leave ort and head for stations off Hawaii. | 19 NOV | | Australian light cruiser Sydney encounters the disguised German raider Kormoran. Taken in by the disguise, the Sydney is attacked and damaged. Both ships will sink from damage received during their engagement. The only survivors come from the Kormoran[/]. | 21 NOV | | Suffereing heavy losses from German tank divisions, the Brotish 7th Armored Brigade is halted short of Tobruk, whre a breakouot is blocked. | 22 NOV | | Initiative begins to shift to the Axis during British Operation Crusader. British cruiser Devonsire sinks German raider Atlantis off the West African coast. Atlantis was responsible for replenishing German dubmarines, and sank 22 ships for 145,700 tons. | 23 BOV | | Germany is making small gains in its drive for Moscow. Some forces are within 35 miles of Moscow. Making aconcerted counter attack, with three armored divisions, the Ais attack the British column southeast of Sid Rezegh. German losses are high, to where the day became known as 'Totensonntag', 'the SUnday of the dead'. | 23-25 NOV | | In efforts to continue to attack Axis Mediterranean convoys, Force K puts out from Malta. In the operation British battleship Barham is torpedoed and sunk. | 24 NOV | | German forces evacuate Rostov, due to successful Soviet counterattacks. | 25 NOV | | The US Navy established compulsory convoying of merchsnt ships. British forces in East Africa continue tightening their grip around the remaining Italian forces. | 25-26 NOV | | Having overextended themselves, the Axis advance in North Africa begins to pull back. | 26 -27 NOV | | The US presents a 'stiff' ten-point note of their final terms to Japan. On the 26th the Japanese carrier force departs Japanese waters. On the 27th the US authorities issue a war warning to their overseas commanders. | 27 NOV | | German forces are finally halted by the weather, attition, and Soviet defenses. Soviet forces continue their counter attacks on the German drive on Moscow. Australian units link up with British forces defending Tobruk. | 27-28 NOV | | The Italian commander in Gondar, in East Afria, submits terms for their surrender. 22,000 Italian troops surrender, ending the Italian presence in East Africa. | 29 NOV-1 DEC | | Japan determines the US terms are unacceptable. On 1 December Japanese leaders formalize their decision to go to war. | 30 NOV | | Japanese forces are reported to be on the move in the Pacific and East Indies. A British Whitley bomber is the first aircraft to sink a German U-Boot using RADAR, in the Bay of Biscay |
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Post by ChefEd on Jan 19, 2024 21:57:17 GMT
DECEMBER 19411-31 DEC | | Allied shipping losses soar to 285 ships for 583,700 tons, with more than 430,000 tons lost in the Pacific. German secret services decree 'Nacht und Nebel',(Night and Fog). This allows them to arrest anyone suspected as a danger to German security, without publicly reporting the arrests. | 1 DEC | | German raider Python is sunk be British naval forces. British authorities declare a State of Emergency on Malaya. | 2 DEC | | Some German units reach to 20 miles from Moscow. Special code 'Climb Mount Niitaka' is transmitted by Imperial Japanese naval headquarters to the carrier force heading to Hawaii, confirming the attack on the US installations there. Repulse and Prince of Wales arrive at Singapore. | 2-6 DEC | | German forces stretch themselves thin trying to attack, reinforce, and defend too many locations. | 4 DEC | | British Parliament pass a New National Service Bill that would conscript female labor. | 5 DEC | | Hitler agrees to a halt of the Moscow offensive. Hitler orders the II Fliegerkorps to transfer from the Eastern Front to the Mediterranean. | 6 DEC | | Soviet forces attack along a 500 mile front of the Moscow sector. They make significant gains early, due to weakened Axis forces. President Roosevelt's direct appeal to the Japanese Emperor I considered an affront, by burdening him with such a decision, and is ignored. Later that day the first of thirteen parts of their final message to the US government is transmitted to the Japanese consulate in Washington, D.C.. US codebreakers intercept and decipher the messages. President Roosevelt correctly interprets that war is imminent. General Marshall and Admiral Stark are not informed of the messages. Japanese forces leave Palau for the invasion of The Philippines. | 7 DEC | | The 14th part of the Japanese messages are intercepted and decoded. Timings stated in the message make it clear that an attack on Pearl Harbor is imminent. Through various delays and mishandling, the warning is delivered too late to Pearl Harbor. British and American ambassadors in Tokyo are presented with the declaration of war three hours after the attack of Pearl Harbor. at 0755 hours Japanese naval air forces attack the US naval facilities at Pearl Harbor, and other military locations on Oahu. | 7 and 8 DEC | | Landings in Malaya, the attack on Pearl Harbor, air attack on Luzon, The Philippines, and an attack on Hong Kong occurred, opening the war in the Pacific. Further, there are air raids on Guam, and Wake Islands, and a bombardment of Midway by Japanese destroyers. | 8 DEC | | The United States and Britain declare war on Japan. Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the Free French, Yugoslavia, and several South American countries declare war on Japan. China declares war on Germany. Japanese forces land in The Philippines. Soviet forces continue to make significant gains in the Moscow sector. | 8-11 DEC | | Rommel pulls back all forces to Gazala to regroup and resupply. The siege on Tobruk has been lifted. | 10 DEC | | Repulse and Prince of Wales are attacked and sunk by Japanese aircraft. More Japanese landings occur in the Philippines. Cavite navy yard, near Manila, is attacked and severely damaged. Guam is invaded and captured. Japanese forces reach the outskirts of Hong Kong. | 11 DEC | | Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. The US Congress replies in kind. An attempted Japanese landing at Wake Island is repulsed. Japanese forces continue their advance in Malaysia. | 12 DEC | | Japan lands more forces in The Philippines. | 13-19 DEC | | Rommel orders his units to begin a withdrawal though Cyrenaica, Libya. British and Italian navies suffer various losses. The biggest loss was the sinking of the battleships Queen Elizabeth and Valiant in Alexandria Harbor, by Italian midget submarines. | 14-23 DEC | | In a running battle between a twelve submarine German wolfpack, and convoy HG-76, five German submarines, two German Condor aircraft, as well as the British carrier Audacity, one British destroyer, and two Allied merchantmen are lost. | 15 DEC | | The Soviets continue their advances against the German defenders of the Moscow Front. British Forces continue their withdrawal along the Malay peninsula. | 16 DEC | | Japanese forces land on Borneo. British forces burn the il facilities there. | 17 DEC | | Admiral Nimitz is ordered to replace Admiral Kimmel as CINCPAC. | 18-19 DEC | | Japanese forces land on Hong Kong island. British forces are unable to repel the landings. | 19 DEC | | The United States amends the Selective Service Act, making it compulsory for all men 18 to 64 to register, and those 20 to 44 subject to military service. It is ratified 22 DEC by President Roosevelt. German forces continue their withdrawal through Cyrenaica. | 19-20 DEC | | More Japanese forces land in The Philippines.
| 19-25 DEC | | German advances in the Crimea continue. | 20 DEC | | German losses are considerable due to the Soviet advance in the Moscow Sector. Admiral King is appointed Commander in Chief, US Fleet. German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels broadcasts an appeal for winter clothing for troops fighting in the USSR. | 21-23 DC | | More Japanese landings in The Philippines.
| 22-23 DEC | | Japanese forces land on Wake Island on 22 DEC. The following day the garrison surrenders. | 22 DEC - 7 JAN | | Roosevelt and Churchill, along with high ranng military and political leaders from both countries meet. The two major results of the conference are the confirmation of the 'Defeat Germany First' and the creation of the Combined Chiefs of Staff. | 23 DEC | | The first Japanese air attacks on Burma occur. Additional Japanese landingson Borneo. Bengazi is abandoned by the Germans. | 24 DEC | | The US and Philippine forces occupy the first of five established defensive lines on Luzon, to protect the Bataan Peninsula. The Japanese make additional landings in The Philippines. | 25 DEC | | German forces on the East Front are now down to 75% of the their beginning forces in June. British forces in Hong Kong surrender. US forces are attacked at their second line of defense on Luzon. | 26-28 DEC | | British commando raids are made at various locations along the coast of Norway. Fear of a British invasion compels Hitler to order considerable German forces, including Submarines to patrol and protect Norway. They will be idle for the rest of the war. | 27 DEC | | US forces fall back to their third line of defense on Luzon. Manila is declared an open city. | 28-30 DEC | | Attacks and counterattacks in the Crimea by German and the USSR are mixed for both sides. | 30 DEC | | US forces fall back to the fifth defensive line on Luzon, the last line before the Bataan Peninsula. |
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Post by ChefEd on Feb 3, 2024 15:18:00 GMT
JANUARY 1942
1 JAN | | Representatives of 26 nations meet in Washington. This meeting, and the subsequent resolutions would eventually lead to the forming of the United Nations. | 2 JAN | | Japanese forces occupy Manila, and establish themselves at the head of the Bataan Peninsula. | 3 JAN | | Chian Kai-shek is named Commander in Chief of Allied troops in China. | 5 JAN | | Josef Stalin dicates the Societ forces are to attack along the entire front. This is opposed by Zhukof. Zhukof is overruled. American forces begin to withdraw to the Bataan Peninsula. | 7 JAN | | Roosevelt submits his 1943 budget of US$59,000,000,000. In 1942 the US manufactures 60,000 aircraft, 45,000 tanks, and 8,000,000 tons of shupping. In 1943 the US manufactures 125,000 planes, 75,000 tanks, and 11,000,000 tons of shipping. Japanese forces continue their attacks down the Malay peninsula. | 8-10 JAN | | Japanese forces make a third wave of landings in Malaya. | 9 JAN | | Soviet forces make a rapid advance against german forces west and northwest of Moscow. Japanese forces begin their assault of the Bataan peninsula. | 11 JAN | | Japanese forces begin their invasion of the East Indies. The US carrier Saratoga is damaged by a Japanese torpedo, near Hawaii. | 12 JAN | | Rommel agrees to a new offensive, proposed by his officers. British forces in North Africa are being reduced to send troops to face the Japanese. Japanese forces continue their advances and landing in the East Indies. | 13 JAN | | German U-Boats begin operations off the U.S. East Coast, in operation Paukenschlag (Drum Roll). 150,000 tons are sunk in the first month of the operation. | 15 JAN | | German battleship Tirpitz is moved to Norwegian waters. Japanese forces enter Burma. Japanese forces continue their advances in the East Indies. | 16 JAN | | Hitler removes Field Marshal Loeb as commander of Army Group North. Field Marshall Loeb os the 38th senior officer removed by Hitler, since December, because they made requests to withdraw. Hitler ostensibly is in command of the Russian Front. | 17 JAN | | Halfaya, a bypassed garrison, is captured by the British. Convoy PQ-8 is attacked in the Arctic. A destroyer and a merchant ship are sunk by U.454. | 18 JAN | | Societ forces continue their pressure on the German forces across the entire front. | 19 JAN | | Soiet paratroopers land behind German lines south of Smolensk. These forces will help establish Partisan forces behind German lines. | 20 JAN | | Heydrich makes his proposal to Hitler for the 'Final Solution'. All Europe's Jews would be transported to concentration camps for extermination. Eichmann will be in charge of the SS department overseeing the plan. | 21 JAN | | Rommel negins his second offensive, and meets with success. Facing overwhelming forcce, British forces begin tor etreat down the Malay peninsula. | 23 JAN | | Rabaul, Borneo, and Bouganville are invaded by Japanese forces. | 24 JAN | | US forces retreat to their second defensive ine on Battan peninsula. Five Japanese ships are sunk from their invasio force off Borneo. | 25 JAN | | British forces are given permission to withdraw to Singapore, from the Malay peninsula. | 26 JAN | | Admiral Kimmel and General Short have been found guilty of dereliction of duty, as a result of the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The first US troops arrive in Britain. | 27-28 JAN | | British aircraft Indomitable delivers 48 Hurricane fighters to Java. They will fly on to support Singapore. | 29 JAN | | Rommel's advance in North Africa continues, with the retaking of Benghazi. Britan and the Sovier Union sign an Alliance with Iran. This will formally allow the transit of supplies into the Soviet Union. | 31 JAN | | The last British troops leave the Malay peninsula and move to Singapore. |
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