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: German bombers pound Valletta, Malta, and HMS ''Illustrious'' is hit again. *17: The
: Molotov meets German Ambassador Schulenburg in Moscow. The Soviets are surprised that they have not received any answer from Germany to their offer to join the Axis (November 26, 1940). Schulenburg replies that it has to be first discussed with Italy and Japan. *18: Air raids on Malta are increasing in focus and intensity. *19: The 4th and 5th Indian Divisions continue the British counter-offensive in East Africa, attacking Italian-held
: Hitler and Mussolini meet at Berchtesgaden; Hitler agrees to provide aid in North Africa. *21:
: There are reports that Romanian Fascist ("
:
: Germany forcibly restores
: British forces reach
: British battleships shell
: Churchill again pleads with the US: "give us the tools." *10: Malta's critical period: now through March, it is under heavy daily attack. *11: Elements of the Afrika Korps start to arrive in
: British forces enter
: Afrika Korps starts to move eastward towards the advance British positions at El Agheila. The British in North Africa have been weakened by the transfer of some troops to Greece. *15: Deportation of Austrian Jews to ghettos in Poland begins. *19: The start of the "three nights Blitz" of
: Admiral Darlan is appointed the head of the Vichy government in France. *25: The British submarine sinks the Italian cruiser Armando Diaz in one of the numerous sea battles in the North African campaign.
:
*1: Hitler gives orders for the expansion of
: Bulgaria officially signs the
: British military force in Libya is thinned down as some men are sent to assist the Greeks in their emerging battle with approaching German troops.
: Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia agrees to join the Axis pact. *7: First British troops land in Greece, at Piraeus. *8: Another bombing of London, notable because
: Portsmouth suffers heavy casualties after another night of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe. *11: United States President
: The United States of America converts its Corps Areas to Defense Commands, with the term Corps reassigned as an intermediate field command of a Field Army. *19: The worst bombing of London so far this year, with heavy damage from incendiary bombs; Plymouth and Bristol are bombed again. *20: The Italian Spring Offensive is called off, after heavy losses and virtually no progress. *21: The Yugoslav cabinet resigns in protest against Prince Paul's pact with the Nazis. Street demonstration occurs, expressive of a deep dislike for Germany. *24: Rommel attacks and reoccupies
: Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa arrives in
: Hitler orders his military leaders to plan for the invasion of Yugoslavia. One result of this decision was a critical time delay in the invasion of the Soviet Union.
: British forces advancing from the
:
*1: British retreat after the losses at El Agheila, Libya. Rommel is surprised, then decides to continue his offensive.
: During this month the heavy bombing of British cities continues, and convoy losses remain heavy.
: In
: Bristol, England, suffers another heavy air attack.
: British troops take Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, from the Italian armies.
: Rommel takes Benghazi, Libya; Tobruk will remain a threat for the next seven months. *4: Rommel is now about 200 miles east of El Agheila, heading for Tobruk and Egypt.
: An Atlantic convoy suffers almost 50% losses to U-boat campaign. *6: Forces of Germany, Hungary, and Italy, moving through Romania and Hungary, initiate the invasions of
: The Italian Army is driven out from
: The northern wing of Rommel's forces take Derna, on the Libyan coast. The southern wing moves toward
: While still being invaded, the
: Germans encircle the port of Tobruk, Libya, opening the siege; some of Rommel's forces move east to take Fort Capuzzo and Sollum, on the border with Egypt.
: The destroyer attacks a German U-boat that had just sunk a Dutch freighter. The ''Niblack'' was picking up survivors of the freighter when it detected the U-boat preparing to attack. The ''Niblack'' attacked with depth charges and drove off the U-boat. *11: Though still a "neutral" nation, the United States begins sea patrols in the North Atlantic.
: Heavy Luftwaffe raids on Coventry and Birmingham, England. *12:
: The Germans defeat Commonwealth forces at the Battle of Vevi. *13: Malta is bombed again; it continues to be a thorn in the side of German supply movements in the Mediterranean.
: Japan and the Soviet Union sign a neutrality pact.
: In Iraq, a small contingent of British reinforcements are air-lifted to
: The German
: Germans continue the invasion southward into Yugoslavia; they cut off the Greek army in Albania, which had had notable success against the Italians in January. *17: Yugoslavia surrenders. A government in exile is formed in London. King Peter escapes to Greece. *18: Greek Prime Minister
: In Iraq, in accordance with the
: Plymouth suffers the third night of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe. *25: Rommel wins an important victory at Halfaya Pass, close to the Egyptian border.
: Axis forces defeat Commonwealth forces at
:
: In
: The Luftwaffe arranges to send a small force to Iraq. *7: Between Habbaniya and Fallujah, two Iraqi columns are caught in the open and attacked by roughly forty British aircraft; the Iraqis suffer heavy casualties. *8: Heavy convoy losses in the Atlantic continue; however, one U-boat () is captured by the British navy and another copy of the "Enigma" machine is discovered and saved. It will help to turn the fortunes in the Atlantic battle.
: Bombing of
: The United Kingdom's
: The " Strike of the 100,000" begins in
: The Soviet Union recognizes
: The bulk of the German " Flyer Command Iraq" (''
: The German military mission to Iraq,
: The Italian Viceroy in Ethiopia surrenders. Remnants of Italian troops keep on fighting.
*22: Iraqi forces unsuccessfully counter-attack the British forces in Fallujah and are rebuffed.
*23: German dictator Adolf Hitler issues "
: The Greek government leaves Crete for
: The British forces from the Habbaniya area begin an advance on Baghdad and, within four days, approach the city from the west and from the north.
: Twelve
: By this date, it is clear that operation "Brevity" has failed. *29: Members of the German military mission flee Iraq. *30: The pro-Axis Iraqi leader
: The Mayor of Baghdad surrenders the city to British forces and ends the Anglo-Iraqi War.
: Rationing of clothes begins in the United Kingdom. *2:
: The British and Australians cross the
: Soviets begin deporting Lithuanians to Siberia. Deportations continue for five days and total 35,000 Lithuanians, among them 7000 Jews. *14: All German and Italian assets in the United States are frozen.
: 10,100 people from
*21:President Roosevelt authorizes $6,000 For Executive Order 8807 (Manhattan Project-Nuclear Weapons)
*22: Germany invades the Soviet Union with
: British general in Libya/Egypt Wavell is replaced by General Auchinleck.
: June Uprising against the Soviet Union in
: German troops massacre 42 at Ablinga. *24: German forces enter
: Huge German encirclement of 300,000 Red Army troops near
:
*1: General Auchinleck takes over from General Wavell in North Africa.
: The British win the Battle of Palmyra against the French in the Middle East.
: All American men over 21 are required to register for the draft.
: German troops occupy Latvia's capital,
: Hungarian troops take over Stanisławów and other towns in what is now Ukraine."Stanislwow"
(Washington Holocaust Memorial Museum website) *3: Stalin announces a "scorched earth policy".
: Estonian
: The United States of America elevates its General Headquarters,
: Italian General
: British troops employ brave and risky flanking tactics to win the Battle of Deir ez-Zor. *4: Mass murder of Polish scientists and writers, committed by German troops in captured Polish city of Lwów.
:
: US intelligence through its MAGIC intercepts discover Japanese plans to attack South East Asia. *5: British Government rules out possibility of negotiated peace with Nazi Germany.
: British torpedo planes sink an Italian destroyer at Tobruk; on the 20th, two more are sunk.
: First German forces enter Estonia from Latvia.
: German troops reach the
: The
: Britain and the USSR sign a mutual defence agreement, promising not to sign any form of separate peace agreement with Germany. *9:
: The occupation of Latvia starts officially. Guderian's Panzers take
: Units of the
: Assistance Pact signed between the United Kingdom and the USSR. *13:
: Argentia naval air base is set up in Newfoundland; it will prove an important transfer station for the Allies for some years. *16: German Panzers under Guderian reach Smolensk, increasing the risk to Moscow. *17: Luftwaffe air attacks on Malta continue. *19: The "
: Germans order a
: The Germans push against Smolensk, and in the meantime solidify their presence in the Baltic states; native Jewish populations of the Baltic states are being exterminated.
: Japanese yen became valueless and Japanese dollar bonds reduced in value to 20 to 30% of their par value on Wall Street. *31: Under instructions from
: The Japanese naval ministry accuses the United States of intruding into their territorial waters at Sukumo, Kōchi, Sukumo Bay, and then fleeing. No evidence is offered to prove this allegation.
: Lewis B. Hershey succeeds Clarence Dykstra as Director of the Selective Service System in the United States.
:
: Japanese occupy Saigon, Vietnam.
: The Germans declare Galicia as the fifth district of the ''General Government, Generalgouvernement''. *2: All civilian radios in Norway confiscated by the German occupation.
: SS Commander Hans Krueger (alternative spelling, Hans Krüger) orders the ''registration'' of hundreds of Jewish and Polish intelligentsia in History of Ivano-Frankivsk, Stanisławów, who are subsequently tortured and murdered. This is the first implementation of the "one bullet one Jew" method in Galicia. *5: German armies trap Red Army forces in Smolensk pocket and take 300,000 soldiers; Orel is taken. *6: Germans take Smolensk.
: American and British governments warn Japan not to invade Thailand. *7: Germans reach the Gulf of Finland, cutting the Soviet forces in Estonia into two, with the forces in Tallinn being detached from the rest of Soviet lines. *9: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet at Naval Station Argentia, NS Argentia, Dominion of Newfoundland, Newfoundland. The Atlantic Charter is created, signed, and released to the world press. *11: Malta is relieved by a convoy.
: Chungking, the nominal capital of Nationalist China located far up the Yangtze River, suffers several days of heavy bombing. *12: Hitler, against the advice of his generals, shifts some forces from the Moscow front to Leningrad and the Crimean offensives. *17: German forces capture Narva in Northeastern Estonia, leaving the Rad Army in control of only its pocket in Northwestern Estonia and the West Estonian archipelago. *18:
: Beginning of the Yelnya offensive, Yelna Offensive by the Soviet Red Army on the Eastern Front. *31: The first signs appear that a Leningrad "siege" is beginning.
: "Vilna Ghetto#Establishment, The Great Provocation" in Vilnius – German forces stage an attack on their soldiers by Jews, leading to a 'retaliation' mass arrest of the residents of old Jewish quarter, to be murdered at Ponary massacre, Ponary, three days later.
*1: With the assistance of Finnish armies in the north, Leningrad is now completely cut off.
: A pro-German Government of National Salvation formed in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia under Milan Nedić.
: All Jews under German rule must wear the Yellow badge, yellow star of David badge with "Jew" clearly written in it, are forbidden to live with or marry non-Jews, and are forbidden to leave their towns without written consent, in accordance with the Nuremberg Laws of 1935. The decree, signed by Heydrich, is to take effect on September 19. *3: Murder of all 3,700 residents of the old Jewish quarter in Vilnius begins at the Ponary massacre, Ponary death site along with 10 members of the Judenrat. First written testimony of occurrences at Ponary by a survivor.
: Vilna Ghetto Jews required to hand over any gold or silver. *4: becomes the first United States warship fired upon by a German U-boat in the war, even though the United States is a neutral power. Tension heightens between the two nations as a result. The U.S. is now committed to convoy duties between the Western Hemisphere and Europe. *6: 6,000 Jews shot at Ponary, a day after the order to form the
: Japanese imperial conference decides Japan will go to war with the United States if the oil embargo is not lifted *7: Berlin is heavily hit by RAF bombers. *8: Siege of Leningrad begins – a reasonable date to start measuring "the 900 days". German forces begin a siege against the Soviet Union's second-largest city, Saint Petersburg, Leningrad; Stalin orders the Volga Germans deported to Siberia. *10: German armies now have Battle of Kiev (1941), Kiev completely surrounded. *11: Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the United States Navy to shoot on sight if any ship or convoy is threatened. *15: "Self-government" of
: "Moving Aktion" in
:
: ''Stanisławów Ghetto#Bloody Sunday massacre, Bloody Sunday massacre'' at Stanisławów Ghetto, Stanisławów, 8,000–12,000 Jews were rounded up and shot into pits by SIPO (Ukrainische Hilfspolizei, Ukrainian police) together with German uniformed SS men. Dr. Tenenbaum of the
: German forces capture Hiiumaa, Hiiumaa island, the last major Soviet outpost in Estonia. *13: Germans attempt another drive toward Moscow as the once muddy ground hardens. *14: Temperatures fall further on the Moscow front; heavy snows follow and immobilize German tanks. *15: The Germans drive on Moscow. *16: Soviet Union government begins move eastward to Samara, Russia, Samara, a city on the Volga, but Joseph Stalin remains in Moscow. The citizens of Moscow frantically build tank traps and other fortifications for the coming siege.
:
: The government of Japanese prime minister Prince Fumimaro Konoye collapses, leaving little hope for peace in the Pacific. *18: Red Army troop reinforcements arrive in Moscow from Siberia; Stalin is assured that the Japanese will not attack the USSR from the East.
: General Hideki Tōjō becomes the 40th Prime Minister of Japan.
*19: An official "state of siege" is announced in Moscow; the city is placed under martial law.
*19: German occupation of Luxembourg during World War II, German-occupied Luxembourg is declared "Judenrein" ("Cleansed of Jews").
*20: Lt. Col. Karl Hotz, the German commander in Nantes, is killed by Resistance; 50 hostages are shot in reprisal. The incident will become a model for future occupation policies.
*21: New Zealand troops land in Egypt and take over Fort Capuzzo.
: Negotiations in Washington between the US and Japan seem headed toward failure. *22: 1941 Odessa massacre, Odessa massacre begins and continues for two days. 25,000 to 34,000 Jews are led in a long procession and are shot and killed in an antitank ditch, or burnt alive after being crowded into four buildings.
: The massacre began after, that day, a delayed bomb planted by the Soviets kills 67 people at the Romanian headquarters, including the Romanian commander General Glogojeanu.
: 35,000 Jews are expelled to the Vilijampolė, Slobodka Ghetto and are left in freezing conditions for 10 days. Many perish in the cold. *24: In Ukraine, the important mining and industrial centre of First Battle of Kharkov, Kharkov falls to the German Army Group South forces.
:
:
: HMS ''Ark Royal'' delivers a squadron of Hurricane fighter planes to Malta. *13: Germans start a new offensive against Moscow as the muddy ground freezes again.
: The aircraft carrier is torpedoed by the and sinks the following day. *15: The Germans drive on Moscow. *17: Joseph Grew, the United States ambassador to Japan, cables the United States Department of State, State Department that Japan had plans to launch an attack against
: Ernst Udet, head of the Luftwaffe's Production and Development, commits suicide over his perceived inability to properly perform his mission. *18: Operation Crusader: British Commonwealth and other Allied troops cross into Libya and at least temporarily relieve the Siege of Tobruk. *19: Australian light cruiser and the sink each other off the coast of Western Australia. All 648 crewmen are lost on HMAS ''Sydney''. *21: Battle of Rostov (1941), Battle of Rostov – Rostov-on-Don, an important hub on the southern front, is taken by the Germans. *22: Britain issues an ultimatum to Finland to end war with the Soviet Union or face war with the Allies.
: Rommel starts a counteroffensive, retaking Sidi Rezegh (south of Tobruk) which the Allies had taken a few days earlier. British tank losses are heavy. *23: Rommel's attack continues around Sidi Rezegh; Allied losses continue to rise.
: The United States reaches an agreement with the Dutch government in exile whereby the Americans occupy Suriname to protect the bauxite mines there. *24: The United States grants
: Rommel begins a surprising 15-mile foray into Egypt; he meets no opposition. *25: sinks the British battleship while covering Mediterranean convoys. :: In German-occupied Belgium, the Free University of Brussels (1834–1969), Free University of Brussels is closed on the orders of the occupation authorities. *26: A Japanese attack fleet of 33 warships and auxiliary craft, including six aircraft carriers, sails from northern Japan for the Hawaiian Islands.
: The Hull note ultimatum is delivered to Japan by the United States.
: After his brief dash into Egypt, Rommel retreats to Bardia for refuelling; it is during this brief withdrawal that Tobruk is temporarily relieved when the 8th Army meets with the besieged garrison there. *28: Battle of Rostov (1941), Battle of Rostov – Rostov-on-Don is recaptured by the Red Army.
: Battle of Moscow – German Panzers are on the outskirts of Moscow, near the Moscow-Volga Canal.
: The last Italian armed forces in East Africa surrender at Battle of Gondar, Gondar.
*1: Malta marks its 1,000th bombing raid.
: Fiorello H. La Guardia publishes s:Administrative Order 9, Administrative Order 9 creating the Civil Air Patrol for U.S Coastal Patrol and naming its national commander Major General John F. Curry.
: Approximately 20,000 Stanisławów Jews ordered into Stanisławów Ghetto, the Ghetto area, and non-Jews ordered out.
: SS officer Karl Jäger, Karl Jaeger reports "Lithuania clean of Jews" with some exceptions. *2: Prime Minister Tojo rejects "peace feelers" from the US.
: A German combat engineer patrol reaches the town of Khimki while scouting for a hole in the Russian defense perimeter around Moscow. It is the closest advance the Germans make to the Russian capital. *2-3: The last Soviet outposts in Estonia (Osmussaar, Osmussaar island) and in Finland (Hanko Naval Base) are evacuated to Kronstadt. *3: Riley Fox ship gets bombed by Japanese War Boats. :Conscription in the United Kingdom now includes all men between 18 and 50. Women will not be neglected since they will serve in fire brigades and in women's auxiliary groups. *3: General strike begins among native mine-workers in the Belgian Congo. *3:
:
: Adolf Hitler signs the German Nacht und Nebel, "Night and Fog decree" dictating the elimination of anti-Nazi resistance activities in Western Europe. *8: The United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and New Zealand declare war on Japan.
: Japanese forces take the Gilbert Islands (which include Tarawa). Clark Air Base, Clark Field in the Philippines is bombed, and many American aircraft are destroyed on the ground.
: Japanese troops attack Thailand in the Battle of Prachuab Khirikhan.
: The Battle of Hong Kong begins
: The Malayan Campaign begins.
: Kamenka, Lobnya, Krasnaya Polyana, and Kryukovo District, Kriukovo, are liberated by the Red Army. The Germans are never again within artillery range of Moscow, Russia, Moscow. *9: Nationalist government, China officially declares war on Japan, although a ''de facto'' state of war has existed between the two countries since the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7, 1937. China also declares war on Germany and Italy. Australia officially declares war on Japan. South Africa declares war on Japan, regarded as if at war from eight December 1941. *9: Striking miners of the ''Union Minière du Haut Katanga, Union Minière'' at Lubumbashi, Elizabethville in the Belgian Congo are fired on by Belgian colonial forces during negotiations, killing an estimated 70 people. *10: British battlecruiser and battleship are sunk Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, in a Japanese air attack in the South China Sea. *11: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. The United States reciprocates and declares war on Germany and Italy.
: US forces repel a Japanese landing attempt at Wake Island.
: Japanese invade Burma. *12: Japanese landings on the southern Philippine Islands—Samar, Jolo, Mindanao.
: The United States and the United Kingdom declare war on Romania after It had declared war on both the United States and the United Kingdom; India declares war on Japan.
: US seizes French ship SS Normandie, ''Normandie''. *13: Bulgaria and Hungary declare war on the United States and the United Kingdom, the United States and the United Kingdom reciprocate and declare war on Bulgaria and Hungary.
: Japanese under General Yamashita continue their push into Malaya. Under General Homma the Japanese forces are firmly established in the northern Philippines. Hong Kong is threatened. *14: The British cruiser is sunk by off Alexandria, beginning a series of naval defeats for the Allies. *15: Italian "human torpedoes" damage two British battleships, and in Alexandria harbour.
: Commonwealth troops push Rommel back at the Gazala line.
:
: Japan invades Borneo.
: The German offensive around Moscow is now at a complete halt. *17: Battle of Sevastopol begins. *18: Japanese troops land on Hong Kong Island. *19: Hitler becomes Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army.
: , leading Force K, strikes a minefield and sinks with one survivor and a loss of 766 crew. *20: The battle for Wake Island continues with several Japanese ships sunk or damaged.
: Stanisławów Ghetto officially closed from the outside and sealed with walls.
:
: The inmates at Bogdanovka concentration camp are massacred to quell an outbreak of typhus. Roughly 40,000 die. *22: The Japanese land at Lingayan Gulf, on the northern part of Luzon in the Philippines.
: Start of the Arcadia Conference in Washington, D.C., the first official meeting of British and American political and military leaders. *23: A second Japanese landing attempt on Wake Island is successful, and the American garrison surrenders after hours of fighting.
: General MacArthur declares Manila an "Open City".
: Japanese forces land on Sarawak (Borneo). *24: In the Philippines, American forces retreat into Bataan Peninsula.
: Japanese bomb Yangon, Rangoon.
: All Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe are required to gather all fur coats or other furs from the Jews.
: On Christmas Eve the Free France, Free French History of Saint Pierre and Miquelon#World War II, liberate Saint Pierre and Miquelon from Vichy France. *25: Hong Kong surrenders to Japan.
: Allied forces retake
: Red Army and Navy amphibious forces land at Kerch, in the Crimea; their occupation will last through April. *27: British and Norwegian Commandos raid the Norwegian port of Vågsøy, causing Hitler to reinforce the garrison and defences. *28: Japanese paratroopers land on Sumatra.
Timeline of World War II
World War II Timeline
{{Portal bar, World War II Chronology of World War II 1941 in military history World War II by year, 1941 World War II-related lists, 1941 United States military history timelines de:Chronologie des Zweiten Weltkrieges#1941
This is a timeline of events that stretched over the period of
: RAF bombs aircraft factories in Bremen, Germany. *2: German bombers, perhaps off course, bomb
: Tobruk, the next target, is 70 miles away. : The leader of
: German–Soviet Border and Commercial Agreement is signed.
: German aircraft damage aircraft carrier HMS ''Illustrious'', which is heading for Malta. German Luftwaffe, it is now clear, has command of air over the Mediterranean. The attack is also the opening of Malta's agony over the next months.
: Greek forces in Albania take the strategically important Klissoura pass. *11: In London, 57 people are killed and 69 injured when a German bomb lands outside the
's Belgian service, '' Radio Belgique''.
*15: The rivalry between Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists becomes more evident; large numbers of the latter are forced to give up their arms, reluctantly of course.
*16: British forces start the first attacks of their East African counter-offensive, on Italian-held World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1941, marked also by the beginning of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
on the Eastern Front.
January
*1: Accounting of the previous night's bombing of London reveals that theOld Bailey
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...
, the Guildhall
A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...
, and eight churches by Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churches ...
were destroyed or badly damaged.: RAF bombs aircraft factories in Bremen, Germany. *2: German bombers, perhaps off course, bomb
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
for the second night in a row.
*2–4: Bardia
Bardia, also El Burdi or Barydiyah ( ar, البردية, lit=, translit=al-Bardiyya or ) is a Mediterranean seaport in the Butnan District of eastern Libya, located near the border with Egypt. It is also occasionally called ''Bórdi Slemán''.
...
is bombed by British bombers and bombarded by naval vessels off shore.
*3: RAF bombers attack Bremen and the Kiel Canal in Germany. The Kiel Canal Bridge suffers a direct hit and collapses on Finnish ship ''Yrsa''.
*5: Operation Compass
Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
: Australian troops of XIII Corps (the re-designated Western Desert Force
The Western Desert Force (WDF) was a British Army formation (military), formation active in Egypt during the Western Desert Campaign of the World War II, Second World War.
On 17 June 1940, the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division (United ...
) capture Italian-held Bardia
Bardia, also El Burdi or Barydiyah ( ar, البردية, lit=, translit=al-Bardiyya or ) is a Mediterranean seaport in the Butnan District of eastern Libya, located near the border with Egypt. It is also occasionally called ''Bórdi Slemán''.
...
and 45,000 Italian prisoners are taken.: Tobruk, the next target, is 70 miles away. : The leader of
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...
's fascist party, Léon Degrelle
Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle (; 15 June 1906 – 31 March 1994) was a Belgian Walloon politician and Nazi collaborator. He rose to prominence in Belgium in the 1930s as the leader of the Rexist Party (Rex). During the German occupatio ...
, gives a speech in the German-occupied city of Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
announcing the support of the Rexist Party
The Rexist Party (french: Parti Rexiste), or simply Rex, was a far-right Catholic, nationalist, authoritarian and corporatist political party active in Belgium from 1935 until 1945. The party was founded by a journalist, Léon Degrelle,
for German Nazism.
*6: The Greeks advance towards Klisura Pass.
*7: British and Commonwealth offensive in North Africa nears Tobruk; the airport is taken.
*10: Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
introduced into the U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
.: German–Soviet Border and Commercial Agreement is signed.
: German aircraft damage aircraft carrier HMS ''Illustrious'', which is heading for Malta. German Luftwaffe, it is now clear, has command of air over the Mediterranean. The attack is also the opening of Malta's agony over the next months.
: Greek forces in Albania take the strategically important Klissoura pass. *11: In London, 57 people are killed and 69 injured when a German bomb lands outside the
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...
, demolishing the Underground
Underground most commonly refers to:
* Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth
Underground may also refer to:
Places
* The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston
* The Underground ...
station below and leaving a 120-foot crater.
*12: Operation Compass
Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
: British and Australian troops of XIII Corps prepare for the assault on Italian-held Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...
.
*13: Heavy Luftwaffe night raid on Plymouth.
*14: First use of "V for Victory
''V for Victory'', or ''V4V'' for short, is a series of turn-based strategy games set during World War II. They were the first releases for Atomic Games who went on to have a long career in the wargame industry.
Like earlier computer adaptions ...
" by Victor de Laveleye on the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, from Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
.: German bombers pound Valletta, Malta, and HMS ''Illustrious'' is hit again. *17: The
Battle of Ko Chang
The Battle of Ko Chang took place on 17 January 1941 during the Franco-Thai War in which a flotilla of French warships attacked a smaller force of Thai vessels, including a coastal defence ship. The battle resulted in a tactical victory by the ...
ended in a decisive victory for the Vichy French
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its terr ...
naval forces during the Franco-Thai War
The Franco-Thai War (October 1940 – January 28, 1941, th, กรณีพิพาทอินโดจีน, Krṇī phiphāth xindocīn; french: Guerre franco-thaïlandaise) was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas o ...
.: Molotov meets German Ambassador Schulenburg in Moscow. The Soviets are surprised that they have not received any answer from Germany to their offer to join the Axis (November 26, 1940). Schulenburg replies that it has to be first discussed with Italy and Japan. *18: Air raids on Malta are increasing in focus and intensity. *19: The 4th and 5th Indian Divisions continue the British counter-offensive in East Africa, attacking Italian-held
Eritrea
Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
from the Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
.: Hitler and Mussolini meet at Berchtesgaden; Hitler agrees to provide aid in North Africa. *21:
Operation Compass
Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
: British and Australian troops of XIII Corps complete capture of Italian-held Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...
.: There are reports that Romanian Fascist ("
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard ( ro, Garda de Fier) was a Romanian militant revolutionary fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael () or the Legionnaire Movement (). It was strongly ...
s") are executing Jews in Bucharest.
*23: HMS ''Illustrious'', heavily damaged, leaves Malta for repairs in Alexandria.:
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...
testifies before the U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
and recommends that the United States negotiate a neutrality pact with Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
*24: British forces in Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
continue the East African counter-offensive, attacking Italian Somaliland
Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centur ...
.
*29: Death of the Greek dictator, Ioannis Metaxas
Ioannis Metaxas (; el, Ιωάννης Μεταξάς; 12th April 187129th January 1941) was a Greek military officer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1936 until his death in 1941. He governed constitutionally for t ...
.
*30: British forces in North Africa take Derna; 100 miles west of Tobruk.
*31: Indian 4th Division flanks and then captures Agordat, Eritrea, Italian East Africa. 1,000 Italian troops and 43 field guns are captured.
February
*1: Admiral Husband Kimmel is appointed the Commander of the US Navy in the Pacific. *3:Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
Erwin Rommel
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel () (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German field marshal during World War II. Popularly known as the Desert Fox (, ), he served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of Nazi Germany, as well as servi ...
is appointed head of "German Army troops in Africa." This unit is later to be officially designated as the "Afrika Korps
The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
".: Germany forcibly restores
Pierre Laval
Pierre Jean Marie Laval (; 28 June 1883 – 15 October 1945) was a French politician. During the Third Republic, he served as Prime Minister of France from 27 January 1931 to 20 February 1932 and 7 June 1935 to 24 January 1936. He again occu ...
to office in Vichy
Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais.
It is a Spa town, spa and resort town and in World ...
.
*7: Operation Compass
Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
: After several days of desperate fighting, a flying column
A flying column is a small, independent, military land unit capable of rapid mobility and usually composed of all arms. It is often an ''ad hoc'' unit, formed during the course of operations.
The term is usually, though not necessarily, appli ...
of XIII Corps called Combe Force
Combeforce or Combe Force was an flying column of the British Army during the Second World War, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel John Combe. It comprised parts of the 7th Armoured Division (Major-General Sir Michael O'Moore Creagh) of the West ...
cuts off the retreating Italian 10th Army
The 10th Army ( it, 10ª Armata) was a field army of the Royal Italian Army, which fought in World War I and in Italian North Africa during World War II.
World War I Formation
After the Battle of Caporetto (November 1917) the Royal Italian Army, ...
during the Battle of Beda Fomm. The Italians are unable to break through the small blocking force and the British accept the surrender of roughly 130,000 Italians in and to the south of Benghazi
Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
.
*8: US House of Representatives passes the Lend-Lease bill.
*9: Mussolini is informed that German reinforcements are on the way to North Africa.: British forces reach
El Agheila
El Agheila ( ar, العقيلة, translit=al-ʿUqayla ) is a coastal city at the southern end of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; it was in that district until 1995. It was removed from ...
, Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
.: British battleships shell
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
and British aircraft attack Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...
.: Churchill again pleads with the US: "give us the tools." *10: Malta's critical period: now through March, it is under heavy daily attack. *11: Elements of the Afrika Korps start to arrive in
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
, Tripolitania
Tripolitania ( ar, طرابلس '; ber, Ṭrables, script=Latn; from Vulgar Latin: , from la, Regio Tripolitana, from grc-gre, Τριπολιτάνια), historically known as the Tripoli region, is a historic region and former province o ...
.: British forces enter
Italian Somaliland
Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centur ...
.
*14: Rommel arrives in Tripoli.: Afrika Korps starts to move eastward towards the advance British positions at El Agheila. The British in North Africa have been weakened by the transfer of some troops to Greece. *15: Deportation of Austrian Jews to ghettos in Poland begins. *19: The start of the "three nights Blitz" of
Swansea
Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe).
The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
, South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
. Over these three nights of intensive bombing, Swansea town centre is almost completely obliterated.
*20: German and British troops confront each other for the first time in North Africa—at El Agheila in western Libya.
*21: German forces move through Bulgaria toward the Greek front.
*24: German U-boat offensive in the Atlantic is now increasingly successful.: Admiral Darlan is appointed the head of the Vichy government in France. *25: The British submarine sinks the Italian cruiser Armando Diaz in one of the numerous sea battles in the North African campaign.
:
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
, the capital of Italian Somaliland
Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centur ...
, is captured by British forces during the East African Campaign.
*28: RAF planes bomb Asmara, Eritrea.
March
*1: Hitler gives orders for the expansion of Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...
prison camp, to be run by Commandant Rudolf Höss
Rudolf Franz Ferdinand Höss (also Höß, Hoeß, or Hoess; 25 November 1901 – 16 April 1947) was a German SS officer during the Nazi era who, after the defeat of Nazi Germany, was convicted for war crimes. Höss was the longest-serving comm ...
.: Bulgaria officially signs the
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also known as the Berlin Pact, was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan signed in Berlin on 27 September 1940 by, respectively, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Galeazzo Ciano and Saburō Kurusu. It was a defensive milit ...
.
*4: British commandos carry out an attack on oil facilities at Narvik
( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest municipality in Nordland county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Narvik. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Ankenesstranda, Ball ...
in Norway.: British military force in Libya is thinned down as some men are sent to assist the Greeks in their emerging battle with approaching German troops.
: Prince Regent Paul of Yugoslavia agrees to join the Axis pact. *7: First British troops land in Greece, at Piraeus. *8: Another bombing of London, notable because
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...
is hit.
*9: The Italian Spring Offensive in the Albanian front begins.
*10: British and Italian troops meet in a brief conflict in Eritrea.: Portsmouth suffers heavy casualties after another night of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe. *11: United States President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
signs the Lend Lease Act
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
(now passed by the full Congress) allowing Britain, China, and other Allied nations to purchase military equipment and to defer payment until after the war.
*12: German Panzers arrive in North Africa providing heavy armor for the first major German offensive.
*13: The Luftwaffe strikes with a large force at Glasgow and the shipping industry along the River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
.
*17: Huge convoy losses in mid-Atlantic this week.: The United States of America converts its Corps Areas to Defense Commands, with the term Corps reassigned as an intermediate field command of a Field Army. *19: The worst bombing of London so far this year, with heavy damage from incendiary bombs; Plymouth and Bristol are bombed again. *20: The Italian Spring Offensive is called off, after heavy losses and virtually no progress. *21: The Yugoslav cabinet resigns in protest against Prince Paul's pact with the Nazis. Street demonstration occurs, expressive of a deep dislike for Germany. *24: Rommel attacks and reoccupies
El Agheila
El Agheila ( ar, العقيلة, translit=al-ʿUqayla ) is a coastal city at the southern end of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; it was in that district until 1995. It was removed from ...
, Libya in his first offensive. The British retreat and within three weeks are driven back to Egypt.
*25: Italian MTMs of the Decima MAS
The ''Decima Flottiglia MAS'' (''Decima Flottiglia Motoscafi Armati Siluranti'', also known as ''La Decima'' or Xª MAS) (Italian for "10th Assault Vehicle Flotilla") was an Italian flotilla, with commando frogman unit, of the ''Regia Marina'' ...
sink the heavy cruiser , a large tanker (the Norwegian ''Pericles''), another tanker and a cargo ship in Suda Bay
Souda Bay is a bay and natural harbour near the town of Souda on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. The bay is about 15 km long and only two to four km wide, and a deep natural harbour. It is formed between the Akrotiri ...
, Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
.
*27: Crown Prince Peter becomes Peter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II ( sr-Cyrl, Петар II Карађорђевић, Petar II Karađorđević; 6 September 1923 – 3 November 1970) was the last king of Yugoslavia, reigning from October 1934 until his deposition in November 1945. He was the last r ...
and takes control of Yugoslavia after an army coup overthrows the pro-German government of the Prince Regent.: Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa arrives in
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
and begins to study the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
.: Hitler orders his military leaders to plan for the invasion of Yugoslavia. One result of this decision was a critical time delay in the invasion of the Soviet Union.
: British forces advancing from the
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
win the decisive Battle of Keren
The Battle of Keren ( it, Battaglia di Cheren) took place from 3 February to 27 March 1941. Keren was attacked by the British during the East African Campaign of the Second World War. A force of Italian regular and colonial troops defended th ...
in Eritrea.:
Battle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan ( el, Ναυμαχία του Ταινάρου) was a naval battle during the Second World War between the Allies, represented by the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy, from 27 t ...
: the British navy meets an Italian fleet off southern Greece. The battle continues until the 29th.
*31: The Afrika Korps
The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (, }; DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its African colonies, the ...
continues the German offensive in North Africa; Mersa Brega
Brega , also known as ''Mersa Brega'' or ''Marsa al-Brega'' ( ar, مرسى البريقة , i.e. "Brega Seaport"), is a complex of several smaller towns, industry installations and education establishments situated in Libya on the Gulf of Sidra, ...
, north of El Agheila
El Agheila ( ar, العقيلة, translit=al-ʿUqayla ) is a coastal city at the southern end of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; it was in that district until 1995. It was removed from ...
, is taken.
April
*1: British retreat after the losses at El Agheila, Libya. Rommel is surprised, then decides to continue his offensive.: During this month the heavy bombing of British cities continues, and convoy losses remain heavy.
: In
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, pro-German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Rashid Ali
Rashid Ali al-Gaylaniin Arab standard pronunciation Rashid Aali al-Kaylani; also transliterated as Sayyid Rashid Aali al-Gillani, Sayyid Rashid Ali al-Gailani or sometimes Sayyad Rashid Ali el Keilany (" Sayyad" serves to address higher standing ...
and other members of the "Golden Square
Golden Square, in Soho, the City of Westminster, London, is a mainly hardscaped garden square planted with a few mature trees and raised borders in Central London flanked by classical office buildings. Its four approach ways are north and sout ...
" stage a military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
''coup d'état'' and overthrow the regime of the pro-British Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
'Abd al-Ilah. Rashid Ali names himself Chief of a "National Defence Government".
*2: After taking Agedabia, Rommel decides to take all of Libya and moves his troops toward Benghazi. All of Cyrenaic (Libya) seems ready for the taking.
*3: A pro-Axis government is installed in Iraq.: Bristol, England, suffers another heavy air attack.
: British troops take Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, from the Italian armies.
: Rommel takes Benghazi, Libya; Tobruk will remain a threat for the next seven months. *4: Rommel is now about 200 miles east of El Agheila, heading for Tobruk and Egypt.
: An Atlantic convoy suffers almost 50% losses to U-boat campaign. *6: Forces of Germany, Hungary, and Italy, moving through Romania and Hungary, initiate the invasions of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
and Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
.: The Italian Army is driven out from
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
, Ethiopia.: The northern wing of Rommel's forces take Derna, on the Libyan coast. The southern wing moves toward
Mechili
Mechili ( ar, المخيلي) is a small village in Cyrenaica, Libya and the site of a former Turkish fort. It is nearly east of Benghazi and west of Timimi.
Geography
Because of its location in the desert, Mechili suffered in the past from is ...
, and takes it on the 8th.
*7: The Luftwaffe begins a two-day assault on Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Hitler is infuriated by the Yugoslav resistance.
*8: The Germans take Salonika, Greece.
*9: The Palestinian leader Amin al-Husseini
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini ( ar, محمد أمين الحسيني 1897
– 4 July 1974) was a Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in Mandatory Palestine.
Al-Husseini was the scion of the al-Husayni family of Jerusalemite Arab notab ...
issues a fatwa
A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
in a radio speech from Baghdad, calling on Muslims to engage in a holy war
A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...
against Great Britain.
*10: Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
is occupied by the United States. With the approval of a "free Denmark", the US will build naval and air bases as counters to the U-boat war.: While still being invaded, the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...
is split up by Germany and Italy. The Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
(Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH) is established under Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelić (; 14 July 1889 – 28 December 1959) was a Croatian politician who founded and headed the fascist ultranationalist organization known as the Ustaše in 1929 and served as dictator of the Independent State of Croatia ( hr, l ...
and his Ustaša.: Germans encircle the port of Tobruk, Libya, opening the siege; some of Rommel's forces move east to take Fort Capuzzo and Sollum, on the border with Egypt.
: The destroyer attacks a German U-boat that had just sunk a Dutch freighter. The ''Niblack'' was picking up survivors of the freighter when it detected the U-boat preparing to attack. The ''Niblack'' attacked with depth charges and drove off the U-boat. *11: Though still a "neutral" nation, the United States begins sea patrols in the North Atlantic.
: Heavy Luftwaffe raids on Coventry and Birmingham, England. *12:
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, Yugoslavia, surrenders. : The Germans defeat Commonwealth forces at the Battle of Vevi. *13: Malta is bombed again; it continues to be a thorn in the side of German supply movements in the Mediterranean.
: Japan and the Soviet Union sign a neutrality pact.
: In Iraq, a small contingent of British reinforcements are air-lifted to
RAF Shaibah
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
.
*14: Rommel attacks Tobruk, but is forced to turn back. Other attacks, also failures, occur on the 16th and 30th.: The German
LSSAH
The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler or SS Division Leibstandarte, abbreviated as LSSAH, (german: 1. SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") began as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard unit, responsible for guarding ...
Panzer division captures the strategic Kleisoura Pass and begins cutting the line of retreat for the Greek army in Albania.
:: Antwerp pogrom: A collaborationist mob attacks two Jewish synagogue
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
s in Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
in German-occupied Belgium
*15: British destroyers intercept an Afrika Korps convoy and sink all five transports and the three covering Italian destroyers.
*16: A heavy Luftwaffe raid on Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, Northern Ireland.: Germans continue the invasion southward into Yugoslavia; they cut off the Greek army in Albania, which had had notable success against the Italians in January. *17: Yugoslavia surrenders. A government in exile is formed in London. King Peter escapes to Greece. *18: Greek Prime Minister
Alexandros Koryzis
Alexandros Koryzis ( el, Αλέξανδρος Κορυζής; 1885 – 18 April 1941) was a Greek politician who served briefly as the prime minister of Greece in 1941.
Career
Koryzis assumed this role on 29 January 1941, when his predecessor, ...
commits suicide; the British plan the major evacuation of Greece.: In Iraq, in accordance with the
Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
The Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of October 1922 was an agreement signed between the British and Iraqi governments. The treaty was designed to allow for Iraqi self-government while giving the British control of Iraq's foreign policy. It was intended to co ...
, British forces from India start to land at Basra
Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
.
*19: London suffers one of the heaviest air raids in the war; St. Paul's is mildly damaged but remains closed; other Wren churches are heavily damaged or destroyed.
*21: With their retreat cut off by the German advance, 223,000 Greek soldiers of the Greek army in Albania surrender.
*22: The British, both military and civilian, begin to evacuate Greece.
*23: Greek government is evacuated to Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
, which Churchill is determined to defend.
*24: British and Australian forces evacuate from Greece to Crete and Egypt.: Plymouth suffers the third night of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe. *25: Rommel wins an important victory at Halfaya Pass, close to the Egyptian border.
: Axis forces defeat Commonwealth forces at
Thermopylae
Thermopylae (; Ancient Greek and Katharevousa: (''Thermopylai'') , Demotic Greek (Greek): , (''Thermopyles'') ; "hot gates") is a place in Greece where a narrow coastal passage existed in antiquity. It derives its name from its hot sulphur ...
after Australian general George Vasey staunchly claims that they will not be beaten.
*26: Rommel attacks the Gazala defence line and crosses into Egypt; Tobruk continues to hold however.
*27: Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
is occupied by German troops. Greece surrenders.:
Hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
fighter planes are delivered as important reinforcements for besieged Malta.
*30: Rommel is ordered to cease attacks on Tobruk after another failure.: In
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
, Iraqi armed forces occupy the plateau to the south of the RAF Habbaniya
)
, location = Habbaniya
, country = Iraq
, image = Habbaniya airfield, circa 1941.jpg
, alt = A black and white image of some hangars, tentage and hard standings in a desert
, ...
air base and inform the base commander that all flying should cease immediately.
May
*1: Seven nights of bombing ofLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
by the Luftwaffe begins, resulting in widespread destruction.
*2: British forces at RAF Habbaniya launch pre-emptive air strikes against Iraqi forces besieging them and the Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The ca ...
begins.
*3: British forces in Ethiopia begin the investment of Amba Alagi
Imba Alaje is a mountain, or an amba, in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Debubawi Zone of the Tigray Region, Imba Alaje dominates the roadway that runs past it from the city of Mek'ele south to Maychew. Because of its strategic location, Emba ...
where Italian forces under the Duke of Aosta
Duke of Aosta ( it, Duca d'Aosta; french: Duc d'Aoste) was a title in the Italian nobility. It was established in the 13th century when Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, made the County of Aosta a duchy. The region was part of the Savoyard stat ...
have taken up defensive positions.
*4: Belfast, Northern Ireland, experiences another heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe.
*5: Five years from the day he was forced to flee, Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
Haile Selassie
Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...
enters Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
, his capital, in triumph.
*6: With much of the Iraqi air force destroyed and facing regular bombardment themselves, the Iraqi ground forces besieging RAF Habbaniya withdraw.: The Luftwaffe arranges to send a small force to Iraq. *7: Between Habbaniya and Fallujah, two Iraqi columns are caught in the open and attacked by roughly forty British aircraft; the Iraqis suffer heavy casualties. *8: Heavy convoy losses in the Atlantic continue; however, one U-boat () is captured by the British navy and another copy of the "Enigma" machine is discovered and saved. It will help to turn the fortunes in the Atlantic battle.
: Bombing of
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
by the Luftwaffe.
*9: A Japanese brokered peace treaty signed in Tokyo ends the French-Thai War
The Franco-Thai War (October 1940 – January 28, 1941, th, กรณีพิพาทอินโดจีน, Krṇī phiphāth xindocīn; french: Guerre franco-thaïlandaise) was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas o ...
.
*10: Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess (Heß in German; 26 April 1894 – 17 August 1987) was a German politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. Appointed Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler in 1933, Hess held that position unt ...
is captured in Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
after bailing out of his plane; his self-appointed mission was to make peace with the United Kingdom.: The United Kingdom's
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
is damaged by the Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
in an air raid. Other targets are Hull, Liverpool, Belfast, and the shipbuilding area of the River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
in Scotland. This is close to the end of the Blitz
The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'.
The Germa ...
, as Germany shifts its focus toward Soviet Union and the East.: The " Strike of the 100,000" begins in
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
in Belgium on the anniversary of the German invasion of 1940. It soon spreads across the whole province until nearly 70,000 workers are on strike.
*12: The RAF bombs several German cities, including Hamburg, Emden, and Berlin.: The Soviet Union recognizes
Rashid Ali
Rashid Ali al-Gaylaniin Arab standard pronunciation Rashid Aali al-Kaylani; also transliterated as Sayyid Rashid Aali al-Gillani, Sayyid Rashid Ali al-Gailani or sometimes Sayyad Rashid Ali el Keilany (" Sayyad" serves to address higher standing ...
's "National Defence Government" in Iraq.
*13: Yugoslav Army Colonel Draža Mihailović
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...
summons up the "Yugoslav Army in the Fatherland
The Chetniks ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, Четници, Četnici, ; sl, Četniki), formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland and the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nation ...
" which mostly consists of Serbs, but also includes Slovenes, Bosnians, and Croats. Mihailović treks from Bosnia to Ravna Gora in central Serbia, and issues an uprising call promising a struggle against the occupiers and the restoration of the Yugoslavian Monarchy. At this point, Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
and the Yugoslav Partisans
The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
are aligned with the Soviet Union, which is still friendly with Germany.: The bulk of the German " Flyer Command Iraq" (''
Fliegerführer Irak
Flyer Command Iraq (german: link=no, Fliegerführer Irak) was a unit of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe'') sent to Iraq in May 1941 as part of a German mission to support the regime of Rashid Ali during the Anglo-Iraqi War. The mission was par ...
'') arrives in Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
to support the Iraqi government of Rashid Ali.
*14: The RAF is authorized to act against German aircraft in Syria and on Vichy French airfields.
*15: First Civilian Public Service
The Civilian Public Service (CPS) was a program of the United States government that provided conscientious objectors with an alternative to military service during World War II. From 1941 to 1947, nearly 12,000 draftees, willing to serve their ...
camp opens for conscientious objectors
A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...
in the United States.
*16: Rommel defeats a counter-attack, "Brevity", at Halfaya Pass. The two sides trade alternating control of Fort Capuzzo and Halfaya Pass.
*17: British forces in the Habbaniya area advance on Iraqi-held Fallujah and, in five days fighting, push the Iraqis out.
*18: The Duke of Aosta, Viceroy of Italian East Africa, surrenders his forces at Amba Alagi.
*20: German paratroopers land on Crete; the battle for Crete will continue for seven days.: The German military mission to Iraq,
Special Staff F
Special Staff F (german: Sonderstab F) was the cover name for a German military mission to Iraq during World War II. ''Sonderstab F'' was created on 20 May 1941 and ceased to exist on 20 June 1941.
Description
On 23 May, the instructions for ''Son ...
('' Sonderstab F''), is created to support of "The Arab Freedom Movement in the Middle East". ''Sonderstab F'' is to include ''Fliegerführer Irak'' and other elements already in Iraq.
*21: The US merchantman is sunk by . The incident startles the nation, and President Roosevelt shortly announces an "unlimited national emergency".: The Italian Viceroy in Ethiopia surrenders. Remnants of Italian troops keep on fighting.
*22: Iraqi forces unsuccessfully counter-attack the British forces in Fallujah and are rebuffed.
*23: German dictator Adolf Hitler issues "Führer Directive No. 30
Führer Directive No. 30 (german: Weisung Nr. 30) was a directive issued by German dictator Adolf Hitler during World War II. It ordered German support for Iraq's Arab nationalists, who were fighting the British.
Background
Führer Directive N ...
" in support of "The Arab Freedom Movement in the Middle East", his "natural ally against England".
*24: British battlecruiser is sunk by a powerful salvo from German battleship ''Bismarck'' in the North Atlantic.: The Greek government leaves Crete for
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
.
*26: In the North Atlantic, Royal Navy Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used ...
aircraft from the carrier fatally cripple the in torpedo attack.
*27: The German battleship is sunk in the North Atlantic by the Royal Navy, after evasive tactics, and a damaged steering system which forced it into an endless series of circular movements.: The British forces from the Habbaniya area begin an advance on Baghdad and, within four days, approach the city from the west and from the north.
: Twelve
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
aircraft arrive at Mosul to join ''Fliegerführer Irak''.
*28: British and Commonwealth forces begin to evacuate Crete.: By this date, it is clear that operation "Brevity" has failed. *29: Members of the German military mission flee Iraq. *30: The pro-Axis Iraqi leader
Rashid Ali al-Gaylani
Rashid Ali al-Gaylaniin Arab standard pronunciation Rashid Aali al-Kaylani; also transliterated as Sayyid Rashid Aali al-Gillani, Sayyid Rashid Ali al-Gailani or sometimes Sayyad Rashid Ali el Keilany (" Sayyad" serves to address higher standing ...
and his supporters, including Amin al-Husseini
Mohammed Amin al-Husseini ( ar, محمد أمين الحسيني 1897
– 4 July 1974) was a Palestinian Arab nationalist and Muslim leader in Mandatory Palestine.
Al-Husseini was the scion of the al-Husayni family of Jerusalemite Arab notab ...
, flee Iraq as British troops approach Baghdad.
*31: Heavy Luftwaffe bombing on neutral Ireland's capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
; numerous civilian casualties.: The Mayor of Baghdad surrenders the city to British forces and ends the Anglo-Iraqi War.
June
*1: Commonwealth forces complete the withdrawal from Crete.: Rationing of clothes begins in the United Kingdom. *2:
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the United States Army ...
begin with the formation of the 99th Fighter Squadron.
*4: Kaiser William II
Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor (german: Kaiser) and King of Prussia, reigning from 15 June 1888 until his abdication on 9 November 1918. Despite strengthening the German Empi ...
, former German Emperor, dies in exile in the Netherlands.
*6: More British fighter planes are delivered to Malta; Luftwaffe attacks continue.
*8: Vichy French-controlled Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
and Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
are invaded by Australian, British, Free French, and Indian forces.
*9: Finland initiates mobilisation, preparations against possible attack of Soviet aggressor.: The British and Australians cross the
Litani River
The Litani River ( ar, نهر الليطاني, Nahr al-Līṭānī), the classical Leontes ( grc-gre, Λέοντες, Léontes, lions), is an important water resource in southern Lebanon. The river rises in the fertile Beqaa Valley, west of B ...
, beating back Vichy French forces. During this battle, Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan ( he, משה דיין; 20 May 1915 – 16 October 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. As commander of the Jerusalem front in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1953–1958) du ...
, leading an Australian unit, loses his eye. He becomes famous when his story is published a day later.
*10: Assab, the last Italian-held port in East Africa, falls.
*13: The Australians continue to fight through the Vichy French defenses and advance towards Beirut, winning the Battle of Jezzine.: Soviets begin deporting Lithuanians to Siberia. Deportations continue for five days and total 35,000 Lithuanians, among them 7000 Jews. *14: All German and Italian assets in the United States are frozen.
: 10,100 people from
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
, 15,000 from Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
and 34,000 (or 35,000, starting a day earlier) from Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
are deported to Siberia by the Soviet Union.
*15: British Operation Battleaxe
Operation Battleaxe (15–17 June 1941) was a British Army offensive during the Second World War to raise the Siege of Tobruk and re-capture eastern Cyrenaica from German and Italian forces. It was the first time during the war that a significa ...
attempts and fails to relieve the Siege of Tobruk. The British are heavily defeated at Halfaya Pass
Halfaya Pass ( ar, ممر حلفيا, translit=Mamarr Ḥalfayā ) is in northwest Egypt, 11.5 kilometres east of the border with Libya and 7.5 kilometres south of the other, more major pass in the ridge today. A high, narrow escarpment extends ...
nicknamed "Hell-fire pass".
*16: All German and Italian consulates in the United States are ordered closed and their staffs to leave the country by July 10.
*20: Under the directives of the United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...
, the bulk of the personnel of what had been known as the United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
up to this date are brought into what becomes the United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
from this date forward, with General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Henry H. Arnold
Henry Harley Arnold (June 25, 1886 – January 15, 1950) was an American general officer holding the ranks of General of the Army and later, General of the Air Force. Arnold was an aviation pioneer, Chief of the Air Corps (1938–1941), ...
as its first commander. As part of the reorganization, General Headquarters Air Force
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
is renamed Air Force Combat Command; the new Army Air Forces organization consists of Air Force Combat Command (its combat element), with the existing logistics and training element retaining the older "United States Army Air Corps" designation.
*21:President Roosevelt authorizes $6,000 For Executive Order 8807 (Manhattan Project-Nuclear Weapons)
*22: Germany invades the Soviet Union with Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, a three-pronged operation aimed at Leningrad, Moscow, and the southern oil fields of the Caucasus, ending the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact
, long_name = Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
, image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H27337, Moskau, Stalin und Ribbentrop im Kreml.jpg
, image_width = 200
, caption = Stalin and Ribbentrop shaking ...
. Romania invades south-western border areas of the Soviet Union in Europe on the side of Germany.: British general in Libya/Egypt Wavell is replaced by General Auchinleck.
: June Uprising against the Soviet Union in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
.
*23: In the late evening, Hitler first arrives at his headquarters at Rastenburg, East Prussia
East Prussia ; german: Ostpreißen, label=Low Prussian; pl, Prusy Wschodnie; lt, Rytų Prūsija was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 187 ...
, codenamed "Wolf's Lair
The ''Wolf's Lair'' (german: Wolfsschanze; pl, Wilczy Szaniec) served as Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II.
The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the small village of Görlitz in Ostp ...
" (Wolfsschanze). Between this date and November 20, 1944, Hitler will have spent 800 days at Wolf's Lair.: German troops massacre 42 at Ablinga. *24: German forces enter
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
. Lithuanian militia men go on shooting spree, killing dozens of Jews on the streets, with civilian spectators cheering them on. The Germans kidnap 60 Jewish "hostages" and 30 Poles. Only 6 return.
*25: The Soviet Union bombs Helsinki. Finland pronounces a state of war between Finland and Soviet Union.
*26: Hungary and Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
declare war on the Soviet Union.
*27: The occupation of Lithuania starts officially.
*28: Italian-occupied Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
declares war on the Soviet Union.: Huge German encirclement of 300,000 Red Army troops near
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
and Białystok
Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area.
Białystok is located in the Białystok Up ...
.
*29: Finnish and German troops begin Operation Arctic Fox
Operation Arctic Fox (German: ''Unternehmen Polarfuchs''; fi, operaatio Napakettu; Russian: ''Кандалакшская операция'') was the codename given to a World War II campaign by German and Finnish forces against Soviet Northern ...
against the Soviet Union.:
Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws (german: link=no, Nürnberger Gesetze, ) were antisemitic and racist laws that were enacted in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935, at a special meeting of the Reichstag convened during the annual Nuremberg Rally of th ...
imposed on Jews of Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
and Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
in particular.
July
*1: General Auchinleck takes over from General Wavell in North Africa.: The British win the Battle of Palmyra against the French in the Middle East.
: All American men over 21 are required to register for the draft.
: German troops occupy Latvia's capital,
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, on the way to Leningrad.
*2: Ponary massacre
, location = Paneriai (Ponary), Vilnius (Wilno), Reichskommissariat Ostland
, coordinates =
, date = July 1941 – August 1944
, incident_type = Shootings by automatic and semi-automatic weapons,
genocide
, perpetrators ...
killings begin, with the shooting of Soviet POWs captured during Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, which began two weeks earlier, and with the deportation of hundreds of Jews from Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
to Soviet dug fuel tank pits near the Ponariai suburb of Vilnius, where they are shot or buried alive. Reports by survivors are accepted as hallucinations. The mass deportations and shooting of Jews continued until 1943.: Hungarian troops take over Stanisławów and other towns in what is now Ukraine."Stanislwow"
(Washington Holocaust Memorial Museum website) *3: Stalin announces a "scorched earth policy".
: Estonian
Forest Brothers
The Guerrilla war in the Baltic states was an armed struggle which was waged by the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian partisans, called the Forest Brothers (also: the "Brothers of the Wood" and the "Forest Friars"; et, metsavennad, lv, mež ...
start offensives against the Red Army in Southern Estonia, several days before the arrival of German forces. This marks the beginning of the Summer War in Estonia.: The United States of America elevates its General Headquarters,
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
in order to command and plan for military operations within the Zone of the Interior
The American Theater was a theater of operations during World War II including all continental American territory, and extending into the ocean.
Owing to North and South America's geographical separation from the central theaters of ...
.: Italian General
Pietro Gazzera
Pietro Gazzera (11 December 1879 – 30 June 1953) was an officer in the Italian Royal Army during World War II, as well as a prewar Italian politician.
Gazzera was born in Bene Vagienna, he joined the Italian Army and fought in the Italo-Turki ...
surrenders the remnants of his forces in the Jimma area.: British troops employ brave and risky flanking tactics to win the Battle of Deir ez-Zor. *4: Mass murder of Polish scientists and writers, committed by German troops in captured Polish city of Lwów.
:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
first Judenrat
A ''Judenrat'' (, "Jewish council") was a World War II administrative agency imposed by Nazi Germany on Jewish communities across occupied Europe, principally within the Nazi ghettos. The Germans required Jews to form a ''Judenrat'' in every c ...
established. : US intelligence through its MAGIC intercepts discover Japanese plans to attack South East Asia. *5: British Government rules out possibility of negotiated peace with Nazi Germany.
: British torpedo planes sink an Italian destroyer at Tobruk; on the 20th, two more are sunk.
: First German forces enter Estonia from Latvia.
: German troops reach the
Dnieper
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
River.: The
Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, known locally as the War of '41 ( es, link=no, Guerra del 41), was a South American border war fought between 5–31 July 1941. It was the first of three military conflicts between Ecuador and Peru during the 20th ...
conflict begins in South America.
*7: British and Canadian troops in Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
are replaced by Americans.
*8: Yugoslavia, a country formed by the Versailles treaty, is dissolved by the Axis into its component parts; especially important will be Croatia, with a pro-Axis government.: Britain and the USSR sign a mutual defence agreement, promising not to sign any form of separate peace agreement with Germany. *9:
Vitebsk
Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest ci ...
(Belarus) is captured; this opens the battle of Smolensk, an important communications centre, considered by the German high command to be "the gateway to Moscow."
*10: The Red Army takes up positions on the Emajõgi River line, allowing Estonian Forest Brothers
The Guerrilla war in the Baltic states was an armed struggle which was waged by the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian partisans, called the Forest Brothers (also: the "Brothers of the Wood" and the "Forest Friars"; et, metsavennad, lv, mež ...
to take control over Southeastern Estonia, including in most of Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...
, where the NKVD executes 193 prisoners and the Red Army blows up the historical Stone Bridge. German forces arrive to the new line on 12 July and the river will remain the front for several weeks.: The occupation of Latvia starts officially. Guderian's Panzers take
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
; the Germans advance farther into Ukraine.: Units of the
Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia
During World War II, the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia (''Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia'', or CSIR) was a corps-sized expeditionary unit of the '' Regio Esercito'' (Italian Army) that fought on the Eastern Front. In July 1942 th ...
begin to arrive. A legion from the Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
is part of the Italian corps.
*12: The Vichy French surrender in Syria.: Assistance Pact signed between the United Kingdom and the USSR. *13:
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
starts an uprising
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
against the Axis Powers shortly after the Royalists in Serbia begin theirs. Questionable Communist plans instigate parallel uprising and civil war.
*15: The Red Army starts a counter-attack against the Wehrmacht near Leningrad.: Argentia naval air base is set up in Newfoundland; it will prove an important transfer station for the Allies for some years. *16: German Panzers under Guderian reach Smolensk, increasing the risk to Moscow. *17: Luftwaffe air attacks on Malta continue. *19: The "
V-sign
The ''V sign'' is a hand gesture in which the index and middle fingers are raised and parted to make a V shape while the other fingers are clenched. It has various meanings, depending on the circumstances and how it is presented.
When displ ...
", displayed most notably by Churchill, is unofficially adopted as the Allied signal, along with the motif of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
The Symphony No. 5 in C minor of Ludwig van Beethoven, Op. 67, was written between 1804 and 1808. It is one of the best-known compositions in classical music and one of the most frequently played symphonies, and it is widely considered one of ...
.
*20: Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
visits Soviet POWs near Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
and Lublin
Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
and decides to build the concentration camp near Lublin known as Majdanek concentration camp
Majdanek (or Lublin) was a Nazi concentration and extermination camp built and operated by the SS on the outskirts of the city of Lublin during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. It had seven gas chambers, two wooden gallows, a ...
.
*21: The Luftwaffe strikes heavily at Moscow.
*26: In response to the Japanese occupation of French Indochina
French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
orders the seizure of all Japanese assets in the United States.: Germans order a
Judenrat
A ''Judenrat'' (, "Jewish council") was a World War II administrative agency imposed by Nazi Germany on Jewish communities across occupied Europe, principally within the Nazi ghettos. The Germans required Jews to form a ''Judenrat'' in every c ...
established in Stanisławów, Galicia. It is headed by Israel Seibald.
*28: Japanese troops occupy southern French Indochina. The Vichy French colonial government is allowed by the Japanese to continue to administer Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. French repression continues. The Vichy French also agree to the occupation by the Japanese of bases in Indochina.: The Germans push against Smolensk, and in the meantime solidify their presence in the Baltic states; native Jewish populations of the Baltic states are being exterminated.
: Japanese yen became valueless and Japanese dollar bonds reduced in value to 20 to 30% of their par value on Wall Street. *31: Under instructions from
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, Nazism, Nazi official Hermann Göring, orders SS general Reinhard Heydrich to "submit to me as soon as possible a general plan of the administrative material and financial measures necessary for carrying out the desired final solution of the Jewish question.": The Japanese naval ministry accuses the United States of intruding into their territorial waters at Sukumo, Kōchi, Sukumo Bay, and then fleeing. No evidence is offered to prove this allegation.
: Lewis B. Hershey succeeds Clarence Dykstra as Director of the Selective Service System in the United States.
:
Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War, known locally as the War of '41 ( es, link=no, Guerra del 41), was a South American border war fought between 5–31 July 1941. It was the first of three military conflicts between Ecuador and Peru during the 20th ...
ends.
August
*1: The US announces an oil embargo against "aggressors".: Japanese occupy Saigon, Vietnam.
: The Germans declare Galicia as the fifth district of the ''General Government, Generalgouvernement''. *2: All civilian radios in Norway confiscated by the German occupation.
: SS Commander Hans Krueger (alternative spelling, Hans Krüger) orders the ''registration'' of hundreds of Jewish and Polish intelligentsia in History of Ivano-Frankivsk, Stanisławów, who are subsequently tortured and murdered. This is the first implementation of the "one bullet one Jew" method in Galicia. *5: German armies trap Red Army forces in Smolensk pocket and take 300,000 soldiers; Orel is taken. *6: Germans take Smolensk.
: American and British governments warn Japan not to invade Thailand. *7: Germans reach the Gulf of Finland, cutting the Soviet forces in Estonia into two, with the forces in Tallinn being detached from the rest of Soviet lines. *9: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet at Naval Station Argentia, NS Argentia, Dominion of Newfoundland, Newfoundland. The Atlantic Charter is created, signed, and released to the world press. *11: Malta is relieved by a convoy.
: Chungking, the nominal capital of Nationalist China located far up the Yangtze River, suffers several days of heavy bombing. *12: Hitler, against the advice of his generals, shifts some forces from the Moscow front to Leningrad and the Crimean offensives. *17: German forces capture Narva in Northeastern Estonia, leaving the Rad Army in control of only its pocket in Northwestern Estonia and the West Estonian archipelago. *18:
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
orders a temporary halt to Nazi Germany's systematic euthanasia of mental illness, mentally ill and Disability, handicapped due to protests. However, graduates of the Action T4 operation were then transferred to concentration camps, where they continued in their trade.
*20: German 250th Infantry Division, nicknamed "Blue Division" and consisted of Spanish volunteers, was formed and began to move to Poland.
*22: German forces close in on Leningrad; the citizens continue improvising fortifications.
*25: British and Soviet troops Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, invade Iran to save the Abadan oilfields and the important railways and routes to Soviet Union for the supply of war material.
*27: German U-boat ''U-570'', being forced to surface off Iceland is captured by the British Royal Navy and is later put into combat service as HMS Graph, HMS ''Graph''.
*28: German forces with the help of Estonian volunteers take Tallinn from the Soviets. The Soviet evacuation of Tallinn, Soviet evacuation from the city inflicts heavy casualties with more than 12,000 dead and dozens of ships sunk in Finnish and German mine fields in the Gulf of Finland. The remaining Soviet forces in Estonia retreat to the West Estonian archipelago.
*30: The Shetland bus, a clandestine special operations group that made a permanent link between Shetland, Scotland and German-occupied Norway, begins operations. : Beginning of the Yelnya offensive, Yelna Offensive by the Soviet Red Army on the Eastern Front. *31: The first signs appear that a Leningrad "siege" is beginning.
: "Vilna Ghetto#Establishment, The Great Provocation" in Vilnius – German forces stage an attack on their soldiers by Jews, leading to a 'retaliation' mass arrest of the residents of old Jewish quarter, to be murdered at Ponary massacre, Ponary, three days later.
September
*1: With the assistance of Finnish armies in the north, Leningrad is now completely cut off.: A pro-German Government of National Salvation formed in the Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia under Milan Nedić.
: All Jews under German rule must wear the Yellow badge, yellow star of David badge with "Jew" clearly written in it, are forbidden to live with or marry non-Jews, and are forbidden to leave their towns without written consent, in accordance with the Nuremberg Laws of 1935. The decree, signed by Heydrich, is to take effect on September 19. *3: Murder of all 3,700 residents of the old Jewish quarter in Vilnius begins at the Ponary massacre, Ponary death site along with 10 members of the Judenrat. First written testimony of occurrences at Ponary by a survivor.
: Vilna Ghetto Jews required to hand over any gold or silver. *4: becomes the first United States warship fired upon by a German U-boat in the war, even though the United States is a neutral power. Tension heightens between the two nations as a result. The U.S. is now committed to convoy duties between the Western Hemisphere and Europe. *6: 6,000 Jews shot at Ponary, a day after the order to form the
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
was issued.: Japanese imperial conference decides Japan will go to war with the United States if the oil embargo is not lifted *7: Berlin is heavily hit by RAF bombers. *8: Siege of Leningrad begins – a reasonable date to start measuring "the 900 days". German forces begin a siege against the Soviet Union's second-largest city, Saint Petersburg, Leningrad; Stalin orders the Volga Germans deported to Siberia. *10: German armies now have Battle of Kiev (1941), Kiev completely surrounded. *11: Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the United States Navy to shoot on sight if any ship or convoy is threatened. *15: "Self-government" of
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
, headed by Hjalmar Mäe, is appointed by German military administration.: "Moving Aktion" in
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
. Of 3,500 Jews "moved" between ghetto sections, only 550 arrive. The remaining 2,950 Jews are shot at the Ponary massacre
, location = Paneriai (Ponary), Vilnius (Wilno), Reichskommissariat Ostland
, coordinates =
, date = July 1941 – August 1944
, incident_type = Shootings by automatic and semi-automatic weapons,
genocide
, perpetrators ...
death site.
*16: Reza Pahlavi of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, Pahlavi dynasty, Shah of Iran is forced to resign in favour of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran under pressure from the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.
*19: German capture of Kiev is now formal. The Red Army forces have suffered many casualties in defending this chief city in Soviet Ukraine.
*26: The U.S. Naval Command orders an all-out war on Axis shipping in American waters.
*27: The first "Liberty Ship", the SS Patrick Henry, SS ''Patrick Henry'' is launched. Liberty Ships will prove to be major parts of the Allied supply system.
*27: The National Liberation Front (Greece), National Liberation Front (EAM) is founded in Greece.
*28: German SS troops kill over 30,000 Jews at Babi Yar on the outskirts of Kiev, Soviet Ukraine, in response to sabotage efforts which the Germans attributed to local Jews.
*28–29: The Drama Uprising against the Bulgarian Axis occupation of Greece, occupation in northern Greece begins. It is swiftly put down, with about 3,000 people executed as reprisals.
October
*1:Majdanek concentration camp
Majdanek (or Lublin) was a Nazi concentration and extermination camp built and operated by the SS on the outskirts of the city of Lublin during the German occupation of Poland in World War II. It had seven gas chambers, two wooden gallows, a ...
(German: Konzentrationslager Lublin
Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
) and later to become extermination camp is opened.:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
Yom Kippur Aktions (German annihilation operations) begin. In four separate incidents 3,900 Jews are kidnapped, shot and killed at the Ponary massacre
, location = Paneriai (Ponary), Vilnius (Wilno), Reichskommissariat Ostland
, coordinates =
, date = July 1941 – August 1944
, incident_type = Shootings by automatic and semi-automatic weapons,
genocide
, perpetrators ...
death site, continued with an additional 2,000 Jews kidnapped and killed there, in the next two days.
*2: Operation Typhoon – German "Central" forces begin an all-out offensive against Moscow. Leading the defense of the capital is General Georgi Zhukov, already a Hero of Soviet Union for his command in the conflict against the Japanese in the Russian Far East and at Leningrad.
*3: Mahatma Gandhi urges his followers to begin a passive resistance against British rule in India.
*5: German forces capture Saaremaa, Saaremaa island in Estonia from the Soviets.
*7: Heavy RAF night bombings of Berlin, the Ruhr, and Cologne, but with heavy losses.
*8: In their invasion of the southern Soviet Union, Germany reaches the Sea of Azov with the capture of Mariupol. However, there are signs that the invasion is beginning to bog down as rainy weather creates muddy roads for both tanks and men.
*10: German armies encircle about 660,000 Red Army troops near Vyasma (east of Smolensk); some make a glowing prediction of the end of the war.
*12: delivers a squadron of Hurricane fighter planes to Malta.: ''Stanisławów Ghetto#Bloody Sunday massacre, Bloody Sunday massacre'' at Stanisławów Ghetto, Stanisławów, 8,000–12,000 Jews were rounded up and shot into pits by SIPO (Ukrainische Hilfspolizei, Ukrainian police) together with German uniformed SS men. Dr. Tenenbaum of the
Judenrat
A ''Judenrat'' (, "Jewish council") was a World War II administrative agency imposed by Nazi Germany on Jewish communities across occupied Europe, principally within the Nazi ghettos. The Germans required Jews to form a ''Judenrat'' in every c ...
heroically refuses the offer of exemption and is shot along with the others.: German forces capture Hiiumaa, Hiiumaa island, the last major Soviet outpost in Estonia. *13: Germans attempt another drive toward Moscow as the once muddy ground hardens. *14: Temperatures fall further on the Moscow front; heavy snows follow and immobilize German tanks. *15: The Germans drive on Moscow. *16: Soviet Union government begins move eastward to Samara, Russia, Samara, a city on the Volga, but Joseph Stalin remains in Moscow. The citizens of Moscow frantically build tank traps and other fortifications for the coming siege.
:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
Aktion. 3,000 Jews killed.
*17: The destroyer is torpedoed and damaged by near Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, killing eleven sailors. They are the first American military casualties of the war.: The government of Japanese prime minister Prince Fumimaro Konoye collapses, leaving little hope for peace in the Pacific. *18: Red Army troop reinforcements arrive in Moscow from Siberia; Stalin is assured that the Japanese will not attack the USSR from the East.
: General Hideki Tōjō becomes the 40th Prime Minister of Japan.
*19: An official "state of siege" is announced in Moscow; the city is placed under martial law.
*19: German occupation of Luxembourg during World War II, German-occupied Luxembourg is declared "Judenrein" ("Cleansed of Jews").
*20: Lt. Col. Karl Hotz, the German commander in Nantes, is killed by Resistance; 50 hostages are shot in reprisal. The incident will become a model for future occupation policies.
*21: New Zealand troops land in Egypt and take over Fort Capuzzo.: Negotiations in Washington between the US and Japan seem headed toward failure. *22: 1941 Odessa massacre, Odessa massacre begins and continues for two days. 25,000 to 34,000 Jews are led in a long procession and are shot and killed in an antitank ditch, or burnt alive after being crowded into four buildings.
: The massacre began after, that day, a delayed bomb planted by the Soviets kills 67 people at the Romanian headquarters, including the Romanian commander General Glogojeanu.
: 35,000 Jews are expelled to the Vilijampolė, Slobodka Ghetto and are left in freezing conditions for 10 days. Many perish in the cold. *24: In Ukraine, the important mining and industrial centre of First Battle of Kharkov, Kharkov falls to the German Army Group South forces.
:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
Gelbschein I Aktion. 5,500 Jews including 140 old or paralyzed people killed.
*27: German Army Group South forces reach Sevastopol in the Crimea, but the tanks of the "Northern" forces are slowed or stopped entirely by mud.
*28: Holocaust in Bolekhiv, Bolekhiv first ''aktion'' massacre – 1,000 of the leading Jews rounded up by list, tortured, and on the following day 800 of the surviving Jews, were shot or buried alive at a nearby forest. The re-discovered atrocities and testimony in 1996 lead to Patrick Desbois's research on the German method of "One Bullet, One Jew" extermination in 1941 and 1942.
*29: Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
II liquidated. 2,500 Jews killed.
*30: Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
approves US$1 billion in Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
aid to the Soviet Union.
*31: The destroyer is torpedoed by Erich Topp's near Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, killing more than 100 United States Navy sailors. It is the first loss of an American "neutral warship".
November
*1: President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces that the U.S. Coast Guard will now be under the direction of the U.S. Navy, a transition of authority usually reserved only for wartime. *2: Political conflict in Yugoslavia as leftists under Tito (Josip Broz) are in competition with the more conservative Serbs underDraža Mihailović
Dragoljub "Draža" Mihailović ( sr-Cyrl, Драгољуб Дража Михаиловић; 27 April 1893 – 17 July 1946) was a Yugoslavs, Yugoslav Serb general during World War II. He was the leader of the Chetniks, Chetnik Detachments ...
.
*3: Germans take Kursk.:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
Gelbschein III Aktion. 1,200 Jews killed.
*4: Hirohito approves the attack on Pearl Harbour
*6: Soviet leader Joseph Stalin addresses the Soviet Union for only the second time during his three-decade rule (the first time was earlier that year on July 2). He states that even though 350,000 troops were killed in German attacks so far, that the Germans have lost 4.5 million soldiers (a gross exaggeration) and that Soviet victory was near.
*7: Heavy RAF night bombings of Berlin, the Ruhr, and Cologne, but with heavy losses.
*9: Force K, including the light cruisers and and destroyers and , sank 7 merchant ships, a tanker, and 1 destroyer during the Battle of the Duisburg Convoy.
*12: Battle of Moscow – Temperatures around Moscow drop to minus 12 °C and the Soviet Union launches Ski warfare, ski troops for the first time against the freezing German forces near the city.: HMS ''Ark Royal'' delivers a squadron of Hurricane fighter planes to Malta. *13: Germans start a new offensive against Moscow as the muddy ground freezes again.
: The aircraft carrier is torpedoed by the and sinks the following day. *15: The Germans drive on Moscow. *17: Joseph Grew, the United States ambassador to Japan, cables the United States Department of State, State Department that Japan had plans to launch an attack against
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
, Hawaii (his cable was ignored).: Ernst Udet, head of the Luftwaffe's Production and Development, commits suicide over his perceived inability to properly perform his mission. *18: Operation Crusader: British Commonwealth and other Allied troops cross into Libya and at least temporarily relieve the Siege of Tobruk. *19: Australian light cruiser and the sink each other off the coast of Western Australia. All 648 crewmen are lost on HMAS ''Sydney''. *21: Battle of Rostov (1941), Battle of Rostov – Rostov-on-Don, an important hub on the southern front, is taken by the Germans. *22: Britain issues an ultimatum to Finland to end war with the Soviet Union or face war with the Allies.
: Rommel starts a counteroffensive, retaking Sidi Rezegh (south of Tobruk) which the Allies had taken a few days earlier. British tank losses are heavy. *23: Rommel's attack continues around Sidi Rezegh; Allied losses continue to rise.
: The United States reaches an agreement with the Dutch government in exile whereby the Americans occupy Suriname to protect the bauxite mines there. *24: The United States grants
Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
to the Free French.: Rommel begins a surprising 15-mile foray into Egypt; he meets no opposition. *25: sinks the British battleship while covering Mediterranean convoys. :: In German-occupied Belgium, the Free University of Brussels (1834–1969), Free University of Brussels is closed on the orders of the occupation authorities. *26: A Japanese attack fleet of 33 warships and auxiliary craft, including six aircraft carriers, sails from northern Japan for the Hawaiian Islands.
: The Hull note ultimatum is delivered to Japan by the United States.
: After his brief dash into Egypt, Rommel retreats to Bardia for refuelling; it is during this brief withdrawal that Tobruk is temporarily relieved when the 8th Army meets with the besieged garrison there. *28: Battle of Rostov (1941), Battle of Rostov – Rostov-on-Don is recaptured by the Red Army.
: Battle of Moscow – German Panzers are on the outskirts of Moscow, near the Moscow-Volga Canal.
: The last Italian armed forces in East Africa surrender at Battle of Gondar, Gondar.
December
*1: Malta marks its 1,000th bombing raid.: Fiorello H. La Guardia publishes s:Administrative Order 9, Administrative Order 9 creating the Civil Air Patrol for U.S Coastal Patrol and naming its national commander Major General John F. Curry.
: Approximately 20,000 Stanisławów Jews ordered into Stanisławów Ghetto, the Ghetto area, and non-Jews ordered out.
: SS officer Karl Jäger, Karl Jaeger reports "Lithuania clean of Jews" with some exceptions. *2: Prime Minister Tojo rejects "peace feelers" from the US.
: A German combat engineer patrol reaches the town of Khimki while scouting for a hole in the Russian defense perimeter around Moscow. It is the closest advance the Germans make to the Russian capital. *2-3: The last Soviet outposts in Estonia (Osmussaar, Osmussaar island) and in Finland (Hanko Naval Base) are evacuated to Kronstadt. *3: Riley Fox ship gets bombed by Japanese War Boats. :Conscription in the United Kingdom now includes all men between 18 and 50. Women will not be neglected since they will serve in fire brigades and in women's auxiliary groups. *3: General strike begins among native mine-workers in the Belgian Congo. *3:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
'Criminal Aktion' begins, continued the next day. 157 Jews are killed at Ponary.
*4: The temperature on the Moscow front falls to −31 °F (−37 °C). German attacks are failing.
*4: Japanese naval and army forces continue to move toward Pearl Harbor and South-east Asia.
*5: Germans call off the attack on Moscow, now 11 miles away; the USSR counter-attacks during a heavy blizzard.
*6: The United Kingdom declares war on Finland.:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
Gestapo Workers Aktion – 800 Jews and 10 Poles shot at the Ponary massacre
, location = Paneriai (Ponary), Vilnius (Wilno), Reichskommissariat Ostland
, coordinates =
, date = July 1941 – August 1944
, incident_type = Shootings by automatic and semi-automatic weapons,
genocide
, perpetrators ...
death site. Temperatures are minus 23 degrees Celsius.
*7: (December 8, Asian time zones) Japan launches an attack on Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Re ...
, declares war on the United States and the United Kingdom and invades Thailand and British Malaya and launches aerial attacks against Guam, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Shanghai, Singapore and Wake Island. Canada declares war on Japan. Australia declares war on Japan.: Adolf Hitler signs the German Nacht und Nebel, "Night and Fog decree" dictating the elimination of anti-Nazi resistance activities in Western Europe. *8: The United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and New Zealand declare war on Japan.
: Japanese forces take the Gilbert Islands (which include Tarawa). Clark Air Base, Clark Field in the Philippines is bombed, and many American aircraft are destroyed on the ground.
: Japanese troops attack Thailand in the Battle of Prachuab Khirikhan.
: The Battle of Hong Kong begins
: The Malayan Campaign begins.
: Kamenka, Lobnya, Krasnaya Polyana, and Kryukovo District, Kriukovo, are liberated by the Red Army. The Germans are never again within artillery range of Moscow, Russia, Moscow. *9: Nationalist government, China officially declares war on Japan, although a ''de facto'' state of war has existed between the two countries since the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7, 1937. China also declares war on Germany and Italy. Australia officially declares war on Japan. South Africa declares war on Japan, regarded as if at war from eight December 1941. *9: Striking miners of the ''Union Minière du Haut Katanga, Union Minière'' at Lubumbashi, Elizabethville in the Belgian Congo are fired on by Belgian colonial forces during negotiations, killing an estimated 70 people. *10: British battlecruiser and battleship are sunk Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, in a Japanese air attack in the South China Sea. *11: Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. The United States reciprocates and declares war on Germany and Italy.
: US forces repel a Japanese landing attempt at Wake Island.
: Japanese invade Burma. *12: Japanese landings on the southern Philippine Islands—Samar, Jolo, Mindanao.
: The United States and the United Kingdom declare war on Romania after It had declared war on both the United States and the United Kingdom; India declares war on Japan.
: US seizes French ship SS Normandie, ''Normandie''. *13: Bulgaria and Hungary declare war on the United States and the United Kingdom, the United States and the United Kingdom reciprocate and declare war on Bulgaria and Hungary.
: Japanese under General Yamashita continue their push into Malaya. Under General Homma the Japanese forces are firmly established in the northern Philippines. Hong Kong is threatened. *14: The British cruiser is sunk by off Alexandria, beginning a series of naval defeats for the Allies. *15: Italian "human torpedoes" damage two British battleships, and in Alexandria harbour.
: Commonwealth troops push Rommel back at the Gazala line.
:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
'Gestapo block' Aktion. 300 Jews shot at the Ponary massacre
, location = Paneriai (Ponary), Vilnius (Wilno), Reichskommissariat Ostland
, coordinates =
, date = July 1941 – August 1944
, incident_type = Shootings by automatic and semi-automatic weapons,
genocide
, perpetrators ...
site.
*16: Rommel orders a withdrawal all the way to El Agheila, where he had begun in March. He awaits reinforcements of men and tanks.: Japan invades Borneo.
: The German offensive around Moscow is now at a complete halt. *17: Battle of Sevastopol begins. *18: Japanese troops land on Hong Kong Island. *19: Hitler becomes Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the German Army (Wehrmacht), German Army.
: , leading Force K, strikes a minefield and sinks with one survivor and a loss of 766 crew. *20: The battle for Wake Island continues with several Japanese ships sunk or damaged.
: Stanisławów Ghetto officially closed from the outside and sealed with walls.
:
Vilna Ghetto
The Vilna Ghetto was a World War II Jewish ghetto established and operated by Nazi Germany in the city of Vilnius in the modern country of Lithuania, at the time part of the Nazi-administered Reichskommissariat Ostland.
During the approximatel ...
400 Jews killed by Lithuanian militias inside the ghetto.
*21: The suffering of besieged Leningrad continues; it is estimated that about 3,000 are dying each day of starvation and various diseases.: The inmates at Bogdanovka concentration camp are massacred to quell an outbreak of typhus. Roughly 40,000 die. *22: The Japanese land at Lingayan Gulf, on the northern part of Luzon in the Philippines.
: Start of the Arcadia Conference in Washington, D.C., the first official meeting of British and American political and military leaders. *23: A second Japanese landing attempt on Wake Island is successful, and the American garrison surrenders after hours of fighting.
: General MacArthur declares Manila an "Open City".
: Japanese forces land on Sarawak (Borneo). *24: In the Philippines, American forces retreat into Bataan Peninsula.
: Japanese bomb Yangon, Rangoon.
: All Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe are required to gather all fur coats or other furs from the Jews.
: On Christmas Eve the Free France, Free French History of Saint Pierre and Miquelon#World War II, liberate Saint Pierre and Miquelon from Vichy France. *25: Hong Kong surrenders to Japan.
: Allied forces retake
Benghazi
Benghazi () , ; it, Bengasi; tr, Bingazi; ber, Bernîk, script=Latn; also: ''Bengasi'', ''Benghasi'', ''Banghāzī'', ''Binghāzī'', ''Bengazi''; grc, Βερενίκη (''Berenice'') and ''Hesperides''., group=note (''lit. Son of he Ghazi ...
.: Red Army and Navy amphibious forces land at Kerch, in the Crimea; their occupation will last through April. *27: British and Norwegian Commandos raid the Norwegian port of Vågsøy, causing Hitler to reinforce the garrison and defences. *28: Japanese paratroopers land on Sumatra.
See also
* Strategic operations of the Red Army in World War II * Timeline of World War II (1942)Notes and references
External links
Timeline of World War II
World War II Timeline
{{Portal bar, World War II Chronology of World War II 1941 in military history World War II by year, 1941 World War II-related lists, 1941 United States military history timelines de:Chronologie des Zweiten Weltkrieges#1941