June 4 1940 The Dunkirk evacuation was completed. British aircraft losses during the operation totaled 180. Nine British and six French ships were sunk or severly damaged. When the last boat had left, the British had left behind 11,000 machine guns, 1,200 artillary peices, 1,50 antiaircraft and antitank rifles, and 75,000 vehicles. Churchill, in Britians bleakest hour told the house of commons; “We shal not flag or fail. We shalfight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing ground, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender.”
1941 A pro-Allied government was restored in Iraq. The former kaiser, Wilhelm II, died at Doorn in Nazi-occupied Holland, where he had lived in exile since Germany’s loss in World War I. (The kaiser always despised Hitler as an uncouth politician, but he finally congratulated Hitler in a telegram after the fall of France. One of the kaiser’s sons, known as “Auwi”, was an Ss general during world war II, as a dedicated Nazi.
1942 Hitler visited Field Marshal Mannerheim in Finland. Heydrich died of wounds inflicted by the Czech partisan assassination team near Prague. A counterattack was launched by the British in Libya.
4-6 the battle of midway……you’ll read about it tomorrow or the next day.
1943 3rd Japan seized all shipping on the upper Yangtze in Hupei Province. Waters off Halifax, Nova Scotia, were minned by a German submarine. The field was discovered immediately, but only after the 2,000 ton Panamanian cargo dhip Halma was sunk.
1944 The U.S. Fifth Army entered Rome.While the Germans fought some rear-guard actions, the city was spared the devastation of combat. By nightfall, Allied units were converginging on Rome from all sectyors. Germans withdrawing northward from Rome were hit steadily by Allied aircraft. Rome’s population greeted the Allies enthusiastically after a lengthy period in which the Germans defended southern Italy with incredible determination to delay the inevitable capture of the first Axis capital to fall. Hitler ordered the Italian capital evacuated, according to Radio Berlin, to avoid putting the city " under the peril of destruction." With eth exception of the rail yards bombed by the Allies, Rome escapted the war reletively unscathed. Because of bad weather, Eisenhower ordered a 24 hour postponement of D-Day until June 6th An American antisubmarine force captured a German submarine (U-505) 150 miles off the coast of Rio de Oro (Spanish Sahara), Africa. It was the first enemy ship captured by a U.S. naval boarding party since 1814. The submarine surfaced when attacked, but the crew abadoned it when it started to sink. American seamenboarded and salvaged it, and the submarine was towed to the U.S.
1945 U.S. Marines landed on the Oroku Peninsula on Okinawa. About half the Naha airfield was cleared.
June 6 1940 French Premier Reynaud assumed control of foregin affairs, dropping Daladier as foreign minister. General Charles de Gaulle was appointed under secretary of war.
1941 Washington authorized the acquision of all idle foreign merchant ships in U.S. waters "for urgent needs of commerce and national defense. Luftwaffe units in Syria were withdrawn. Hitler advised the Japanese ambassador, in Berchtesgaden, that Germany might go to war with Russia. He did not refer to an invasion, but said troop reinforcements were being sent east. “Under such circumstances”, he confided war might be unavoidable between us.
1942 The decisive battle of Midway was fought, marking a turning point in the war in the Pacific. Admiral Chester Nimitz knew a month before that the Japanese were planning to invade Midway and to launch a diversionary assult on the Aleutians. Intercepts of secret Japanese radio messages gave the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet as much knowlage of Japanese intentions as was known by the Japanese planners themselves. Nimitz was ready, and the Japanese were administered a resounding defeat which altered the coarse of the Pacific war. Four Japanese carriers, -Kaga, Soryu, Akagi, and Hiryu were lost, in addition to a heavy crusier the Mikuma. The U.S. carrier Yorktown and a destroyer, the Hammann, were sunk. American air losses were 147 planes, compared to to the Japanese total of 332. Henceforth, Japan was no longer affected by the victory disase, which had marked the first six months of the war, and the Allies shortly went over to the offensive. German troops opened a massive assult and bombardmet ofSevestopol.
1943 The attacks on Pantelleria were concentrated on shore defensives and gun emplacements.
1944 The greatest amphibious operation in military history was launched as Allied forces under the command of Eisenhower began landing on the Northern coast of France between Cherbourg and Le Harve. H hour for the Americans was 6:30 a.m. , later for the British units because of the tide. Within 24 hours, 176,000 troops were put ashore from 4,000 ships. They were protected by 9,500 aircraft and 600 warships. U.S. First Army forces quickly secured Utah Beach. The British Second Army overcame most resistance rapidly and drove toward Caen, Only at Omaha Beach were the forces almost totally stymied, but the U.S. V Corps established a firm beachhead by evening. U.S. 1st Armored Division units advanced 25 miles north of Rome. U.S. planners set Oct 1 1945 as the date for invading Japan.
1945 The Naha airfield on the Oroku Peninsula was cleared by the U.S. Marines 6th Division
Invasion of Saipan started today…if you’ve ever been, it’s an interesting place…Golfing around WWII relics (beautiful views too) and have to love the fact that “massagie” girls will risk their lives crossing a busy roadway just to ask you if you would love a massage…A lot of nice out of the way beach cabans, but the PIC hotel is awesome (what can be better than lounging in the lazy river and getting drink after drink (you don’t even have to leave the river!)
Am annoyed I missed Wittmann’s greatest day:June 13th 1944.
The day he almost singlehandedly stopped Britain’s 7th Armour division’s thrust. A move by the Division which was on Panzer Lehr’s flank and could have encircled it. An exploit for which he received the Swords to his Knight’s Cross.
Tomorrow is the 22nd June everyone!
Are we all waiting in our tanks behind the front line?
I will take a MkIIIH. Commander of course.
June 28th, 1942; start of Fall Blau, case blue.
Due to Romania falling short on what it could supply as petrol to the Wehrmacht and the richness of the Caucasus in general, not only in oil, lead to a 2 proned plan to secure the banks of the Volga and occupy the entire Caucasus, possibly leading to linking up with Rommel’s units in the middle east. This would alleviate the german need for oil and create a good base for a continuation of the war and maybe arrive to an agreement with Stalin. (doubtful).
The plan was solid but relied heavily on weaker Axis forces. The initial drive to the Volga went very succesfull and the army command decided to assist the crossing of the Don into the Caucasus by sending 4th Panzer away from its march to Stalingrad and thus slowing it down, which was not expected. Later, 4th panzer was send northwards again to assist the assualt on Stalingrad. Had this change not been initiated, Stalingrad could have been taken off the march and the whole front settled on the west bank of the Volga with Stalingrad as a key point. Winter 1942/43 would have probably stopped all possibilities of crossing the mountains into Baku, but the Soviets would have had a hard time reinforcing this region and the Axis could have established a solid front, extending to Astrachan and the mountains of the Caucasus in the south. More mountain troops could have been brought up and assist in forcing a break through in the many passes, although difficult.
I am sure this strategy would have worked for 1943 and would have kept the initiative with the Axis. No battle of Stalingrad, no loss of the 6th army and no retreat from the Volga.
How the other fronts would have managed remains unclear, but it is obvious no great attack would have been initaited without first reinforcing the weak point of the Soviet front. German bombers could have started bombing Soviet industry in the east using airbases from Stalingrad.
Anyone want to commend on this?
Stalin expected the German push to be in the centre, on Moscow. The south was weaker,so it is possible the fantastic blitzkrieg gains looked better than they should have. I know what you are saying about Hoth’s 4th Panzer Army and it’s seasaw movements. Ultimately, i believe though, once Kleist and his strong 1st Panzer were deep in the Caucasus they were doomed to a Russian counter from the unused reserves from the static centre. Germany’s reliance on its weaker allies,especially in anti-tank guns, was to prove their downfall. The Russian’s best policy was to attack them wherever they were.
If Hoth had not been diverted south he may have found Stalingrad empty, but it might have still been a German tomb, just for a different army. I also wonder if Kleist had got out of the very deep Caucasus.
I agree that 1943 and a delayed/non existent Zitadelle could only have helped Germany’s chances in the long run. (Doubtful with an inflexible Hitler at the helm though.)
Tanks a bunch for filling, now that the days are somewhat shorter and soon I’ll drain the pool I’ll start back up again.
Aug 13 &14 1937 Heavy fighting broke out in Shanghai.
14th Chinese airforce planes, futilely attempting to bomb the Japanese battleship Isuma which was tied up in the business of Shangai, mistakenly hit a department store and other crowded buildings killing nearly 1,200 people and wounding 1,400
I am sorry I missed Guadalcanal. The landings were on the 7th. Thought someone would have posted and did not want to step on any toes! (I am not a Pacific war fan and do not have that knowledge anyway.)
Nice you are back.
any and all info is great and if I’m too busy, feel free to add your input or more facts I wont be offended if all of ya all add to this post.
Tanks again
You let me down Wittman…
I found my missing “m” Garg!
I would post more here, but do not have the time to go too much in to detail.
I am in to anniversaries, not just WW2 ones. Any battles(especially victories over the French, or English fought ones).
Know very little about War of Independence.
August 19th 1942. Operation Jubilee. 5000 Allied soldiers, including 50 US Rangers and two units of Commandos landed at Dieppe, France. 3500 would be casualties (only 600 German ones) and it would be a disaster for Canada, the worst since the days of the Somme. The Infantry were drawn from 2nd CanadianDivision: 4th and 6th Brigades and the 14th Tank Battalion, the Calgary Tanks.
It was meant to be a raid to ascertain German preparedness for a Second Front, much demanded by Stalin. It turned out to be another reverse for the hard pressed Allies and the recriminations lasted long afterwards.
Operation Jubilee
Thats where the first “Canadian Zombies” started the infection.
Churchill’s dress rehearsal for overlord.
Most important lesson learnt was not to attack a port. Second, that they needed total air supremacy.
Germans could not believe the Allies thought they could take the beaches with only one Division against one Regiment backed with Artillery.
Also thought it was a feint.
Just like Normandy landings two years later!
Also on the 19th the P-51 Mustang made its debut in combat over Dieppe, also General friedrich von Paulus, commander of the German sixth Army, ordered his forces to take Stalingrad despite their great losses.
Aug. 20th 1944 Not a full report just some notes
A bridgehead across the seine was established by the U.S. 79th Division near Mantesa-Gassicourt, trapping the German forces remaining in Normandy.
Free French forces reached the hills overlooking Toulon.
Red Army troops crossed the Danube into Rumania. It was a massive undertaking involving 939,000 Red Army troops, 1,400 tanks, and 1,700 aircraft. At the same time the Rumanianians turned on the Germans, seizing the bridges over the danube and Prut rivers, effectivly trapping 16 German Divisions.
U.S. forces secured the Biak area of New Guinea. In three months of fighting, 4,700 Japanese were killed, 220 captured. American casualties were 400 killed, and 2,00 wounded.
TANK YOU!!! to everybody who added to this post, and to all those who read it
S.A.
September 1st 1939. Somebody invaded Poland and started it all off. (Made A&A real too.)
5 Armies crossed the border, 4 from Eastern Germany and 1 from E Prussia. There was no declaration of war. The Polish air force was wiped out on this day, much of it caught on the ground. The Germans deployed 1300 aircraft, all modern compared to Poland’s 935 mostly obselete ones.
The two Army Groups North and South comprised 62 Divisions, 6 Armoured and 10 mechanised.Of Poland’s 40 Divisions none were armoured and it’s few tanks were light and old, enough to equip a Brigade.
Hitler was so sure France would not react, that he left only 44 Divisions facing their 100. As for Britain he knew there was not time to come to France’s aid before all would be over in the East. He had Stalin’s Russia as an ace up his sleeve too.
3rd September 1939. Britain declares war on Germany at 11am, after a 2 hour ultimatum. France follows at 5pm. They wanted more time to prepare for mobilisation and feared German Air attacks. The British Admiralty did not want to delay so as to sink as much German merchant shipping already at sea and prevent her submarines breaking out of the North sea.
Europe really was at war.
Sept 8th 1943. Italy formally surrendered.
They had signed an armistice in secret on the 3rd, but wanted time to aid the Allies and disrupt any German plans to hamper the Allied landings due in a few hours(the 9th:Avalanche). The Germans were prepared and implemented operation Achse: the disarming of their erstwhile allies. The Italian fleet sailed to Malta, but the battleship, Roma, was sunk by a remote controlled bomb! (On the 9th).
The Allies had been on the Italian mainland since the 3rd Seprember when, contrary to Montgomery’s wishes, 8th Army had crossed the straits of Messina and in Operation Baytown, landed the XIII corps at Reggio and started slowly fighting up the peninsula. This landing had not worried the Germans and was being contained. They were waiting and tomorrow, the 9th, when the Allies landed at Salerno, they reacted.
