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Second World War History > 1944 WW2 Events Timeline

1944 WW2 Events Timeline

1944 proves the critical year for the war as a foothold is established in Europe and progress is made in the Pacific.

Authored By Staff Writer

Total 1944 WW2 Events: 250

1944
Saturday
January 1st

A message to subordinates by US Army Air Force commanding general General H.H. Hap Arnold calls for the destruction of the German Luftwaffe before Allied landings can begin.

1944
Tuesday
January 11th

The first major Allied offensive to take Cassino is launched.

1944
Tuesday
January 11th

French Expeditionary Corps assail the outer defences at Cassino, achieving modest gains.

1944
Friday
January 14th

Soviet armies from the 2nd Baltic, Volkov and Leningrad fronts overtake German Army Group North in a massive two-week offensive.

1944
Sunday
January 16th

The US IC Corps and the French Expeditionary Corps arrive at Rapido River.

1944
Monday
January 17th

The US is involved in their first major assault on Cassino.

1944
Tuesday
January 18th - February 9th

US forces begin making headway through the Liri Valley, capturing ground at Monte Calvario.

1944
Friday
January 21st

In the afternoon hours, an Allied convoy of 243 ships sets sail from the Bay of Naples for the beaches at Anzio and nearby Nettuno.

1944
Saturday
January 22nd

Operation Shingle, the amphibious landings at Anzio, is enacted by the Allied. In lead is the US VI Corps under Major-General John Lucas.

1944
Saturday
January 22nd

American forces hold the line at Mussolini Canal.

1944
Saturday
January 22nd

British forces hold the line at River Moletta.

1944
Saturday
January 22nd

By 12AM midnight, some 45,000 Allied troops and 3,000 vehicles are on the beaches.

1944
Sunday
January 23rd

The German Luftwaffe begins heavy strafing attacks and bombardment of Allied forces.

1944
Sunday
January 23rd

German Colonel-General von Mackensen takes control of the new 14th Army headquartered 30 miles west of Rome.

1944
Sunday
January 23rd

The Anzio beachhead is consolidated into a concentrated pocket on the orders of Lucas.

1944
Tuesday
January 25th

The Anzio beachhead continues to grow with Allied troops and equipment, making it a prime target for the regrouping Germans.

1944
Thursday
January 27th

The siege of Leningrad is declared by Soviet leader Stalin as over.

1944
Thursday
January 27th

The Moscow-Leningrad railway route is reopened in favor of the Soviets.

1944
Friday
January 28th

By this date, some 70,000 men, 27,000 tons of goods, 508 artillery guns and 237 tanks are ashore on the beachhead.

1944
Friday
January 28th

Hitler delivers an ultimatum to supreme commander-in-chief over Italy operations, Field Marshall Kesselring, to fight to the death and drive the invading Allied forces into the sea.

1944
Friday
January 28th

The Germans are driven back at Cisterna.

1944
Friday
January 28th

The US 1st Armored Division captures the town of Aprilia.

1944
Friday
January 28th

German Army Group North is pushed away from the city of Leningrad.

1944
Friday
January 28th

Von Mackensen moves six divisions to Anzio, some ten miles of the Allied beachhead.

1944
Sunday
January 30th

The Allies suffer some 5,000 casualties in the Anzio action by this date.

1944
Monday
January 31st

Von Mackensen's forces now number some eight divisions in strength.

1944
Thursday
February 10th

In a counter offensive, crack German paratroopers repel US forces and previous Allied gains are lost.

1944
Friday
February 11th

The entire US 142nd Regiment is destroyed.

1944
Friday
February 11th

The 4th Indian Division reports unacceptably high casualties when coming up against the stout German defenders.

1944
Friday
February 11th

The 34th and 36th US Divisions both report a high number of casualties from the ensuing offensives.

1944
Friday
February 11th

A blanket retreat is enacted by the Allies in an attempt to regroup and plan a new strategy to take Cassino.

1944
Friday
February 11th

US and Indian losses mount in the offensives against German positions in Calvario, the town of Cassino and Monte Cassino itself.

1944
Saturday
February 12th

Winston Churchill pens a critical letter to supreme commander-in-chief of Allied operations in Italy. In his writings he claims he expected to see "a wild cat roaring" and has seen nothing but a "whale wallowing on the beaches".

1944
Monday
February 14th

The offensive is detailed further, taking the latest developments into account.

1944
Monday
February 14th

American bombers strike the production facilities at Schweinfurt.

1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th

The 4th Indian Division is charged with taking both Monte Calvario and Monastary Hill.

1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th

The 2nd New Zealand Division assault is twarted and driven back, suffering high casualties.

1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th

The 4th Indian Division assault is repelled and driven away, suffering high casualties.

1944
Tuesday
February 15th - February 18th

The 2nd New Zealand Division is charged with taking the railway station at Cassino.

1944
Tuesday
February 15th

Following the Allied aerial bombardment, the second major Allied offensive to take Cassino is launched.

1944
Tuesday
February 15th

German forces, having never held a defensive position in the monestary proper, move into the resulting debris from the surrounding mountain slopes and set up solid defensive positions within the rubble.

1944
Tuesday
February 15th

In an effort to destroy the believed German defensive positions atop Monte Cassino, Allied bombers numbering 229 strong, lay waste to the monestary.

1944
Wednesday
February 16th

Kesselring launches a large counterattack against the invading Allied forces.

1944
Thursday
February 17th

The Allies lose some four miles of territory but stand fast outside of Anzio.

1944
Saturday
February 19th - March 13th

The Italian winter makes its arrival and postpones any further Allied offensives for the next month.

1944
Saturday
February 19th

Better weather finally arrives allowing the RAF to send up its first 823-strong heavy bomber force. The target is Leipzig and 78 bombers are lost to the German defense.

1944
Sunday
February 20th

American bombers and fighters take to the skies in force in support of the new bombing campaign. They number over 1,000 bombers and 660 fighters in escort. Twelve industrial target locations across Germany are hit. 21 American aircraft are lost.

1944
Sunday
February 20th

The German attack is more or less repelled, at the cost of 5,500 German casualties.

1944
Sunday
February 20th

Some 598 RAF bombers are sent airborne.

1944
Monday
February 21st

The Americans respond with another wave of 861 bombers with escorts. The target is the Luftwaffe production center in Brunswick.

1944
Tuesday
February 22nd

The Allies replace the ineffective Major-General Lucas with Major-General Lucius Truscott.

1944
Tuesday
February 22nd

American bomber groups begin medium bombing operations from bases within Italy.

1944
Tuesday
February 22nd

Bad weather forces many-an-inflight accident for US bomber groups. Some 41 aircraft are lost. Nijmegen is accidentally bombed, causing over 200 civilian deaths.

1944
Wednesday
February 23rd

Bad weather postpones any further bombing actions for the time being. The Allies take this time to recoup and repair.

1944
Thursday
February 24th

With weather clearing, operations of Big Week continue. 266 American bombers strike Schweinfurt.

1944
Thursday
February 24th

A British bomber force made up of Handley Page Halifaxes and Avro Lancasters take part in a night-bombing raid on Schweinfurt, dropping some 2,000 tons of ordnance on the area.

1944
Thursday
February 24th

The USAAF 1st Division launches another bombing raid on Schweinfurt through 238 bombers and long-range escort fighters. Eleven aircraft are lost.

1944
Thursday
February 24th

733 RAF bombers strike at Schweinfurt in a night time raid. 33 aircraft are lost.

1944
Thursday
February 24th

Over 900 American bombers are sent airborne to bomb aircraft-producing factories including Schweinfurt.

1944
Friday
February 25th

By the end of it all, 3,300 Allied sorties are launched in the offensive and 226 bombers are lost. 290 German fighters are destroyed and another further 90 are damaged.

1944
Friday
February 25th

RAF bombers hit Augsburg with 594 aircraft in a night time raid.

1944
Friday
February 25th

The final American air raid of Big Week is launched with 900 bombers against Regensburg, Augsburg and Forth.

1944
Tuesday
February 29th

Von Mackensen cancels the German offensive amidst mounting casualties and little gain.

1944
Wednesday
March 1st - May 22nd

The Anzio engagement is limited to minor activity for the time being, with the Allies dug in and the Germans trying to dislodge the invaders by limited means.

1944
Wednesday
March 15th

A third major Allied offensive is put into action.

1944
Wednesday
March 15th

Artillery guns open up on Cassino while 600-plus Allied bombers attempt to shake the German defenders.

1944
Wednesday
March 15th - March 21st

Against mounting casualties but with tank support, the 4th Indian Division gains ground.

1944
Wednesday
March 15th - March 21st

Positions on Monte Cassino are officially in Allied hands.

1944
Wednesday
March 15th - March 21st

The 78th British Division makes headway thanks to the support of Allied armor.

1944
Wednesday
March 15th - March 21st

The 2nd New Zealand Division captures German-held position with the help of Allied armor support.

1944
Wednesday
March 22nd

With mounting losses in both manpower and tanks, further Allied thrusts are called off.

1944
Thursday
March 23rd - May 10th

A lengthy six-week period allows the Allies to rebuild their forces - though this period allows the Germans to increase their defensive foothold.

1944
Thursday
March 30th

795 RAF bombers attack Nuremburg with 95 aircraft lost to action. This mission marks the biggest RAF loss to date.

1944
Thursday
March 30th - March 31st

Some 100 Avro Lancaster and Handley Page Halifax bombers mistakenly drop 400-tons of ordnance on Schweinfurt, thinking that it is their target of Nuremburg.

1944
Saturday
April 1st - June 5th

Allied bombers increase their sorties across Northern and Western France in preparations of the D-Day landings. Targets include the vital railways, railyards, bridges and roads dotting the French landscape. These facilities will prove crucial to the German response to the invasion.

1944
Monday
April 3rd

The KMS Tirpitz is targeted once more and attack, this time by air elements of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The battleship lives through the attack but suffers three more months of repairs as a result.

1944
Monday
May 1st - May 31st

Plans begin for a major Soviet offensive against the German Army in the East.

1944
Monday
May 1st - July 31st

The upcoming invasion at Normany puts a temporary halt on further convoy runs into Russia.

1944
Thursday
May 11th

Approximately 2,000 Allied artillery guns open up on Cassino.

1944
Thursday
May 11th

A combined British, Polish and American assault converge on Cassino involving the British 13th Corps, the Polish II Corps and the US 5th Army.

1944
Thursday
May 11th

The fourth offensive to take Cassino is put into action.

1944
Saturday
May 13th

German paratrooper forces defending Cassino being their evacuation.

1944
Wednesday
May 17th

German paratrooper forces exit the Cassino region.

1944
Wednesday
May 17th

This date became one of the two best weather options for the Allied invasion of France.

1944
Wednesday
May 17th

Weather on May 17th cancels the D-Day operation. Leaving the next best weather window of opportunity to be June 5th.

1944
Wednesday
May 17th

June 5th is selected as the next official launch date for D-Day.

1944
Thursday
May 18th

The British take the town of Cassino.

1944
Thursday
May 18th

The Poles take Monte Calvario.

1944
Thursday
May 18th

Monte Cassino falls to the Allies, costing some 50,000 casualties along both sides of the battlefield.

1944
Saturday
May 20th

The launch date for Operation Bagration is set for June 22nd.

1944
Saturday
May 20th

The Soviet offensive is detailed under the codename of "Operation Bagration".

1944
Tuesday
May 23rd

The US VI Corps breaks out of the Anzio perimeter and takes ground well into the Alban Hills.

1944
Thursday
May 25th

The US VI Corps continues its gains and eventually combines with the arriving UU Corps. The road to Rome is now in the hands of the US Army and steps are taken for the final assault on the capital.

1944
Sunday
June 4th

Official word comes down that the June 5th landings will be postponed due to inclement weather across the North Sea.

1944
Monday
June 5th

Some 6,000 naval vessels depart from the south of England towards France.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The German 21st Panzer Division is repelled by a combined Allied armor and air assault, saving further actions at Sword.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division makes its way towards Juno beach. The German defenses, heavy seas and underwater obstacles cause a loss of 30 percent of the landing craft. The onshore result is equally grim as the Canadians are assaulted by the prepared Germans.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

At approximately 10:00AM, British forces out of Gold beach take La Riviere.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The Canadians out of Juno beach take Bernieres at about 11:00AM.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

Near the town of Pouppeville, the US 4th Infantry Division at Utah beach connects with the 101st Airborne Division paratroopers.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

British and French special forces elements out of Sword beach connect with the British paratroopers holding the key bridges over the Orne River.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The German counter-attack reaches the beachhead at Sword.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

By 8:00PM, the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division out of Juno beach connects with the British 50th Division out of Gold beach. This union becomes the largest Allied-held pocket in the north of France to this point.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The British and Canadian forces out of Gold and Juno beaches enjoy the largest footholds in France, encompassing land holdings some 9 miles wide and 6.2 miles inland.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

In preparation for the arrival of the regular armies by way of amphibious landing, British and American airborne paratroopers arrive in France just after midnight.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

By 8:00AM, most of the German defenders at or near Gold and Sword beaches have been cleared or are on the run.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

At 4:00PM, the mobilized German 21st Panzer Division launches a counter-attack.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

Allied naval warships open up with their guns on German defensive positions along the French coast.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The Allied elements at Sword beach hold onto a 6-by-6 mile piece of land though they are still cut off from the Allies at Juno.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

Omaha statistics are grim and the group holds the least amount of real estate at just 4.3 miles across and 1.2 miles inland. However, they do hold positions in Vierville sur Mer, Colleville and St-Laurent sur Mer.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

Elements of the US 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions land across the Cotentin Peninsula. Despite all the planning, their dropzones are widely scattered.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The British paratroopers take the bridges over the Caen Canal and the Orne River.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

British paratroopers destroy the coastal fortifications at Merville.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

British paratroopers of the 6th British Airborne Brigade land near Benouville.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

Despite the confusion on the part of the misdropped Allied paratroopers, the defending Germans are thrown into an equal level of confusion, noting Allied airdrops all around them.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The British 3rd Division arriving at Sword beach face a stouter German defense but are able to overwhelm the enemy and establish a foothold.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

At approximately 6:30AM, American Army forces begin landing at two key beaches, codenamed Utah and Omaha.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

US Army forces arriving at Utah beach find themselves some 2,000 yards away from where they should be. The result is the force finds little German opposition at Utah. Their original landing zone was to be centered around Les-Dunes-de-Varreville. Total casualties from the landing are 300 personnel.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The US Army forces arriving at Omaha beach face a prepared, stout and veteran defense made possible by the German 352nd Division. After 2,400 casualties, the 1st US Infantry Division holds a beachhead.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

At approximately 7:25AM, forces of the British and Canadian armies wade ashore at beaches codenamed Gold and Juno.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The combined British and Canadian forces at Gold face little opposition and claim their objectives with little incident.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The British 50th Division pushed some 6 miles inland.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

No less than five key bridges over the Dives River are blown up by British paratroopers.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

By midnight, D-Day is more or less over. Not all objectives are captured but progress is made nonetheless.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

American forces at Utah beach hold pockets of land totaling just over 6 miles.

1944
Tuesday
June 6th

The first town in France - Ste Mere Eglise - is liberated by the Allies, this honor falling to the American forces from Utah beach and paratroopers from the previous day's drops.

1944
Monday
June 19th

Soviet partisan groups spring into action along the German rear guard and wreak havoc for days. Targets include supply and communication lines. Tens of thousands of explosive acts of sabotage are noted.

1944
Thursday
June 22nd

Operation Bagration is put into action with General Zhukov in command.

1944
Thursday
June 22nd

Totaling over 1.2 million troops, the 1st Baltic Front - along with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts - are put into action along four fronts. Vitebsk is quickly taken and controlled. The 3rd Panzer Army suffers heavy losses.

1944
Friday
June 23rd

The 1st and 3rd Belorussian Fronts advanced to northeast of Minsk, surrounding the German 4th Army.

1944
Friday
June 23rd

By this date, the partisan actions along the German rear dwindle in preparation for the upcoming offensive.

1944
Monday
June 26th

With the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts closing, Hitler okays the order for the 9th Army to retreat to more favorable ground.

1944
Wednesday
June 28th

Hitler replaces Field Marshal Busch with General Model to help stem his losses.

1944
Thursday
June 29th

The Soviets take Bobruysk.

1944
Thursday
June 29th

The 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts close in and around the city of Minsk, attempting to join forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

1944
Friday
June 30th

By this date, the German Army has recorded some 200,000 casualties from the aggressive Soviet offensive.

1944
Saturday
July 1st

Plans by the Polish Army are laid out for a resistance and uprising in the Capital City of Warsaw against their German overseers.

1944
Saturday
July 1st

Lieutenant-General Komorowski heads up the resistance plans as Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Home Army in Warsaw.

1944
Tuesday
July 4th

Minsk falls to the Soviet offensive.

1944
Tuesday
July 4th

By this date, the 160,000-strong German 4th Army alone reports losses of 130,000 troops.

1944
Tuesday
July 4th

German losses total 400,000 personnel.

1944
Wednesday
July 5th

Encircled, remnants of the German 4th Army are captured or killed trying to flee.

1944
Friday
July 7th

After heavy bombing by British Royal Air Force elements, British and Canadian army forces regroup and begin their offensive to take Caen from the Germans.

1944
Tuesday
July 11th

The German 9th Army is obliterated under the might of the Red Army.

1944
Thursday
July 13th

Vilnius, Lithuania is captured by Soviet ground troops.

1944
Thursday
July 13th

A new Soviet land offensive is launched with elements of the Soviet 1st and 4th Ukranian Fronts. Their target is Germany Army Group North in the Ukraine on their way to southern Poland.

1944
Thursday
July 13th

A combined British and Canadian force is stopped outside of Caen by a determined German defense.

1944
Monday
July 17th

White Russia is cleansed of all German invaders, leading celebrations in the Soviet capital of Moscow.

1944
Monday
July 17th

Some 57,000 German captives are paraded through the streets of Moscow.

1944
Monday
July 17th

German Army Group Center is completely annihilated from the German ranks.

1944
Tuesday
July 18th

US Army forces seize complete control of the town of St. Lo on the Contentin peninsula. Control of this strategic zone now allows for larger, prepared and controlled Allied offensives towards inland France.

1944
Tuesday
July 18th

The British and Canadian launch Operation Goodwood against Caen. British armored elements are brought to bear against the dug-in and prepared Germans. The goal is to take all of Caen before focusing on Falaise.

1944
Thursday
July 20th

While the British 2nd Army and 2nd Canadian Division can now lay claim to Caen, they fall short of advancement against Falaise. As such, Operation Goodwood is stopped.

1944
Friday
July 21st

8th Air Force B-17 and B-24 bombers are launched on Schweinfurt.

1944
Monday
July 24th

American forces enact Operation Cobra, this stemming from control of the Contentin peninsula. The goal is to smash through the German defenses and create a road through the Avranches, exposing inland France to future Allied assaults.

1944
Wednesday
July 26th

The Polish government, in exile since the fall of their country to the invading Germans, communicates with the British government for help in staging the uprising.

1944
Thursday
July 27th

Lvov is clamed by the Ukranian Fronts.

1944
Thursday
July 27th

The British government promises what it can and this emerges in the form of scattered air drops of weapons and supplies.

1944
Friday
July 28th

Soviet forces lay claim to Brest-Litovsk.

1944
Sunday
July 30th

US Army forces reach Avranches and lay control the region.

1944
Sunday
July 30th

The German 7th Army attempts a counter-attack at Avranches but the Americans manage to hold their ground.

1944
Monday
July 31st

Soviet Army forces close in on German defenders in Warsaw.

1944
Tuesday
August 1st

US General George S. Patton and his 3rd Army manage their way through Avranches towards Liore and Brittany.

1944
Tuesday
August 1st

Roughly 30,000 Poles and scattered firearms make up the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising.

1944
Tuesday
August 1st

Upon hearing of news of the Polish uprising, an infuriated Adolph Hitler swears punishment and commits more of his troops within the Capital limits.

1944
Tuesday
August 1st

Uprisings begin across the Polish capital of Warsaw.

1944
Tuesday
August 1st

Three Soviet Army Fronts converge on the outskirts of Warsaw, prompting Polish General Komorowski to greenlight the uprising.

1944
Tuesday
August 1st

The move westward continues.

1944
Friday
August 4th

Realizing their chances of victory are slim against well-trained and well-armed Germans, Polish Authorities once again ask the Allies - including the Soviets - for assistance in maintaining the uprising.

1944
Friday
August 4th

Patton's 3rd Army arrived at Brittany. The German defense crumbles and relocates to defensive positions along the coast.

1944
Monday
August 7th

The 1st Canadian Army supports Allied elements just south of Caen, making their way towards Falaise.

1944
Monday
August 7th

A determined German counter-attack takes Mortain and heads towards Avranches before being stopped. Allied airstrikes and artillery stall the German advance.

1944
Tuesday
August 8th

US General Omar Bradley talks with British General Benard Law Montgomery about a plan to encircle some 21 divsions of Germans in the Falaise-Argentan pocket. Montgomery likes what he hears and give the plan the green light.

1944
Tuesday
August 8th

General Patton reaches Le Mans and then heads north to Argentan.

1944
Thursday
August 10th

German Army forces continue to relocate to Warsaw in an attempt to quell the Polish uprising.

1944
Friday
August 11th

The Red Army finds themselves some 12 miles outside of Warsaw proper, having advanced into the Polish suburbs.

1944
Friday
August 11th

Sensing complete destruction of Warsaw and its people, the Pope himself appeals to the Allies for help.

1944
Sunday
August 13th

Patton's 3rd Army arrives at Argentan.

1944
Monday
August 14th

Elements of Patton's 3rd Army are sent from Falaise to the east towards Chartres and in the direction of Paris proper.

1944
Tuesday
August 15th

Stretched and strained supply lines bring the Soviet war machine to a halt.

1944
Tuesday
August 15th - August 29th

During another running battle, convoy JW59 and her surface warships inflict damage on the KMS Tirpitz.

1944
Wednesday
August 16th

Sensing his own political interests and conquests, Soviet leader Josef Stalin rejects a direct call for aid for the Poles.

1944
Wednesday
August 16th

After seven days of continuous and bitter fighting, Canadian Army forces reach Falaise.

1944
Wednesday
August 16th

German forces in Falaise are given the okay from Hitler to retreat to a more favorable position. The encirclement of German forces prompts the action from High Command.

1944
Wednesday
August 16th

The American 3rd Army reaches Chartres.

1944
Saturday
August 19th

At Mantes Grassicourt, a division of the American XV Corps manages to cross the Seine River.

1944
Sunday
August 20th

The swift and thorough German response has divided the Polish resistance into three distinct groups, all cut off from one another.

1944
Sunday
August 20th

The German Army begins their final push to crush the Polish response.

1944
Sunday
August 20th

German Army soldiers now number some 21,300 personnel in Warsaw.

1944
Sunday
August 20th

The Falaise pocket is finally closed by the Allies. American and Canadian forces meet to complete the encirclement. German forces in Normandy are now trapped.

1944
Tuesday
August 22nd

After some additional fighting that results in a further 10,000 German soldiers killed, the trapped elements of the German Army at Normandy surrender to the Allies. In all, some 50,000 soldiers of the German Army are taken prisoner.

1944
Friday
August 25th

Patton and his 3rd Army continue their march and setup critical strategic bridgeheads over the Seine River at Elbeuf and Louviers.

1944
Friday
August 25th

The Allies reach the French capital of Paris.

1944
Friday
August 25th

SS Obergruppenfuhrer Erich von dem Bach-Zelweski details the final German push.

1944
Friday
August 25th

Paris is liberated by the arriving Allies.

1944
Friday
August 25th

The Germans begin their counter-offensive against the remaining Pole units.

1944
Saturday
August 26th

Brigadier-General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French forces, leads a contingent of Allied troops on a march down the Champs Elysees to a thunderous reception by liberated French citizens.

1944
Wednesday
August 30th

The massive Soviet offensive ends with much of the German-held territories now in Russian hands. The Soviet Army has made it as far as the outskirts of Warsaw in Poland with a front running from Lithuania in the north, through Belorussia in the center and Poland/Ukraine in the south.

1944
Saturday
September 16th

Polish Army units fighting alongside the Soviet Army make a dash to support their comrades in Warsaw, this against the orders of Soviet High Command.

1944
Saturday
September 16th

Pressured by the Americans and British, Stalin gives in - just a little - and delivers a meager air drop of arms consisting of just fifty pistols and a pair of machine guns.

1944
Sunday
September 17th

General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe, approves General Montgomery's Operation Market Garden.

1944
Sunday
September 17th

Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Zygmunt Berling, the 1st Polish Army forces engage the Germans in Warsaw but are ultimately driven back in retreat.

1944
Sunday
September 17th

The US 82nd Airborne Division landing at Grave is successful in capturing its target bridge.

1944
Sunday
September 17th

The US 101st Airborne Division landing at Eindhoven and Veghel are successful in their capturing of bridges.

1944
Sunday
September 17th

Operation Market Garden is activated. Parachute landings take place at Eindhoven, Veghel, Grave and Oosterbeek.

1944
Sunday
September 17th

British paratroopers landing at Arnhem run straight into the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions who are in the area ungoing refitting. The bridge at Arnhem is captured by British forces but the group is quickly cut off from help by the Germans.

1944
Monday
September 18th

American B-17 bombers land at Poltava, now under Soviet control, to refuel. Onboard are arms and supplies meant for the Polish resistance.

1944
Monday
September 18th

Josef Stalin refuses further Allied use of his forward airfields to resupply the Polish insurgents.

1944
Monday
September 18th

The British XXX Corps fights its way through a dedicated German resistance up the main artery road leading to Eindhoven. They finally unite with the 101st Airborne forces having landed at Eindhoven and Veghel.

1944
Tuesday
September 19th

The British XXX Corps officially unites with the US 82nd Airborne Division forces having landed at Grave.

1944
Wednesday
September 20th

British XXX Corps is delayed a full day from reaching beleagured paratrooper forces at Arnhem.

1944
Wednesday
September 20th

The US 82nd Airborne, backed by the British XXX Corps, take the bridge over the Waal River at Nijmegen.

1944
Thursday
September 21st

For his actions in disobeying Soviet Army orders, Berling is stripped of his army command.

1944
Thursday
September 21st

British paratroopers at Arnhem give up control of their bridge against a stronger German foe and instead concentrate on surviving by utilizing the town of Arnhem itself as a defense.

1944
Thursday
September 21st

British XXX Corps is slowed down once more, this time by German anti-tank forces and artillery emplacements north of Nijmegen and along the route to Arnhem.

1944
Friday
September 22nd

Elements of the Polish Parachute Brigade, delayed multiple times from earlier participation in the operation, finally land south of Arnhem. Their mission is to reinforce the battered British 1st Airborne Division.

1944
Monday
September 23rd

141 RAF bombers take on the Dortmund-Ems Canal. Some of these bombers make use of the massive "Tallboy" 12,000lb bomb.

1944
Monday
September 25th

At Arnhem, some 6,000 Allied soldiers are taken prison by the Germans. A further 1,000 lay dead from the fighting.

1944
Monday
September 25th

American air drops deliver their much-needed cargo to the Polish resistance below. However, the drop zones are in firm German control and supplies are captured soon after landing.

1944
Monday
September 25th

Remaining elements of the British 1st Airborne Division out of Arnhem make their way across the Neder Rijn River in retreat. They intend on meeting up with XXX Corps still making their way to the area.

1944
Wednesday
September 27th

South of Arnhem, Allied forces continue to hold their gains. Over the next few months, some 3,500 casualties will be counted.

1944
Wednesday
September 27th

Despite valliant actions, the Polish Parachute Brigade is forced to surrender at Arnhem.

1944
Monday
October 2nd

Polish General Komorowski, sensing total defeat imminent, orders his Polish insurgents to surrender to the Germans.

1944
Tuesday
October 3rd

Polish military forces all surrender to the German Army, ending the valliant uprising.

1944
Monday
October 9th

8th Air Force B-17 and B-24 bombers are once again launched on Schweinfurt.

1944
Tuesday
October 31st

Some 250,000 Polish civilians and soldiers of Warsaw will meet their end through execution or deportation to Nazi concentration camps as a result of the Warsaw uprising.

1944
Wednesday
November 1st - November 30th

As the German defensive circle shrinks througout Europe, the Artic Convoys enjoy their best month, seeing not one vessel lost to enemy action.

1944
Sunday
November 12th

The KMS Tirpitz is finally destroyed at Troms by forces of the RAF.

1944
Saturday
December 16th

Initial progress on the assault is good for the Germans, however, the US 2nd and 99th Divisions hold fast at Elsenborn and Malmedy.

1944
Saturday
December 16th

Bad weather soon sets in over the Ardennes region, limiting Allied air support to counter the German advances.

1944
Saturday
December 16th

The German Army launch their Ardennes offensive against elements of the American US VIII located between Aachen and Bastogne.

1944
Sunday
December 17th

Allied prisoners of war are executed in cold blood by elements of the 6th SS Panzer Army. Some 87 prisoners are killed where they stand on direct orders from German Colonel Joachim Peiper.

1944
Sunday
December 17th

The town of Stavelot is lost to the invading German Army.

1944
Tuesday
December 19th

Allied generals agree to commit elements of the Saar Front against the southern flanks of the German advance, this in the area between Bastogne and Echternach.

1944
Tuesday
December 19th

By this date, two components making up the US 106th Division at the Schnee Eiffel region are surrounded by the Germans.

1944
Tuesday
December 19th

The town of Stavelot is recaptured by the Allies.

1944
Tuesday
December 19th

Some 6,000 Allied troops surrender to the encircling German Army at Schnee Eiffel.

1944
Tuesday
December 19th

Along the Ardennes line, US forces reform into intense defensive lines and some forces eventually mount counter attacks against the invading Germans.

1944
Wednesday
December 20th

By this date, the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne is completely encircled by the German XLVII Panzer Corps.

1944
Wednesday
December 20th

The US 10th and 19th Armored Divisions are completely encircled by the German advance.

1944
Wednesday
December 20th

British General Montgomery is charged with heading up the progress along the north line of defense while American General Bradley is given command of the south.

1944
Friday
December 22nd

As the German advance continues, supply lines are stretched to the limit and flanks become over exposed prompting German General Rundstedt to ask Hitler to halt the advance - Hitler refuses.

1944
Saturday
December 23rd

2,000 Allied air sorties are launched in improving skies against the Germans on the ground.

1944
Saturday
December 23rd

Supplies are dropped from Allied transport planes to the beleagured forces held up at Bastogne.

1944
Saturday
December 23rd

Allied ground attack fighters target and destroy German ground vehicles and troop concentrations. Without air support of their own, there is little that the Germans can do in response.

1944
Saturday
December 23rd

The foul weather over the Ardennes begins to clear.

1944
Monday
December 25th

After achieving 60 miles of territory - the farthest march of the German Ardennes Offensive - the 2nd Panzer Division under Lieutenant-General von Lauchert is stopped by a combined force of British and American armor made up of the British 29th Armored Brigade and the American 2nd Armored Division.

1944
Monday
December 25th

German losses on Christmas Day include 3,500 infantrymen and 400 vehicles, 81 of these being tanks.

1944
Tuesday
December 26th

The American 4th Armored Division makes its way to the beleagured 101st Airborne forces at Bastogne and the situation at the village is stabilized.

1944
Thursday
December 28th

Hitler orders a halt to the advance - but no retreat - leaving his exposed and tired units at the mercy of the replenished Allied forces across the Ardennes Front.

Second World War History

1939:

• Blitzkrieg!
• Early Victory
• The Atlantic Theater
• "Winter War"

1940:

• Invasion of the Low Countries
• The RAF Bombing Campaign
• Rescue at Dunkirk
• The Battle of Britain
• Operation Compass
• Operation Judgement
• The Balkans Invasion

1941:

• Sink the Bismarck!
• The Invasion of Crete
• Operation Barbarossa
• The Arctic Convoys
• The Siege of Leningrad
• The Battle of Sevastopol
• Soviet Offensive - Battle for Russia
• The Attack on Pearl Harbor
• Japanese Conquest of the Pacific

1942:

• Kharkov
• Operation Blue
• The Battle of Coral Sea
• From Gazala to Tobruk
• The Battle of Midway
• Operation Jubilee
• The Battle of El Alamein
• Guadalcanal
• The Solomon Islands
• Operation Torch
• Kokoda Trail
• Stalingrad

1943:

• Kasserine Pass
• The Schweinfurt Raids
• Kursk
• Operation Husky
• Battle of Tarawa

1944:

• The Landings at Anzio
• Monte Cassino
• "Big Week"
• D-Day
• Operation Bagration
• Beyond Normandy
• The Warsaw Uprising
• Operation Market Garden
• The Battle of the Bulge

1945:

• The Push to the Oder River
• Battle of Okinawa
• The Fall of Berlin

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