Day-by-Day Timeline of Events
Wednesday, January 10th, 1940
A German plane carrying two officers and the German invasion plans of Western Europe scheduled for January 17th mistakenly lands in Belgium. This forces Hitler to push the invasion back.
Saturday, February 24th, 1940
Following General von Manstein's recommendation, the German invasion plans of Western Europe are revised to send armored forces through the "impassable" Ardennes Forest.
Friday, May 31st, 1940
The U.S. government commits millions to a new defense program aimed at modernizing and strengthening the current force.
Monday, July 6th, 1942
The Soviet city of Voronezh falls to the German Army.
Wednesday, November 10th, 1943
The combined force of US Army and Marine Corps troops numbering 35,000 personnel heads towards Betio on the Tarawa Atoll.
Saturday, November 13th, 1943
US Navy warplanes and warships begin the bombardment of Japanese positions at Makin and Tarawa in preparation for the planned amphibious assaults.
Saturday, November 20th, 1943
US Navy warplanes and warships conclude their bombardment of Japanese positions.
Saturday, November 20th, 1943
At 9:10AM, the first US Marine soldiers make it ashore at Betio during the initial amphibious landings. Nearly half are cut down in low waters by the waiting Japanese defenders.
Saturday, November 20th, 1943
US tanks and armored vehicles finally make it ashore and strengthen the US Marine presence on the beaches.
Saturday, November 20th, 1943
By the end of the first day of operations, some three US Marine battalions have made it onto the beaches.
Sunday, November 21st, 1943
Another US amphibious landing, this consisting of both Army and Marine elements, makes it to the shores on Makin.
Sunday, November 21st, 1943
US forces at Makin kill some 800 defending Japanese soldiers, leaving just a lone survivor.
Sunday, November 21st, 1943
US forces officially take Makin and give the "Makin Taken" signal.
Sunday, November 21st, 1943
US forces take Apamama after the suicide of its 22-strong Japanese garrison.
Sunday, November 21st, 1943
US forces continue their progress against the Gilberts though a dogged Japanese resistance makes for slow progress.
Monday, November 22nd, 1943
By 8PM on this date, US forces lay claim to portions of the Gilberts at its east and central regions.
Monday, November 22nd, 1943
By night time hours, the Japanese enact a counter-attack against US forces, hoping to regain lost ground and take their invaders by surprise.
Tuesday, November 23rd, 1943
The Japanese assault is repelled with a tremendous loss of life for the IJA. The dead number some 500 personnel in hours of fighting.
Tuesday, November 23rd, 1943
The final Japanese defenders at Betio capitulate.
Tuesday, November 23rd, 1943
With the fall of Betio, the Gilbert Islands are now under control of US forces.
Friday, July 7th, 1944
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.
Saturday, July 1st, 1944
Plans by the Polish Army are laid out for a resistance and uprising in the Capital City of Warsaw against their German overseers.
Saturday, December 16th, 1944
The German Army launch their Ardennes offensive against elements of the American US VIII located between Aachen and Bastogne.
Thursday, July 13th, 1944
A combined British and Canadian force is stopped outside of Caen by a determined German defense.
Sunday, September 17th, 1944
Operation Market Garden is activated. Parachute landings take place at Eindhoven, Veghel, Grave and Oosterbeek.
Saturday, July 1st, 1944
Lieutenant-General Komorowski heads up the resistance plans as Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Home Army in Warsaw.
Saturday, December 16th, 1944
Initial progress on the assault is good for the Germans, however, the US 2nd and 99th Divisions hold fast at Elsenborn and Malmedy.
Tuesday, July 18th, 1944
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.
Sunday, September 17th, 1944
The US 101st Airborne Division landing at Eindhoven and Veghel are successful in their capturing of bridges.
Wednesday, July 26th, 1944
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.
Saturday, December 16th, 1944
Bad weather soon sets in over the Ardennes region, limiting Allied air support to counter the German advances.
Tuesday, July 18th, 1944
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.
Sunday, September 17th, 1944
The US 82nd Airborne Division landing at Grave is successful in capturing its target bridge.
Thursday, July 27th, 1944
The British government promises what it can and this emerges in the form of scattered air drops of weapons and supplies.
Sunday, December 17th, 1944
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.
Thursday, July 20th, 1944
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.
Sunday, September 17th, 1944
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.
Monday, July 31st, 1944
Soviet Army forces close in on German defenders in Warsaw.
Sunday, December 17th, 1944
The town of Stavelot is lost to the invading German Army.
Monday, July 24th, 1944
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.
Monday, September 18th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, August 1st, 1944
Three Soviet Army Fronts converge on the outskirts of Warsaw, prompting Polish General Komorowski to greenlight the uprising.
Tuesday, December 19th, 1944
By this date, two components making up the US 106th Division at the Schnee Eiffel region are surrounded by the Germans.
Sunday, July 30th, 1944
US Army forces reach Avranches and lay control the region.
Tuesday, September 19th, 1944
The British XXX Corps officially unites with the US 82nd Airborne Division forces having landed at Grave.
Tuesday, August 1st, 1944
Roughly 30,000 Poles and scattered firearms make up the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising.
Tuesday, December 19th, 1944
Some 6,000 Allied troops surrender to the encircling German Army at Schnee Eiffel.
Sunday, July 30th, 1944
The German 7th Army attempts a counter-attack at Avranches but the Americans manage to hold their ground.
Wednesday, September 20th, 1944
The US 82nd Airborne, backed by the British XXX Corps, take the bridge over the Waal River at Nijmegen.
Tuesday, August 1st, 1944
Uprisings begin across the Polish capital of Warsaw.
Tuesday, December 19th, 1944
Along the Ardennes line, US forces reform into intense defensive lines and some forces eventually mount counter attacks against the invading Germans.
Tuesday, August 1st, 1944
US General George S. Patton and his 3rd Army manage their way through Avranches towards Liore and Brittany.
Wednesday, September 20th, 1944
British XXX Corps is delayed a full day from reaching beleagured paratrooper forces at Arnhem.
Tuesday, August 1st, 1944
Upon hearing of news of the Polish uprising, an infuriated Adolph Hitler swears punishment and commits more of his troops within the Capital limits.
Tuesday, December 19th, 1944
The town of Stavelot is recaptured by the Allies.
Thursday, September 21st, 1944
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.
Friday, August 4th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, December 19th, 1944
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.
Monday, August 7th, 1944
A determined German counter-attack takes Mortain and heads towards Avranches before being stopped. Allied airstrikes and artillery stall the German advance.
Thursday, September 21st, 1944
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.
Thursday, August 10th, 1944
German Army forces continue to relocate to Warsaw in an attempt to quell the Polish uprising.
Wednesday, December 20th, 1944
By this date, the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne is completely encircled by the German XLVII Panzer Corps.
Monday, August 7th, 1944
The 1st Canadian Army supports Allied elements just south of Caen, making their way towards Falaise.
Friday, September 22nd, 1944
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.
Friday, August 11th, 1944
Sensing complete destruction of Warsaw and its people, the Pope himself appeals to the Allies for help.
Wednesday, December 20th, 1944
The US 10th and 19th Armored Divisions are completely encircled by the German advance.
Tuesday, August 8th, 1944
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.
Monday, September 25th, 1944
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.
Sunday, August 20th, 1944
German Army soldiers now number some 21,300 personnel in Warsaw.
Friday, August 11th, 1944
The Red Army finds themselves some 12 miles outside of Warsaw proper, having advanced into the Polish suburbs.
Wednesday, December 20th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, August 8th, 1944
General Patton reaches Le Mans and then heads north to Argentan.
Monday, September 25th, 1944
At Arnhem, some 6,000 Allied soldiers are taken prison by the Germans. A further 1,000 lay dead from the fighting.
Wednesday, August 16th, 1944
Sensing his own political interests and conquests, Soviet leader Josef Stalin rejects a direct call for aid for the Poles.
Friday, December 22nd, 1944
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.
Sunday, August 13th, 1944
Patton's 3rd Army arrives at Argentan.
Wednesday, September 27th, 1944
Despite valliant actions, the Polish Parachute Brigade is forced to surrender at Arnhem.
Sunday, August 20th, 1944
The swift and thorough German response has divided the Polish resistance into three distinct groups, all cut off from one another.
Saturday, December 23rd, 1944
The foul weather over the Ardennes begins to clear.
Monday, August 14th, 1944
Elements of Patton's 3rd Army are sent from Falaise to the east towards Chartres and in the direction of Paris proper.
Wednesday, September 27th, 1944
South of Arnhem, Allied forces continue to hold their gains. Over the next few months, some 3,500 casualties will be counted.
Sunday, August 20th, 1944
The German Army begins their final push to crush the Polish response.
Saturday, December 23rd, 1944
2,000 Allied air sorties are launched in improving skies against the Germans on the ground.
Wednesday, August 16th, 1944
After seven days of continuous and bitter fighting, Canadian Army forces reach Falaise.
Friday, August 25th, 1944
SS Obergruppenfuhrer Erich von dem Bach-Zelweski details the final German push.
Saturday, December 23rd, 1944
Supplies are dropped from Allied transport planes to the beleagured forces held up at Bastogne.
Wednesday, August 16th, 1944
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.
Friday, August 25th, 1944
The Germans begin their counter-offensive against the remaining Pole units.
Saturday, December 23rd, 1944
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.
Wednesday, August 16th, 1944
The American 3rd Army reaches Chartres.
Saturday, September 16th, 1944
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.
Monday, December 25th, 1944
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.
Saturday, August 19th, 1944
At Mantes Grassicourt, a division of the American XV Corps manages to cross the Seine River.
Saturday, September 16th, 1944
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.
Monday, December 25th, 1944
German losses on Christmas Day include 3,500 infantrymen and 400 vehicles, 81 of these being tanks.
Sunday, August 20th, 1944
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.
Sunday, September 17th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, December 26th, 1944
The American 4th Armored Division makes its way to the beleagured 101st Airborne forces at Bastogne and the situation at the village is stabilized.
Tuesday, August 22nd, 1944
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.
Monday, September 18th, 1944
American B-17 bombers land at Poltava, now under Soviet control, to refuel. Onboard are arms and supplies meant for the Polish resistance.
Thursday, December 28th, 1944
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.
Friday, August 25th, 1944
The Allies reach the French capital of Paris.
Monday, September 18th, 1944
Josef Stalin refuses further Allied use of his forward airfields to resupply the Polish insurgents.
Friday, August 25th, 1944
Paris is liberated by the arriving Allies.
Thursday, September 21st, 1944
For his actions in disobeying Soviet Army orders, Berling is stripped of his army command.
Friday, August 25th, 1944
Patton and his 3rd Army continue their march and setup critical strategic bridgeheads over the Seine River at Elbeuf and Louviers.
Monday, September 25th, 1944
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.
Monday, October 2nd, 1944
Polish General Komorowski, sensing total defeat imminent, orders his Polish insurgents to surrender to the Germans.
Saturday, August 26th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, October 3rd, 1944
Polish military forces all surrender to the German Army, ending the valliant uprising.
Tuesday, October 31st, 1944
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.
Saturday, January 6th, 1945
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the west coordinates via telegram with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in the east on launching a combined January offensive. Churchill plans on the 20th as the target date.
Sunday, January 7th, 1945
Stalin moves the offensive launch date forward to January 12th.
Friday, January 12th, 1945
The Red Army enacts a massive offensive against German foes along the East Front. His targets are German Army Group A and Army Group Center located in East Prussia and Poland. The battle line is a long running front from the Lithuanian coast down to the Balkans region.
Friday, January 12th, 1945
The Red Army offensive is spear-headed by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts as well as the 1st Baltic Front joined by the 1st Ukrainian Front.
Sunday, January 14th, 1945
Initial thrusts by the Soviet Army prove positive against the German defense.
Tuesday, January 16th, 1945
Adolf Hitler reorders his forces, weakening key areas of defense, to attempt a flanking manuever against the Red Army near Poznan.
Wednesday, January 17th, 1945
The Polish capital city of Warsaw officially falls to the advancing Soviet Army.
Wednesday, January 17th, 1945
Soviet forces engage German foes in East Prussia with gains being made towards Danzig and Konigsberg.
Saturday, January 20th, 1945
Hitler orders his 6th SS Panzer Army out of the Ardennes forrest on the West Front towards Budapest, Hungary in the east.
Monday, January 22nd, 1945
Soviet General Konev and his 1st Ukranian Front cross the Oder River at Steinau.
Thursday, January 25th, 1945
Hitler reorganizes his forces under the new names of Army Group North, Army Group Center and Army Group Vistula.
Thursday, February 1st, 1945
German forces at Kustrin derail any further Soviet advance towards Berlin. General Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front is halted.
Saturday, February 3rd, 1945
General Zhukov and his 1st Belorussian Front combine forces with General Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front along the Oder River near Kustrin.
Saturday, February 3rd, 1945
The Soviet front lines total some 50 miles along the Oder River by this time.
Monday, February 5th, 1945
Soviet Army forces begin to cross the Oder River into Germany.
Thursday, February 15th, 1945
The German city of Breslau is surrounded by Soviet troops.
Thursday, February 22nd, 1945
Poznan falls to the Soviet Army after the defending German troops surrender.
Saturday, February 24th, 1945
General Konev's 1st Ukranian Front claims Lower Silesia.
Friday, March 16th, 1945
From Hungary, Soviet Army groups begin their offensive into Austria along the Danube River. The target is Vienna.
Saturday, March 31st, 1945
The Soviet Front gains tremendous ground since the start of the offensive back in January. Forces are a mere 50 miles from Berlin.
Saturday, March 31st, 1945
Preparations for the final battle of Berlin are made.
Monday, January 1st, 1945
Weeks of fighting see German forces destroyed, taken prisoner or sent packing as the Allies regroup and respond.
Wednesday, February 7th, 1945
By this date, all of the German gains of the Ardennes Offensive have been erased.
Wednesday, February 7th, 1945
The German loss of life is a staggering 82,000 men, matched only by the 77,000 casualties suffered by the American Army.
Thursday, August 31st, 1939
Adolf Hitler provides the final orders for the invasion of Poland.
Friday, September 1st, 1939
German airborne elements begin bombardment of Polish defensive targets. At 6:00 AM, 50 German divisions making up Army Group North and Army Group South flood into Poland. Army Group South's mission is the capture of the Polish capital of Warsaw.
Sunday, September 3rd, 1939
Britain declares war on Germany leading British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to arrange a war cabinet.
Wednesday, September 6th, 1939
German forces advance beyond Lodz.
Wednesday, September 6th, 1939
German forces take Krakow.
Thursday, September 7th, 1939
French forces begin light fighting against German elements near Saarbrucken.
Friday, September 8th, 1939
The German Tenth Army reaches the Warsaw perimeter.
Friday, September 8th, 1939
The German Fourteenth Army arrives near Przemysl.
Friday, September 8th, 1939
General Guderian's tank force reaches the Bug River just east of the Polish capital.
Friday, September 8th, 1939
German ground forces arrive at the outskirts of the Polish capital of Warsaw, covering an astounding 200 miles in a single week.
Saturday, September 9th, 1939
Polish Poznan army units launch a counter-offensive against the German army at Kutno on the Bzura.
Monday, September 10th, 1939
General Lord Gort and his British Expeditionary Force begin to arrive on French soil.
Sunday, September 10th, 1939
Polish forces at the Modline fortress some 20 miles north of Warsaw fall under siege to the German Army.
Wednesday, September 13th, 1939
French Prime Minister Edouard Daladier begins setting up his war cabinet.
Sunday, September 17th, 1939
Soviet army elements begin their invasion of Poland from the east. Attacks occur near Vilnius and Bialystok.
Sunday, September 17th, 1939
Polish resistance at the Bzura River north of Lodz finally surrender to the Germans. Some 170,000 Polish prisoners are taken captive.
Monday, September 18th, 1939
The Polish city of Vilnius falls to the Soviet army.
Monday, September 18th, 1939
The Polish government flees to Romania and is held. A government-in-exile is hastily arranged.
Tuesday, September 19th, 1939
German and Soviet army elements finally meet one another in Poland at Brest-Litovsk.
Friday, September 22nd, 1939
The Polish city of Bialystok falls to the Soviet Army.
Friday, September 22nd, 1939
The Polish City of Lwow falls to the Soviet Army.
Wednesday, September 27th, 1939
The Polish capital of Warsaw officially falls.
Thursday, September 28th, 1939
Polish forces fighting it out at the Modline fortress officially surrender.
Friday, September 29th, 1939
The German-Soviet Boundary Friendship Treaty is signed between German representative von Ribbentrop and Soviet representative Molotov. Poland is divided into a western zone under German control and an eastern zone under Soviet control.
Monday, October 2nd, 1939
The last valiant gap of Polish resistance - numbering some 4,500 soldiers under the command of Admiral Unruh - north of Danzig on the Polwysep Helski peninsula falls to the Germans.
Thursday, November 30th, 1939
Five Soviet armies cross into Finland, beginning the Winter War.
Friday, December 1st, 1939
The Soviet Union installs a Finnish-Soviet puppet government in Terijoki to be led by Otto Kuusinen.
Tuesday, December 5th, 1939
After some initial advances, the Soviet Army if forced to stop by the Finnish defenses at the Mannerheim Line.
Saturday, December 9th, 1939
As the Finnish winter worsens, Soviet attacks on Helsinki stall.
Saturday, December 9th, 1939
The Soviet 44th and 163rd Divisions take the Finnish town of Soumussalmi.
Friday, December 15th, 1939
The deteriorating conditions of a Finnish winter protect Helsinki from additional Soviet attacks.
Friday, December 15th, 1939
The Mannerheim Line holds as Soviet Army elements are kept at bay.
Friday, December 15th, 1939
Valliant Finnish forces repel the Soviet Army out of Soumussalmi, retaking the town.
Friday, December 15th, 1939
The Soviet 14th Army takes Petsamo.
Friday, December 15th, 1939
Finnish defenders keep the town of Nautsi from falling under Soviet control.
Sunday, December 17th - December 31st, 1939
Finnish Army elements cross into Soviet Karelia, unleashing hell on the Russian 44th and 163rd Divisions. Some 27,000 Russian soldiers are killed.
Saturday, December 23rd, 1939
7,500 Canadian soldiers arrive in Britain.
Tuesday, January 2nd, 1940
A new Soviet offensive on the Karelian isthmus fails.
Sunday, January 7th, 1940
Stalin appoints a new commander to oversee the Winter War - General Semyon Timoshenko.
Sunday, January 28th, 1940
Finnish ground forces recover territory from the Soviet 54th Division at Kuhmo.
Thursday, February 1st, 1940
The Soviets enact a new offensive against Finnish positions along the Mannerheim Line, beginning with artillery attack accounting for some 300,000 shells.
Sunday, February 11th - February 17th, 1940
The Soviet Army breaks through the defenses at the Mannerheim Line at Summa. Finnish Army units retreat.
Friday, February 23rd, 1940
The Soviet government delivers terms of surrender to the Finnish government, claiming the Karelian isthmus and Lake Lagoda as their own. The Finns are required to defend the Soviet Union from the north if the empire is attacked.
Tuesday, March 5th, 1940
Finland responds to the Soviet surrender overture with negotiations.
Tuesday, March 12th, 1940
After months of fighting and countless lives lost on both sides, the Finnish government officially accepts the surrender terms of the Russian proposal in an internal vote numbering 145 to 3.
Friday, May 10th, 1940
German airborne elements land across Belgium and Holland in advance of ground forces, capturing key bridges and routes.
Friday, May 10th, 1940
German paratroopers land in The Hague and Rotterdam.
Friday, May 10th, 1940
89 German paratroopers land and take the Belgium fortress of Eben Emael with its garrison of 2,000 soldiers.
Saturday, May 11th, 1940
British and French army forces begin defensive preparations in Belgium in an effort to stave off the German advance. A long line of strategic defenses is contructed.
Tuesday, May 14th, 1940
Facing light opposition, German Panzer Corps XV, XLI and XIX are free to set up three key bridge-heads covering Dinant, Montherme and Sedan.
Tuesday, May 14th, 1940
Panzer Corps XV and XIX break through the Allied defenses at Sedan, allowing German forces to completely bypass the formidable defenses at the French Maginot Line.
Wednesday, May 15th, 1940
German Panzer Corps cross into the north of France.
Wednesday, May 15th, 1940
After periods of heavy bombing all across Rotterdam, the Dutch surrender to the Germans.
Friday, May 17th - May 18th, 1940
Antwerp falls to the German Army.
Friday, May 17th - May 18th, 1940
Brussels falls to the German Army.
Friday, May 17th - May 18th, 1940
Allied forces are in full retreat of the Germans, making their way towards the French coastline.
Monday, May 20th, 1940
Sensing a catastrophic loss in the making, Winston Churchill orders preparation of vessels to evacuate the British Expeditionary Forces from northern France.
Monday, May 20th, 1940
Compounding battlefield losses across France and the Low Countries force a change at the helm - General Maxime Weygand replaces General Maurice-Gustave Gamelin as supreme Allied commander.
Tuesday, May 21st, 1940
An Allied counterattack against the German Army near Arras ends in failure as the attack is itself countered by another advancing German land force.
Friday, May 24th, 1940
In a stunning move, Hitler orders his forces not to cross the Lens-Bethune-St Omer-Gravelines line, allowing the retreating Allied forces more time to reach the French coast.
Friday, May 24th, 1940
German Luftwaffe bombers hammer Allied defensive positions in and around the French port city of Dunkirk.
Saturday, May 25th, 1940
The German Army takes Boulogne.
Saturday, May 25th, 1940
More and more retreating Allied units arrive at the French port city of Dunkirk.
Sunday, May 26th, 1940
Hitler orders his army forces towards Dunkirk for the final blow to the Allied cause.
Sunday, May 26th, 1940
Operation Dynamo - the all-out evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk - officially begins at 6:57 PM.
Tuesday, May 28th, 1940
With the fight gone out of them, the Belgian Army surrenders to the German 6th and 18th armies. Their actions, however, supply the evacuating Allies with much-needed time.
Tuesday, May 28th, 1940
King Leopold of Belgium orders his army to surrender to the Germans. By this time, his government has already relocated to Paris, France.
Tuesday, May 28th, 1940
Belgium falls to Germany in just 18 days.
Tuesday, May 28th, 1940
With Belgium out of the way, German Army elements begin making their way towards the French coastline in an attempt to completely eliminate Allied forces for good.
Tuesday, May 28th, 1940
By the end of this day, some 25,473 British soldiers have been evacuated from France.
Wednesday, May 29th, 1940
Another 47,000 British troops are evacuated from Dunkirk.
Thursday, May 30th, 1940
6,000 French soldiers join some 120,000 total Allied soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk on this day.
Friday, May 31st, 1940
Over 150,000 Allied soldiers (including some 15,000 French) arrive in Britain.
Saturday, June 1st, 1940
Defense of the outlying region near Dunkirk now passes to French XVI Corps.
Tuesday, June 4th, 1940
German Luftwaffe bombers cease bombardment of Dunkirk.
Tuesday, June 4th, 1940
Operation Dynamo - the evacuation of Allied forces at Dunkirk - officially ends. 338,326 total soldiers are saved including 113,000 French troops.
Tuesday, June 4th, 1940
Some 40,000 French soldiers are taken prisoner by Germany at the fall of Dunkirk.
Sunday, September 1st - September 30th, 1940
Italian forces, led by Marshal Graziani invade Egypt. During the month, the Italian army sets up a series of six defensive positions south of occupied Sidi Barrani known simply as Nibeiwa, Tummar East, Tummar West, North Sofafi, East Sofafi and West Sofafi.
Monday, October 28th, 1940
An Italian force of 70,000 soldiers invades Greece.
Sunday, November 10th, 1940
The Italian invasion force is in full retreat, repelled by a combined Greek resistance and RAF effort after just two weeks.
Tuesday, November 26th, 1940
The construction of a ghetto in the Polish capital of Warsaw is begun in an effort to corral the local Jewish populations.
Friday, December 6th - December 8th, 1940
The Western Desert Force in Egypt, under the command of Major-General Richard O'Connor, set up pre-assault positions. The force includes 36,000 total men from the 7th Armored Division, 4th Indian Division and the New Zealand Division. They set up their initial position southeast of the Italian fort at Nibeiwa.
Sunday, December 8th - December 9th, 1940
Aircraft of the Royal Navy are put into action against Italian forces dug in at Maktila and Barrani. Bombers are sent in to soften targets for the initial ground assault.
Monday, December 9th, 1940
Operation Compass is officially launched.
Monday, December 9th, 1940
The British 7th Armored Division launches attacks on the Italian camps positioned near Sofafi and Rabia and makes its way toward the critical ocean-side road near Buqbug.
Monday, December 9th, 1940
The British 7th Tank Regiment, along with the 4th Indian Division, attack Italian positions at Tummar West and Nibeiwa.
Tuesday, December 10th, 1940
The Italian camps at Tummar East fall to the Allies.
Tuesday, December 10th, 1940
Italian forces stationed at Sidi Barrani are all but surrounded by the Allies.
Tuesday, December 10th, 1940
Selby Force has removed the Italian 1st Libyan Division out of Maktila.
Tuesday, December 10th, 1940
Selby Force sets its eyes on Sidi Barrani.
Tuesday, December 10th, 1940
The Italian XXI Corps is in full retreat.
Tuesday, December 10th, 1940
Some 38,000 Italian soldiers are taken prisoner by the Allies.
Wednesday, December 11th, 1940
Royal Navy bombers begin attacks on Italian-held Sollum.
Wednesday, December 11th, 1940
The Italian Catanzaro Division is captured, delivering another 30,000 Italian prisoners of war.
Wednesday, January 15th, 1941
The Australian Army begins actions against the Italians in Libya.
Wednesday, January 22nd, 1941
The Allies take Tobruk, a key port city vital to North Africa operations.
Wednesday, January 22nd, 1941
Operation Compass is effectively over, netting some 130,000 total Italian prisoners.
Wednesday, January 29th, 1941
British forces take on Italian positions in Kenya.
Wednesday, February 19th - February 23rd, 1941
Allied authorities meet in Cairo, Egypt to review the situation in Greece. It is agree upon to commit some 100,000 British soldiers to the fighting.
Sunday, March 9th, 1941
The Italians launch a new offensive in Greece to recover lost ground.
Tuesday, March 11th, 1941
President Roosevelt signs the Lend-Lease Act into law allowing the United States government to militarily support - with delayed payments - any and all allies when U.S. interests are threatened.
Monday, March 24th, 1941
German forces drive the British from El Agheila in Libya.
Monday, March 24th, 1941
Rommel begins his attack near El Agheila.
Thursday, March 27th, 1941
The Italians are forced by the British to retreat during the Battle of Keren in Eritrea.
Sunday, March 31st, 1941
Recent unrest in Yugoslavia forces the Germans to draw up plans of the invasion of Yugoslavia by way of Directive Number 25.
Tuesday, April 1st, 1941
Italian-held Asmara falls to the British.
Monday, April 1st - April 18th, 1941
Internal unrest in Iraq leads to an overthrow of the pro-British government. The new government aligns itself with the Axis.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 1941
Rommel's forces reach Agedabia.
Saturday, April 5th, 1941
The number of British troops having arrived in Greece numbers 58,000.
Sunday, April 6th, 1941
Rommel reaches Mechili.
Sunday, April 6th, 1941
Operation Marita - the dual Germany invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia - is put into action. Twenty-four total divisions are involved, including some 1200 tanks.
Monday, April 7th, 1941
Rommel reaches Derna.
Wednesday, April 9th, 1941
The German 12th Army encircles and defeats the Greek defensive line known as the "Metaxas Line".
Wednesday, April 9th, 1941
The German Army moves on and captures the strategic port city of Salonika.
Thursday, April 10th - April 16th, 1941
Three divisions of British, Australian and New Zealand troops at the Aliakmon Line in the Vermion Mountains are defeated.
Saturday, April 12th, 1941
Vermion Line Allied troops are now redeployed to defensive positions around Mount Olympus.
Saturday, April 12th, 1941
German forces launching from Romania, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria along with an Italian contigent from Albania capture and secure the Yugoslavian capital of Belgrade.
Monday, April 14th, 1941
The German Army destroys Yugoslavian forces at Monistar Gap, clearing a path into Greece. Greece units fighting in Albania are effectively cut off.
Wednesday, April 16th, 1941
Allied forces in Greece are in full retreat at the request of Greek General Alexander Papagos who sees value is less fighting to save his country from total destruction. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill accepts the request.
Thursday, April 17th, 1941
Yugoslavian leadership, along with the army, surrenders to the Germans.
Friday, April 18th, 1941
In an effort to safeguard its vital oil supply chain, British forces arrive in Iraq.
Sunday, April 20th, 1941
The Greek Army surrenders to the Germans and Italians.
Friday, April 25th, 1941
Fuhrer Directive No.28 is issued by Adolf Hitler, calling for the invasion of the island of Crete through Operation Mercury led by General Kurt Student.
Saturday, April 26th, 1941
German airborne elements attempt to capture the bridge over the Corinth Canal in an attempt to encircle the retreating allies. The bridge is lost in the attack while the Allies have already moved on.
Sunday, April 27th - April 30th, 1941
Operation Demon is activated, covering the evacuation of some 51,000 Allied troops from southern Greece via the Royal Navy.
Sunday, April 27th, 1941
Axis forces officially occupy Athens, effectively signaling the end of Greek resistance.
Thursday, April 30th, 1942
Spring over Russia brings about seasonal rains turning once solid and dependable ground into a muddy nightmare for both armies. As such, offensives are limited or stalled altogether.
Thursday, April 30th, 1942
German Army forces partially regroup and recover from the constant barrage of Soviet offensives.
Thursday, April 30th, 1942
By this time, over 1 million German soldiers have been killed in action since the start of Operation Barbarossa.
Thursday, May 15th, 1941
The British launch Operation Brevity against Rommel's dug-in forces, making little progress against the prepared defenders.
Tuesday, May 20th, 1941
Operation Mercury is officially launched.
Tuesday, May 20th, 1941
The first day of the German invasion of Crete sees little progress as many strategic positions are not under German control yet.
Wednesday, May 21st, 1941
A German offensive against Heraklion is pushed away by at least 8,000 dug-in Allied soldiers.
Wednesday, May 21st, 1941
German Army troops making their way to Crete via the sea are intercepted and pummeled by elements of the Royal Navy. Just 60 of these German soldiers live to see another day.
Thursday, May 22nd, 1941
New Zealand troops are repelled from an attempt to retake the airfield at Maleme from the Germans.
Tuesday, May 27th, 1941
The German Army takes Heraklion and her all-important airfield.
Tuesday, May 27th, 1941
Allied forces retreat to defensive positions at Galatas.
Wednesday, May 28th, 1941
Heraklion in the north and Sphakia in the south of Crete will serve as major evacuation junctions for the Allies.
Wednesday, May 28th, 1941
The evacuation order is given by Major-General Freyberg for the gradual withdrawel of Allied troops from the island of Crete.
Friday, May 30th, 1941
The brave defense of Rethymnon by Australian soldiers finally falters under intense pressure from the German Army.
Saturday, May 31st, 1941
By this date, Crete is firmly entrenched under German rule.
Tuesday, July 1st, 1941
Panzergruppe 2 and Panzergruppe 3 cross the Berezina River west of Minsk, heading towards Smolensk and Vitebsk.
Thursday, July 3rd, 1941
Panzergruppe 2 and Panzergruppe 3 now form up as part of General Gunther von Kluge's 4th Panzer Army.
Wednesday, July 9th, 1941
Soviet defenses at Brest-Litovsk, Bialystok, Volkovysk, Gorodishche and Minsk fall to the invading German Army.
Wednesday, July 9th, 1941
Panzergruppe 3 continues north to Vitebsk.
Wednesday, July 9th, 1941
Gurderian's army moves south towards Mogliev.
Thursday, July 10th, 1941
Guderian's forces cross the Dniepr River 50 miles outside of Smolensk.
Sunday, July 13th, 1941
Defenses across Smolensk are prepared under the direction of the Soviet 16th Army.
Sunday, July 13th, 1941
The Soviet 19th Army makes its way into Smolensk.
Sunday, July 13th, 1941
The Soviet 20th Army arrives in Smolensk.
Wednesday, July 16th, 1941
Smolensk falls to the German 29th Motorized Division.
Wednesday, July 16th, 1941
Panzergruppe 3 heads towards Yartsevo.
Wednesday, July 16th, 1941
Marshal Timoshenko and his 4th and 13th Armies near the Sohz River counterattack the Germans at Smolensk.
Thursday, July 17th, 1941
The German Army begins to tighten the noose around the encircled Soviet forces numbering some 25 divisions.
Saturday, July 19th, 1941
A German High Command directive calls for the army to complete the destruction of Soviet forces around Smolensk and then head south to tackle forces in Kiev instead of marching on Moscow herself - this decision is viewed as the turning point to Germany's defeat in Russia.
Sunday, June 22nd, 1941
Operation Barbossa is put into effect - the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
Tuesday, July 22nd, 1941
The Soviet counterattack at Smolensk is driven back by Guderian's forces.
Tuesday, July 22nd, 1941
The German Army begins to encircled in Soviet Army pockets held up outside of Smolensk, Vitebsk and Mogilev.
Tuesday, July 22nd, 1941
A Soviet offensive meant to break the German stranglehold fails due to poor coordination.
Thursday, July 24th, 1941
The German encirclement of Soviet forces is completed.
Sunday, June 29th, 1941
General Guderian's Panzergruppe 2 meets General Hoth's Panzergruppe 3 in Minsk.
Sunday, June 29th, 1941
Russian army forces are encirlced at key cities across the Soviet Union.
Tuesday, August 5th, 1941
The Soviet defense of Smolensk is obliterated and falls taking with it the end of the Soviet 16th and 20th Armies.
Tuesday, August 5th, 1941
300,000 Soviet prisoners, 3,200 tanks and 3,100 artillery guns are captured by the Germans at Smolensk.
Tuesday, August 5th, 1941
The drive on Smolensk nets a total of 600,000 Russian prisoners of war, 5,700 tanks and 4,600 artillery pieces.
Monday, September 1st, 1941
German Army elements begin the shelling of Leningrad.
Monday, September 15th, 1941
The Soviet fortress at Shlusselburg southeast of Leningrad falls to the Germans.
Monday, September 15th, 1941
The Germans now control the southern end of Leningrad, cutting its citizens off from the rest of the Soviet Union.
Monday, September 15th, 1941
Finnish forces, siding with the Germans, now control the Karelian isthmus, covering Leningrad from both sides.
Thursday, September 25th, 1941
The Crimea finds itself cutoff from the rest of the Soviet Union by German Army forces made up of German Army Group South.
Friday, September 26th - November 26th, 1941
Over the course of two months, Soviet Major-General I.Y. Pretov and his band of 32,000 Independent Maritime Army soldiers set up a vast network of defenses at the fortress in Sevastopol. The defense consists of three well-defended rings.
Wednesday, October 1st - December 31st, 1941
As rations begin to run out in the encircled city of Leningrad, its citizens begin to starve.
Sunday, November 9th, 1941
The Germans take the supply line route of Tikhvin, located east of Schlusselburg.
Sunday, November 16th, 1941
By this date, Lieutenant-General von Manstein and his German 11th Army take most of Crimea with the exception of Sevastapol.
Friday, December 5th, 1941
The Soviets launch a full-scale counter-attack along a 500-mile front encompassing 19 Russian armies against Field Marshal von Bock's German Army Group Centre near Moscow.
Saturday, December 6th, 1941
No fewer than 17 German motorized divisions retreat from the Soviet advance.
Saturday, December 6th, 1941
The Soviet 31st Army cuts 12 miles into the German lines.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
In conjunction with the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Wake Island is assaulted by a Japanese invasion force all its own - this under the command of Rear-Admiral Kajioka Sadamichi.
Tuesday, December 9th - December 13th, 1941
General Guderian's Panzergruppe 2 is cut off from General Kluge's 4th Army.
Wednesday, December 10th, 1941
The Soviets retake the town of Tikhvin.
Wednesday, December 10th, 1941
The Soviet supply route is restarted across frozen Lake Lagoda.
Tuesday, December 16th, 1941
Amid the mounting pressures and expectations of his superiors back in Germany, Field Marshal von Bock requests reassignment away from Army Group Centre.
Wednesday, December 17th, 1941
Lieutenant-General von Manstein launches a major offensive against the Soviet soldiers holed up in the Sevastopol fortress.
Wednesday, December 17th, 1941
Field Marshal von Kluge is tapped to replace Field Marshal von Bock as leader of Army Group Centre.
Tuesday, December 23rd, 1941
Despite an out-numbered yet heroic resistance on the part of American forces, Wake Island falls to the Japanese.
Friday, December 26th, 1941
Manstein's offensive gains substantial ground, piercing the first two Soviet defensive rings.
Friday, December 26th, 1941
Soviet naval forces land army troops near Kerch.
Sunday, December 28th, 1941
More Soviet forces land near Kerch via amphibious transports, bolstering Red Army power in the area.
Sunday, December 28th, 1941
In the face of growing Soviet Army opposition, von Manstein calls off his offensive on Sevastopol.
Thursday, January 1st - July 31st, 1942
Some 800,000 of Leningrad's citizens are evacuated through the frozen passage above Lake Lagoda.
Thursday, January 1st - January 31st, 1942
Over the course of the month, three Soviet armies, under the command of Major-General D.T. Kozlov, are called to the newly created "Crimea Front".
Wednesday, January 7th, 1942
With progress over the Germans being made on several fronts, Soviet forces launch another offensive to try and encircle Army Group Centre.
Wednesday, January 7th, 1942
Along the Volkhov Front to the south of Novgorod, the Soviets launch a major offensive.
Sunday, January 11th, 1942
Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaya, falls to the invading Japanese 5th Division.
Sunday, January 11th, 1942
Three Japanese amphibious forces take on the Dutch East Indies.
Thursday, January 15th, 1942
Japanese forces invade Burma beginning their assault at Victoria Point.
Monday, January 19th, 1942
The Japanese Army makes short work of the light British defenses, covering some 230 miles in reaching Tavoy.
Friday, January 23rd, 1942
The American defensive lines finally break.
Sunday, January 25th, 1942
The Soviet movement begins losing steam after consecutive weeks of fighting. Man and machine are beginning to show their limitations.
Monday, February 2nd, 1942
Adolph Hitler approves of the order for retreat for German forces at Rostov.
Thursday, February 5th, 1942
Rostov is officially abandoned by General Manstein's forces.
Friday, February 6th, 1942
German General Manstein meets with Hitler and proposes a new German counter-attack against the Russians.
Sunday, February 8th, 1942
The Soviet Army officially retakes the Russian city of Kursk.
Thursday, February 12th, 1942
German Army Group Don is renamed Army Group South.
Thursday, February 12th, 1942
German Army Group B is renamed Army Group Center.
Saturday, February 14th, 1942
Russian General Vatutin and his South-West Front army reach the city of Kharkov.
Saturday, February 14th - February 18th, 1942
Street fighting begins between the German I SS Panzer Corps and the Russian 3rd Tank Army and 40th Army forces in Kharkov.
Saturday, February 14th, 1942
By this time, the Japanese have captured Borneo, Celebes and Sarawak.
Sunday, February 15th, 1942
Singapore eventually falls to the might of the Japanese assault resulting in the capture of some 60,000 Allied prisoners against the cost of 2,000 Japanese soldiers.
Tuesday, February 17th, 1942
Adolph Hitler meets with General Manstein to plan a German counter-offensive.
Wednesday, February 18th, 1942
German forces are officially driven from the Russian city of Kharkov.
Friday, February 20th, 1942
The Germans unleash their counterattack using the 4th Panzer Amry, 1st Panzer Army and the II SS Panzer Corps.
Saturday, February 28th, 1942
The Germans recapture lost ground and push elements of the Russian Army back. The German army reaches as far in as the River Donets while General Vatutin's forces are surrounded.
Sunday, March 1st - April 30th, 1942
Hitler and his commanders flesh out Operation Blue - in invasion of the oil-rich, Russian-held Caucasus.
Sunday, March 1st - March 30th, 1942
The Soviet offensive near Novgorod is stopped by German ground and air elements.
Sunday, March 1st - March 30th, 1942
The whole Soviet 2nd Shock Army is lost near Novgorod.
Saturday, March 7th, 1942
German General Hoth and his 4th Panzer Army form up and launch an offensive against the Voronezh Front near Kharkov.
Sunday, March 8th, 1942
Rangoon, Burma falls to the Japanese.
Sunday, March 8th, 1942
The British Burma Army escapes anhilation in Burma.
Thursday, March 12th, 1942
Street fighting throughout Kharkov erupts once more as German forces enter Kharkov.
Saturday, March 14th, 1942
The 4th Panzer Army surrounds the city of Kharkov.
Wednesday, March 18th, 1942
The Germans complete the retaking of Kharkov.
Wednesday, March 18th - March 26th, 1942
The Soviets and Germans both dig in within and around the city of Kharkov, preparing to fight another day.
Wednesday, April 1st - May 31st, 1942
Over a two month period, German forces are resupplied and strengthened before a major offensive - Operation Bustard - to remove the Soviets from the Kerch peninsula. Among the resupply deliveries are 33 massive artillery pieces meant to destroy the Soviet defensive works at the fort in Sevastopol.
Sunday, April 5th, 1942
Hitler issues the official Fuhrer Directive for Operation Blue.
Thursday, April 9th, 1942
American forces fighting on the Bataan Peninsula finally surrender to the Japanese.
Sunday, May 3rd, 1942
Forces of the Imperial Japanese Army land at Tulagi of the Solomons island group. Subsequent develop ensures a base of operations for Japanese logistics in the region.
Monday, May 4th, 1942
The Japanese invasion force leaves Rabaul, New Britain, heading towards Port Moresby, New Guinea.
Tuesday, May 5th, 1942
The Japanese enact an offensive to take Corregidor Island, a strategic point providing access to Manila Bay.
Wednesday, May 6th, 1942
Corregidor Island falls to the Japanese, giving the invaders control over Manila Bay.
Thursday, May 7th, 1942
The Allies spot the Japanese Covering Group escorting the invasion force.
Thursday, May 7th, 1942
The Japanese invasion of Port Moresby is called off.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
Operation Blue begins.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
German General Manstein leads his 11th Army onto the Kerch Peninsula towards the city of Sevastopol.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
Lieutenant-General von Manstein launches his assault.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
The Japanese invasion force heads back to New Britain.
Tuesday, May 12th, 1942
Soviet ground forces launch a pre-emptive offensive against German-held Kharkov.
Tuesday, May 12th, 1942
German forces enact Operation Fridericus and attempt to take Izyum.
Friday, May 15th, 1942
Manstein's offensive results in the taking of the Kerch peninsula from the Soviets.
Friday, May 15th, 1942
Sevastopol is cutt off from the rest of the Soviet Union by German Army elements.
Friday, May 15th, 1942
Manstein begins planning his next major offensive to take Sevastopol - this becomes Operation Sturgeon.
Friday, May 15th, 1942
Burma falls to the Japanese.
Wednesday, May 20th, 1942
The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division begins training for Operation Rutter on the Isle of Wight.
Tuesday, May 26th, 1942
Group Cruewell, made up of the Italian X and XI Corps, launches an assault on the northern portion of the Gazala Line in an attempt to divert Allied forces from the real attack coming from the south.
Tuesday, May 26th, 1942
Rommel begins his offense against the Gazala Line, made up of some 50 miles of British defenses.
Tuesday, May 26th, 1942
Beginning at 7:00PM, the German 90th Infantry Division, the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions and the Italian XX Corps under Rommel launch their offensive along the southern portion of the Gazala Line.
Wednesday, May 27th, 1942
German forces south of Bir Hacheim make progress and begin to move northwards.
Wednesday, May 27th, 1942
The 1st Free French Brigade at Bir Hacheim holds off the German progress.
Thursday, May 28th, 1942
While trying to take Sidra Ridge, German Panzer force casaulties begin to mount significantly.
Sunday, May 31st, 1942
As the Allied defense along the Gazala line holds, Rommel is forced to change tactics, now concentrating his forces against the British 150th Brigade near Sidi Muftah.
Sunday, May 31st, 1942
Rommel orders his forces to begin defensive preparations across a 10 mile stretch.
Monday, June 1st, 1942
Nearly 30% of German tanks have been lost in Rommel's offensive.
Monday, June 1st - June 3rd, 1942
A German pocket develops near Sidi Muftah.
Tuesday, June 2nd, 1942
600 German artillery guns open fire on Sevastopol.
Wednesday, June 3rd, 1942
The Northern Task Force begins its operation to take the Aleutian Island chain and divert USN forces to the region.
Friday, June 5th, 1942
The Allies attempt an offensive to drive the German pocket back from Sidi Muftah and fail. 230 Allied tanks are lost in the attack.
Saturday, June 6th, 1942
The British 150th Brigade is utterly destroyed under the German assault, resulting in 4,000 British prisoners of war.
Saturday, June 6th, 1942
The German Luftwaffe is called in to bomb Sevastopol.
Saturday, June 6th, 1942
The island of Kiska is taken by Japanese forces.
Sunday, June 7th, 1942
The German artillery guns cease fire on Sevastopol. The bombardment on the Soviets has spanned five days.
Sunday, June 7th, 1942
The German 11th Army begins their assault on Sevastopol from the north at 2:30AM.
Sunday, June 7th, 1942
The island of Attu is taken by Japanese forces.
Wednesday, June 10th, 1942
The 1st Free French Brigade at Bir Hacheim can hold no more and retreat under the mounting German pressure.
Thursday, June 11th, 1942
The German-allied Romanian Mountain Corps and 30th Army Corps launch their attack on Sevastopol.
Thursday, June 11th, 1942
The German Army breaks out of their pocket near Sidi Muftah.
Thursday, June 11th, 1942
German forces breaking out near Sidi Muftah target the British 7th Armored Division near El Adem.
Thursday, June 11th, 1942
The Allies go into full retreat as the Germans advance.
Friday, June 12th - June 16th, 1942
The German offensive against Sevastopol is repulsed by the 180,000 or so Russian soldiers holed up in the city.
Wednesday, June 17th, 1942
Manstein launches another assault on Sevastopol.
Thursday, June 18th, 1942
The city of Tobruk, defended by the 2nd South African Division, is completely surrounded by German forces.
Saturday, June 20th, 1942
Rommel begins his offensive against the defenders in Tobruk.
Saturday, June 20th, 1942
Artillery shells and Luftwaffe bombs rain upon Tobruk.
Saturday, June 20th, 1942
At 7:00PM, the German 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions have made it past Tobruk's first line of defense, making headway into the city.
Sunday, June 21st, 1942
The 2nd South African Division under Allied General Klopper officially concede defeat and hand control of Tobruk to the Germans.
Saturday, June 27th, 1942
The Soviet Army is encircled and defeated at Kharkov, netting the Germans some 250,000 Soviet prisoners.
Saturday, June 27th, 1942
German forces complete their capture of Izyum.
Saturday, June 27th, 1942
The Romanian and German army forces capture key hilltop positions near Sevastopol.
Sunday, June 28th, 1942
The German Army turns its attention towards the Volga.
Sunday, June 28th, 1942
The German 2nd Army and 4th Panzer Army launch their attack towards Voronezh near Kursk.
Sunday, June 28th, 1942
German forces reach the outskirts of Sevastopol.
Sunday, June 28th, 1942
By this date, over 90% of the Soviet defensive fortifications have fallen to the Germans.
Tuesday, June 30th, 1942
German General Paulus attacks at Belgorod.
Tuesday, June 30th, 1942
Evacuation of Russian soldiers from Sevastopol begins with help from the Soviet Black Sea Fleet under Vice-Admiral F.S. Oktyabrsky.
Wednesday, July 1st - July 22nd, 1942
The First Battle of El Alamein takes place with Erwin Rommel hoping to put a dent in the Allied defense near El Alamain. Rommel's forces consist of his Afrika Corps and three Italian troop corps.
Wednesday, July 1st, 1942
German General Erwin Rommel attempts to break through the Allied defensive perimeter at El Alamein.
Wednesday, July 1st - July 31st, 1942
Hitler orders two directives in the operation against Leningrad. The first calls for its immediate encirclement and the second for its immediate destruction from land and air.
Wednesday, July 1st, 1942
One last German push secures strategic positions throughout the city of Sevastopol.
Thursday, July 2nd, 1942
The Soviet city of Sevastopol officially falls to the Germans.
Thursday, July 2nd, 1942
The last of the Soviet forces are evacuated by sea leaving little to stop the German onslaught.
Friday, July 3rd, 1942
The Allies put up a stubborn defense, repelling Rommel's offensive.
Saturday, July 4th, 1942
Sevastopol officially falls to German control.
Saturday, July 4th, 1942
German control and the subsequent round up on the city nets some 90,000 Soviet army prisoners of war.
Monday, July 6th, 1942
The German 6th Army reaches the Don River.
Monday, July 6th, 1942
The German 6th Army moves on Stalingrad.
Tuesday, July 7th, 1942
This date is set aside for Operation Rutter - the amphibious landing at the port city of Dieppe in occupied France.
Tuesday, July 7th, 1942
German General Field Marshal List takes command of the new Army Goup A, made up of the 1st Panzer Army and the 17th Army.
Thursday, July 9th, 1942
The German Army begins its move towards Rostov.
Thursday, July 9th, 1942
German Army Group South is renamed Army Group B and placed under the control of Field Marshal von Bock.
Monday, July 13th, 1942
General von Weichs takes control of Army Group B from Bock.
Monday, July 13th, 1942
Adolf Hitler assigns General Paulus and his 6th Army to take Stalingrad.
Friday, July 17th, 1942
Hitler diverts the 4th Panzer Army away from Stalingrad and sends them towards the Caucasus.
Thursday, July 23rd, 1942
Rostov falls to the German Army Group A, netting some 83,000 Soviet prisoners as a result.
Thursday, July 23rd, 1942
Hitler issues a supplemental directive to Operation Blue requiring his 6th Army to take Stalingrad.
Tuesday, July 28th, 1942
The macabre resolution of "not one step backwards" is issued by Stalin to his generals and troops.
Saturday, August 1st - August 30th, 1942
British Prime Minister relieves General Auchinleck with General Harold Alexander as Commander-in-Chief, Middle East.
Saturday, August 1st - August 30th, 1942
German forces are strengthened by the arrival of another Italian division, a German parachute brigade and more tanks.
Saturday, August 1st - August 30th, 1942
Churchill replaces 8th Army leader Major-General Neil Ritchie with General Bernard Montgomery.
Tuesday, August 4th, 1942
Elements of the German Army cross the Aksay River towards Stalingrad.
Thursday, August 6th, 1942
The German Army crosses the Kuban River near Armavir.
Friday, August 7th, 1942
Amphibious forces spearheaded by the United States Marines begin against the Japanese-held island of Guadalcanal.
Friday, August 7th, 1942
Elements of the German Army attack Soviet forces near Kalach.
Saturday, August 8th, 1942
The amphibious landings largely conclude by this date.
Saturday, August 8th, 1942
By the end of the day and facing next to no opposition, the US soldiers capture and secure Henderson Field.
Saturday, August 8th, 1942
Just outside of Guadalcanal, the islands of Tulagi and Gavutu fall to the Allies.
Sunday, August 9th, 1942
The German German Army captures the strategic port of Yeysk and Krasnador on the Sea of Azov.
Sunday, August 9th, 1942
Army Group A captures the Maikop oil field on the Black Sea.
Friday, August 14th, 1942
German forces cross the Kuban river near Krasnador.
Tuesday, August 18th, 1942
A Japanese counteroffensive sees an amphibious landing take place at Taivu. This landing zone is just 32 miles east of Henderson Field.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
Operation Jubilee is officially put into action.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
4,962 Canadian soldiers, along with 1,000 British troops and a 50-man contingent of American US Army Rangers set sail on no fewer than 237 boats towards Dieppe.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
At 3:48 AM, several Allied invasion vessels run into a German convoy, which actively engages the ships, ruining any chance the Allies held in the element of surprise. This event is a fore-telling of the day to follow.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
At 4:30 AM, Canadian soldiers wade ashore and take on the German coastal batteries at Berneval, Puys, Pourville and Varengville.
Sunday, August 19th, 1942
German General Paulus and his 6th Army is ordered to attack the Soviet city of Stalingrad.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
At 5:20 AM, the main invasion force - made up of the 14th Army Tank Regiment, the Essex Scottish Regiment, and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry - come ashore.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
At 5:35 AM, Allied armor makes it to the beach. Over half of the tanks are lost in the action.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
By 11:00 AM, disaster has completely befallen the invaders. Many are trapped, forced back or dead to a prepared German defense.
Wednesday, August 19th, 1942
By 2:00 PM, all survivors of the Dieppe invasion have been rescued. Left behind are 3,367 casualties, wounded, prisoners of war or missing.
Wednesday, August 19th - September 30th, 1942
A Soviet offensive aimed at smashing through the German lines fails.
Friday, August 21st, 1942
Japanese ground forces attempt attacks against Henderson Field and American forces at Tenaru. The Japanese troops make little headway and are themselves encircled.
Saturday, August 22nd, 1942
German land forces advancing into the Caucasus are stopped.
Saturday, August 22nd, 1942
The Japanese attackers at Henderson Field and Tenaru are ultimately destroyed, forcing Colonel Ichiki to commit ritual suicide.
Sunday, August 23rd, 1942
Army Group B reaches the Volga River.
Tuesday, August 25th, 1942
Stalingard is officially under siege by the Germans Army.
Sunday, August 30th, 1942
Rommel begins a new offensive starting from Bab el Qattara that becomes the Battle of Alam Halfa near El Alamein. The objective is the high ridge at Alam Halfa some 13 miles through the Allied defensive perimeter in the south.
Monday, August 31st, 1942
By this date, the Japanese have completed their takeovers of the Caroline Islands, the Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Marianas Islands and a portion of the Solomon Islands. This is the farthest that the Japanese Empire would reach in the Pacific.
Tuesday, September 1st - September 30th, 1942
The month is spent ironing out plans for the Allied invasion of German-occupied North Africa.
Tuesday, September 1st, 1942
Germany Army elements, backed by Romanians cross the Kerch Straits.
Tuesday, September 1st, 1942
The Germans establish a bridgehead over the Terek River.
Tuesday, September 1st - September 30th, 1942
German progress throughout the Casucasus is slowed by Soviet resistance and fuel/supply shortages.
Wednesday, September 2nd, 1942
Rommel's assault is thwarted, his tank forces suffering high losses in the attack - and his army is pushed back to Bab el Qattara.
Thursday, September 3rd - October 23rd, 1942
General Montgomery decides to make El Alamein a war of numbers and stockpiles his supplies to eventually try to overwhelm the Germans.
Thursday, September 3rd, 1942
The Germans enact an offensive aimed at the heart of Stalingrad.
Sunday, September 6th, 1942
The strategic Black Sea port city Novorossiysk falls to the Germans.
Tuesday, September 8th, 1942
The US Marine landings result in the destruction of vital Japanese supplies and the recovery of important operational data.
Saturday, September 12th, 1942
Some 6,000 Japanese Army personnel are used in a final thrust against the Americans at Henderson field. Among the attackers is the Japanese 35th Brigade.
Sunday, September 13th, 1942
Japanese forces come within a half-a-mile of Henderson Field before being stopped and, ultimately, driven back.
Monday, September 14th, 1942
At the end of the Henderson Field offensive, the fanatical Japanese have lost at least 1,200 soldiers in the fighting.
Tuesday, September 15th, 1942
The Soviet Army is unleashed on Voronezh.
Tuesday, September 15th - October 7th, 1942
The Japanese begin building up their forces to reclaim Henderson Field.
Thursday, September 24th, 1942
The German Army makes headway toward Tuapse.
Friday, September 25th, 1942
With winter upon the German Army once more, Hitler orders a halt to any major offensives around Leningrad.
Thursday, October 1st - October 31st, 1942
With a lull in the fighting, Soviet forces near Leningrad are able to receive much needed supplies and reinforcements.
Tuesday, October 6th, 1942
Malgobek falls to the German Army.
Friday, October 9th, 1942
The Soviet government hands all military powers to the Soviet Army.
Wednesday, October 14th, 1942
Adolf Hitler stops all further offensives against Soviet targets in the region for the year and orders his commanders to hold their positions until 1943.
Sunday, October 18th, 1942
The German drive against Tuapse is stopped by the Soviets.
Friday, October 23rd, 1942
The Allied counter-offensive begins through Operation Lightfoot, a massive artillery bombardment of dug-in German forces.
Friday, October 23rd, 1942
At 10:00PM, British XIII Corps hits the German 21st Panzer Division and Italian Brescia and Folgore Divisions in the south of the German defensive wall as a diversion to its north-bound actions.
Friday, October 23rd, 1942
XXX and X Corps begin their assault on Axis nothern positions.
Friday, October 23rd, 1942
Some 20,000 Japanese fighters, including elements of the 2nd Division and 17th Army, undertake a new offensive under the direction of General Maruyama.
Sunday, October 25th, 1942
Allied mine-clearing operations begin while combat continues
Sunday, October 25th, 1942
Four Allied brigades have managed to break through the German defensive lines.
Sunday, October 25th, 1942
Montgomery enacts Operation Supercharge and pulls some diversionary forces from his southern attacks to reinforce the north where losses continue to mount.
Sunday, October 25th, 1942
The Germans enact a new offensive in the Caucasus.
Sunday, November 1st, 1942
The Caucasus town of Alagir is captured by the Germans.
Monday, November 2nd, 1942
As more and more Allied armor crosses through the German perimeter, Rommel orders his battle-weary forces on an eastward retreat, keeping his forces within easy access to the North African coast.
Monday, November 2nd, 1942
The Caucasus town of Ordzhonikidse is captured by the Germans.
Wednesday, November 4th, 1942
British X Corps makes a substantial gain in capturing Tel el Aqqaqir, running straight through the beleagured Axis lines, effectively ending the Battle of El Alamain in favor of the Allies. The victory is a major one for the Germans are in full retreat throughout North Africa. The action officially ends all Axis presence on the continent.
Saturday, November 7th, 1942
Three Allied task forces - the US Western, Central and the British Eastern - approach the coast of North Africa.
Sunday, November 8th, 1942
The Allied invasion forces reach North African shores.
Sunday, November 8th, 1942
The US Western and Central task forces tangle with Vichy French opposition.
Sunday, November 8th, 1942
At Oran, French coastal guns destroya US transport with 200 soldiers aboard.
Sunday, November 8th, 1942
French General Mast surrenders to the British Eastern Task Force.
Monday, November 9th, 1942
The first French cease-fires begin to ring out across Algeria and Morocco.
Monday, November 9th, 1942
US forces tangle with a suprisingly stout French defense. It was believed that the two country's histories would have brought France to surrender rather than fight a former ally.
Wednesday, November 11th, 1942
The British Eastern Task force capture the strategic airfield at Djidjelli via Bougie from Algiers.
Wednesday, November 11th, 1942
French Admiral Jean Francios Darlan joins French General Alphonse Juin in calling an all-out cease fire for French forces throughout Africa.
Thursday, November 12th, 1942
German paratroopers move into the area near the airfield at Bone.
Thursday, November 12th, 1942
British paratroopers land near Bone and take the nearby airfield.
Thursday, November 12th, 1942
German paratrooper forces attack the British paratroopers near Bone but are repelled.
Sunday, November 15th, 1942
American paratroopers land at the airfield near Youks les Bains
Sunday, November 15th, 1942
Army Group A reaches as far as Ordzhonikidze and Mt. Elbus.
Monday, November 16th, 1942
British paratroopers land and capture the airfield at Soul el Arba.
Monday, November 16th, 1942
Allied forces begin their move into German-held Tunisia.
Tuesday, November 17th, 1942
The Allies capture Beja.
Wednesday, November 18th, 1942
The Allies take Sidi Nsir.
Thursday, November 19th, 1942
The Soviets push forward a new two-part offensive - Operation Uranus - north of Stalingrad and break through the Romanian-held defenses.
Friday, November 20th, 1942
The Allied assault on the strategic city of Medjez el Bab begins.
Friday, November 20th, 1942
Part 2 of Operation Uranus is enacted at the southern end of Stalingrad.
Friday, November 20th, 1942
German General Manstein is appointed the commander of Army Group Don.
Sunday, November 22nd, 1942
Two elements of the Soviet Army meets at Kalach, effectively encircling the German 6th Army at Stalingrad.
Wednesday, November 25th, 1942
In an effort to resupply their troops, the German Luftwaffe is called upon to exercise airdrops of vital supplies to the German 6th Army.
Thursday, November 26th, 1942
Medjez el Bab falls to the Allies.
Monday, November 30th, 1942
Despite the consistent progression throughout North Africa, the Allied invasion offensive grounds to a halt in the face of growing German resistance at key junctions. The total liberation of North Africa will have to wait.
Monday, November 30th, 1942
German General Paulus and his 6th Army is contained by the fierce resisting Soviets in Stalingrad, putting Hitler's plans on hold.
Saturday, December 12th, 1942
While Hitler rejects any plea from the German 6th Army to retreat from their position, the 4th Panzer Army is used through Operation Winter Storm in an attempt to relieve the beleaguered German troops at Stalingrad.
Wednesday, December 16th, 1942
The Soviet Army puts Operation Little Saturn into effect and attacks Rostov.
Wednesday, December 16th, 1942
The Italian Army goes into full retreat from the Soviet advance.
Wednesday, December 16th, 1942
German Army forces are called off from further offensives at Tuapse.
Monday, December 21st, 1942
Soviet relief forces and supplies headed for Stalingrad are stopped at Myshkova.
Wednesday, December 23rd, 1942
All further attempts to relieve Stalingrad are put on hold, indefinitely.
Thursday, December 24th, 1942
The Soviet Army launches a fresh attack at Kotelnikovo, routing its Romanian defenders and putting them into full retreat.
Monday, December 28th, 1942
German Army Group A is given the official order to retreat from the Caucasus region.
Friday, January 1st, 1943
German forces at Terek retreat.
Friday, January 8th, 1943
Soviet generals send in the formal request for surrender of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad, a request which is formally rejected.
Sunday, January 10th, 1943
The decision to abandon Guadalcanal is made by Japanese autorities.
Sunday, January 10th, 1943
Soviet General Rokossovsky unleashes hell on the German 6th Army through thousands of artillery cannons and Katyusha rockets.
Tuesday, January 12th, 1943
The Soviets enact Operation Spark and cut a path through the German lines clearing a path to Leningrad. This offers the citizens of the city some much needed foot rations.
Tuesday, January 12th, 1943
Soviet troops make headway against the defensive lines at the Don River held by Hungarian and Italian troops.
Tuesday, January 12th, 1943
German Caucasus elements make it to their bridgehead over the Kuban River.
Wednesday, January 13th, 1943
German Army elements at Terek retreat to the Nagutskoye-Alexsandrovskoye position.
Thursday, January 14th, 1943
In an effort to replenish and build up their army ranks along the East Front, German Generals proposed conscription service of the Baltic people for service .
Sunday, January 17th, 1943
The Japanese begin to withdraw their battered army units from Guadalcanal.
Sunday, January 17th, 1943
The German Panzer Corps at the Don are officially surrounded.
Tuesday, January 19th, 1943
The Soviets retake the city of Shlusselburg.
Monday, January 25th, 1943
A Soviet offensive splits the German 6th Army at Stalingrad.
Monday, January 25th, 1943
German forces at Armavir retreat.
Monday, January 25th, 1943
German forces at Voronezh retreat.
Sunday, January 31st, 1943
German General Paulus formally surrenders his southern Stalingrad army to the Soviets.
Monday, February 1st, 1943
A massive evacuation effort sees some 11,000 Japanese personnel moved fom Tenaro, Gaudalcanal.
Tuesday, February 2nd, 1943
The German Army north pocket at Stalingrad formally surrenders to the Soviet Army.
Tuesday, February 2nd, 1943
The liberation of Stalingrad is officially over.
Sunday, February 7th, 1943
The last remnants of the Japanese Army on Guadalcanal is evacuated from the island.
Sunday, February 14th, 1943
At 4AM, elements of the 10th Panzer Division and 21st Panzer Division under General von Arnim, launch their attack at Allied forces near Sidi Bou Zid and Bir el Hafey.
Monday, February 15th, 1943
German General Erwin Rommel commences with his assault through Operation Morgenluft. His attack takes him towards Gafsa, Feriana and Thelepte.
Thursday, February 18th, 1943
General von Arnim and General Rommels forces finally meet at Kasserine.
Friday, February 19th, 1943
American armored forces hold up the German advanced at Kasserine Pass.
Saturday, February 20th, 1943
Allied units move from Le Kef for the counter-attack.
Saturday, February 20th, 1943
The British 6th Armored Brigade moves towards Thala and Sbiba.
Saturday, February 20th, 1943
US forces move in to stop the German advance around Tebessa.
Saturday, February 20th, 1943
The Americans fold under the immense German assault and Kasserine Pass falls to the invaders.
Sunday, February 21st, 1943
The German forces at Kasserine Pass under Rommel await the Allied counter-offensive that never materializes.
Monday, February 22nd, 1943
Allied forces hold the Germans in check at Sbiba, Tebessa and Thala, inflicting 2,000 German casualties and forcing Rommel to call for a retreat.
Thursday, February 25th, 1943
Kasserine is now firmly in Allied control, the Germans having retreated and Rommel's attention now elsewhere.
Thursday, February 25th, 1943
Rommel relocates his forces east and plans his defense against Montgomery and his 8th Army at the Mareth line.
Monday, July 5th, 1943
The Germans enact Operation Citadel - the assault on the Kursk salient. The operation begins at 4:30am but major elements are delayed until 5:00am thanks to intense artillery attacks by the prepared Russians.
Tuesday, July 6th, 1943
Soviet Marshal-General Rokossovsky and his Central Front army engage in a counter-attack against the German offensive. The counter-attack fails but is enough to slow the German 9th Army some. A measly 6 miles of territory is gained by the Germans.
Wednesday, July 7th, 1943
German General Hoth and his 4th Panzer Army move into the salient, covering some 20 miles of territory. Their advantage brings them near Pokrovka.
Saturday, July 10th, 1943
Soviet resistance to the German offensives is so intense that German General Hoth is forced to bring up his reserves and commit them to the fight. The advancing Germans are slowed evermore by the stinky Soviet defenders, also made up of deadly anti-tank teams.
Sunday, July 11th, 1943
Soviet generals Zhukov and Vassilevky are given total control of the actions in and around Kursk by Stalin himself.
Sunday, July 11th, 1943
The Soviet Bryansk Front northeast of Kursk moves in on German General Model's 9th Army.
Monday, July 12th, 1943
The Soviets commit more tanks against Hoth and his 4th Panzer Army.
Monday, July 12th, 1943
A huge battle involving more than 1,000 tanks of the German and Soviet armies duke it out near Pokrovka.
Monday, July 12th, 1943
Soviet General Sokolosky moves against German Army Group Center and the 9th Army in a counter-offensive.
Tuesday, July 13th, 1943
Adolph Hitler orders an end to Operation Citadel.
Thursday, July 15th, 1943
Fighting in the Kursk salient officially ends.
Friday, July 23rd, 1943
German Army forces are pushed back to their original starting positions by this date.
Tuesday, August 3rd, 1943
Soviet forces of the Steppe, Voronezh and South-West Fronts initiate a new offensive against German Army Group South just outside of the Kursk salient.
Thursday, August 5th, 1943
Soviet Army forces move towards Kharkov, liberating the city of Belgorod in the process.
Sunday, August 15th, 1943
The Aleutian Islands Campaign comes to a close. The Japanese invasion is ultimately repelled.
Monday, August 23rd, 1943
Kharkov is retaken by the Soviet Army.
Monday, August 30th, 1943
German Army Group Center is in full retreat.
Thursday, September 30th, 1943
The German Army falls as far back as the Dniepr River.
Thursday, September 30th, 1943
By this date, the Soviet Army has established no less than five bridgeheads crossing the Dniepr River, keeping the Germans at bay for the time being.
Tuesday, January 11th, 1944
The first major Allied offensive to take Cassino is launched.
Tuesday, January 11th, 1944
French Expeditionary Corps assail the outer defences at Cassino, achieving modest gains.
Friday, January 14th, 1944
Soviet armies from the 2nd Baltic, Volkov and Leningrad fronts overtake German Army Group North in a massive two-week offensive.
Sunday, January 16th, 1944
The US IC Corps and the French Expeditionary Corps arrive at Rapido River.
Monday, January 17th, 1944
The US is involved in their first major assault on Cassino.
Tuesday, January 18th - February 9th, 1944
US forces begin making headway through the Liri Valley, capturing ground at Monte Calvario.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
Operation Shingle, the amphibious landings at Anzio, is enacted by the Allied. In lead is the US VI Corps under Major-General John Lucas.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
By 12AM midnight, some 45,000 Allied troops and 3,000 vehicles are on the beaches.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
British forces hold the line at River Moletta.
Saturday, January 22nd, 1944
American forces hold the line at Mussolini Canal.
Sunday, January 23rd, 1944
The Anzio beachhead is consolidated into a concentrated pocket on the orders of Lucas.
Sunday, January 23rd, 1944
German Colonel-General von Mackensen takes control of the new 14th Army headquartered 30 miles west of Rome.
Sunday, January 23rd, 1944
The German Luftwaffe begins heavy strafing attacks and bombardment of Allied forces.
Tuesday, January 25th, 1944
The Anzio beachhead continues to grow with Allied troops and equipment, making it a prime target for the regrouping Germans.
Thursday, January 27th, 1944
The Moscow-Leningrad railway route is reopened in favor of the Soviets.
Thursday, January 27th, 1944
The siege of Leningrad is declared by Soviet leader Stalin as over.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
By this date, some 70,000 men, 27,000 tons of goods, 508 artillery guns and 237 tanks are ashore on the beachhead.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
Von Mackensen moves six divisions to Anzio, some ten miles of the Allied beachhead.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
The US 1st Armored Division captures the town of Aprilia.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
The Germans are driven back at Cisterna.
Friday, January 28th, 1944
German Army Group North is pushed away from the city of Leningrad.
Sunday, January 30th, 1944
The Allies suffer some 5,000 casualties in the Anzio action by this date.
Monday, January 31st, 1944
Von Mackensen's forces now number some eight divisions in strength.
Thursday, February 10th, 1944
In a counter offensive, crack German paratroopers repel US forces and previous Allied gains are lost.
Friday, February 11th, 1944
US and Indian losses mount in the offensives against German positions in Calvario, the town of Cassino and Monte Cassino itself.
Friday, February 11th, 1944
The entire US 142nd Regiment is destroyed.
Friday, February 11th, 1944
The 34th and 36th US Divisions both report a high number of casualties from the ensuing offensives.
Friday, February 11th, 1944
The 4th Indian Division reports unacceptably high casualties when coming up against the stout German defenders.
Friday, February 11th, 1944
A blanket retreat is enacted by the Allies in an attempt to regroup and plan a new strategy to take Cassino.
Tuesday, February 15th, 1944
In an effort to destroy the believed German defensive positions atop Monte Cassino, Allied bombers numbering 229 strong, lay waste to the monestary.
Tuesday, February 15th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, February 15th, 1944
Following the Allied aerial bombardment, the second major Allied offensive to take Cassino is launched.
Tuesday, February 15th - February 18th, 1944
The 2nd New Zealand Division is charged with taking the railway station at Cassino.
Tuesday, February 15th - February 18th, 1944
The 4th Indian Division is charged with taking both Monte Calvario and Monastary Hill.
Tuesday, February 15th - February 18th, 1944
The 2nd New Zealand Division assault is twarted and driven back, suffering high casualties.
Tuesday, February 15th - February 18th, 1944
The 4th Indian Division assault is repelled and driven away, suffering high casualties.
Wednesday, February 16th, 1944
Kesselring launches a large counterattack against the invading Allied forces.
Thursday, February 17th, 1944
The Allies lose some four miles of territory but stand fast outside of Anzio.
Saturday, February 19th - March 13th, 1944
The Italian winter makes its arrival and postpones any further Allied offensives for the next month.
Sunday, February 20th, 1944
The German attack is more or less repelled, at the cost of 5,500 German casualties.
Tuesday, February 22nd, 1944
The Allies replace the ineffective Major-General Lucas with Major-General Lucius Truscott.
Tuesday, February 29th, 1944
Von Mackensen cancels the German offensive amidst mounting casualties and little gain.
Wednesday, March 1st - May 22nd, 1944
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.
Wednesday, March 15th, 1944
A third major Allied offensive is put into action.
Wednesday, March 15th, 1944
Artillery guns open up on Cassino while 600-plus Allied bombers attempt to shake the German defenders.
Wednesday, March 15th - March 21st, 1944
Against mounting casualties but with tank support, the 4th Indian Division gains ground.
Wednesday, March 15th - March 21st, 1944
The 2nd New Zealand Division captures German-held position with the help of Allied armor support.
Wednesday, March 15th - March 21st, 1944
The 78th British Division makes headway thanks to the support of Allied armor.
Wednesday, March 15th - March 21st, 1944
Positions on Monte Cassino are officially in Allied hands.
Wednesday, March 22nd, 1944
With mounting losses in both manpower and tanks, further Allied thrusts are called off.
Thursday, March 23rd - May 10th, 1944
A lengthy six-week period allows the Allies to rebuild their forces - though this period allows the Germans to increase their defensive foothold.
Monday, May 1st - May 31st, 1944
Plans begin for a major Soviet offensive against the German Army in the East.
Thursday, May 11th, 1944
The fourth offensive to take Cassino is put into action.
Thursday, May 11th, 1944
Approximately 2,000 Allied artillery guns open up on Cassino.
Thursday, May 11th, 1944
A combined British, Polish and American assault converge on Cassino involving the British 13th Corps, the Polish II Corps and the US 5th Army.
Saturday, May 13th, 1944
German paratrooper forces defending Cassino being their evacuation.
Wednesday, May 17th, 1944
This date became one of the two best weather options for the Allied invasion of France.
Wednesday, May 17th, 1944
Weather on May 17th cancels the D-Day operation. Leaving the next best weather window of opportunity to be June 5th.
Wednesday, May 17th, 1944
June 5th is selected as the next official launch date for D-Day.
Wednesday, May 17th, 1944
German paratrooper forces exit the Cassino region.
Thursday, May 18th, 1944
The British take the town of Cassino.
Thursday, May 18th, 1944
The Poles take Monte Calvario.
Thursday, May 18th, 1944
Monte Cassino falls to the Allies, costing some 50,000 casualties along both sides of the battlefield.
Saturday, May 20th, 1944
The Soviet offensive is detailed under the codename of "Operation Bagration".
Saturday, May 20th, 1944
The launch date for Operation Bagration is set for June 22nd.
Tuesday, May 23rd, 1944
The US VI Corps breaks out of the Anzio perimeter and takes ground well into the Alban Hills.
Thursday, May 25th, 1944
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.
Sunday, June 4th, 1944
Official word comes down that the June 5th landings will be postponed due to inclement weather across the North Sea.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Elements of the US 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions land across the Cotentin Peninsula. Despite all of the planning, their dropzones are widely scattered.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
British paratroopers of the 6th British Airborne Brigade land near Benouville.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The British paratroopers take the bridges over the Caen Canal and the Orne River.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
British paratroopers destroy the coastal fortifications at Merville.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
No less than five key bridges over the Dives River are blown up by British paratroopers.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Allied naval warships open up with their guns on German defensive positions along the French coast.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At approximately 6:30AM, American Army forces begin landing at two key beaches, codenamed Utah and Omaha.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At approximately 7:25AM, forces of the British and Canadian armies wade ashore at beaches codenamed Gold and Juno.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The combined British and Canadian forces at Gold face little opposition and claim their objectives with little incident.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The British 50th Division pushed some 6 miles inland.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The British 3rd Division arriving at Sword beach face a stouter German defense but are able to overwhelm the enemy and establish a foothold.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
By 8:00AM, most of the German defenders at or near Gold and Sword beaches have been cleared or are on the run.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At approximately 10:00AM, British forces out of Gold beach take La Riviere.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The Canadians out of Juno beach take Bernieres at about 11:00AM.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Near the town of Pouppeville, the US 4th Infantry Division at Utah beach connects with the 101st Airborne Division paratroopers.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
British and French special forces elements out of Sword beach connect with the British paratroopers holding the key bridges over the Orne River.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
At 4:00PM, the mobilized German 21st Panzer Division launches a counter-attack.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The German counter-attack reaches the beachhead at Sword.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
The German 21st Panzer Division is repelled by a combined Allied armor and air assault, saving further actions at Sword.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
By midnight, D-Day is more or less over. Not all objectives are captured but progress is made nonetheless.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
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.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
American forces at Utah beach hold pockets of land totaling just over 6 miles.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
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.
Thursday, June 22nd, 1944
Operation Bagration is put into action with General Zhukov in command.
Thursday, June 22nd, 1944
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.
Friday, June 23rd, 1944
By this date, the partisan actions along the German rear dwindle in preparation for the upcoming offensive.
Friday, June 23rd, 1944
The 1st and 3rd Belorussian Fronts advanced to northeast of Minsk, surrounding the German 4th Army.
Monday, June 26th, 1944
With the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts closing, Hitler okays the order for the 9th Army to retreat to more favorable ground.
Wednesday, June 28th, 1944
Hitler replaces Field Marshal Busch with General Model to help stem his losses.
Thursday, June 29th, 1944
The Soviets take Bobruysk.
Thursday, June 29th, 1944
The 1st and 2nd Belorussian Fronts close in and around the city of Minsk, attempting to join forces of the 3rd Belorussian Front.
Friday, June 30th, 1944
By this date, the German Army has recorded some 200,000 casualties from the aggressive Soviet offensive.
Tuesday, July 4th, 1944
Minsk falls to the Soviet offensive.
Tuesday, July 4th, 1944
By this date, the 160,000-strong German 4th Army alone reports losses of 130,000 troops.
Tuesday, July 4th, 1944
German losses total 400,000 personnel.
Wednesday, July 5th, 1944
Encircled, remnants of the German 4th Army are captured or killed trying to flee.
Tuesday, July 11th, 1944
The German 9th Army is obliterated under the might of the Red Army.
Thursday, July 13th, 1944
Vilnius, Lithuania is captured by Soviet ground troops.
Thursday, July 13th, 1944
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.
Monday, July 17th, 1944
White Russia is cleansed of all German invaders, leading celebrations in the Soviet capital of Moscow.
Monday, July 17th, 1944
Some 57,000 German captives are paraded through the streets of Moscow.
Monday, July 17th, 1944
German Army Group Center is completely annihilated from the German ranks.
Thursday, July 27th, 1944
Lvov is clamed by the Ukranian Fronts.
Friday, July 28th, 1944
Soviet forces lay claim to Brest-Litovsk.
Tuesday, August 1st, 1944
The move westward continues.
Tuesday, August 15th, 1944
Stretched and strained supply lines bring the Soviet war machine to a halt.
Wednesday, August 30th, 1944
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.
Saturday, March 24th, 1945
In preparation for the amphibious assault landings on the island of Okinawa, US Naval elements begin bombardment of shoreline positions.
Saturday, March 24th, 1945
The US 77th Infantry Division lands at the Kerama Islands to secure a staging post for the eventual invasion of Okinawa.
Thursday, March 29th, 1945
Further landings of US forces on the Kerama Islands, complete its capture for the Allies.
Saturday, March 31st, 1945
The US Navy lobs some 30,000 explosive shells on the Okinawa coastline by this time, ending a week of bombardment.
Sunday, April 1st, 1945
Two US Army and USMC divisions land along the southwest coast of Okinawa near Hagushi, meeting little resistance. The US 10th Army is commanded by Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner. Some 550,000 personnel and 180,000 soldiers take part in the fray.
Thursday, April 5th, 1945
Allied forces find and locate the Japanese defenders along the southern portion of Okinawa. Heavy defenses are noted.
Friday, April 6th, 1945
As American forces move further inland, the battle for Okinawa intensifies. Pockets of dug-in Japanese defenders become evermore concentrated the more inland the Allied forces go.
Friday, April 6th, 1945
American forces are now amassed as two separate assault fronts. To the north are the 1st and 6th Marine divisions. To the mountainous south are the 7th and 96th Infantry divisions.
Friday, April 6th, 1945
The IJN Yamato, Japan's pride and joy and the largest battleship ever built, sails from the Inland Sea on a suicide mission at Okinawa. She is escorted by the light cruiser Yahagi and some eight destroyers on her final voyage.
Tuesday, April 10th, 1945
The American 27th Infantry Division lands at Tsugen. The island is just to the east of Okinawa proper.
Wednesday, April 11th, 1945
The conquest of Tsugen is completed by the 27th Infantry Division.
Friday, April 13th, 1945
US Marines reach Hedo Point in the north of Okinawa.
Monday, April 16th, 1945
The Soviet Army begins its Berlin campaign with spectacular display of artillery, exploding targets throughout Berlin and its surrounding areas. The bombardment signals the beginning of the offensive to take the German capital.
Monday, April 16th, 1945
A five-day offensive is undertaken involving the American 77th Infantry Division and the island of Ie Shima. Ie Shima represents the tip of the Motobu Peninsula. Motobu is a defensive Japanese stronghold located to the west of Okinawa proper.
Thursday, April 19th, 1945
Japanese defenders are pushed back towards Naha by American forces. The Japanese defensive lines are reset as territory is lost. The Americans report 1,000 casualties in their assaults.
Monday, April 20th, 1945
Soviet Army groups advance against German defenses at the Oder River.
Monday, April 20th, 1945
Adolf Hitler celebrates his final (56th) birthday, seemingly unaware of the fate to befall him and his Germany.
Friday, April 20th, 1945
Motobu Peninsula falls to the Americans as the Japanese defenders are either killed or captured.
Tuesday, April 21st, 1945
General Zhukov and his 1st Belorussian army break into the Berlin suburbs.
Saturday, April 21st, 1945
The offensive to take Ie Shima is completed.
Wednesday, April 22nd, 1945
Soviet leader Stalin sends his final assault orders to generals Zhukov and Koniev.
Thursday, April 23rd, 1945
The Berlin suburbs gradually fall under Soviet control as fighting rages on everywhere.
Friday, April 24th, 1945
German General Wenck of the 12th Army launches a futile counter-offensive against the Soviet onslaught.
Friday, April 24th, 1945
The British Royal Air Force slow down the 12th Army offensive through intense bombing.
Saturday, April 25th, 1945
The 1st Belorussian Front meets up with the 1st Ukranian Front, formally encircling Berlin.
Saturday, April 25th, 1945
All access points west of the German capital are cutt off by Soviet forces.
Saturday, April 25th, 1945
Over 2 million Berlin civilians hunker down for the violent fighting ahead.
Saturday, April 25th, 1945
Some 30,000 German soldiers ready themselves for the bloody business of the day.
Saturday, April 25th, 1945
Elements of the 5th Guards Army reach the Elbe River at Torgau and celebrate with the arriving US 1st Army.
Sunday, April 26th, 1945
Twin Soviet offensives break the final defensive fronts of the Germans.
Sunday, April 26th, 1945
Soviet forces advance across the Spree River.
Sunday, April 26th, 1945
Soviet forces advance towards Unter den Linden.
Monday, April 27th, 1945
General Wenck's 12th Army is halted by the Soviet Army.
Monday, April 27th, 1945
The Soviet Army remains just 15 miles from the center of Berlin.
Monday, April 27th, 1945
German soldiers set up defensive areas across a small 10 mile long front for their ultimate "last stand".
Monday, April 30th, 1945
The Soviets capture the Reichstag.
Monday, April 30th, 1945
German leader Adolf Hitler weds his mistress, Eva Braun, in his underground bunker under Berlin. After giving a final speech to his remaining supporters, he poisons his dog, then Braun and ultimately takes his own life. In his will, he leaves his authority to Admiral Doenitz.
Monday, April 30th, 1945
The bodies of Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun are taken to the Chancellery Gardens and incinerated under previous orders from Hitler, this to avoid capture and ultimate humiliation at the hands of the progressing Soviet Army.
Tuesday, May 1st, 1945
Soviet artillery opens up once again, this time in a massive barrage against the Chancellery and surrounding areas.
Tuesday, May 1st, 1945
German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels murders his wife and six children before taking his own life.
Tuesday, May 1st, 1945
General Chuikov makes his way into the center of Berlin.
Tuesday, May 1st, 1945
German Generaloberst Hans Krebs approaches Chuikov with the formal German surrender.
Tuesday, May 1st, 1945
Berlin formally and unconditionally surrenders to the Soviet legions and Western Allies. General Jodl signs for the defeated Germans and Generals Bedell Smith and Suslaparov for the Allies.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 1945
German forces across Berlin begin surrendering.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 1945
The Fall of Berlin is complete - Soviet forces occupy all major sections of the German capital.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 1945
The war in Europe officially comes to a close.
Friday, May 4th, 1945
The Japanese enact a major offensive in the south of Okinawa. A coast-to-coast defensive front is established from Naha to Yonabaru. Regardless, the line is targeted by prolonged American firepower and infantry.
Tuesday, May 8th, 1945
This day is formally announced as "VE Day" and celebrations break out across the world, though fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese Empire is ongoing.
Sunday, May 27th, 1945
Naha is officially captured by American forces. The Orouku Peninsula to the south is now within reach.
Sunday, June 17th, 1945
By this time, the Japanese defenders have been seperated into three major fighting groups. The more raw recruits find it somewhat easy to surrender than fight to the death.
Friday, June 22nd, 1945
The fighting on Okinawa comes to a close as American forces overwhelm the islands determined Japanese defenders. Those that are not taken prisoner or die in the fighting, subject themselves to ritual suicides.
Friday, June 22nd, 1945
Understanding that defeat is iminent, Japanese Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushjima commits ritual suicide with his staff after reporting the loss of Okinawa to his superiors.
Friday, June 22nd, 1945
The Battle of Okinawa officially draws to a close and now represents the all-important staging area for the Allied invasion of the Japanese mainland.
Tuesday, July 3rd - 11th, 1945
About 6,000 men, left over from the decimated Japanese 33rd Army, assail Allied positions at Waw. The fighting lasts until July 11th when the attackers are finally driven off by combined Allied air and ground assaults.
Thursday, July 12th, 1945
The Allies conduct an amphibious landing at Sarangini Bay in a step towards removing the Japanese defenders at Mindanao.
Thursday, July 19th, 1945
Elements of the Japanese 28th Army attempt to push out of Pegu Yomas against the Indian 17th. Japanese forces are slaughtered by gunfire and the escape fails.
Thursday, July 26th, 1945
Japanese defenders on Mindanao in the Philippines are defeated.
Saturday, August 4th, 1945
In the Far East theater of Burma, the remaining elements of the Japanese 28th Army are destroyed.
Monday, August 6th, 1945
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'Enola Gay' drops the first of two atomic bombs on the Japanese mainland - the target being the densely populated city of Hiroshima. About 70,000 of its citizens are killed and a further 70,000 are injured in the blast. Many more will die in the coming years from its effects.
Thursday, August 9th, 1945
In the Manchurian Theater, the Soviets commit some 1.5 million troops against the Japanese's Kwantung Army.
Thursday, August 9th, 1945
A United States B-29 bomber delivers a second atomic bomb on the Japanese mainland, this time on the city of Nagasaki. This is in direct response to Tokyo's disregard of previous ultimatums by the Allies calling for an immediate and unconditional surrender. Some 35,000 are killed in the blast with another 60,000 citizens injured.
Thursday, August 23rd, 1945
The Soviets claim the complete victory in Manchuria over the defeated Japanese Army. The war has cost the conquered some 80,000 KIA with a further 594,000 taken prisoner to an unknown fate. In comparison, the Soviets lose just 8,000 of their own with 22,000 wounded.
