Day-by-Day Timeline of Events
Friday, February 16th, 1940
HMS Cossack, a Royal Navy destroyer, moves into neutral Norwegian waters to claim its merchant men from the German ship Altmark. Germany and Norway both protest the action.
Friday, May 31st, 1940
The U.S. government commits millions to a new defense program aimed at modernizing and strengthening the current force.
Thursday, June 13th, 1940
War goods begin leaving U.S. shores bound for Britain.
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.
Sunday, November 21st, 1943
Another US amphibious landing, this consisting of both Army and Marine elements, makes it to the shores on Makin.
Friday, June 16th, 1944
The 1st Mobile Fleet of the IJN meets up with the Japanese Southern Force west of the Philippines.
Saturday, June 17th, 1944
US amphibious assault elements arrive to take Saipan.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
The first Japanese raid assaults US Task Force 58 through a combined force of IJN and IJA aircraft commitment. The American response nets 35 enemies in the first phase of the attack.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
The second raid of arriving Japanese aerial strike force is identified and attacked by the Americans resulting in some 97 Japanese aircraft downed.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
At 9:05am, the USS Albacore lands a fish into the side of the IJN Taiho aircraft carrier.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
At 12:20pm, the USS Cavalla attack submarine hits the IJN Shokaku with torpedoes.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
The third Japanese attack includes 47 aircraft which are met by 40 American fighters resulting in 7 enemies downed.
Tuesday, June 19th, 1944
A fourth Japanese flight group of 49 aircraft is assailed by 27 American Hellcats netting 30 more Japanese targets.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
At approximately 4:24pm, the carrier IJN Shokaku, suffering extensive damage from American warplanes, goes under.
Monday, June 19th, 1944
Around 4:28pm, the carrier IJN Taiho joins the IJN Shokaku.
Tuesday, June 20th, 1944
At 4:30pm, some 216 American aircraft are launched in response to the Japanese attacks.
Tuesday, June 20th, 1944
American dive bomber aircraft successfully attack, and subsequently sink, the aircraft carrier IJN Hiyo.
Tuesday, June 20th, 1944
The American aerial force claims another two IJN tanker vessels.
Tuesday, June 20th, 1944
The aircraft carrier - IJN Zuikaku - takes heavy damage from American warplanes.
Tuesday, June 20th, 1944
The aircraft carrier - IJN Chiyoda - takes heavy damage from American warplanes.
Tuesday, June 20th, 1944
During the attack, American fighter pilots score a further 65 enemy aircraft.
Tuesday, June 20th, 1944
By 8:45pm, the American attack shows a loss of 100 aircraft with 80 being lost to landing accidents at night or lack of fuel, forcing many airmen to ditch into the sea.
Monday, August 21st, 1939
The German battleship Graf Spee leaves Wilhelmshaven for the North Atlantic. She is commanded by Captain Hans Langsdorff. Her supply ship is the Altmark, which also leaves Wilhelmshaven.
Sunday, September 3rd, 1939
The British transatlantic passenger liner SS Athenia is sunk by German U-boat U-30, killing 128 aboard.
Thursday, September 7th, 1939
Britain launches the first of many convoys across challenged Atlantic waters.
Sunday, September 17th, 1939
The British aricraft carrier HMS Courageous is sunk southwest of the Irish coast by German U-boat U-29.
Wednesday, September 27th, 1939
The German battleships Deutschland and Graf Spee are let loose on Allied shipping convoys in the North Atlantic.
Saturday, September 30th, 1939
The Graf Spee claims her first merchant vessel, the British freighter Clement, in the waters of the South Atlantic.
Sunday, October 1st, 1939
The Graf Spee goes on to sink four more Allied merchant vessels during the month of October.
Saturday, October 14th, 1939
The British Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak is sunk by U-47 with 833 lives lost.
Wednesday, November 15th, 1939
The Graf Spee sinks the oil tanker Africa Shell off the coast of Madagascar.
Monday, November 20th, 1939
The Graf Spee begins her return to a pre-designated waiting area in the South Atlantic. British cruisers Ajax, Achilles, Exeter and Cumberland begin pursuit.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
The Graf Spee adds three more vessels - the Doric Star, Tairoa, Streonshalh - to its list of sunken Allied targets. She begins her voyage towards River Plate near Uruguay for a final combat patrol.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
The Graf Spee is spotted in the early morning hours by Commodore H. H. Harwood's British cruiser squadron.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
At 6:14 AM, the Graf Spee opens fire on the British heavy cruisers Ajaz and Exeter.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
At 6:40 AM, the British cruiser Achilles is damaged by shell splinters from the Graf Spee's guns.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
At 6:50 AM, the British cruiser Exeter is heavily damaged by the Graf Spee, leaving only one turret functional and in flames.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
At 7:25 AM, the British cruiser Ajax loses two of her turrets to the Graf Spee.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
By 7:40 AM, the British cruisers Ajax and Achilles break battle and trail out of range of the Graf Spee's guns, though still in pursuit.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
At 8:00 AM, Captain Langsdorff orders his lightly damaged Graf Spee towards the port at Montevideo in Uruguay with British ships in close pursuit.
Wednesday, December 13th, 1939
At approximately 12:00 PM, Graf Spee enters the harbor at Montevideo, Uruguay, with the intention on having her damaged repaired. With political pressure from Britain, the Uruguayan government offers the Graff Spee only 72 hours rest.
Sunday, December 17th, 1939
Graf Spee Captain Hans Langsdorff mistakenly believes there to be a large Royal Navy contingent waiting for his exit out of Montevideo harbor. As such, he orders the Graff Spee scuttled. The German vessel is effectively eliminated from the war.
Wednesday, December 20th, 1939
Choosing honor over justice, Captain Hans Langsdorff commits suicide, officially ending the reign of the Graf Spee.
Saturday, December 23rd, 1939
7,500 Canadian soldiers arrive in Britain.
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.
Sunday, May 26th, 1940
Operation Dynamo - the all-out evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk - officially begins at 6:57 PM.
Sunday, May 26th, 1940
Over 850 British civilian vessels take part in assisting military forces off of French soil to awaiting transports in what would become the largest military evacuation in history.
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.
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.
Monday, October 21st, 1940
Operation Judgement - the Allied attack on the Italian naval base at Taranto - is postponed due to mechanical issues aboard the carrier HMS Eagle and a fire aboard the carrier HMS Illustrious.
Saturday, November 9th, 1940
The HMS Illustrious moves on Taranto.
Saturday, November 9th, 1940
A Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber is lost to engine failure.
Sunday, November 10th, 1940
Another Swordfish torpedo bomber is lost to mechnical failure.
Sunday, November 10th, 1940
The British naval force moving against Taranto comes under attack from Italian aircraft near Malta.
Sunday, November 10th, 1940
An Italian bomber is downed in the fighting near Malta.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
A third Royal Navy Swordfish aircraft is lost to engine malfunction. A bad batch of gasoline is centered on as the source of the Swordfish issues.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
At 10:00 PM, the first wave of Swordfish bombers is launched from HMS Illustrious, now stationed off of Cephalonia.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
At 10:58 PM, signal aircraft lead the first wave over Taranto, marking torpedo targets as they pass.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
At 11:14 PM, the Italian battleship Cavour is struck by a Royal Navy torpedo delivered via Swordfish L4A. L4A is later downed by anti-aircraft fire, though both crewmembers survive.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
At 11:15 PM, the Italian vessel Doria is struck twice by torpedoes in her forward section.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
The Italian ship Littorio is struck by a torpedo along her starboard side. Swordfish L4M follows with another strike to the same side.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
A Swordfish torpedo meant for the Vittorio Veneto fails to reach its mark, exploding harmlessly on the sea floor.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
The Libeccio is hit by a Royal Navy torpedo but the munition fails to explode.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
At 11:35 PM, the second wave of Royal Navy torpedo-laden aircraft moves into position.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
Once again, the bombing wave is led by signal aircraft marking targets with flares.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
Two signal aircraft attack the oil depot at Taranto but fail to produce much damage.
Monday, November 11th, 1940
The Italian battleship Caio Duilio is struck at her bow by a Royal Navy torpedo.
Tuesday, November 12th, 1940
At 1:01 AM, The sinking Littorio is struck by another torpedo.
Tuesday, November 12th, 1940
Swordfish E4H is downed by enemy anti-aircraft fire, killing her co-pilot.
Tuesday, November 12th, 1940
Swordfish E5H misses her mark against the Vittorio Veneto.
Tuesday, November 12th, 1940
Swordfish L5F scored a direct hit via bomb on the Trento.
Tuesday, November 12th, 1940
By 1:22 AM, the attack on Taranto harbor is officially over.
Tuesday, November 12th, 1940
By 3:30 AM, all but two Swordfish aircraft are accounted for.
Monday, November 18th, 1940
A Sunderland flying boat aircraft - fitted with new radar - locates its first German U-boat submarine.
Thursday, January 2nd, 1941
The U.S. government commits to construction of some 200 merchant ships to support the Allied cause in the Atlantic.
Saturday, February 1st, 1941
The United States Navy reorganizes into three independent fleets to cover possible battlefronts in the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Asia-Pacific regions.
Wednesday, March 5th, 1941
The first elements of British reinforcements departs Egyptian shores en route to the Balkan Front.
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.
Sunday, March 30th, 1941
United States vessels capture some sixty-five ships aligned with the Axis powers.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 1941
Under the direction of German Navy Grand-Admiral Raeder, Operation Rheinubung is fleshed out. The operation calls for direct hit-and-run engagements with British merchant shipping across the Atlantic.
Saturday, April 5th, 1941
The number of British troops having arrived in Greece numbers 58,000.
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.
Tuesday, May 20th, 1941
The German heavy cruiser KMS Prinz Eugen and the battleship KMS Bismarck leave port for the North Sea.
Wednesday, May 21st, 1941
The British Navy is notified of the increase in German warship activity in the North Sea.
Wednesday, May 21st, 1941
In an effort to beef up Royal Navy presence in the North Sea, the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse are called to action in support of existing forces under the command of Admiral Sir John Tovey.
Thursday, May 22nd, 1941
A hunter-killer group of 14 Royal Navy ships, including the battleships HMS King George V, HMS Hood and the HMS Prince of Wales, leave Scapa Flow.
Thursday, May 22nd, 1941
The HMS Greyhound, a British destroyer, is downed by German bombers.
Friday, May 23rd, 1941
At 7:22 PM, the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Suffolk and the HMS Norfolk spot and shadow the mighty German battleship Bismarck. Its location is radioed in to Vice-Admiral L. E. Holland.
Friday, May 23rd, 1941
German dive bombers destroy the HMS Kelly and HMS Kashmir, two Royal Navy destroyers.
Friday, May 23rd, 1941
German dive bombers destroy the HMS Gloucester and the HMS Fiji, two Royal Navy cruisers.
Saturday, May 24th, 1941
At 5:52 AM, the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen fall under attack from Royal Navy ships.
Saturday, May 24th, 1941
At 6:00 AM, the Bismarck fires a salvo at the battleship HMS Hood, striker her ammunition magazine, with the resulting explosion destroying the British ship leaving only three sailors alive.
Saturday, May 24th, 1941
At 6:13 AM, the battleship Prince of Wales is damaged enough to pull out of the battle.
Saturday, May 24th, 1941
The HMS Suffolk loses track of the KMS Bismarck.
Sunday, May 25th, 1941
German Admiral Lutjens orders that the Prinz Eugen break from the Bismarck.
Monday, May 26th, 1941
A British Coastal Command PBY Catalina flying boat spots the KMS Bismarck 700 miles from Brest.
Monday, May 26th, 1941
The Royal Navy hunter-killer group receives some help with the arrival of the HMS Renown, HMS Sheffield and the HMS Ark Royal arriving from Gibraltar.
Monday, May 26th, 1941
At 2:50 PM, an attack group from the HMS Ark Royal consisting of Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers begins their attack on the Bismarck.
Monday, May 26th, 1941
Between 8:47 and 9:25 PM, the Bismarck registers two direct torpedo hits. In a stroke of luck for the British, the second torpedo hits the stern section of the Bismarck, jamming her rudder to one side, forcing the vessel to go into an uncontrolled turn.
Monday, May 26th, 1941
Royal Navy ships open fire with their long range guns and close in on their prey.
Tuesday, May 27th, 1941
At 8:47 AM, the Bismarck is now being raked from front to rear by the guns of the Royal Navy warships. The battleship HMS King George V and the HMS Rodney unleash their short range armament on the hapless German ship.
Tuesday, May 27th, 1941
At 10:00 AM, the Bismarck's guns fall silent s she takes on water and burns.
Tuesday, May 27th, 1941
At 10:36 AM, the mighty German battleship Bismarck sinks into blue depths, leaving only 115 German sailors to recount her story.
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.
Thursday, August 21st, 1941
The first Royal Navy convoy on its way to deliver supplies through Arctic waters into the Soviet Union leaves Scapa Flow comprised of 7 ships.
Sunday, August 31st, 1941
The first seven-ship Royal Navy convoy arrives in Russia without incident, bringing with her supplies and Hawker Hurricane fighters.
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 26th, 1941
The Japanese naval fleet leaves home port and heads to Hawaii.
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.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
The Imperial Japanese Navy attack commences with their assault. The force is made up of 423 aircraft and converges on the Hawaiian Islands.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
At 6:00AM, the first wave of 183 Japanese Navy aircraft takes off from their carriers, just north of Oahu, to make the 230 mile trek. The target is the US Pacific Fleet.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
At 7:02AM, the Japanese attack wave is located on American radar by two US Army personnel who bring it to the attention of a junior officer. The officer, expecting a flight of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses to arrive that day, disregards the alert.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
At approximately 7:15AM, the second wave of 167 Japanese Navy planes takes off from their carriers towards Pearl.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
At 7:53AM, complete surprise by the Japanese Navy and the first wave begins their initial strike. This force is made up of 50 medium bombers, 43 A6M Zero fighters and 40 Kate torpedo bombers. Targets are the battleships hunkered down in the harbor and airfields used by the USAAF.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
The second wave of Japanese Navy aircraft swoops in attacking targets of opportunity including auxiliary ships in the harbor and the all-important harbor facilities.
Sunday, December 7th, 1941
The attack on Pearl Harbor is over at 9:45AM. Over 2,400 people are killed and a further 1,178 are wounded. More die in the ensuing days while 1,104 sailors eventually perish within the hull of the battleship USS Arizona, its magazine stores ignited by a single Japanese bomb.
Wednesday, December 17th, 1941
Lieutenant-General von Manstein launches a major offensive against the Soviet soldiers holed up in the Sevastopol fortress.
Tuesday, December 23rd, 1941
The American military detachment at Wake Island surrenders. During their stand, the Americans accounted for at least 1,000 Japanese casualties and 4 Japanese navy warships.
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 - 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".
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.
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.
Thursday, February 19th, 1942
The Japanese 1st Air Fleet conducts a surprise attack on Allied ships at Broome and Darwin. Twelve ships are sunk in the assault.
Friday, March 20th, 1942
British Convoy PQ13 sets sail for Russia but comes under fire from German U-Boats. Five of the 19 ships are lost.
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.
Thursday, April 1st, 1942
The Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo enters the Bay of Bengal.
Friday, April 3rd, 1942
No fewer than five Japanese Navy aircraft carriers reach the Indian Ocean.
Saturday, April 4th, 1942
A small contingent of British Royal Navy vessels operating in the Indian Ocean are warned of the arriving Japanese Navy force.
Saturday, April 4th, 1942
Admiral Sir James Somerville detaches a force to intercept the arriving Japanese fleet.
Monday, April 6th, 1942
The Imperial Japanese Navy unleashes a surprise attack, with some 120 aircraft, on British forces at Columbo Harbor, Ceylon.
Monday, April 6th, 1942
The British Royal Navy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk by the Japanese air strike.
Monday, April 6th, 1942
The British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Tenedos is sunk by the Japanese air strike.
Thursday, April 9th, 1942
An 85-strong Japanese Navy aircraft contingent attacks airfields and targets of opportunity at Trincomalee, Ceylon.
Thursday, April 9th, 1942
The HMS Hermes is one of four Royal Navy ships sunk by Japanese Navy aircraft.
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.
Sunday, May 3rd, 1942
An Imperial Japanese Navy carrier force sets sail on patrol around the Solomons looking for American carrier battle groups.
Sunday, May 3rd, 1942
American intelligence intercepts various Japanese communications and is able to piece together the intention to invade Port Moresby, New Guinea.
Monday, May 4th, 1942
USS Yorktown launched strike aircraft south of Guadalcanal. At 6:30AM, the American Navy aircraft spot and subsequently target Japanese land emplacements and sea vessels in the area.
Monday, May 4th, 1942
The Japanese invasion force leaves Rabaul, New Britain, heading towards Port Moresby, New Guinea.
Wednesday, May 5th - May 6th, 1942
Foul weather limits detection of either carrier force across a two day span.
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
Allied Task Force 44, headed by Royal Navy Rear-Admiral Crace, moves in to intercept the Japanese invasion force. However, the force is prematurely spotted by Japanese reconnaissance aircraft resulting in a counter-assault of the Task Force by Japanese Navy warplanes. Crace and his force never make the intercept.
Thursday, May 7th, 1942
The USS Neosho and the USS Sims are sunk by Japanese aircraft.
Thursday, May 7th, 1942
The Allies spot the Japanese Covering Group escorting the invasion force.
Thursday, May 7th, 1942
The USS Lexington and the USS Yorktown launch their attack planes and sink the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho in the process.
Thursday, May 7th, 1942
The Japanese invasion of Port Moresby is called off.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
Lieutenant-General von Manstein launches his assault.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
The Japanese invasion force heads back to New Britain.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
Some 27 Japanese aircraft are launched under the cover of darkness in the hopes of locating the Allied Task Force. They come up empty and only six aircraft return safely home.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
Just past dawn, the Japanese and American carrier groups spot one another.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
At 9:25AM, Japanese and American warplanes take to the skies.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
At 11:40AM, US Navy warplanes manage to score devastating hits to the Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku, severely damaging her.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
At 2:47PM, the American carrier USS Lexington is hit by a Japanese torpedo, causing a major explosion in her generator room.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
By 6:00PM that evening, nearly all of the USS Lexington's sailors have been rescued.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
At 6:10PM, the USS Lexington is a complete loss. She is scuttled and sunk.
Saturday, May 9th, 1942
Despite numbers against him, Japanese Vice-Admiral Takagi is ordered to send his warplanes aloft.
Saturday, May 9th, 1942
The Japanese aircraft do not locate the American fleet and any further actions are called off, effectively ending the Battle of Coral Sea.
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.
Monday, May 25th, 1942
A large Imperial Japanese Naval force sails for Japan towards Midway Island. The force Is made up of four task forces. One is charged with the invasion of the Aleutian Islands off of Alaska while the other three are to take Midway Island itself and assail the responding USN fleet. One group contains the required four aircraft carriers.
Thursday, May 28th, 1942
The final Imperial Japanese Task Force leaves mainland Japan.
Wednesday, June 3rd, 1942
The Northern Task Force begins its operation to take the Aleutian Island chain and divert USN forces to the region.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 4:30AM, the bombing of Midway Island begins with aircraft from Vice-Admiral Nagumo's First Carrier Strike Force.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
American fighter aircraft take heavy losses but force the Japanese Navy to launch a second attack.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 7:28AM, a Japanese reconniassance plane spots spots ten undetermined USN surface ships 200 miles northeast of the Japanese Midway invasion force.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 7:52AM, USS Enterprise and USS Hornet launch their dive bombers and torpedo planes.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 8:20AM, a surprised Nagumo receives his first report of American carriers in the area.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 8:37AM, aircraft of the second Japanese strike force returns to their respective carriers for rearming and refueling.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 9:00AM, USS Yorktown launches her aircraft with Nagumo's carrier force as the prime target.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 9:18AM, Nagumo reacts to the American presence and changes the course of his Carrier Strike Force.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
Between 9:30AM and 10:00AM, Torpedo planes from the USS Enterprise and USS Hornet begin their attacks on the Japanese carriers.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
The first wave of USN carrier dive-bombers has difficulty in locating their Japanese targets.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
All incoming USN Devastator attackers are shot down by Japanese Zero fighters in the span of six minutes.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
The initial American assault on the Japanese carrier strike force is over by 10:00AM.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 10:25AM, a follow-up strike made up of 37 Dauntless dive bombers finds the Japanese carriers - now stocked with armed and fueled aircraft on their decks.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
The three Japanese carriers - Kaga, Soryu and Akagi - are struck with bombs and ultimately sunk.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 12:00PM, Imperial Japanese Navy bomber aircraft strike against the attacking USS Yorktown.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
By 2:30PM, the USS Yorktown is severely damaged but does not sink.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
By 3:00PM, the crew of the USS Yorktown has abandoned their carrier. The damaged vessel is towed by USN ships.
Thursday, June 4th, 1942
At 5:00PM, the Imperial Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu is set ablaze after being struck by no fewer than five direct bomb hits from aircraft of the USS Enterprise.
Friday, June 5th, 1942
The Japanese carrier Hiryu is scuttled.
Saturday, June 6th, 1942
The USS Yorktown, now severely damaged and in tow of US Navy forces, is targeted and sunk by a Japanese submarine.
Saturday, June 6th, 1942
The island of Kiska is taken by Japanese forces.
Sunday, June 7th, 1942
The island of Attu is taken by Japanese forces.
Saturday, June 27th, 1942
British convoy PQ17 sets sail from Reykjavik, Iceland.
Saturday, June 27th - July 28th, 1942
Convoy PQ17 loses 34 of its 36 ships to Geman U-Boats and surface ships.
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 31st, 1942
The Allies received word on the construction of a strategic Japanese airfield (Henderson Field) on the island of Guadalcanal, part of the Solomon Islands. As such, plans are set in motion to curtail construction of the endeavor. US Navy and Marine forces spring into action.
Thursday, July 2nd, 1942
The last of the Soviet forces are evacuated by sea leaving little to stop the German onslaught.
Tuesday, July 7th, 1942
This date is set aside for Operation Rutter - the amphibious landing at the port city of Dieppe in occupied France.
Saturday, August 1st - August 31st, 1942
Any further convoys passing to the Arctic to Russia are suspended for the time being as resources are pressed for service in the Allied landings occurring in North Africa.
Thursday, August 6th, 1942
US Navy and Marine forces position themselves near Guadalcanal.
Friday, August 7th, 1942
Amphibious forces spearheaded by the United States Marines begin against the Japanese-held island of Guadalcanal.
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
Naval battles ultimately take place between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Navy for control of Guadalcanal.
Saturday, August 8th, 1942
Japanese bombers attack US forces at Henderson Field.
Saturday, August 8th, 1942
Just outside of Guadalcanal, the islands of Tulagi and Gavutu fall to the Allies.
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.
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.
Thursday, August 20th, 1942
The first of thirty-one US fighter aircraft arrive at Henderson Field.
Sunday, August 23rd, 1942
The Battle of the Eastern Solomons begins.
Monday, August 24th, 1942
The US Navy claims a Japanese aircraft carrier. The carrier is attacked and sunk.
Tuesday, September 1st - September 30th, 1942
The month is spent ironing out plans for the Allied invasion of German-occupied North Africa.
Wednesday, September 2nd, 1942
Convoy PQ18 sets sail for Russia, comprised of some 40 ships and beefed up protection through 17 destroyers. The escort carrier HMS Avenger provides air cover.
Wednesday, Setember 2nd - September 26th, 1942
Convoy PQ18 reaches Russia despite losing 13 of her ships.
Sunday, November 1st - January 31st, 1942
Neither force can claim much action during this span. In time, US forces number some 58,000 troops while Japan can claim 20,000-strong.
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.
Wednesday, November 11th, 1942
The British Eastern Task force capture the strategic airfield at Djidjelli via Bougie from Algiers.
Friday, November 20th, 1942
The Allied assault on the strategic city of Medjez el Bab begins.
Thursday, November 26th, 1942
Medjez el Bab falls to the Allies.
Thursday, December 31st, 1942
The Battle of Barents Sea takes place. Convoy JW51B comes under attack from German surface ships comrpised of the battleships KMS Admiral Hipper and KMS Lutzow along with 6 destroyers. Six British destroyers are up to the task as they repel the much larger force at the cost of two Royal Navy destroyers. No merchant vessels are lost to enemy fire. The loss in battle forces the resignation of German Navy Admiral Raeder and leaves Adolph Hitler hungry for blood.
Sunday, January 10th, 1943
The decision to abandon Guadalcanal is made by Japanese autorities.
Monday, February 1st, 1943
A massive evacuation effort sees some 11,000 Japanese personnel moved fom Tenaro, Gaudalcanal.
Sunday, February 7th, 1943
The last remnants of the Japanese Army on Guadalcanal is evacuated from the island.
Sunday, February 7th, 1943
Gaudalcanal officially falls to the Americans.
Monday, March 1st - March 31st, 1943
The German battleship KMS Scharnhorst makes its way to Norway, building up the already potent German Navy force that includes the KMS Tirpitz and KMS Lutzow.
Monday, March 1st - July 31st, 1943
Any further British convoy runs to Russia are postponed as supplies are funneled to other areas of the Atlantic.
Saturday, May 1st - May 31st, 1943
By the end of May, 43 U-boats are sunk to just 34 merchant vessels.
Wednesday, May 19th, 1943
Some 33 U-boats assail an Allied convoy. However, the streamlined Allied response nets zero ship losses and fatalities. The U-boats come up empty.
Monday, May 24th, 1943
Due to dwindling results, German Admiral Karl Donitz calls back his U-boats from operations in the Atlantic.
Tuesday, June 1st, 1943
The German U-boats are unleashed once more, this time operating in substantially smaller groups.
Sunday, June 6th, 1943
The Allied D-Day landings in the North of France eventually render the French-German U-boat bases inoperable.
Thursday, July 1st, 1943
No fewer than eight German U-Boats shadow convoy PQ17.
Sunday, August 15th, 1943
The Aleutian Islands Campaign comes to a close. The Japanese invasion is ultimately repelled.
Wednesday, September 22nd, 1943
Royal Navy midget submarines attack the German battleship KMS Tirpitz. Though not sunk to action, she takes on enough damage to sideline her for six months.
Monday, November 1st - November 30th, 1943
In this month, Allies convoys in the Artic resume their activities.
Sunday, December 26th, 1943
The German battleship KMS Scharnhorst and 5 destroyers engage convoy JW55B.
Sunday, December 26th, 1943
At 7:30 PM, the KMS Scharnhorst is lost to action by Royal Navy surface warships, leaving just 36 of her crew alive.
Friday, January 21st, 1944
In the afternoon hours, an Allied convoy of 243 ships sets sail from the Bay of Naples for the beaches at Anzio and nearby Nettuno.
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.
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.
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.
Monday, April 3rd, 1944
The KMS Tirpitz is targeted once more and attack, this time by air elements of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The battleship lives through the attack but suffers three more months of repairs as a result.
Monday, May 1st - July 31st, 1944
The upcoming invasion at Normany puts a temporary halt on further convoy runs into Russia.
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.
Sunday, June 4th, 1944
Official word comes down that the June 5th landings will be postponed due to inclement weather across the North Sea.
Monday, June 5th, 1944
Some 6,000 naval vessels depart from the south of England towards France.
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
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
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
The German counter-attack reaches the beachhead at Sword.
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.
Tuesday, August 15th - August 29th, 1944
During another running battle, convoy JW59 and her surface warships inflict damage on the KMS Tirpitz.
Wednesday, November 1st - November 30th, 1944
As the German defensive circle shrinks througout Europe, the Artic Convoys enjoy their best month, seeing not one vessel lost to enemy action.
Sunday, November 12th, 1944
The KMS Tirpitz is finally destroyed at Troms by forces of the RAF.
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.
Sunday, April 1st - April 30th, 1945
The USN is credited with sinking four German U-boats in what turns out to be the last recorded combat actions in the Atlantic Theater of War.
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
The deadly kamikaze air attack is unleashed on American Naval vessels in the Pacific. These aircraft appear as coordinated airstrikes and prove equally deadly to both sides. USN vessels off the coast of Okinawa itself are targeted. Some 34 US Navy ships fall victim.
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.
Saturday, April 7th, 1945
The IJN Yamato, having already been spotted by an American submarine, makes its way to the fighting at Okinawa. The crew understand that this is a suicide mission at this point in the war.
Saturday, April 7th, 1945
In the early morning hours, US Navy reconnaissance aircraft spot the IJN Yamato and relay her position.
Saturday, April 7th, 1945
Task Force 38 launches some 380 aircraft against IJN Yamato.
Saturday, April 7th, 1945
With no air cover, the IJN Yamato is blasted to pieces by the American Navy warplanes. Her magazine stores explode in a fantastic display as she goes up in smoke. Most of her crew is lost with the ship in the afternoon hours.
Tuesday, April 10th, 1945
The American 27th Infantry Division lands at Tsugen. The island is just to the east of Okinawa proper.
Tuesday, May 1st - May 31st, 1945
The last Artic Convoy voyage - with the designation of JW67 - between Britian and Russia is completed.
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.
Sunday, May 27th, 1945
Naha is officially captured by American forces. The Orouku Peninsula to the south is now within reach.
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
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.
Sunday, September 2nd, 1945
The formal Japanese surrender takes place on the deck of the American battleship USS Missouri. Japanese leaders sign the surrender in front of American General Douglas MacArthur. The end of World War 2 - with VJ day - has arrived.
