December 10 in World War II saw the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse, the Japanese capture of Guam, the relief of Tobruk, the first U.S. bombing mission of the war, and the first German Jewish transport to Auschwitz. Explore the full timeline from 1939–1944.

December 9 in World War II saw the first British soldier killed, the launch of Operation Compass, Japanese advances across Asia, the heroism of Flt Lt Scarf at Alor Star, and General Patton’s injury. Explore the full timeline from 1939–1945.

Excerpt: Japan, sweeping Japanese attacks across the Pacific, the Soviet winter offensive
against Germany, and the opening of the Chelmno extermination camp. Explore key
events from 1939–1944 in today’s WWII timeline.

December 7 marks one of the most defining moments of World War II—the attack on Pearl Harbor. As Japan launched its surprise strike on Hawaii, global tensions erupted into full-scale war. From the Winter War in Finland to daring commando raids in France and shifting fronts in Libya and the Pacific, this day reshaped the conflict across every theater.

December 6 saw fierce battles from Finland to the Soviet front, leadership turmoil in Italy, and the expansion of Zhukov’s counteroffensive as Japan moved closer to war in the Pacific. From desert training in North Africa to diplomatic appeals in Washington, these events reveal a world on the brink of major turning points in World War II.

On December 5, World War II unfolded across frozen battlefields, troubled seas, and shifting front lines. Finnish troops fought bitterly in Karelia, Britain rejected peace proposals, and Germany prepared for its invasion of Russia. In 1941, the U.S. fleet unknowingly moved into position before Pearl Harbor as Hitler’s drive on Moscow stalled and Zhukov struck back.

December 4 reflects the global reach of a world at war. In 1939, the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee sank the liner Doric Star in the South Atlantic. A year later, Greek forces captured Premeti, Pogradec, and the port of Sarandë while the U.S. Navy welcomed the F4F-3 Wildcat into service. By 1941, temperatures on the Russian Front plunged to –31°F, the Japanese Embassy in Washington began destroying codes, leaked U.S. war plans ignited political controversy, and Rommel retreated to Gazala. In 1942, American air forces launched their first raids against Naples while German troops seized Tebourba in Tunisia. December 4, 1943 saw Tito’s Partisans establish a provisional government, new Allied diplomacy in Cairo, and the sinking of the Japanese carrier Chuyō by USS Sailfish. The following year, Athens fell under martial law, Ravenna was liberated by partisans, and the British Fourteenth Army crossed the Chindwin River. In 1945, the U.S. Senate voted to join the United Nations, marking a new era in global cooperation.

December 3 captures the global reach of a war intensifying on every front. In 1939, the RAF struck German warships at Heligoland Bight while Finnish troops pulled back toward the Mannerheim Line. By 1940, Britain issued modest holiday rations as the home front braced for another wartime Christmas. In 1941, Germany pushed within five miles of the Kremlin, Hitler called for mass-production reforms, and U-124 sank another unarmed U.S. merchant ship as America remained officially neutral. In 1942, German divisions moved toward Stalingrad for the planned relief of the 6th Army while Tiger tanks saw their first combat in Tunisia. Heavy Allied raids hit Leipzig in 1943 as the U.S. Fifth Army attacked the Winter Line. By 1944, Britain stood down its Home Guard after five years of service, U.S. armor broke through the Westwall, and civil war erupted in Greece. A day of shifting battle lines, homefront endurance, and rising pressure on the collapsing Axis powers.

World War II Today: December 2 A day marked by breakthroughs in science, tightening fronts across Europe and Asia, and bold strategic shifts as the war entered its most pivotal stages. 1939 – The Winter War Intensifies in Finland Russian forces pressed deeper into Finnish territory, capturing Petsamo in the extreme north. The remote port,