1940
Denmark surrenders to the Germans.
Bitter fighting as Germans advance north from Oslo.
Six British destroyers surprise ten German Destroyers in Narvik Fiord, in what becomes known as the 1st Battle of Narvik. Two German and two British Destroyers are sunk and the British Flotilla commander, Captain Warburton-Lee is killed. He is later awarded the Victoria Cross, posthumously.
1941
Germans enter Zagreb, allowing Ante Pavelic, the Croatian Fascist leader, to return from Italian exile and proclaim the independent state of Croatia, with him as Poglavnik (leader). British forces under General Wilson withdraw from the Aliakmon line.
The 9th Australian Division withdraws into Tobruk.
1942
British negotiations in India break down.
The 78,000 captured men from Bataan begin a 65 mile march under the hot sun from Mariveles to San Fernando, with little food or water. This was to become known as the ‘Bataan Death March’.
The Japanese begin landing troops on Cebu Island, which has a combined US-Filipino garrison of 4,500 troops.
The Soviet Ambassador to the USA gives a speech in Philadelphia demanding an immediate second front in Europe.
1943
USAAF bombers sink the Italian cruiser Trieste in raid on Sardinia.
1944
The Russians enter Odessa on Black Sea as German forces withdraw from the city to the west bank of the Dniester river.
The RAF drops a record 3,600 tons over northern France.
1945
Churchill reveals British Empire casualty figures up to this point as 306,984 killed. Total casualties are 1,126,802, merchant navy losing 34,161 dead or captured. Civilians casualties are 59,793 killed and 84,749 injured.
The Canadian First Army continues its push North into Holland, taking Deventer, 30 miles North of Nijmegen. The British Second Army takes Wildenhausen, 20Â miles Southwest of Bremen. The U.S. Ninth Army takes Hanover.
With the battle of Vienna ongoing, the German 6th SS Panzer Army succeeds in defeating fierce Russian attacks into the districts of Wiener Neustadt and to the West of Baden. The besieged Germans in Breslau continue to repel the repeated Russian attacks. A German war communique now declares that the resistance in Konigsberg has ceased, but that no surrender has occurred.
The RAF attack Kiel, while the US 8th Air Force launches its heaviest raid to date (1,232 bombers) against Berlin.
Buchenwald Concentration Camp is liberated by the Allies.
The German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer is sunk during a massive RAF raid on Kiel.