1939 – An Uneasy Partnership
During the brief period of cooperation between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, Adolf Hitler sends Joseph Stalin a telegram wishing him a happy 60th birthday. The message underscores the fragile and temporary nature of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, even as war spreads across Europe.
1940 – Bombing, Convoys, and the Siege of Bardia
The Royal Air Force conducts a bombing raid against Berlin, causing only limited damage but signaling Britain’s intent to strike back at the German capital.
The Admiralty orders the battleship HMS Malaya transferred to Force H.
The move is carried out by escorting a convoy to Malta before linking up with Force H units bound for Gibraltar. Although no losses occur from enemy action, one British destroyer is lost after striking a mine.
In North Africa, the port fortress of Bardia is surrounded by the 6th Australian Division. Despite being encircled, Italian defenders prepare to resist rather than surrender.
1941 – Disease, Air War, and the Loss of HMS Audacity
Reports indicate that typhus is spreading rapidly among German troops along the Eastern Front, compounding the hardships of winter and combat.
Axis air forces launch a renewed bombing offensive against the island of Malta, continuing the prolonged struggle for control of the central Mediterranean.
At sea, during convoy HG-76, the German submarine U-751 torpedoes and sinks the British escort carrier HMS Audacity. Despite her loss, Audacity had played a decisive role in keeping 12 U-boats at bay while only four ships in the convoy were lost. The engagement prompts the Germans to revise their tactics when Allied escort carriers are present.
1942 – No Breakout at Stalingrad
As the German Sixth Army remains encircled, Adolf Hitler refuses to authorize Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus to attempt a breakout from Stalingrad, sealing the army’s fate.
In Southeast Asia, British forces cross from India into Burma, advancing southeast toward Akyab in an effort to regain lost ground.
1943 – Diplomacy, Italy, and the Eastern Front
Under Allied pressure to curb German espionage activity, Irish Prime Minister Éamon de Valera orders the confiscation of the German embassy’s radio transmitter in the Irish Free State.
In Italy, elements of the British Eighth Army, including the 1st Canadian Division, fight bitterly to capture the town of Ortona, one of the most fiercely contested battles of the Italian campaign.
On the Eastern Front, Soviet forces smash the German bridgehead over the Dnieper River at Kherson, further weakening German defensive positions.
1944 – Bastogne Encircled
During the Battle of the Bulge, the U.S. First Army retakes Stavelot. To the south, however, German forces succeed in surrounding and besieging Bastogne, while units of the 5th Panzer Army capture St. Vith.
1945 – The Death of General Patton
General George S. Patton, one of America’s most renowned battlefield commanders, dies at the age of 60. He succumbs to injuries sustained in an automobile accident on December 9, closing the career of a general whose name had become synonymous with aggressive armored warfare.