1939 — U.S. Aircraft Approved for France
President Franklin D. Roosevelt approves the sale of U.S.-built military aircraft to France, marking an early step away from strict American neutrality.
1940 — Hitler Takes Control of Norway Invasion Plans
Adolf Hitler personally assumes control of planning for the invasion of Norway, known as Plan Weserübung, underscoring the operation’s strategic importance for securing iron ore routes and naval access.
1941 — North Africa: Mechili Captured
The 7th Armoured Division captures Mechili. However, strong Italian defenses at Derna halt Australian advances, prompting General Wavell to pause further offensive operations until reinforcements and supplies arrive.
1942 — Deception in the Desert & Expanding War at Sea
German Feint Near Benghazi
German forces launch a feint attack from Msus toward Mechili, misleading British commanders into believing a major push toward the eastern coast road is imminent. As a result, British forces begin an urgent evacuation of the 4th Indian Division from Benghazi.
Japanese Landings in Borneo
Japanese troops land at Pemangkat on the west coast of Dutch Borneo, continuing their rapid expansion across Southeast Asia.
Political Tensions in Ireland
Irish Prime Minister Éamon de Valera formally protests the arrival of U.S. troops in Ulster, a move that reportedly astonishes President Roosevelt.
First Japanese Warship Sunk by U.S. Submarine
First Japanese Warship Sunk by U.S. SubmarineThe USS Gudgeon achieves a major milestone by sinking the Japanese submarine I-173, marking the first Japanese warship destroyed by a U.S. submarine in World War II.
1943 — First U.S. Daylight Bombing Raid on Germany
The U.S. Army Air Forces conduct their first daylight bombing raid on Germany. Formations of B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators strike the ports of Emden and Wilhelmshaven, inaugurating a new phase of the air war over Europe.
1944 — War Reaches a Turning Point
Berlin Suffers Heavy Bombing
The thirteenth major Allied raid on Berlin results in an estimated 6,000 civilian deaths, highlighting the increasing intensity of strategic bombing.
Fighting at Cassino
German forces counterattack French units near Cassino, as the brutal Italian campaign continues.
The Siege of Leningrad Ends
Residents of Leningrad are officially informed that the city’s 900-day siege has been lifted, marking a major Soviet victory.
Soviet Advances in Ukraine
The 1st Ukrainian Front launches an offensive toward Lutsk and Rovno. As Soviet forces encircle approximately 60,000 German troops in the Korsun Pocket, Hitler lectures Eastern Front commanders on National Socialism. Meanwhile, General von Küchler orders the German Eighteenth Army to withdraw to the Luga River.
1945 — Liberation and Collapse
Auschwitz Liberated
Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz, revealing the full scale of Nazi atrocities. By this time, an estimated 2,000,000 people, including 1,500,000 Jews, have been murdered at the camp.
German Forces Retreat in the East
Soviet troops capture Memel on the Baltic coast following German evacuation, placing all of Lithuania under Soviet control. German forces begin withdrawing from the vital industrial and coal-producing region of Upper Silesia.
Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz. By this time, an estimated 2,000,000 persons, including 1,500,000 Jews, have been murdered there.