1939 – Mines over the Thames
Before dawn broke over England, German aircraft dropped parachute mines into the Thames Estuary.
Suspended silently beneath their canopies, these weapons drifted down into one of Britain’s most vital
waterways. The message was clear: nowhere was safe, not even the calm surface of the estuary feeding the port of London.
1940 – Birmingham Under Fire
A year later, the war struck with even greater force. The Luftwaffe launched its heaviest raid yet on
the city of Birmingham. For eleven relentless hours, bombs fell and fires raged—more than 600 of them—turning
the industrial heart of England into a landscape of smoke, shattered glass, and defiant courage. It was one of
the darkest nights of the Blitz for the people of Birmingham.
1941 – U-boats, Desert Battles, and Fallen Aces
Across Europe and the seas beyond, the conflict widened. Germany ordered all operational U-boats to move
toward the Mediterranean or its approaches, shifting its submarine campaign to strike at Allied lifelines and
support Axis operations in North Africa.
On the ground there, confusion and dust swirled around Sidi Rezegh. XXX Corps, bloodied by heavy tank losses,
was forced to halt its advance toward Tobruk, and the planned break-out from the besieged port was suspended.
There was some consolation: XIII Corps captured Sidi Omar and Capuzzo, clawing out a modest but meaningful
success in the desert fighting.
Far out in the South Atlantic, the long-roaming German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis met its end. After sinking
22 Allied merchant ships in a career of commerce raiding, she was finally tracked down and sunk by the British
heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire. One of Germany’s most effective raiders was gone.
Tragedy also struck the Luftwaffe. Werner Mölders—already a legend and the first pilot in the world to surpass
100 aerial victories—was killed in a landing accident while traveling as a passenger in a He 111 bomber. Even
inside Germany, his loss was deeply felt.
1942 – The Trap Closes at Stalingrad
On the frozen steppes outside Stalingrad, the Soviet encirclement sprang shut. The 4th Mechanized Corps advancing
from the south linked up with the 4th Tank Corps pushing down from the north at Kalach on the Don. In that moment,
the ring was closed.
Inside the tightening pocket were nearly 300,000 men from the German 6th Army and elements of the 4th Panzer Army.
Soviet commanders reported gains of up to 50 miles south of the city as their offensive gathered momentum. What had
begun as a German drive to capture Stalingrad was now turning into one of the greatest disasters in German military
history.
1943 – Islands, Firestorms, and Cairo Talks
In the eastern Mediterranean, German forces completed their occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, snuffing out
hopes of a sustained Allied foothold there and tightening Axis control over the Aegean.
That same night, the RAF delivered its worst pounding yet to Berlin. In less than half an hour, more than 2,300
tons of bombs crashed down onto the German capital—an overwhelming demonstration of Allied airpower that came at
the cost of just 26 aircraft. For Berlin’s civilians, it was another night of terror and destruction.
Far from the bombing raids, Allied leaders gathered around a table in Cairo. President Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek met to discuss how to defeat Japan and shape
the future of Asia once the fighting ended. While battles raged across land, sea, and air, the political outlines
of the postwar world were starting to take shape.
1944 – Metz and the Canals
In France, the long struggle for Metz was nearing its end. The main fighting in the city was over, but seven of
its old forts still held out stubbornly, clinging to the past even as the front moved on. The U.S. Third Army,
however, had taken the crucial town, tightening American control and opening the way for further advances eastward.
In Germany, the RAF struck again at the country’s infrastructure, making a second breach in the Dortmund–Ems Canal.
Every damaged waterway, bridge, and rail line made it harder for the Wehrmacht to move the fuel and supplies it
needed to fight.
1945 – Thanksgiving and Farewells
With the war over, November 22 looked very different in 1945. Americans celebrated Thanksgiving in a time of peace,
and the Macy’s parade returned to New York City after being cancelled from 1942 to 1944 due to the war. Balloons and
bands once again filled the streets instead of blackout curtains and air raid drills.
On the West Coast, the Hollywood Canteen closed its doors. During its brief but remarkable existence, it had welcomed
around four million servicemen, with some 3,000 volunteers—many of them movie stars—serving food, dancing, singing,
and offering moments of normalcy and joy to those heading to or returning from the front.
Remembering November 22
From mines in the Thames and bombers over Birmingham to encircled armies at Stalingrad, high-level meetings in Cairo,
and Thanksgiving parades at home, November 22 traces a path from total war to fragile peace. Each event is a reminder
that World War II was fought not only with weapons and machines, but with choices, courage, and the hope that a
better world could follow.
Lest we forget.
Take a look at these other WWII posts: