A day marked by warnings at sea, crackdowns across occupied Europe, daring escapes, and shifting front lines from North Africa to the Pacific.
1939 – Warnings at Sea and Brutality on Land
Germany issued a stark warning to all neutral shipping: stay away from British and French coasts—or risk being sunk.
Neutral ships had already been lost in nighttime encounters, where identification was nearly impossible.
Now, U-boat commanders were given authority to sink any vessel sailing without lights, escalating the danger across the Atlantic and North Sea.
In occupied Czechoslovakia, the Gestapo carried out mass executions, killing 120 Czech students accused of participating in anti-Nazi resistance.
It was another early sign of the ruthless measures Germany would use to crush dissent across its conquered territories.
1940 – The War Tightens in Europe
In Britain, the Treasury canceled the traditional Boxing Day Bank Holiday—another sign of wartime austerity as the country’s resources stretched thin.
In Berlin, Slovakia’s Prime Minister formally joined the Tripartite Pact, drawing his nation further into the Axis alliance.
That night, Bristol was pounded by the Luftwaffe, adding another city to the growing list of British urban centers suffering under the expanding air war.
1941 – Escapes, Ghettos, and Chaos in the Desert
One of the most daring escape attempts of the war unfolded in Britain. Two Luftwaffe officers—Lt. Heinz Schnabel and Oblt. Harry Wappler—escaped from Camp No. 15 in Northumbria.
Forging documents identifying themselves as Dutch RAF officers, they brazenly walked onto the RAF airfield at Kingstown near Carlisle.
They started a Miles Magister trainer and took off, aiming for Nazi-occupied Holland. But with too little fuel to cross the North Sea, they turned back and landed in a field near Great Yarmouth.
They were quickly recaptured and sentenced to 28 days of solitary confinement—but their attempt became a legend among POW escape stories.
Near Prague, the Nazis established the Theresienstadt Ghetto, intended as a “model” camp for propaganda but in reality a place of suffering that became a transit point for tens of thousands sent east to extermination camps.
In North Africa, Rommel launched what became known as the “dash for the wire,” ordering his tanks to cut British supply routes by punching toward the Egyptian frontier. By day’s end, his armor had reached the wire and thrown the British rear areas into confusion.
Across the Pacific, U.S. Army commanders were warned of the possible imminence of war.
Although officially neutral, the United States expanded Lend-Lease to include Charles de Gaulle’s Free French forces, signaling deeper involvement on multiple fronts.
1942 – Collaboration in Vichy France
Pierre Laval took another step toward collaboration by creating the Phalange Africaine, a French volunteer force intended to fight alongside Axis troops in North Africa.
It was a deeply controversial move that further aligned Vichy France with Germany’s war aims.
1943 – Firestorms Over Berlin
Berlin woke to reports that the capital had become a “sea of flames” after another devastating RAF night raid.
Casualties were estimated between 8,000 and 10,000—one of the deadliest attacks of the air war.
Laval again announced the formation of the Phalange Africaine, tightening Vichy’s ties to Germany.
1944 – Advancing in Europe and Flames in the Pacific
Along the Franco-German border, Allied forces crossed the Saar River.
The French First Army liberated Mühlhausen in Alsace, while the French 2nd Armored Division captured Strasbourg—one of France’s most symbolic cities—sparking celebrations across liberated regions.
In a controversial strategic decision, General Eisenhower ordered the 6th Army Group not to cross the Rhine. Instead, he directed them northward to support Patton’s Third Army in its push against German forces.
In Asia, the Japanese captured Nanning, securing a land corridor connecting occupied China with Indochina—strengthening their hold over the region.
From Saipan, B-29 bombers struck Tokyo for the first time. Although the raid caused little damage, it marked the beginning of a new phase in the Pacific air offensive that would soon escalate dramatically.
Remembering November 24
From warnings at sea to ruthless occupation policies, from daring escapes in British skies to shifting fronts in Africa and the Pacific, November 23 reflects the vast scope of a war fought on every continent and in every domain.
Each event is a reminder of how quickly the war changed—and how deeply it affected millions around the world.
Lest we forget.