World War II Today: November 27
A day shaped by advancing armies, naval clashes, collapsing fronts, and the rapid unraveling of Axis fortunes across multiple theaters.
1939 – Raiders Return and a New Air Alliance
The German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau returned to Wilhelmshaven today after a successful sortie into the North Atlantic.
Their presence at sea had threatened British shipping lanes, underscoring the growing danger posed by German surface raiders.
Meanwhile, Australia and Britain formally established the Empire Air Training Scheme, one of the largest aviation training programs in history.
It would become a cornerstone of the Allied air effort, producing thousands of pilots and aircrew who would go on to fight in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
1940 – Violence in Romania and a Naval Standoff
Romania was plunged into terror as the fascist Iron Guard launched a brutal murder campaign, executing 64 people in a surge of extremist violence.
At sea, the British Admiralty ordered the battleship Ramillies and two cruisers to reinforce the Atlantic Fleet.
Their route took them from the Mediterranean to Malta and then toward Gibraltar, where they were to join Force H.
But just as the British formation reached the rendezvous point, they were intercepted by Admiral Campioni’s Italian squadron—two battleships, seven cruisers, and sixteen destroyers.
The standoff was tense, but as soon as the battlecruiser Renown arrived from Force H, the Italians withdrew after suffering damage to one cruiser and two destroyers.
The British heavy cruiser HMS Berwick was also damaged, but the convoy continued forward.
1941 – Moscow Under Threat and Victories in Africa
German panzers were now just 19 miles from Moscow. Some patrols even reached the western suburbs, close enough to glimpse the Kremlin through the winter haze.
The Soviet capital braced for what appeared to be an imminent attack.
In North Africa, the situation shifted dramatically. The Tobruk garrison linked up with the New Zealand Division of the Eighth Army at El Duda, forcing Rommel to turn back under heavy RAF pressure.
Farther south, Gondar—the last Italian-held town in East Africa—fell to British forces after a stubborn fight.
Italian General Nasi surrendered 23,500 men; British losses totaled around 500.
Across the Pacific, Japan rejected U.S. demands to withdraw from China, while American forces in the region were placed on full war alert.
Unbeknownst to the world, the countdown to Pearl Harbor had already begun.
1942 – Toulon Falls and a New German Army Formed
German troops continued their occupation of Vichy France by seizing the major naval base at Toulon.
In response, the French Navy scuttled 79 warships in the harbor to prevent them from falling into German hands—one of the greatest acts of self-destruction in naval history.
Four French submarines managed to escape.
On the Eastern Front, Army Group Don under General Manstein was formed to attempt a relief of the encircled German Sixth Army at Stalingrad.
But the situation was deteriorating rapidly.
In North Africa, British forces advanced to within 22 miles of Tunis, tightening the noose around Axis defenses in Tunisia.
1943 – The Sangro Offensive Begins
The British Eighth Army launched its offensive across the Sangro River in Italy, beginning another grinding phase of the slow Allied advance through the mountainous peninsula.
Winter, mud, and stiff German defenses made every mile a costly struggle.
1944 – Breakthroughs and Tragedy
The Red Army broke through German-Hungarian defensive lines and captured the strategic town of Mohács.
The German ship Rigel was sunk today as well—more than 2,570 people, most of them prisoners of war, drowned in the icy waters.
Over Tokyo, B-29 bombers struck again from Saipan, continuing the air campaign against the Japanese capital.
This time, the Japanese responded with retaliatory raids against U.S. airbases on Saipan, marking another escalation in the Pacific air war.
1945 – The United Nations Takes Another Step Forward
Twenty-nine nations formally ratified the United Nations Charter, marking another milestone in the formation of a new international organization intended to maintain peace and prevent global conflict—an institution built directly from the ashes of war.
Remembering November 27
From the tensions on the doorstep of Moscow to the battles across Africa, from naval confrontations in the Mediterranean
to the scuttling of an entire French fleet, November 27 reflects the scale and intensity of a war fought on every front.
Each event reveals a world in motion—shifting, collapsing, resisting, and rebuilding in real time.
Lest we forget.
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