WWII History

1940 British unemployment falls to 973,000, lowest figure since 1920. British troops land at Harstad in the Lofoten Islands, opposite Narvik. Quisling government resigns in Oslo and a ‘Administrative Council’ takes control. Germans appoint a council to run the Norwegian government. Off Narvik, British destroyers Brazen and Fearless sink U-49; documents about the Enigma machine float to the surface and […]

1940 The German Minesweeper M6 sinks Royal Navy submarine Tarpon. British and French troops land at Namsos near Narvik to assist Norwegians against German invasion. 1941 Germans break through the new Greek frontline. The Greek Army of Epirus withdraws from Albania. Yugoslavian government escape to Athens. Kaiser shipyards in Richmond, California lay keel for its

1940 A fierce engagement between German and British naval forces in the second battle of Narvik at Jassing Fjord, which results in the sinking  of 8 German destroyers and a U-Boat whose surviving crews join Gebirgsjager units defending isolated Narvik. 1941 British Naval forces, this time supported by the Battleship HMS Warspite, again engage the

1940 Norway announces German control of Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim in the south, Narvik in the north. 1941 The Yugoslav capital Belgrade, surrenders. Greek and British forces fall back to the Mount Olympus line in Greece. German armored units complete the encirclement of Tobruk and push on up the coast road towards the Egyptian

1940 King Haakon VII of Norway appeals to all Norwegians to fight. The first British troop’s sets sail for Norway, although they have been mistakenly embarked without much of their heavy equipment. Royal Navy submarine Spearfish puts pocket battleship Lutzow out of action for a year. 1941 Rommel makes an attempt to capture Tobruk off

1940 Denmark surrenders to the Germans. Bitter fighting as Germans advance north from Oslo. Six British destroyers surprise ten German Destroyers in Narvik Fiord, in what becomes known as the 1st Battle of Narvik. Two German and two British Destroyers are sunk and the British Flotilla commander, Captain Warburton-Lee is killed. He is later awarded

1940 German troops invade Denmark and Norway simultaneously. There is very little opposition by the surprised Danes, with Copenhagen being captured within 12 hours. The Germans make sea-borne landings in Norway at Oslo, Kristiansand, Bergen, Trondheim and Narvik. An airborne landing is also made against the airfield at Stavanger. Norwegian defenders move inland. Major Quisling

1939 Italy invades Albania. 1940 British submarines torpedo three German ships. Destroyer Glowworm is sunk after reporting German fleet movements and ramming cruiser Hipper. British minelayers arrive off Norway and are surprised by German navy preparing to invade Norway. In heavy fighting, the destroyer HMS Glowworm is sunk while ramming German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper.

1940 The RAF spots units of the Kriegsmarine steaming North towards Narvik and Trondheim loaded with troops and equipment. 1941 British war budget raises income tax. Germans break towards Salonika. Great Britain severs diplomatic relations with Hungary. German troops capture Skopje in Macedonia forcing the Yugoslav forces to withdraw in the south of the country,

1938 The United States recognizes Nazi Germany’s conquest of Austria. 1940 British Ministry of Food announces “Kitchen Front” campaign to save food. Germany recalls all 1, 2, 5, and 10-pfennig coins to reclaim copper & bronze; will use zinc instead. 1941 German, Italian and Hungarian forces begin the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece. The Luftwaffe