WWII History

1939 Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas appeal for peace. 1940 US refuses to admit Jewish refugees, believing it will lead to expulsion of all Jews from Europe. Bonus Christmas ration is distributed in Germany—26 oz rice & vegetables, 1 lb sugar, coffee, and jam. 1941 Japanese troops make further landings on Luzon to the […]

1939 British form military intelligence section MI9 to aid resistance fighters, downed airmen, and POWs in Nazi-occupied countries. First Canadian troops arrive in Britain. 1940 Anthony Eden becomes Foreign Secretary. Churchill broadcasts to Italy: ‘All because of one man’. Lord Halifax appointed British ambassador to Washington. Italian torpedo boat Fratelli Cairoli sinks after hitting a

1939 Finns overrun Soviets at Ägläjärvi, Finland. 1940 David Margesson appointed to replace Anthony Eden as British Secretary of State for War. The Battle of Himara ended in Greek victory. The heaviest raids of the Manchester Blitz began. Over the next two days a total of 654 people were killed and over 2,000 injured. 1941 Prime Minister Churchill arrives

1939 During their brief period of comradeship, Hitler sends Joseph Stalin a telegram wishing him a happy sixtieth birthday. 1940 The RAF attacks Berlin, inflicting only minor damage. The Admiralty decides to transfer another Battleship, HMS Malaya to Force H from the Mediterranean fleet. Again this was to be accomplished by escorting a convoy to

1939 The Russians cease their attacks at Summa, leaving Finnish forces in control of the whole Mannerheim defensive line, except the Oinala Bulge. Captain Langsdorff of Admiral Graf Spee commits suicide. “Let’s Help Finland” event held at Madison Square Garden, New York City. 1940 The Luftwaffe continues its attacks against British cities, this time hitting Liverpool.

1939 The Russians lose 20 tanks out of 100 as they continue to attack at Summa. Inside US territorial waters off Florida, British light cruiser Orion fires at German freighter Arauca, violating Pan-American Neutrality Zone; Arauca puts in to port at Port Everglades, FL. 1940 Mussolini requests German assistance for his hard-pressed troops in Cyrenaica, asking for a Panzer Division,

1939 First Canadian troop convoy, TC-1, arrives at Liverpool. Lavrenti Beria, head of the NKVD, orders the start of large-scale deportation of Poles to the USSR. The Finnish 40th Infantry Regiment of the Lapland Group, forces the Russian 273rd Infantry Regiment of the 9th Army to retreat at Pelkosenniemi. The RAF launch another daylight raid

1938 Italy declares the 1935 pact with France invalid, because ratifications had not been exchanged. France denies the argument. 1939 Unable to complete the repairs to the Admiral Graf Spee within 24 hours, the time limit stipulated by international law for foreign warships in neutral ports to leave and under strict orders by OKM not to

1939 Finnish ski troops fight Soviets with first use of homemade “Molotov Cocktails.” 1940 134 RAF bombers attack Mannheim in revenge for German attacks against British cities. This is the RAF’s largest attack on a single target thus far in the war. 115 German civilian’s were killed or injured and 1,266 made homeless. It is also

1938 Washington sends its fourth note to Berlin demanding amnesty for Jews. 1939 A fifth British division arrives in France. The Uruguayan government gives the Admiral of the Graf Spee 36 hours to leave harbour. The Russians launch heavy attacks against Finnish forces at Taipale. 1940 The coffin of Napoleon II is moved from Vienna