WWII History

1940 A French naval squadron that has sought refuge at Alexandria is disarmed and interned by the British Navy. Italy allows French Mediterranean bases to remain armed. At Dakar, French West Africa, British torpedo bombers damage French battleship Richelieu when she refuses to surrender. 1941 Under the pretext of defending the western hemisphere against Axis incursions, the […]

1940After spending 8 weeks in the west supervising the German offensive, a triumphant Hitler returns to Berlin and is cheered wildly by the population of Berlin. German aircraft and minesweepers sink 4 British submarines, Narwhal, Spearfish, Shark and Thames. The first German U-boat base in France is opened at Lorient. First German U-boat base opens

1940 President Roosevelt lays down ‘five fundamentals of freedom’: freedom from fear, of information, of religion, of expression, and from want. The RAF carries out night raids on Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. The British destroyer Whirlwind is sunk by U-34 off Land’s End. Romania announces its alignment with the Axis powers. In retaliation for the British

1940In the House of Commons, prime minister Churchill declares,’ I leave the judgment of our actions with confidence to Parliament. I leave it to the nation and I leave it to the United States. I leave it to the world and to history.’ German Stukas and MTBs attack a British convoy South of Portland, sinking

1940 Fifty nine French warships that had sought refuge at Plymouth and Portsmouth are seized by the Royal Navy, but only after overcoming armed French resistance in some cases. The British Auxiliary AA ship Foyle Bank is sunk in German air attacks on the docks at Portland, Dorset. Due to heavy losses at the hands

1940 The British liner Arandora Star, carrying 1,500 German and Italian prisoners of war to Canada, is sunk by U-47 off the west coast of Ireland, with many casualties. Hitler orders preparation of ‘Operation Sealion’ the plan for the invasion of Britain. Germans issue casualty figures for French campaign: 17,000 killed and 1,900,000 French prisoners

1940 In the first 6 months of the year, German U-boats have sunk 900,000 tons of Allied shipping. German troops occupy Jersey and complete the capture of the Channel Islands, the only British territory ever captured by Germany during World War 2. The French government of Marshal Petain moves from Bordeaux to Vichy. Germany asks