WWII Today in History. On these pages you will find of some of the most important events that shaped World War 2.
Jumping on the night of D-Day, the 82nd Airborne had to capture the town of Sainte-Mère-Église. Holding the town, however, would have meant little without also holding the roads to and from it. One such route had a bottleneck: the La Fière Bridge a small stone bridge at La Fière manor, 700 yards to the west […]
The Battle of La Fière Bridge Read More »
After landing on the beaches on D-Day, the Allied troops had to make their way further inland, capturing key locations to allow forces from the various beaches to link up. The road, known as causeway #2, leading inland from Utah beach passed through the villages of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Verville and Saint-Côme-du-Mont, leading into the town of
Dead Man’s Corner – Saint Côme-du-Mont – June 7, 1944 Read More »
1940 Allied troops fall back on Bresles front, 60 miles north of Paris. French bomb Berlin. King Haakon of Norway, his family and government, evacuate from Norway to Britain as Germans advance. 1941 The first of five heavy night raids by the RAF begins on Brest as Prinz Eugen shelters there. First US Lend-Lease planes
World War II Today: June 7 Read More »
On the morning of June 6, 1944, as the Allied invasion of Normandy unfolded across beaches and fields, a small unit from the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Easy Company, executed one of the most tactically significant assaults of D-Day—the Brécourt Manor assault. This engagement, though often overshadowed by the larger-scale beach landings, became a textbook
Brécourt Manor and the Easy Company Assault: A Textbook Tactical Victory on D-Day Read More »
Before dawn, the Allied Expeditionary Force of British, American, Canadian, Polish, and Free French troops begins Operation Overlord, the long-awaited invasion of France.
June 6 D-Day – World War II Today Read More »
1940 Home Defense commander Ironside announces the creation of the lronsides, small groups of highly mobile, armed men for defense against parachutists. The Germans begin ‘Operation Red’, the Battle of France with 119 divisions, including 10 Panzer division’s. Army Group B, with 50 divisions, opens the offensive against the French left wing which is anchored
World War II Today: June 5 Read More »
1940 Churchill tells Commons ‘We shall fight on the beaches, in the fields, in the streets and in the hills. We shall never surrender.’ Holiday camps are banned within 10 miles of east and south-east coasts of England and Isle of Wight. German troops enter Dunkirk, taking 40,000 French prisoners and huge quantities of abandoned
World War II Today: June 4 Read More »
1940 All aliens and stateless persons living in Britain are forbidden to leave home between 10:30 pm and 6 am. Churchill orders the setting up of commando forces to be used for raiding occupied Europe. The last night of the Dunkirk evacuation sees 26,700 French soldiers lifted from the beaches. This brings the total rescued
World War II Today: June 3 Read More »
1940 26,200 British and French troops are evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk. Virtually all British soldiers have now been evacuated and so the remaining French troops have taken over the defense of the perimeter. 1941 US statement of policy respecting French possessions in the Western Hemisphere. Hitler and Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass
World War II Today: June 2 Read More »
1940 All signposts which might be helpful to parachutists landing in Britain taken down. Unemployment in Britain falls 92,000 in May to 881,000, giving a total fall of 611,000 in a year. German onslaught continues at Dunkirk. General Lord Gort, C-in-C BEF, returns from Flander’s with another 64,400 troops who were evacuated off the beaches this day.
World War II Today: June 1 Read More »
