On This Week in WWII History: June 9–15 1942
1940: Norway Falls, Italy Joins the War
The last remaining forces of the Norwegian Army—specifically the 6th Division—surrendered this week in 1940, following Norway’s unconditional capitulation to Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, the war widened: Italy officially declared war on Britain and France, effective June 11, 1940. In response, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt condemned both Germany and Italy, pledging material support to the beleaguered Allied powers.
1941: Strategic Gains and Economic Warfare
British forces made headway in Syria, breaking through Vichy French resistance. In a significant economic move, the U.S. secured Bolivia’s entire tungsten output—a critical resource for hardening steel used in weapons—cutting Japan off from an important supply chain.
1942: Atrocities and Offensives
This week marked one of the darkest chapters of the war: Prague radio announced the complete destruction of the Czech village of Lidice. In brutal retaliation for the assassination of SS leader Reinhard Heydrich, Nazi forces murdered all the village’s men, deported the women to concentration camps, and razed every building to the ground.
On the Eastern Front, Germany launched another major offensive. From Kharkov, 33 divisions—including five Panzer divisions—struck toward Volchansk, scattering Soviet forces in a relentless advance that would continue through June 26.
In North Africa, Rommel’s Panzer Army Afrika captured the heavily defended stronghold of Bir Hacheim after intense fighting with Free French Forces. The British Eighth Army was forced to retreat toward the Egyptian border.
In India, a British tea planter used elephants to heroically rescue 68 Burmese refugees crossing the Daphna River to escape advancing Japanese forces.
Meanwhile, back home, the U.S. approved the construction of the “Big Inch” pipeline, a massive infrastructure project to transport crude oil from Texas to the Northeast—safe from German U-boat attacks along the coast.
1943: Bombing Campaigns Begin
Allied air power launched a new phase of warfare: a coordinated bombing campaign over Germany. The U.S. 8th Air Force began precision daylight raids, while Britain’s RAF Bomber Command targeted industrial and urban centers in nighttime saturation bombings.
1944: Resistance and Retaliation
German attempts to counter the D-Day invasion faltered due to a lack of armored reinforcements in northern France. In a tragic act of terror, troops from the 2nd SS Panzer Division ‘Das Reich’ massacred the residents of Oradour-sur-Glane, wiping out nearly the entire village in a reprisal action.
1945: Borneo Landings
As the Pacific War approached its final stages, Australian forces of the 9th Division carried out two amphibious landings in Brunei Bay, Borneo, securing strategic positions in the push toward final victory.