Diary WW2

Diary for Friday, December 20, 1940: Air War Britain: First of two consecutive heavy night raids on Liverpool. Home Fronts Britain: Committee of Enquiry into Arandora Star disaster from July […]

Diary for Thursday, December 19, 1940: Neutrals Finland: President Kallio dies of heart failure on the day of his retirement; aged 67.

Diary for Wednesday, December 18, 1940: Home Fronts Britain: 10,969 evacuees have now arrived from Gibraltar. Germany: HITLER ORDERS PREPARATIONS FOR INVASION OF RUSSIA (Operation Barbarossa) with deadline of May

Diary for Tuesday, December 17, 1940: North Africa British capture Sollum and Fort Capuzzo. 20,000 captured Italians to be sent to India and interned at Ahmednagar, Ramgarh and Deolali. Sea

Diary for Monday, December 16, 1940: Air War First area bombing raid on German city: 134 RAF aircraft sent to Mannheim (night December 16-17). Large fires started on both banks

Diary for Sunday, December 15, 1940: Occupied countries France: Coffin of Napoleon II (1811-1832), transported from Vienna to Paris on Hitler‘s orders, is reburied in Les Invalides. Air War RAF

Diary for Saturday, December 14, 1940: Neutrals Vichy France: Petain dismisses Foreign Minister Laval and appoints Flandin. (German Ambassador subsequently intercedes on Laval’s behalf.) Irish Republic: IRA internees set fire

Diary for Friday, December 13, 1940: Sea War Mediterranean: Cruiser Coventry damaged by Italian submarine Neghelli off coast of Libya.

Diary for Thursday, December 12, 1940: Air War Britain: 336 bombers sent to Sheffield (night December 12-13): many streets blocked by debris and wrecked tramcars. Follow-up raid by 94 planes

Diary for Wednesday, December 11, 1940: North Africa British capture Sidi Barrani. Air War Heavy night raid on Birmingham by 270 aircraft: 6 churches, 11 schools, several hundred houses damaged.

Diary for Tuesday, December 10, 1940: North Africa British attack Sidi Barrani (Egypt). Air War Luftwaffe ordered to transfer Fliegerkorps X to South Italy. Home Fronts Germany: Hitler condemns British

Diary for Monday, December 9, 1940: North Africa FIRST BRITISH OFFENSIVE IN WESTERN DESERT (Operation Compass): 2 divisions attack 10 Italian divisions. (10th Army), in their fortified camps south of

Diary for Sunday, December 8, 1940: Air War Fire raid on London by 413 aircraft (2 lost): In 14-hour onslaught bombs are scattered over many metropolitan and suburban districts and

Diary for Saturday, December 7, 1940: Air War No raids on Britain, either by day or night – first such 24-hour period since August 7. RAF night raid on Düsseldorf

Diary for Friday, December 6, 1940: Balkans In Pindus Mountains Greeks advance towards Klisura. In Macedonian sector Greeks advance along valleys towards Elbasan. Marshal Badoglio, Duke of Addis Ababa, and

Diary for Thursday, December 5, 1940: Sea War Atlantic: German disguised raider Thor damages British armed merchant cruiser Carnarvon Castle (20,000 t) off Rio de Janeiro.

Diary for Wednesday, December 4, 1940: Balkans Greeks advance far into Albania and capture Premeti in the Southwest. Italians abandon important supply base of Argyrokastro, southwest Albania, and nearby port

Diary for Tuesday, December 3, 1940: Sea War Mediterranean: British cruiser Glasgow damaged by Italian torpedo-bombers in Suda Bay, Crete.

Diary for Monday, December 2, 1940: Air War Britain: Bristol raided by 120 aircraft (night December 1-2); serious damage in residential areas. Sea War Atlantic: Admiral Tovey succeeds Admiral Forbes

Diary for Sunday, December 1, 1940: Sea War Armed merchant cruiser Forfar (16,400 t) sunk by U-99 west of Ireland. Free-Norwegian liner Oslofjord (18,700 t) and a British tanker mined