Download WW II - Chronology - Mira Costa High School

World War II: Chronology
Sept.1, 1939………………German invasion of Poland led to Franco-British declaration of war.
Oct. 1939 - Mar. 1940… Phony War
Nov. 29, 1939 …………… Soviet-Finnish War (Winter War): Finland fell in 105 days.
[to March 13, 1940]
April - May 1940 ……… Hitler overruns Norway (April 9)), Denmark, the Low Countries (14th & 15th)
and France (fell in 46 days).
May 26, to June 4, ’40 … British troops evacuate Dunkirk.
June 22, 1940 …………… France signs an armistice with Germany and Marshall Pétain sets up Vichy
government.
July 10,1940 - June, ’41 .. Britain withstands German air attacks. The “Battle of Britain”: August 8 –
October, 31 [84 days].
Sept. 1940 ……………… Japan occupied Indochina; joins the Axis.
Oct. - December, 1940 … Italy repulsed in attempted invasion of Greece.
Dec. 1940 - April, 1941 … British offensive in North Africa; Army of the Nile captures Tobruk.
April - May, 1941………… General Rommel’s Afrika Korps defeat the British in North Africa.
June 22, 1941 ………… Germany invaded the Soviet Union.
September, 1941………… U.S. supplied naval cover for convoys, arms, merchant ships; after
sinkings by U-boats declared that it will “shoot at sight’ in the North Atlantic.
December 7, 1941 ……… Japanese attack upon Pearl Harbor,
December 8, 1941…………U.S. declares war on Japan, Germany and Italy on the 10th declare war on
the U.S.
December, 1941 ………… Japan captures Guam, Wake island, Hong Kong and invades Malaya.
January – March, 1942 … Japan captured Manila, Singapore and occupy Netherlands East Indies.
February – March, 1942 … Heavy American losses after the Battle of the Coral Sea (May 7 –8).
April 8 — May 6, 1942 …… Bataan Island (& Death March) and Corregidor (May 6) fall to the
Japanese.
May,1942 ………………
Japanese fleet withdraws after the battle of the Coral Sea.
June 3 –6, 1942 ………
Battle of Midway ends Japanese offensive at sea.
August 7, 1942 …………
U.S. takes the offensive at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
June, 1942 - Jan. 1943 … Siege of Leningrad.
August, ‘42 — Feb. ’43 … Battle of Stalingrad.
Oct. — Nov. ’42 ………
British clear Egypt of Axis troops: El Alamein (Oct. 3 – November 4).
November, 1942 ………
Operation Torch (Anglo-American): Algiers (Nov. 7), Casablanca (Nov. 8)
& Oran (Nov . 10).
November, 1942…………
Germany occupies Vichy France; French fleet was scuttled.
November, 1942 ………… Deepest German penetration into the U.S.S.R.
November, 1942 ……… … U.S. Naval victory at Guadalcanal, followed by victory in the Solomon
Islands, and offensives launched in the southern and central Pacific.
Feb. — May, 1942 ………
Defeat of the Axis forces in North Africa.
March 1, 1943 …………… Battle of the Bismarck Sea.
May — August, 1943 …
Japanese expelled from the Aleutian Islands.
July 10, — Aug. 17, ‘43 … Allied landing in Sicily
September 3, 1943 ……… Invasion of Italy and formal Italian surrender on the 8th of September.
September 9 1943 …………Allied landing @ Salerno; Germans occupy Italy; Mussolini rescued.
July — Dec., ’43 …………
Soviets push the German Army back to the Dnieper River.
1943 – 1945 ……………… American daylight bombing of German military / industrial targets.
January 20, 1944 ………… Attack on Cassino. [The last of four battles ended May 18th.]
January 22, 1944 ………… Anzio landing
February, 1944 …………… Invasion of the Marshall Islands: Kwjalein (Feb. 6), Eniwetok (Feb.21).
March — August, ’44 ……
Allied advance stalled in Italy.
May — August, ’44 ……… Capture of Bougainville and Gilbert Islands.
June, 1944
…………… Invasion of the Marianas: Saipan.
June 6, 1944 …………… Operation Overland: Normandy Invasion.
August 15, 1944 ………… Operation Anvil / Dragoon (Invasion of Southern France).
August 25, 1944 …………
Liberation of Paris.
July 21 - August 10, 1944 … U.S. recaptures Guam.
September 8, 1944 ………… First V-2 bombings of London.
October 20, 1944 ………… Invasion of Philippines.at Leyte.
October 23 - 26, 1944 ………
Battle for Leyte Gulf.
November, 1944 …………… B-29s begin raids on Japan from Saipan
December 17 - 31, 1944 … Battle of the Bulge: Bastogne.
January 28, 1945 …………… Ledo Road from Burma to China opened: Burma Road.
February 6, 1945 …………… Manila was recaptured.
Feb. 19 — March, 25, 1945 ..Battle for Iwo Jima. [Flag raising on Mt. Suribachi on the 23rd.]
March 19 - 25, 1945 ……… Carrier Task Forces penetrate Japanese home waters: Ryuku Islands.
March 7, 1945 ……………… Rhine crossed at the Remagen Bridge, Cologne taken.
April, 1945 …………………… U.S. and Soviet forces meet at the Elbe River.
April 28, 1945 ……………… Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were executed by the
partisans and hung by their feet in Milan.
May 2 1945 ………………… German resistance in Italy was over.
April — May, 1945 ………… The height of the Japanese Kamikazi attacks on the U.S. Navy.
April 1 — June 21, 1945 …. Battle of Okinawa.
May 2, 1945 ………………… Surrender of Berlin.
May 8, 1945 ………………… V.E. Day: German unconditional surrender after 5 years, 8 months and 6
days!
August, 1945 ………………… Soviet Union declares war on Japan.
May — August ……………… Systematic bombing of Japan; Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki
(August 9).
August 14, 1945 …………… V.J. Day: Japanese unconditional surrender.
September 2, 1945 ………… Formal surrender taken by General Douglas MacArthur and signed on
the U.S.S. Missouri.