|
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
January 24
WW11, 1941, Africa, Libya: The British 4th Armored Brigade engages
Italian tanks near Mechili. The Italian forces in Libya are now divided with
units inland positioned around Mechili, and other forces on the coast around
Derna. They do not support each other and both face encirclement.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - January
19
Civil War, 1862, Kentucky, Land War: The Battle of Mill
Springs/Logan's Crossroads/Fishing Creek. Union Brigadier General
George Thomas' forces, having arrived at Logan's Crossroads on January
17, is attacked by Confederates under Major General George Crittenden
at Dawn. The Confederate attack is initially successful but then runs
into stiff resistance. A second Confederate attack is repulsed. Union
counterattacks on the Confederate right and left push the enemy backs
to Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Union losses are 232, Confederate 439.
This Battle breaks the eastern end of the Confederacy's defensive line
in the West.
WW11, 1941, Africa, Eritrea: British forces in the Sudan, led
by General William Platt, begin attacking Italian forces, heralding
the start of General Sir Archibald Wavell's campaign against Italian
East Africa.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
January 18
Civil War, 1862, Arizona, Politics: The Confederate Territory
of Arizona is formed. It is created out of the southern half of what
was the old Territory of New Mexico.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
January 10
Civil War, 1862, Kentucky, Land War: The Battle of Middle
Creek. Union units commanded by Colonel James Garfield stop the
Confederates' 1861 Kentucky offensive after defeating Brigadier
General Humphrey Marshall's troops at Middle Creek, Eastern Kentucky.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
January 8
Civil War, 1862, Missouri, Land War: The Battle of Roan's Tan
Yard/Silver Creek. After days of reconnaissance, Union forces attack
and rout a Confederate camp at Silver Creek in Randolf County.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
January 7-22
WW11, 1941, Africa, Libya: After British 7th Armoured Brigade
encircles Tobruk, the Australian 6th Division leads the assault
against the Italian defenders of the port, who eventually capitulate
on the 22nd. Some 30,000 Italians, as well as port facilities, and
vital supplies of fuel, food, and water, are seized. Major General Sir
Richard O'Connor immediately sends forces farther west along the coast
to capture the port of Benghazi.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
January 5-6
Civil War, 1862, Maryland, Land War: The Battle of
Hancock/Romney Campaign. Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall"
Jackson, moving forces against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
Bombards the town of Hancock from across the Potomac, but is unable to
force the town's surrender.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
January 3-15
WW11, 1941, Africa, Libya: General Sir Archibald Wavell's
Middle East Force, renamed X111 Corls, with air and naval support,
resumes its offensive into Cyrenaica. In Australia's first land action
of the war, the Australian 6th Division leads the attack to capture
Bardia, just across Libya's border with Egypt, on the 15th. Some
70,000 Italians, plus large amounts of equipment, are captured.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - January 2
WW11, 1941, Politics, United States: President Franklin D.
Roosevelt announces a program to produce 200 freighters, called
"Liberty" ships, to support the Allied Atlantic convoys.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
October 25
1861,
Civil War, Missouri, Land War: The battle of Springfield/Zagonyi's
Charge. Major Charles Zagonyi repulses Confederate forces from
Springfield, but abandons the town during the night.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
October
24
1954,
Vietnam, South Vietnam, Politics: In order to emphasize
the need to create a more broad-based government in South Vietnam and
an adherence to democratic principles, President Eisenhower send
President Diem a letter that assures continued US support only if
democratic reforms continue uninterupted. In the later years,
President Lyndon B. Johnson will cite this letter as being the
starting point of the US commitment to South Vietnam.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
October 18
1940,
WW11,
Politics, Vichy France:
The puppet Vichy regime introduces anti-Semitic laws.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
October 7
1940, WW11, Balkans, Romania: German forces enter Romania on
the pretext of helping to train the army of the fascist
Iron guard government. Germany's principal motive is to occupy the
Ploesti oil fields.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
-
October 3
1861, Civil
War, West Virginia, Land War: The Battle of Greenbrier River/Camp Bartow.
Brigadier General Joseph Reynolds leads two Federal Brigades in a raid on
Confederate positions at Camp Bartow on the Greenbrier River, but is unable to
take the camp.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
-
October 1
1933, WW11, Germany, Legal: Reich Entailed Law stabilizes small firms.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
-
September 27
1940,
WW11, Politics, Axis: Germany, Italy, and Japan agree a
military, political, and economic alliance that pledges each country
to fight any state that declares war on an Axis nation. The Tripartite
Pact specifically aims to deter intervention by the United States in
Europe or Asia.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
-
September 25
1940,
WW11,
politics, Norway: Nazi sympathizer Vidkun Quisling, who proclaimed himself
Norway's leader following the German Invasion, becomes head of the government.
In reality Quisling remains a German puppet with limited authority.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
-
September 23-25
1940, WW11,
Sea War, Africa: A British and Free French expedition code-named
Menace, attempts to occupy Dakar, French West Africa, with naval
forces, including the British aircraft carrier Ark Royal, and 7900
troops. The Free French Commander Charles de Gaulle fails to reach any
agreement with the Vichy authorities, whose warships open fire. The
Vichy French lose a destroyer and two submarines. Prime Minister
Winston Churchill cancels Operation Menace after Free French landings
fails and British vessels suffer damage from Vichy French forces.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- September 22
1940,
WW11, Far East, Indochina: Japanese forces enter the French colony after the
powerless Vichy French authorities finally agree to the occupation. some Vichy
French resist the Japanese, who aim to prevent China obtaining supplies through
the country.
1933,
WW11, Germany Culture: The tightening of control on the arts begins with a
law that establishes a National Chamber of Culture or Reichskulturkammer, which
is a nationwide organization embracing all those whose professional remuneration
comes from art, music, the theatre, press, radio, literature or the cinema. Its
purpose is to act as a coordinating point for the various cultural and
culturally related arts, with the ultimate control of the chamber vesting in the
minister of propaganda, Dr Joseph Goebbels. The Chamber consists of seven
sub-elements: architecture and sculpting arts, music, theatre, literature,
press, film, and radio, with a president at the head of each element. Each
chamber president has the power to regulate his respective field. Membership is
compulsory for any person engaged in these fields.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
September 21
1940, WW11,
Politics, Australia: Prime Minister Robert Menzies wins another general
election for the United Australia Party, although Labor remains the largest
individual party.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
September 20-22
1940,
WW11, Sea War, Atlantic: German U-boats launch their first successful "Wolf
Pack" operation. sinking 12 ships. In this tactic some 15-20 U-boats are
deployed across the approaches to Britain. when a U-boat finds a convoy, it
tracks the vessels and awaits the gathering of the entire "Wolf Pack" for a
combined attack.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
September 15
1940, WWII, Politics, Canada: Men aged between 21 and 24
are to be conscripted
1940, WWII, Politics, Soviet Union: Men aged between 19 and 20
are to be conscripted.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
September 13-18
1940, WWII, Africa, Egypt: An Italian force of 250, 000 men
under Marshal Rodolfo Graziani advances from Libya into neighboring
Egypt against the British Western Desert Force of two divisions under
General Sir Richard O’Connor. Graziani establishes fortified camps
along a 50-mile (75-km) front, while the British remain 75 miles (120
km) to the east. British plans to attack Graziani are delayed as units
are redirected to Crete and Greece, where an Italian invasion is
feared.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
September 13
1933, WWII, Germany, Legal: Law on Reich Food Costs. The
Reich Food Estate will guarantee profitable prices for German farmers
in an effort to make Germany self-sufficient in agricultural
production.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
September 7-30
1940, WWII, Air War, Britain: Full-scale bombing raids on
London – the “Blitz” – begin with 500 bombers and 600 fighters.
The RAF is initially surprised by the new German tactics, but adapts
and concentrates its weakened forces against this threat.
The bombing reaching its greatest intensity on the 15th, but the
Luftwaffe is not suffering heavy losses, especially during its
daylight
raids on English cities which are largely abandoned by the 30th. Bomber
Command raids in France and the
Low Countries destroy a tenth of the Nazi invasion barges on the
14th-15th.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY-
September 2
1940, WW11,
Politics, Britian: Britain and the United States ratify a deal
whereby 50 old destroyers. needed for convoy duties, are handed
to Britain in exchange for bases in the Caribbean and Bermuda. Such
exchanges will accustom the US public to aiding the allied war effort.
1861, Civil War,
Missouri, Land War: The Battle of Dry Wood Creek/Battle of the
Mules. A US cavalry force of 600 men under Colonel J.H. Lane clashes
with 6,000 Confederate Soldiers at Dry Wood Creek, Vernon County, and
are forced into retreat. The Federals are being compelled to abandon
southwestern Missouri and to concentrate on holding the Missouri
Valley.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
September 1
1933, WWII, Germany, Relief Agencies: First Winterhilfe
Campaign; the Help for the Winter campaign. It is an enormous charity
for the better-off to help their poorer national and racial comrades.
Collections are made by SA men on the streets, and though most people
give voluntarily and a great deal of work is carried out, the threat
of violence is used to back up donations.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
August 28-29
1861, Civil War, North Carolina, Land War: The Battle of
Hatteras Inlet Batteries/Fort Clark/Fort Hatteras. Two thousand Union
troops make an amphibious raid against shore batteries around Hatteras
Inlet. The Confederate garrison of 670 men surrenders on the 29th.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
August 26-29
1940, WWII, Air War, Germany: The RAF launches a night of
raid with 81 aircraft on Berlin following a similar raid on London.
Raids also take places against Dusseldorf, Essen, and other cities.
The raids contribute toward a critical change in Germany’s strategy,
as aircraft are directed to make retaliatory raids on London. This
move relieves the pressure on Fighter Command’s air bases.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- August 26
1861, Civil War, West Virginia, Land War: The Battle of
Kessler’s Cross Lanes. Confederate forces under Brigadier General John
Floyd cross over the Gauley River and attack Colonel Erastus Tyler’s
7th Ohio Regiment at Kessler’s Cross Lanes. The Union troops are
thrown into retreat, losing 245 men. Confederate losses are 40.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
August 24-25
WWII, 1940, Air War, Britain: The Luftwaffe inflicts serious
losses on the RAF during attacks on its main air bases in southeast
England, straining the resources of Fighter Command to breaking point
in a few days. London has also been Bombed.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
August 17-18
1940, WWII, Sear war, Mediterranean: British naval
vessels bombard Bardia and Fort Capuzzo, Libya, and shoot down
12 Italian bombers sent to attack them.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - August 17
1940, WWII, Politics, Germany: A total blockade of British Isles
is declared. Any allied or neutral vessels found in
British water will be attacked on sight.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
August 15
1940, WWII, Politics, Germany: General Franz Halder, the
Chief-of-Staff, inspects the first plans for the invasion of the
Soviet Union. He proposes a two-pronged offensive, principally
directed against Moscow, and a secondary attack on Kiev.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
August 3-19
1940, WW11, Africa, British Somaliland: Italian forces,
superior in the manpower are artillery, attack the 1475-strong
garrison in British Somaliland from neighboring Ethiopia.
ON THIS
DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
August 2
1940, WWII, Sea War, Mediterranean: A British naval force
attacks the Italian naval base on the island of Sardinia.
ON THIS
DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- August 1
1933, WWII, Nazi Party, Internal Politics: Rohm had always
regarded the SA as his personal revolutionary army. But the power of
the SA, conjoined with the ambitions of its leaders were to consume
it. Rohm’s quest for personal power was not to Hitler’s liking, and
his concern over Rohm was fuelled by the whisperings of Goring and
Himmler. Himmler’s objective was to eliminate the power of the SA,
which had grown to be the largest of the Nazi formations, gathering
considerable strength in the process. Hitler was looking to the future
and decided to cast his lot with the generals of the army. Rohm had
been aware of what was happening when he declared: “Anyone who thinks
that the days of the SA are over must make up his mind that we are
here and that we will remain.”
1940, WWII Politics, Germany: Hitler issues Directive No. 17,
which states that preparations for the invasion of England are to be
complete by September 15, ready for an invasion between the 19th and
26th.
ON THIS
DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - July 25
1940, WWII, Politics, United States: The United States
introduces licensing to restrict the export of oil and metal products
outside the Americas and to Britain. This measure is particularly
directed toward Japan, which is heavily dependent upon imports of
these resources. As a consequence, Japanese strategic planning devotes
great attention to the resources of the Dutch Easy Indies and Malaysia
to relieve their raw material shortages.
ON THIS
DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - July 22
1940, WWII, Espionage, Britain: Britain establishes the
Special Operations Executive (SOE) to secretly give support to
resistance groups across Nazi-occupied Europe.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY
HISTORY - July 21
1940, WWII, Politics, Soviet Union: The authorities
formally annex Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
1861, Civil War, Virginia, Land War: The Battle of First
Manassas/First Bull Run.
General Irvin McDowell,
commander of the main Union force of 35, 000, engages the main Confederate army
of 20, 000, commanded by Pierre G.T Beauregard at Manassas Junction, only 30
miles (48km) from Washington, along a small stream called Bull Run Creek. In the
Shenandoah Valley, meanwhile, Union General Robert Patterson with 18,000 troops,
has orders to prevent Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston moving his 12,000
men to support Beauregard.
McDowell’s army has the
advantage of numbers and by late morning has pushed the Confederates back to
their final defensive position on Henry Hill. By afternoon the Confederates are
on the verge of defeat. The timely arrival of reinforcements, many from
Johnston’s Shenandoah Valley force, turns the tide. The Confederates are rallied
by Jackson’s Virginia Brigade. It makes a counterattack on the slopes of Henry
Hill that earns Jackson his famous nickname of the “Stonewall.” Other
Confederate brigades attack and push back McDowell’s forces, who are exhausted
by marching and fighting on a brutally hot day. By evening Union troops are full
retreat toward Washington. The retreat, initially reasonably orderly, descends
into confusion as troops become entangled with the wagons of the many civilian
spectators who had traveled from Washington, expecting to watch a Union victory.
When the Confederates begin to shell the road, the confusion develops into
panic, and the disorderly retreat becomes a rout.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
July 18
1940, WWII, Politics, Britain: British Prime Minister
Winton Churchill agrees to close the Burma Road to disrupt supplies to the
Chinese in order to avoid a confrontation with the Japanese. The onset of the
monsoon season means that the supply line would be disrupted anyway. The British
will reopen the aid route in October.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
July 16-22
1940, WWII, Politics, Germany: Adolf Hitler Directive
No. 16 reveals his military plan to invade Britain, code-named
Operation Sealion. This requires control of the English Channel for
transporting the invasion force and the destruction of Britain’s
fighter capability to ensure a safe crossing. The air force is made
responsible for destroying the strength of the RAF and Royal Navy.
Hitler’s plans are further advanced after his final peace offer is
rejected by the British on the 22nd.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
July 15
1933, WWII, Germany, Legal: Reich Regulations for the
Corporate Reorganization of Agriculture. German agriculture is in dire
straits, and under Minister of Agriculture Walter Darre, the Nazis are
making genuine efforts to improve a lot of German farmers.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
July 14
1933, WWII, Germany, Legal: Law against the
Establishment of Parties is introduced.
ON THIS DAY IN
MILITARY HISTORY - July 11
1861, Civil War, West Virginia, Land War: The Battle of
Rich Mountain. General George B. McClellan’s troops force Confederates
out of defensive positions at Rich Mountain Pass and Laurel Hill –
points within striking distance of the Baltimore and Ohio Railway.
Union Brigadier General William S. Rosecrans leads a brigade (1,800
men) along the mountain path to seize a turnpike against the 900
Confederates under Lieutenant Colonel John Pegram. A sharp two-hour
fight ensues, which ends in a Union victory. Union casualties are 46,
whereas the Confederates suffer losses of 300.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - July 9-19
1940, WWII, Sea War, Mediterranean: At the Battle of
Punta Stilo, the British Mediterranean Fleet tries to separate the
Italian Fleet from its base at Taranto in southern Italy. An Italian
battleship and cruiser suffer damage, and Italian aircraft hit a
British cruiser. On the 19th, the Australian light cruiser Sydney and
four destroyers engage two Italian light cruisers. The Italians lose a
cruiser and the Sydney is damaged.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - July 10
1940, WWII, Air War, Britain: The Battle of Britain begins.
Hermann Goering, the Nazi air force chief, orders attacks on shipping and ports
in the English Channel. The movement of Allied vessels in the Channel is soon
restricted as a result of British naval and aircraft losses.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY
HISTORY - July 8
1933, WWII, Germany, Treaties: Concordat between Germany and the
Vatican. Negotiated by the Catholic Franz von Papen, it conferred a certain
legitimacy on the Nazi regime. Hitler sought to end Vatican support for the
Catholic Centre Party while he proceeded to subordinate the churches and to
corrupt Christianity into a state-centered form of neo-paganism. Pope Pius XI,
like every other European statesmen after him, thought that he could appease and
moderate the Nazis.
The Concordat gives Germans the right to practice religion and allows the church
to administer itself. In return, Catholic priests are not to take part in
politics. Some have charged that the Vatican, lured by guarantees for its
schools and other institutions, has secured the Concordat by sacrificing the
Centre Party, which has fought the Kulturkampf (Culture Battle). In fact Pius XI
does not believe that Catholic political action anywhere should serve as the
primary means of defending church interests. Furthermore, it is clear from the
beginning of July that Hitler does not need the Concordat to remove the clergy
from German politics.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
July 6
1861, Civil War, Cuba, Sea War: Following raiding
actions the CSS Sumter releases seven captured Union vessels in Cuban
Waters.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
July 3-7
1940, WWII, Sea War, Mediterranean:
Britain, fearing
that France’s navy will be seized by Germany, sends two battleships, a
battlecruiser, and a carrier (Force H) to neutralize French vessels at
Oran and Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria. After negotiations fail, the British
sink one battleship and damage two. In Britain, two French
battleships, nine destroyers, and other craft are acquired with
minimal force. French naval forces in Alexandria, Egypt, and disarmed
on the 7th.
ON THIS DAY IN
MILITARY HISTORY - July 5
1933, WWII, Germany, Legal: Decrees dissolving political parties:
the Centre Party.
1861, Civil War, Missouri, Land War: The Battle of Carthage.
Missouri State Guard divisions under Governor Claiborne Jackson force a Union
brigade into retreat around Carthage, although the Confederates lose a total of
200 men to the Union’s 44 casualties.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - July 4
1933, WWII, Germany, Legal: Decrees dissolving political parties:
DVP and Bavarian Party.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
– July 2
1861, Civil War, Wisconsin, Land War: The Battle of Hoke’s
Run/Falling Waters/Hainesville. Union Major General Robert Patterson’s division,
having crossed the Potomac River near Williamsport, marches on the main road to
Martinsburg, near Hoke’s run. Thomas’ and Abercrombie’s Union brigades encounter
the Confederate Regiments of Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson’s brigade,
driving them back slowly. Jackson’s orders are to delay the Federal advance
only, which he does withdrawing before Patterson’s larger force.
On July 3, Patterson occupied Martinsburg but then was inactive until July 15,
when he marches to Bunker Hill. Instead of moving on Winchester, however, he
turned east to Charles Town and then withdrew to Harpers Ferry. This took
pressure off Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley and allowed Johnston’s
Army to march to support General Beauregard at Bull Run.
ON THIS DAY IN
MILITARY HISTORY
– July 1
1940, WW11, Sea War, Atlantic: The “Happy Time” begins for U-boat
crews as their operational range is increased now that they have bases in French
ports. This lasts until October. U-boat crews inflict serious losses on Allied
convoys.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 30
WWII, 1940, Western Front, Channel Islands: Germany invades the Channel Islands.
This is the only British territory occupied during hostilities.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 28
WWII, 1933, Germany, Legal: Decrees dissolving political parties: State Party.
Theodor Eicke becomes Commandant of Dachau. He is brutal and dedicated to
ensuring that the “enemies of Germany” are securely held in the camp.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 27
WWII, 1933, Germany Legal: Decrees dissolving political parties: DNVP.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 26
WWII, 1940, Politics, Romania: The government agrees to the Soviet occupation of
Bessarabia and northern Bukovina, although Romanian troops attempt to halt the
Red Army when it enters the country.
0N THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 22
WWII, 1933, Germany, Legal: Decree dissolving political parties: the Social
Democrats.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 20-21
WWII, 1940, Western Front, France: Benito Mussolini launches attacks along the
south coast. Offensives are also made along the Franco-Italian border. Italy
also bombs the strategically-important island of Malta.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 20
Civil War, 1861, West Virginia, Politics: West Virginia, it’s political leaders
opposed to Virginia’s decision to leave the Union, breaks away from the
Confederacy and is admitted to the Union as a separate state.
WWII, 1940, Politics, Union States: Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt
appoints two anti-isolationist Republicans to his cabinet. Henry Stimson becomes
secretary of war and Frank Knox is appointed secretary of the navy.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 17
Civil War, 1861, Missouri, Land War: The Battle of Boonville. Some 1, 700
Federals attack Missouri State Guard troops Boonville, forcing them out of the
town and establishing Union control over a stretch of the Missouri River.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
-
June 16-24
WWII, 1940, Politics France: Prime Minister Reynaud fails to motivate his
government to continue fighting and releases France from it’s agreement with
Britain not to make any separate peace. France rejects a British idea to create
union between countries.
Reynaud, after losing support, resigns and Marshal Henri-Philippe Petain
replaces him. Petain requests Germany’s armistice terms on the 17th, and the
signing takes place at Compiegne, site of the World War 1 armistice agreement on
the 22nd. Under the terms Germany occupies two-thirds of France, including the
Channel and Atlantic coastlines. The south, which becomes known as Vichy France,
will have nominal French administration and keeps its colonies.
After Italy’s armistice with France on the 14th, a cease-fire occurs on all
fronts. French casualties since May 10 total more then 85, 000 men, the British
lose 3475 men, and German losses reach 27, 074.
While Petain’s regime will collaborate with Nazi Germany, the French Army
officer Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle begins broadcasting his opposition
from London on the 18th with pledges to liberate and country.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 15-25
WWII, 1940, Western Front, France: The evacuation of the remaining Allied troops
in northwest France begins. Operation Ariel extends this to the Biscay ports
from the 16th. Some 214,000 troops are saved during the evacuation, although 300
perish when the liner Lancastria is sunk on the 17th.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 14
WWII, 1933, Germany, Legal: Law of the New Formation of the German Peasantry.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 13-25
WWII, 1940, Western Front, France: Paris is declared an “open city” in order to
save it from destruction and all French forces withdraw south of the capital,
leaving the Maginot Line isolated. German troops enter Paris on June 14 as
thousands flee the capital. Germany’s Army Group C, deployed from the Maginot
Line to the Swiss border, breaks through French defenses. German forces advance
in all directions, crossing the Rhine and Loire Rivers. All of the coastal ports
between Cherbourg and St. Nazaire are soon captured.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 13
WWII, 1940, Politics, United States: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a
$1.3 billion navy bill to improve the service. Shipments of arms also leave the
country in response to Winston Churchill’s request to Roosevelt for surplus
weapons.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 12-14
WWII, 1940, Sear War. Mediterranean: Britain launches a naval bombardment
against the Italian vase of Tobruk, Libya, on the 12th. The French Navy bombards
the ports of Genoa and Vado on the 14th. British air raids are also made on
Turin and Genoa. Libyan and East African airfields are raided.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 12
WWII, 1933, Germany, Legal: Law on Betraying the Germany Economy; notification
of assets abroad.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 10-11
WWII, 1940, Politics, Italy: Italy declares war on France and Britain. Benito
Mussolini, Eager to capitalize on France’s collapse, enters the war despite
previous assertions that his nation will not have the capability to fight
alongside Germany until 1942. Canada declares war on Italy on the 10th, as do
Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa the following day.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 10
WWII, 1940, Western Front, France: Some 11,000 British and other French troops
begin to evacuate from St. Valery and Le Havre Britain.
Civil War, 1861, Virginia, Land War: The Battle of Big Bethel/Bethel Church.
Major General Benjamin F. Butler sends converging columns from Hampton and
Newport News against advanced Confederate outposts at Little and Big Bethel. The
1, 2000 Confederates abandon Little Bethel and fall back to their entrenchments
behind Brick Kiln Creek, near Big Bethel Church. The Federals, 3, 500 men under
the command of Brigadier General Ebenezer Pierce, attack but are repulsed.
Crossing downstream, the 5th New York Zouaves attempts to turn the Confederate
left flank, but is also repulsed. Being disorganized, Union forces then retire
and return to Hampton and Newport News. Confederate losses are one killed and
seven wounded. Union forces suffer losses of 79.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 9
WWII, 1933, Germany, Legal: Law on Payments Abroad.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 8
WWII, 1940, Sea War, North Sea: The German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau sink three empty vessels while hunting for convoys from Norway. They
then sink the British carrier Glorious and two destroyers. These losses are
blamed on the British failure to provide sufficient naval escorts for the Norway
Convoys.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 5-12
WWII, 1940, Western Front, France: A German force of 119 divisions opens
Operation Red, the conquest of France, with General Fedor von Bock’s Army Group
B attacking along the Somme River to reach the Seine River west of Paris by June
9. General Gerd von Rundstedt’s Army Group A, moving toward the Moselle River in
front of Maginot Line, launches an offensive east of Paris. Rundstedt’s tanks,
reinforced by Army Group B panzers overcome resistance from the French Fourth
Army to break through at Chalons-sur-Marne on the 12th.
France’s response, the Weygand Line, stretching along the Somme and Aisne
Rivers, aims to protect Paris and the interior. Some of France’s 65 divisions
fight determined actions, but many units lack manpower and equipment. Air
attacks and logistical problems also undermine General Maxime Weygand’s
vulnerable forces.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 3-4
WWII, 1940, Western Front, France: Operation Dynamo ends. The remarkable
operation his rescued 338,266 men – two-thirds of them British – from the
beaches of Dunkirk, although 243 vessels and 106 aircraft have been destroyed.
General Lord Gort, the British Expeditionary Force’s commander, leaves
Lieutenant General Sir Harold Alexander in command after being evacuated on May
31, The Germans occupy Dunkirk on June 4 and capture 40,000 French troops.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 3
Civil War, 1861, Virginia, Land War: The Battle of Philippi/Philippi Races. A
Union force makes a two-pronged attack against a small Confederate unit at
Philippi in Barbour County. The Confederates are forced to retreat, suffering 26
casualties.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 1-9
WWII, 1940, Western Front, Norway: After Britain and France reveal to the
Norwegians that they are to begin an evacuation; troops begin to withdraw on
June 4. King Haakon and his government leave for Britain on the 7th, and 24, 500
troops are evacuated. The king finally orders the Norwegians to stop fighting on
June 9, after losing 1335 men in the campaign. Entire Allied losses included
5600 men, one carrier, two cruisers, nine destroyers plus other small craft, and
100 aircraft. German loses total 3692 men, 19 warships and 242 aircraft.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
June 1
WWII, 1933, Germany, Legal: First Law for the reduction of Unemployment.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
May 2
WWII 1933, Germany, Industrial Relations: All German Free Trade unions
are dissolved, and their 5.5 million members incorporated into the
newly formed German Labor Front, an affiliated organization of the
NSDAP with virtually a parallel organizational structure. It is headed
by Dr Robert Ley.
To weld German labor into a solid organization backing Hitler, Ley
abolished the democratic trade unions and built up a powerful labor
organization designed to facilitate German militarization and war
preparations.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 20-30
1940, WWII,
Western Front, Norway:
German troops defend Trondheim and wait for the arrival of more
forces.
German aircraft launch determined attacks against the allies. British
and French troops eventually evacuate Namsos and Andalsnes on May 1-2.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 27
1861, Civil War, Washington, D.C., Politics: President
Lincoln withdraws the right of habeas corpus.
This cornerstone of civil and constitutional law will not be
reinstated until 1866.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - APRIL
26
1933, WWII, Germany Police: A decree on the
establishment of the Geheime staats Polizeiamt (Gestapo), which later
renamed Geheime staats Polizeiamt (Gestapo), as new department of the
Prussian state police affiliated with the Minister of the Interior, to
be headed by Diels. Goring is persuaded by his friend Diels that a
secret police force was necessary to monitor the activities of the
communist. The Gestapo becomes the political police of Nazi Germany.
The Gestapo ruthlessly eliminated opposition to the Nazis within
Germany and its occupied territories and was responsibly for the
roundup of Jews throughout Europe for deportation to extermination
camps. Hermann Goring, Prussian Minister of the Interior, detached the
political and espionage units from the regular Prussian police, filled
their rants with thousands of Nazis, and, on April 26, 1933,
reorganized them under his personal command as the Gestapo.
Simultaneously. Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, together with his
aide Reinhard Heydrich, similarly reorganized the police of Bavaria
and the remaining German States.
The Gestapo operated without restraints. It had the authority of
“preventative arrest”, and its actions were not subject to judicial
appeal. Thousands of leftists, intellectuals, Jews, trade unionists,
political clergy, and homosexuals simply disappeared into
concentration camps after being arrested by the Gestapo. The political
section could order prisoners to be murdered, tortured, or released.
Together with the SS, the Gestapo managed the treatment of “inferior
races,” such as Jews and Gypsies. The Gestapo suppressed partisan
activities in the occupied territories and carried out reprisals
against civilians. Gestapo members were included in the Einsatzgruppen
(Special Action Squads), which were mobile death squads that followed
the German army into Poland and Russian to kill Jews and other
“undesirables” . The Gestapo, under Adolf Eichmann, organized the
deportation of millions of Jews from other occupied countries to death
camps.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 25
1861, Civil War, Tennessee, Politics: Isham Harris
delivers his second message to the Tennessee Assembly, recommending
that the state break from the Union and ally itself with the
Confederacy
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 24
1940, WWI, Western Front, Norway: An Allied offensive
on Narvik begins with a naval bombardment. Allied coordination with
the Norwegian forces is poor, but the Germans in the area eventually
withdraw at the end of April.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 23
1861, Civil War, Arkansas, Land War: Fort Smith a
Federal supply post is captured by Arkansas state troops. It will not
return to Union hands until 1863
Virginia, Armed Forces: Major General Robert E. Lee
becomes the commander of land and naval forces in the state of
Virginia.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - APRIL
22
1861, Civil War, Arkansas, Politics: U.S secretary of
war, Simon Cameron, sends a telegram to Henry M. Rector, the state
governor, requesting a regiment of 780 men. Rector refuses.
Arkansas has a population of 435,450, approximately one-quarter of
them slaves. Much of the state’s wealth has been built on slave labor,
and therefore the government of Arkansas favors the right to own
slaves.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 21
1861, Civil
War, North Carolina, Land War:
State militia forces in North Carolina seize the mint in the city of
Charlotte.
Texas, Armed Forces: General Earl Van Dorn, a veteran of
the Mexican and Indian Wars, assumes command of Confederate forces in
Texas.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 15
1861, Civil War,
The Union Armed Forces:
Having had his request approved by Congress, Lincoln publicly calls
for the raising of 75,000 soldiers from the Northern states. The
response from the states themselves is mixed.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 17
1861,
Civil War, Virginia, Politics:
The Virginia secession convention votes 88 to 55 secede. Virginia is
crucial to the South’s fortunes. It is the most popular Southern
state, it is located in a critical position across the Potomac River
from Washington, D.C., and it has the greatest industrial capacity of
any Southern state.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 14-19
1940, WWII,
Western Front, Norway:
An allied expeditionary force of over 10,000 British, French and
Polish troops first formed to assist Finland, lands at Namsos,
Alesund, and Narvik. Its objective is to recapture Trondheim to secure
a base in Norway, but its units are ill-prepared for the campaign.
There has been little liaison with the Norwegians. The various Allied
units lack cohesion, training in arctic warfare, key supplies, air
cover, and anti-aircraft weaponry.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 20-30
1940, WWII, Western Front,
Norway: German
troops defend Trondheim and wait for the arrival of more forces. German aircraft
launch determined attacks against the allies. British and French troops
eventually evacuate Namsos and Andalsnes on May 1-2.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
April 27
1861, Civil War, Washington, D.C., Politics: President Lincoln
withdraws the right of habeas corpus. This cornerstone of civil and
constitutional law will not be reinstated until 1866.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 13
1861,
Civil War, Minnesota, Politics:
Governor Alexander Ramsey, hearing of the attack on Fort Sumter, immediately
offers Secretary of War Simon Cameron 1,000 Minnesota men for the Union cause.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 12
1861,
Civil War, South Carolina, Land War:
At 03:20 hour Confederate Colonel James Chesnut and Captain Stephen D. Lee row
out to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor to make a final demand for surrender.
Major Robert Anderson refuses, believing that the arrival of backup troops and
supplies are imminent. The confederates warn him that shelling will start within
the hour, and at 04:30 hours the first shell is fired.
Anderson gives the honor of the Union’s first shot to his
second-in-command, Captain Abner Doubleday, who fires it at around 07:00 hours.
The Union troops are short of ammunition and so fire only occasional rounds from
a few of their guns – without much effect. The fort has only 66 cannons, several
of which are unmounted because the fort is only half-finished; it has been
either re-supplied nor reinforced since December 26, 1860.
Meanwhile, the
Confederates subject the fort to a heavy barrage from their battery at Point
Cummings on Morris Island to the south. By the time they cease firing at dawn;
several fires have broken out inside the fort. The Union supply ship, The Star
of the West, arrives at Charleston in the afternoon but is kept outside the
harbor by Confederate artillery.
Confederate batteries resume heavy shelling at dawn on April 13. The barracks
inside the fort cause fire, and Anderson’s men lay on the ground to escape the
smoke. At 12:48 hours a Confederate shell dislodged Fort Sumter’s flagstaff.
When confederate Colonel Louis T. Wigfall saw the flag go down, he rowed out to
the fort to demand its surrender. This time Anderson conceded defeat. Fort
Sumter will remain in Confederate hands for most of the war.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL
10-13
1940,
WWII, Sea
War, Norway: Five British destroyers launch a surprise attack
on 10 German destroyers and shore batteries to the west of Narvik.
During short and confused engagements each side loses two destroyers,
while eight German merchant vessels and an ammunition carrier are also
sunk. The cruiser Konigsberg becomes the first vessel to be
sunk by dive-bombing during a British air attach of Bergen.
Subsequent air attacks on the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst,
and Admiral Hipper by the British on the 12th fail.
A British battleship and nine destroyers succeed in sinking eight
German destroyers plus a U-boat, by aerial attack in the Second Battle
of Narvik on April 13.
ON
THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 9
1940, WWII,
Western
Front, Norway/Denmark: A German invasion force, including
surface ships, U-boats, and 1000 aircraft, attacks Denmark and Norway.
Denmark is overrun immediately. The first ever airborne assault is
made on Oslo and Stavanger airports in Norway, while ships land troops
at six locations. Norway’s six divisions have no tanks or effective
artillery, while its coastal defenses and navy are generally inferior.
However, in Oslo
Fiord, shore guns sink the German cruiser Blucher, claiming
1600 lives. This enables King Haakon to escape northward with his
government. The British battle cruiser Rodney engages the battle
cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, damaging the latter.
The cruiser Karlsrube is later sunk off Kristiansand by a
British submarine.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 8
1933,
WWII,
Germany, Legal: Law on the Reconstruction of the
Professional Civil Service is introduced, making no distinction
between Reich, state or local cadres, giving transferability between
each.
1940,
WWII,
North Sea: The British destroyer Glowworm intercepts
part of the German invasion fleet bound for Norway. It is sunk after
ramming the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, but a British
submarine then sinks the transport Rio de Janiero. However,
Royal Navy vessels deployed in the North Sea have not received
sufficient information about the German invading force and are unable
to intercept it.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 7
1933, WWII,
Germany, Legal:
Second Coordination Law appoints state governors.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
APRIL 1
1933, WWII, Germany
Politics:
Official boycott of Jewish shops and professional men begins. The Nazi
Party has pledged to create a Germany in which Jews will be set apart
from their fellow Germans and denied their place in German life and
culture. Jews have been expelled from a number of smaller towns and
forced to move to larger towns or cities, or emigrate. All but
Nazi-controlled publications have been effectively suppressed.
All unqualified, disloyal or Jewish staff are to be dismissed (in the
event, however 90 percent of the civil service remained). Himmler is
made Commander of the Bavarian Political Police.
1933, WWII, Navy: The pocket battleships Deutschland
was commissioned and the Admiral Scheer launched.
Deutschland was one of the three armored ships – the so-called
“pocked battleships” – laid down between 1928 and 1931. She was
originally used as a seagoing training ship, to familiarize crews with
new technology.
Designed as long-range commerce raiders, powerful enough to sink
anything they could not outrun and fast enough to outrun anything they
could not sink – except for the Royal Navy ships HMS Hood,
Renown and Repulse – and they often classed as
“pocket battles”. Officially listed as Panzerchiffe (“armored
ships”), in reality they were raiding cruisers built to light cruisers
standards and equipped with an exceptionally heavy main battery. They
were built under a clause in the Treaty of Versailles that allowed
Germany to build ships up to 10,605 tonnes with guns of up to 11 in:
this was intended to allow coast-defense battleships. Two further
ships of this class were redesigned to become the “Scharnhorst” class
in response to the French “Dunkerque” class.
Deutschland
varied in the
style and arrangement of the superstructure. The Washington Treaty of
1921 left Germany quite limited in the amounts of ships that she could
construct. Admiral Raeder has a vision of a fleet of ships that would
tie up the Royal Navy and disrupt the sea line of communication for
France and England, but this was not possible with the tonnage
permitted by this treaty. There was only one solution to the problem –
Germany would have to underreport the weights of her ships. Lying or
not, in 1933 the Deutschland was commissioned. She was
underreported in her weight by at least 20 percent. The French
and British, the enforcers of this treaty, were not worried because
they knew that the new French “Dunkerque” class and British ships like
the HMS Hood could outgun and outrun this new class of German
ship.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
MARCH 31
1933, WW11: Germany,
Politics: First Coordination Law of States and Reich establishes new state
and local assemblies, with membership in the same proportions as the Reichstag
parties, i.e. a Nazi majority. Thousands are rounded up and put into camps by
police and the “auxiliary police”,
the SA.
Dachau concentration camp is
opened. SA troops in all states force state government resignations; the
Bavarian state government is suppressed.
Epp is appointed new Nazi Governor in Bavaria with Himmler as State Police
President.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY -
MARCH
28
1940 , WW11:
Politics Allies: Britain and France agree not to make any
separate peace treaties. From April 5 they plan to mine Norwegian
waters to force Nazi ships carrying Swedish iron ore into the open
seas and expose them to naval attack. The mine laying is deferred to
April 8.
This is too late to prevent the Nazi invasion planned for the 9th
of April.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY - MARCH 23
1933, WW11: Germany, Politics: The
surviving deputies of the Reichstag attend the Kroll Opera House to sanction an
Enabling Bill to give Hitler supreme, untrammeled power. To make sure that all
deputies have a rough grasp of the way they are expected to vote, the building
has been surrounded and packed inside and out with ranks of SA and SS, who keep
up a menacing chant demanding blood if the bill does not go through. With
amazing courage, Otto Wels, leader of the Social Democratic Party, rises to
oppose the bill, although he is alone and defenseless and the baying of the
stormtroopers could be clearly heard in the chamber. The last pretences are
abandoned, as Hitler leaps to his feet and screams at Wels that his death-knell
had sounded. The bill is then hurriedly passed by an enormous majority. From
this moment on Germany is a dictatorship.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- MARCH 22
1933, WW11: Germany, Politics: Enabling
Law is passed, giving special powers to Chancellor Hitler for four years. In
essence the law provides the constitutional foundation for dictatorship. It
gives the Nazis the right to pass laws without the consent of the Reichstag, to
deviate from the constitution, to conclude treaties with foreign powers and to
place the right of issuing a law into the hands of the Chancellor. Hitler said
in 1932: “Once we have power, we will never surrender it unless we are carried
out of our offices as corpses.” It appears he means to honour his chilling
pledge. The fact that the communists have already been eliminated from the
Reichstage means the passing of the law is a mere formality.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- MARCH 21
1933, WW11: Germany, Politics: The new
National Socialist Reichstage opens in the Kroll Opera House after the Reichstag
building itself had been burnt down. The German people still did not give
Hitler a majority in the elections, which took place the first week of March.
By then the Nazis were beyond any constitutional refinement and any communist
and social democrat deputies who turned up for duty at the Opera House were
simply arrested. Once they were out of the way, the Nazis and their allies had
the necessary 2/3 majority to effect major constitutional change.
1933, WW11: Germany, Politics: The
Nazi-controlled Reichstag opens. Decrees are passed on a general amnesty for
all Nazis who committed offences during the so-called “struggle”. On the other
hand, punitive measures are introduced again malicious gossip. Finally the
setting up of a special court, the “People’s Court", is approved. This is set
up in Berlin to deliver quick verdicts for accused traitors of the Third Reich,
though impartiality appears well down the list.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- MARCH 20
1940, WW11: France: Prime Minister
Edouard Daladier resigns after criticism of his failure to take the initiative
to support Finland and thereby redirect the war away from France. Paul Reynaud
succeeded Daladier on March 21.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- MARCH 17
1933, WW11: Germany, Politics: With
Hitler’s coming to power in January, 1933, he decided that he was in need of a
Praetorian Guard. The state protection rendered by the Reichswehr or police
elements cannot, in his eyes, be entirely relied upon. Europe is a hotbed of
plot and coup which he himself had been party to, so the Fatherland itself must
be seen as suspect. Without delay Hitler decrees that there be formed a new
full-time armed SS unit whose primary role would be exclusively to escort him
wherever he was in Germany. “Sepp” Dietrich, one of Hitler’s closest
associates, is entrusted with the formation of the unit. Dietrich undertakes
the task with zeal. By March 17, 1933, the embryo of a new Headquarters Guard
named the SS Stabswache Berlin was founded. It comprised 120 hand-picked
volunteers, of whom some were former members of the Strosstrupp Adolph Hitler
and whose loyalty to the Fuhrer was unswerving. They were lightly armed with
rifles, bayonets and pistols. This was the beginning of a unit that would
become one of the greatest fighting formations in the German armed forces: the
Leibstandarte.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- MARCH 12
1933, WW11: Germany, Politics: Hitler
speaks on Gleichschaltung, “The Coordination of the Political Will”. Hitler is
determined to fuse every element of German national life into the Nazi social
machine. This will have two consequences: first, the consolidation of his
dictatorship; second, the eradication of organizations with differing political
views.
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- MARCH 11
1940, WW11:
Eastern Front,
Finland: The Treaty of Moscow between Finland
and the Soviet Union is agreed after the Red Army makes hard-won gains.
Although Allied help to the nation is negligible, the Finnish Army has not
capitulated. Finland retains its independence but has to surrender the Karelian
Isthmus and Hango – 10 % of its territory. Campaign losses: 200,000 Soviet
troops and 25,000 Finns.
1861, Civil War:
Alabama:
The Confederate
congress adopts the Constitution of the Confederate States of America. Article
1’s opening statements asserts: “All legislative powers herein delegated shall
be vested in a Congress of the Confederate States.”
ON THIS DAY IN MILITARY HISTORY
- MARCH 9
1861, Civil War:
Texas: George Williamson, Commissioner from Louisiana to the Texas
Secession Convention,
urges the
Texan people to secede from the Union.
|
