Author Archives: secondbysecond

This week in the War, 10–16 August 1942: The Manhattan Project

Posted on August 11, 2014 by secondbysecond

The Manhattan Project—the project to build an atomic bomb—was launched secretly, this week in the war, on 13 August 1942. The project involved scientists from the USA and Great Britain, including many Jewish scientists who had fled Nazi-occupied Europe. The task … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 10–16 August 1942: The Manhattan Project

This week in the War, 3–9 August 1942: Monty is put in charge

Posted on August 9, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, 4 August 1942, Churchill arrived in Cairo to visit the front. He found no fault with the troops or even much fault with the equipment. The problem, he concluded, was at the top. Churchill had lost … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 3–9 August 1942: Monty is put in charge

This week in the War, 27 July–2 August 1942: Chiang Kai-shek & Vinegar Joe

Posted on August 2, 2014 by secondbysecond

The Japanese had already swept through much of Burma and were well on the way to India. This week in the war, 1 August 1942, Chinese leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek agreed to a proposal by American Lieutenant General Joseph W. … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 27 July–2 August 1942: Chiang Kai-shek & Vinegar Joe

This week in the War, 20–26 July 1942: The fall of Rostov

Posted on July 25, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 24 July 1942, Army Group A captured Rostov. Large numbers of Soviet troop formations were encircled or destroyed. The Germans attacked the city not only from the north but also from the east, where the … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 20–26 July 1942: The fall of Rostov

This week in the War, 13–19 July 1942: La rafle du Vel d’Hiv—The roundup of the Velodrome d’Hiver

Posted on July 18, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, 16-17 July 1942, German troops aided by French police arrested 13,000 Parisian Jews that were without French citizenship and imprisoned them in the Vélodrome d’Hiver, the famous Paris cycling stadium near the Eiffel Tower. [‘Bicycle’ translates … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 13–19 July 1942: La rafle du Vel d’Hiv—The roundup of the Velodrome d’Hiver

This week in the War, 6–12 July 1942: Summer offensive against Stalingrad

Posted on July 11, 2014 by secondbysecond

The German army had taken Sevastopol, thereby eliminating any threat to its right flank, and was continuing its summer offensive deep into southern Russia. (Kharkov had already fallen in May.) This week in the war, the Germans had broken through … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 6–12 July 1942: Summer offensive against Stalingrad

Vignette: US troops land in Iceland

Posted on July 7, 2014 by secondbysecond

Today is the anniversary of the arrival of a brigade of US marines in Iceland: 8 July 1941. The American task force was assembled in Charleston, South Carolina, and sailed for Newfoundland and then on to Iceland. The Icelanders welcomed the US … Continue reading →

Posted in Vignette | Tagged , | Comments Off on Vignette: US troops land in Iceland

This week in the War, 29 June–5 July 1942: Mussolini eyes Egypt

Posted on June 27, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, 29 June 1942, Benito Mussolini flew from Italy to North Africa. The Duce piloted his own plane. Given Rommel’s spectacular advance and the fall of Tobruk, Mussolini was convinced that Axis forces would arrive in Egypt within days. (15 … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 29 June–5 July 1942: Mussolini eyes Egypt

This week in the War, 15–21 June 1942: The Fall of Tobruk

Posted on June 21, 2014 by secondbysecond

So far, 1942 had gone badly for the British, the most notable disaster being the fall of Singapore. But Churchill had resupplied the Eighth Army in North Africa and was hoping that Ritchie would achieve the kind of victory against … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 15–21 June 1942: The Fall of Tobruk

This week in the War, 8–14 June 1942: Japanese mini-subs attack Sydney harbour

Posted on June 13, 2014 by secondbysecond

In the latter part of May and the early weeks of June 1942, Japanese midget submarines attacked shipping in Sydney harbour. Although originally designed for harassing enemy surface vessels during large-scale fleet actions, the Japanese mini-subs were used almost exclusively … Continue reading →

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 8–14 June 1942: Japanese mini-subs attack Sydney harbour