Category Archives: World War II

This week in the War, 4–10 May 1942: The Battle of the Coral Sea

Posted on May 8, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 7 and 8 May 1942, American and Japanese carrier forces traded airstrikes in the Battle of the Coral Sea. It was the first naval battle in history in which opposing fleets never exchanged fire … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 27 April–3 May 1942: The Baedeker Blitz

Posted on May 1, 2014 by secondbysecond

German publisher Karl Baedeker began producing travel guides in the 1820s and their scope and popularity continued to grow for well over a century. After an air raid by the RAF destroyed much of the ancient city centre of the German … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 20–26 April 1942: Malta

Posted on April 23, 2014 by secondbysecond

Much had happened to the besieged island since the three RAF Gloster Sea Gladiator bi-planes, Faith, Hope, and Charity had taken to the skies of Malta in June 1940 to fight off attacks by Italian bombers. The island had been bombed repeatedly. … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 6–12 April 1942: Bataan—The march of death

Posted on April 9, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 9 April 1942, forces in the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines commanded by Major General Edward P. King Jr. surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese. A terrible ‘march of death’ began that day. Over 75,000 … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 30 March–5 April 1942: Preserving the Eastern Fleet

Posted on March 31, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, 31 March 1942, having been warned of an imminent Japanese attack, Admiral James Somerville sailed his fleet—the British Eastern Fleet—out of Colombo, Ceylon, to a secret base at Addu Atoll in the Maldives. His intent … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 23–29 March 1942: The Saint-Nazaire raid

Posted on March 26, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 26 March 1942, a force of British commandos left Falmouth in Cornwall on board a flotilla of destroyers and motor-torpedo boats heading for the German naval base at Saint-Nazaire on the Loire estuary on … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 16–22 March 1942: Alexander and Slim

Posted on March 21, 2014 by secondbysecond

In the spring of 1942, with the Japanese invasion of Burma well under way, Harold Alexander—who was to acquire something of a reputation as Churchill’s ‘fire brigade chief’ was sent to Burma with the rank of full general and orders … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 9–15 March 1942: “I shall return!”

Posted on March 12, 2014 by secondbysecond

Following President Roosevelt’s orders, General Douglas MacArthur left the island of Corregidor in the Philippines on 12 March 1942. He was bound for Australia to assume command of Allied forces in the Pacific. His phrase “I shall return!” subsequently became … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 2–8 March 1942: The Fall of Rangoon

Posted on March 3, 2014 by secondbysecond

Burma: This week in the war, 7 March 1942, British forces evacuated Rangoon, the Burmese capital. Before leaving, they destroyed the dockyard installations and the oil refineries. Japanese troops had landed in the Irrawaddy delta. Next day, 8 March, the … Continue reading →

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This week in the War, 23 Feb–1 March 1942: Battle of the Java Sea

Posted on February 27, 2014 by secondbysecond

This week in the war, on 27 February 1942, the Japanese navy defeated an Allied naval squadron commanded by the Dutch admiral Karel Doorman in the Battle of the Java Sea. Rear-Admiral Doorman’s five cruisers and eleven destroyers attacked a … Continue reading →

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