Category Archives: World War II

This week in the War, 16–22 February 1942: The bombing of Darwin

This week in the war, on 19 February 1942, fighters and bombers from the carrier force of Vice-Admiral Chuichi Nagumo—who in November had launched his planes against Pearl Harbour—attacked Darwin, the largest city of northern Australia. The bombing of Darwin … Continue reading

Posted in Movie, World War II | Tagged , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 16–22 February 1942: The bombing of Darwin

This week in the War, 9–15 February 1942: The Fall of Singapore

This week in the war, Singapore—often described as Britain’s ‘Gibraltar of the East’—fell to the Japanese. The British commander, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, signed the unconditional surrender document on 15 February 1942. Over 120,000 British, Indian and Australian troops became prisoners-of-war. … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 9–15 February 1942: The Fall of Singapore

This week in the War, 2–8 February 1942: Death of Fritz Todt

This week in the war, on Sunday 8 February 1942, Reichsminister Fritz Todt was killed when the plane flying him back to Berlin crashed while taking off from the airstrip at Hitler’s Wolfsschanze headquarters in East Prussia. Todt had been … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 2–8 February 1942: Death of Fritz Todt

This week in the War, 26 Jan–1 Feb 1942: The Yanks have come!

Prior to the attack on Pearl Harbour, the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland plus the Commonwealth and Empire and eventually the Soviet Union were locked in a life-and-death struggle with Hitler and his allies. After Pearl Harbour … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 26 Jan–1 Feb 1942: The Yanks have come!

This week in the War, 19–25 January 1942: The Wannsee Conference

On 20 January 1942, SS-Obergruppenfuehrer Reinhard Heydrich chaired one of the most infamous meeting in the history of the world: the conference held at an elegant lake-side villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee. Those present included Gestapo Chief Heinrich … Continue reading

Posted in Book, World War II | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 19–25 January 1942: The Wannsee Conference

This week in the War, 12–18 January 1942: U-boats begin Operation Drum Roll

This week in the war, on 12 January 1942, the U-123 sank the British steamer Cyclops near Cape Cod. The sinking marked the opening of Doenitz’s U-boat offensive in the western Atlantic—his so-called Operation ‘Drum Roll’ (Paukenschlag). Before the end … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 12–18 January 1942: U-boats begin Operation Drum Roll

This week in the War, 5–11 January 1942: The fall of Kuala Lumpur

Japanese forces were on the move throughout South-East Asia. In the Philippines, they were advancing towards the Bataan peninsula. In Malaya, Lieutenant-General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s troops crossed the River Slim on 7 January 1942 and were advancing, with armoured support, towards … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 5–11 January 1942: The fall of Kuala Lumpur

This week in the War, 29 Dec 1941–4 Jan 1942: The return of Jean Moulin

This week in the war, on 2 January 1942, French resistance leader Jean Moulin parachuted back into France. He had been in London and was sent back to France by de Gaulle to organize and unite the various resistance movements. … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 29 Dec 1941–4 Jan 1942: The return of Jean Moulin

This week in the War, 22–28 December 1941: Christmas present for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

On Christmas Day 1941, three corvettes and the submarine Surcouf of the Free French navy liberated the twin isles of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon. The islands, which are located in the western Atlantic close to the coast of Newfoundland, have belonged … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 22–28 December 1941: Christmas present for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

This week in the War, 15–21 December 1941: Italian manned torpedoes sink British battleships in Alexandria harbour

The Royal Navy was taking a hammering in the Mediterranean (to say nothing of the Far East!). Following the loss in the Med of the aircraft carrier Ark Royal and of the battleship Barham, on the night of 18/19 December … Continue reading

Posted in World War II | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on This week in the War, 15–21 December 1941: Italian manned torpedoes sink British battleships in Alexandria harbour