Chronology of World War II

Sunday, December 1, 1940

Over Britain... Bristol is attacked by 120 planes during the night (December 1-2). Heavy damage to residential areas is caused by the bombing.

In the North Atlantic... The British armed merchant cruiser Forfar (16,400 t) is sunk by U-99 west of Ireland.

In the North Sea... The formerly Norwegian liner Oslofjord (18,700 t) and a British tanker are sunk off the Tyne.

In Italy... Rationing is introduced for flour, rice, spaghetti and macaroni.

Monday, December 2, 1940

From London... Various command changes for the Royal Navy are announced. Admiral Tovey is to succeed Admiral Forbes as Commander in Chief, Home Fleet. Forbes goes to Plymouth Command. Admiral Harwood becomes Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff.

Tuesday, December 3, 1940

In London... The British government announces that it has placed a first order with US yards for the construction of 60 merchant ships.

Wednesday, December 4, 1940

In the Balkans... The Greek forces continue their advance and enter Premeti.

Thursday, December 5, 1940

In Berlin... An outline plan for the attack on the Soviet Union is presented to Hitler by the army. As in the last version it provides for a three-pronged attack, with the center force moving toward Moscow being the strongest. Hitler agrees to allow planning to go ahead on this basis but suggests some modifications. He also orders planning for the attack on Greece to continue.

Friday, December 6, 1940

From Rome... Marshal Badoglio resigns his post as Italian Commander in Chief. His successor is General Count Cavallero.

In the Balkans... The Greek advance north along the coast continues to go well. Sarande is taken.

Saturday, December 7, 1940

Over Germany... British RAF bombers raid Dusseldorf during the night (December 7-8).

Over Britain... There are no air raids record -- day or night -- for the first 24 hour period since August 7th.

Sunday, December 8, 1940

In the Balkans... The Greek forces capture Argyrocastro and Delvino.

Over Germany... British RAF bombers raid Dusseldorf during the night (December 7-8).

Monday, December 9, 1940

In North Africa... The British begin an offensive in the western desert. General O'Connor leads 2 divisions, 7th Armored and 4th Indian, in the attack. They are supported by 7th Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) against whose Matilda tanks the Italians will have no answer. General Wavell is in Supreme Command in Egypt. The British force has few reserves and therefore the attack has comparatively limited objectives at first. General Graziani is the Italian Commander in Chief and he has deployed the 7 divisions of 10th Army (General Gariboldi) in forward positions in Egypt. O'Connor's men began their advance from Mersa Matruh, 70 miles from the Italian front, three days previously and achieve complete surprise when they make their attack. The Italians have done little since mid-September but build a series of fortified camps in which they now sit. These camps do not give any real support to each other and will very easily be isolated. The British attack is in the form of a left hook around the Italian coastal positions and owes much to the careful training which the troops have received in desert warfare. The Matildas are used to break into first the Nibeiwa camp then the Tummar West camp which both fall the first day.

From Rome... There are command changes and redistribution of ships and squadrons in the Italian navy. Admiral Riccardi replaces Admiral Cavagnari as Undersecretary of State and Head of Supermarina. Admiral Iachino replaces Campioni as Fleet Commander in Chief.

Tuesday, December 10, 1940

In North Africa... Sidi Barrani falls to the British attack. There are 20,000 prisoners already in the offensive. The coast road to the west has been cut by 7th Armored Division at Buq Buq.

In Washington... Roosevelt announces an extension of the export-license system. Iron ore, pig iron and many important iron and steel manufactures are brought within the system. Like previous measures this is aimed at Japan. The changes come into effect at the end of the year.

From Berlin... OKW issues a directive ordering the transfer of German 10th Fliegerkorps to south Italy and Sicily. Field Marshal Milch has been in Rome during the last few days to discuss the measures to help the Italian navy.

Wednesday, December 11, 1940

In North Africa... Sollum is bombarded by ships from Cunningham's fleet. Wavell's attacks have ruined five of the seven Italian divisions they have met and they are all rapidly retreating from Egypt. Some 14,000 more prisoners are taken, many of whom come from the Catanzaro Division which is expelled from positions near Buq Buq.

Thursday, December 12, 1940

In North Africa... Wavell is not able to follow up his success as vigorously as he would have wished because 4th Indian Division is about to be withdrawn for service in the Sudan.

In Belgrade... A treaty of friendship is signed by Yugoslavian and Hungarian representatives. By this token of good relations with a German client the Yugoslavs hope to improve their own relations with Germany.

Friday, December 13, 1940

In North Africa... A small British force has entered Libya and now cuts the road leading west from the important Italian position at Bardia.

In Germany... Hitler issues Directive 20 giving orders for the further preparation of the invasion of Greece, Operation Marita. The German forces in Romania are accordingly increased.

In Vichy France... Petain dismisses and arrests Laval and appoints Flandin as foreign minister in his place.

Saturday, December 14, 1940

Over Italy... British aircraft bomb Naples. The Italian cruiser Pola is damaged.

In Ireland... Interned IRA members set fire to Curragh Camp, near Dublin, and clash with police and military troops. Four IRA members are reported injured.

Sunday, December 15, 1940

Over Germany ... Bomber Command strikes Berlin.

Over Italy... British planes bomb Naples. An Italian cruiser is reported damaged.

In Occupied France... The coffin of Napoleon II (1811-1832) is moved from Vienna to Paris and reburied in Les Invalides, on orders from Hitler.

In Ireland... Interned IRA members at Curragh Camp, near Dublin, continue to riot. In fighting with Irish police and military troops, one IRA member are reported shot.

Monday, December 16, 1940

Over Germany... The first "area bombing" raid on a German city is carried out: Mannheim is attacked by 134 RAF bombers during the night (December 16-17). Large fires are started on both banks of the Rhine River. Other targets include Speyer-am-Rhein and Heilbronn.

Over Switzerland... Basle is accidentally bombed by the British aircraft, killing 4 persons.

In the Mediterranean... There are further British and Italian fleet operations over the next week. The British carrier Illustrious attacks airfields on Rhodes and sends strikes against Italian convoys.

Tuesday, December 17, 1940

In North Africa... The British forces occupy Fort Capuzzo, Sollum and three other Italian positions near the Egypt-Libya border. The Italian garrisons of these places have withdrawn to the Bardia fortress.

In Washington... President Roosevelt gives a press conference outlining a scheme which he plans to introduce to bring further aid to Britain which he will call Lend-Lease. His argument is that if a neighbor's house is on fire it is only sensible to lend him a hose to stop the fire spreading to your own house, and that it would be stupid to think of asking for payment in such circumstances.

In Vichy France... Laval, the former foreign minister, is released from prison after the German ambassador intervenes.

Wednesday, December 18, 1940

From Berlin... Hitler issues Directive 21. Its message is simple: "The German Armed Forces must be prepared, even before the conclusion of the war against England, to crush Soviet Russia in a rapid campaign." The projected operation is given the code name Barbarossa. Hitler has modified the draft plans prepared by the army in one important respect. Although three lines of attack are still suggested, Hitler's scheme reduces the importance which has been laid on the advance to Moscow. He suggests that after the first battles the center group should swing north to help clear the Baltic States and Leningrad before moving on the capital. The preparations are to be ready by May 15, 1940.

In the Mediterranean... The British submarine Triton is sunk by an Italian tropedo boat in the Straits of Otranto. Valona in Albania is shelled by the British battleships Valiant and Warspite (during the night of December 18-19). The Italians are also active in support of their armies in Albania with Lukova, just north of the Corfu Channel being shelled.

In Britain... A total of 10,969 people evacuated from Gibraltar have now arrived.

Thursday, December 19, 1940

In Helsinki... Finnish President Risto Ryti takes office. His predecessor, Dr. Kallio, dies suddenly the same day.

Friday, December 20, 1940

In Bulgaria... New anti-Semitic laws are introduced. King Boris III refused to discuss the issue with the Consistory (Central Council of Bulgarian Jews) prior to enacting the laws. Bulgaria's Jewish population at this point is about 50,000 people. There are also measures against Free Masons and other so-call secret societies.

Saturday, December 21, 1940

In the Pacfic... German raiders Komet and Orion land 496 survivors (including 70 women and 7 children) from 10 British and Allied merchant ships (sunk since August) on Emirau Island, near New Guinea. The Royal Australian Navy subsequently rescues the survivors.

Over Italy... British RAF planes conduct a night raid on the Porto Marghera docks and oil installations, near Venice.

In the United States... The renowned writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, dies in Hollywood at age 44.

Sunday, December 22, 1940

Over Britain... German aircraft raid Manchester during the night.

Monday, December 23, 1940

In the Balkans... The Greeks continue their advance, occupying Himarra, in Albania.

Over Britain... German aircraft raid Manchester for a second consecutive night.

From London... Lord Halifax becomes British ambassador to the United States. Anthony Eden takes over as foreign secretary. David Margesson becomes secretary of war (army minister).

Tuesday, December 24, 1940

In the Mediterranean... The Greek submarine Papanicolis sinks an Italian transport off the coast of Albania.

Wednesday, December 25, 1940

In the North Atlantic... The German cruiser Admiral Hipper meets and attacks a British troop convoy 700 miles west of Cape Finisterre. The escort for the convoy consists of three cruisers and the carriers Argus and Furious. In the engagement which develops, the British cruiser Berwick is hit but the Admiral Hipper is forced to withdraw to Brest with engine trouble, sinking only one ship on the way. This is the only return for a cruise lasting one month.

Thursday, December 26, 1940

Over Occupied France... British RAF aircraft conduct daylight raids on airfields in Brittany and a nighttime raid on Bordeaux.

Friday, December 27, 1940

In the Pacific... The German raider Komet shells the phosphate production installations on the island of Nauru in the Central Pacific while flying a Japanese flag. Both Komet and Orion have been active in this area for some days and have sunk several ships engaged in the specialized phosphate trade.

Saturday, December 28, 1940

In the Balkans... The Greeks bring their offensive to an end for the moment in order to consolidate their gains and improve communications with the front.

Sunday, December 29, 1940

From Washington... In one of his famous "fireside chat" broadcasts President Roosevelt describes how he wishes the United States to become the "arsenal of democracy" and to give full aid to Britain regardless of threats from other countries.

Over Britain... An attack on London during the night of December 29-30 is heavy and destructive.

Monday, December 30, 1940

In Britain... Royal Engineers and Pioneers dynamite fire-gutted buildings in London.

Tuesday, December 31, 1940

Over Northern Europe... There are RAF daylight raids on Cologne, Rotterdam (oil supplies), Ijmuiden (docks) and the bridge over the Rhine River near Emmerich.

Over Albania... Valona is bombed during the day by British aircraft.

In East Africa... RAF planes attack Assab in Italian East Africa.

In Britain... The threat from incendiary bombs results in the stationing of "fire-watchers" in all factories, shops and offices.