THE WAR AT A GLANCE: A Diary of The Main Events

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 307, 11 May 1945, Page 22

THE WAR AT A GLANCE:

A Diary of The Main Events

1939 SEPTEMBER: Germany invaded Poland, and Great Britain, France, Australia and New. Zealand declared war. South Africa entered the war. B.E.F. landed in France. Soviet troops invaded Poland. Warsaw surrendered. OCTOBER: Hitler made a peace offer. H.M.S. Royal Oak was torpedoed at Scapa Flow. England and France signed a pact with Turkey, . NOVEMBER: A state of siege was declared in Holland. There was a bomb explosion in Munich beer hall. First German bombs wefe dropped on British territory. Magnetic mine menace began. Dispute arose between Russia and Finland. Russia invaded Finland. DECEMBER: The Graf Spee was scuttled in the Battle of the River Plate, First Canadian division arrived in England, R.A.F. carried out leaflet raids over Germany. ’ 1940 JANUARY: Rationing was _introduced in Britain. Russians gave ground in Finland. There were severe winter conditions in Europe and Britain. FEBRUARY: First division of Australian and New Zealand troops landed in Italy. A British ship stopped the German prison ship Altmark in Norwegian waters. Finnish resistance weakened. MARCH: Finland surrendered to Russia. Germans raided the ‘Shetlands and the first British civilian was killed. Hitler and Miussolini conferred at Brenner Pass. Daladier resigned from the French premiership and was succeeded by Reynaud. APRIL: Britain laid mines in Norwegian waters. Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. Norway resisted stubbornly but vainly. Germany set up a puppet government in Oslo under Quisling. British troops went to Norway. MAY: Germany invaded Luxem: bourg, Holland and Belgium, and British and French troops entered Belgium. Chamberlain resigned and was succeeded by Churchill. Dutch capitulated. Germans pierced Allied line at Sedan. General Gamelin was superseded by General Weygand. King Leopold capit_ulated and B.E.F. was isolated at the Channel coast. JUNE: B.E.F. evacuated from Dunkirk, Germans drove behind the Maginot Line. Norway surrendered. Italy declared war on Britain and France. Paris fell. Reynaud resigned, and was succeeded by Petain, who asked for armistice. French Government accepted armistice terms. De Gaulle formed French National Committee in Britain. JULY: Britain demanded surrendei of French fléet to prevent Germany from seizing it. Britain closed Burma Road on demand of Japan. Conscription was applied to New Zealand. _ AUGUST; Battle of Britain began. British withdrew from Somaliland. R.A.F. dropped bombs on Berlin. Rumania ceded part of Transylvania to Hungary. SEPTEMBER: Laval became de-puty-Premier in new French Government at Vichy. King Carol of Rumania

abdicated. Italian troops in Egypt advanced to Sidi Barrani. A pact was sigtied between Germany, Italy and Japan. OCTOBER: Tension increased between U.S.A. and Japan. German troops entered Rumania. Burma Road was reopened and bombed by Japanese, Italy attacked Greece. NOVEMBER: British forces landed in Crete. Molotov visited Berlin. Italians fell back in Albania. Coventry and Birmingham were bombed. Huns gary and Rumania joined the Tripartite Pact. DECEMBER: Germany seized Lorraine. British desert troops took Sidi Barrani, and moved into Libya, Laval resigned. Germans shelled Nauru Island. 1941 JANUARY: There was heavy fighting between Thailand and French IndoChina. Haile Selassie returned to Abyssinia, and Abyssinians rose in revolt against Italians. Italians lost. Bardia, Derna and Tobruk. There was unrest in Rumania. Truce was made between Thailand and French Indo-China, FEBRUARY: German troops entered Bulgaria. Free French Forces’ invaded Southern Libya, Turkey and Bulgaria signed non-aggression pact, British troops occupied capital of Italian Somaliland. MARCH: Germans marched into, Bulgaria, which then signed the Tripartite Pact. American Lend-Lease bill was passed. Thailand and Indo-China signed a peace treaty. Liberation. of British Somaliland was completed. Yugoslav Government also signed Tripartite Pact, but was forced out of office and a new Government was appointed. APRIL: British troops received setback in Libya. Germany and Italy attacked Yugoslavia and Germany attacked Greece. Russia and Yugoslavia signed non-aggression pact. Hungary attacked Yugoslavia. Germans entered Belgrade. Russia and Japan signed neutrality pact. Greek Epirus Army sutrendered. MAY: Raschid Ali attacked British in Iraq. Hess made a solo flight to Scotland. German troops landed in Crete. Iraq rebels and British signed an armistice. British forces evacuated Crete. JUNE: Allied and Free French troops entered Syria. Germany and Turkey signed a friendship pact. Germary, Hungary and Rumania attacked Russia. Finland entered the war against Russia. JULY: British" gained all Southern Syria. American forces occupied Iceland. Allied and Vichy forces in Syria signed armistice. Japanese Cabinet resigned. Germans advanced towards Leningrad. Vichy yielded bases in Indo-China to apan, British troops moved up through alaya. Russia and Poland signed a pact of friendship. AUGUST: Churchill and Roosevelt met on warship and drew up the Atlantic Charter. Riots were started in the Balkans. British and Russian forces

entered Iran. Iran Cabinet resigned and opposition ceased. Russians blew up the Dnieper Dam, SEPTEMBER: Fierce fighting cone tinued for Leningrad. Kiev fell. Guer« rillas were active in Yugoslavia. OCTOBER: Germans moved into the Ukraine. Japanese were defeated by Chinese at Changsha. Portugal allowed Japan to establish bases on Portuguese Timor. Germans launched new drive on Crimea, and advanced on Moscow. NOVEMBER: USS. Congress revised Neutrality Act to allow greater assist« ance to Britain. Imperial forces made new drive in Libya. Vichy dismissed Weygand. Siege of Tobruk Was raised, Japanese negotiations with U.S. deteriorated. Japanese troops in Indo-China moyed towards Thailand frontiers, DECEMBER: Britain declared war on Finland, Hungary and Rumania. Japan entered the war against U.S. and Britain by bombing Pearl Harbour. Japan invaded Thailand, which capitulated. Japanese made rapid advances against British in Malaya. Winter conditions forced Germans back in Russia. U.S. entered war against Axis Powers. Japanese took Guam, Penang, Wake Island and Hongkong, and landed in Philippines ‘and Sarawak. 1942 JANUARY: Japanese forces invaded Dutch East Indies, Burma, New Guinea, New Britain, New Ireland and the Solomons. Thailand declared war on Britain. Twenty-one Central and South American Republics broke off diplomatic relations with Germany. Imperial troops, forced out of Malaya, made a stand on Singapore Island. FEBRUARY: Germans advanced in Libya. Singapore fell to the Japanese, Japanese bombed Darwin, and invaded Bali, Dutch and Portuguese Timor and Java. Allied forces withdrew in Burma. Heavy fighting continued in Russia and China. : MARCH: Rangoon fell and Japan made rapid advances in Burma. Frequent raids on Malta continued, Germans withdrew in Russia, Japanese advanced in New Guinea. APRIL: Japanese bombed Ceylon, and towns on the Indian mainland, and occupied Admiralty Islands, Laval returned to Cabinet and announced complete collaboration with Axis. American planes bombed Japanese cities. MAY: British forces landed on Madagascar. Corregidor surrendered to Japanese. Germans launched offensive in Crimea. Japanese "advanced along Burma Road. Mexico declared war on Axis Powers, Severe fighting continued in Libya. : JUNE: Japanese submarines raided Sydney harbour. Japanese suffered defeat at Midway Island. Britain and Russia signed 20-year friendship pact. U.S. forces arrived in New Zealand. British forces withdrew into Egypt, and Tobruk surrendered to Germans, New War Administration was formed in New Zealand. JULY: Russian forces continued to withdraw. Japanese forces landed in

Papua, and bombed Northern Queensland. Germans took Rostov. AUGUST: Battle of the Solomons began. Gandhi demanded that the British leave India, and Gandhi and other leaders were arrested. Churchill went to Moscow to confer with Stalin.’ Brazil Uruguay entered the war against Axis Powers. SEPTEMBER: Japanese landed on Guadalcanal. Fierce fighting continued around Stalingrad. British forces occupied the capital of Madagascar. Allied position in New Guinea improved. OCTOBER: Friction developed between Germany and Denmark. U.S. troops landed in Liberia. Eighth Army launched heavy assault in Egypt. NOVEMBER: Eighth Army advanced in Egypt. U.S. troops landed in French Morocco and Algeria. Algiers capitulated. Armistice with French was signed in North Africa. Germans invaded uneccupied France and Italians entered Southern France, Germans landed in Tunisia. Japanese were forced back in Solomons. Darlan declared for the Fighting French. French fleet was scuttled at Toulon. DECEMBER: Germans suffered heavy losses in Russia. Americans took Buna, in Papua. Eighth Army advanced into Tripolitania. Darlan was assassinated. 1943 JANUARY: U-boat menace increased. Iraq declared war on Axis Powers. Russians raised siege of Leningrad. Eighth Army occupied Tripoli, and entered Tunisia. Allied leaders held conference in Casablanca. Russians de- feated the Germans at Stalingrad. FEBRUARY: All Libya conquered. U.S. forces cleared Guadalcanal of Japanese. Russians took ~Rostoy and Kharkov. MARCH: Japanese convoy approaching New Guinea was annihilated. Rusans took Rjev and Vyazma, but were re forced to evacuate Kharkov. Battle Tunisia began. APRIL: Allied forces in Tunisia adwanced steadily. Relations were suspended between Poland and Russia. _ MAY: Allies captured Tunis and a. British forces in Burma withrew to the Indian frontier, North ‘African campaign ended with surrender wf the German and Italian armies. R.A.F. bombed dams in the Ruhr. Russia disbanded the Comintern, . JUNE: Pantellaria, Lampedusa and Linosa surrendered to the Allies. Japanese suffered reverse in China, United Nations launched air attack on Sicily. Allies opened new offensive in the acific. JULY: British made a commando raid on Crete, British, American and Canadian forces invaded Sicily, and took Syracuse and Palermo. Americans advanced in New Guinea and New Georgia. Rome had its first air-raid, (Germans were forced back in Russia.

Mussolini resigned and Badoglio became head of the Government. Fascist organisation disbanded. AUGUST: Sicilian campaign ended with a British and American victory. Russians retook Orel, Kharkov and Taganrog. Revolt started in Denmark, and King Christian was arrested. King Boris of Bulgaria died. Americans forced Japanese from New Georgia, SEPTEMBER: Eighth Army invaded Italy, and Italy surrendered unconditionally, Germans continutd fighting in Italy. Iran declared war on Germany. Australian and American troops took Lae in New Guinea. Italians drove Germans from Sardinia. Germans withdrew in Russia. OCTOBER: French forced enemy troops from Corsica. Portugal granted Britain naval and air bases in the Azores. Italy declared war on Germany. Czech troops landed in Dalmatia to help partisans attacked by Germans. Russians advanced in the Ukraine area. NOVEMBER: U.S. forces landed on Bougainville. Germans suffered heavy defeats in Russia. German forces recaptured Leros and Samos Islands. U.S. forces landed on islands in the Gilbert group. Eighth Army launched a new attack on the German line in Italy. DECEMBER: Allied leaders met at Cairo and Teheran. Australians took Wareo and Americans landed on Arawe Peninsula. Internal unrest developed in Bulgaria. Russia and Czechoslovakia signed a 20-year friendship pact. 1944 ‘JANUARY: Russians crossed 1939 Polish frontier. Albied forces made a new landing in Italy at Nettuno: and Anzio. Argentina severed diplomatic relations with the Axis powers. After heavy fighting, Leningrad was liberated. Air-raids over Germany increased. U.S. forces invaded Marshall Islands. FEBRUARY: Russian forces crossed Estonian border. Germans suffered a major defeat at Kanev. Allies attacked Monte Cassino monastery. Americans attacked Truk. Allied forces were successful in Burma. Russia offered Finland peace terms. MARCH: Russians forced German troops back. German forces occupied Hungary. Finland rejected Russian terms. Japanese entered Manipur State, India. Heavy fighting continued at Cassino. Russian forces entered Rumania. APRIL: American forces took Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea. RussoFinnish peace negotiations were broken off. Allied forces gained decisive victories in British New Guinea. Japanese launched a new attack in Honan Province in China. MAY: Russians liberated the Crimea. Allies launched new offensive against Gustav Line in Italy. Cassino was bypassed, and the Germans were forced to evacuate. U.S. troops took Wake Island. Allies made advances in Burma. JUNE: Fifth Army took Rome. Allies landed in Normandy, and made rapid advances to the south and west, liberat- | ing Cherbourg. Russians launched anew |

offensive in Finland. U.S, planes raided Japan, Flying bombs were used against England. U.S. forces landed on Saipan. JULY: Caen was liberated. Russians crossed the Latvian border. Allies pro. gress in Normandy and Italy was steady. Saipan surrendered, and U.S. forces attacked Guam. Tojo was removed from his position as Chief of Staff, and his Cabinet resigned! AUGUST; Allied forces landed in the South of Erance and thrust inland. Japanese fell back slightly in Burma and the South Pacific. There was a Polish rising in Warsaw when the Russians reached the capital. French forces rose, and Paris was liberated. Russia forced Rumania to surrender, and invaded Transylvania. SEPTEMBER: Allies entered Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg. Finland made an armistice with Russia. Allies crossed the German frontier. Airborne troops landed at Arnhem, but were forced to retreat. OCTOBER: Warsaw _ underground forces surrendered to Germans. Allies landed in Greece and Germans evacuated the country. Allied forces invaded the Philippines. Red Army entered Czechoslovakia and Norway. NOVEMBER: British landed on Walcheren. Roosevelt was elected for fourth term. U.S. planes bombed Japan. Polish Cabinet resigned. DECEMBER: U.S. forces crossed the Saar River. .Russians advanced in Hungary. There was fighting among factions in Greece. United States forces made progress in the Philippines. Germans made progress in Belgium, 1945 JANUARY: ELAS troops withdrew from Athens. Huge American forces opened the invasion of Luzon. Truce terms were agreed to in Athens. Red Army freed Warsaw from Germans. Russians crossed the German border, 90 miles from: Berlin. FEBRUARY: American First Army captured three miles of the Siegfried Line. The roar of Russian guns was heard in Berlin. American troops entered Manila. The "Big Three" met at Yalta. Polish Government in London rejected the Yalta policy. U.S. task force attacked Tokio. MARCH: German armies routed between Maas and Rhine. Drive to Berlin started. Heart of Tokio bombed. Montgomery launched offensive on lower Rhine, APRIL: U.S. Forces advanced on Okinawa. British crossed the Weser. Russia denounced Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact. Russians liberated Vienna. Death of Roosevelt. Russians within Berlin. Link-up of Allies from East and . West. Mussolini executed. MAY: Persistent rumours of surrender offers by Germany. Germans announced Hitler’s death, Unconditional surrender in Italy and Western Austria. Fall of Berlin.