1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919
1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929
1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939
1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949
2 Jan 1939
- The British Chief of Naval Staff called for a suitable coastal escort vessel capable of being fitted for minesweeping.
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3 Jan 1939
- The Hepburn Board of the US Navy submitted a request to the US Congress for the expansion to Midway, Wake, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls in the Pacific Ocean.
4 Jan 1939
- Borjas Blancas, Spain was captured by Spanish Nationalist forces during the eastward Republican retreat towards Barcelona, causing the retreat to become a rout.
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Spain
5 Jan 1939
- Kiichiro Hiranuma became the 35th Prime Minister of Japan.
- Adolf Hitler met Polish Foreign Minister Józef Beck at Berchtesgaden in southern Germany and, in a friendly manner, mentioned that Danzig was German, and it was in his interest to one day see it return within German borders.
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Photo(s) dated 5 Jan 1939
9 Jan 1939
Libya
- Italian Royal Decree No. 70 was issued to make Italian Libya within the metropolitan territory of Italy, thus lifting the region's status from a mere colony to a part of the Italian Empire.
12 Jan 1939
United Kingdom
- The British Air Ministry announced the formation of the RAF Auxiliary Air Force Reserve.
United States
Photo(s) dated 12 Jan 1939
13 Jan 1939
- US Marine units under Brigadier General Richard P. Williams began its participation in US Navy's Fleet Exercise No. 5 in the Caribbean Sea.
France
- Jean Decoux was named the commander of naval forces in the Far East.
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15 Jan 1939
- In the Soviet Union, the Regime introduced the compulsory "Labour Book" for all workers, in which were inscribed details of all the jobs that the worker had held and any infraction of discipline, punishments and reprimands. No worker could change employment without written permission from his Plant Director in the Labour Book.
16 Jan 1939
Sweden
- Austrian physicists Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch successfully achieved nuclear fission in an experiment in Sweden.
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17 Jan 1939
France
- The French battleship Richelieu was launched at Brest, France.
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21 Jan 1939
Germany
- Czechoslovakian foreign minister visited Adolf Hitler in Berlin, Germany; Hitler demanded Czechoslovakia to decrease the size of its military, to hand over a large portion of its gold reserves to be stored in Germany, and to begin excluding Jews in society.
» In-depth article
24 Jan 1939
- Germany established the National Central Office for Jewish Emigration with branch offices in Vienna and Prague.
- Spanish Nationalist forces were within three miles of Barcelona, Spain. At this point the Spanish Republican government, led by Dr. Juan Negrín, fled to Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The Republican troops in Barcelona continued to maintain a token resistance.
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Spain
- The Legionnaires of the Moroccan Corps stormed the imposing rock citadel of Montjuich overlooking Barcelona, Spain, freeing 1,200 Political prisoners who had miraculously escaped execution.
25 Jan 1939
- Uranium atom was split for the first time at Columbia University in the United States.
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- British destroyer HMS Mashona (L59) was commissioned into service with Commander P. A. McLaughlin in command.
26 Jan 1939
- Nationalist forces occupied Barcelona in the Spanish Civil War.
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- President Franklin Roosevelt approved atomic research efforts in the US.
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- Joachim von Ribbentrop arrived in Warsaw, Poland and spoke to Polish leaders regarding the German wish to annex Danzig and to have Poland sign the Anti-Comintern Pact.
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27 Jan 1939
- Franklin Roosevelt approved the sale of military aircraft to France.
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- The Lockheed XP-38 fighter made its maiden flight. The flight lasted just 24 minutes but the prototype was damaged on landing.
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- Britain and France pledged a Ł8,000,000 loan and a Ł4,000,000 gift for Czechoslovakia in an attempt to save the country from falling apart.
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- Adolf Hitler ordered Plan Z, the expansion of the German Navy.
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29 Jan 1939
- The NA-40 prototype aircraft took its first flight; it was judged underpowered and unstable.
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30 Jan 1939
- In a Reichstag speech, Adolf Hitler spoke of German-Polish peace and warned that if the "international Jewish financiers" threatened the world with another war, he would embark on eliminating the Jews to rid the world of this threat.
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Photo(s) dated 30 Jan 1939
31 Jan 1939
- German SS leader Reinhard Heydrich ordered that Jews can only be released from protective custody if they present documents for emigration, and that Jews who were being committed to a concentration camp a second time would be committed to concentration camps for life.
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2 Feb 1939
- Hungary broke relations with the Soviet Union.
- Polish submarine Orzel was commissioned into service with the Polish Navy.
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8 Feb 1939
- The United Kingdom and France inquired Germany on why no German guarantee of Czechoslovakian sovereignty has been signed as agreed upon in the Munich Agreement.
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Photo(s) dated 8 Feb 1939
9 Feb 1939
China
- The Japanese 5th Fleet arrived off Qinghai Bay, Hainan island in southern China some time between 2300 hours and the end of the day.
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10 Feb 1939
- Pope Pius XI of the State of Vatican City passed away.
China
- Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces troops landed at Haikou, Hainan island in southern China.
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11 Feb 1939
China
- Japanese troops landed at Sanya on the southern coast of Hainan island in southern China.
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United States
- A Lockheed XP-38 prototype aircraft from California to New York in the United States in 7 hours and 2 minutes.
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12 Feb 1939
Germany
- Slovakian nationalist leader Vojtech Tuka met with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, Germany, seeking support for Slovakian independence. Hitler answered in the affirmative.
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13 Feb 1939
Photo(s) dated 13 Feb 1939
14 Feb 1939
Photo(s) dated 14 Feb 1939
15 Feb 1939
- France ordered 100 DB-7 medium bombers from the Douglas Aircraft Company of the United States.
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19 Feb 1939
- A trade agreement was signed between the Soviet Union and Poland in an attempt to strengthen Poland as a buffer against Germany.
Photo(s) dated 19 Feb 1939
20 Feb 1939
- 40 Soviet volunteer and Chinese Air Force fighters intercepted 30 Japanese bombers near Lanzhou, Gansu, China, shooting down 9 Japanese bombers.
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23 Feb 1939
- A group of fighters flown by Soviet volunteers intercepted 57 Japanese bombers near Lanzhou, Gansu, China, shooting down 6 Japanese bombers and turning back the rest of the formation.
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Photo(s) dated 23 Feb 1939
24 Feb 1939
Photo(s) dated 24 Feb 1939
27 Feb 1939
- The British Admiralty approved William Reed's sketch design for a coastal escort vessel requested during the previous month.
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28 Feb 1939
- Manuel Azańa resigned from the post of President of the Republic of Spain.
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- Germany responded to the British and French inquiry of 8 Feb 1939 regarding why Germany had not yet guaranteed Czechoslovakian sovereignty, noting that Germany must "await first a clarification of the internal development of Czechoslovakia".
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1 Mar 1939
- British destroyer HMS Matabele (L26) was commissioned into service with Commander G. K. Whitmy-Smith in command.
United States
- The keel of submarine Tautog was laid down at Groton, Connecticut, United States.
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2 Mar 1939
Canada
- A Hurricane fighter was sent to Canada in preparation for license production.
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Vatican City
- Eugenio Pacelli became the head of the Catholic Church; he took on the papal name Pius XII.
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Photo(s) dated 2 Mar 1939
4 Mar 1939
- The failure of Dr. Negrin's Communist Government to sue for peace resulted in a civil war within a civil war on the streets of Madrid, Spain. The National Defence Council, led by Colonel Casada, triumphed in the struggle for control of the Republic and tried to negotiate peace terms with General Franco. In the meantime Dr. Negrin, accompanied by his Cabinet and Russian advisers, flew out of Madrid to safety.
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- Corazziere was commissioned into service.
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5 Mar 1939
Photo(s) dated 5 Mar 1939
6 Mar 1939
- Czechoslovakian President Emil Hácha dismissed the Ruthenian government in an attempt to quell nationalist sentiments that was breaking apart his country.
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9 Mar 1939
- Czechoslovakian President Emil Hácha suspended Jozef Tiso's Slovakian government and placed Slovakia under martial law.
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- Chen Changjie was named the deputy commander of the 13th Army while still retaining command of the 61st Corps.
» In-depth article
10 Mar 1939
- British destroyer HMS Tartar (F43) was commissioned into service with Captain G. H. Warner in command.
- Czechoslovakian President Emil Hácha ordered the arrest of Slovakian political leader Jozef Tiso.
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11 Mar 1939
- In response to Czechoslovakian President Emil Hácha's sudden moves to consolidate power within Czechoslovakia, thus threatening German attempts to divide the nation, Adolf Hitler issued a ultimatum for Czechoslovakia to hand over Bohemia and Moravia, moving up the German schedule for the occupation of the remainder of Czechoslovakia. At 2200 hours, Austrian Nazi leader Arthur Seyß-Inquart visited Slovakian leaders, demanding them to proclaim independence immediately, otherwise Germany would no longer support their movement.
» In-depth article
12 Mar 1939
- German leaders demanded Slovakian leader Jozef Tiso to visit Berlin, Germany, where he was told to declare Slovakian independence immediately otherwise Germany would withdraw its support for such a movement.
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China
- Japanese troops began advancing from Hubei Province, China toward Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
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13 Mar 1939
- At 1900 hours, Adolf Hitler once again demanded Jozef Tiso to declare Slovakian independence from Czechoslovakia; meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop presented him reports of Hungarian troop movements on its border, hinting that Hungary, friendly to Germany, was ready to strike should the negotiations in Berlin, Germany fail.
» In-depth article
- Throughout Germany, the Gestapo raided the offices of the patriotic Pan-German League. A number of its leaders were arrested, their offices sealed and the League compelled to close.
Germany
- Hans-Joachim Marseille was promoted to the rank of Fahnenjunker.
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14 Mar 1939
- The Martin Maryland medium bomber took its first flight. Built to a USAAC specification, the Maryland was only ever employed by France and Britain. It would be the first US supplied bomber to be used by the RAF in North Africa.
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- Slovakia and Ruthenia declared independence from Czechoslovakia; as Czechoslovakia had fallen into pieces, the United Kingdom and France considered it to be the evidence that Czechoslovakia no longer existed as a nation, thus they no longer had any alliance obligations to the now defunct nation. During the day, Czechoslovakian President Emil Hácha traveled by train to Berlin, Germany to conduct last-minute negotiations with Adolf Hitler to save his country.
» In-depth article
15 Mar 1939
- Erwin Rommel was made the commanding officer of Hitler's headquarters during Hitler's visit of the recently annexed Czechoslovakia.
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Germany
- At 0115 hours, Czechoslovakian President Emil Hácha met with Adolf Hitler, who was accompanied by Wilhelm Keitel, Hermann Göring, Joachim von Ribbentrop, and Theodor Morell, in Berlin, Germany. Hitler threatened Hácha that German forces were poised to invade Czechoslovakia at 0600 hours, so it was up to Hácha to either agree to a peaceful occupation or face a destructive invasion. At 0215 hours, Hitler left the conference room, and Göring and Ribbentrop continued to threaten Hácha with, among other things, the bombing of Prague. Hácha fainted twice during the negotiations, and both times were revived by injections by Dr. Morell. Hácha gave in at 0355 hours, and German troops marched across the borders at 0600 hours unopposed. In the evening, Adolf Hitler entered Prague in a grand parade. During the day in eastern Czechoslovakia, Hungarian forces marched into Ruthenia, ending the one-day-old nation of Capatho-Ukraine.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 15 Mar 1939
16 Mar 1939
- In eastern Czechoslovakia, Slovakian leader Jozef Tiso sent a telegram, originally authored by Hermann Göring, to ask for German troops to enter Slovakian borders. In western Czechoslovakia, Germany declared the formation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, with Konstantin von Neurath as the German Protector, immediately enacting anti-Semitic laws.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 16 Mar 1939
17 Mar 1939
- British Field Marshal Lord Gort told Secretary of State Hore-Belisha that "It would be murder to send our Field Force overseas to fight against a First-class power".
- Historical document written: No. 9: Speech by the Prime Minister at Birmingham
» In-depth article
18 Mar 1939
- France, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union lodged official protests regarding German occupation of Czechoslovakia. Meanwhile, in Vienna in German-occupied Austria, Adolf Hitler approved the formation of a German protectorate in Slovakia.
» In-depth article
- Spain and Portugal entered into a non-aggression pact.
- In Russia, the "Industry of Socialism" Exhibition finally opened, sixteen months behind schedule, having finally satisfied the censors that the pictures displayed proved that life had got better in Russia since the removal of the Tsars.
- At the 18th Party Congress, Joseph Stalin declared that the western aggressor states of United Kingdom and France were pushing Germany toward Eastern Europe, thus provoking an eventual war between Germany and the Soviet Union, a venture that he did not wish to embark the Soviet Union upon.
» In-depth article
- USS Astoria departed Annapolis, Maryland, United States with the ashes of Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Saito on board.
» In-depth article
China
- A group of Japanese troops boarded barges at Xingzi, Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China, sailed south 10 kilometers on the Yangtze River, and disembarked to attack Chinese positions at Wucheng.
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19 Mar 1939
- Fleet Exercise No. 5 in the Caribbean Sea, participated by US Navy and US Marine Corps personnel, drew to a close.
- British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Lord Halifax explained to the Soviet ambassador in the United Kingdom that the reason for the rejection for Joseph Stalin's call for a multi-power conference to contain Germany was due to the lack of available personnel to embark on these negotiations.
» In-depth article
20 Mar 1939
- German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop demanded Memel from Lithuania.
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China
- Chinese troops repulsed a Japanese attack across the Xiushui River near Wucheng, Jiangxi Province, China; Chinese defenders reported that the Japanese were mixing chemical weapons among traditional artillery shells. To the west of Nanchang, the primary objective, Japanese troops reached the Ganjiang Bridge.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 10: Speech by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the House of Lords
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21 Mar 1939
- Édouard Daladier resigned as the French Prime Minister.
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- German heavy cruiser Deutschland set sail for Memel, Lithuania. Meanwhile, Germany demanded Lithuania to sent representatives to the warship on the following day to sign Memel over to Germany.
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- Dong Zhao was relieved of his position and the commander of the 28th Division so he could focus on his corps-level command.
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China
- Japanese 6th Division crossed the Xuishui River west of Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, China and marched toward Wuning.
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United Kingdom
- French President Albert Lebrun visited London, England, United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain attempted to persuade Lebrun to enter into a British-French-Polish alliance to contain Germany; a similar proposal was also sent to the Polish leadership via the British ambassador in Warsaw, Poland, but the Polish responded coolly. On the same day, in Berlin, Germany, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop expressed that if Poland continued to not agree with German demands for Danzig and if Poland continued to resist signing the Anti-Comintern Pact, then the present German-Polish friendship would deteriorate.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 21 Mar 1939
22 Mar 1939
- Lithuanian representatives boarded German heavy cruiser Deutschland to negotiate for Memel as Germany demanded, but they resisted signing away the territory.
» In-depth article
- Poland requested consultations with United Kingdom and France regarding German demands for Danzig. United Kingdom and France expressed willingness to go further than mere consultation and suggested a formal treaty.
» In-depth article
- The Republic Aviation Company's AP-4 prototype aircraft was destroyed by an accidental in-flight engine fire; the pilot was able to bail out to safety.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese troops attacked Fengxin County, Jiangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
23 Mar 1939
- The Lithuanian representatives aboard German heavy cruiser Deutschland gave in to German demands, signing the city of Klaipeda, Lithuania, known as Memel in German, to Germany in the early hours of the day. In the afternoon, Adolf Hitler visited the newly gained territory.
» In-depth article
- The Slovak-Hungarian War, also known as the Little War, began.
» In-depth article
- Erwin Rommel returned to his position as the commanding officer of the military academy at Wiener Neustadt in southern Germany.
» In-depth article
China
- At dawn, the largest bombardment of the Second Sino-Japanese War was commenced on Chinese positions at Wucheng near the Xiushui River in Jiangxi Province, China where Japanese troops were held down by Chinese defenses since 18 Mar 1939; this bombardment would continue until 26 Mar 1939. Nearby, Japanese troops captured Fengxin County and Anyi County.
» In-depth article
Germany
- Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vojtech Tuka signed the official document in Berlin, Germany that declared Slovakia as an independent nation under German protection.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 11: Question and the Prime Minister's answer in the House of Commons
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24 Mar 1939
- Slovakian forces counterattacked the Hungarian invaders, pushing Hungarian troops nearly to the Okna River.
» In-depth article
- Destroyer Yukikaze was launched.
» In-depth article
China
- Yosuke Matsuoka stepped down as the President of the South Manchuria Railway.
» In-depth article
- Takuichi Ohmura was named the President of the South Manchuria Railway.
Germany
- Adolf Hitler returned from recently annexed Memel to Berlin, Germany.
» In-depth article
Panama Canal Zone
25 Mar 1939
- British cruiser HMS Phoebe was launched by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan, Scotland, United Kingdom.
- Lanciere was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
- Slovakian forces resumed their counterattack against the invading Hungarian forces. Hungarian aircraft raided the Slovakian airfield at Spisská Nová Ves, killing 13.
» In-depth article
- German intelligence chief Wilhelm Canaris reported to Adolf Hitler that his agents had detected Polish troop movements on the Polish border with Danzig. Hitler met with Army chief Walther von Brauchitsch regarding this latest development in his attempt to acquire Danzig.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese troops defeated the Chinese 102nd Division west of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
26 Mar 1939
- Slovakian forces gathered on the Hungarian border in preparation of a renewed counteroffensive, planning on pushing into Hungary if possible.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese troops captured Wucheng, Jiangxi Province, China. To the southwest, Japanese troops reached the west gate of the primary objective, Nanchang, and began the assault.
» In-depth article
27 Mar 1939
China
- Japanese 101st Division captured Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
28 Mar 1939
- Franco's Nationalist forces occupied Madrid, Spain and declared victory in the Spanish Civil War.
» In-depth article
- Polish Foreign Minister Józef Beck met with the German Ambassador in Poland that any further demand on Danzig by Germany might result in war between Poland and Germany.
» In-depth article
China
- While the Japanese 101st Division secured Nanchang in Jiangxi Province, China, the 106th Division at Fengxin prepared for an additional offensive whose target was to be Chinese positions further west or the town of Gao'an.
» In-depth article
29 Mar 1939
- British destroyer HMS Punjabi (F21) was commissioned into service with Commander J. T. Lean in command.
- All hostilities in Spain ceased.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese 6th Division captured Wuning, Jiangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 29 Mar 1939
30 Mar 1939
- Japanese troops occupied several of the Spratley Islands, setting them up as submarine bases.
- British Ambassador in Poland Howard Kennard offered Poland a British-French-Polish agreement in which the three countries would mutually guarantee each others' borders; this agreement arose from the build-up of tension between Germany and Poland over Danzig. The Soviet Union was purposely excluded from the negotiations per Polish demands.
» In-depth article
- German pilot Hans Dieterie flew the Heinkel He 100 V8 at 463.82 mph to set a new world air speed record.
- Japanese troops occupied the Spratly Islands (Japanese: Shinnan Shoto) in the South China Sea. They were to be administered by Japanese authorities in Taiwan. The Japanese Navy would soon built a seaplane base and a submarine base on the island of Itu Aba (Japanese: Nagashima).
31 Mar 1939
- The fighting between Slovakia and Hungary largely ceased.
» In-depth article
- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain noted that the United Kingdom and France would guarantee Polish borders, with military force if necessary.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 17: Statement by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons
» In-depth article
1 Apr 1939
- Grossadmiral Tirpitz's daughter Frau von Hassel christened the battleship named after her father.
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- Bersagliere was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
- At the launching ceremony of German battleship Tirpitz, Adolf Hitler gave a fiery speech that was so extreme that it was decided at the last minute that it would not be broadcast to foreign nations in fear of talks of war provocation. The broadcast to the United States was cut off halfway, leading to false rumors that Adolf Hitler was assassinated amidst the speech.
» In-depth article
Japan
- Prototype A6M Zero fighter took its maiden flight at Kagamigahara airfield, Japan.
» In-depth article
United States
- The order for the future battleship Alabama was issued.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 20: Speech by Herr Hitler at Wilhelmshaven
» In-depth article
3 Apr 1939
- Hitler, on his own authority, ordered the armed forces to prepare "Case White" for the invasion and occupation of the whole of Poland later in the summer.
» In-depth article
- The US Congress granted US$300,000,000 for the purchase of 3,200 new military aircraft over the next two years.
Photo(s) dated 3 Apr 1939
4 Apr 1939
- Slovakia and Hungary signed a peace treaty, ending the Slovak-Hungarian War (Little War).
» In-depth article
- Tatsuta Maru arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- USS Astoria arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
» In-depth article
- Spanish Nationalist air ace Garcia Morato (with 40 kills during the Civil War) was killed when his Fiat CR32 Chirri aircraft crashed, due to engine failure, whilst performing for a newsreel take.
China
- Japanese troops occupied the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. They were to be declared a Japanese protectorate.
6 Apr 1939
United Kingdom
- The 30 Mar 1939 British-French-Polish agreement to mutually guarantee each others' borders was signed into a formal treaty in London, England, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 18: Anglo-Polish Communiqué
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 6 Apr 1939
10 Apr 1939
- German Gestapo report published on this date noted that, between 1933 and 1939, a total of 162,734 prisoners were placed in protective custody, of which most of them were categorized as political prisoners.
United States
- USS Skipjack arrived at New London, Connecticut, United States.
» In-depth article
11 Apr 1939
United States
- The NA-40B prototype aircraft was destroyed in a crash during testing at Wright Field, Ohio, United States. The entire crew survived the crash.
» In-depth article
12 Apr 1939
Photo(s) dated 12 Apr 1939
13 Apr 1939
- Cruiser Köln began training in the North Atlantic.
» In-depth article
- Soviet ambassador Maxim Litvinov brought offers to London, England, United Kingdom and Paris, France seeking a military alliance between Britain, France, and the Soviet Union to counter potential German military aggression against Poland or Romania.
14 Apr 1939
- Franklin Roosevelt wrote to Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in attempt to maintain peace, asking them to guarantee the borders of 31 countries for at least 10 years.
» In-depth article
15 Apr 1939
- The British and French responded negatively to the Soviet offer of alliance to protect Poland and Romania, noting that they would only engage in an alliance only for the protection of the three nations in question.
Italy
- Hermann Göring arrived in Rome, Italy to meet with Benito Mussolini.
» In-depth article
16 Apr 1939
- The Soviet ambassador in Britain made the final attempt to form some kind of alliance between the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union to contain German aggression.
Italy
17 Apr 1939
- Germany sent out messages to 30 of the 31 countries named by US President Roosevelt on 14 Apr 1939 (the exception being Poland), asking them whether they felt threatened by Germany. Many countries responded in the negative, while the others were coaxed into responding in the negative.
- USS Astoria arrived at Yokohama, Japan and disembarked the ashes of Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Saito.
» In-depth article
- Chiang Kaishek cabled Bai Chongxi his plans for a counter offensive toward Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, which was to be launched on 21 or 22 Apr 1939.
» In-depth article
18 Apr 1939
- Slovakia passed anti-Semitic laws.
19 Apr 1939
Photo(s) dated 19 Apr 1939
20 Apr 1939
Germany
- Italian Ambassador in Berlin, Germany, Attalico, sent a message to Rome, Italy, noting that war between Germany and Poland seemed imminent.
» In-depth article
21 Apr 1939
- The US Marine Corps' Division of Operations and Training was renamed the Division of Plans and Policies.
China
- Chinese 3rd and 9th War Areas attacked toward Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, engaging Japanese troops at Fengxin and Gao'an.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 21 Apr 1939
23 Apr 1939
China
- 16th Division, 79th Division, and 5th Reserve Division of Chinese 32th Army crossed the Fu River near Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
25 Apr 1939
China
- The Chinese counter offensive toward Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China reached the outskirts of the city.
» In-depth article
26 Apr 1939
China
- Troops of the Chinese 3rd and 9th War Areas breached into southern Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
27 Apr 1939
- Alois Eliás was named the prime minister of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
- The British government introduced a national conscription policy for 20 and 21-year-old males.
- The British Air Ministry awarded the largest-ever order for a US-built fighter aircraft with an order for 524 P-40 Tomahawk fighters.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese troops counterattacked against the Chinese offensive at Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, engaging in combat south and southeast of the city.
» In-depth article
Russia
- Viktor Abakumov was named the head of the UNKVD Directorate of Rostov Oblast, Russia.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 22: Memorandum from the German Government denouncing the Anglo-German Naval Agreement
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 27 Apr 1939
28 Apr 1939
- In a two-hour speech to the German Reichstag which was widely broadcast around the world, Adolf Hitler repudiated the Anglo-German Naval Agreement and expressed the wish to annex Danzig. In regards to the recent British-Polish treaty, Hitler claimed that it broke the terms of the 1934 German-Polish non-aggression treaty, thus the 1934 agreement was now void; he was, however, willing to negotiate a new one with Poland. Finally, addressing US President Franklin Roosevelt's letter of 14 Apr 1939, in which Roosevelt requested Germany to guarantee the borders of 31 nations, Hitler noted the result of the subsequent survey that revealed most of the nations (Poland excluded) responded they were not at all threatened by Germany.
» In-depth article
China
- General Duan Lang ordered his Chinese 79th Division to disengage south of Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China after suffering high casualties during a Japanese counterattack.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 13: Extract from Herr Hitler's speech to the Reichstag
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 14 & 16: Messages between Germany and Poland
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 21: Extract from Speech by Herr Hitler to the Reichstag
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 28 Apr 1939
30 Apr 1939
- Germany passed laws in preparation to move Jewish families into buildings reserved for Jewish residences.
- Franklin Roosevelt's address at the opening ceremonies of the New York World's Fair was broadcast on television, making him the first US President to appear in this medium.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 30 Apr 1939
1 May 1939
- US Marine Corps aviation units Aircraft One and Aircraft Two were renamed 1st and 2nd Marine Aircraft Group, respectively.
China
- Admiral Harry E. Yarnell visited USS Astoria in the morning; in the afternoon, the cruiser departed Shanghai, China for Hong Kong.
» In-depth article
- Chiang Kaishek ordered Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China to be taken back by 5 May 1939. He also relieved General Duan Lan of his duties for ordering his 79th Division to fall back, while General He Ping, who had also fallen back with his Chinese 16th Division, was told to redeem himself.
» In-depth article
Germany
- The German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was formed with two groups; Major General Wilhelm S¸ssmann was named its first commanding officer.
- Hans-Joachim Marseille was promoted to the rank of Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter.
» In-depth article
United States
- Franklin Roosevelt dedicated the Post Office of Rhinebeck, New York, United States.
» In-depth article
2 May 1939
China
- Chinese troops launched a second counterattack on Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, but all conquered positions would be retaken by the Japanese by the end of the day.
» In-depth article
Panama Canal Zone
- USS Enterprise departed the Panama Canal Zone for California, United States.
» In-depth article
United States
3 May 1939
- Molotov replaced Litvinov as the Foreign Minister of the Soviet Union.
» In-depth article
China
- Fighters of the Chinese 4th Air Group intercepted 54 Japanese bombers en route to attack Chongqing, China, shooting down 7 Japanese bombers.
» In-depth article
4 May 1939
- Werner Mölders was awarded the Medalla de la Campańa and Medalla Militar by Spain.
» In-depth article
China
- Chinese troops attacked Japanese positions at Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 4 May 1939
5 May 1939
- Polish Foreign Minister Józef Beck spoke to the Polish Parliament, noting that the German-Polish relationship was rapidly deteriorating due to Germany's bullying tactics.
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China
- Troops of the Chinese 26th Division broke through to the Xinlong airfield at Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China, destroying three Japanese aircraft.
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- Historical document written: No. 15: Speech made by M. Beck, the Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs in Parliament
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6 May 1939
- Ascari was commissioned into service.
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- Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano met with his German counterpart Joachim von Ribbentrop in Milan, Italy, where Ciano informed Ribbentrop that Italy would not be ready for war for another three years. Ribbentrop noted the comment, and informed Ciano that Adolf Hitler did not yet have any plans for war.
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- Upon learning from Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano, who had met German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop earlier on that day, that Adolf Hitler did not wish to launch a war in the foreseeable future, Benito Mussolini eagerly ordered Ciano to engage in talks for a military alliance between the two countries.
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7 May 1939
- German Generals Rundstedt, Manstein, and other General Staff members presented to Hitler an invasion plan for Danzig and Poland.
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China
- Japanese troops captured Suizhou and Zaoyang in Hubei Province, China.
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Germany
- The French ambassador in Berlin, Germany dispatched a warning to French leadership of deteriorating German-Polish relations.
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8 May 1939
- The United Kingdom rejected what would be the last Soviet request to form a British-French-Soviet pact to contain German aggression.
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China
- The Japanese advance in Hubei Province, China was briefly halted by a counterattack conducted by 31st Army Group of the Chinese 5th War Area and the 2nd Army Group of the Chinese 1st War Area.
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9 May 1939
China
- Chinese leadership called off the offensive toward Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
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Germany
- The French ambassador in Berlin, Germany dispatched another warning to French leadership, noting that he had reasons to believe that Adolf Hitler was presenting or was about to present a plan to Joseph Stalin for the partition of Poland.
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11 May 1939
- Mongolian and Manchurian cavalry units entered into a dispute, which eventually led to the Nomonhan Incident/Battle of Khalkhin Gol.
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- The US Navy placed an order for the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver carrier-borne dive-bomber.
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12 May 1939
French Indochina
- Jean Decoux entered his office as the commander of naval forces in the Far East.
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14 May 1939
Photo(s) dated 14 May 1939
15 May 1939
China
- Japanese troops in Hubei Province, China began to falter from the Chinese counteroffensive which began a week prior.
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16 May 1939
- Cruiser Köln completed training in the North Atlantic.
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- Admiral Erich Raeder presented to Adolf Hitler German Navy's plan for conducting war against Poland in the Baltic Sea and against Britain and France in the Atlantic Ocean.
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19 May 1939
China
Photo(s) dated 19 May 1939
23 May 1939
- Adolf Hitler held a long speech before his top military commanders, starting by noting Danzig as a means to engage Poland in a war to gain Lebensraum ("living space") for the German people, and then digressing to note the possibility of war with Britain and France, the need to occupy the Low Countries for their airfields, and strategies for a war in western Europe and the Atlantic.
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- The Soviet Air Force transferred 35 I-15bis fighters from the 22nd Fighter Aviation Regiment (IAP) to the Russian-Mongolian border area.
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China
United States
- USS Squalus sank off the Isles of Shoals in northeastern United States due to the failure of the main induction valves, which flooded the aft portions of the ship. 26 were killed from drowning, 33 were rescued.
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25 May 1939
Panama Canal Zone
26 May 1939
- Chen Changjie was named the commanding officer of the 6th Army.
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Photo(s) dated 26 May 1939
27 May 1939
- USS Arizona became the flagship of Battleship Division 1's Rear Admiral Russell Wilson.
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- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain finally agreed to hold a talk with the Soviet Union. Later on the same day, British and French ambassadors in Moscow, Russia presented a draft agreement for Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov to review, who received the wording coolly.
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Photo(s) dated 27 May 1939
28 May 1939
Germany
- The Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano visited Berlin, Germany where he was given a great reception in his honour by Hitler.
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- Historical document written: No. 12: Message from Sir N. Henderson to Viscount Halifax
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29 May 1939
- USS Astoria discontinued the search for the missing adventurer Richard Halliburton.
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30 May 1939
Photo(s) dated 30 May 1939
31 May 1939
- Vyacheslav Molotov gave his first speech as the Soviet foreign minister before the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union. He called for the Soviet Union to guarantee the borders of neighboring countries in Eastern Europe as means to contain German aggression, but at the same time, friendly relations should be maintained with Germany and Italy as commercial agreements with them were still of interest to the Soviet Union.
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1 Jun 1939
- The Japanese Navy deployed a new code, later to be named JN-25 by Allied code breakers.
- The Focke-Wulf Fw-190 fighter made its maiden flight at Bremen, Germany. The aircraft displayed excellent handling characteristics and was highly maneuverable but suffered from engine overheating problems which required the fitting on a redesigned engine cowling to overcome.
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Japan
Photo(s) dated 1 Jun 1939
2 Jun 1939
United States
- USS Skipjack arrived at San Diego, California, United States.
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3 Jun 1939
- Historical document written: No. 26: Message from Greiser to the Polish Commissioner-General
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Photo(s) dated 3 Jun 1939
6 Jun 1939
- Werner Mölders was awarded the German Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds.
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7 Jun 1939
Germany
- In the German capital of Berlin, Germany signed separate non-aggression pacts with Latvia and Estonia. The documents were signed for Germany by Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop; Foreign Minister Vilhelms Munters signed for Latvia, and Foreign Minister Karl Selter signed for Estonia.
Photo(s) dated 7 Jun 1939
11 Jun 1939
- Historical document written: No. 27-28, 30, 41-42, 45-47, 50-51: Messages between Kennard and Halifax on Danzig
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13 Jun 1939
- Stanley Page Moseley was named the commanding officer of USS Pollack.
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- The US Navy carrier USS Saratoga completed a two day trial of underway refuelling tests with the fleet tanker Kanawha. These sea replenishment techniques greatly extended the range of the US carrier force and proved invaluable for later operations in the Pacific War.
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14 Jun 1939
- The United Kingdom dispatched a relatively low-level diplomat to engage in talks with Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov instead of sending Lord Halifax. Molotov took this as a sign that Britain was not seriously interested in forming friendly relations with the Soviet Union.
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China
Germany
- The German elite infantry regiment Grossdeutschland was created. The 1st Battalion was made up from elements from the Wach Regiment (the Berlin ceremonial Guard Regiment) and consisted of three rifle companies, a machine gun company and a heavy weapons company. The 2nd Battalion was formed from men from the 92nd Infantry Regiment (with the same organisation as the 1st Battalion). The 3rd and 4th Battalions were formed from men from the Infantry Instruction Regiment (the 3rd with a similar organisation as the 1st, the 4th comprised a light infantry gun company, an anti-tank company and a heavy infantry gun company). In Jul 1940 a fifth Battalion was added to the establishment made up of a motor cycle company, and one company each of pioneers, signals and anti-aircraft.
15 Jun 1939
- Irish Prime Minister Eamon de Valera declared the IRA (of which he and many of his cabinet had been members in former times) to be an unlawful organisation.
- The German Army presented a plan to Adolf Hitler for the invasion of Poland, with much of the strategy focusing on concentrated surprise attacks to quickly eliminate Polish opposition.
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16 Jun 1939
- Captain A. R. M. Bridge suceeded Captain Clement Moody as the commanding officer of HMS Eagle.
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- Historical document written: No. 23: Message from Viscount Halifax to Sir N. Henderson
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19 Jun 1939
- The German Army reported that thus far 168 officers had been infiltrated into Danzig in prepration of action.
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23 Jun 1939
- Martin Bormann issued a secret order to the German Minister of Education to suppress Divinity Schools.
- Pope Pius XII reached an agreement with Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas for Brazil to issue 3,000 visas to allow non-Aryan Catholics, some of whom were Jews recently converted to Catholicism to escape prosecution, to travel to Brazil. Ultimately, however, only under 1,000 visas would be issued.
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- The country of Siam was officially renamed Thailand.
- Hermann Göring headed up the Reich Defense Council in Germany to plan for total mobilization of the country for war. Minister of Economics Walther Funk offered the idea of using future prisoners of war as forced laborers, while SS chief Heinrich Himmler offered his prisoners in concentration camps for the same propose.
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- Historical document written: No. 24: Memorandum from His Majesty's Government Replying to the German Memorandum
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26 Jun 1939
- German Gestapo ordered all Czechs who were deemed unwilling to work, politically active, or deemed to have anti-German beliefs were to be placed in concentration camps.
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28 Jun 1939
- The British Womens Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was formed.
- The German ambassador in Moscow, Russia met with a very friendly Vyacheslav Molotov.
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- Historical document written: No. 29, 31, & 33 : Messages from Gerald Shepherd to Halifax on Danzig
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29 Jun 1939
- Adolf Hitler suddenly ordered a pause to Soviet-German trade talks for unknown reason.
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- Historical document written: No. 25: Speech by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at Chatham House
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30 Jun 1939
- The active duty strength of the US Marine Corps was reported to be 1,380 officers and 16,052 enlisted men for a total of 19,432.
United States
- The US 1st Marine Brigade was activated at Quantico, Virginia, United States, supported by the 1st Marine Aircraft Group.
- The 2nd Marine Brigade was activated at San Diego, California, United States, supported by the 2nd Marine Aircraft Group.
Photo(s) dated 30 Jun 1939
1 Jul 1939
- The US Lighthouse Service, founded in 1789, was incorporated into the US Coast Guard service as a result of the Presidential Reorganization Plan No II.
- An order was issued for the building of a battleship that would later be named USS Iowa.
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Germany
- Hans-Joachim Marseille was promoted to the rank of Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier.
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- Historical document written: No. 32, 34, 38, 39, 43: Messages between Norton and Halifax on Danzig
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2 Jul 1939
China
- Crown Prince Euimin inspected troops in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
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Photo(s) dated 2 Jul 1939
5 Jul 1939
Photo(s) dated 5 Jul 1939
6 Jul 1939
- The last remaining Jewish enterprises in Germany were closed.
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- HMS Edinburgh was commissioned into service and was assigned to the 18th Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet of the British Royal Navy.
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Photo(s) dated 6 Jul 1939
10 Jul 1939
- Historical document written: No. 35: Chamberlain's Speech at the House of Commons
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13 Jul 1939
United States
- The stern of the sunken USS Squalus was briefly raised in the Isles of Shoals off northeastern United States, but the wreck would slip under the surface again.
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14 Jul 1939
- Royal Romanian Air Force began operating the German-built He 112 fighters.
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Photo(s) dated 14 Jul 1939
15 Jul 1939
- German submarine U-42 was commissioned into service.
- Historical document written: No. 36 & 48: Messages from Henderson to Halifax on Danzig
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17 Jul 1939
- Bristol Beaufighter multi-role aircraft took its first flight.
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- British destroyer Havant was launched.
- American destroyer Grayson was laid down.
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- Submarine USS Spearfish was commissioned into service.
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18 Jul 1939
- British light cruiser Kenya was launched at the Stephen Shipyard at Govan on the River Clyde, Scotland, United Kingdom.
- British light cruiser Nigeria was launched.
- British anti-aircraft cruiser Dido was launched.
- The Soviet Union proposed a trade agreement to Germany.
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Italy
- After sundown, RAF Wellington bombers dropped over 800,000 propaganda leaflets on Rome, Italy.
19 Jul 1939
United Kingdom
- British light cruiser HMS Mauritius was launched at the Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend, England, United Kingdom.
United States
- The keel of submarine Tuna was laid down.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 37, 40, & 44 : Messages from F. M. Shepherd to Halifax on Danzig
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20 Jul 1939
- The United Kingdom limited Jewish immigration to Palestine.
- The keel of British light cruiser HMS Uganda was laid down.
Danzig
- 2,000 Nazi Party members arrived in the Free City of Danzig from German.
United States
- The keel of battleship Massachusetts was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States.
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21 Jul 1939
- British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax wrote to British Ambassador to Poland Clifford Norton, asking him to expressed to the Polish government the British desire for Poland to refrain from acting defiantly to recent German threats.
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- British minesweeping trawler HMS Windermere was launched.
Photo(s) dated 21 Jul 1939
22 Jul 1939
- Soviet newspapers announced that the Soviet Union and Germany had resumed trade agreement talks.
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23 Jul 1939
- Alerted that Germany and the Soviet Union were engaged in talks once again, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain began preparations to engage with the Soviets as well.
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24 Jul 1939
- Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov met with British and French representatives to work out a potential agreement against Germany; the plan Molotov proposed was similar to the 1914 alliance in an attempt to contain the German Empire.
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- Hungarian Prime Minister Pál Teleki informed Germany and Italy that should a war broke out between Germany and Poland, Hungary would not participate in a joint invasion; German leader Adolf Hitler would soon intimidate Teleki to retract the statement. On the same day, Italian leader Benito Mussolini warned Hitler that should war break out due to the Polish-German tension, Italy would come to Germany's help, but Mussolini believed it would not be a simple Polish-German War, but rather, other nations such as the United Kingdom and France would be dragged in, leading to another great war.
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25 Jul 1939
- The prototype Avro Manchester made its first flight. Although it served with eight Bomber Command Squadrons, the Manchester suffered from persistent engine problems and was withdrawn from service in 1942.
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- The British Admiralty placed an order for 26 Flower-class corvettes under the 1939-40 Naval Estimates.
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United Kingdom
- The British Royal Navy issued an order to Henry Robb, Limited of Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom for the contruction of a corvette which would later be named Dianthus.
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Photo(s) dated 25 Jul 1939
26 Jul 1939
- Adolf Eichmann was placed in charge of the Prague branch office of the German National Central Office in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, responsible for deportation of Jews.
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Germany
- Low level German and Soviet diplomats had a friendly dinner together in Berlin, Germany, their discussions lasting a little after midnight. They concluded that a treaty between Germany and Soviet would mean peace in Eastern Europe, and that the Soviet Union should be aware of the United Kingdom, whose aggressiveness would undoubtedly drag the Soviet Union into a war should the two countries sign any military agreement with each other.
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28 Jul 1939
United Kingdom
- The German embassy in London, England, United Kingdom reported to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, Germany that the British was attempting to start talks with the Soviet Union.
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29 Jul 1939
- Pavel Sukhoi was named the Chief Designer of aircraft factory number 135 in Kharkov, Ukraine.
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30 Jul 1939
- British Prime Minister Chamberlain wrote in regards to the German oppression of Jews "[n]o doubt Jews aren't a lovable people, I don't care about them myself. But that is not sufficient to explain the pogram."
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31 Jul 1939
- Neville Chamberlain spoke before the House of Commons of the British Parliament, noting that he was engaging in talks with the Soviet Union as a means to contain German aggression.
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- Repair ship Akashi was completed and placed on the reserve list.
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» Tabular Record of Movement
1 Aug 1939
China
- The Chinese 18th Squadron was relocated to Chongqing, China.
United Kingdom
- German Ambassador to Britain Herbert von Dirksen reported to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, Germany that the British-Soviet talks did not seem to be proceeding well.
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2 Aug 1939
- In a letter written by Leó Szilárd and signed by Albert Einstein, the two physicists urged US President Franklin Roosevelt to allocate funding for atomic weapons research.
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Japan
3 Aug 1939
- 30 Soviet-built I-16 fighters were delivered to the Chinese Air Force.
» In-depth article
- Vyacheslav Molotov informed Joseph Stalin that Germany was requesting the Soviet Union to engage in talks over the future of Eastern Europe. While he did request permission to speak to the Germans on this topic, he expressed skeptism as Germany was concurrently pushing Poland to sign the Anti-Comintern Pact.
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4 Aug 1939
- Polish customs officials on the Danzig border began carrying arms, which alerted the Germans.
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5 Aug 1939
- Belfast was commissioned into service.
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- The United Kingdom and France dispatched a joint delegation by passenger ship to the Soviet Union for talks. The ship was not scheduled to arrive at Leningrad, Russia until 11 Aug. It was unknown why the delegation traveled by ship rather than by air, which would be much faster.
» In-depth article
- US Navy awarded a US$15,505,000 contract to build a new naval air facilities in Hawaii, Midway, Johnston, and Palmyra Islands.
7 Aug 1939
- A group of British businessmen met with Hermann Göring in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, warning him that British public sentiment would not allow another act of appeasement, and that the public would push the British government to declare war on Germany.
» In-depth article
United States
- The United States Congress authorized the establishment of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
9 Aug 1939
- Germany sent a message to Poland noting that its uncooperativeness to work with Germany, ie. its refusal of German demands to annex Danzig, might lead to war, and Germany would not hold the responsibility for starting an armed conflict.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 9 Aug 1939
10 Aug 1939
- Reinhard Heydrich ordered SS Officer Alfred Naujocks to fake an attack on a radio station near Gleiwitz, Germany, which was on the border with Poland. "Practical proof is needed for these attacks of the Poles for the foreign press as well as German propaganda", said Heydrich, according to Naujocks.
» In-depth article
- Poland responded to Germany's message from the previous day, noting that should a war between the two nations start, it would be German aggression that started it, and Poland could not be blamed.
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- Léon Henri Charles Cayla was named the Governor-General of French West Africa.
Italy
- Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano departed Rome, Italy for Salzburg in southern Germany (occupied Austria) to meet with his German counterpart Joachim von Ribbentrop.
» In-depth article
11 Aug 1939
- German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop met with Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano at Salzburg, Germany (occupied Austria), during which he said that "we want war".
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12 Aug 1939
- Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano met with German leader Adolf Hitler and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop. During the meeting, upon hearing Hitler's hypothesis that Britain and France could not go into a war for Poland, Ciano expressed doubts and that it was his belief that Europe would be engulf in a general war should German and Poland become entangled in a war. As he realized Hitler was set on going to war with Poland, Ciano expressed Italian unpreparedness for conflict. Ribbentrop responded by saying Germany did not need Italy's military assistance. Ciano, skeptical, noted that time would tell whether that was true.
» In-depth article
- The Soviet Union expressed to Germany that it was willing to host a visit by a high-level German diplomat in Moscow, Russia for talks.
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- Light carrier Hosho was designated a training carrier.
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» Tabular Record of Movement
Malaya, Singapore, and Borneo
13 Aug 1939
- U-36 departed Kiel, Germany.
» In-depth article
- As Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano departed Germany after the completion of a meeting with German leader Adolf Hitler and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, he was told not to make any public announcements. Germany, however, would violate this agreement within hours, releasing a statement that Italy completely agreed with Germany's plans for the near future; this statement was false as Ciano had serious concerns regarding Hitler's determination to go to war with Poland.
14 Aug 1939
- Germany sent a message to its embassy in Moscow, Russia, ordering the ambassador to push Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to make a quick decision on the future of Soviet-German relationship. In Russia, the British-French delegation negotiated with Kliment Voroshilov for a potential treaty to contain German aggression; Voroshilov wanted the western powers to convince Poland to agree to allow Soviet troops to move into Polish territory to counterattack a potential German invasion, but the British and the French knew it was something the Polish leadership was adamantly against.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler announced to his top military commanders that Germany was to enter in a war with Poland at the end of Aug 1939, and that the United Kingdom and France would not enter the fray, especially if Poland could be decisively wiped out in a week or two.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 124 & 127: Messages sent by the President of the United States of America to Herr Hitler
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15 Aug 1939
- Germany secretly canceled the upcoming annual Nazi Party rally in Nürnberg, Germany due to the planned war.
- German Ambassador to the Soviet Union Friedrich-Werner von der Schulenburg read a mesage from German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop to Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov regarding Germany's request to send a high-level diplomat to Soviet Union for talks. Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier ordered his representatives in Russia to quickly conclude the negotiations with the Soviet Union.
» In-depth article
Italy
- Italy mobilized the "San Marco" naval infantry battalion.
16 Aug 1939
- The US Ambassador in Moscow, Russia warned Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov that the United States believed Germany would betray the Soviet Union even if the two country engaged in an alliance.
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United States
- USS Skipjack arrived at San Diego, California, United States.
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17 Aug 1939
- The Germany military was ordered to supply the SS organization with 150 Polish Army uniforms.
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- American diplomat Sumner Welles warned the British that the Soviet Union was likely to make an offer to Germany. In the evening, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov contacted Germany in response to the 15 Aug 1939 request for a meeting; he noted skepticism due to the Anti-Comintern Pact backed by Germany, but also noted happily that, unlike Britain, Germany was willing to send a high-level diplomat.
» In-depth article
18 Aug 1939
- Romania placed an additional order to purchase 6 more German He 112 fighters.
» In-depth article
- German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop pushed for his visit to the Soviet Union, offering Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov favorable terms in terms of spheres of influence in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union's negotiation with the western powers stalled again as Polish Foreign Minister Józef Beck continued to resist allowing Soviet entry into Polish territory even in the face of a German invasion.
» In-depth article
Japan
19 Aug 1939
- Sir Malcolm Campbell set a new World Water Speed Record on Coniston waters in England, United Kingdom with a recorded speed of 141 miles per hour.
- The German Navy ordered 21 submarines and two capital ships to prepare for sailing at any given time. The captains of Admiral Graf Spee and Deutschland received orders to go to Brazilian and North Atlantic waters, respectively.
» In-depth article
Russia
- At 1910 hours, Berlin, Germany received the official response from the Soviet Union, via the German embassy in Moscow, Russia, for Joachim von Ribbentrop's visit; the proposed date of the conference was set for 26 Aug, but Ribbentrop would soon attempt to move up the date of the meeting. Shortly before Berlin received the message, Joseph Stalin announced to the Politburo his intention to befriend Germany.
» In-depth article
20 Aug 1939
- German leader Adolf Hitler personally asked Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to move up the date for the meeting of the respective foreign ministers, preferably to 22 Aug or 23 Aug from the originally-proposed 26 Aug. Meanwhile, Polish Foreign Minister Józef Beck formally rejected British and French request for Poland to allow Soviet troops to enter Poland in case of a German invasion.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 20 Aug 1939
21 Aug 1939
- German warship Admiral Graf Spee and her tanker Altmark departed Germany on a raiding mission against British shipping.
» In-depth article
- French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier ordered his representatives in Russia to speed up negotiations with the Soviet Union; since Poland would not agree to Soviet troops within its borders, the French representatives were given the authority to accept a miltiary treaty excluding Poland. Soviet representative Kliment Voroshilov noted to the British and the French that if Poland was unwilling to allow Soviet troops to cross its borders, then there was little point for the Soviet Union to be a part of this military alliance. At 2100 hours, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin responded to the request from German leader Adolf Hitler to move the date of the meeting between the respective foreign ministers to 22 or 23 Aug 1939; with the two sides having agreed on a draft of a German-Soviet non-aggression agreement, the radio in Berlin, Germany interrupted a musical program to announce the upcoming signing of such a treaty between the two countries.
» In-depth article
22 Aug 1939
- With a non-aggression pact nearly secured with the Soviet Union, German leader Adolf Hitler ordered the Polish invasion to commence on 26 Aug 1939. He told his top military commanders to be brutal and show no compassion in the upcoming war.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler said that even though he was important for Germany, but he could be killed by anybody at any time.
» In-depth article
Germany
- Joachim von Ribbentrop and the German delegation departed Berlin, Germany aboard two Condor aircraft for Königsberg, East Prussia, Germany.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 56, 60, 68, 74, 78, & 89: Messages Between Chamberlain/UK Government and Hitler
» In-depth article
23 Aug 1939
- Erwin Rommel was made the commanding officer of Hitler's headquarters.
» In-depth article
- Albert Forster became the State President of the Free City of Danzig.
» In-depth article
- Joachim von Ribbentrop and the German delegation arrived aboard two Condor aircraft at Moscow, Russia and met Joseph Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov in two sessions, with the second session going late into the night and resulting in the signing of the German-Soviet non-aggression pact. It eliminated the possibility of Soviet Union allying with the western powers; in addition, a secret clause effectively set the plans for a partition of Poland.
» In-depth article
- Italy sent a message to Germany noting that when the two nations negotiated the Pact of Steel, article 3, which obliged one nation to go to join in any war the other nation engaged in, the two had the understanding that Italy would not be ready for war until 1943. Should Germany invade Poland before 1942, Italy would not be ready.
» In-depth article
- France partially mobilized its military to bolster its border defenses.
Danzig
- Albert Forster was appointed by the German government as the State President of the Free City of Danzig.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 128-133: King Léopold III's Appeal for Peace and Responses
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 57-59, 69, 75, 76, 79-83, 87, 88, 91, 92, 99, 102, 103, 109-111, 114, 118: Messages Between Henderson and Halifax on Potential War
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 61: Non-Aggression Pact Between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 23 Aug 1939
See all photos dated 23 Aug 1939
24 Aug 1939
- The British and the French delegation in Soviet Union requested further meetings with Kliment Voroshilov, who was slow to respond.
» In-depth article
- German warship Deutschland departed Germany on a raiding mission against British shipping.
» In-depth article
- The United Kingdom enacted emergency powers and partially mobilized the British military in preparation of war with Germany. Among the forces mobilized was the troops of General Pile's Air Defence of Great Britain (ADGB). In Berlin, Germany, journalist William Shirer noted in his diary "it looks like war" based on his observations throughout the day.
» In-depth article
- The French Army called up its reserves.
- Historical document written: No. 125 & 126: Messages between Roosevelt and Moscicki
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 52-55: Messages from Kennard to Halifax on German Provocation
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 63, 66, 67, 70-73, 84-86, 90, 93-97, 100, 101, 112, 113, 115: Messages between Kennard and Halifax on Potential War
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 64: Speech by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 65. Speech by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the House of Lords
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 139-142: Appeal for Peace by Pope Pius XII
» In-depth article
25 Aug 1939
- Kliment Voroshilov rejected the request from the British and French delegation, noting that since Germany and the Soviet Union had just signed a non-aggression pact, a military treaty with the western powers was no longer possible. In light of this new development, a renewed mutual defense agreement was signed between the United Kingdom and Poland.
» In-depth article
- Franklin Roosevelt wrote to Adolf Hitler in attempt to maintain peace.
» In-depth article
Germany
- In the morning, Adolf Hitler sent a message to Benito Mussolini, noting that the reason why Italy was not informed of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was because Hitler had not imagined the negotiations would conclude so quickly. He also revealed to him that war was to commence soon, but failed to let him know that the planned invasion date was on the following day. Later on the same day, however, Hitler hesitated in the face of the Anglo-Polish mutual defense agreement; he would quickly decide to postpone the invasion date. Meanwhile, in Berlin, Germany, journalist William Shirer noted in his diary that war seems to be imminent.
» In-depth article
- Joachim von Ribbentrop arrived in Berlin, Germany.
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- Historical document written: No. 19: Agreement of Mutual Assistance between the United Kingdom and Poland
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26 Aug 1939
- German Navy ordered all German merchant ships to sail for the nearest German port.
- 70% of Britain's Air Defences forces were now deployed, which effectively meant that 900 guns and 3,000 searchlights were ready for action.
- Messerschmitt captured the world air speed record with a specially prepared Me 209 (later named Me 109R by Nazi propaganda agents). The aircraft reached a speed of 469.22 mph just beating the record set by the Heinkel he H00-V8.
- Benito Mussolini sent Adolf Hitler a message noting that Italy would offer political and economic aid if Germany chose to go to war with Poland, but Italy was in no position to offer military assistance.
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- Some German units ordered to lead the invasion of Poland, originally planned for this date, did not receive the message that the invasion had been postponed in the previous evening and crossed the borders, attacking Polish defenses with rifles, machine guns, and grenades; they would be withdrawn back into Germany within hours. Because Poland had experienced so much German provocation in the past few days, Polish leadership brushed off the attacks as another series of provocation, despite having reports that the attacks wore regular uniforms. In the late afternoon, Adolf Hitler set the new invasion date at 1 Sep 1939.
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- French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier sent a message to German leader Adolf Hitler, noting that while France desired peace, it would fight for Poland should it be invaded.
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- German ambassadors in Belgium and the Netherlands informed each of the two countries that Germany was friendly to them during the current political tensions.
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- Historical document written: No. 62: Message from F. M. Shepherd to Halifax
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27 Aug 1939
- Japanese troops were defeated at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.
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- German Air Force Captain Erich Warsitz successfully took the prototype He 178 jet aircraft into the air, thus making it the first aircraft to fly using a turbojet engine.
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- Germany publicly announced that the annual Nazi Party rally in Nürnberg, Germany and the upcoming Tannenberg memorial event were both canceled. Additionally, the government announced the start of food, footwear, textile, and coal rations.
- German leader Adolf Hitler responded to the message from French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier from the previous day, noting that Germany had no intention of fighting France, so if France was to attack Germany due to the German-Poland situation, it would be a war initiated by France, and Germany could not be faulted for such a conflict; additionally, Hitler stressed that Germany had no territorial demands on the German-French border. Meanwhile, Hermann Göring's friend Birger Dahlerus, a Swedish national, attempted a parallel route to negotiate for peace.
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- Adolf Hitler responded to Benito Mussolini's message from the previous day, noting that he accepted Italy's inability to participate in direct fighting should a German-Polish war broke out, but he would very much appreciate political (by means of threatening to entering the war, thus tying down French troops on the French-Italian border) and economic (by offering Italian workers for German industry and agriculture) support.
» In-depth article
28 Aug 1939
Germany
- Citizens in Berlin, Germany observed troops moving toward the east.
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- Historical document written: No. 134-138: Belgian-Dutch Joint Mediation Attempt
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29 Aug 1939
- Through the Swedish businessman Birger Dahlerus, Germany expressed that Germany only desired Danzig and a small section of the Polish Corridor, while a plebiscite should be held in the near future to determine the fate of the remainder of the Polish Corridor.
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Poland
- A Polish destroyer squadron was evacuated to the United Kingdom as the invasion from Germany seemed imminent.
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Russia
- Georgy Zhukov was made a Hero of the Soviet Union for the first time and was awarded the Order of Lenin for the second time.
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- Historical document written: No. 77: Speech by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons
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Photo(s) dated 29 Aug 1939
30 Aug 1939
- Isoroku Yamamoto was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet by Navy Minister Mitsumasa Yonai.
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- Poland refused to dispatch a delegation to Germany to negotiate over the topics of Danzig and the Polish Corridor.
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- Historical document written: No. 122 & 123: Message from the President of the United States of America to His Majesty the King of Italy
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31 Aug 1939
- The formal order for the German invasion of Poland was given; specific instructions were made for German troops on the western border to avoid conflict with the United Kingdom, France, and the Low Countries.
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- Adolf Hitler offered the United Kingdom that Germany would not risk war if Poland was willing to turn over Danzig and a small section of the Polish Corridor, and that Poland was to allow a plebiscite for the remainder of the Polish Corridor in the near future; British Ambassador in Germany Nevile Henderson expressed that the United Kingdom, while desiring peace, could not sacrifice Poland to achieve that goal. Meanwhile, Henderson continued to press Poland to send a delegation to Germany in a last attempt to negotiate peace over Danzig and the Polish Corridor. When Polish Ambassador in Germany Józef Lipski attempted to send Henderson's message to Poland later in the evening, he found that Germany had cut telephone and telegraph communications to Poland.
» In-depth article
- In Italy, Galeazzo Ciano sent the United Kingdom and France a secret message noting that Italy would not fight should Germany start a war over Poland.
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Germany
- German official Hermann Göring hosted British Ambassador Nevile Henderson and Swedish businessman Birger Dahlerus at his home in Berlin, Germany for tea between 1700 and 1900 hours, during which the latter two made a last attempt to broker peace.
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United Kingdom
- Evacuation order for London civilians orders given by the United Kingdom Ministry of Health, to be executed on the next day, with special note stressing that it did not necessarily meant war was inevitable.
- Historical document written: Führer Directive 1
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- Historical document written: No. 98: Message from Weizsäcker to Henderson
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Photo(s) dated 31 Aug 1939
1 Sep 1939
- Using the staged Gleiwitz radio station attack as an excuse, Germany declared war on Poland. Meanwhile, the radio station in Minsk, Byelorussia increased the frequency of station identification and extended its playing time in an attempt to help German aviators navigate.
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- Mobilization of the French military.
- Britain and France turned to Italy in response to his proposal to revamp the conditions of the Versailles Treaty rather than declaring war on Germany. Meanwhile, Italy declared itself a non-belligerent nation in the European War.
- Germany placed curfew on German Jews: 9pm in the summer, 8pm in the winter.
- Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Sweden all proclaimed their neutrality in the European War; Germany pledged to respect Norway's and Sweden's sovereignty.
- As the Free City of Danzig ceased to exist, Gauleiter Albert Forster's title was abolished. He would soon be named the Gauleiter and Reichstatthalter of Danzig-West Prussia.
- Hitler authorized Reichsleiter Bouhler and Dr. Brandt to "grant merciful deaths" for the mentally ill and those who were suffering from incurable diseases. This was the beginning of Action T4 euthanasia program.
- Reinhard Heydrich presided a meeting attended by the heads of Security Police and Commanders of Special Units, during which the deportation of the "remaining 30,000 Gypsies" from Germany to the soon-to-be-conquered territory of Poland was ordered.
- Albert Forster ended his position of the State President of the Free City of Danzig as Danzig was abosrbed within German borders.
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- The Iron Cross awards were established in Germany as an award for those who displayed bravery in combat or in command of military personnel. Four grades were specified: Iron Cross 2nd Class, Iron Cross 1st Class, Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.
- Adolf Hitler relieved Italy from having to fight in the war against Poland and possibly with the western powers in writing, asking only for political and economic support.
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Poland
- Over Warsaw, Poland, Oberst Walter Grabmann's Messerchmitt Bf 110 squadron (I.(Z)/Lg.1) led by Hauptmann Schleit, shot down five Polish PZL P.11 fighters whilst escorting the Heinkel He 111P bombers of II/KG.1. He sustained wounds as one of the P.11 fighters damaged his Bf 110 fighter.
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Russia
- Moscow City Party Committee secretary Semyon Korytny was executed for the crime of having married the sister of military leader Iona Yakir, a perceived enemy of Joseph Stalin.
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United Kingdom
- General mobilisation began in the United Kingdom. On the civilian front, three million women and children were evacuated from London and other large cities, though most of these will return when the anticipated air raids do not materialise. Also, Air Raid Precautions were introduced and a blackout enforced from sunset to sunrise.
United States
- Henry Arnold submitted a report on the organization of US Army air units and recommendations on doctrine to US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall.
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- Historical document written: No. 106: Speech by Herr Hitler to the Reichstag
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- Historical document written: No. 107: Herr Hitler's Proclamation to the German Army
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- Historical document written: No. 104: Explanatory Note Upon the Actual Course of Events
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- Historical document written: No. 105: Speech by Chamberlain to the House of Commons
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- Historical document written: No. 108-1: Albert Forster's Proclamation to the People of Danzig
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- Historical document written: No. 108-2: Messages between Forster and Hitler on Danzig
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Photo(s) dated 1 Sep 1939
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2 Sep 1939
- During the day, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier issued a joint ultimatum to Germany, demanding the withdraw of troops from Poland within 12 hours. During the late hours of the night, Chamberlain attempted to convince Dalalier to carry out the threat from the earlier ultimatum by declaring war on Germany early in the next morning.
» In-depth article
- The Germans began the construction of Stutthof Concentration Camp with labor of 65,000 Polish Christians.
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- The Times Literary Supplement reported that the copy of the Magna Carta owned by the Lincoln Cathedral of England, United Kingdom, currently on display at the 1939 New York World's Fair, would remain in the United States under the care of the Library of Congress for the duration of the war. It would be stored at Fort Knox until its return to Lincoln in 1944.
- Benito Mussolini continued to urge peace between Germany, United Kingdom, and France, without any success.
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Danzig
- Germany annexed the Free City of Danzig. Adolf Hitler advised the United Kingdom and France that he would withdraw from Poland if allowed to keep Danzig and the Polish corridor.
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United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom passed the National Service Act.
- Historical document written: No. 116: Speech by Chamberlain to the House of Commons
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- Historical document written: No. 117: Message from Thomas Preston to Lord Halifax
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Photo(s) dated 2 Sep 1939
3 Sep 1939
- 55 Polish peasants at Truskolasy were executed.
- At 0900 hours, British Ambassador in Germany Nevile Henderson delivered the British declaration of war to German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, effective at 1100 hours; British Commonwealth nations of New Zealand and Australia followed suit. France would also declare war later on this day, effective at 1700 hours. In the afternoon, Adolf Hitler issued an order to his generals, again stressing that German troops must not attack British and French positions. Finally, Hitler also sent a message to the Soviet Union, asking the Soviets to jointly invade Poland.
» In-depth article
- German submarine U-30 torpedoed British passenger liner Athenia.
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- German government issued orders that executions by members of the SS were to be carried out in concentration camps, effective 20 Sep 1939.
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- The first RAF operation flight over Germany was a reconnaissance mission, but later in the night RAF bombers would conduct a leaflet raid.
- British General Edmund Ironside became the Chief of the Imperial Staff.
- Otto Skorzeny was sent home from Trost Barracks, Vienna, Austria despite the outbreak of war due to the lack of instructors to train new recruits.
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- British Member of Parliament Winston Churchill became the First Lord of the Admiralty, a post he had held during the Great War.
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Belgium
- The government of Belgium announced their neutral stance in the European War.
Germany
- Adolf Hitler departed Berlin, Germany for the Eastern Front.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: No. 121: Herr Hitler's Proclamation to the German People and the German Army
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- Historical document written: No. 120: Speech by Chamberlain to the House of Commons
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- Historical document written: No. 119: Memorandum from Joachim von Ribbentrop to Nevile Henderson
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Photo(s) dated 3 Sep 1939
4 Sep 1939
- Germans executed 1000 Poles near Bydgoszcz, including a number of Boy Scouts.
- United States increased patrols on its east coast.
- Adolf Hitler forbade any further attacks on passenger ships.
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- 30 RAF bombers attacked the German Navy at Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven, and Shillig Roads in Germany. Seven of thirty aircraft were shot down and the handful of bombs that hit their targets failed to explode. No.107 Squadron from Wattisham lost four out of five Blenheim bombers, which was the RAF's first fatalities.
» In-depth article
- In Germany, a War Economy Decree was published which laid down guidelines for the rapid mobilization of civilian resources and the conversion of the economy to war.
United Kingdom
- Alan Turing reported to Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom.
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- Historical document written: No. 144: Chamberlain's Message to the German People
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5 Sep 1939
- The United States publicly declared neutrality in the war.
- German Army units crossed the Vistula River in Poland. Meanwhile, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov responded to the German invitation to jointly invade Poland in the positive, but noted that the Soviet forces would need several days to prepare; he also warned the Germans not to cross the previously agreed upon line separating German and Soviet spheres of influence.
» In-depth article
- France aimed limited offensive at Saarbrücken.
- An Avro Anson of No. 500 Squadron RAF made the first attack of the war on an enemy submarine.
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- Heinz Guderian was awarded Clasp to his Iron Cross Second Class.
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- In a private conversation, Franz Halder and Walther von Brauchitsch both agreed that the war against Poland was effectively won.
» In-depth article
- Franklin Roosevelt put the arms embargo in place in response to the start of the European War as required by law, but he would soon approach the United States Congress in attempt to remove the ban.
» In-depth article
Poland
South Africa
Photo(s) dated 5 Sep 1939
6 Sep 1939
- German troops captured the Upper Silesian industrial area.
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- South Africa declared war on Germany after tough Cabinet battle.
- German aircraft attacked Great Britain for the first time.
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- The first Royal Air Force fighter pilot to be killed during the war lost his life when two Hurricane fighters were shot down in error by two Spitfire fighters.
7 Sep 1939
- French Army entered Saarland, but made no move on the Westwall.
- BBC began broadcasts in Polish.
- King George VI of the United Kingdom provided approval to the National Registration Bill, which gave control of labor to the government as well as requiring identity cards for citizens.
- Adolf Hitler ordered Erich Rader to hold back German Navy from attacking British and French vessels.
» In-depth article
China
- General Yoshijiro Umezu succeeded General Kenkichi Ueda as the Governor-General of Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China.
- Yoshijiro Umezu succeeded Kenkichi Ueda as the commanding officer of the Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China. Jo Iimura was named Umezu's chief of staff.
Korea
- Lieutenant General Yakutaira Kato was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Chosen Army in occupied Korea.
Poland
Photo(s) dated 7 Sep 1939
8 Sep 1939
- Polish defenders at Westerplatte surrendered. To the south, German troops neared the suburbs of Warsaw, and the Polish government evacuated to Lublin.
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- US President Franklin Roosevelt declared a limited state of emergency. One of his orders of the day was to increase the US Marine Corps enlisted strength to be increased from 18,325 to 25,000, partially to be achieved by authorizing the recall of officers and men from the Marine Corps retired lists.
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- German troops burned 200 Jews alive in a synagogue and executed 30 Jews in the public square in Bedzin, Poland.
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- Arthur Greiser was named the head of the military government in Poland.
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- Werner Mölders crash landed his fighter aircraft after developing engine trouble; his back was injured, which kept him out of action for 11 days.
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Russia
- Lavrentiy Beria organized two NKVD operational groups, to be based in Kiev in Ukraine and Minsk in Byelorussia, for near-future deployment to eastern Poland to arrest resistance elements. The two groups in Ukraine and Byelorussia were led by Ivan Serov and Lavrentiy Tsanava, respectively.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 8 Sep 1939
9 Sep 1939
- Battle of the Bzura, also known as Battle of Kutno to the Germans, began; it was to become the largest battle in the Poland campaign. Elsewhere, German forces captured Lodz and Radom. At Warsaw, German attempts to enter the city were repulsed. In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov informed the German ambassador that Soviet forces would be ready to attack Poland within a few days.
» In-depth article
- British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) began landing in France.
- German Gestapo ordered all misbehaving Polish citizens to be arrested and placed in Dachau Concentration Camp.
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- British Prime Minister Chamberlain's cabinet planned for a 3-year war.
- US President Franklin Roosevelt began recalling military servicemen who were on retired lists.
» In-depth article
United States
Photo(s) dated 9 Sep 1939
10 Sep 1939
- Canada declared war on Germany.
- The Battle of the Atlantic officially began. On the very same day, the British Admiralty began organizing a convoy system.
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- HMS Oxley became the first Royal Navy submarine to be lost in the war when she was either torpedoed or rammed in error off the Norwegian coast by another Royal Navy submarine. Only two of the fifty-three crew survived.
- Soviet ambassador to Poland Nikolai Szaranow was recalled from Warsaw. Meanwhile, German troops made a breakthrough near Kutno and Sandomir in Poland.
» In-depth article
Ceylon
Poland
- SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Fritz von Roettig became the first German general to die in World War II when he was killed in Action at Opoczno, Poland at about 1415 hours.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 10 Sep 1939
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11 Sep 1939
- British submarine Triton tropedoed and sank British submarine Oxley by mistake.
- Franklin Roosevelt wrote to Winston Churchill and Neville Chamberlain, encouraging them to communicate with him personally, ie. bypass the official diplomatic channels.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Wolfgang Falck shot down two Polish aircraft, a bomber and a reconnaissance aircraft.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 11 Sep 1939
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12 Sep 1939
- Chamberlain and Daladier convene an Anglo-French Supreme War Council, during which the French called off their offensive in the Saar region after an advance of only five miles.
Photo(s) dated 12 Sep 1939
13 Sep 1939
- The US Navy ordered the recommission of 40 destroyers from the reserve fleet.
- Heinz Guderian was awarded Clasp to his Iron Cross First Class.
» In-depth article
Poland
- The 60,000 survivors in the Radom Pocket in Poland surrendered.
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United States
- The wreck of USS Squalus was raised in the Isles of Shoals off northeastern United States and towed to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, United States for repairs.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 13 Sep 1939
14 Sep 1939
- The new aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal, was operating west of the Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom when lookouts spotted the tracks of torpedoes passing astern. Her escorting destroyers counter-attacked and sank the German submarine U-39.
» In-depth article
- German submarine U-39 attacked HMS Ark Royal; the torpedoes swam straight at the carrier but they prematurely detonated.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 14 Sep 1939
15 Sep 1939
- Russia and Japan signed a cease-fire, ending the Soviet-Japanese Border War.
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- The first Atlantic convoy set sail from Jamaica for England.
Poland
- German troops captured Gdynia, Poland. Meanwhile, Polish troops failed to break out of the Kutno Pocket. At Warsaw, with it surrounded by German troops, the Polish Army was ordered to the Romanian border to hold out until the Allies arrive; the Romanian government offered asylum to all Polish civilians who could make it across the border; Polish military personnel who crossed the border, however, would be interned. In Berlin, Germany, German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop asked the Soviet Union for a definite date and time when Soviet forces would attack Poland.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 15 Sep 1939
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16 Sep 1939
- In the first German submarine attack on an Atlantic convoy the merchantman Aviemore was sunk off Land's End, England, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article
- Polish troops counterattacked, destroying 22 tanks of Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler" regiment. Elsewhere in Poland, German troops captured Brest-Litovsk. In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov proposed that the Soviet Union would enter the war with the reason of protection of Ukrainians and Byelorussians; Germany complained that it singled out Germany as the lone aggressor.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Polish general Józef Kustron was killed in the village of Ulazow, Poland; he was the second general-rank officer to be killed in action during the European War.
Photo(s) dated 16 Sep 1939
17 Sep 1939
- In Poland, German troops captured Kutno west of Warsaw. East of Warsaw, Heinz Guderian's XIX Panzerkorps of Army Group North made contact with XXII Panzerkorps of Army Group South, just to the south of Brest-Litovsk; virtually the whole Polish Army (or what remained of it) was now trapped within a gigantic double pincer. In Russia, Joseph Stalin declared that the government of Poland no longer existed, thus all treaties between the two states were no longer valid; Soviet troops poured across the border to join Germany in the invasion, ostensibly to protect Ukrainian and Byelorussian interests from potential German aggression. In Romania, the Polish government was interned after attempting to obtain asylum.
» In-depth article
- German submarine U-29 torpedoed British carrier HMS Courageous off Ireland. Courageous sank in 20 minutes, taking down 518 of the crew of 1,200, including the captain.
» In-depth article
- US aviator Charles Lindbergh made an address over radio against any American intervention in the European War.
- German submarine U-29 sank British carrier Courageous southwest of Ireland, killing 500.
- Friedrich Ruge was awarded clasp to his Iron Cross 2nd Class medal.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese 101st and 106th Divisions began marching toward Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
» In-depth article
Germany
Russia
- Lavrentiy Beria, head of the Soviet NKVD, established the Directorate for Prisoners of War and Interned Persons (UPVI), which would run camps for 240,000 Polish prisoners of war in the near future.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 17 Sep 1939
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18 Sep 1939
- Italy organized the Milizia Fascista Albanese (Albanian Fascist Militia) in occupied Albania.
- Italy deployed four Blackshirt divisions to Libya.
- Adolf Hitler arrived in Danzig; he would remain in the region for the next week, staying at the Casino Hotel in Zoppot.
» In-depth article
France
- Polish cipher experts fled tp Paris, France with vital knowledge of the German Enigma code which they would later give to the British. Thanks to the Poles, codebreaking became a powerful weapon in the Allied armoury.
» In-depth article
Poland
- A Soviet-German joint victory parade was held in Brest-Litovsk in Eastern Poland.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 18 Sep 1939
19 Sep 1939
- Germans put down a rebellion in Czechoslovakia.
- First official British casualty list published to the public.
- Adolf Hitler entered Danzig and again proposed a peace with Britain and France, provided Germany was allowed to retain the territory that Germany had already seized.
» In-depth article
- Commander of the British Expeditionary Force Lord Gort arrived in France.
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- The German Army told the SS organization to hold off the rounding up and mass murder of Jews until Dec 1939 when the Army would be out of the area.
» In-depth article
China
- En route toward Changsha, Hunan Province, China, Japanese troops used poison gas against Chinese defensive positions along the Sinchiang River.
» In-depth article
- Zang Shiyi was captured by Japanese troops in Liaoning Province, China.
» In-depth article
French Indochina
- While flying a reconnaissance missiong in a unarmed Polish aircraft, Josef Frantisek attacked advancing German columns by throwing hand grenades from the cockpit near Kamionka Strumilowa, Poland (now Kamianka-Buzka, Ukraine).
» In-depth article
Germany
- The construction of Graf Zeppelin was halted temporarily as Erich Raeder and Hermann Göring competed for resources.
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Poland
- West of Warsaw, Poland, at the bend of the Vistula River, German troops imprisoned 170,000 Polish troops as they surrendered.
» In-depth article
20 Sep 1939
- German General Johannes Blaskowitz noted in his order of the day that, at the Battle of the Bzura in Poland, also known as Battle of Kutno to the Germans, his troops was fighting "in one of the biggest and most destructive battles of all times." Elsewhere, German troops withdrew to the agreed demarcation line in Poland, with Soviet forces moving in behind them. Finally, also on this day, the remaining Polish garrison in Grodno managed to kill 800 Soviet troops and at least 10 tanks.
» In-depth article
- German submarine U-27 sunk by destroyers HMS Fortune and HMS Forester off Hebrides, Scotland.
- The RAF and Luftwaffe clashed for the first time over the Siegfried Line/Westwall, the German defensive line on the border with France. The British lost two aircraft, the Germans one.
- Werner Mölders scored his first kill of the European War; the victim was a P-36 fighter. For this victory, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.
» In-depth article
- Georg von Bismarck was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.
» In-depth article
- Blücher was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
French Indochina
- Josef Frantisek was shot down near Zloczów, Poland (now Zolochiv, Ukraine) but escaped unharmed.
» In-depth article
United States
Photo(s) dated 20 Sep 1939
21 Sep 1939
- President Roosevelt told the US Congress that the United States should relax its neutrality laws to enable its arms manufacturers to sell to belligerent countries.
» In-depth article
- Romanian Prime Minister Armand Calinescu was assassinated by fascists for his sympathetic treatment of Poles.
Poland
- 60,000 survivors of the Polish Southern Army surrendered at Tomaszov and Zamosz, Poland.
» In-depth article
- Reinhard Heydrich authorized the formation of Jewish ghettos in Poland, each governed by a Judenrat (Jewish Council); the ghettos were to be formed in large Polish cities with access to major railroads. He also authorized the formation of Einsatzgruppen.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 21 Sep 1939
22 Sep 1939
- Battle of the Bzura, also known as Battle of Kutno to the Germans, ended in Polish defeat; it was the largest battle of the Polish campaign during which more than 18,000 Polish troops and about 8,000 German troops were killed. At Lvov, over 210,000 Poles surrender to the Soviets, but at the Battle of Kodziowce the Soviets suffered heavy casualties. Also on this day, the Soviet NKVD began gathering Polish officers for deportation.
» In-depth article
- Petrol rationing was introduced in Britain. Cars were restricted to 20 gallons per month.
Poland
- Former German Army Commander-in-Chief Werner von Fritsch was mortally wounded by a Polish bullet whilst on a tour of inspection at Praga, Warsaw, Poland.
» In-depth article
Romania
- Josef Frantisek and his Polish Air Force squadron were evacuated to Romania.
» In-depth article
United States
- Chief of Naval Operations Harold Stark ordered US Navy Scouting Force (under Adolphus Andrews) to move from California, United States to Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
Photo(s) dated 22 Sep 1939
23 Sep 1939
- German police began confiscating radios from Jews.
» In-depth article
- German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop expressed approval for the Soviet proposal on the partition of Poland.
» In-depth article
China
- Chinese troops evacuated the defensive positions along the Sinchiang River, opening the way to Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
» In-depth article
French Syria and Lebanon
- Émile Bertin embarked 57 tons of Polish gold at Syria-Lebanon.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 23 Sep 1939
24 Sep 1939
- Einsatzgruppen murdered 800 Polish intelligentsia at Bydgoszcz.
- Limited food rationing began in Germany.
- The Soviet Union gave an ultimatum to the Estonian Foreign Minister in Moscow, Russia, demanding land to build a Soviet minitary base in Estonia.
» In-depth article
- Winston Churchill noted that the past three weeks since the European War had begun had been the longest he had ever lived.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Warsaw, Poland suffered an air raid from over 1,000 German bombers.
» In-depth article
25 Sep 1939
- Artillery duels took place on the Western Front.
- Warsaw, Poland suffered heavy Luftwaffe bombing and artillery bombardment as Adolf Hitler arrived to observe the attack. To the east, Soviet troops captured Bialystok, Poland. Meanwhile, Joseph Stalin proposed to the Germans that the Soviet Union would take Lithuania which was previously within the German sphere of influence; in exchange, the Soviets would give the portions of Poland near Warsaw which were previously within the Soviet sphere of influence but had already been overrun by German troops.
» In-depth article
- Germany introduced food rationing.
- Franz Halder noted in his diary that he believed Adolf Hitler was ready to plan a war with France and Britain.
» In-depth article
Germany
Photo(s) dated 25 Sep 1939
26 Sep 1939
- Three Skua aircraft of 803 Naval Air Squadron of HMS Ark Royal were collectively credited with the first confirmed British kill (a Do 18 flying boat) against Germany.
» In-depth article
- Werner Mölders was relieved of his duty as the commanding officer of 1./JG 53 as he was named the commanding officer of III./JG 53.
» In-depth article
Germany
- Former German Army Commander-in-Chief Werner von Fritsch was buried in Berlin, Germany. Neither Adolf Hitler, nor Joachim von Ribbertrop, nor Heinrich Himmler attended the ceremonial state funeral.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Armia Krajowa, or Polish Home Army, was established in Warsaw, Poland.
27 Sep 1939
- Heydrich appointed head of Reichssicherheitshauptamt.
» In-depth article
- Dachau Concentration Camp was temporarily closed until 18 Feb 1940 for use of training SS units; prisoners of Dachau were sent to Mauthausen Concentration Camp.
» In-depth article
- Sir John Simon’s first war budget for Britain called for income tax to increase from 5 shillings and 6 pence per pound to 7 shillings and 6 pence per pound.
- Adolf Hitler ordered to his top military leaders to begin planning for a war in the west, with a target launch date of 12 Nov 1939. The generals would complain that the date was too soon.
» In-depth article
France
- The Polish government in exile was established in Paris, France.
Poland
- Warsaw, Poland fell to the Germans after two weeks of siege. Near Grabowiec, Soviets executed 150 Polish policemen.
» In-depth article
- Representatives of the German Gestapo organization and the Soviet NKVD organization met at Bugiem, Poland (now Brest, Belarus) to coordinate the suppression of Polish resistance efforts.
» In-depth article
28 Sep 1939
- At Brest-Litovsk, Germans and Soviets signed the agreement denoting their common border in Poland.
» In-depth article
- Estonia and the Soviet Union signed a 10-year mutual assistance pact which allowed Soviet troops to be stationed in Estonia.
» In-depth article
- Joachim von Ribbentrop arrived in Moscow, Russia, where would announce jointly with the Soviets an attempt to negotiate for peace with the western powers; should Britain and France reject this peace offer, Germany then could not be blamed for the aggression, he reasoned.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Vsevolod Merkulov sent his superiors in Moscow, Russia a report, noting his NKVD Operational Group No. 1 had arrested 923 Polish officers, policemen, land owners, Ukrainian nationalists, etc. in eastern Poland.
» In-depth article
- Historical document written: German-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 28 Sep 1939
29 Sep 1939
- With the formal surrender of Poland, including the last 35,000 besieged troops in Modlin, the Germany and Soviet Union finished dividing up Poland.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler issued a repatriation order for the 86,000 ethnic Germans living in Estonia and Latvia, knowing that the Soviet Union would soon demand the Baltic States.
» In-depth article
- Russia signed pacts with Estonia and Finland.
China
- Japanese troops reached the outskirts of Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
» In-depth article
United States
- Joseph Rochefort was ordered to transfer to heavy cruiser Indianapolis currently based out of San Pedro, California, United States.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 29 Sep 1939
30 Sep 1939
- French forces on the French-German border fell back to the Maginot Line in anticipation of a German invasion.
- Reinhard Heydrich became the leader of new Reich Main Security Office, RSHA.
» In-depth article
- Deaths in automobile accidents in Britain at night in the month of Sep 1939 increased from 617 in the previous month to 1,130; night time blackout was blamed.
United States
- Joseph Rochefort reported to heavy cruiser Indianapolis at San Pedro, California, United States.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 30 Sep 1939
1 Oct 1939
- German euthanasia program began on the ill and feeble.
- British men between the ages of 20-22 became eligible for conscription.
- Georg von Bismarck was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class.
» In-depth article
- Rawalpindi was commissioned into British Royal Navy service.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Galland was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class medal and was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann.
» In-depth article
Germany
2 Oct 1939
Photo(s) dated 2 Oct 1939
3 Oct 1939
- The Declaration of Panama, signed by the United States and several countries in the Americas, was established. It established a zone of neutrality within 300 to 1,000 nautical miles of the coast of the Americas.
» In-depth article
- Hans Frank ordered a "ruthless exploitation" of occupied Poland.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 3 Oct 1939
5 Oct 1939
- Soviet Union forced Latvia to agree to allow Red Navy units to base in her Baltic harbors.
» In-depth article
- US Navy formed the Hawaiian Detachment and based it at Pearl Harbor.
- Franklin Roosevelt spoke to Winston Churchill for the first time over the telephone. Roosevelt, who initiated the call, engaged Churchill in a discussion on the German attempt to attack American shipping as an attempt to sabotage British-American relations; such an effort would later found to be a mere rumor.
» In-depth article
- HMS Eagle made rendezvous with light cruiser Liverpool.
» In-depth article
Hawaii
- Joseph Rochefort arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii with the US Navy Scouting Force.
» In-depth article
Poland
Photo(s) dated 5 Oct 1939
6 Oct 1939
- Final Polish forces surrendered near Kock and Lublin after fighting both Germans and Soviets.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese troops called off the attack on Changsha, Hunan Province, China after suffering heavy casualties.
» In-depth article
Germany
- In a speech at the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany, Adolf Hitler noted that he did not wish to wage war against France and the United Kingdom, and it would not be worth the blood of British, French, and German soldiers for Poland, since it was created unjustly by the Versailles Treaty. He proposed a multi-power conference to achieve peace.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 6 Oct 1939
7 Oct 1939
- Hitler appointed Himmler as Reich Commissar for the protection of the German Race and issued a decree empowering Himmler to deport all Jews from Greater Germany to the east, where they would be resettled together with almost 2 million Polish Jews now under German rule.
» In-depth article
- French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier rejected Adolf Hitler's proposal for a multi-power conference for peace on the previous day.
» In-depth article
- The German Army reported to Adolf Hitler that there was a general shortage of steel, ammunition, and other war materials necessary to wage war against Britain and France.
» In-depth article
8 Oct 1939
- A RAF reconnaissance plane shot down a German flying boat conducting reconnaissance over the North Sea.
- Cruiser Köln began in a raid in the North Sea.
» In-depth article
Poland
- The first Jewish ghetto established in Piotrkow, Poland.
Photo(s) dated 8 Oct 1939
9 Oct 1939
- British Prime Minister Chamberlain announced a committee of ministers to coordinate the war time economy.
» In-depth article
Finland
Photo(s) dated 9 Oct 1939
10 Oct 1939
- Adolf Hitler announced the victorious end to the Polish campaign and called on France and England to end hostilities, which is ignored by both governments.
» In-depth article
- Soviet Union forced agreement on Lithuania allowing Red Army bases in that country.
» In-depth article
- Hitler ordered the invasion of the Low Countries and France but without a specific start date.
» In-depth article
- The United Kingdom removed 303 sacks of letters destined for the United States from the freighter Black Gull to censor any potential intelligence useful for the Axis.
- The first deportation of Austrian and Czechoslovakian Jews into concentration camps in Poland took place.
» In-depth article
- Erich Raeder informed Adolf Hitler the strategic importance of Norway to the German Navy.
» In-depth article
- The highly successful Empire Air Training Scheme was set up to train Australian, Canadian and New Zealand aircrew.
Japan
- Vice Admiral Matome Ugaki was named the chief of staff of Admiral Shigetaro Shimada at Kure Naval District, Japan.
» In-depth article
11 Oct 1939
- Leó Szilárd and Albert Einstein's letter (sent on 2 Aug 1939) reached Roosevelt, who agreed to establish a committee for the research of nuclear energy as a weapon. This led to Roosevelt's decision to establish the Uranium Advisory Committee shortly after.
» In-depth article
- Russia demanded from Finland rights to establish airfields on Finnish territory as well as ceding of large amounts of Finnish soil; Finland rejected the demands.
- US President Franklin Roosevelt asked Soviet President Mikhail Kalinin to de-escalate the tension with Finland.
» In-depth article
- Wilhelm von Leeb wrote a note to Walther von Brauchitsch and other German Army leaders, noting that Germany should not invade neutral Belgium due to moral reasons.
Germany
- The radio station in Berlin, Germany reported the false rumor of the fall of the British government, and that the new government was to offer Germany peace terms. "Old women in the vegetable markets tossed their cabbages into the air, wrecked their stands in sheer joy and made for the nearest pub to toast the peace", reported journalist William Shirer.
Photo(s) dated 11 Oct 1939
12 Oct 1939
- Finland and Russia were deadlock in negotiations.
» In-depth article
- German submarine U-48 sank French tanker Emile Miguet and British freighter Heronspool.
» In-depth article
- First deportation of Jews from Austria and the Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia to Poland took place.
- Fedor von Bock was appointed the commanding officer of the German Army Group B (Heeresgruppe B).
» In-depth article
- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain rejected Adolf Hitler's proposal for a multi-power conference for peace made on 6 Oct 1939.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Hans Frank is appointed Gauleiter of the General Government in occupied Poland.
» In-depth article
13 Oct 1939
- German pocket battleship Deutschland sank Norwegian freighter Lorentz W. Hansen 420 miles east of Newfoundland.
» In-depth article
- General Wilhelm List was named the commanding officer of the German 12th Army.
» In-depth article
- With the offer for peace rejected by the French on 7 Oct and by the British on 12 Oct, Germany announced that the western powers desired war, and Germany could not be blamed for military action on the German-French border.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 13 Oct 1939
14 Oct 1939
- Chuichi Nagumo was placed on a committee studying capital ship bridge design.
» In-depth article
French West Africa
United Kingdom
- German submarine U-47 penetrated defenses and entered Scapa Flow in Scotland, United Kingdom and sank British battleship HMS Royal Oak, killing 833 out of a crew of 1,257.
» In-depth article
16 Oct 1939
- Carrier USS Ranger and cruiser USS San Francisco dispatched by US Navy to locate German tanker recently departed from Mexico to supply German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee.
- British Royal Navy Commander R. F. Jolly, despite being seriously wounded by an air attack by a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, United Kingdom, steadfastly refused medical treatment or requests that he left the bridge of HMS Mohawk until some eighty minutes later when he had finally brought his damaged destroyer into the safety at Rosyth. Taken ashore he lived on for another five hours before his death in hospital at South Queensferry, Scotland. For his heroism Commander Jolly was awarded, a week later, with a posthumous Empire Gallantry Medal (later replaced by a George Cross, a decoration only second in precedence to the Victoria Cross).
- Grand Admiral Erich Raeder announced Adolf Hitler's orders that "all merchant ships definitely recognized as enemy can be torpedoed without warning."
» In-depth article
- HMS Edinburgh was slightly damaged by German aircraft while in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article
Atlantic Ocean
- Duguay-Trouin intercepted German merchant ship Halle 320 kilometers southwest of Dakar, French West Africa; Halle was scuttled by her own crew to prevent capture.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 16 Oct 1939
17 Oct 1939
- Germans forced back French troops in Saarland, Germany.
- German aircraft attacked the British naval base at Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom, damaging the training ship HMS Iron Duke.
- Himmler's deputy, Reinhard Heydrich, ordered all Gypsy populations to cease travelling or face a concentration camp.
» In-depth article
- Tribune was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
18 Oct 1939
- Germany and Soviet Union conducted prisoner exchange.
- US President Franklin Roosevelt banned any American port from taking in any foreign combat submarines.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler ordered the German military to plan for the invasion of the Soviet Union, using Poland as a staging point.
» In-depth article
- The heads of state of Finland, Norway, and Sweden met to discuss the tension between Finland and the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, Germany sent a message to Sweden noting that Germany would remain neutral should war break out between Finland and the Soviet Union, advising Sweden to do the same.
» In-depth article
- Dutch liner Simon Bolivar struck a German magnetic mine in the English Channel 10 miles east of Harwich, England, United KIngdom at 1030 hours; the mine was laid in this shipping lane without warning on the previous day; 86 were killed. The Netherlands made an official protest to Germany regarding this violation in international shipping law.
» In-depth article
- British armed merchant cruiser HMS California stopped and captured German merchant ship Borkum in the Denmark Strait.
- General Johannes Blaskowitz sent a message to Adolf Hitler, complaining of SS atrocities.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Jews in Wloclawek, Poland were forced to wear the Star of David. On the same day, the first Jewish ghetto was established in Lublin, Poland.
» In-depth article
19 Oct 1939
- American gunboat Erie arrived off Manzanillo, Mexico on neutrality patrol to monitor movements of German freighter Havelland.
Poland
- Western Poland was incorporated into the Großdeutsches Reich, but not Germany itself, as the General Government.
20 Oct 1939
- The German-captured US freighter City of Flint arrived in neutral Norway. The Norwegians refused entry and told the German prize crew that they have 24 hours to leave.
- Soviet Union and Finland both mobilized their military.
» In-depth article
21 Oct 1939
- Germans began deporting Poles from Poznan to make the province "Germanic".
- The Uranium Advisory Committee in the United States, headed by Lyman Briggs of the National Bureau of Standards, met for the first time. The committee had a budget of US$6,000 at this time.
» In-depth article
- British light cruiser HMS Orion and Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay located German tanker Emmy Friedrich in the Yucatan Channel, and began to move to intercept.
» In-depth article
- Arthur Greiser was named the Gauleiter of Reichsgau Posen.
» In-depth article
- Nobutake Kondo was named the deputy commander of the Navy General Staff.
» In-depth article
Germany
- General Erich von Manstein, Chief of Staff of Army Group A, obtained a copy of Plan Yellow whilst passing through Berlin, Germany on his way to set up Army Group A Headquarters at Koblenz. He found little to admire in the plan, considering it to be too much like the strategy of 1914, and even predicting that the advance would bog down at the same place – on the Somme River in France.
» In-depth article
22 Oct 1939
- Western Byelorussia, Western Ukraine, and the Soviet-occupied areas of Poland held elections.
- Polish currency was replaced with Soviet rubles, Polish Industries moved into Russia, and the Soviet Union began phasing out Polish education, language, and religion.
- American freighters Endicott and West Gambo were detained by France; portions of their cargo were deemed contraband and confiscated.
- Gallup revealed the results of an American public opinion poll, revealing that while 95% of the US population was against participating in the war, 62% agreed that the US should aid the Allies in other ways, largely by means of supplying weapons, steel, and the likes.
- Joseph Goebbels publicly accused Winston Churchill of ordering the passenger liner Athenia attacked so that he could blame Germany and persuade the United States to join the Allies.
» In-depth article
23 Oct 1939
- British light cruiser HMS Orion and Canadian destroyer HMCS Saguenay intercepted German tanker Emmy Friedrich; Emmy Friedrich's crew scuttled the ship to avoid capture.
» In-depth article
- HMS Edinburgh departed Rosyth, Scotland, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 23 Oct 1939
24 Oct 1939
- German submarine U-37 sank British steamships Menin Ridge by torpedoes and Ledbury by gunfire off Gibraltar.
» In-depth article
- German RSHA organization noted that generally no prisoners would be released from protective custody during the war.
25 Oct 1939
- French cruiser Dupleix, destroyer Le Fantasque, and destroyer Le Terrible attacked and captured German freighter Santa Fé west of French West Africa.
» In-depth article
Japan
- Mitsubishi delivered the second Zero fighter prototype to the Japanese Navy for testing.
» In-depth article
26 Oct 1939
- German authoriities decreed that Polish Jews between the age of 14 and 60 were to be conscripted as forced laborers.
- Arthur Greiser became the administrator of Reichsgau Posen.
» In-depth article
- Jozef Tiso was declared the President of Slovakia.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 26 Oct 1939
27 Oct 1939
- Heinz Guderian was awarded the Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross.
» In-depth article
Gibraltar
- The US Consul at Gibraltar met with British authorities to protest the detention of American merchant ships by the United Kingdom.
28 Oct 1939
- German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee received fuel from and transferred British prisoners to tanker Altmark near Tristan de Cunha in the South Atlantic.
» In-depth article
- USS Pollack arrived at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
» In-depth article
29 Oct 1939
- The first German aircraft to be shot down in Britain, a He 111 bomber, crashed near Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom. The kill was claimed by No. 602 and No. 603 Squadrons RAF. Two members of the crew of four survived the crash and were captured.
» In-depth article
- Soviet troops began occupying bases in Latvia while preparing for war with Finland.
» In-depth article
- The Netherlands was briefly dropped as a target of invasion by the Germans.
» In-depth article
30 Oct 1939
- Leutnant Wilhem Zahn in German submarine U-56 fired three torpedoes at the battleship HMS Nelson. Two of the torpedoes hit home but fortunately both proved to be duds.
31 Oct 1939
- The British Royal Navy was mobilized.
- Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet Foreign Minister, gloated over the dissolution of Poland, "ugly offspring of the Versailles Treaty", by the combined Soviet-German attack. He also accused the British of aggressive acts.
» In-depth article
Germany
- The commanding officer of the German Wehrkreis IV district in Dresden, Germany gave the order to convert Colditz Castle to a prisoner of war camp named Offizierslager IV-C, or Oflag IV-C for short.
United Kingdom
- The keel of Dianthus was laid down by Henry Robb, Limited of Leith, Scotland, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 31 Oct 1939
1 Nov 1939
- Heinkel demonstrated the first jet aircraft He 178 to the German Air Ministry, but the German officials were not impressed.
» In-depth article
- Captain Aritomo Goto was relived as the commanding officer of battleship Mutsu.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- The German military complained that the Soviet Union purchases too much war materials from Germany, which was hampering with the German ability to prepare for a war against France; it was acknowledged, however, the import of Soviet oil was vital.
- Captain Shutoku Miyazato was named the chief equipping officer of repair ship Akashi. Miyazato would supervise the installation of five cranes and various tools and equipment aboard the ship.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
Austria
- Hans-Joachim Marseille reported to Jagdfliegerschule 5 in Schwechat, Austria for training and was given the rank of Fähnrich.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 1 Nov 1939
2 Nov 1939
Photo(s) dated 2 Nov 1939
3 Nov 1939
- Hunted by Royal Navy destroyers, the German-captured US freighter City of Flint entered the harbour of Haugesund, Norway where she was boarded and seized by sailors from the Norwegian minesweeper Tryggvason.
- Franz Halder sent a message to Ludwig Beck telling him to be ready to move against Adolf Hitler on or shortly after 5 Nov 1939, which was the date the plans for the invasion of France, was supposed to be made known to top German military leaders.
» In-depth article
- The Cash and Carry clause was introduced in US Statute of Neutrality.
Photo(s) dated 3 Nov 1939
4 Nov 1939
- Colonel Stewart Menzies became head of British intelligence agency MI6 when Rear Admiral Hugh Sinclair died of cancer.
- United States modified its neutrality stance to sell arms to the Allies.
- Franklin Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library in Hyde Park, New York, United States.
» In-depth article
- The Neutrality Act of 1939, which repealed the arms embargo of 1937, became a law in the United States.
Photo(s) dated 4 Nov 1939
5 Nov 1939
- Shigeru Fukudome was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet.
» In-depth article
- A plot to arrest or even kill Adolf Hitler, hatched by of his most senior military staff, collapsed. Led by General Franz Halder, the architect of the invasion of Poland, many Generals were appalled by Hitler's plans to continue the conflict by invading Belgium and the Netherlands and feared that the adventure would founder in another Great War quagmire. Walther von Brauchitsch, who met with Hitler and was supposed to be the one to issue the order for his arrest, got cold feet and lost the opportunity to prevent Hitler from plunging Europe into another World War. However one of the conspirators, Colonel Hans Oster of German Military Intelligence, tipped off the Dutch and Belgians about Hitler's invasion intentions.
» In-depth article
6 Nov 1939
- With her German prize crew interned by the Norwegians, the captured US freighter City of Flint was handed back to her Master, Captain Gainard, and sailed under ballast to return to the United States.
Poland
- German occupation forces in Poland arrested the professors of University of Krakow.
7 Nov 1939
- Belgium and Dutch Crowns stated their neutrality and offer to act as negotiators for peace, which is rejected by Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
- German plans for their Western Offensive were passed to the Czechoslovakian government-in-exile by a double agent. Meanwhile, in Berlin, Germany, Adolf Hitler postponed the decision for the invasion; the next date of decision was to be 9 Nov 1939.
» In-depth article
Germany
- Hermann Göring met with American journalists at the Soviet embassy in Berlin, Germany and mocked the quality and quantity of the US-built aircraft that would soon arrive in Britain.
» In-depth article
8 Nov 1939
- Finland refused Russian demand for territorial exchange.
» In-depth article
- Belgian King Leopold III revealed to Dutch Queen Wilhelmina that Belgium was aware of a German plan to invade the Low Countries, and it could be launched as soon as within a few days.
» In-depth article
Germany
- An assassination attempt on Hitler by German carpenter Georg Elser failed at the annual commemoration of the Beer Hall Putsch in München, Germany. Ostensibly, Hitler and other top Nazi leaders escaped death because Hitler had ended his speech early and left the building eight minutes before the bomb planted by Elser detonated (which killed 8 and wounded 65). In actuality, however, it had been planned by Hitler to elevate his own standing in Germany and to create a situation where he could blame the western powers for an assassination attempt.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Hans Frank was appointed the head of General Government in Poland.
» In-depth article
9 Nov 1939
- In Moscow, Russia at 1800 hours, Finnish diplomats Paasikivi and Tanner met with Joseph Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov in the final attempt to avoid war. They did not reach an agreeable conclusion.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler issued directive No. 9 which called for German aircraft and submarines to attack British shipping and port facilities.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler again postponed the invasion of France; the next date for decision was to be 13 Nov 1939 for a possible invasion date of 19 Nov 1939.
» In-depth article
- German newspapers noted that the attempted assassination on Adolf Hitler which took place on the previous day in Munich, Germany was the work of British secret service agents. In actuality, it was a plot by Hitler to elevate his own standing.
United States
- Joseph Rochefort was evaluated for promotion, but a promotion was not granted; it was speculated that he had made too many political enemies.
» In-depth article
10 Nov 1939
- The Dutch Army canceled leave and reinforced border defenses.
France
- British Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs Anthony Eden met with French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier and Commander-in-Chief General Maurice Gamelin in Paris, France, joined by representatives from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and India.
» In-depth article
11 Nov 1939
- The funeral of Czech student Jan Opletal, killed earlier during the Czech independence celebrations, turned into a demonstration, which was crushed by German troops. Czech universities were closed; 1,200 students are sent to camps, and 9 are sentenced to death.
- In a broadcast message to the nation, Queen Elizabeth called on English women to participate in the war effort.
Germany
- Adolf Hitler attended the funeral of those killed in the staged 8 Nov 1939 assassination attempt in München, Germany.
» In-depth article
12 Nov 1939
- German submarine U-41 sank British trawler Cresswell by gunfire off the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0700 hours; 6 were killed, 8 survived and rescued by U-41. At 1000 hours, U-41 struck agin, sinking Norwegian tanker Arne Kjřde; 34 survived in 2 lifeboats, but one of them would soon capsize, killing 5.
» In-depth article
- British and French governments politely rejected the offer from Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and King Leopold of Belgium to mediate toward the end of the war.
13 Nov 1939
- King Carol of Romania offered to mediate peace between Germany and the western powers.
- German destroyers Z20, Z18, Z19, and Z21 mined the mouth of the River Thames in southern England, United Kingdom before dawn. At 0526 hours, British cruiser HMS Adventure hit one of the mines and was damaged, killing 23. At 0820 hours, British destroyer Blanche also hit one of the mines and was badly damaged, killing 1 and wounding 12; as Blanche sank while under tow by tugboat Fabia, she became the first British destroyer lost to enemy action in WW2.
- Finnish diplomats Paasikivi and Tanner departed Moscow, Russia after all negotiation attempts failed.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler again postponed the invasion of France; the next date for decision was to be 22 Nov 1939.
» In-depth article
Japan
United Kingdom
- German bombers struck the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom but did little damage.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 13 Nov 1939
14 Nov 1939
- Theodor Eicke was named the commander of all SS Death's Head units; Richard Glucks was to take over Eicke's former position as the inspector of concentration camps.
» In-depth article
- The Netherlands was added back to the German invasion plan for Western Europe as the Luftwaffe stressed the importance of having airfields in the Netherlands.
» In-depth article
Austria
- In Vienna, Austria detachments of the SS-Verfügungstruppe placed stocks of hand grenades at Jewish synagogues preparatory to setting fire to the buildings.
15 Nov 1939
China
- Vice Admiral Boshiro Hosogaya succeeded Vice Admiral Ichiro Sato as the commanding officer of the Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China. Rear Admiral Isamu Takeda was named Hosogaya's chief of staff.
Japan
Poland
- Jews living in Reichsgau Wartheland (former Polish territory, annexed into Germany) began to be deported into the General Government region of former Poland.
Taiwan
- Vice Admiral Ibo Takahashi was named the commanding officer of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan. Rear Admiral Akira Matsuzaki was named his Chief of Staff.
United States
- USS Squalus was decommissioned from service at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, United States.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 15 Nov 1939
16 Nov 1939
- In Egypt, Major General Michael O'Mare Creagh replaced Major General P. C. S. "Hobo" Hobart as GOC of the Mobile Division (Later 7th Armoured).
17 Nov 1939
- Supreme Allied War Council approved plan for British and French war production.
- Plans were made for British and French troops to move into Belgium to counter a possible German invasion, but reconnaissance parties are denied entry into Belgium to avoid provoking Germany.
- U-36 set sail for Basis Nord, a secret base on the Kola Peninsula in northern Russia provided by the Soviet Union.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese troops landed at Fangcheng and Beihai in Guangxi Province, China.
Czechoslovakia
- Massive Czech student uprising resulted in executions of 9 student leaders, the closing of Czech colleges and universities, and the movement of over 1,000 students to concentration camps.
» In-depth article
19 Nov 1939
- The Heinkel He 177, the German Luftwaffe's only real heavy bomber of the war, took its first flight.
» In-depth article
China
- Japanese troops overran the Xiaodong defensive line in Guangxi Province, China, advancing toward Nanning.
20 Nov 1939
- The US Navy Chief of Naval Operations ordered the Commandant of the US Marine Corps Fourteenth Naval District to plan a Marine garrison at Midway.
- German submarine U-33 sank three small British trawlers (Thomas Hankins at 1030 hours, Delphine at 1600 hours, and Sea Sweeper at 1700 hours) off Tory Island northwest of Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article
21 Nov 1939
- The United Kingdom declared an embargo on Germany, seizing all goods in the UK en route to Germany.
- Lufthansa's Do 18F flying boat, upgraded with BMW 132N radial engines and redesignated Do 18L, took its first flight after the upgrade work. After two days of testing, it was found that the BMW engine suffered overheating problems.
» In-depth article
- Heinrich Himmler announced that the United Kingdom was responsible for the 8 Nov 1939 attempt on Adolf Hitler's life. Two British agents were kidnapped in the Netherlands several days prior, who were blamed for plotting the attack. The attack, however, was actually planned by the Germans as means to raise Hitler's standing within Germany.
22 Nov 1939
- Overnight, German aircraft dropped magnetic mines in River Thames in southern England, United Kingdom, but at least one fell in nearby mud and was observed by the British.
» In-depth article
23 Nov 1939
- RAF claimed seven Luftwaffe aircraft over France.
- Rawalpindi stumbled upon German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. When asked to abandon ship, Captain Edward Kennedy turned toward the German ships in an attempt to get into range of her 6-inch guns. She was to be sunk by the German 11-inch guns before she could get close enough.
» In-depth article
- British recovered a magnetic mine from muddy fields near River Thames in southern England, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler gathered the top German leaders and lectured them on his vision for the future of Germany, which involved an invasion of France.
» In-depth article
- In an aerial battle over the French border, Leutnant Werner Methfessel became the Luftwaffe's first Bf 110 fighter pilot ace (although the veracity of his claim remained in some doubt).
» In-depth article
Poland
- All Jews above the age of 10 in the General Government in German-occupied Poland were required to wear the Star of David.
» In-depth article
24 Nov 1939
- Gestapo executed 120 Czech students accused of participating in an anti-Nazi conspiracy.
China
- Japanese 5th Division captured Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
25 Nov 1939
- German submarine U-28 sank British merchant ship Royston Grange of Allied convoy SL-8B 50 miles southwest of Land's End, England, United Kingdom at 1319 hours. Between 2200 hours and midnight, German submarine U-43 attacked and sank British ship Uskmouth 120 miles northwest of Cape Finisterre, Spain with gunfire and torpedoes; 2 were killed, 22 survived and rescued by Italian merchant ship Juventus.
» In-depth article
26 Nov 1939
- Soviet troops fired 7 mortar shells into a field near the village of Mainila, Russia at 1430 hours, claiming the Finnish Army was responsible for the attack. At 2100 hours, the Soviets issued the demand to Finnish ambassador Yrjo-Koskinen for the Finnish Army to move back 20 to 25 kilometers from the border.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 26 Nov 1939
27 Nov 1939
- Sealion (Sargo-class) was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
- Finland sent Soviet Union a message noting that the Finnish Army had not fired any shots into Soviet territory. In response to the Soviet request on the previous day for Finnish troops to fall back 20 to 25 kilometers from the border, Finland suggested Soviet troops to do the same.
» In-depth article
- German submarine U-48 damaged Swedish tanker Gustaf E. Reuter near Fair Isle northwest of Scotland, United Kingdom; 1 was killed, 32 survived. An attempt to tow Gustaf E. Reuter to port failed overnight, causing her to finally sink.
» In-depth article
- Douglas Bader made his first solo flight since his 1931 air accident that cost him both of his legs.
» In-depth article
28 Nov 1939
- The Soviet Union tore up the Soviet-Finnish non-aggression pact, noting that Finland had committed an act of aggression for the shelling of Mainila, Russia two days prior. Finland presented a witness, a Finnish border guard, who saw that it was the Soviets who fired the mortar rounds.
» In-depth article
- British Royal Navy trawler HMS Kingston Beryl scuttled the stern section of Swedish tanker Gustaf E. Reuter in the North Sea. Gustaf E. Reuter had been attacked by German submarine U-48 on the previous day, and the bow section had sunk overnight during an unsuccessful towing attempt.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 28 Nov 1939
29 Nov 1939
- British destroyers HMS Kingston, HMS Icarus, and HMS Kashmir forced German submarine U-35 to surface and surrender in the North Sea with depth charges. U-35's crew scuttled the submarine to prevent capture.
» In-depth article
- Finnish diplomats in Moscow, Russia made the final pleas to avoid war. At midnight, Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov ordered the invasion to commence.
» In-depth article
Poland
- Residents of Soviet-occupied Poland had Soviet citizenship forced on them.
30 Nov 1939
- 21 Soviet divisions crossed the border into Finland at 0800 hours after about one hour of artillery bombardment, starting what was to be known as the Winter War. Soviet aircraft bombed Helsinki.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 30 Nov 1939
See all photos dated 30 Nov 1939
1 Dec 1939
- Otto Kuusinen was made head of the puppet government forming in Moscow for Finland.
- Firefight between Finnish coastal batteries at Russaro and the Soviet cruiser Kirov and her destroyer screen; Kirov and one of her destroyers were damaged.
» In-depth article
- Chinese 3rd Army Group cut the Lung'hai Railway line at several locations and attacked highways, both actions interrupted Japanese logistics. Meanwhile, troops of the Chinese 81st Division attacked the cities of Kaifeng and Lanfeng.
» In-depth article
- In Germany, Ernst Udet was appointed Director General of Air Force Equipment (Generalluftzeugmeister).
Germany
- The third group of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was established.
Taiwan
- Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima was named the commanding officer of the Taiwan Army.
» In-depth article
4 Dec 1939
- King George VI arrived in France to inspect British Army and RAF units and to view the French Maginot Line.
» In-depth article
- En route to Basis Nord in northern Russia, U-36 was sunk by British submarine HMS Salmon with the loss of all hands.
» In-depth article
5 Dec 1939
Finland
- Heavy fighting took place between Soviet Army and Finnish Army in the Karelia region in southern Finland.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 5 Dec 1939
6 Dec 1939
- Finns held off heavy Soviet attacks on the Mannerheim Line, inflicting heavy casualties.
» In-depth article
- First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill honored the officers and crew of Rawalpindi, "[w]hose glorious fight against overwhelming odds deserves the respect and honour of the House [of Commons] and of the nation".
» In-depth article
7 Dec 1939
- Italy publicly reaffirmed neutrality in the war.
- England and France pledged support to Finland, but an inability to follow through left the promises rather empty.
- Soviet 9th Army attacked in central Karelia, Finland.
» In-depth article
8 Dec 1939
- Belgian ship Louis Scheid ran aground and broke up in front of the Thurlestone Golf Club, Warren Point, Devon, England, United Kingdom before dawn. During the day, German submarine U-48 sank the ship Brandon of Allied convoy OB-48 at 1155 hours.
» In-depth article
9 Dec 1939
- German merchant freighter Kurmark, acquired by the German Navy in the fall of 1939, was commissioned into service as auxiliary cruiser Orion.
» In-depth article
- 27-year-old Corporal Thomas Priday, while leading a patrol near Metz, France, became the first British soldier to be killed in the European War. He was killed by friendly fire.
- German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee sailed toward the River Plate estuary on the border of Uruguay and Argentina to attack a reported convoy departing from Montevideo, Uruguay. Meanwhile, Royal Navy Force G (light cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles, soon to be joined by heavy cruiser HMS Exeter) was already en route toward the area in search of Admiral Graf Spee.
» In-depth article
10 Dec 1939
- Chinese troops launched an attack on Henglingguan Pass south of Jiangxian in northern China; the Japanese troops at the strong point would be driven off by the month's end.
» In-depth article
- Soviet 7th Army, while attacking Finnish defense fortifications, received flanking fire from coastal batteries on the island of Saarenpää; in response, Soviet battleship Oktjabrskaja Revolutsija bombarded the island, but failed to hit the batteries due to heavy fog. In the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia, Soviet submarines sank three ships going in and out of Finnish ports; two of them actually flew German flags.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 10 Dec 1939
See all photos dated 10 Dec 1939
11 Dec 1939
- Soviet 163rd Division was held by Finnish defenses north of Lake Piispajarvi in Finland, while Soviet 81st and 759th Regiments were likewise bogged down by Finnish border police forces to the south at Suomussalmi, a road junction village. Lightly-armed troops of the Finnish 27th Regiment, on skis, launched an attack on the Soviet supply line along the Raate Road in an attempt to isolate Soviet troops at Suomussalmi.
» In-depth article
- German submarine U-38 sank Greek freighter Garoufalia off Norway; 4 were killed, 25 survived.
- Vidkun Quisling met with Erich Raeder in Germany.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 11 Dec 1939
12 Dec 1939
- Cruiser Köln and other warships screened minelayers during a mining mission.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler postponed the decision to invade France to 27 Dec 1939; if he was to launch the attack, the date of action was to be 1 Jan 1940. Since the decision was to be made after Christmas, he permitted the granting of Christmas leave.
» In-depth article
Finland
- Soviets suffered heavy casualties near Tolvajärvi, Finland as Finnish troops wiped out two Soviet divisions.
» In-depth article
13 Dec 1939
- At the Battle of the River Plate, three British cruisers damaged German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, forcing her enter the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs.
» In-depth article
- In China, troops of the Chinese 47th Corps captured the Taihang Mountain and cut the Taosin Railway by taking the stations at Poshan and Changkou. Chinese troops launched an offensive in eastern Shanxi Province in China, nearly encircling the Japanese 36th Division.
» In-depth article
- Cruiser Köln returned from screening mission for minelayers.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 13 Dec 1939
See all photos dated 13 Dec 1939
14 Dec 1939
- German freighter Arauca and passenger liner Columbus departed from Vera Cruz, Mexico, and were immediately followed by American destroyers.
- Finnish fortress at Uto was attacked by two Soviet destroyers; one of the Soviet destroyers was lost. Meanwhile, League of Nations ejected Soviet Union because of aggression against Finland.
» In-depth article
- 12 British Wellington bombers of No. 99 Squadron attacked a German convoy north of Wilhelmshaven, Germany during daylight. Within 30 minutes of the attack, six of them were lost to flak and German fighters, including two that collided in mid-air during the fight.
Germany
15 Dec 1939
- Red Army assaulted Taipale, Finland. Meanwhile, the Finnish government decided to bring fallen Finnish soldiers of the Winter War to their home towns for burial.
» In-depth article
- 5,000 Japanese troops launched a counter-attack against recent Chinese offensives in northern China.
» In-depth article
- Erich Raeder suggested that the pocket battleship Lützow and the blueprints for the Bismarck-class battleships could be made available for sale to the Soviet Union if the Soviet Union was willing to pay a good price.
» In-depth article
16 Dec 1939
China
- In China, troops of the Chinese 81st Division captured the city of Kaifeng in Henan Province, while troops of the Chinese 5th Division began to advance toward Kunlun Pass, Guangxi Province in southern CHina.
» In-depth article
Germany
- Vidkun Quisling met with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, Germany.
» In-depth article
- Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" received the order to relocate from Stuggart, Germany to Jever, Germany.
17 Dec 1939
Germany
- Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" was operational at Jever, Germany.
Photo(s) dated 17 Dec 1939
18 Dec 1939
- Lavrentiy Beria ordered first mass deportation of Poles to Soviet Union.
» In-depth article
- 24 British Wellington bombers were launched to attack German shipping during daylight; only 22 flew to the target area because 2 developed technical problems shortly after takeoff. Flak quickly broke up the bomber formation, then the German Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters that came to the ships' defense shot down 12 of the 22 bombers. German pilots claimed 34 kills for the loss of 2 fighters during combat and another crashed at landing; the German Air Ministry confirmed only 26. British pilots also overestimated their kills, claiming 13 definite and 12 probable.
- Soviet 273rd Infantry regiment retreated in the face of attacks from Finnish 40th Infantry Regiment.
» In-depth article
- The first Canadian troops arrived in Britain.
China
- Chinese troops captured Longhua, near Yicheng, Hubei Province, China. To the south, Chinese 5th Division captured Kunlunguan Pass in Guangxi Province.
» In-depth article
Germany
United Kingdom
- The first Canadian troops arrived in England, United Kingdom.
Photo(s) dated 18 Dec 1939
19 Dec 1939
- HMS Hyperion intercepted German passenger liner Columbus 450 miles east of Cape May, New Jersey, United States; Columbus' crew scuttled the ship to prevent capture.
- In their attack on Summa, the Soviet Army lost 20 of 100 tanks.
» In-depth article
- Hans Langsdorff passed away.
» In-depth article
- British light cruiser HMS Orion intercepted German freighter Arauca off Miami, Florida, United States; the German crew sailed into Port Everglades, Florida to avoid capture as the United States was still a neutral nation.
China
- Japanese troops captured Kunlun Pass 59 kilometers northeast of Nanning, Guangxi Province, China.
» In-depth article
20 Dec 1939
Photo(s) dated 20 Dec 1939
21 Dec 1939
- Between 0725 and 1016 hours, German submarine U-21 sank two neutral Swedish ships Mars and SS Carl Henckel with one torpedo each. The German submarine did not pick up any survivors; only 8 out of the 36 floating in the water survived until when help arrived on the next day.
- Russia celebrated Joseph Stalin's 60th official birthday. His actual birthday is 18 Dec 1878, but was changed to 21 Dec 1879 after he came to power in 1922.
» In-depth article
- Soviet 122nd Division was halted at the villages of Pelkosenniemi and Kemijärvi in Lapland, Finland.
» In-depth article
- Finnish General Hugo Österman presented a plan for counterattack to Field Marshal Mannerheim; the plan was prepared by Österman's subordinate General Harald Öhqvist of the II Corps.
- The British RAF Bomber Command issued Operational Instruction 21, which in part noted the following that reflected the reluctance to end daylight bombing missions despite of the heavy losses sustained thus far: "With the intention of combining useful training and operations, sweeps will continue to be carried out.... If enemy aircraft are encountered, gunners will be able to practise shooting at real targets instead of drogues."
Photo(s) dated 21 Dec 1939
22 Dec 1939
- Werner Mölders and Hans von Hahn became the first German fighter pilots to shoot down British Hurricane fighters.
» In-depth article
Finland
- Finnish Army Group Talvela overran Soviet 75th division in hand to hand combat at Ägläjärvi (Russian: Yaglyayarvi) on the Karelian Isthmus.
» In-depth article
- Field Marshal Mannerheim of Finland authorized to launch the offensive planned by Generals Österman and Öhqvist presented to him on the previous day.
» In-depth article
Hawaii
- US Navy awarded a US$7,000,000 contract to build two new graving docks at Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii; the future Dock No. 2 was to be large enough to hold a battleship, while Dock No. 3 was to be made for destroyers and submarines.
Photo(s) dated 22 Dec 1939
23 Dec 1939
- German SS organization decreed that Polish workers who left their workplace without permission were to be arrested and sent to concentration camps.
» In-depth article
- The British Military Intelligence Section 9 (MI9) was established under the command of Major Norman Crockatt. It was charged with aiding resistance fighters in enemy occupied territory and recovering Allied troops, including downed airmen and prisoners of war.
Finland
- At 0630 hours, 4 Finnish divisions counterattacked on a 28-mile front on the west side of the Karelian Isthmus, trying to trap resting Soviet forces in a massive encirclement; without support of anti-tank weapons or artillery pieces, it was repulsed by tanks; Finnish General Öhqvist called off the attack at 1440 hours after suffering 1,300 casualties. Meanwhile, Captain Mäkinen's 2 machine gun companies in the Finnish 9th Division attacked forward elements of the Soviet 44th Division, tying down the entire column of 15,000 troops and equipment.
» In-depth article
Ireland
- An IRA gang stole the Irish Army's entire reserve of small arms ammunition - more than one million rounds - from an ammunition fort in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Most of it was recovered over the following days.
24 Dec 1939
Finland
- Finnish Army Group Talvela pushed Soviet 75th and 139th Divisions back across the Russian border. Meanwhile, Soviet 163rd Division tried unsuccessfully to break out of Suomussalmi, Finland; the Soviet 44th Division failed to move in to provide support for the 163rd Division.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 24 Dec 1939
25 Dec 1939
- The Red Army resumed attacking the Taipale sector in Finland between 0500 and 0700 hours; spearheaded by the Soviet 4th Rifle Division across the frozen Suvanto River, the offensive initially gained three bridgeheads, but heavy Finnish artillery would push Soviet forces back across the river at two spots. Elsewhere, the trapped Soviet 163rd division attempted another break-out at Suomussalmi but it was repulsed; Soviet 44th Division continued to move toward Suomussalmi, but it was largely pinned down on the Raate Road.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 25 Dec 1939
26 Dec 1939
- The first Royal Australian Air Force personnel arrived by boat at Pembroke, Wales, United Kingdom for anti-submarine duty in Sunderland flying boats with No. 10 Squadron.
» In-depth article
Finland
- Finnish 9th Division received artillery support and began bombarding the Soviet 163rd Division trapped in Suomussalmi, Finland. Elsewhere in the Taipale sector, Finnish and Soviet troops fought near the village of Kelja at the Suvanto River; Finnish artillery and batteries at Kekinniemi fort stopped Russian advances, but two Finnish attempts at advancing were similarly stopped.
» In-depth article
27 Dec 1939
- In Finland, Soviet 4th Division rushed several groups of men across the frozen Suvanto River in the darkness to reinforce the bridgehead on the far bank, but the attempts were detected by Finnish forces, which attacked them with artillery and machine guns, killing many; after dawn, Finnish forces successfully eliminated all Soviet bridgeheads on the Finnish side of the Suvanto River, ending the Battle of Kelja by 1800 hours. Elsewhere, in Suomussalmi, Finnish 9th division, supported by the newly-arrived four 1902 76-millimeter cannon and two Bofors 37-millimeter anti-tank guns, began to assault the encircled Soviet 163rd Division.
» In-depth article
- The keel for future submarine Gar was laid down.
» In-depth article
- Adolf Hitler postponed the decision to invade France to a later date.
» In-depth article
Photo(s) dated 27 Dec 1939
28 Dec 1939
- Joseph Stalin ordered the Soviet troops in Finland to hold position as his generals worked on a new offensive plan against the surprisingly resilient Finnish defenses. The Soviet troops enveloped within Finnish lines was thus abandoned and left to be eliminated by the Finnish forces.
» In-depth article
United Kingdom
- German submarine U-30 sank British submarine trawler HMS Barbara Robertson in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland, United Kingdom at 0400 hours, killing 1; the German submarine radioed Swedish merchant ship Hispania to pick up the survivors. Later on the same day, at 1545 hours, she spotted and damaged British battleship HMS Barham with one torpedo, killing 4; she was chased off by destroyers HMS Isis and HMS Nubian.
- The British Ministry of Food announced that sugar would be rationed from 8 Jan 1940 and meat from a date still to be fixed. The Minister of Food William Morrison said this would release foreign exchange and provide shipping space for the importation of armaments and raw materials.
Photo(s) dated 28 Dec 1939
29 Dec 1939
Finland
- Soviet 163rd Division, trapped in the Finnish village of Suomussalmi for the past 22 days, began evacuating on an ice road over Lake Kiantajärvi; troops of the Finnish 9th Division attacked the rearguard. Meanwhile, in Moscow, Russia, Stalin endorsed Chief of Staff Shaposhnikov's plan for a major attack on Finnish forces on the Karelian Isthmus; Semyon Timoshenko volunteered to lead the offensive as the disgraced Kirill Meretskov was demoted to the commander of the Soviet 7th Army.
» In-depth article
30 Dec 1939
- Remnants of the Soviet 163rd Division was destroyed by the Finnish 9th Division at Suomussalmi as it attempted to retreat over the frozen Lake Kiantajärvi.
» In-depth article
31 Dec 1939
- German submarine U-32 sank Norwegian ship Luna at 0947 hours with one torpedo.
China
- Chinese declared victory at Kunlun Pass 59 kilometers northeast of Nanning, Guangxi Province, China, although the remnants of Japanese troops trapped in the region would not capitulate until mid-Jan 1940.
» In-depth article
Finland
- Finnish 9th Division secured the village of Suomussalmi after four days of heavy fighting, capturing 625 rifles, 33 light machine guns, 19 medium and heavy machine guns, 2 anti-aircraft machine guns, 12 anti-tank guns, 27 field and anti-aircraft guns, 26 tanks, 2 armored cars, 350 horses, 181 trucks, 11 tractors, 26 field kitchens, 800,000 rounds of 7.62mm rifle ammunition, 9,000 artillery shells, a field hospital, and a bakery. Elsewhere, Finnish scouts found troops of the Soviet 44th Division stationary along a 30-kilometer stretch of the Raate Road, including a large concentration of dug-in tanks and artillery. Finnish Army Colonel Siilasvuo received the intelligence and decided to prepare a strike at this concentration.
» In-depth article
Russia
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
