2 Jan 1895
- Folke Bernadotte was born.
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2 Jan 1906
- Winston Churchill published a two-volume biography of his father Lord Randolph Churchill.
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2 Jan 1937
- Galeazzo Ciano secured British signatures on the Italo-British Gentlemen's Agreement in which both Italy and the United Kingdom stated respect for each other's spheres of influence.
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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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2 Jan 1940
- Battle of the Raate Road: At midnight in the very start of this day, after one hour of preparations, Finnish Army Captain Eino Lassila launched an attack on a 500 meter section of Russian artillery on the Raate Road. At 0700, Russian troops attempted a counterattack with tanks, but the Finnish troops were able to bring two Bofors anti-tank guns to the front to halt the counterattack, destroying 7 of the Russian tanks.
» In-depth article - The Irish government introduced emergency powers to intern IRA members without trial.
- Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano sent a secret message to Belgium and the Netherlands, warning them of the German invasion plan. The Germans intercepted this message.
» In-depth article
2 Jan 1941
- German leaders Himmler and Heydrich categorized concentration camps into three categories for different types of prisoners, but in practice this categorization had little actual effect.
» In-depth article - German bombing severely damaged the Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
- Before dawn, British artillery pieces moved into position near Bardia, Libya. During the day, British monitor HMS Terror and British gunboats HMS Ladybird and HMS Aphis bombarded Bardia; Italian aircraft responded without success. After sun down, Wellington bombers of No. 70 Squadron RAF and Bombay bombers of No. 216 Squadron RAF attacked Italian positions at Bardia. Troops of the Australian 6th Division began to prepare for the ground assault.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-65 sank British ship Nalgora 250 miles west of Port-Étienne, French West Africa at 2207 hours. As the military equipment destined for British troops in Egypt went down with the ship, 105 survivors took to lifeboats and would eventually make land at the Cape Verde Islands or rescue by other ships. This would be U-65's eighth and final sinking during the 49-day-long patrol.
- German submarine U-38 was detected by a convoy escort ship 300 miles northwest of Ireland, which attacked with depth charges. U-38 was slightly damaged but was able to continue with the patrol without needing immediate repairs.
- Photos dated 2 Jan 1941
2 Jan 1942
- At the US Army Air Forces Headquarters Major Jimmy Doolittle began planning an air raid against Japan.
» In-depth article - In the Philippine Islands, Japanese troops captured Manila, the Cavite naval base, and Clark Field air base.
» In-depth article - Soviet Army broke through German lines at Rzhev, Russia.
» In-depth article - The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) convicted 33 members of a German intelligence network headed by Fritz Joubert Duquesne in the largest espionage case in US history.
- 7,000 Axis troops at Bardia, Libya surrendered to the Allies. Among the prisoners of war was General Artir Schmitt.
» In-depth article - Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek cabled US President Roosevelt asking the President to nominate a trusted American General to act as Chief of Staff in the China Theatre. The Americans responded by suggesting that the functions of Chief of Staff China Theatre should be combined with Commander of the China-Burma-India Theatre and Supervisor of Lend-Lease material. Brigadier-General John Magruder of the American Military Mission to China was not senior enough (and was already disillusioned with the Chinese) and when Lieutenant General Hugh A. Drum turned down the position it was finally offered to Major General Joseph W. Stilwell who reluctantly agreed to go where he was sent.
» In-depth article - The United States Marine Corps Supply Center at Barstow, California, United States was organized as Marine Barracks, Marine Corps Depot of Supplies.
- Japanese and Anglo-Indian troops continued to fight at Kampar Hill in British Malaya and prepared to withdraw southward later in the day. To the south, troops of the Japanese 4th Imperial Guard Regiment sailed down the Perak River to reinforce the Japanese 11th Regiment at Bernam River; Indian 12th Infantry Brigade arrived to reinforce the failing defense at Telok Anson nearby. Far to the south, Japanese aircraft based in Malaya and Borneo attacked Singapore.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-134 sank British ship Waziristan in the Barents Sea at 0648 hours; she was the first Arctic Convoy ships to be sunk. The 47 aboard abandoned ship but were never seen again. Also lost with Waziristan were 3,700 tons of supplies and 410 US-built trucks for the Soviet Union.
- British destroyer HMS Vimiera struck a mine and sank in the Thames estuary in southern England, United Kingdom while escorting a coastal convoy; 96 were killed, 14 survived.
- German submarine U-123 damaged American ship Algonquin in the Atlantic Ocean.
- German submarine U-77 attacked British destroyer HMS Kimberley off Tobruk, Libya at 0238 hours, blowing off the stern and killing 3; destroyer HMS Heythrop would tow HMS Kimberley to Alexandria, Egypt.
- British submarine HMS Unbeaten attacked and sank the already-damaged German submarine U-374 south of Messina, Sicily, Italy at 1030 hours with two torpedoes; 42 were killed, 1 survived.
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed at Roi, Marshall Islands.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - HMS Indomitable departed Cape Town, South Africa with Sea Hurricane aircraft aboard.
» In-depth article - Submarine Hoe was laid down by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut, United States.
» In-depth article - Repair ship Akashi departed from Palau Islands.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Historical document written: US Navy Report of Japanese Raid on Pearl Harbor, Enclosure E, USS Tangier
» In-depth article - Historical document written: Report of Pearl Harbor Attack, USS Case
» In-depth article - Photos dated 2 Jan 1942
2 Jan 1943
- US I Corps recaptured Buna on New Guinea.
» In-depth article - Lockwood replaced English as the commanding officer of US Navy submarines in the Pacific.
- Ion Antonescu of Romania met with Adolf Hitler to discuss the ensuing disaster in Stalingrad, Russia.
» In-depth article - US Marine Corps and US Army aircraft attacked 10 Japanese destroyer transports west of Rendova, Solomon Islands.
» In-depth article - Destroyer Yuzuki arrived at Sasebo, Japan for a scheduled overhaul.
» In-depth article - Photos dated 2 Jan 1943
2 Jan 1944
- 383 RAF aircraft (362 Lancaster, 9 Halifax, and 12 Mosquito) attacked Berlin; 27 aircraft were lost.
» In-depth article - Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Palau.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - USS Rock departed Panama Canal Zone for Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
» In-depth article - Submarine Baya was launched, sponsored by the wife of US Navy Lieutenant Commander C. C. Kirkpatrick.
» In-depth article - USS Iowa departed for the Pacific Ocean.
» In-depth article - Light carrier Ryuho arrived at Kure, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Photos dated 2 Jan 1944
2 Jan 1945
- Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, the mastermind behind the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 and now in charge of Allied ports in France, was killed when his aircraft crashes on take-off at Toussus-le-Noble, becoming the fourth senior Allied leader to die in a plane crash. He was en route to a conference with General Bernard Montgomery in Brussels, Belgium.
» In-depth article - In Copenhagen, Denmark, a V2 Rocket factory was destroyed by saboteurs.
- 46 American B-29 bombers based near Calcutta, India attacked a railroad bridge near Bangkok, Thailand and other targets in the area.
- British bombers attacked Nürnberg, Germany.
» In-depth article - Indian 2nd Division reached Yeu and crossed the Mu River in Burma.
» In-depth article - Anglo-Indian XV Corps captured Akyab (now Sittwe), Burma without resistance.
» In-depth article - USS Becuna sank two small vessels between Malaya and Borneo in two separate engagements with her deck gun.
» In-depth article - USS Missouri departed US Territory of Hawaii for Ulithi, Caroline Islands.
» In-depth article - Photos dated 2 Jan 1945
2 Jan 1946
- Allied repatriation ship Hikawa Maru departed Uraga, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - USS Manta departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for San Francisco, California, United States to prepare for inactivation.
» In-depth article - USS Menhaden departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii.
» In-depth article
2 Jan 1949
- Chen Changjie received a letter from the Chinese Communists urging his surrender of Tianjin, China; he would reject the request.
» In-depth article
2 Jan 1956
- Robert Saundby was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
» In-depth article
2 Jan 1974
- Jiang Dingwen passed away in Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
» In-depth article
2 Jan 1975
- Theodor Osterkamp passed away.
» In-depth article
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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