29 Jan 1915
- Erwin Rommel led the German 9.Kompanie in an attack that broke through French lines, but he soon found his unit surrounded. He broke out and returned to German lines. He would later be awarded the Iron Cross Second Class for this action.
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29 Jan 1921
- Tama was commissioned into service.
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» Tabular Record of Movement - Kiso was commissioned into service.
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» Tabular Record of Movement
29 Jan 1928
- Field Marshal Douglas Haig, the British Army Commander-in-Chief in the First World War, died.
29 Jan 1929
- Quintin Brand was appointed the Engineer Office at the Aircraft Depot in Iraq.
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29 Jan 1932
- Japanese aircraft attacked the Chapei district of Shanghai, China, causing 1,000 deaths, most of which were civilian.
» In-depth article - Cruiser Köln completed gunnery drills and training operations.
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29 Jan 1933
- The SA organization of the Nazi Party was mobilized in Berlin, Germany to guard against what turned out to be a false rumor of a coup d'état against Adolf Hitler's attempt to become the German Chancellor.
29 Jan 1939
- The NA-40 prototype aircraft took its first flight; it was judged underpowered and unstable.
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29 Jan 1940
- Finnish Army 9th Division attacked the Soviet 54th Division starting at 0500 hours near the road junction at Kuhmo, Finland. Meanwhile, Soviets began negotiating with Finland by sending a note stating "Soviet Union has no objection in principle to a possible agreement with the Ryti government" to Sweden.
» In-depth article - German aircraft attacked unarmed British lightship East Dudgeon; 7 crew membered died as their lifeboat capsized later.
- German submarine U-51 torpedoed and sunk Norwegian ship Eika, carring salt from Spain, at 1530 hours. 14 men were killed, while at 2 (Harald Støle and Alfred Johansen) were rescued by U-51 who would be delivered to Wilhelmshaven on 8 Feb 1940.
- Germany renamed Reichsgau Posen, in occupied Poland, to Reichsgau Wartheland.
29 Jan 1941
- M. A. Korizis took over as the new Premier of Greece upon his predecessor's death.
- British forces based in Kenya led by General Sir Alan Cunningham began attacking the Italian colonial garrison. Meanwhile. the South African troops came ashore in Italian Somaliland. This combined with British advances through Eritrea made the Italian armies in the Horn of Africa increasingly in danger of being surrounded.
» In-depth article - German armed merchant cruiser Kormoran sank British ships Afric Star (75 captured) and Eurylochus (11 men killed, 43 men captured, 16 crated engine-less bombers captured) 600 miles west of Freetown, British West Africa.
- Ioannis Metaxas died of toxaemia in Athens, Greece.
» In-depth article - Elements of British 7th Armoured Division outflanked Italian artillery overlooking Derna, Libya, forcing General Bergonzoli to withdraw the guns overnight.
» In-depth article - German submarines attacked Allied convoy SC-19 en route from Nova Scotia, Canada to Britain at about 200 miles northwest of Ireland. Between 0348 and 0405 hours, U-93 sank British ship King Robert, British tanker W. B. Walker, and Greek ship Aikaterini. At 0629 hours, U-94 sank British ship West Wales. At 0715 hours, U-106 sank Egyptian ship Sesostris. U-101 also attempted to attack, but she was chased off by British destroyers.
- Secret US-British staff talks began in Washington DC, United States regarding the possible US involvement in the European War.
» In-depth article - The prototype Tupolev ANT-58 (which would later be developed into the successful Tu-2 medium bomber) made its maiden flight.
» In-depth article - During the night 25 British Wellington bombers attacked battleship Tirpitz to little effect.
» In-depth article - Submarine Marlin was launched, sponsored by Mrs. John D. Wainwright.
» In-depth article
29 Jan 1942
- Japanese submarine I-71 attacked and sank US Army 622-ton transport General Royal T. Frank about 2 miles west of Maui, Hawaii in the in the Alenuihaha Channel. All aboard were lost.
- 50 German tanks forced the Indian 4th Infantry Division out of the defensive positions at Benghazi, Libya, capturing British vehicles and supplies.
» In-depth article - German Army General Rommel arrived at Benghazi, Libya.
» In-depth article - After invasion by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, Iran joined the Allies, thus allowing US Lend-Lease supplies to reach the Soviet Union overland.
- The US Coast Guard Cutter Alexander Hamilton was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-132 whilst on patrol off the Iceland coast.
» In-depth article - Heinrich Himmler issued a directive that established the SS Sonderkommando Dirlewanger as a volunteer formation of the SS. This formation, which drew its personnel from concentration camps and hardened criminals, would become notorious for its war crimes against civilians in Poland.
» In-depth article - British colonial administrators and civilians departed from Johore Bahru, British Malaya for Singapore.
» In-depth article - The 20th Battalion of the Japanese 16th Division penetrated the US-Filipino Orion-Bagac defensive line at several locations at Bataan, Luzon, Philippine Islands; the reserve 45th Philippine Scout Division was quickly dispatched to halt the Japanese advance. Meanwhile, troops of the Philippine Scouts continued to assault the Japanese beachheads at Longoskawayan Point and Quinauan Point in southern Bataan.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-431 sank British minesweeping whaler HMS Sotra 25 miles northeast of Bardia, Libya at 2146 hours, killing all 22 aboard.
- Winston Churchill won a vote of confidence 464-1 in the House of Commons of the British Parliament; Independent Labour Party leader James Maxton cast the only vote against Churchill.
» In-depth article - Japanese submarine I-164 sank US cargo ship Florence Luckenbach 10 miles off the Indian coast; all 38 aboard survived.
- Shokaku returned to Truk, Caroline Islands.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Truk.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Repair ship Akashi provided repair work for destroyer Hatsuharu at Davao, Mindanao, Philippine Islands.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Historical document written: Report of Pearl Harbor Attack, USS Shaw
» In-depth article
29 Jan 1943
- SS-Gruppenführer Ernst Kaltenbrunner, the SS and Police Leader for the German territory of annexed Austria, was named the head of the RSHA, which encompassed the Gestapo and the Security Service, succeeding the assassinated Reinhard Heydrich.
» In-depth article - Six RAF Mosquito aircraft attacked Berlin, Germany, purposely spoiling the party celebrating the Nazi Party's 10th Anniversary, interrupting speeches given by Göring and Goebbels. This celebration marked the first anniversary without a speech from Hitler.
- The Battle of Rennell Island began with land-based Japanese aircraft attacked US Navy TF 18 ships. USS Chicago was damaged and was taken under tow.
» In-depth article - German officials in Prague dissolved the Jewish Religious Congregation, the supreme authority for Czechoslovakia's Jewish communities. This organization would be succeeded by the Council of Jewish Elders on 8 Feb 1943, which was deemed to be more compliant by the German officials.
- German authorities ordered Roma and Sinti people across German-occupied Europe to be rounded up and sent to concentration camps. Meanwhile, Kurt Prüfer of German engineering firm J. A. Topf und Söhne visited the Central Construction Office of Auschwitz Concentration Camp, inspecting the Crematoria II, III, IV, and V construction progress; he estimated the launch of Crematorium II to be around 15 Feb, Crematorium III around 17 Apr, Crematorium IV around 28 Feb, and Crematorium V's completion date depended largely on weather.
» In-depth article - US captured a Japanese 5-digit naval code book.
- Ruth Cheney Streeter was commissioned a major in the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserve and became its first Director.
- Soviet troops captured Maikop, Russia.
» In-depth article - Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Yokosuka, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Tatsuta Maru arrived at Yokosuka, Japan.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - USS Tunny entered waters off Taiwan.
» In-depth article - USS S-35 arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, United States.
» In-depth article - Photos dated 29 Jan 1943
29 Jan 1944
- In Germany, the Duisburg and Herbouville flying bomb site were bombed by 22 Mosquito aircraft of the RAF. Meanwhile, RAF bombers attacked Berlin and USAAF bombers attacked Frankfurt am Main and Ludwigshafen.
» In-depth article - Luftwaffe bombers attacked London, England, United Kingdom.
» In-depth article - The head of police of the Italian Social Republic in northern Italy ordered that all Jewish communities be dissolved by the next month.
- A transport of 245 prisoners sent by the Bialystok Gestapo arrived at Stutthof concentration camp.
» In-depth article - Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was buried at the cemetery at Deelen airfield in the Netherlands.
» In-depth article - HMS Activity began convoy escort duties with the Second Escort Group.
» In-depth article - Battleship Missouri was launched, sponsored by Mary Magaret Truman, daughter of Senator Harry Truman.
» In-depth article - Photos dated 29 Jan 1944
29 Jan 1945
- Allied troops captured Oberhausen, Germany in the Rhine river basin.
» In-depth article - Hitler met with Quisling for the last time.
» In-depth article - American troops landed near San Antonio, Luzon, Philippine Islands unopposed.
» In-depth article - An Allied convoy originally from Ledo, India crossed the Burmese-Chinese border. It was the first convoy across this supply route since Apr 1942.
- 19 American B-24 bombers based in Guam, Mariana Islands attacked Iwo Jima, Japan.
» In-depth article - Aircraft from HMS Indomitable struck Palembang, Sumatra, Dutch East Indies.
» In-depth article - USS Charr anchored one mile off the Indochina coast for four hours during daylight while a team was dispatched ashore to rescue a downed airman.
» In-depth article - USS Sea Robin arrived at Fremantle, Australia, ending her first war patrol.
» In-depth article - HMS Activity departed Britain with convoy KM 39.
» In-depth article - USS Pompon's conning tower hatch failed during the morning trim dive, causing flooding in the tower, control room, and pump room. She ended her war patrol early.
» In-depth article
29 Jan 1946
- Harry Hopkins, one of Franklin Roosevelt's closest advisers and a key policy maker in creating the Lend-Lease Act, died of stomach cancer in New York, United States.
- USS Segundo entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California, United States for overhaul.
» In-depth article
29 Jan 1991
- USS Missouri bombarded Iraqi positions near the Iraqi-Saudi border.
» In-depth article
29 Jan 1999
- Museum ship Missouri was opened to visitors.
» 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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"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"Winston Churchill, 1935
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