1 Jul in WW2 History | World War II Database

1 Jul 1877

Benjamin (Sr.) Davis was born.
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1 Jul 1894

During the month of Jul 1894, Ioseb Jughashvili graduated from the church school in Gori, Georgia Governorate, Russian Empire with excellent grades.
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1 Jul 1911

The German gunboat Panther arrived at the port of Agadir, Morocco, sparking an immediate reaction from the French and the British governments.

1 Jul 1914

The British Royal Naval Air Service was established.

1 Jul 1917

The last Russian offensive of the Great War began. Under the command of General Aleksei Brusilov the South West Army Group attacked with twenty-three divisions (mainly comprising Finns, Siberians and Poles - the Russian being mostly unreliable). At first the offensive went well with an advance of 30 miles being achieved but the main body of Russian infantry refused to follow up and it was not long before a strong German counter-offensive threw the Russians back to the Galician frontier. Brusilov was dismissed and replaced by Lavr Kornilov.
Photos dated 1 Jul 1917

1 Jul 1920

George Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of major.
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Ira Eaker was promoted to the rank of captain.
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1 Jul 1921

USS Arizona became the flagship of Vice Admiral John McDonald, commanding officer of Battle Force of the US Navy Atlantic Fleet; McDonald had been the battleship's first commanding officer almost five years prior.
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Maryland was commissioned into service.
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1 Jul 1922

The incomplete battle-cruisers USS Lexington and USS Saratoga were authorised for commissioning as aircraft carriers, expanding greatly the US Navy’s seaborne air power beyond the still experimental USS Langley.
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1 Jul 1923

The value of the German Mark decreased to the level that it now cost about 160,000 Marks to exchange for US$1.
Hermes was commissioned into service.
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1 Jul 1926

Rear Admiral Junzo Yoshitake was named the Chief of Staff of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan.
Kako was commissioned into service.
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1 Jul 1929

Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of wing commander.
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1 Jul 1930

Nautilus was commissioned into service.
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1 Jul 1932

The Central Bank of Manchou, established in the previous month by the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo, opened for business.
Tatsuta Maru departed Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii.
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Photos dated 1 Jul 1932

1 Jul 1933

According to official German government reports published some time this month, 26,789 are in protective custody at various camps by this month.
Vice Admiral Yurikazu Edahara succeeded Vice Admiral Shizue Tsuda 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.

1 Jul 1934

During this month, as "Night of the Long Knives" shattered the SA organization in Germany, the SS took over control of guarding concentration camps.
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On Hitler's orders, Ernst Röhm, the head of the SA, was shot in a cell at Stadelheim prison in Munich, Germany by Theodor Eicke, the SS Commandant of the local Dachau Concentration Camp.

1 Jul 1935

Quintin Brand was promoted to the rank of group captain.
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Rudolf Höss was promoted to the rank of SS-Oberscharführer.
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Werner Mölders was posted to I./JG 162 "Immelmann".
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Nikolaus von Falkenhorst was promoted to the rank of Generalmajor.
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Photos dated 1 Jul 1935

1 Jul 1936

The US 2nd Marine Brigade was formed at San Diego, California, United States for deployment to China.
The keel of the battleship Bismarck was laid down at Blohm & Voss' shipyard in Hamburg, Germany.
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1 Jul 1937

In compliance with an order of the Navy Department, all United States Marine Corps Reserve tactical squadrons were designated as scouting squadrons.
Photos dated 1 Jul 1937

1 Jul 1938

George Patton was promoted to the permanent rank of colonel.
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The Naval Reserve Act of 1938 became effective. The act established the US Marine Corps Reserve, which was to consist of the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve, the Organized Marine Corps Reserve, and the Volunteer-Marine Corps Reserve.

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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Historical document written: No. 32, 34, 38, 39, 43: Messages between Norton and Halifax on Danzig
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1 Jul 1940

German forces took Jersey, completing the occupation of the Channel Islands.
Marshal Pétain's government moved to from Bordeaux to Vichy, France.
Germany requested neutral nations to withdraw their diplomatic missions from Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, and Luxembourg.
By this date, about 900,000 tons of Allied shipping had been sunk by German U-boats in 6 months of war.
British milk price ceiling was increased to 4 pence per pint.
Operation Seelöwe (Sealion), a plan for the invasion of Britain, was first mentioned by the German General Staff. On the same day, German bombers began a campaign against British industrial centers, beginning with a daylight raid on Hull, England and Wick, Scotland, killing 12 and wounding 22.
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British liner Arandora Star departed Liverpool, England for Canada with 479 German and 734 Italian civilian internees, 86 German prisoners of war, and 374 British crew and guards. Some of the civilian internees were Jewish refugees who had previously been able to escape from Nazi Germany. Arandora Star failed to display a red cross to denote that she was carrying civilians and prisoners of war.
German submarines attacked various Allied ships off the French coast. 300 miles west of Brest at 0400 hours, U-30 sank British ship Beignon of Allied convoy SL-36, 6 were killed, 30 crew and 81 survivors of British ship Avelona Star, sunk on the previous day, were rescued. U-102 sank British ship Clearton of Allied convoy SL-36, killing 8; British destroyer HMS Vansittart found U-102 and sank her with depth charges, killing the entire crew of 43; 26 survivors from Clearton were picked up by HMS Vansittart. U-65 sank Dutch ship Amstelland; 1 was killed and 39 survived. U-29 sank Greek ship Adamastos; all 25 crew members survived. Meanwhile, southwest of Ireland, German submarine U-26 damaged British steamer Zarian of Allied convoy OA-175; British corvette HMS Gladiolus forced U-26 to surface with depth charges, which was then bombed by a Sunderland aircraft of the No. 10 Squadron RAAF; the crew of U-26 scuttled the boat before surrendering.
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King Carol II of Romania renounced the guarantees given to him by the United Kingdom in 1939 and announced that hence-forward his country's alliegance would be with Germany.
Joseph Stalin told his Ambassador to Tokyo that the non-aggression pact with Germany "was dictated by the desire to unleash war in Europe".
British RAF Fighter Command chief Hugh Dowding's son Derek became a pilot with the No. 74 Squadron.
Quintin Brand was promoted to the temporary rank of air vice marshal.
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The responsibility for nuclear fission research in the United States was transferred to the National Defense Research Committee under Vannevar Bush.
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Rodolfo Graziani was named the Governor-General of Italian Libya.
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The US Navy issued contracts for the construction of 44 new ships.
The Headquarters Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force was established at the Marine Corps Base, San Diego, California, United States under Brigadier General Ross E. Rowell.
US Ambassador to France William C. Bullitt met with French Marshal Philippe Pétain, who ensured that orders had been given "to every captain of the French Fleet to sink his ship rather than permit [it] to fall into German hands". Later on the same day, Bullitt visited French Admiral François Darlan, who noted that French ships had been ordered to sail for Martinique and Guantanamo should there be a risk that the Germans would gain the French fleet, and if sailing not possible, the ships would be scuttled.
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US Navy awarded a US$30,870,000 contract to build naval facilities across the Pacific.
Destroyer USS O'Brien arrived at Santos, Brazil.
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1 Jul 1941

Coal deliveries to all establishments in Britain were limited to one ton per month.
The German 4.Panzergruppe captured Riga, Latvia while the 2.Panzergruppe reached Berezina, Byelorussia.
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RAF began daylight bombing raids in France and the Low Countries.
Erwin Rommel was promoted to the rank of General der Panzertruppe.
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The British Special Air Service (initially titled "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade) was formed by Colonel David Stirling.
Stalin returned to the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia as Chairman of the new State Defence Committee, set up by law the day before.
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Under the provisions of a German Law on the use of Prisoner Labour, Russian prisoners of war were permitted to be sent to work camps for employment in agriculture, construction or heavy industry. The death rate on these camps would be extremely high.
The American Volunteer Group, also known as the Flying Tigers, was officially formed.
Soviet Naval Air Unit 401 IAP went into action with its new MiG-3 fighters and destroyed four German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters on its first operation. This unit was commanded by a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, Lieutenant-Colonel Stepan Suprun (who was already an ace with fifteen Civil War victories), Hero of the Soviet Union. Many of Suprun's pilots were pre-war test pilots and therefore highly experienced airmen. During the next two days the 401st IAP destroyed eight enemy aircraft for no loss.
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Soviet submarine M81 was sunk by a German mine in the Baltic Sea.
Photos dated 1 Jul 1941

1 Jul 1942

Jews were massacred in Byelorussian cities of Minsk, Lida, and Slonim.
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German 90th Light Division began to advance for El Alamein, Egypt at 0300 hours; meanwhile, German and Italian tanks covered the southern flank. Allied troops in the area were a mix of British, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, and South African nationalities.
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General Montgomery informed General Paget that Operation Rutter, the attack on Dieppe, was to take place on 4 Jul.
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US Navy Admiral Robert Ghormley relinquished his command army troops as US Army Major General Millard Harmon arrived to the theater.
Chiang Kaishek formally submitted his "Three Demands" to Joseph Stilwell to forward on to Washington DC, United States. This request included 5,000 tons of supplies, 500 war planes, and 3 US divisions for the Chinese theater of war. US President Franklin Roosevelt would superficially agree to the demands, but would stall the delivery indefinitely.
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Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru arrived at Davao, Philippine Islands.
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Wasp departed San Diego, California for Tonga Islands, escorting transports carrying men of the US 5th Marine Regiment.
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HMS King George V arrived at Scapa Flow, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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USS Flying Fish attacked a Japanese transport off Taiwan; all 3 torpedoes fired missed.
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Photos dated 1 Jul 1942

1 Jul 1943

Hitler addressed the generals slated to command Operation Citadel.
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The US Navy launched the V-12 program to recruit and train college students for future military service.
The US Marine Corps established the Administrative Division at its headquarters to control the civilian personnel program and to place enlisted Marines.
Chester Nimitz submitted a tentative plan for operations against the Marshall Islands.
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Two platoons from Company P, US Marine Corps 4th Raider Battalion overran the Japanese detachment at the village of Tombe on New Georgia near the Viru Harbor, while the remainder of Company P and Company Q occupied Tetemara on the west side of the harbor. On the same day, just to the south of New Georgia, the US Marine Corps 9th Defense Battalion arrived at Rendova with men, supplies, and 90mm and 150mm guns. Southeast of New Georgia, the US Marine Corps 4th Raider Battalion and Company F of the US Army 103rd Regiment fell back to Vura on the island of Vangunu in preparation of a counterattack to be launched against Kaeruka and Cheke Point in the next few days.
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In England, United Kingdom, Robert Johnson recovered from wounds sustained in combat on 13 Jun 1943 and resumed flight duties.
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USS S-35 sank Japanese fishing tender Banshu Maru No. 7 off the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia at 1821 hours, hitting her with 2 of 3 torpedoes fired. She escaped the area at 1825 hours after detecting a potential counterattack on the submarine.
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Photos dated 1 Jul 1943

1 Jul 1944

5th Guards Tank Army of the Soviet 3rd Byelorussian Front captured Borisov, Byelorussia.
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The Bretton Woods conference opened to discuss financial and economic concerns in post-war Europe; International Monetary Fund for Reconstruction and Development would be established as the result.
US 83rd Infantry Division became part of the US VII Corps.
Russian fighter ace Grigori Rechkalov received his second Hero of the Soviet Union award when his score stood at 48 individual and six shared victories. Rechkalov would be relieved of his command by General Utin shortly after for "lack of leadership" but would eventually be officially listed as the Soviet Union's third highest scoring ace of all time with 57 aerial victories credited to his name.
Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Yokosuka, Japan for her 20th voyage with the Japanese Navy.
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Cruiser Köln began a three-month training operation.
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USS Tang sank Japanese freighter Taiun Maru No. 2 in the morning, and chased tanker Takatori Maru all day, finally sinking the tanker after sundown.
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USS Pintado arrived ta Majuro, Marshall Islands, ending her first war patrol.
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USS Becuna departed New London, Connecticut, United States.
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Photos dated 1 Jul 1944

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1 Jul 1945

US 2nd Armored Division moved into Berlin, Germany to take over the American Zone.
Pedro Cerono discovered 8 skulls that led to the discovery of the Tapel Massacre by Japanese troops in the Philippine Islands.
Amphibious landings by Australian and Dutch troops captured the great Borneo oil producing centre of Balik Papan.
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More than 530 American B-29 bombers attacked various cities in Japan with incendiary bombs.
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US Navy PB4Y Privateer aircraft based in Okinawa, Japan mined waters off the southern tip of Korea for the last time.
US Army B-29 bombers mined the Straits of Shimonoseki in Japan.
The US Third Fleet set sail for Leyte, Philippine Islands for rest and refit.
USS Ticonderoga departed Leyte, Philippine Islands and was assigned to Task Group 38.3.
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US submarine Barb attacked Japanese positions at Kaihyo Island off Sakhalin with rockets; it was the first American submarine-based rocket attack.
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USS Croaker departed Fremantle, Australia for her sixth war patrol.
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Whitehall was decommissioned from service.
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USS Sennet began her fourth war patrol in the Sea of Japan.
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Photos dated 1 Jul 1945

1 Jul 1946

Operation Crossroads: The United States conducted test 'Able' in the Bikini Islands, which saw an atomic detonation in the air.
USS IX-300 (former German cruiser Prinz Eugen) was a target ship during the Able atomic test of Operation Crossroads, sustaining light damage.
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Allied repatriation ship Hikawa Maru departed Shanghai, China.
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Steamer Bay was decommissioned from service.
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Photos dated 1 Jul 1946