15 Jul 1911
- Germany offers to cede the northern part of Kamerun and Togoland in Africa to France in exchange for the French Congo.
15 Jul 1917
- The Provisional government in Russia collapsed and the Bolsheviks tried to take power in Petrograd, Russia.
15 Jul 1918
- Walther von Brauchitsch was promoted to the rank of Major.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1919
Belgium
Belgium
- Richard Saul was awarded Croix de Guerre with Palms of Belgium.
» In-depth article
- Richard Saul was made Chevalier of the Order of the Crown.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1929
- USS Arizona received a reduced commission status while she was undergoing modernization.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1933
- The Reich Food Estate was set up by German law, under the leadership of the party's chief agrarian spokesman, Walther Darré to oversee agricultural production and marketing.
- Germany required all corporations to be a member of a cartel to gain monopolistic efficiency.
15 Jul 1936
Spain
Spain
- Fal Condé, leader of the ardent Catholic Carlist movement in Spain, agreed to call out his 8,400 strong Requetés Militia to support the Nationalist cause.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1937
- Construction of Buchenwald Concentration Camp began by the inmates of the Lichtenburg Concentration Camp.
» In-depth article - Alfredo Oriani was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
- The Chinese Communist Party issued the declaration of cooperation with the Nationalist Party in the war against Japan.
15 Jul 1938
- Representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and 29 other nations met at Evian, France to discuss the issue of Jewish refugees fleeing out of Germany; no solid conclusion was reached.
- Werner Mölders scored his first aerial victory near Algar, Spain; the victim was an I-15 fighter.
» In-depth article
- Crown Prince Euimin was promoted to the rank of major general in the Japanese Army.
» In-depth article
- General Kotaro Nakamura was named the commanding officer of the Japanese Chosen Army in occupied Korea, relieving Kuniaki Koiso.
15 Jul 1939
- German submarine U-42 was commissioned into service.
- Historical document written: No. 36 & 48: Messages from Henderson to Halifax on Danzig
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1940
- Italians captured British territories in Kenya.
- Unemployment figure in Britain increased by 60,431 to 827,266 in Jun 1940 when compared to the previous month, but it was still drastically lower than the level one year prior.
- The British Home Office banned fireworks, flying kites, and flying balloons.
- Battle of Britain: Low cloud and rain kept most aircraft grounded, but small formations of German bombers still ventured into British air space. The attack along the Scottish coast was unfruitful, and the raid on the Westland Aircraft factory at Yeovil, Somerset, England damaged one runway and one hangar. German bombers were also sent to attack the convoy code named Pilot, but British fighters drove off the bombers before they reached the convoy.
» In-depth article - Operation Ambassador: Destroyers HMS Scimitar and HMS Saladin delivered 140 British commandos to the Channel Island of Guernsey. 40 men from the No. 3 Commando reached the shore on launches, but found their target barracks actually not used by Germans; 37 men returned to the destroyers, leaving 3 who could not swim behind to later become prisoners of war. Elsewhere, some of the launches landed at the Channel Island of Sark by mistake.
- German submarine U-34 sank Greek ship Evdoxia 40 miles southwest of Ireland at 0321 hours; 1 was killed and 22 survived.
» In-depth article - German aircraft bombed and sank Estonian ship Merisaar off Cobh, County Cork, Ireland. The bombers failed to realize that the ship had been captured by the German Navy back on 12 Jul. The German crew survived the sinking, but would be rescued by the British and would become prisoners of war.
- Erich Mußfeldt was assigned to Auschwitz Concentration Camp.
» In-depth article - The YO-49 Vigilant prototype aircraft took its first flight with pilot Al Schramm.
» In-depth article - Richelieu was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article - The rector of Old Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom was sentenced to four weeks in prison for ringing his church bell, which violated the 14 Jun 1940 restriction.
- Corvette HMS Godetia was commissioned into service.
- The keel of British corvette Mignonette was laid down.
- The keel of British destroyer HMS Panther was laid down.
- Germany demanded unrestricted access through French North Africa.
- German submarine U-108 was launched.
- The Soviet Union announced that recently held plebiscites in Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia revealed that the three Baltic States show near-unanimous support for joining the Soviet Union.
» In-depth article - Captain Shutoku Miyazato was relieved as the commanding officer of repair ship Akashi.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- USS Trenton departed Lisbon, Portugal with members of the royal family of the Duchy of Luxembourg aboard.
- The United States Marine Corps established the Marine Detachment, London in Britain, consisted of the 12th Marine Company.
- Historical document written: Report on Gloucester and Bristol
» In-depth article - Historical document written: Report on German Bombing
» In-depth article - Historical document written: Report on Intelligence Activities in London
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1941
- German troops encircled Smolensk, Russia.
» In-depth article - Erwin Rommel was officially declared the commanding officer of Panzergruppe Afrika.
» In-depth article - Werner Mölders claimed his 100th and 101st victories over the Soviet Union. He was awarded Diamonds to his Knight's Cross for achieving 100 victories, which was to be presented later by Adolf Hitler personally.
» In-depth article - The British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee issued its final report on atomic weapons.
» In-depth article - Kashii was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - The keel of Canadian destroyer Huron was laid down at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, United Kingdom.
- The keel of German submarine U-223 was laid down.
- The keel of German submarine U-224 was laid down.
- The keel of German submarine U-623 was laid down.
- The keel of German submarine U-624 was laid down.
- German submarine U-507 was launched.
- Soviet troops began a counter offensive in the Lake Ilmen area near Leningrad, Russia.
» In-depth article - Soviet commandos attacked the island of Morgonland in Finland and captured the 5 men stationed at the observation station.
- Honoring Charles de Gaulle's previous proclamation that the Allies had invaded the Vichy-held French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon as liberators rather than conquerors, the British who had accepted the Vichy surrender on the previous day handed control of the territory to the locals.
» In-depth article - All pilots of the US Army 3rd Pursuit Squadron and 20th Pursuit Squadron based in the Philippine Islands were certified to fly the P-35A fighters.
- The United States established a Naval Air Station and a Naval Operating Base at Argentia Bay, Newfoundland.
- The keel of carrier Cabot was laid down at Quincy, Massachusetts, United States.
» In-depth article - The keel of cruiser Oakland was laid down.
- ShCh-401 attacked German auxiliary submarine chasers UJ 177 and UJ 178 off Kiberg, Norway with a torpedo; the torpedo missed.
» In-depth article
- The US Marine Corps activated the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in London, England, United Kingdom.
15 Jul 1942
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Makassar, Celebes.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Cruiser Köln completed a minelaying operation in the North Sea.
» In-depth article - German troops captured Millerovo and Boguchar in southern Russia.
- USS Enterprise departed Pearl Harbor for the South Pacific.
» In-depth article - Wing Commander and ace Paddy Finucane (32 victories) failed to return from a fighter offensive sweep over northern France. Twenty-six of his kills had taken place during the 1940 Battle of Britain.
- In the western desert in Egypt, New Zealand Sergeant Keith Elliott won the Victoria Cross for leading an attack which captured four machine gun positions, an anti-tank gun and fifty prisoners despite being seriously wounded in the chest.
- German submarine U-201 attacked British ship Yeoman of Allied convoy OS-33 with torpedoes and gunfire 400 miles southwest of the Canary Islands at 0146 hours; 43 were killed, 10 survived and were rescued by Spanish tanker Castillo Almenara. In the same area, German submarine U-582 sank British ship Empire Attendant, also of Allied convoy OS-33, at 0330 hours; 59 were killed. Two United States Navy Kingfisher aircraft and the motor vessel Unicoi sank German submarine U-576 10 kilometers south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, United States. In the South Atlantic, 1225 miles west of Portuguese Angola, German armed merchant cruiser Michel sank British transport Gloucester Castle with gunfire at 1900 hours; 93 were killed, 61 survived. At 2025 hours, U-576 attacked Allied convoy KS-520 with four torpedoes 75 miles east of Cape Fear, North Carolina, United States, sinking Nicaraguan ship Bluefields, damaging US ship Chilore, and damaging Panamanian ship J. A. Mowinckel; two US Kingfisher aircraft counterattacked with depth charges, sinking U-576, killing all 45 aboard.
» In-depth article - German submarine U-571 disabled tanker Pennsylvania Sun 200 kilometers west of Key West, Florida, United States at 0749 hours; 2 were killed, 59 survived on 3 lifeboats. The tanker would later be repaired and would return to service.
» In-depth article - Bombardiere was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article - Destroyer HMS Relentless was launched.
- The keel of British frigate Musk was laid down.
- German submarine U-529 was launched.
- The keel of German submarine U-746 was laid down.
- The keel of German submarine U-861 was laid down.
- German submarine U-467 was commissioned into service.
- Finnish minelayer Ruotsinsalmi and patrol boat VMV 16 sank Soviet submarine Shtsh 317 with depth charges near the lightship Kallbĺdagrund.
- Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham, wounded during the fighting at Ruweisat Ridge in Egypt, refused to be evacuated and chose to lead his men in combat until he was unable to move. He would survive the battle and would become the only man in WW2 to be awarded the Victoria Cross and Bar decoration.
- After sundown, US Army B-24 bombers attacked Benghazi harbor. Libya.
- Minesweeper HMAS Wallaroo was commissioned into service.
- The US Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first discussion on recapturing Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands.
» In-depth article - Tug HMCS Lakeville was assigned to St. John's, Newfoundland.
- The Canadian military established its first photographic interpretation unit for the Pacific Theater.
- Canadian frigate Swansea was laid down Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada.
- Submarine USS Sunfish was commissioned into service.
» In-depth article - The keel of American destroyer escort Stewart was laid down.
- The keel of American destroyer escort Sturtevant was laid down.
- Corvette USS Might was launched.
- Destroyer USS Thompson was launched.
- British No. 892 Squadron Fleet Air Arm took delivery of new Martlet IV fighters (a lend-lease version of the American F4F-4 Wildcat fighter). The squadron subsequently embarked of the light escort carriers HMS Archer and HMS Battler.
» In-depth article - A heavy anti-aircraft battery and an automatic weapons battery of the US 4th Marine Defense Battalion arrived at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides.
- In Operation Pinpoint, HMS Eagle launched 32 Spitfire fighters for Malta; 1 was lost en route.
» In-depth article
- USS S-28 departed Dutch Harbor, US Territory of Alaska for her second war patrol.
» In-depth article - A salvage crew arrived at Akutan Island, US Territory of Alaska to recover a A6M2 Zero fighter that had crashed there during the Japanese attack in the prior month.
» In-depth article - USS Grunion attacked the Japanese anchorage at Kiska, Aleutian Islands, sinking submarine chaser Ch-25 (all 68 aboard were killed), sinking submarine chaser Ch-27 (all 68 aboard were killed), and damaging submarine chaser Ch-26.
» In-depth article
- Repair ship Akashi provided repair work for destroyer Arashio at Truk, Caroline Islands.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- New Zealand 4th Brigade and 5th Brigade captured the western end of Ruweisat Ridge near El Alamein, Egypt before dawn; without tank support, however, they suffered heavy casualties as German tanks repeatedly attacked, overrunning several positions by dusk and capturing 730 prisoners. At the eastern end of the ridge, Indian 5th Infantry Brigade, with British tank support, captured several Axis positions.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1943
See all photos dated 15 Jul 1943
- USS Copahee was reclassified an escort carrier with hull number CVE-12.
» In-depth article - Erwin Rommel was made the commander of Heeresgruppe B.
» In-depth article - Before dawn, Allied Northwest African Tactical Air Force bombers attacked Palermo, Sicily, Italy. During the day, US Ninth Air Force B-25 bombers attacked Palermo, Cape Gallo, Salina Island, and Cape Zifferano while the Northwest African Tactical Air Force attacked Vibo Valentia. Meanwhile, airborne troops of the UK 1st Airborne Division were relieved after fighting a larger German airborne force at Primosole Bridge over the Simeto River in Sicily, Italy for the past two days, ending Operation Fustian. Finally, US 7th Army captured the ports of Agrigento and Porto Empedocle.
» In-depth article - The keel of Canadian frigate Loch Morlich was laid down at Wallsend-on-Tyne, England, United Kingdom.
- Frigate HMS Calder was commissioned into service.
- British frigate Musk was launched.
- British destroyer Zephyr was launched.
- British minesweeping trawler Steepholm and and minesweeper Welfare were launched.
- British escort carrier Thane was launched.
- German submarine U-988 was commissioned into service.
- George Patton formed a provisional corps in western in Sicily, Italy.
» In-depth article - British submarine HMS United sank Italian submarine Remo in the Gulf of Taranto, Italy.
- Before dawn, Allied Northwest African Strategic Air Force Wellington bombers attacked airfields and docks at Naples, Italy. During the day, Villa San Giovanni and Foggia were attacked by Allied aircraft.
- The Soviet Central Front began an offensive toward Orel, Russia.
- Submarine USS Narwhal shelled a Japanese airfield on Matsuwa Island, Kurile Islands, the first time the Kurile Islands were attacked by an American vessel in the war.
» In-depth article - The Japanese Navy launched 24 G4M bombers, escorted by about 40 to 50 A6M Zero fighters, to attack various targets in the central Solomon Islands; the bulk of the attack force was intercepted by US Army and US Navy fighters in the Rendova Island, New Georgia, Solomon Islands area, and 15 G5M bombers and 30 A6M fighters were shot down at a loss of only 3 American fighters. On land at New Georgia, men of the US Army and US Marine Corps launched an offensive at Laiana Beach. Also on this date, Allied leadership completed the plans for the invasion and occupation of New Britain, which was scheduled for 15 Nov 1943.
» In-depth article - The keel of Australian frigate HMAS Culgoa was laid down.
- A B-24 Liberator bomber and two P-39 Airacobra fighters of USAAF Eleventh Air Force flew a reconnaissance mission over Kiska and Segula Islands in the Aleutian Islands, while 9 B-24 bombers and 14 B-25 bombers attacked Kiska in the same archipelago.
- The under-construction Canadian corvette Sea Cliff was renamed Guelph.
- US President Roosevelt created he Office of Economic Warfare, which was to be led by Leo Crowley.
» In-depth article - The US Navy established a new scheme for the designation of aircraft carriers. Large fleet carriers would retain the designation of CV. 10,000-ton carriers built on light cruiser hulls were from CV to CVL (light carriers). Auxiliary aircraft carriers, previuosly ACV, were now redesignated as CVE (escort carriers). Finally, the new designation of CVB (large carriers) was established for the Midway-class carriers.
- The keel of American minesweeper Graylag was laid down.
- The keel of American submarine Blower was laid down.
» In-depth article - The keel of American destroyer escort Day was laid down.
- The keel of American destroyer escort Rudderow was laid down.
- American destroyer escort George was launched.
- American destroyer escort Savage was launched.
- American destroyer escort Spangler was launched.
- American minesweeper Gadwall was launched.
- American frigates Covington and Shreveport were launched.
- US Navy Patrol Squadron 32 PBM-3C Mariner aircraft sank German submarine U-759 in the Caribbean Sea south of Haiti with depth charges (all 47 killed).
» In-depth article - British sloop HMS Rochester, corvette HMS Mignonette, and corvette HMS Balsam, with the help from a US Navy PBY Catalina aircraft, sank German submarine U-135 in the Atlantic Ocean; 5 German crew were killed, 41 survived. Off the Portuguese island of Madeira, US Navy Composite Squadron 29 TBF Avenger torpedo bomber sank German submarine U-509; all 54 aboard were killed. Also off Madeira, German submarine U-135 damaged transport Twickenham. U-572 sank sailing ship Gilbert B. Walters off Venezuela. In the South Atlantic, 620 miles east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, U-172 sank transport Harmonic at 2116 hours; 1 was killed, 38 survived.
- German submarine U-181 sank British ship Empire Lake 240 miles east of Madagascar at 1801 hours; 30 were killed, 7 survived.
- Shokaku arrived at Truk, Caroline Islands.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement
- Carrier Langley was reclassified as a light carrier.
» In-depth article
See all photos dated 15 Jul 1943
15 Jul 1944
See all photos dated 15 Jul 1944
- Japanese hospital ship Hikawa Maru departed Truk and arrived at Mereyon, Yap; she would depart later on the same day.
» In-depth article
» Tabular Record of Movement - Rommel communicated to Hitler that Germany should seriously consider ending the war on favorable terms when it was still possible; for a unknown reason, this letter was delayed in its delivery, not reaching Hitler until 20 Jul.
» In-depth article - US 83rd Infantry Division became part of the US VIII Corps.
- A British No. 206 Squadron RAF Liberator bomber sank German submarine U-319 with depth charges in the North Sea; the aircraft was also lost during the successful attack. Also in the North Sea, another Liberator bomber from No. 159 Squadron RAF attacked U-561, but was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire.
- Claus von Stauffenberg aborted an assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler when Hitler departed a conference earlier than expected.
» In-depth article - US Fifteenth Air Force in Italy launched more than 600 bombers to attack four oil refineries in the Ploesti and Teleajenul areas in Romania.
- Japanese-American Staff Sergeant Kazuo Otani of the US 442nd Infantry Regiment was killed while fighting near Pieve di Santa Luce, Italy. He repeated exposed himself to German fire in order to give directions to his platoon, and crawled under fire to give medical aid to a wounded soldier. He would later be awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor.
- Soviet forces launched an offensive at the Finnish line in northern Karelia on the border of Finland and Russia; Finnish 5th Division counterattacked near Nietjrvi in the afternoon.
- The Soviet Second Baltic Front captured Opochka, Russia.
- German submarine U-679 damaged Soviet torpedo boat TK-57.
- German submarine U-181 sank transport Tanda in the Indian Ocean. In the Mozambique Channel between continental Africa and Madagascar, U-198 sank transport Director; 1 was killed, 56 survived.
- In the Mariana Islands, US Seventh Air Force P-47 fighters based on Saipan attacked targets on Tinian.
» In-depth article - US Navy Bombing Squadron109 PB4Y Liberator bombers based at Isley Field on Saipan, Mariana Islands attacked Iwo Jima, Chichi Jima, and Haha Jima.
- Minesweeper HMCS Rossland was commissioned into service.
- American minesweeper Ptarmigan was launched.
- Minesweeper USS Diploma was commissioned into service.
- USS Pollack departed Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii for her eleventh war patrol.
» In-depth article
- In the Caroline Islands, US B-24 bombers attacked Truk and Yap.
- The US Eighth Air Force based in Britain launched two missions over France, with 169 P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt fighter-bombers attacking German transportation southeast of Paris (3 aircraft lost) and 6 B-17 Flying Fortress bombers dropping propaganda leaflets over French cities after sundown. Four B-26 Marauder bombers of the US Ninth Air Force hit the L'Aigle rail bridge in the afternoon, while fighters also of the Ninth Air Force attacked various targets at Saint-Lô, Argentan, and Falaise.
» In-depth article - French Milice members executed 28 prisoners who participated in a revolt on the previous day at Santé Prison in Paris, France.
- Claus von Stauffenberg met with Adolf Hitler at Rastenburg, East Prussia, Germany at 1300 hours. General Friedrich Olbricht activated Valkyrie in Berlin, Germany two hours prior to the meeting, expecting his troops to be in position to seize key positions in the capital at about the same moment Hitler was to be killed by a bomb that Stauffenberg brought into the meeting. Hitler departed the meeting early unexpectedly, and Olbricht hastily called off the operation, announcing that the troop movement was simply a drill.
» In-depth article
- Two divisions of the British 8th Army attacked Arezzo, Italy.
» In-depth article
- US President Roosevelt arrived in Chicago, Illinois, United States aboard his personal train Ferdinand Magellan and met with the chairman of the Democratic Convention Robert Hannegan to discuss the upcoming re-election.
» In-depth article
See all photos dated 15 Jul 1944
15 Jul 1945
See all photos dated 15 Jul 1945
- Italy declared war on Japan.
- King Leopold of Belgium again refused to abdicate.
» In-depth article - Japanese submarine I-502 was commissioned into service at Singapore.
- Japanese submarine I-501 was commissioned into service.
- Japanese submarine I-505 was commissioned into service.
- Japanese submarine I-506 was commissioned into service.
- Corvettes HMCS Timmins and HMCS Thorlock were decommissioned at Sorel, Quebec, Canada.
- Corvette HMCS Midland was decommissioned at Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
- USS Becuna attacked a Japanese Otori-class torpedo boat without effect.
» In-depth article - USS Menhaden completed training in Lake Michigan in the United States.
» In-depth article - USS Cero rescued three downed US airmen off Japan. Later in the day, she bombarded the Japanese lighthouse and radio station at Shiriya Saki at Higashidori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
» In-depth article
- American battleship USS Iowa, USS Missouri, and USS Wisconsin bombarded industrial targets at Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan; the main targets were Wanishi Iron Works plants and the Muroran Works. From the air, American naval aircraft attacked northern Honshu and Hokkaido, destroying railways and coal ferries. 104 US Army P-51 fighters based in Iwo Jima Meiji, Kagamigahara, Kowa, Akenogahara, Nagoya, and Suzuko, Japan. B-24 bombers attacked Tomitaka, Usa, Kikaiga-shima, Amami Islands, Yaku-shima, Osumi Islands, and Tamega Island. After sun down, American B-29 bombers mined Japanese waters at Naoetsu and Niigata and Korean waters at Najin, Pusan, and Wonsan, while other B-29 bombers attacked and seriously damaged the Nippon Oil Company facilities at Kudamatsu in southwestern Japan.
» In-depth article - Marquis Hironobu was made an instructor at the Japanese Navy Torpedo School.
» In-depth article
- USS Bluefish sank Japanese submarine I-351 in the South China Sea, hitting her with 2 of 5 torpedoes fired.
» In-depth article
- USS Chub departed Subic Bay in central Luzon, Philippine Islands for her third war patrol.
» In-depth article
See all photos dated 15 Jul 1945
15 Jul 1946
- Cotten was decommissioned from service.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1957
Photo(s) dated 15 Jul 1957
Photo(s) dated 15 Jul 1957
15 Jul 1960
- Filipp Golikov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the fourth time.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1980
- Filipp Golikov was awarded the Order of Red Banner of Labor.
» In-depth article
15 Jul 1993
- Stephen Jurika 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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"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!"Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe, Guadalcanal, 13 Jan 1943