8 Dec 1940
  • British light cruiser Diomede intercepted German freighter Idarwald while American destroyer Sturtevant stood by without any interference. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • Franco determined Spain was not ready to enter the war. ww2dbase [Francisco Franco | TH]
  • Battleship Bismarck exited the Kiel Canal. ww2dbase [Bismarck | CPC]
  • The British launched Operation Compass from Egypt, aiming to push back Italian troops into Libya. The forces moved through the gap between Italian camps Nibeiwa and Sofafi without being detected. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
  • German armed merchant cruiser Orion sank the ships Triadic (1 killed, 11 captured) and Triaster (64 captured) off Nauru. ww2dbase [Orion | CPC]
  • German submarine U-103 sank British liner Calabria 295 miles west of Ireland at 2058 hours. 360 were killed, 230 of whom were Indian sailors who were being ferried to Britain to crew other ships; 21 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • German submarine U-140 sank Finnish sail ship Penang 75 west of Ireland at 1226 hours, killing the entire crew of 18. At 2025 hours, U-140 struck again, sinking British ship Ashcrest, killing the entire crew of 37. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • British destroyer HMS Windsor hit and mine off Aldeburgh, Surrey, England, United Kingdom; she would be towed to Harwich, England by HMS Garth. ww2dbase [CPC]
  • German armed merchant cruiser Komet sank Komata off Nauru, killing 2 and capturing 33. ww2dbase [Komet | CPC]
Albania
  • Greek troops captured Gjirokastra and Delvinë in Albania. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH, CPC]
France Germany
  • Ernst Vogelsang completed submarine commander school and was made the commanding officer of U-18. ww2dbase [Ernst Vogelsang | CPC]
Italy
  • Inigo Campioni was relieved of command with the Italian Navy 1st Naval Squadron. ww2dbase [Inigo Campioni | CPC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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US Army soldiers march past the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, shortly after the German forces departed, Jun 5 1944.


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