13 Dec 1939
  • In China, troops of the Chinese 47th Corps captured the Taihang Mountain and cut the Taosin Railway by taking the stations at Poshan and Changkou. Chinese troops launched an offensive in eastern Shanxi Province in China, nearly encircling the Japanese 36th Division. ww2dbase [Winter Offensive | CPC]
  • Cruiser Köln returned from screening mission for minelayers. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
Atlantic Ocean
  • At the Battle of the River Plate, British naval forces damaged German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, forcing her enter the neutral port of Montevideo for repairs. HMS Cumberland was ordered to join Exeter, Ajax and Achilles off the Plate estuary off Uruguay. ww2dbase [Admiral Graf Spee | Cumberland | Exeter | Battle of the River Plate | CPC]
Finland
  • Ivan Khabarov was relieved as the commanding officer of Soviet 8th Army due to its poor performance in Finland. ww2dbase [The Winter War | Ivan Khabarov | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 13 Dec 1939
Admiral Graf SpeeAdmiral Graf SpeeAdmiral Graf SpeeClose-up view of the starboard side of Admiral Graf Spee
See all photos dated 13 Dec 1939

13 Dec 1939 Interactive Map

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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Actor Mickey Rooney eating in the USS Intrepid crews mess during a Christmas visit in California, United States, Dec 1943

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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


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