13 Dec 1940
- Führer Directive 20 was issued to prepare for Operation Marita, the invasion of Greece. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | TH]
- German Army units began redeployment in preparation for Operation Barbarossa. ww2dbase [TH]
- British 4th Armored Brigade crossed the desert between Halfaya and Sidi Omar in Egypt in an attempt to cut the road to Tobruk, Libya. To counter the British naval bombardment, Italian submarine Neghelli attacked British cruiser HMS Coventry 40 miles northeast of Sidi Barrani, Egypt at 2042 hours, nearly blowing off her bow; she was able to sail under her own power to Alexandria, Egypt for repairs. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Truant sank Italian ship Sebastino Bianchi 20 miles off the southern tip of Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-43 torpedoed and damaged British ship Orari 450 miles west of Land's End, England, United Kingdom at 2046 hours. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Manchester arrived in Britain from the Mediterranean Sea. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Douglas Bader was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. ww2dbase [Douglas Bader | AC]
- Pierre Laval was dismissed as the Vice President of the Council, which in effect was the Prime Minister of France. He was placed under arrest shortly after. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | Vichy | TH]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
|
Search WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » Wreck of Johnston Found (8 Apr 2021)
- » Passing of Margaret Kelly (25 Jan 2021)
- » WW2DB's 16th Anniversary (29 Dec 2020)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,099 biographies
- » 332 events
- » 38,428 timeline entries
- » 1,134 ships
- » 338 aircraft models
- » 191 vehicle models
- » 352 weapon models
- » 120 historical documents
- » 226 facilities
- » 464 book reviews
- » 27,381 photos
- » 354 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"Among the men who fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue."Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, 16 Mar 1945
Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!