23 Dec 1940
  • Greek submarine Papanikolis sank the Italian motor ship Antonietta. ww2dbase [Papanikolis | CPC]
  • British destroyer HMS Havock collided with battleship HMS Valiant during gunnery practice, causing the destroyer to be out of commission for repairs until 20 Feb 1941. ww2dbase [Valiant | CPC]
Albania
  • In Albania, Greek forces pushed back Italian troops another 20 miles up the Ionian coast. ww2dbase [Balkans Campaign | CPC]
Japan
  • Light carrier Hosho was deemed not suitable for modern carrier aircraft ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
Libya
  • In Libya, Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa General Rodolfo Graziani replaced General Mario Berti of Italian 10th Army with his Chief of Staff General Giuseppe Tellera after the failures in the initial stages of the British Operation Compass offensive. ww2dbase [Operation Compass | CPC]
United Kingdom
  • Anthony Eden was appointed Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Anthony Eden | TH]
  • Propagandist William Joyce, "Lord Haw-Haw", warned of a second night of bombing for Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Overnight, from 1915 until 0129 hours the next day, 171 German aircraft attacked the still-burning Manchester with 195 tons of high explosive bombs and 893 incendiary bombs. In two nights, 363 civilians were killed and 1,183 were wounded. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | William Joyce | Manchester, England | 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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Portrait of Chester Nimitz, circa early 1900s; note signature


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Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal


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