1942
Return to the World War II Timeline
Backward | Forward
Jan. 1 –
26 Nations sign the Atlantic Charter
Allied countries meet and agree to use all resources necessary to defeat the Axis. They will, eventually, become the
United Nations.
Jan. 3 -
Kai-shek named Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in China.
The
Arcadia Conference makes Chiang Kai-shek, a Chinese leader, the leader of Allied troops stationed in and around China.
Jan. 5 –
Amy Johnson, high standing pilot, disappears.
Amy Johnson, a British pilot working for the war effort, goes missing mid-flight. No body is found.
Jan. 13 –
Operation Drumroll begins.
The German
U-Boat offensive along the east coast of the States begins.
Peacetime conditions on the coast allow the Axis to locate and attack merchant vessels with ease.
Jan. 18 –
Battle of Moscow ends.
The Germans lose the
Battle of Moscow, as the Soviets destroy long supply lines.
Jan. 20 –
SS Leader Heydrich holds the Wannsee Conference.
Discussion about the
Final Solution to the “Jewish Problem” begins. The end result is to be mass murder of the Jewish people.
Jan. 21 –
Rommel's march to El Agheila, Egypt begins.
A surprise on Allied forces allows Rommel to gain some ground towards one of Hitler's many dream captures.
Jan. 26 -
First American forces arrive in Great Britain.
Troops sent when Japan attack
Pearl Harbor make it to Britain without note.
Jan. 19 –
Rommel retakes Benghazi.
In Libya,
Afrika Korps gain Benghazi,
Libya and continue the offensive.
Feb. 1 –
Quisling becomes leader of Norway.
Germany appoints
Vidkun Quisling the leader of the Nazi puppet government in Norway.
Feb. 22 –
American troops retreat the Philippines.
President
Roosevelt has
General MacArthur evacuate all Allied troops from the Philippines.
Apr. 9 –
Allies in Bataan surrender.
In the Philippines, the Japanese takes Allied POWs. The
Bataan Death March begins.
May 8 -
Battle of Coral Sea begins and ends.
Although the Battle of Coral Sea involved naval ships, most of the damage was done by aircraft. Japanese won the battle, but barely. But the real victory was to the Allies in the halting of the Axis attack on
Port Moresby.
May 26 -
Afrika Korps begins an offensive against the Gazala Line.
Rommel sends all his armored troops to attack the British defensive at Gazala.
May 27 -
Heydrich attacked in Prague.
Czech Freedom Fighters attack and wound Reinhard Heydrich, the leader of the German
SS.
May 30 -
First thousand bomber British air raid.
Britain launches 1000 bombers against Germany.
May 31 –
Rommel regains Axis supply lines in Africa.
After the British are overrun by
Afrika Korps, the long cut off supply lines are returned to German control.
Jun. 4 -
The Battle of Midway begins.
The Japanese assault on Midway Island begins. The Americans, having broken the Japanese code, were laying in wait. Taken by surprise defenses, the Japanese lost. From this point on, the Japanese were on the defensive in the
War of the Pacific. In Prague, the wounds from the assassination attempt on May 27th prove too much and
Heydrich dies. Over 15,000 Czechs killed in retaliation.
Jun. 7 -
Germans besiege Sevastopol.
Axis forces attack the Soviet's main naval port on the
Black Sea. The Germans manage to outnumber Soviet troops, barely.
Jun. 9 -
Nazis exterminate Lidice.
In Czechoslovakia, the population of Lidice is killed in reprisal for Heydrich's assassination.
Jun. 19 -
Operation Sledgehammer is put off.
Churchill determines that the invasion of Axis occupied France will not be possible as the situation is currently.
Jun. 21 -
Rommel captures Tobruk.
Afrika Korps finally take the city of Tobruk, Libya. Food, fuel and munitions are restored with the capture. Hitler immediately promotes
Rommel to Field Marshall.
Roosevelt, hearing of the Allied loss, offers aid and tanks.
Jun. 25 -
Eisenhower arrives in London.
Eisenhower is to command American land forces in Europe.
Jul. 1 –
Rommel reaches El Alamein near Cairo, Egypt.
The first of many battles at
El Alamein begin.
Jul. 4 -
Germans take Sevastopol.
Battle of Sevastopol ends. Almost 100,000 Soviets are captured.
Jul. 22 -
First deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto to concentration camps.
Germans begin deporting Jews to concentration camps.
Aug. 12 -
Stalin and Churchill meet in Moscow.
The British and Soviet leaders meet to discuss military plans for the rest of the year.
Aug. 19 –
Battle of Dieppe begins.
A Canadian raid on Dieppe, France fails. German commanders noted that the attack was poorly planned.
Aug. 22 –
Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.
Brazil joins the Allies after the Axis sink several Brazilian ships.
Aug. 23 -
Battle of Stalingrad begins.
Massive German air raid on
Stalingrad.
Oct. 18 -
Hitler orders the execution of all captured commandos.
Enraged at recent events, Hitler orders the death of British POWs.
Oct. 24 -
The Battle of El Alamein begins.
General
Bernard Montgomery orders an offensive against
Rommel's troops. General
Georg Stumme, acting commander of
Afrika Korps in Rommel's place, dies of a heart attack during the battle. Hitler asks
Rommel to return to the combat, while ill.
Nov. 4 -
Operation Supercharge succeeds.
Rommel, upon returning to
El Alamein, realizes that a British victory is eminent. Hitler orders the
Afrika Korps to stay. However,
Rommel orders a retreat to
Fuka, Egypt. The victory is considered Montgomery's greatest achievement in the WWII effort.
Nov. 8 -
Operation Torch begins.
The Allied invasion of France-occupied North Africa is started. General
George Patton leads a majority of the American troops in Morocco. Days later, French-occupied Algeria and Tunisia surrender.
Nov. 19 -
Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad begins.
Operation Uranus turns the tide against the Axis, thanks to General
Georgy Zhukov.
Dec. 2 -
Professor Enrico Fermi sets up an atomic reactor.
In the
Chicago Manhattan Project the first self-sustaining atomic chain reaction is achieved.
Dec. 13 -
Rommel withdraws from El Agheila.
Afrika Korps around El Agheila retreat. The situation appears hopeless for Rommel.
Dec. 31 -
Battle of the Barents Sea between German and British ships.
German attack a British convoy in the Arctic. Losses are minor on both sides. Axis ships retreat on orders not to risk damage to ships.
An E2 Quest: Writeup Redemption submission.
Thanks to avalyn for a whole ton of help! And to BelDion for the original writeup!
Sources:
Most of the timeline itself came from BelDion's wu.
http://www.ehistory.com
http://encarta.msn.com
http://www.onwar.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk