Axis Diplomacy
Bulgaria declares war on Britain and the US. Hungary declares war on the US.
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]Borneo
A detachment of Indian troops destroys the oil installations in Sarawak and Brunei. These troops then retire to Kuching, capital of Sarawak, in order to defend the airport there.
[]Burma
The British evacuate their airfield at Victoria Point on the Thai border in the southern part of the country on the Kra Isthmus. They retreat northwards to the area of Tenasserim. The Japanese move in.
[ | ]Eastern Front
Soviet forces are reporting progress on all fronts according to the Russian High Command.
CENTRAL SECTORElements of the 29th and 31st Armies, advancing around Kalinin, cut the German line of retreat from the town. The mobile groups of the 16th and 5th Armies push forward near Istra, the 5th Army group moving toward Ruza. Exploiting the cracks in the German line, the II Guards Cavalry Corps pushes forward, closely followed by a tank brigade.
To the south, the 2nd Panzer Army falls back to the Plava but is threatened on both flanks as the Soviets press theier attacks home. On the northern wing, the XLIII Corps becomes separated from the XXIV Panzer Corps by more than 25 miles. Guderian's flanks are uncovered.
[ | ] Deportation of Jews to Riga, Latvia |
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Hawaii
An American squadron sails from Pearl Harbor to bring aid to Wake Island. Rear-Adm Frank Jack Fletcher is in command.
Hong Kong
The British forces withdraw from their positions on the mainland on to Hong Kong island. Terms for surrender are handed to the governor, Sir Mark Young. The British refuse in the hope that Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese 7th Army, only about 30 miles away, will come to their aid. That help does not arrive.
[ | ]Mediterranean
- There is much naval activity by both sides during the next week. During this day 2 Italian cruisers, the Alberico da Barbiano and the Alberto di Giussano, carrying a cargo of fuel to North Africa are attacked and sunk off Cape Bon by 3 British and 1 Dutch destroyer, the Isaac Sweers. 900 Italian sailors are killed. Also, the Italians begin a major convoy operation to bring supplies to Benghazi covered by their main fleet including 4 battleships. The British submarine Upright sink the Italian steamers Fabio Filzi (6836t) and Carlo del Greco (6836t) 15 miles south of Cape St Vito.
- U-453 sinks the neutral Spanish tanker Badalona (4202t) east of Gibraltar with the loss of 3 crewmen.
| ]North Africa
Rommel makes a stand and counterattacks in the western desert. Some of the British forces that have closed up to the Gazala position lose heavily. The 5th Brigade, 4th Indian Div, advances on a key escarpment at Alam Hamza and the 7th Brigade swings around to outflank the escarpment to the south. The 7th Brigade is counterattacked by Lt-Gen Ludwig Crüwell's panzers and is only saved from disaster by the guns of the 25th Field Regt, which destroys 12 enemy tanks at a cost of 7 officers and 58 men. The attacks of the 5th Brigade are also repulsed except the 1st Battalion, Royal East Kent Regt, which captures Point 204 in the southwest of the escarpment.
Despite these successes Rommel realizes he cannot make a permanent stand because of the weakness of his forces. The battle will last 5 days. The Germans begin a long retreat through Cyrenaica to the next defensible position at El Agheila.
[ | ]Occupied Soviet Union
Men of Einsatzgruppe D and German police finish the execution of 12,500 Jews who had been held in Simferopol. The victims had been transported out of the town in trucks, unloaded and then shot.
[ | ]Pacific
- The American tanker Manatawny (5030t) is sunk by Japanese bombing at Manila.
- The Dutch submarine K-12 sinks the Japanese tanker Taizan Maru (3245t) near Cape Camau, Indochina.
| ]Philippines
US naval and air bases in the Philippines are attacked by Japanese aircraft. They virtually eliminate what is left of the American aircraft available for the defense fo the island.
Fires Started by Japanese Air Raid |
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