1941: Russians fall back in the southern Ukraine as Germans make for the port of Rostov. Russian armies in front of Moscow reported split. The rain and mud begins to impede the German advance, but German troops manage to capture Rzhev.

14/15th,1942: Japanese bombard Henderson Field at night from warships then send troops ashore onto Guadalcanal in the morning as U.S. planes attack.

1942: In the northern part of Stalingrad, units of the 6th Army advance in bitter fighting and surround the heavily defended Tractor Factory, following a series of devastating attacks (over 3,000 sorties) by bombers of Luftflotte 4.

1943: Second Schweinfurt raid. 228 planes - 62 lost - 8th AF suspended daylight raids until fighter escorts arrive.

1943: German forces evacuate the Zaporozhe bridgehead on the eastern bank of the Dnieper river.

1944: The British liberate Athens and Piraeus and also land on Corfu. Russian troops and Yugoslav Partisans force their way in to Belgrade.

1944: German Field Marshal Rommel, suspected of complicity in the July 20th plot against Hitler, is visited at home by two of Hitler's staff and given the choice of public trial or suicide by poison. He chooses suicide and it is announced that he died of wounds.

This Day in WWI

1914: Canadian Expeditionary Force of 32,000 men lands at Plymouth.

1915: Bulgaria at war with Serbia.

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