1940: Destroyer Exmouth torpedoed off Wick, Scotland by U-22; all hands killed.

1941: Destroyer Hyperion sunk by mine off Cape Bon.

1941: Tobruk surrenders to British and Australian troops who capture 25,000 Italians, along with 208 guns and 87 tanks. Combined British and Australian losses were about 450. The British government now orders Wavells XIII Corps to capture Benghazi.

1943: Axis forces pull out of Tripoli for Tunisia, destroying bases as they leave.

1943: Allies defeat Japanese at Sanananda on New Guinea.

1943: On Guadalcanal, the Americans make important gains in the battle round Henderson field.

1944: The U.S. Fifth Army lands two divisions (36,034 men and 3,069 vehicles) under Major-Gen. John P. Lucas at Anzio, 30 miles South of Rome.

1945: The Red Army captures Insterburg and Allenstein in East Prussia.

1945: The land route from India to China through Burma is declared free of Japanese and now open to convoys.

This Day in WWI

Western Front

1915: Heavy fighting at Fontaine Madame and St. Hubert (Argonne) and at the Hartmannsweilerkopf.

1915: Aeroplane raid by the Germans on Dunkirk, and by the British on Zeebrugge.

1916: Aeroplane raid on Dover, 1 killed, 6 injured.

1918: German raids near St. Quentin and La Bassee.

1918: Much British bombing at Roulers, Menin and Courtrai.

Eastern Front

1915: Austrians, having been strongly reinforced, recapture Kirlibaba.

1917: Bulgarians cross southern arm of Danube near Tulcea (Dobruja).

1918: Russian protest against omissions in German report of peace proceedings.

Southern Front

1916: Austrians occupy Antivari and Dulcigno (Montenegro).

1916: Austro-Bulgarians take Berat (Albania).

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

1916: Armistice for six hours on Tigris; relief force hampered by floods.

1918: Samaria again bombed.

Naval and Overseas Operations

1916: Russian torpedo boats sink a further 40 sailing vessels in Black Sea.

1917: Two destroyer actions by night in North Sea. One German destroyer sunk and one (V69) towed damaged into Ymuiden. One British destroyer lost.

Political

1918: First meeting of Allied Naval Council in London.

1918: Japanese Prime Minister warns Russia that Japan will intervene in Eastern Asia if necessary.

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