World War 2 timeline
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Nazi German Forces Begin Operation Fall Gelb with Attack on the Netherlands
On the morning of 10 May 1940 the Dutch awoke to the sound of aircraft engines roaring in the sky. Nazi Germany had commenced operation Fall Gelb... Read more
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Battle of Maastricht
The Battle of Maastricht was one of the first battles that took place during the German Campaign on the Western Front. Maastricht was a key city in... Read more
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Battle of Fort Eben-Emael Begins
he Battle of Fort Eben-Emael was a battle between Belgian and German forces that took place between 10 May and 11 May, 1940, and was part of the... Read more
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Battle for The Hague
Although the German troops managed to capture the three airfields, they failed in their primary objective of taking the city of Hague and forcing... Read more
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Allied Forces Initiate Dyle Plan
At roughly 04:00 the first air raids were conducted against airfields and communication centres. The Allied armies had enacted their Dyle plan on... Read more
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Battle of Hannut Begins
The Battle of Hannut was a World War II battle fought during the Battle of Belgium and took place on 12 May 1940 – 14 May 1940 at Hannut in... Read more
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General Winkelman Orders Destruction of Dutch Bridges and Oil Reserves to Prevent German Advance
In the afternoon General Winkelman received information about armoured forces advancing in the Langstraat region, on the road between... Read more
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British Royal Air Force French Armée de l'Air Attack German-Held Maastricht
On the morning of 12 May, in response to Belgian pressure and necessity, the Royal Air Force and the Armée de l'Air undertook several air attacks... Read more
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Winston Churchill Gives 'Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat' Speech
I hope that any of my friends and colleagues, or former colleagues, who are affected by the political reconstruction, will make allowance, all... Read more
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Germans Cross Meuse River into France at Sedan
At Sedan the Meuse Line consisted of a strong defensive belt, six kilometres deep according to the modern principles of zone defence on slopes... Read more
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German Forces Capture the Grebbeberg
The fall of the Grebbeberg was a huge blow to the Dutch. Defeat at this location meant the collapse of the entire Grebbeline and forced the Dutch... Read more
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Dutch Cabinet of Ministers Flees the Netherlands Amidst German Invasion
In the early morning of 13 May General Winkelman, advising the Dutch government, considered the general situation to be critical. On land the Dutch... Read more
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German Air Force Decimates Rotterdam
The paratroopers enjoyed more success in Rotterdam and areas near the critical Moerdijk bridges. Dutch troops bitterly contested Dordrecht, another... Read more
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Germans are Repelled from the Afsluitdijk by Dutch Heavy Artillery
Earlier in May 1940 two infantry sections (70 men) were sent to the end of the dyke to prevent German landings beyond the vision of both... Read more
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German Army Group A Breaks Defenses at Sedan
On the morning of 15 May German Army Group A broke the defences at Sedan and was now free to "dash" to the English Channel. The Allies now... Read more
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Dutch Army Surrenders to Germany Despite Continued Fighting in Parts of the Netherlands
At 05:00 on 15 May a German messenger reached The Hague, inviting Winkelman to Rijsoord for a meeting with von Küchler, to negotiate the articles... Read more
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German Occupation of the Netherlands Officially Begins
I looked out of the open window, over a large area of Amsterdam, over all the roofs and on to the horizon, which was such a pale blue that it was... Read more
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Dutch Province of Zeeland Surrenders to Germany
By late afternoon on May 17th, it was clear that the Germans had conquered the whole of Zeeland apart from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. The battle around the... Read more
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French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud Replaces Maurice Gamelin with Maxime Weygand, Following Failure to Contain German Offensive
On the morning of 20 May, Maurice Gamelin ordered the armies trapped in Belgium and northern France to fight their way south and link up with... Read more
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Battle of Arras (1940)
During the afternoon of 21 May, the attack by the 50th Division and the 1st Tank Brigade was progressing south from Arras. This was to be the only... Read more
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Battle of Dunkirk Begins
The story of the Battle of Dunkirk is one of heroic courage amidst untold tragedy. In the year 1940, at a time when World War II was in full rage,... Read more
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British Begin Evacuating Allied Soldiers from Dunkirk Evacuation, (Operation Dynamo)
Due to war-time censorship and the desire to keep up the morale of the nation, the full extent of the unfolding "disaster" around Dunkirk was not... Read more
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Belgian Army Surrenders to Germany
The Belgian Army was stretched from Cadzand south to Menin on the river Leie, and west, from Menin, to Bruges without any sort of reserves. With... Read more
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Winston Churchill Gives 'We Shall Fight on the Beaches' Speech
We Shall Fight On The Beaches is a common title given to a speech delivered by Sir Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the British... Read more
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Sinking of the RMS Lancastria
A fresh air raid began before 4 pm. She was bombed at 15:48 by Junkers 88 aircraft from II. Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 30. Three direct hits caused the... Read more