World War II Chronologyy

01/09/1939	German troops and aircraft attack Poland
03/09/1939	Great Britain and France declare war on Germany
12/02/1940	Anthony Eden greets the first Australian and New Zealand troops arriving in Suez.
10/06/1940	Italy declares war on Britain and France, invades France
11/06/1940	South Africa declares war on Italy. RAF bomb airfields and petrol dumps in Libya. British armoured cars cross into Libya
12/06/1940	RAF bomb docks in Tobruk, Libya.
14/06/1940	British troops capture Fort Capuzzo and Maddalena, then retire back to Egypt.
22/06/1940	Italians bomb Alexandria, Egypt.
27/06/1940	French C-in-C in Syria accepts armistice terms.
28/06/1940	Marshal Balbo, the Governor-General of Libya is
01/07/1940	Marshal Graziani, is appointed as C-in-C of the Italian forces in Libya.
04/07/1940	Italian bombers raid Alexandria.
25/07/1940	Italy bombs the British naval base at Alexandria
02/08/1940	Italy reported to be massing troops on Libya-Egypt border.
17/08/1940	British warships bombard Italian ports in Libya.
19/08/1940	Mussolini orders Marshal Graziani to invade Egypt.
22/08/1940	Churchill dispatches a heavily armed convoy with 150 tanks to the middle east.
13/09/1940	5 Italian divisions and 200 tanks in Cyrenaica under Marshal Graziani, cross the Libyan/Egyptian border and advance toward Sidi Barrani in Egypt. The 7th Armoured and 4th Indian Divisions have orders to withdraw as far as Mersa Matruh
16/09/1940	Italian advance in Egypt continues as they capture Sidi Barrani,
24/09/1940	The convoy of 150 tanks dispatched by Churchill on the 22nd August, arrives at Port Said in Egypt.
09/12/1940	Operation Compass The Western Desert Force 30,000 strong and under the command of Wavell takes to the offensive The 4th Indian division captures the Italian camps, 7th Armoured drives towards Buq Buq on the coast road. As column also advances along the coast road from Mersa Matruh towards Maktila
11/12/1940	Sidi Barrani is captured along with over 20,000 Italians, bringing the total captured to nearly 38,000 in 2 days, along with 237 guns and 73 tanks. At this time, Wavell decides to withdraw the 4th Indian Division and send it to the Sudan. It will be replaced by the 6th Australian Division
17/12/1940	While pursuing the retreating Italians, the British forces in North Africa take Sollum, Fort Capuzzo and several other crucial Italian defensive positions. They also capture another 38,000 Italians along the way.
19/12/1940	Mussolini requests German assistance for his hard-pressed troops in Cyrenaica, asking for a Panzer Division, Luftwaffe units and various logistical support.
20/12/1940	No Italian troops are now left on Egyptian soil
21/12/1940	Bardia is surrounded by the 6th Australian Division, although the Italians put up resistance
01/01/1941	The Western Desert Force is renamed as the XIII Corps.
03/01/1941	Australian 6th Division breaks through the Italian defences around Bardia.
05/01/1941	General Bergonzoli surrenders the Italian XXIII Corps at Bardia to the Australians. 45,000 Italian prisoners and 130 tanks are captured by the Australians for just 500 casualties.
06/01/1941	Churchill demands that troops be released from Wavell's offensive and sent to Greece.
07/01/1941	Tobruk is surrounded
11/01/1941	Hitler confirms in Directive No.22, his intentions to send military support to the Italians in Libya. The operation is to be named 'Sunflower'.
21/01/1941	British and Australian forces breach the defenses at Tobruk.
22/01/1941	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.
23/01/1941	The British 4th Armoured Brigade reaches Mechili, but cannot attack as its garrison is stronger than first thought and so has to bring the rest of the 7th Armoured Division up.
27/01/1941	The 7th Armoured Division captures Mechili. Meanwhile the Australians have bumped into strong Italian defences at Derna and so Wavell decides to halt further offensive action.
30/01/1941	Australian troops capture Derna as the Italians begin to withdraw towards Benghazi.
05/02/1941	An advanced column of armoured cars from the 7th Armoured Division intercept the Italian retreat about 70 miles south of Benghazi.
06/02/1941	Australian forces capture Benghazi along with six senior Italian Generals. Italian forces make repeated attempts to break through the weak British blocking forces at Beda Fomm, but cannot. Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel is appointed to command the German forces being sent to Africa.
12/02/1941	The Italians surrender 20,000 men, 200 guns and 120 tanks to just 3,000 British troops. Anthony Eden makes a speech parodying Winston Churchill's famous 'Battle of Britain' speech. He says "Never has so much been surrendered, by so many, to so few". Lieutenant General Rommel arrives in Tripoli and reports to General Gariboldi who has replaced Marshal Graziani as commander of the Italian Army in Libya.
14/02/1941	. Leading elements of the German 5th Light Division arrive at Tripoli and are immediately moved up to Sirte to take up defensive positions.
24/02/1941	Reconnaissance elements of the German 5th Light Division clash with British forces for the first time in Africa, at Nofilia near El Agheila.
04/03/1941	The British start to transfer the first contingent of troops from Egypt to Greece. These are to be under the command of General Maitland Wilson.
06/03/1941	German aircraft mine the Suez canal, blocking it for 3 weeks.
11/03/1941	The German 5th Light Division has now completely arrived in Libya and is ordered to prepare for an attack on El Agheila. Meanwhile, Rommel has flown back to Germany for further orders and has been told that when the 15th Panzer Division has arrived in Libya at the end of May he is to recapture Benghazi.
24/03/1941	Rommel, conducts a limited offensive to recapture El Agheila from the British, which succeeds with startling ease. This encourages Rommel to push forward towards Mersa Brega.
31/03/1941	The 5th Light Division engages the British 2nd Armoured Division near Mersa Brega, as it attempts to capture the town. The battle rages all day and results in the British withdrawing towards Agedabia.
02/04/1941	The 5th Light Division recaptures Agedabia from the British
04/04/1941	German and Italian troops enter Benghazi unopposed.
06/04/1941	Elements of the 5th Light Division capture Mechili and threaten to cut of the 9th Australian Division which is withdrawing at speed towards Tobruk along the coast.
07/04/1941	Derna is captured the 5th Light Division along with Generals Neame and O'Connor
09/04/1941	Rommel's forces take Bardia.
10/04/1941	The 9th Australian Division withdraws into Tobruk.
11/04/1941	Rommel makes an attempt to capture Tobruk off the march. However, the 9th Australian Division repulses the attack, forcing the Germans to think again.
12/04/1941	German armoured units complete the encirclement of Tobruk and push on up the coast road towards the Egyptian frontier.
13/04/1941	German advance spearheads capture Sollum. Rommel receives orders from Berlin that he is to consolidate on the Egyptian frontier and concentrate of capturing Tobruk.
27/04/1941	German troops cross the Egyptian border and capture the Halfaya Pass. The British begin construction of a major defensive line in front of Mersa Matruh.
30/04/1941	The Afrika Korps second attempt to capture Tobruk is again repulsed by the Australians.
15/05/1941	The British Army under Auchinleck, launch an offensive, operation 'Brevity' against the Afrika Korps and recapture Halfaya Pass, Sollum and Capuzzo.
16/05/1941	The Afrika Korps counter-attack against the British and retake Sollum and Capuzzo, although the Halfaya Pass remains in British hands.
27/05/1941	Having been reinforced by the 15th Panzer Division, Rommel retakes the Halfaya Pass on Egyptian border.
02/06/1941	A Greek government-in-exile is formed in Egypt.
04/06/1941	Luftwaffe bombers carry out a night raid on the port of Alexandria in Egypt, killing 100 people. The Egyptian Cabinet resigns.
08/06/1941	British, Commonwealth and Free French forces invade Syria and the
15/06/1941	The British Army begins 'Operation Battleaxe' to relieve Australian held Tobruk and then advance towards Derna but get bogged down.
16/06/1941	The British attempt to continue their offensive, but suffer heavy tank losses to German 88mm Flak guns.
17/06/1941	The Afrika Korps beats back the British attack at Sollum causing the British to call off 'Operation Battleaxe' with 1,000 British casualties and 91 tanks lost, for German losses of just 12 tanks.
05/07/1941	General Wavell is relieved of his command as C-in-C of the Middle East, by General Sir Claude Auchinleck.
01/08/1941	Fighting flares up around the perimeter of Tobruk.
19/08/1941	A brigade of the 9th Australian Division which is besieged at Tobruk is relieved by sea, as Polish reinforcements arrive.
28/08/1941	After demands from the Australian Prime Minister, the British agree to relieve the remainder of the 9th Australian Division from Tobruk.
14/09/1941	Rommel launches a probing operation with the 21st Panzer Division towards Sidi Barrani The British forces begin to fall back.
25/09/1941	Rommel withdrwas the 21st Panzer Division back to the Libyan-Egyptian border.
26/09/1941	The British Eighth Army is formed in Egypt
18/11/1941	Operation Crusader, the British Eighth Army's offensive to relieve Tobruk begins. Rommel, who arrives back from Rome that day, is caught by surprise, allowing the British XXX Corps to advance 50-miles and capture the axis airfield 10 miles south of Sidi Rezegh.
20/11/1941	The British garrison is ordered to break out and link up with XXX Corps. However, Rommel, now realizing the threat sent the Afrika Korps to attack at Sidi Rezegh.
22/11/1941	A confused battle continues around Sidi Rezegh, with XXX Corps being forced to stop it advance towards Tobruk after the loss of many tanks and for the Tobruk break-out to be halted.
23/11/1941	Axis forces destroy the 5th South African Brigade after days of tank battles round Tobruk.
24/11/1941	Rommel gives orders for his tanks to cut off the British supply routes by thrusting towards the Egyptian frontier, or as it became known, the 'dash for the wire'. By the end of the day Rommel's tanks had reached the frontier and caused complete confusion in the rear of the Eighth Army.
26/11/1941	Auchinleck replaces Cunningham as commander of the Eighth Army with General Ritchie.
27/11/1941	The Tobruk garrison links up the the New Zealand Division of the Eighth Army at El Duda.
05/12/1941	Rommel orders the evacuation of the eastern part of the Tobruk perimeter, but the attack fails.
07/12/1941	The German and Italian forces withdraw to a defensive position at Gazala.
08/12/1941	The Eighth Army officially relieves the Tobruk garrison.
15/12/1941	The Eighth Army attack the German and Italian positions at Gazala. Rommel, orders the retreat.
19/12/1941	British retake Derna from axis forces.
23/12/1941	Rommel start to evacuate Benghazi.
25/12/1941	The British retake Benghazi.
01/01/1942	British forces take Bardia, along with 8,000 Axis prisoners.
06/01/1942	Rommel's battered forces reach the Tripolitanian frontier
12/01/1942	British capture Sollum.
17/01/1942	The last German garrison at Halfaya in Cyrenaica surrenders, with about 5,500 prisoners taken.
20/01/1942	British troops capture Benghazi.
21/01/1942	Rommel launches a counter-offensive against the 8th Army. The 21st Panzer Division quickly seizes Mersa Brega, while the 15th Panzer Division advances to Wadi Faregh and swings north towards Agedabia, brushing aside the attempts by the 1st Armoured Division to stop them.
22/01/1942	Rommels command is redesignated as Panzer Army Afrika. German panzers capture Agedabia and trap part of the British 1st Armoured Division in the Antelat - Sannu area, destroying about 70 of its tanks.
23/01/1942	General Cavallero, C in C, Italian High Command and Field Marshall Albert Kesselring, German C in C, South, fly to Rommel's advanced HQ. The Italians want Rommel to stop his offensive and withdraw to his start line, but Rommel rejects this demand. The Italians therefore refuse to allow their troops to advance any further east, but undeterred, Rommel presses on with just the Afrika Korps.
25/01/1942	German troops capture Msus
29/01/1942	German forces capture Benghazi, along with a large quantity of supplies.
30/01/1942	The 4th Indian Division continues to withdraw along the coast road towards Derna.
04/02/1942	The Afrika Korps recaptures Derna. Hahas Pasha forms a new Egyptian Cabinet, becomes the Military Governor and dissolves Parliament the next day.
07/02/1942	After just over 2 weeks of frenetic action, Rommel's counter-offensive comes to a halt in front of the Gazala line, a series of self supporting fortified boxes running south from Gazala for a 100 miles to Bir Hacheim.
26/02/1942	Churchill exhorts General Auchinleck to launch an offensive against the German and Italian forces that are gathering in front of the Gazala line.
06/04/1942	Axis bombers attack the port of Alexandria in Egypt.
26/05/1942	The battle for the Gazala line begins (Operation Venezia), as the Afrika Korps thrusts south with 560 tanks and around the southern end of the Eighth Army's defensive positions towards Tobruk. However the Free French forces at Bir Hacheim manage hold up this advance.
30/05/1942	The Afrika Korps take up defensive positions in the 'Cauldron' in readiness for their attempt to punch through the Gazala line.
31/05/1942	The battle of the 'Cauldron' begins as Rommel attacks the fortified box in the Gazala line that is held by the 150th Brigade of the British 50th Division. The Italians attack from the west as elements of the Afrika Korps attack from the east.
05/06/1942	The Eighth Army launches a counter-attack against the Afrika Korps
10/06/1942	German and Italian troops finally captures Bir Hacheim from the Free French
13/06/1942	German tanks and anti-tank batteries destroy 138 British tanks in and around the Knightsbridge pocket..
14/06/1942	Auchinleck tells Ritchie that Tobruk must be held, a fact that Churchill reiterates to him
15/06/1942	Rommel launches an attack against Eighth Army's new defensive line, but is repulsed.
17/06/1942	The Eighth Army's withdrawal reaches the Egyptian frontier, leaving behind the 2nd South African Division to form the basis of a 30,000 strong garrison at Tobruk.
18/06/1942	Rommel isolates Tobruk by cutting the coast road at Gambut.
19/06/1942	Rommel launches an attack from the southeast against Tobruk.
21/06/1942	Tobruk falls to the Germans, who capture 32,000 prisoners, 2,000 tons of fuel, 5,000 tons of food and 2,000 vehicles.
23/06/1942	German advanced elements reach the Egyptian border. Rommel signals Kesselring for permission to continue the advance in to Egypt,
24/06/1942	The Germans advance into Egypt as the British retreat continues. Sollum and Sidi Barrani are evacuated by the Eighth Army.
25/06/1942	The Germans capture Sidi Barrani, Sollum and the Halfaya Pass in Libya as the Eighth Army retreats to Mersa Matruh in Egypt. General Auchinleck relieves Lieutenant General Ritchie and takes personal command of the Eighth Army.
26/06/1942	Rommel is made a Field Marshal and launches attacks against Mersa Matruh. Meanwhile, Kesselring, Cavallero (Italian Chief of Staff in Rome) and Bastico (Italian C-in-C in Libya) arrive at Rommel's HQ and give permission for him to continue his advance in to Egypt.
27/06/1942	German troops begin to outflank the British positions at Mersa Matruh. As this happens the British start to withdraw towards the El Alamein line, confirming radio intercepts that had indicated they would.
28/06/1942	German advance units capture Fuqa
29/06/1942	Rommel takes Mersa Matruh after heavy fighting and captures 6,000 prisoners along with large quantities of supplies. British disarray increases as German advance units mix with British rear units which are retreating as fast as possible for the relative safety of the El Alamein defensive position. Mussolini arrives at Derna in Libya to prepare for the triumphal entry into Cairo.
30/06/1942	Rommel spearheads reaches El Alamein. In what became known as 'Ash Wednesday', British HQ is Cairo begins to destroy classified papers and prepares for evacuation to Palestine.
01/07/1942	Rommel captures 2,000 prisoners from the El Alamein 'box' but loses 18 of his 55 remaining tanks.
02/07/1942	The British hold El Alamein despite heavy attacks, Rommel is now down to 26 tanks.
14/07/1942	A British attack against axis positions to the South of El Alamein is repulsed.
15/07/1942	New Zealander troops attack 'Kidney' Ridge in three days of fighting, which costs Rommel 2,600 prisoners and 115 guns captured.
20/07/1942	Mussolini temporarily abandons his 'Victory March on Cairo' and returns to Rome.
22/07/1942	Auchinleck musters 323 tanks against Rommel's 92 in the second battle of 'Kidney' Ridge, but loses 131 tanks and 2,600 men.
26/07/1942	An Australian attack at Alamein fails and the Eighth Army goes over to the defensive after taking 7,000 Axis prisoners. This concludes the first battle of El Alamein.
05/08/1942	Churchill visits the Eighth Army at El Alamein and decides to replace Auchinleck.
07/08/1942	General Gott, the Eighth Army's commander designate, is shot down while en route for Cairo. Montgomery is chosen instead.
13/08/1942	Montgomery takes command of Eighth Army, two days early.
31/08/1942	Rommel begins his final attempt to break through at El Alamein in the battle of Alam Halfa.
06/09/1942	Rommel is back to the positions held on the 31st August
07/09/1942	The Eighth Army stabilizes its line at Alam el Haifa,
23/09/1942	Field Marshal Rommel takes a medical leave and hands over command to General von Thoma.
23/10/1942	The Second Battle of El Alamein begins with a 1,000-gun bombardment.
27/10/1942	A counter-attack by the 21st Panzer-Division to push the attacking British forces back into the German minefields fails, costing them 50 Panzer's.
02/11/1942	Operation 'Supercharge', the breakout at El Alamein gets under way.
03/11/1942	Rejecting out of hand Field Marshal Rommel's proposal to withdraw Hitler orders him to stand and fight.
04/11/1942	The Italian 20th Motorised Corps is destroyed. Rommel re-issues his orders for retreat 10,724 Axis prisoners are taken by the British, including nine generals.
12/11/1942	The British 8th Army retakes Sollum and Bardia, while Panzer Army Afrika continues its withdrawal toward Tripoli.
13/11/1942	The Eighth Army captures Tobruk
20/11/1942	The Eighth Army reaches Benghazi.
23/11/1942	Retreating before the British 8th Army Panzer Army Afrika reaches El Agheila.
13/12/1942	Rommel begins to retreat from his positions El Agheila, as the Eighth Army continues advance in to Libya.
12/01/1943	Gen. Leclerc drives the last Germans troops out of the Fezzan in Southern Libya with his Free French forces from Chad.
15/01/1943	The Eighth Army begins a new push in Libya.
16/01/1943	The Eighth Army destroys Rommel's rearguard at Buerat, in Libya and is now just 300 miles from the Tunisian frontier.
19/01/1943	The Eighth Army captures Homs and Tarhuna, near Tripoli.
23/01/1943	The Eighth Army triumphantly enters Tripoli. The Vice-Governor of Libya and prefect of Tripolitania offer a formal surrender.
26/01/1943	The Eighth Army takes Zaula in Libya, less than 100 miles from Tunisian frontier.
29/01/1943	Advance units of the Eighth Army cross the Tunisian frontier from Libya.
09/03/1943	Von Arnim replaces Field Marshal Rommel as C-in-C of the Axis forces in Tunisia and Rommel is ordered by Hitler to leave Africa, never to return.
09/05/1943	The unconditional surrender of all axis troops in Tunisia.
12/05/1943	Surrender of all German and Italian forces in Tunisia (130,000 German and 120,000 Italian prisoners). General von Arnim and 25 other axis generals are claimed captured, so ending the life of the once mighty 'Afrika Korps' and marking the end of the three-year North African campaign.
22/11/1943	The Cairo summit opens between Churchill, Roosevelt and Chiang Kai-shek.
04/12/1943	The second Cairo conference opens with Churchill, Roosevelt and the Turkish President Inonu.