Category Archives: World War II

British sink German battleship Bismarck off France with a loss of some 2,100 lives 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 27 1941)


Video: '092 - Sink the Bismarck! - The Pride of the Kriegsmarine's Demise - WW2 - May 30 1941' (Operation Rheinübung at 0:43)

(Tuesday, May 27, 1941, 10:39 a.m. Central European Summer Time; during the Last battle of the battleship Bismarck, part of Operation Rheinübung, part of the Battle of the Atlantic, during World War II) — British ships and planes sank the German battleship Bismarck today 400 miles west of the French port of Brest, with a loss of more than 2,100 lives, three days after the Bismarck sank the 42,100-ton battle cruiser HMS Hood with the loss of more than 1,400 lives.
Continue reading British sink German battleship Bismarck off France with a loss of some 2,100 lives 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 27 1941)

Germans sink British battle cruiser HMS Hood in Battle of the Denmark Strait 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 24 1941)


Video: '092 - Sink the Bismarck! - The Pride of the Kriegsmarine's Demise - WW2 - May 30 1941' (Operation Rheinübung at 0:43)

(Saturday, May 24, 1941, at about 6:00 a.m. local time; during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, part of Operation Rheinübung, part of the Battle of the Atlantic, during World War II) — The 42,100-ton battle cruiser Hood, pride of the British Fleet and the world’s biggest fighting vessel, was blown up today by an “unlucky hit” scored on a munitions magazine by the new German battleship Bismarck in an engagement off Greenland. Continue reading Germans sink British battle cruiser HMS Hood in Battle of the Denmark Strait 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 24 1941)

Germans sink ship sailing under American flag in tropical Atlantic 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 21 1941)

Video: 'The World At War: "On Our Way: U.S.A. (1939–1942)' (Robin Moor sunk at 13:11)

(Wednesday, May 21, 1941, 6:00 a.m. UTC; during World War II) — The SS Robin Moor, a Hog Islander steamship that sailed under the American flag, was sunk today by German submarine U-69 in the tropical Atlantic 750 miles west of the British-controlled port of Freetown, Sierra Leone, after allowing the passengers and crew to disembark.
Continue reading Germans sink ship sailing under American flag in tropical Atlantic 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 21 1941)

Battle of Crete begins as Nazi Germany launches airborne invasion of Crete 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 20 1941)


Video: 'World War II: The Battle of Crete - Full Documentary'

(Tuesday, May 20, 1941, 8:00 a.m. Central European Summer Time, during the Battle of Crete, part of the Battle of Greece and the Mediterranean theatre, during World War II) — The Battle of Crete, fought on the Greek island of Crete, began this morning when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur (“Operation Mercury”).
Continue reading Battle of Crete begins as Nazi Germany launches airborne invasion of Crete 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 20 1941)

Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland on apparent peace mission 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)


Video: 'Rudolf Hess - Nazi Pacifist, Traitor or Madman? - WW2 Special Episode'

(Saturday, May 10, 1941, 11:09 p.m. British Double Summer Time; during The Blitz part of the Strategic bombing campaign of World War II) — Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, flew a Messerschmitt Bf 110 to Scotland today on what he claimed was a solo peace mission, parachuting into Eaglesham near his objective of Dungavel House after running out of fuel. Continue reading Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland on apparent peace mission 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)

Germans launch last major attack on London during The Blitz 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)


Video: "1941 Londons May 10th Blitz L2845'

(Saturday, May 10, 1941, 11:02 p.m.-5:57 a.m. British Double Summer Time; during The Blitz part of the Strategic bombing campaign of World War II— The last major attack by German forces on London during The Blitz began tonight as the Luftwaffe flew 571 sorties and dropped 800 tonnes of bombs, causing more than 2,000 fires. Continue reading Germans launch last major attack on London during The Blitz 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)

Comedian Bob Hope does first USO show for servicemen at March Field, California 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 6 1941)


Video: 'BOB HOPE USO'

(Tuesday, May 6, 1941; seven months before America’s entry into World War II) — Comedian Bob Hope did his first USO before an audience of servicemen today as he broadcast his radio program from March Field (now known as March Air Reserve Base) in Riverside, California.
Continue reading Comedian Bob Hope does first USO show for servicemen at March Field, California 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (May 6 1941)

U.S. ‘cannot win this war for England,’ Charles Lindbergh warns packed New York rally 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 23 1941)


Video: 'Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of 1940s Nazi Sympathizers'

(Wednesday, April 23, 1941, event scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. EST; during World War II)Charles Lindbergh, aviation hero-turned-isolationist, declared tonight at a mass meeting of the America First Committee in New York City that the United States “cannot win this war for England, regardless of how much assistance we extend.”
Continue reading U.S. ‘cannot win this war for England,’ Charles Lindbergh warns packed New York rally 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 23 1941)

Yugoslavia surrenders to Axis powers in Belgrade 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 17 1941)


Video: '086 - Yugoslavia Crushed - Battle for Greece Continues - WW2 - April 18, 1941' (Apr. 17, 1941, at 3:54)

(Thursday, April 17, 1941, 9:00 p.m. Central European Time; during the Invasion of Yugoslavia, part of the Balkans Campaign of World War II) — Eleven days after a German-led attack by Axis powers, Yugoslavia formally surrendered today as Foreign Minister Aleksandar Cincar-Markovic and General Radivoje Jankovic  signed an armistice with German and Italian representatives in Belgrade and unconditionally surrendered all Yugoslav troops.
Continue reading Yugoslavia surrenders to Axis powers in Belgrade 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 17 1941)

FDR signs Lend-Lease bill providing war supplies to countries fighting Axis powers 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 11 1941)


Video: 'Roosevelt Signs! (1941)'

(Tuesday, March 11, 1941, 3:50 p.m. EST; during World War II) — President Franklin D. Roosevelt today signed into law the Lend-Lease bill, which was mainly aimed at helping Britain, then virtually alone in fighting Nazi Germany during a critical phase of World War II. Continue reading FDR signs Lend-Lease bill providing war supplies to countries fighting Axis powers 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 11 1941)