Pacific News-Review
pp. 3-4 · Read in the full issue
End of World War II in Europe
Notes And Comment On
International Affairs
From April 16 To May 15
This News-Review was first published in the issue of September, 1939, immediately after the outbreak of the European war; and it has appeared every month, ever since. . . . Therefore, those who have kept a file of the “Pacific Islands Monthly” now possess a complete, chronological record of World War II (European Section), from beginning to end. That record is valuable. Many people have been seeking a complete file of the journal, covering those momentous 5 \ years; but (because of wartime paper shortage) old files of the journal are unprocurable. . . . The News-Review will be continued, at least until the end of the Pacific war; but this month, to mark the end of the Great War in Europe, we are republishing, from this 5\ years’ record, the dates of the outstanding events in Europe between September 3, 1939, and May 8, 1945.
Sep. 3, 1939
All Anglo-French efforts to restrain Hitler having failed and the Germans having invaded Poland on Sep. 1, Britain and France declare war on Germany.
April 9, 1940
Germans, without warning, invade Denmark and Norway,
May 10, 1940
Germans invade Holland and Belgium, and turn flank of French defences. Win ston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Britain.
June 10, 1940
Italy declares war on France and Britain.
June 25, 1940
France (having asked for armistice on 17th) surrenders; but General de Gaulle escapes to England and inaugurates Fighting France Movement.
September 7, 11, 12, 15, 1940-
Great German “blitz” on London and South English cities.
September 27, 1940-
Germany, Italy and Japan sign Pact at Berlin.
October-December, 1940
Almost ceaseless bombing attacks on London and Southern England.
December 15, 1940
British Imperial Forces from Egypt invade Libya. They reach Benghazi in February.
March, 1941
British Imperial Forces land in Greece.
April 23, 1941
Greece surrenders to Germans. British evacuated.
May 20, 1941
German paratroops invade Crete.
June 22, 1941
Germans attack Russia and in next few months make deep invasion.
Dec. 7, 1941
Japan attacks USA at Pearl Harbour, and brings United States into war beside Britain and Russia.
May, 1942
Germans, checked before Moscow in Dec., 1941, launch great new offensive in South Russia.
May 30, 1942
1,000 British planes bomb Cologne.
June 21, 1942
Tobruk falls. Rommel invades Egypt.
August, 1942
Germans reach Volga at Stalingrad and invade Caucasus.
October 23, 1942-
Battle of El Alamein begins.
Nov. 8, 1942
British and Americans land in North Africa. They occupy Morocco and Algeria, while Russia launches great and success ful counter-offensive.
January, 1943
Germans retreating in South Russia (from Stalingrad) and in North Africa (from El Alamein).
May 12, 1943
German armies in Tunisia surrender.
July 10, 1943-
Allies invade Sicily.
Sep. 3, 1943
Italy surrenders and Mussolini flees.
October-December, 1943
Germans in full retreat in South Russia.
January, 1944-
Joint RAF and American air attacks oh Germany now reaching staggering force. Russians drive Germans from Leningrad and enter Poland.
March, 1944
Russians invade Rumania.
June 4, 1944-
Allies occupy Rome.
June 6, 1944
Anglo-American forces land on coast of Normandy, and great battle opens on new Western Front.
July-August, 1944
Anglo-American forces defeat Germans and liberate France.
August 25, 1944
Americans and French partisans liber ate Paris.
Jan. 11, 1945
Russians, from Vistula line, in Poland, commence advance to Oder River. 30 miles east of Berlin.
March 9, 1945
Americans cross the Rhine. Signs of German collapse.
March 23, 1945
American, British and Canadian armies cross Rhine at many points, and begin rapid penetration of Central and West ern Germany, and Holland.
And Complete Victory in
April-Moy, 1945
Apl. 16: British occupy Bremen.
Apl. 17: Russians, from Oder line, launch overwhelming offensive upon Ger man armies defending Berlin. American columns are all over Central Germany.
US Seventh Army enters Nuremberg, and British columns are near Hamburg.
Apl. 17: Anglo-American armies have broken the German line in North Italy, and British are nearing Bologna.
Apl. 18: Americans enter Leipsig.
Apl. 19; Russians now only 12 miles from Berlin. American Army has entered Czecho-Slovakia from the west.
Apl. 19: Germans retreating from Bri tish in Holland have destroyed Zuider Zee dykes and let waters flood the rich farmlands.
Apl. 23: Russians now hold most of Berlin’s suburbs. Hitler and Goebbels are reported to be directing a fanatical last stand in Berlin.
Apl. 23: American armies in Central Germany have halted on the west bank of the Elbe, waiting to make a junction there with the advancing Russians.
Apl. 23: The Germans in North Italy are now in full flight, northwards.
Apl. 25: World Security Conference opened in San Francisco.
Apl. 26: Berlin is encircled and burn ing. American armoured columns are sweeping down the Danube Valley into Austria. French armies are converging on Munich. British bombers have dropped “blockbusters” on Hitler’s “eyrie” at Berchtesgaden. British armies are occupying Dutch and North-west German cities. Partisans have risen in North Italy to harry the Germans, who are fleeing from the Anglo-American armies.
Apl. 27: Russian, American and Bri tish armies have linked up at Torgau, 75 miles south of Berlin.
Apl. 28: Mussolini captured and exe cuted near Milan by Italian Partisans.
May 2: Hamburg radio (last German station) officially announced that Hitler was killed on May 1 and that Admiral Doenitz nas become Fuhrer.
May 2: German armies in Northern Italy and Western Austria surrendered unconditionally to Field-Marshal Alexan der.
May 4; All German forces in North west Germany, Holland and Denmark surrendered to Field-Marshal Mont gomery.
May 6: Revealed that 16 Polish dele gates who went to Moscow to confer regarding new Polish Government, sev eral weeks ago, and who mysteriously disappeared, were arrested by Russians and are in prison. The incident has had most serious reaction in Britain and America, which have broken off all con versations with Russia on Polish question.
May 7: Early this morning, at the headquarters of the Supreme Allied Com mander in the West (General Eisen hower) German delegates appointed by Admiral Doenitz, signed the complete and unconditional surrender of all Germany’s fighting forces, land, air and sea. There is to be a confirmatory signing in Berlin.
May 8: At 3 p.m. to-day, in world broadcasts. Mr. Churchill, President Tru man and Marshal Stalin announced the final capitulation of Germany.
May 12: Allies now are applying them selves to the colossal task of dealing with about 6,000.000 surrendered German Ser vicemen, repatriating at least 10.000,000 displaced people, and restoring adminis trative and economic machinery. There is the gravest danger of a terrible famine in Central and Western Europe. The transfer of huge forces and equipment to the Pacific, against Japan, already has commenced.
The Pacific War
Apl. 17: While American Super-Fort resses from the Marianas continue an almost daily bombing of Japan’s indus trial cities, and MacArthur’s forces are mopping up the last Jap forces in Philip pines. the Americans are continuing their attack upon Jap garrison in Okinawa (Ryukyu Islands). They landed there on April 1, and intend to use Okinawa as air base against Japan, 400 miles away. To day Americans landed on lye Island, in Ryukyus, and have occupied the airfield.
Apl. 19: Under cover of heavy naval
and air bombardment. Americans landed in the Malabang-Perang area <Moro Gulf) of Mindanao —the only large Philip pines island not now under American control.
Apl. 23; On Okinawa, the Japanese counter-attacked and won back the west coast town of Kakazu.
Apl. 28: Australians in the Sepik dis trict of New Guinea took the Jap base at Maprik. Before the war a good aero drome, and Government sub-station, Maprik was heavily fortified by the Japs.
May 1: Australian Ninth Division and Netherlands forces have landed on Tara kan Island, an important oil-producing area «lose against the north-east coast of Borneo.
May 4: Australians in North-east Bor neo. in bitter fighting, have got to within 2.000 yards of the Tarakan oilfield, one of their main objectives. RAAF and US planes are giving substantial help.
May 5: Rangoon, capital and chief port of Burma, fell yesterday to British com bined operations forces. Troops landed in landing-craft from the Rangoon River, and the British 14th Army also entered the city from the north, having advanced rapidly southwards after the capture of Mandalay. The Japanese are retreating, broken and disorganized, into Siam.
May 6: Australians have seized part of Tarakan town, and got control of the airfield. Resistance is fierce, and the Australians are advancing over thickly sown minefields.
May 14: Sixth Division AIF troops have launched an all-out attack on Wewak, NE New Guinea. They have occupied the headland and landing-field.
May 15: Ninth Division AIF troops now control virtually all of Tarakan Is. (Borneo).