Today in
World War II History

German soldiers (Flamethrower team) in the Soviet Union, June 1941 (German Federal Archives, Bild 146-1974-099-19)

85 Years Ago—June 22, 1941: Operation Barbarossa: 3.5 million German troops invade the USSR in the largest military campaign in history.

In Operation Barbarossa, the German Luftwaffe destroys 2,000 Soviet aircraft.

Lithuanians rise up to drive out the Soviets in the June Uprising, cooperating with the Germans.

German U-boat U-48 returns from her final mission; she has sunk 55 ships, the most successful submarine of WWII.

French Circassian Cavalry under Col. Philibert Collet outside the railway station at Damascus, 26th June 1941 (United Kingdom government photo)

85 Years Ago—June 21, 1941: France limits number of Jews to no more than 3 percent of students in secondary schools, universities & professional schools; 2 percent in medical schools.

Former Danish Fleet Air Arm pilots Lt. Thomas Sneum & Lt. Kjeld Pedersen fly a De Havilland Hornet Moth biplane from Denmark to England, refueling midair by walking on the wings, to deliver film footage of German Freya radar in Denmark.

Free French troops occupy Damascus, Syria.

US State Department orders closure of Italian consulates in the US by July 15.

US Army Air Forces patch, WWII

85 Years Ago—June 20, 1941: The US Army Air Forces is established under Maj. Gen. Henry H. (“Hap”) Arnold (formerly the Army Air Corps).

William L. Shirer’s bestselling book Berlin Diary is published, about his experiences as a foreign correspondent in Germany.

The Hoover Library of War, Revolution, and Peace is dedicated at Stanford University.

Ford Motor Company signs its first contract with a labor union, the UAW.

Cover of the first edition of Berlin Diary by William L. Shirer

German Army SdKfz. 251 halftrack vehicles advancing toward the Soviet border in preparation for invasion, 21 Jun 1941 (German Federal Archive: Bild 101I-267-0143-29)

85 Years Ago—June 19, 1941: Germany and Italy order closure of US consulates in retaliation for US closure of German consulates; this will make it even more difficult for German Jews to obtain immigration visas to the US.

USSR orders a blackout along the German border and camouflage of airfields.

WAAF radar operator Denise Miley plotting aircraft on the CRT (cathode ray tube) of an RF7 Receiver in the Receiver Room at Bawdsey Chain Home Station (Imperial War Museum: CH 15332)

85 Years Ago—June 18, 1941: Germany and Turkey sign a non-aggression pact.

British press first reports the use of radiolocation equipment (later called radar) in the Battle of Britain.

Troops of Indian 4th Division decorating their truck with “Khyber Pass to Hellfire Pass,” noting their service in South Asia and North Africa, 21 Jun 1941 (Imperial War Museum: E 3660)

85 Years Ago—June 17, 1941: Germans drive British back through Halfaya Pass from Libya into Egypt—the siege of Tobruk remains.

Douglas DC-3 of Eastern Air Lines taxiing at Washington National Airport, 1 July 1941 (Library of Congress: LC-DIG-fsa-8a36214)

85 Years Ago—June 16, 1941: US State Department orders all German consulates in the US to be closed by July 10, and all German news and propaganda agencies to be closed (embassy to remain open in Washington, DC).

Ford’s Willow Run plant to produce B-24 Liberator bombers is dedicated in Michigan.

Washington National Airport opens in Washington, DC, with one hangar (now Reagan International Airport).

German tanks near Sollum, Egypt, circa 16 Jun 1941 (Imperial War Museum: MH 5588)

85 Years Ago—June 15, 1941: British launch an offensive from the Egyptian-Libyan border to break the German siege of Tobruk, and they take Fort Capuzzo, Libya.

FBI arrests Japanese spies Lt. Cdr. Toraichi Kono (former valet to Charlie Chaplin) and Itaru Tachibana in Los Angeles.

US poster, 1940s

85 Years Ago—June 14, 1941: June Deportations begin: Soviets deport “Anti-Soviets” (politicians, priests, businessmen, and their families) in the Baltic States to Siberia: 11,000 Estonians, 15,000 Latvians & 17,000 Lithuanians.

President Roosevelt freezes German and Italian assets, bans travel by German and Italian nationals, and clamps down on German propaganda agencies.

RAF Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber, circa 1940 (United Kingdom government photo)

85 Years Ago—June 13, 1941: An RAF Whitley bomber makes the first of 100,000 SOE supply drops to the French resistance.

Movie premiere of anti-Nazi thriller Man Hunt, starring Walter Pidgeon & Joan Bennett, with child actor Roddy McDowall in his debut role.

British CLE canister used to drop supplies to resistance fighters during WWII (Photo: Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation, Lyon, France, April 26, 2026, Sarah Sundin)