75 Years Ago—Jan. 5, 1942: In the Philippines, US & Filipino forces complete retreat into Bataan peninsula; troops put on half rations. In US, “enemy aliens” are required to surrender transmitters, shortwaves, and precision cameras. Franklin D. Roosevelt appears on cover of Time Magazine as 1941 Man of the Year.
75 Years Ago—Jan. 4, 1942: Japanese begin pre-invasion air attacks on the major British naval and air base of Rabaul in the Bismarcks in the South Pacific.
75 Years Ago—Jan. 3, 1942: Japanese land at Brunei on Borneo in Netherlands East Indies. Gen. Chiang Kai-shek named Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in China.
75 Years Ago—Jan. 2, 1942: British and South African troops take Bardia, Libya after a long siege. Japanese take Manila in the Philippines as well as Clark Field and Cavite Navy Yard. Thirty-three members of a German spy ring under Fritz Duquesne are convicted in the largest espionage case in US history. US Army orders… Read more »
75 Years Ago—Jan. 1, 1942: Roosevelt and Churchill sign the “Declaration by the United Nations” at the Arcadia Conference in Washington; 24 other Allied nations will sign it, promising not to seek a separate peace. US discontinues automobile manufacturing for civilian sale for the duration; 500,000 remain in stock. Rose Bowl held at Duke University… Read more »
To commemorate the coming 65th anniversary of D-Day, I will be starting something new on my blog. In addition to my usual weekly posts, every day I will make a short post entitled “Today in World War II History,” which will highlight events that happened 65 years ago. On September 1, which will mark the… Read more »
