World War II History

Audio Clip: 02.19.1945 – Live Coverage Of U.S. Marines Landing On Iwo Jima “The battle of Iwo Island has been won. The United States Marines by their individual and collective courage have conquered a base which is as necessary to us in our continuing forward movement toward final victory as it...

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On 02.19.1945 at 0905 hrs, the first of 30,000 US Marines land on Iwo Jima. Battle for Iwo Jima Photo Gallery Audio Clip: Arthur Prim Reports the First Strikes on Iwo Jima Amphibious Tractors landing on Iwo Jima Feb 1945 Iwo Jima, which means Sulfur Island, was strategically important as an air base for...

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Today in WWII History World War II History for February 19 Audio Clip: 02.18.1943 Soong Mei-Ling Appeals to Congress to Aid Chinese Nationalists 02.19.1932 – The Sino-Japanese dispute was referred to the Assembly by the League of Nations Council. 02.19.1937 – An attempt was made in Addis Ababa to assassinate the Italian viceroy of...

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Congrats to Toni from NY on winning the WWII in HD giveaway contest! We hope you enjoy it, the series is very moving and shows a lot of scenes never before made public. If you weren’t the lucky winner this time you can order the DVD at the links below. Check...

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The National World War II Museum announces next International Conference on WWII - Stellar lineup of historians, authors, filmmakers, veterans and more to explore the war that changed the world....

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It’s time for a new contest! On January 26 A&E Home entertainment (History Channel) is releasing the DVD and Blu-ray edition of WWII in HD. We have a DVD copy to give away! We will pick the winner this Friday (Jan 29, 2010), US residents only, sorry! You can enter the...

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World War II History for January 18, 1942-Russian launch a fresh offensive, 1942-Burma's Premier detained by the British, 1943-US commercial bakers stopped selling sliced bread, 1944-Soviets arrive at Leningrad ending 3 year Siege....

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Commentary about the B-29 by Ed Hart: The B-29 was an inflection point in the history of aviation technology, war fighting…and program management. It certainly rivaled the A-Bomb program, and the fact that the two programs came together to end the war is – I think – instructive to all of...

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With an audience as large and diverse as WWarII.com, it’s pretty much a given that some of you readers are reenactors, like me. And if you’ve entered the world of reenacting even a little bit, you’ll notice the lack of a feminine touch. It’s no secret: there are few places...

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As a resource no longer available online I have saved the website zhukov.mitsi.com about Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov and the eastern front and made it available on the WWarII archives. Below you will find the table of contents: Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov Site Map Archives Russo-Japanese War Barbarossa General Winter The Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Kursk The Tide Turns Assault...

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Time line Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941 * 0342 Minesweeper CONDOR sights periscope off Honolulu Harbour …notifies patrol destroyer WARD to investigate. * 0458 Minesweeper CROSSBILL and CONDOR enter Pearl Harbor… defective submarine net remains open. * 0600 – 200...

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Today in WWII History World War II History for December 2 12.2.1941 – The Japanese embassy in Washington was ordered to destroy all but its most secret coding facilities. Similar orders went out to Japanese missions in British, Dutch, and Canadian cities, Cuba, the Philippines and the South Pacific. 12.2.1941 Tojo rejects...

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Grand Opening of the George H.W. Bush Gallery at The National Museum of the Pacific War – Fredericksburg, Texas President George H.W. Bush, Governor Rick Perry, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and General James T. Conway, USMC, Marine Corps Commandant, will be honored guests at the grand opening on Monday, December 7...

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More Than 4,000 Objects Sold in Auction by Leading Militaria Auction House, Hermann Historica oHG Largest Private Collection of Normandy Invasion Artifacts Fetches Nearly US$2 Million in Auction Hermann Historica oHG of Munich, Germany, the world leader in handling sales of militaria antiquities, antique arms and armour, firearms, hunting collectibles, orders...

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Author Lois Herr has stopped by to share with us a letter taken from her new book “Dear Coach: Letters Home from WWII.” Please join me in welcoming Lois Herr. Thank you for having me! In “Dear Coach: Letters Home from WWII” I’ve compiled together a variety of the letters mom...

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On November 17th, Lois Herr, author of “Dear Coach: Letters Home from WWII” will be stopping by to share a sample letter from her new book with us. A collection of not only letters but historical facts, pictures and vivid commentary, “Dear Coach” features letters from WWII that were sent...

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Today in WWII History World War II History for November 9 11.09.1938-11.10.1938 – Kristallnacht, “Crystal Night” or “Night of Broken Glass.” Nazi’s launch a campaign of terror against Jews in Germany in retaliation to the killing German diplomat Ernst vom Rath in Paris. The event got it’s name from the shattered window...

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Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945) 32nd President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York to James and Sara Roosevelt, both from wealthy old New York families. He grew up in a privileged home, going to boarding...

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Today in WWII History World War II History for October 26 26 October 1942 – The US carrier USS Hornet and destroyer USS Porter were sunk in the Battle of Santa Cruz. It was the last time carrier based aircraft were used by the Japanese in the Guadalcanal campaign. 26 October 1944 –...

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Friday Featured Book: Evacuees of the Second World War by Mike Brown This book isn’t about the front lines of battle during WWII, it is all about those who were behind the soldiers, namely the British children and families they were defending. London was under heavy attack by the Germans and...

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Today in WWII History World War II History for October 22 22 Oct 1942 – The Allies met to discuss Operation Torch. Operation Torch was to be the first Allied amphibious landing of World War II (North Africa), mainly as an induction of US ground forces against the Germans. Operation Torch takes...

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Letter home from Midshipman Derek Hirst HMS Zambesi 8th May 1945 forargyll.com published this on 10:51 am, Wednesday, 30th September, 2009 HMS Zambesi entered Bergen, Norway, on 8th May 1945, the day WWII formally ended. The following is from a letter by Midshipman Derek Hirst to his mother started on 14th May...

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8 New B-29 Superfortress photos added to the WWII History Image Gallery! Check them out… B-29’s dropping bombs....

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Today in WWII History World War II History for September 17 1939 - The Soviet Union invaded Poland. Germany had invaded Poland on September 1. 1944 - Operation “Market Garden” was launched by Allied paratroopers during World War II. The landing point was behind German lines in the Netherlands....

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This reference work is an excellent source as a visual encyclopedia of the German soldiers equipment during World War II....

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Twelve lives and a War that changed the World. The only ones who saw the war this way, were the ones who lived it. Premiering this Fall on History....

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Stars Enlist For National WWII Museum Epic Repost from Hollywood at War Wow. From the NY Post today — The National World War II Museum in New Orleans and Tom Hanks have announced the roster for voicing their new WWII epic Beyond All Boundaries premiering at The Museum on November 6. It...

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Today in WWII History World War II History for September 1 1939 - World War II began when Germany invaded Poland. 1942 - A federal judge in Sacramento, CA, upheld the wartime detention of Japanese-Americans as well as Japanese nationals. 1945 - The U.S. received official word of Japan’s formal surrender that ended World...

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Prelude to War: 1939 - British fleet mobilized & evacuations begin. 1943 - USS Harmon commissioned. 1944 - British 8th Army breaks through Gothic Line...

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Audio Clip: 1939-08-27 CBS HV Kaltenborn Reports On The Eve Of War in Europe Today in WWII History World War II History for August 27 1939 - Nazi Germany demanded the Polish corridor and Danzig. 1941 - Japanese prime minister requests a summit meeting with FDR in hopes of preventing their campaign in China...

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Today in WWII History World War II History for August 24 08.24.1942 – U.S. forces sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo in the Battle of the East Solomon Islands. During this battle the “coastwatchers,” volunteers that reported on Japanese ship and aircraft movement, were a key to American success. *Edit: The carrier...

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Sink the Bismark: 1941-05-31 BBC First Sea Lord A V Alexander On Sinking Of Bismark...

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August 17, 1943, U.S. Gen George S. Patton & 7th Army arrive in Messina, Sicily, hrs before "Monte", Audio Clip, Photo, & More......

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Today in WWII History World War II History for August 10 10 Aug 1944 - Hitler moves the entire 2,000-plane Luftwaffe force to Western Europe in a bid to challenge the power of the Allies’ collective air strength. 10 Aug 1944 - U.S. forces defeated the remaining Japanese resistance on Guam, leaving the...

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6 Aug 1945- B-29 bomber Enola Gay, dropped the first atomic bomb on an inhabited area. Bomb named "Little Boy" was dropped over Hiroshima, Japan....

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Photo: WWII Machine Gun Nest, Pacific Theater...

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1945-Truman on Japanese Rejection of US Ultimatum 1940-Italy began its occupation in East Africa 1943-Patton verbally abused and slapped a private....

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What will be the 7000th photo be of over at my friend C. Peter Chen's WW2DB site? Win a month's free advertising to your favorite WWII website!...

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Video of Bugs Bunny War Bond Drive WWII Cartoon...

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Today in WWII History: 1941 - Vichy France grants Japan bases in its Indochina colonies; 1943 - Operation Gomorrah is launched; 'Window' radar jamming...

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July 22 - Deportations from Warsaw ghetto to Treblinka begin; American forces led by Gen. George S. Patton captured Palermo, Sicily....

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Wendell Willkie Calls For End Of US Isolationism. Image: Wendell Willkie Campaign Poster...

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Audio Clip: 1944-07-21 RRG Adolf Hitler – On July 20th Assassination Attempt Today in WWII History World War II History for July 20 1942 - The first detachment of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, (WACS) began basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. 1942 - An Act of Congress (Public Law 671 – 77th...

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Operation Ariel aka Operation Aerial 17 June 1940 – Operation Ariel begins: Allied troops start to evacuate France, following Germany’s takeover of Paris and most of the nation. Smaller-scale counterpart to Operation Dynamo and designed to remove by sea all British troops in north-west France, largely from the ports of Cherbourg, St...

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You Do Your Worst — And We Will Do Our Best (+ Audio) A tonic for today by Winston Churchill – Speech – House of Commons, July 14, 1941 The impressive and inspiring spectacle we have witnessed displays the vigour and efficiency of the civil defence forces. They have grown up in...

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War of the Unknown Warriors (+ Audio) Winston Churchill – Speech – BBC Broadcast, London, July 14, 1940 During June and early July, the German Air Force was regrouped to open the vital first stage of “Operation Sea Lion” (the invasion of Britain) by destroying the Royal Air Force. The Battle of...

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Audio: General Charles de Gaulle urges America to Join the Allies (14 July 1941) A 1942 WWII photo portrait of General Charles de Gaulle of the Free French Forces and first president of the Fifth Republic serving from 1958 to 1969. Today in WWII History World War II History for July 14 14 July...

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Audio Clip: BBC Charles Gardner Reports On Convoy Attack & Dogfight (14 July 1940) Today in WWII History World War II History for July 13 13 July 1941 - Britain and the Soviet Union signed a mutual aid pact, that provided the means for Britain to send war material to the Soviet Union. 13...

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7 Excellent Open Courseware Collections for History Buffs Learning about history is mostly book learning. While it is true that a classroom setting allows you to debate with others the causes and ramifications of certain historical events, much of the study of history is just in learning what happened. ...

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Indiana Based WW II Ship Joins Historic List By AP – Tuesday Jul. 07, 2009 – West Kentucky Star The National Park Service granted the designation to the LST-325, which it says is one of the few surviving American vessels to go ashore on D-Day in 1944. The ship has been permanently...

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