This Day in WWII 11-11-1939 - 1944 *1918 - 1919

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1939: Queen Elizabeth broadcasted a message to the women of the Empire, calling them to join the war effort.

1940: Italian aircraft attack Thames Estuary with little success: first and last Italian air attack on Britain.

1940: The British Fleet launches an air attack against the Italian fleet at Taranto. Swordfish aircraft from the Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious damage three battleships, two cruisers, two destroyers and two auxiliaries craft. This British victory, forces the Italians to temporary withdraw their big surface units to the safer ports on the west coast of Italy.

1940: The RAF's first offensive air operations in Greece are carried out by Blenheims in a low-level attack on Valaca airfield.

1942: The United States extends Lend-Lease aid to the Free French Forces under General de Gaulle.

1942: German forces begin the occupation of those parts of France controlled by the Vichy government. In a letter to Marshal Petain, Hitler declares that the purpose of this move is "to protect France" against the allies.

1942: 6th Army launches its last major attack to capture Stalingrad and succeeds in reaching the Volga near the Red October factory on a frontage of 600 yards. The 13th Panzer-Division of III Panzer Corps begins to disengage its units halted before Ordshonikidse to avoid being cut off by the heavy Soviet attacks against its communications.

1943: Auschwitz Kommandant Höss is promoted to chief inspector of concentration camps. The new kommandant, Liebehenschel, then divides up the vast Auschwitz complex of over 30 sub-camps into three main sections.

1944: The German First Army HQ leaves Metz as the U.S. Third Army gains three bridgeheads over the Moselle.

1944: Private Eddie Slovik is convicted of desertion and sentenced to death for refusing to join his unit in the European Theater of Operations.

1944: Iwo Jima bombarded by the U.S. Navy.

1918: The German leaders sign the armistice ending World War I.

1919: The first two-minutes' silence is observed in Britain to commemorate those who died in the Great War.