CBI - China: Day 354 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 15 of 139 of the Battle of Wuhan.
1939 — , June 25
CBI - China: Day 719 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 12 of 68 of the Battle of Tianjin.
Day 5 of 7 of Operation SWATOW, the Japanese offensive to take Shantou in southern China.
CBI - Mongolia: Day 46 of 129 of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol, a border dispute between the Soviet Union and Japan.
1940 — , June 25
USA: Isolationist advertising appears in the New York Times, which is secretly paid for by Germany.
Atlantic: German sub U-51 attacks an Allied convoy about 370 miles west of Land's End in southwestern England, sinking British steamer WINDSORWOOD and British tanker SARANAC.
Atlantic: Canadian destroyer HMCS FRASER and British cruiser HMS CALCUTTA collide in rough seas near Bordeaux, France, killing 66 sailors. The smaller HMCS FRASER breaks up into three pieces and sinks.
ETO - France: The Franco-German Armistice takes effect at 0030 hours. France declares a day of mourning, while Hitler orders flags to be flown and bells to ring throughout Germany. Hitler also orders that the surrender site at Compiègne be destroyed including the rail car.
East Africa: Day 16 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,085 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 224 of 381 of the Battle of South Guangxi.
1941 — , June 25
Eastern Front: A French lieutenant prisoner of war at Colditz Castle, Saxony, Germany, almost makes a successful escape. Walking away from the castle dressed as a young German woman, he accidentally drops his watch and is caught when a German guard politely returns it.
Spotlight...
The French lieutenant in disguise
Accounts of this escape attempt differ, most saying it happened on June 25, 1941, others saying it was on the 5th of June. Most name him as Lt E Boulé, others as Lt Chasseur Alpin Bouley.
Colditz had the distinction of being the only German POW camp that had more guards than prisoners. It seemed to offer no hope for escape. Yet, through ingenious tunneling and various ruses, prisoners on some 130 occasions managed to clear the fortress grounds. A total of 32 prisoners managed to reach the frontier without recapture.
Colditz fell to the US Army on 15 Apr 45.
Full sized cutout at the Colditz Museum
Colditz Castle has been renovated and turned into a popular museum that gives guided tours with exhibits of POW life, escape tunnels and displays of escape attempts such as this one.
Dates related to POW escapes...
31 Mar 41: British private becomes first to escape German POW camp
25 Jun 41: French POW attempts to escape Colditz dressed as woman
02 Jul 41: French POW escapes Colditz, scaling outer wall
USA: FDR issues Executive Order 8802, prohibiting discrimination in war employment based on race, creed or color.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 4 of 164 of the Battle of Hanko. The Continuation War begins as the Soviet Union and Finland break their peace.
Russian Front: Day 4 of 167 of Germany's Operation BARBAROSSA, the invasion of the USSR.
Russian Front - Lithuania: Day 3 of 5 of the Battle of Raseiniai. During the night, 1,500 Jews in Kovno will be murdered by local militiamen.
Russian Front - Center: Day 4 of 12 of the Battle of Minsk. Soviet troops are almost completely surrounded at Bialystok while Lutsk and Dubno in Poland (now Ukraine) are captured.
Russian Front - Center: Day 4 of 8 of the Battle of Brest, Russia.
Russian Front - South: Day 3 of 8 of the Battle of Brody, Poland.
MTO - Libya: Day 77 of 256 of the Siege of Tobruk.
Middle East: Day 18 of 37 of the Battle for Syria and Lebanon.
East Africa: Day 381 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,450 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
1942 — , June 25
USA: Second Washington Conference between Roosevelt and Churchill begins.
Atlantic: Day 163 of 169 of Germany's Second "Happy Time," during which U-boats sink 609 Allied ships with little risk.
ETO: US Lieutenant General Dwight D Eisenhower arrives in England to take command of all US forces in Europe.
ETO - Germany: The RAF launches its third 1,000 bomber raid against Bremen.
Russian Front - North: Day 291 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 52 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket.
Russian Front - Center: Day 28 of 31 of Operation KREMLIN, a German diversion to trick the Soviets into thinking Moscow is their main objective instead of Stalingrad and the Caucasus.
Russian Front - South: Day 239 of 248 of the Siege of Sevastopol, Crimean Peninsula. The Soviets send their remaining airplanes to help defend the Caucasus.
MTO - Libya: The Germans capture Sidi Barrani, Sollum and the Halfaya Passas the British 8th Army retreats to Mersa Matruh in Egypt. US HALPRO B-24s attack the harbor at Tobruk.
East Africa: Day 52 of 186 of the Battle of Madagascar.
PTO - Alaska: Day 19 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands. US 11th Air Force bombs the north side of the harbor at Kiska Island.
PTO - Hawaii: US paper currency with the word "HAWAII" overprinted on both sides is first issued.
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Related dates...
10 Jan 42: Order is issued to print Hawaii overprint notes
25 Jun 42: Hawaii overprint notes are first exchanged
15 Aug 42: Only Hawaii overprint notes will now be accepted
21 Oct 44: Use of Hawaii overprint notes comes to an end
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PTO - Malaya: Day 127 of 357 of the Battle of Timor Island.
PTO - New Guinea: US 5th Air Force bombs at Salamaua.
PTO - Solomon Islands: US PBY Catalina planes bomb the Japanese base at Tulagi.
CBI - China: Day 1,815 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 42 of 124 of Japan's Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, launched to punish anyone suspected of aiding the Doolittle raiders in China. Roughly 250,000 Chinese will be killed.
1943 — , June 25
ETO - Netherlands: The German Foreign Ministry office in the Netherlands reports that 102,000 of the 140,000 Dutch Jews have been deported.
ETO - Germany: US 8th Air Force B-17s bomb targets in northwestern Germany.
Germany: The Jews in the ghetto of Czestochowa, Poland, revolt. In response, German authorities have the ghetto destroyed.
Germany: Newly built gas chamber/crematory III opens at Auschwitz. The camp now has the capacity of cremating 4,756 bodies per day.
Russian Front - North: Day 656 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 417 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket.
MTO - Italy: The first Italian "M" armored division is formed near Rome as Mussolini's bodyguard unit.
MTO - Italy: US 12th Air Force RAF Wellingtons night bomb docks and marshalling yard at Olbia, Sardinia. During the day, US B-17s bomb targets at Messina, Sicily.
CBI - China: Day 2,180 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
PTO: Day 30 of 47 adrift in a raft for the survivors of B-24 GREEN HORNET that crashed 850 miles from Hawaii.
PTO - Alaska: Day 384 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands. US 11th Air Force hits targets on Kiska Island.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 65 of 148 of the 2nd Battle of Lae-Salamaua. US 5th and 13th Air Forces provide air support.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 6 of 67 of the Battle of New Georgia. US 13th Air Force provides air support.
1944 — , June 25
ETO - UK: Day 13 of 86 of the V-1 "Buzz Bomb" offensive on Britain.
ETO - France: Day 20 of 49 of Operation OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, known forever simply as D-Day. D-Day+19: Allied Air Forces provide air support.
ETO - France: Day 20 of 62 of the Battle of Caen. The British 2nd Army begins Operation EPSOM, a new major offensive to take Caen.
ETO - France: Day 20 of 25 of the Battle of Cherbourg. US troops are now engaged in heavy street fighting.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 1 of 15 of the Battle of Tali-Ihantala. This becomes the largest battle in Scandinavian history.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 5 of 50 of the Battle of Karelia. Soviet troops continue their offensive against the Finns in eastern Karelia between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega in northern Russia.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 3 of 5 of the Battle of Lake Ladoga.
Russian Front - North: Day 145 of 191 of the Battle of the Narva Isthmus, Estonia. Both German and Soviet troops remain locked in their defensive positions.
Russian Front - Center: Day 3 of 6 of the Battle of Orsha, Belarus. The Soviets have the Germans surrounded.
Russian Front - Center: Day 3 of 6 of the Battle of Mogilev, Belarus. The Soviets have the Germans surrounded.
Russian Front - Center: Day 2 of 6 of the Battle of Bobruysk, Belarus. Soviets have trapped a massive number of Germans defending here.
MTO - Italy: Day 10 of 34 of the Battle of Ancona (north of Rome). Allied Air Forces provide air support. US 5th Army captures Piombino.
MTO - France: US 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s bomb targets in southern France.
CBI - Burma: Day 113 of 166 of the UK's Operation THURSDAY. Gurkha (Indian) troops of the Chindits cautiously attack at Mogaung, having suffered heavy casualties during the assault two days prior. The Japanese begin retreating from the town.
CBI - Burma: Day 108 of 147 of the Battle of Myitkyina. US 10th Air Force provides air support.
CBI - Burma: Day 86 of 302 of the Chinese Salween Offensive. US 14th Air Force provides air support.
CBI - China: Day 2,546 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 70 of 259 of Japan's Operation ICHI-GO.
Day 4 of 48 of the Battle of Hengyang.
CBI - India: Day 110 of 118 of the Battle of Imphal-Kohima. The Japanese continue retreating back to Burma.
PTO - Alaska: US 11th Air Force bombs the airfield at Kurabu Cape on Paramushiru Island.
PTO - Caroline Islands: US 7th Air Force bombs targets in the Wotje and Truk Atolls.
PTO - Mariana Islands: Day 11 of 25 of the Battle of Saipan. US 7th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 30 of 83 of the Battle of Biak. Although the battle is pretty much over, there are still 3,000 Japanese soldiers on the island and fighting will continue until 17 August.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 194 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain. US 13th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 65 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea. 5th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 12 of 80 of the Battle of Lone Tree Hill.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 238 of 295 of the Battle of the Bougainville Islands. US 13th Air Force provides air support.
1945 — , June 25
Europe: Austria is divided into four administrative zones.
CBI - China: Day 2,911 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 86 of 91 of the Battle of Zhijiang. US 14th Air Force provides air support. Japanese troops continue pulling out of China.
PTO - Alaska: Four US Navy destroyers sink four Japanese sub chasers in the Kurile Islands.
PTO - Borneo: Day 16 of 67 of the Battle of North Borneo. US 5th and 13th Air Forces provide air support.
PTO - Japan: US Marines land at Kumejima, Okinawa.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 546 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain. US 10th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 430 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea. US 10th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - Philippines: Day 248 of 299 of the 2nd Battle of the Philippines, aka the Liberation of the Philippines or the Philippines Campaign.
PTO - Philippines: Day 193 of 244 of the Battle of Luzon. 5th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - Philippines: Day 108 of 159 of the Battle of Mindanao Island. 5th Air Force provides air support.
PTO - Philippines: Day 100 of 135 of the Battle of the Visayas region. US 5th and 7th Air Forces provide air support.
1947 — , June 25
Amsterdam: "The Diary of a Young Girl" is published. It will receive widespread critical and popular attention after the appearance of its English language translation "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" in the US and UK in 1952. The book appears in several lists of the top books of the 20th century.
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Anne Frank related dates...
12 Jun 42: Anne Frank receives a diary for her 13th birthday
06 Jul 42: Anne Frank and her family go into hiding
06 Jun 44: Anne Frank writes of D-Day in her diary
01 Aug 44: Anne Frank makes her last entry in her diary
04 Aug 44: Anne Frank and her family are betrayed, arrested
12 Mar 45: Anne Frank dies of typhus in concentration camp
25 Jun 47: "The Diary of a Young Girl" is published
Spotlight...
