CBI - China: Day 61 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 24 of 106 of the 2nd Battle of Shanghai.
Day 5 of 70 of the Battle of Taiyuan.
1938 — , September 5
Spain: Day 781 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
CBI - China: Day 426 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 87 of 139 of the Battle of Wuhan.
1939 — , September 5
USA: The United States declares its neutrality in the European war after Germany's invasion of Poland, effectively beginning World War II after a year of European attempts to appease Hitler and the aims of expansionist Nazi Germany.
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President Roosevelt declared a state of "limited national emergency," claiming that the war in Europe "imposes on the United States certain duties with respect to the proper observance, safeguarding and enforcement" of its neutrality. All military forces were authorized to increase enlistments and the president was given authority to recall reservists to active duty.
ETO: French forces begin a limited offensive toward Saarbrucken.
Poland: Day 5 of 36 of Germany's Invasion of Poland. German troops cross the Vistula River in Poland. Under pressure the Polish Army withdraws behind the Vistula river, but German troops gain bridgeheads on opposite bank.
CBI - China: Day 791 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
CBI - Mongolia: Day 118 of 129 of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.
1940 — , September 5
ETO - UK: Day 58 of 114 of the Battle of Britain. Air raid hits a hospital in Kent, killing 23 patients and two nurses.
Spotlight...
London double-decker bus in a bomb crater
East Africa: Day 88 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,157 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 296 of 381 of the Battle of South Guangxi.
Day 17 of 42 of the Hundred Regiments Offensive.
1941 — , September 5
Russian Front - Finland: Day 76 of 164 of the Battle of Hanko. The Soviets will be forced off their leased naval base.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 2 of 28 of Finland's reconquest of East Karelia in southern Finland. The Soviets continue withdrawing from the Karelian Isthmus back to Leningrad.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 69 of 142 of Operation SILVER FOX, a joint German-Finnish campaign to capture the Russian port of Murmansk in the Arctic.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 67 of 140 of Operation ARCTIC FOX, a joint German-Finnish campaign against Soviet Northern Front defenses at Salla, Finland.
Russian Front: Day 76 of 167 of Germany's Operation BARBAROSSA, the overall invasion of the USSR.
Russian Front - Center: Day 20 of 23 of the Battle of Dukhovshina, Russia.
Russian Front - Center: Day 7 of 10 of the Battle of Yelnia, Russia.
Russian Front - Center: Day 7 of 14 of the Battle of Roslavl-Novozybkov, Russia.
Russian Front - South: Day 29 of 70 of the Siege of Odessa, Ukraine.
Russian Front - South: Day 14 of 35 of the 1st Battle of Kiev, Ukraine.
MTO - Libya: Day 149 of 256 of the Siege of Tobruk.
Middle East: Day 12 of 24 of the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.
Middle East: The British release General Dentz, after the Vichy released their British POWs in Syria.
East Africa: Day 453 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,522 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
1942 — , September 5
ETO: US 8th Air Force dispatches 301st BG on their first mission to bomb a target in France and its A-20s of the 15th BS to attack Le Harve.
Russian Front - North: Day 363 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 124 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket, USSR lays siege to the Kholm Pocket but the Germans hold out for a about a year and a half.
Russian Front - Center: Day 38 of 64 of the 1st Battle of Rzhev-Sychevka, Russia. Though it will end in a stalemate, it will keep German troops from going to Stalingrad.
Russian Front - South: Day 70 of 150 of Germany's CASE BLUE, the failed offensive to take the Caucasus oil fields.
Russian Front - South: Day 14 of 165 of the Battle of Stalingrad, the bloodiest battle in human history.
MTO - Greece: US B-24s strike shipping and dock area in Candia Bay, Crete.
MTO - Egypt: P-40s of US 57th FG escort RAF bombers over the battle area of Alam-el-Halfa ridge near Rayil Dayr Ar Depression as the enemy offensive falters and is pushed back.
East Africa: Day 124 of 186 of the Battle of Madagascar.
CBI - China: Day 1,887 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 114 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.
PTO - Alaska: Day 91 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands. The US and Canada will defeat the Japanese invaders.
PTO - Malaya: Day 199 of 357 of the Battle of Timor Island, a long guerrilla war ending in Japanese victory.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 47 of 119 of the Battle of the Kokoda Track. The Japanese continue driving over the Owen Stanley Range toward Port Moresby. This will become an Allied victory.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 12 of 14 of the Battle of Milne Bay. The Australian troops continue beating back the Japanese troops. The US and Australian troops will win this battle.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 30 of 187 of the Battle of Guadalcanal.
1943 — , September 5
Russian Front - North: Day 728 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 489 of 658 of the Siege of the Kholm Pocket, USSR lays siege to the Kholm Pocket but the Germans hold out for a about a year and a half.
Russian Front - Center: Day 30 of 57 of the 2nd Battle of Smolensk, Russia. Becomes a Soviet victory as the Axis are pushed completely away from the Moscow region.
Russian Front - Center: Day 20 of 48 of the Battle of Bryansk, Russia. Soviet victory as the Germans began retreating.
Russian Front - South: Day 13 of 122 of the Battle of the Lower Dnieper River, USSR.
MTO - Italy: British 8th Army captures San Stefano, 10 miles inland in Calabria.
MTO - Italy: US 12th Air Force bomb the airfield at Viterbo, the town of Civitavecchia and landing grounds at Grazzanise. In Sardinia they hit the Pula radar station and town of Pabillonis.
CBI - China: Day 2,252 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 137 of 148 of the 2nd Battle of Lae-Salamaua. Will become an Allied victory. US paratroopers land behind the Japanese positions at Lae surrounding about 20,000 Japanese troops.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 22 of 56 of the Battle of Vella Lavella. The Allies will win this one.
1944 — , September 5
ETO - UK: Day 85 of 86 of the V-1 "Buzz Bomb" offensive on Britain.
ETO - France: Day 36 of 284 of the Battle of Brittany.
ETO - France: Day 22 of 32 of Operation DRAGOON, the Allied invasion of southern France. US and French troops continue racing up the Rhone Valley.
ETO - Belgium: Day 4 of 62 of the liberation of Belgium. The US 3rd Army crosses the Meuse as the British reach Ghent.
ETO: US 8th Air Force: B-17s hit targets in Germany and France. B-24s attack a marshalling yard at Karlsruhe, Germany.
Russian Front - North: Day 27 of 28 of the Battle of Tartu in southeastern Estonia.
Russian Front - South: USSR declares war on Bulgaria. A German-Hungarian counterattack in the area of Klausenburg, Romania fails.
MTO: US 15th Air Force bombed targets in Hungary and northern Italy. B-24s dispatched to Yugoslavia cannot bomb the target because of total cloud cover.
MTO - Italy: During the night, US 12th Air Force bombed targets at Milan and Genoa. During the day they hit strategic targets in Po Valley in preparation for major assault on the Gothic Line.
MTO - France: Fighters from the US 12th Air Force fly sweeps through the Rhone Valley.
CBI - Burma: Day 158 of 302 of the Chinese Salween Offensive.
CBI - China: Day 2,618 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 142 of 259 of Japan's Operation ICHI-GO.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 266 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 137 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea.
1945 — , September 5
PTO: Following Japan's surrender, British land in Singapore.
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Dates related to British Malaya and Singapore...
18 Feb 41: Elements of the Australian 8th Division arrive in Singapore.
18 Mar 41: Grand Admiral Erich Raeder urges Hitler to convince Japan to attack Singapore.
28 Apr 41: Churchill issues directive stating that at present there is no need to make provisions for the defense of Malaya and Singapore.
19 Jan 42: General Wavell warns Churchill that Singapore cannot be held, but is told that no question of surrender be entertained.
22 Jan 42: Day 46 of 55 of the Battle of British Malaya. Reinforcements reach Singapore with an Indian Brigade landing.
24 Jan 42: Day 48 of 55 of the Battle of British Malaya. British 18th Division arrives at Singapore as reinforcements to boost its defenses.
30 Jan 42: Day 54 of 55 of the Battle of British Malaya. British troops withdraw into Singapore.
30 Jan 42: Day 1 of 17 of the Battle of Singapore. The Japanese siege of British troops in Singapore begins.
14 Feb 42: Day 16 of 17 of the Battle of Singapore. Japanese soldiers advance toward the Alexandra Barracks Hospital. A British lieutenant, acting as an envoy with a white flag, approaches the Japanese forces but is killed with a bayonet. The Japanese troops enter the hospital and kill a number of patients, including those undergoing surgery at the time, along with doctors and members of the nursing staff.
15 Feb 42: Day 17 of 17 of the Battle of Singapore. 9,000 British and Australian troops have been killed, and the remaining 80,000 are taken prisoner as Japanese troops take the city, joining 50,000 taken in the earlier Malayan Campaign to be worked as slaves. It remains the largest surrender of British-led forces in history.
16 Feb 42: Australia's Prime Minister Curtin, calls the surrender of Singapore "Australia's Dunkirk."
04 Mar 42: The Australian sloop HMAS YARRA is sunk by Japanese cruisers while attempting to protect a convoy of vessels withdrawing from Singapore to Australia.
05 Sep 45: Following Japan's surrender, British land in Singapore.
Japan: Olympic star and POW Louis Zamperini begins his journey home from Japan by way of Okinawa, Manila, Hawaii, San Francisco and finally to Long Beach, California.
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Dates related to Louis Zamperini...
07 Aug 36: Zamperini invited to meet Hitler at the Berlin Olympics
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