CBI - China: Day 62 of 154 of the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria.
1936 — , November 18
Spain: Day 125 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
1937 — , November 18
Spain: Day 490 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
CBI - China: Day 135 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 98 of 106 of the 2nd Battle of Shanghai.
1938 — , November 18
Spain: Day 855 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
CBI - China: Day 500 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 38 of 81 of Japan's Operation GUANGDONG.
1939 — , November 18
Atlantic: The Dutch ship SIMON BOLIVAR hits an un-notified mine in the North Sea, killing 80. Several other neutral ships also are sunk by mines.
CBI - China: Day 865 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 4 of 381 of the Battle of South Guangxi.
1940 — , November 18
ETO - UK: Day 74 of 258 of the Blitz.
East Africa: Day 162 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,231 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 369 of 381 of the Battle of South Guangxi.
CBI - Thailand: Day 49 of 221 of the Franco-Thai War (Vichy France vs Thailand).
1941 — , November 18
Russian Front - Finland: Day 150 of 164 of the Battle of Hanko. The Soviets will be forced off their leased naval base.
Russian Front: Day 150 of 167 of Germany's Operation BARBAROSSA.
Russian Front - North: Day 72 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - Center: Day 48 of 98 of the Battle of Moscow. Siberian troops are heavily engaged in the defense of the city.
Russian Front - South: Day 20 of 248 of the Siege of Sevastopol, Crimean Peninsula.
MTO - Libya: Day 223 of 256 of the Siege of Tobruk. The British 8th Army launches Operation CRUSADER in effort to take Tobruk.
East Africa: Day 527 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,596 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
1942 — , November 18
ETO - France: US 8th Air Force B-17s hit U-boat bases at La Pallice and St Nazaire while B-24s attack at Lorient.
Russian Front - North: Day 437 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 198 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 - South: Day 144 of 150 of Germany's CASE BLUE, the failed offensive to take the Caucasus oil fields.
Russian Front - South: Day 88 of 165 of the Battle of Stalingrad, bloodiest battle in human history.
MTO North Africa: French Prime Minister Pierre Laval is given absolute power by Vichy France in Africa.
MTO - Tunisia: Day 2 of 178 of the Battle of Tunisia.
MTO - Libya: US 9th Air Force B-17s bomb the marshalling yard and docks at Bengasi.
CBI - China: Day 1,961 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
PTO - Alaska: Day 165 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands. The US and Canada will defeat the Japanese invaders.
PTO - Malaya: Day 273 of 357 of the Battle of Timor Island, a long guerrilla war ending in Japanese victory.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 104 of 187 of the Battle of Guadalcanal.
1943 — , November 18
ETO - Germany: Day 1 of 135 of the Battle of Berlin (RAF bombing campaign). The RAF drops 700 tons on the German capital. Not limited to Berlin, the bombings will continue through 31 Mar 44.
Spotlight...
May 1945 photo of bombed-out Berlin
The Battle of Berlin was a British bombing campaign on Berlin from November 1943 - March 1944. Other German cities were attacked as part of the campaign to prevent concentration of defenses in Berlin. More than anything, though, this was an on again, off again terror campaign against the German people.
The British dubbed this the "Battle of Berlin" at this time for propaganda purposes, but the term will later be used in reference to the Soviet land attack from 16 Apr 45 to 02 May 45 that ultimately will end the war in Europe.
The campaign was launched by Arthur "Bomber" Harris of RAF Bomber Command in November 1943. Harris believed this could be the blow that would break German resistance: "It will cost us between 400 and 500 aircraft. It will cost Germany the war." By this time he could deploy over 800 long-range bombers on any given night, equipped with new and more sophisticated navigational devices such as H2S radar. Between November 1943 and March 1944, Bomber Command made 16 massed attacks on Berlin.
It is generally accepted that the Battle of Berlin was a failure for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as it was not the knockout blow that Harris had predicted. In words of the official RAF history "in an operational sense the Battle of Berlin was more than a failure, it was a defeat."
Civilian Casualties during WWII
Great Britain
60,000
Germany
3,810,000
France
360,000
Austria
80,000
United States
minimal
Italy
85,000
USSR
7,700,000
Rumania
465,000
Belgium
90,000
Hungary
280,000
Holland
190,000
Bulgaria
7,000
Norway
minimal
Finland
minimal
Poland
5,300,000
Japan
360,000
Greece
80,000
Yugoslavia
1,300,000
Czechoslovakia
330,000
China
10,000,000
Total - Allies
25,410,000
Total - Axis
5,087,000
Related dates...
24 Aug 40: Accidental bombing of London changes the rules of war
30 Oct 40: RAF Bomber Command first sanctions carpet bombing
19 Sep 43: Hamburg has been bombed to absolute ruins
18 Nov 43: Battle of Berlin begins as the RAF bombs the German capital
Among The Dead Cities: The History and Moral Legacy of the WWII Bombing of Civilians in Germany and Japan
ETO - Norway: US 8th Air Force B-24s attack the Oslo/Kjeller Airfield.
Russian Front - North: Day 802 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 563 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 - South: Day 87 of 122 of the Battle of the Lower Dnieper River, USSR. A German counter offensive recaptures Zhitomir, Ukraine.
MTO - Yugoslavia: US 12th Air Force fighter planes hit a ship in the Krka River, key areas between Knin and Kosovo, and various vessels anchored in the Sibenik harbor.
MTO - Greece: US 15th Air Force B-17s bomb at Eleusis while 12th Air Force medium and light bombers attack the airfield at Larissa.
MTO - Italy: US 12th Air Force and the RAF provides air support.
CBI - China: Day 2,326 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 17 of 49 of the Battle of West Changde.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 61 of 219 of the Battle of Shaggy Ridge.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 58 of 162 of the Battle of the Huon Peninsula.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 18 of 295 of the Battle of the Bougainville Islands.
1944 — , November 18
ETO - France: Day 110 of 284 of the Battle of Brittany.
ETO - France: Day 65 of 236 of the Siege of Dunkirk.
ETO - Germany: Day 61 of 145 of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest.
ETO - Germany: Patton's US 3rd Army crosses the German frontier. Metz is cut off and surrounded by the US 3rd Army's XX Corps. US 8th Air Force P-47s and P-51s destroy 26 enemy planes in the air and another 69 parked on the ground.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 65 of 223 of the Lapland War. Finland and Russia have joined forces to kick the Germans out of Finland's most northern province.
Russian Front - Center: Day 35 of 206 of the Battle of the Courland Pocket in Latvia.
Russian Front - Center: Day 28 of 99 of the Siege of Memel, a border town of Lithuania and East Prussia.
Russian Front - Center: Day 66 of 72 of the Battle into East Prussia and northern Poland.
Russian Front - South: Day 21 of 108 of the Battle of Budapest, Hungary.
Russian Front - South: Day 66 of 72 of the Battle of Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
MTO: US 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s attack targets in Austria, Yugoslavia, and Italy.
MTO - Italy: US and Royal Air Forces provides air support for the Allied ground units.
MTO: The German hospital ship, TUBINGEN is sunk accidentally by Allied aircraft in the Adriatic Sea, but luckily no wounded were on board.
CBI - Burma: Day 232 of 302 of the Chinese Salween Offensive.
CBI - Burma: Day 5 of 31 of the Battle of Bhamo.
CBI - China: Day 2,692 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 216 of 259 of Japan's Operation ICHI-GO.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 327 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 211 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea.
PTO - Palau Islands: Day 65 of 74 of the Battle of Peleliu (Operation STALEMATE II).
PTO - Philippines: Day 30 of 299 of the 2nd Battle of the Philippines, aka the Liberation of the Philippines or the Philippines Campaign.
PTO - Philippines: Day 30 of 73 of the Battle of Leyte.
PTO - Philippines: Day 8 of 41 of the Naval Battle of Ormoc Bay.
Day-By-Day listings for November 18 were last modified on Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Spotlight...
