CBI - China: Day 101 of 154 of the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria.
1936 — , December 27
Spain: Day 164 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
1937 — , December 27
Spain: Day 529 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
CBI - China: Day 174 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 19 of 54 of the Battle of Nanking.
Day 15 of 50 of the Rape of Nanking.
1938 — , December 27
Spain: Day 894 of 985 of the Spanish Civil War.
CBI - China: Day 539 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 77 of 81 of Japan's Operation GUANGDONG.
1939 — , December 27
Finland: Day 28 of 105 of the Russo-Finnish War. In southern Finland, the Soviets vacate the Taipale area. In central Finland, the Finnish 9th Division attack toward Suomussalmi, recapturing the village and forcing the Soviet 163rd Division to retreat in panic.
CBI - China: Day 904 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 43 of 381 of the Battle of South Guangxi.
1940 — , December 27
ETO - UK: Day 113 of 258 of the Blitz.
MTO - North Africa: Day 19 of 63 of the UK's Operation COMPASS, their campaign in North Africa against the Italian troops in Egypt and Libya.
East Africa: Day 201 of 537 of Italy's East African campaign in the lands south of Egypt.
CBI - China: Day 1,270 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
CBI - Thailand: Day 88 of 221 of the Franco-Thai War (Vichy France vs Thailand).
1941 — , December 27
ETO - Norway: British Commandos successfully raid the Norwegian port of Vaagsoy in Operation ARCHERY, killing 200 Germans and destroying 16,000 tons of shipping, causing Hitler to reinforce the garrison and defenses, drawing vital troops away from other areas.
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27 Dec 41: British soldiers escort away German prisoners, who surrendered during the successful commando operation code-named Operation ARCHERY, aka the Vaagso Raid, at German military bases on Vaagsoy and Maaloy, in Norway.
No Royal Navy ships were lost, but the navy suffered four men killed and four wounded. The Commando force of 570 troops sustained 17 killed and 53 wounded, the commander of the Norwegians, Capt Linge, was killed in an attack on the local German headquarters, and the Royal Air Force had eight planes downed. The commandos accounted for at least 120 enemy killed and returned with 98 prisoners and a complete copy of the German Naval Code.
The raid was enough to persuade Adolf Hitler to divert 30,000 additional troops to Norway and upgrade coastal and inland defenses there. Hitler thought that the British might invade northern Norway to put pressure on Sweden and Finland. Some 300,000 German troops were garrisoned in Norway during the war, troops which Hitler could have put to better use in battles to try and save his Reich.
USA: Rationing for tires begins. New tires are restricted to vehicles for public health and safety (medical, fire, police, garbage, mail service), essential trucking (food, ice, fuel), and public transportation. Recapping of tires is allowed at the discretion of the local Rationing board. Civilians are allowed to keep 5 tires per automobile, and are required to surrender any others.
Russian Front - North: Day 111 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - Center: Day 87 of 98 of the Battle of Moscow. The Soviet Army continues its counter-offensive in the Kalinin area.
Russian Front - South: Day 59 of 248 of the Siege of Sevastopol, Crimean Peninsula.
MTO - Libya: Rommel inflicts heavy damage on the British forcing them to withdraw, which allows Rommel to fall back to El Agheila.
CBI - Burma: Day 14 of 164 of Japan's Invasion of Burma.
CBI - China: Day 1,635 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 4 of 99 of the 3rd Battle of Changsha.
CBI - Malaya: Day 20 of 55 of the Battle of British Malaya.
PTO - Australia: The Australian Prime Minister Curtin, announces, "Australia looks to America."
PTO - Borneo: Day 12 of 107 of the Battle of Borneo.
PTO - Philippines: Day 20 of 152 of the 1st Battle of the Philippines. The Japanese bomb Manila.
1942 — , December 27
Russian Front - North: Day 476 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 39 of 59 of the Battle of Velikiye Luki, near Leningrad. This stalemate does help ease the siege a little, but mostly it keeps German troops from being sent to other fronts.
Russian Front - North: Day 237 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 128 of 165 of the Battle of Stalingrad, bloodiest battle in human history.
Russian Front - South: Day 16 of 69 of the USSR's Operation LITTLE SATURN, a successful drive into the Northern Caucasus and the Donets Basin pushing the Axis troops out.
MTO - Algeria: British 1st Army repels an attack in the Medjez el Bab area.
MTO - Tunisia: Day 41 of 178 of the Battle of Tunisia. US 9th and 12th Air Forces provide Allied air support.
CBI - Burma: Day 7 of 104 of the 1st Battle of Arakan.
CBI - China: Day 2,000 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
PTO - Alaska: Day 204 of 435 of the Battle of Kiska, Aleutian Islands.
PTO - Malaya: Day 312 of 357 of the Battle of Timor Island, a long guerrilla war ending in Japanese victory.
PTO - New Guinea: Richard Bong shoots down his first two Japanese planes, a Val and a Zeke, and is awarded the Silver Star. He will go on to be America's highest-scoring air ace, shooting down at least 40 Japanese aircraft.
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Dick Bong related dates...
09 Jan 42: Receives wings, commissioned 2nd Lieutenant
12 Jun 42: Reprimanded, grounded for reckless flying
10 Sep 42: Assigned to 9th Fighter Squadron, Australia
27 Dec 42: Shoots down his first two Japanese planes
07 Jan 43: Shoots down his 3rd and 4th Japanese planes
08 Jan 43: Gets 5th Japanese plane, becoming an Ace
PTO - New Guinea: Day 39 of 66 of the Battle of Buna-Gona.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 143 of 187 of the Battle of Guadalcanal.
1943 — , December 27
ETO - Germany: US 8th Air Force B-17s bomb targets at Quadrath.
Russian Front - North: Day 841 of 872 of the Siege of Leningrad.
Russian Front - North: Day 602 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 4 of 113 of the USSR's Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive in southwestern Ukraine.
Russian Front - South: Day 4 of 22 of the Battle of Zhitomir, Russia.
MTO - Yugoslavia: US 12th Air Force B-25s attack a vessel near Zara.
MTO - Italy: RAF and US Air Forces provide air support for the Allied ground units.
CBI - China: Day 2,365 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 100 of 219 of the Battle of Shaggy Ridge.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 97 of 162 of the Battle of the Huon Peninsula.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 13 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain.
PTO - Solomon Islands: Day 57 of 295 of the Battle of the Bougainville Islands.
1944 — , December 27
ETO - France: Day 149 of 284 of the Battle of Brittany.
ETO - France: Day 104 of 236 of the Siege of Dunkirk.
ETO - Belgium: Day 12 of 41 of the Battle of the Bulge. US 8th Air Force heavy bombers attack targets in western Germany.
ETO - Germany: Day 100 of 145 of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest.
Russian Front - Finland: Day 104 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 74 of 206 of the Battle of the Courland Pocket in Latvia.
Russian Front - Center: Day 67 of 99 of the Siege of Memel, a border town of Lithuania and East Prussia.
Russian Front - South: Day 60 of 108 of the Battle of Budapest, Hungary. Soviet troops besiege Budapest trapping five German and Hungarian divisions.
MTO: US 15th Air Force B-17s and B-24s hit targets in Austria, Yugoslavia and Italy.
MTO: US 12th Air Force medium bombers hit targets in Austria and Yugoslavia.
MTO - Italy: US and Royal Air Forces provides air support for the Allied ground units.
CBI - Burma: Day 271 of 302 of the Chinese Salween Offensive. British troops reach Foul Point in Arakan.
CBI - China: Day 2,731 of 2,987 of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War.
Day 255 of 259 of Japan's Operation ICHI-GO.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 366 of 597 of the Battle of New Britain.
PTO - New Guinea: Day 250 of 481 of the Battle of Western New Guinea.
PTO - Philippines: Day 69 of 299 of the 2nd Battle of the Philippines, aka the Liberation of the Philippines or the Philippines Campaign.
PTO - Philippines: Day 69 of 73 of the Battle of Leyte.
PTO - Philippines: Day 13 of 244 of the Battle of Luzon.
Day-By-Day listings for December 27 were last modified on Tuesday, February 2, 2016
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