Year 1939

War Diary WW2 for Saturday, December 16, 1939: Finland Winter War – First Battle of Summa: waves of Russian infantry and tanks, with air support, attempt to overrun the Summa […]

War Diary WW2 for Friday, December 15, 1939: Finland Winter War – Battle of Suomussalmi: Finns destroy 163rd (Tula) Division and 44th motorized Division in the ‘Waist’. Russian losses: 6,000-plus

War Diary WW2 for Thursday, December 14, 1939: Finland Winter War: Russians launch new drive on Petsamo front (Arctic). Politics LEAGUE OF NATIONS EXPELS SOVIET UNION (RUSSIA). Sea War Atlantic:

War Diary WW2 for Wednesday, December 13, 1939: Sea War Atlantic – BATTLE OF THE RIVER PLATE: British cruisers Exeter and Ajax and NZ cruiser Achilles intercept pocket-battleship Admiral Graf

War Diary WW2 for Tuesday, December 12, 1939: Finland Winter War – Battle of Tolvaajarvi: Finns destroy two divisions north of Lake Ladoga, killing 4,000 Russians, capturing 30 guns, 60

War Diary World War One for Monday, December 11, 1939: Politics League of Nations urges Russia to cease hostilities in Finland within 24 hours and accept mediation (Russian rejection on

War Diary WW2 for Sunday, December 10, 1939: Sea War Atlantic: First Canadian troop convoy sails from Halifax, with 5 liners under heavy escort (arrives Britain, December 23). Baltic: Russian

War Diary WW2 for Saturday, December 9, 1939: Western Front Corporal Thomas Priday of King’s Shropshire Light Infantry, killed leading a patrol, is first British soldier to be killed in

War Diary WW2 for Friday, December 8, 1939: Air War Polish exile-squadrons to be attached to the RAF. Polish Forces in Exile

War Diary WW2 for Thursday, December 7, 1939: Sea War Atlantic: Pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee sinks SS Streonshalh south of Trinidad, her ninth and last victim. British cruiser squadron sails

Diary for Wednesday, December 6, 1939: Sea War Mines laid, by night, off British East Coast, by German seaplanes and destroyers (which also damage destroyer HMS Jersey by a torpedo).

War Diary WW2 for Tuesday, December 5, 1939 Finland Winter War: Finnish covering forces complete withdrawal to Mannerheim Line. Finnish Blenheim bombers raid Murmansk air base.

War Diary WW2 for Monday, December 4, 1939: Sea War Battleship HMS Nelson, flagship of British Home Fleet, damaged by magnetic mine near Loch Ewe. Royal Navy S class sub

War Diary for Sunday, December 3, 1939: Neutrals Sweden: Army reservists called up and minefield laid off the East Coast.

War Diary for Saturday, December 2, 1939: Finland Winter War: Finnish covering forces (13,000 men) on Karelian Isthmus slowly withdrawing to the Mannerheim Line. Mines and traps destroy numbers of