Year 1940

Diary for Sunday, March 3, 1940: Finland Winter War: Hand-to-hand fighting in suburbs of Viipuri. Russians capture railway station.

Diary for Friday, March 2, 1940: Finland Winter War: Russians reach southern suburbs of Viipuri. Finnish fighters foil attempted raid on Helsinki. Air War Germany: High-flying RAF Supermarine Spitfire photographs

Diary for Friday, March 1, 1940: Finland Winter War: Russians within 6 km of center of Viipuri. Fierce aerial dog fights over city.

Diary for Thursday, February 29, 1940: Finland Winter War: Battle of Viipuri begins. Russians make all-out effort to crush resistance in Karelian Isthmus by encircling city of Viipuri and reaching

Diary for Wednesday, February 28, 1940: Finland Winter War: Finns storm entrenched camp of starving 34th Moscow Tank Brigade near Kitelae, capturing 105 tanks, 200 trucks and field cars. Home

Diary for Tuesday, February 27, 1940: Finland Winter War: Finns begin to withdraw to rear positions of Mannerheim Line.

Diary for Monday, February 26, 1940: Finland Winter War: Finns announce evacuation of Koivisto coastal fortress, on right flank of Mannerheim Line. Sea War Atlantic: Liner Queen Elizabeth (83,700 tons)

Diary for Sunday, February 25, 1940: Air War First squadron of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) reaches Britain.

Diary for Saturday, February 24, 1940: Western Front MANSTEIN PLAN ADOPTED by German Army High Command. Hitler accepts proposal by General von Manstein – backed by Generals von Rundstedt and

Diary for Friday, February 23, 1940: Home Fronts Britain: 700 officers and men of cruisers Ajax and Exeter march through cheering crowds to London’s Guildhall to celebrate River Plate Battle

Diary for Thursday, February 22, 1940: Neutrals Tibet: six-year-old Dalai Lama, Jampel Ngawang Lobsang Yishey Tenzing Gyatso (‘Tender Glory, Mighty in Speech, Excellent Intellect, Absolute Wisdom, Holding to the Doctrine,

Diary for Wednesday, February 21, 1940: Secret War Britain: First successful test of cavity magneto at Birmingham University gives Britain unbeatable lead in development of short-wave radar. Finland Winter War:

Diary for Tuesday, February 20, 1940: Finland Winter War: Finns repulse heavy attacks across frozen river Taipale.

Diary for Monday, February 19, 1940: Politics Sweden: King Gustav re-affirms his determination to remain neutral in Russo-Finnish conflict: ‘from the first hour I informed Finland that she unfortunately could

Diary for Sunday, February 18, 1940: China Sino-Japanese war – Battle of Nanning: Japanese forced to withdraw from city after heavy fighting. Sea War Atlantic – Operation Nordmark: Battlecruisers Gneisenau