Year 1940

Diary for Thursday, March 7, 1940: Finland Winter War: Fierce fighting continues in Viipuri Bay sector. Air War RAF aircraft, flying from bases in France, drop Polish language leaflets over […]

Diary for Wednesday, March 6, 1940: Politics Finnish government, faced with desperate military situation, sends peace delegation to Moscow.

Diary for Tuesday, March 5, 1940: Western Front Germans capture British outpost in Maginot Line (2 killed, 16 taken prisoner); outpost later recaptured. Finland Winter War: Russians cross ice-bound Viipuri

Diary for Monday, March 4, 1940: Finland Winter War: Finns repulse attacks east and west of Viipuri (in the West Russians attack across ice of Viipuri Bay).

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,