June 6 1940 French Premier Reynaud assumed control of foregin affairs, dropping Daladier as foreign minister. General Charles de Gaulle was appointed under secretary of war.
1941 Washington authorized the acquision of all idle foreign merchant ships in U.S. waters "for urgent needs of commerce and national defense. Luftwaffe units in Syria were withdrawn. Hitler advised the Japanese ambassador, in Berchtesgaden, that Germany might go to war with Russia. He did not refer to an invasion, but said troop reinforcements were being sent east. “Under such circumstances”, he confided war might be unavoidable between us.
1942 The decisive battle of Midway was fought, marking a turning point in the war in the Pacific. Admiral Chester Nimitz knew a month before that the Japanese were planning to invade Midway and to launch a diversionary assult on the Aleutians. Intercepts of secret Japanese radio messages gave the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet as much knowlage of Japanese intentions as was known by the Japanese planners themselves. Nimitz was ready, and the Japanese were administered a resounding defeat which altered the coarse of the Pacific war. Four Japanese carriers, -Kaga, Soryu, Akagi, and Hiryu were lost, in addition to a heavy crusier the Mikuma. The U.S. carrier Yorktown and a destroyer, the Hammann, were sunk. American air losses were 147 planes, compared to to the Japanese total of 332. Henceforth, Japan was no longer affected by the victory disase, which had marked the first six months of the war, and the Allies shortly went over to the offensive. German troops opened a massive assult and bombardmet ofSevestopol.
1943 The attacks on Pantelleria were concentrated on shore defensives and gun emplacements.
1944 The greatest amphibious operation in military history was launched as Allied forces under the command of Eisenhower began landing on the Northern coast of France between Cherbourg and Le Harve. H hour for the Americans was 6:30 a.m. , later for the British units because of the tide. Within 24 hours, 176,000 troops were put ashore from 4,000 ships. They were protected by 9,500 aircraft and 600 warships. U.S. First Army forces quickly secured Utah Beach. The British Second Army overcame most resistance rapidly and drove toward Caen, Only at Omaha Beach were the forces almost totally stymied, but the U.S. V Corps established a firm beachhead by evening. U.S. 1st Armored Division units advanced 25 miles north of Rome. U.S. planners set Oct 1 1945 as the date for invading Japan.
1945 The Naha airfield on the Oroku Peninsula was cleared by the U.S. Marines 6th Division