WW2 POSTERS

World War 2:
Chronology

PACIFIC AND EASTERN ASIAN OPERATIONS

1941

Nov. 26-Pearl Harbor striking force sails from Kuril Islands.
Dec. 7-Japanese carrier aircraft attack United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and nearby Army air bases; Japanese destroyers bombard Midway Island.
Dec. 8-Japanese planes raid American air bases in Philippines; Japanese invade Thailand and Malaya; seize Shanghai International Settlement; attack mainland territories of Hong Kong; bombard Wake and Guam.
Dec. 9-Japanese invade Gilbert Islands.
Dec. 10-Japanese seize Guam and begin landings on Luzon; British warships Repulse and Prince of Wales are sunk off Malaya.
Dec. 11-Attempt by Japanese to seize Wake Island is repulsed; Japanese begin invasion of Burma.
Dec. 13-Japanese force British to withdraw from mainland to Hong Kong Island.
Dec. 16-Japanese invade British Borneo and Burma. Dec. 18-Japanese invade Hong Kong Island.
Dec. 20-Japanese land near Davao, Mindanao, Philippines.
Dec. 22-Japanese make major" landing at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, Philippines; Chiang Kai-shek offers Chinese troops for defense of Burma; first American troops reach Australia.
Dec. 23-Japanese overrun Wake Island; Gen. Douglas MacArthur decides to withdraw into Bataan Peninsula, Luzon.
Dec. 25-Japanese complete conquest of Hong Kong.

1942

Jan. 7-American and Philippine forces complete withdrawal into Bataan Peninsula.
Jan. 11-Japanese begin invasion of Netherlands East Indies.
Jan. 20-Japanese begin major offensive in Burma.
Jan. 22-MacArthur orders withdrawal to final Bataan defensive position.
Jan. 23-Japanese make amphibious landings behind American-Philippine positions on Bataan, but are contained; seize Rabaul, New Britain; and land on New Ireland and Solomon Islands.
Jan. 24-United States destroyers raid Japanese shipping off Balikpapan, Borneo (Battle of Makassar Strait).
Jan. 26-Withdrawal to final Bataan defensive position is successfully completed.
Jan. 27-British forces in Malaya begin withdrawal to Singapore Island.
Jan. 31-British complete withdrawal to Singapore Island.
Feb. 1-United States Pacific Fleet attacks Japanese bases in Marshall and Gilbert Islands.
Feb. 2-Lt. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell is appointed chief of staff to Chiang Kai-shek.
Feb. 4-Dutch-United States naval force is badly damaged by Japanese aircraft in Madoera Strait, Netherlands East Indies.
Feb. 8-Japanese forces break off Bataan attacks to reorganize for future decisive offensive; Japanese gain foothold on Singapore Island.
Feb. 14-Japanese paratroopers seize Palembang area, Sumatra.
Feb. 15-Singapore surrenders unconditionally.
Feb. 18-Japanese seize Bali, isolating Java.
Feb. 19-Darwin, Australia, is badly damaged by massive Japanese air attacks.
Feb. 22-President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders MacArthur to leave Philippines.
Feb. 23-British in Burma are forced back across Sittang River; Japanese submarine shells refinery near Santa Barbara, Calif.
Feb. 27-Allied naval forces are decisively defeated during attack on Japanese convoy (Battle of the Java Sea).
Feb. 28-Japanese invade Java.
March 7-British evacuate Rangoon, Burma.
March 7-8-Japanese land on New Guinea.
March 9-Dutch forces surrender to Japanese on Java.
March 11-MacArthur, family, and staff leave Bataan (reach Darwin March 17).
March 24-Japanese begin heavy air and artillery bombardment of Bataan and Corregidor.
April 3-Japanese launch major offensive against Bataan. April 4-Japanese carrier task force begins large-scale raid into Indian Ocean, attacking Colombo and Trincomalee, Ceylon, during following week.
April 9-American-Philippine forces on Bataan surrender; Japanese concentrate planes and artillery against Corregidor.
April 18-MacArthur assumes command of Southwest Pacific area; Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle leads air raid on Tokyo.
April 29-Japanese seize Lashio, southern terminus of Burma Road.
May 3-Japanese occupy Tulagi, Solomon Islands.
May 4-United States carrier planes raid Tulagi.
May 5-British invade Madagascar; Japanese make assault
landing on Corregidor.
May 6-Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright surrenders all forces in Philippines unconditionally.
May 7-Battle of the Coral Sea begins (ends May 8). May 10-American-Philippine forces in Mindanao, Palawan, and Visayan Islands begin surrendering (process
is completed June 9 ).
May 20-Japanese complete conquest of Burma.
June 3-American aircraft from Midway locate main Japanese fleet approaching that island.
June 4-Japanese are decisively defeated in Battle of Midway (pursuit continues into June 6 ).
June 6-7-Japanese land troops on Aleutian islands of Attu and Kiska.
July 2-Joint Chiefs of Staff order recovery of New Britain-New Ireland-New Guinea area, beginning with occupation of lower Solomon Islands.
July 22-Japanese land at Gona and Buna, New Guinea, for overland advance against Port Moresby.
Aug. 7-United States Marines begin landing on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands.
Aug. 8-9-Japanese naval task force inflicts serious losses on Allied fleet off Guadalcanal (Battle of Savo Island) ; Allied naval forces retire from Guadalcanal area.
Aug. 21-First Japanese assault on Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, is repulsed.
Aug. 24-United States carrier task force defeats Japanese in Battle of the Eastern Solomons.
Aug. 25-Japanese begin attack on Milne Bay, New Guinea.
Sept. 5-Japanese begin evacuating Milne Bay beachhead.
Sept. 9-Japanese plane (launched from submarine) starts small forest fire near Brookings, Oreg. (this was the only bombing attack on the continental United
States during war).
Sept. 13-14-Japanese launch unsuccessful major offensive on Guadalcanal.
Sept. 16-Japanese advance against Port Moresby is halted.
Oct. 11-12-United States naval task force defeats Japanese off Guadalcanal (Battle of Cape Esperance).
Oct. 13-United States Army units land on Guadalcanal. Oct. 14-Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, is temporarily rendered unusable by Japanese bombardment; Japanese mass for attack on American beachhead.
Oct. 23-Japanese launch major Guadalcanal counteroffensive.
Oct. 25-26-Japanese Guadalcanal attacks fail.
Oct. 26-Japanese are defeated in naval Battle of Santa Cruz.
Oct. 29-Alaska Highway is open for traffic; Japanese break contact with United States forces on Guadalcanal and withdraw northward.
Nov. 1-Americans begin Guadalcanal offensive.
Nov. 12-Series of naval engagements (Battle of Guadalcanal, ending Nov. 15) thwarts Japanese efforts to land reinforcements on Guadalcanal.
Nov. 16-Australians and Americans, having forced Japanese back into Buna-Gona beachhead during past month, attack that position.
Nov. 30-Japanese are thwarted in effort to reinforce Guadalcanal, but defeat United States cruiser task force (Battle of Tassafaronga).
Dec. 1-Australians capture Gona.
Dec. 16-British begin limited offensive in Arakan coastal area in Burma.
Dec. 18-Allies begin major offensive against Japanese positions around Buna.
1943
Jan. 2-Organized Japanese resistance at Buna ends.
Jan. 22-Japanese positions around Sanananda, New Guinea, are overrun.
Feb. 1-Japanese begin evacuation of Guadalcanal (operation is completed Feb. 7).
Feb. 8-Brig. Orde C. Wingate's Chindits begin three month raid against Mandalay-Myitkyina railroad.
Feb. 9-Organized Japanese resistance ends on Guadalcanal.
Feb. 21-Americans land on Russell Islands.
March 2-Battle of the Bismarck Sea begins (ends March
4 with destruction of entire Japanese convoy).
March 12-Japanese defeat British on Arakan front.
March 26-United States naval task force turns back effort by Japanese to reinforce their Aleutian garrisons.
April 18-Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto is killed when a Japanese plane is shot down over Solomon Islands.
May 11-American expeditionary force lands on Attu.
May 12-British withdraw to original positions in Arakan sector of Burma.
May 30-Japanese resistance collapses on Attu.
June 30-Operation Cartwheel begins with Allied landings in central Solomon Islands, Trobriand Islands, and Nassau Bay area of New Guinea.
July 5-United States naval forces partially block Japanese attempt to reinforce Kolombangara Island, central Solomons (Battle of Kula Gulf).
July 12-United States naval task force fails to prevent Japanese reinforcements from reaching Kolombangara (Battle of Kolombangara or Second Battle of Kula Gulf )
July 28-Japanese evacuate Kiska undetected by Allies.
Aug. 5-After 12 days of heavy fighting, Americans capture Munda Airfield, New Georgia, central Solomons.
Aug. 6-Japanese naval force is defeated off Kolombangara (Battle of Vella Gulf) .
Aug. 15-Allied force begins landing on Kiska (by Aug. 22, concedes island is deserted).
Oct. 2-Japanese withdraw successfully from Kolombangara; Australians capture Finschhafen, New Guinea.
Oct. 6-7-Japanese destroyers fight off smaller force of American destroyers while evacuating Japanese troops from Vella Lavella (Battle of Vella Lavella).
Oct. 12-United States Army Air Forces begin heavy air attacks on Rabaul, New Britain.
Nov. 1-Americans land on Bougainville Island, northern Solomons; during following night, Japanese naval task force is defeated offshore (Battle of Empress Augusta Bay).
Nov. 21-Americans begin landing on Makin and Tarawa, Gilbert Islands (atolls are cleared in three days).
Nov. 25-Japanese destroyers are defeated off New Ireland (Battle of Cape St. George).
Dec. 24-Bougainville beachhead, containing new airfields, is secured.
Dec. 26-Americans land at Cape Gloucester, New Britain.
Dec. 29-30-Cape Gloucester airfields are secured.

1944
Jan. 25-Chinese troops under General Stilwell begin counteroffensive in Burma.
Feb. 1-Americans land on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands ( atoll is cleared by Feb. 8 ).
Feb. 18-United States naval task forces complete neutralization of Japanese base at Truk; Americans begin landing on Eniwetok, Marshall Islands (atoll is secured by Feb. 23).
Feb. 24-United States 5307th Composite Unit (Merrill's Marauders) begins raid aimed at Myitkyina airfield.
Feb. 29-Americans land on Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands.
March 8-Japanese attack perimeter around Bougainville airfields; launch drive from Burma on Imphal and Kohima, India.
March 24-Organized Japanese resistance is broken on Bougainville and Los Negros.
March 31-Japanese surround Imphal.
April 8-Japanese surround Kohima.
April 17-Japanese launch offensive in Honan, China, directed at United States B-29 bases.
April 22-Allied forces land in Hollandia area of New Guinea.
May 17-Allied operations are commenced against Wakde Islands off Netherlands New Guinea coast; Marauders capture Myitkyina airfield.
May 24-Japanese begin counterattack at Myitkyina.
May 27-In New Guinea area, Allied forces land on Biak Island.
June 5-Japanese are defeated in Imphal-Kohima area.
June 15-United States Marines invade Saipan, Mariana Islands.
June 19-Japanese Fleet is badly defeated by United States carrier aviation in Battle of the Philippine Sea ("Marianas Turkey Shoot"; battle ends June 20).
June 22-Japanese begin retreat from Kohima-Imphal area.
July 9-Saipan is secured.
July 21-Americans land on Guam.
July 24-Americans land on Tinian, Mariana Islands.
July 28-Organized Japanese resistance ends on Biak.
July 30-Americans land on Vogelkop Peninsula, New Guinea.
Aug. 1-Tinian is secured.
Aug. 3-Myitkyina, Burma, is captured.
Aug. 10-Organized Japanese resistance is destroyed on Guam.
Aug. 20-Biak is secured.
Aug. 29-Japanese continue successful offensive against American Honan air bases.
Sept. 15-Americans land on Morotai Island and Palau Islands.
Sept. 17-Morotai is secured.
Oct. 10-United States Third Fleet carrier task force raids Okinawa.
Oct. 13-United States Third Fleet begins raids on Taiwan.
Oct. 15-Allies begin offensive to clear northern Burma.
Oct. 17-United States Ranger units occupy small islands at entrance to Leyte Gulf.
Oct. 18-General Stilwell is relieved.
Oct. 20-United States Sixth Army invades Leyte.
Oct. 21-Palau Islands are secured.
Oct. 23-Battle for Leyte Gulf begins between United States and Japanese fleets (ends Oct. 26 with Japanese defeat).
Nov. 24-B-29's make first raid on Tokyo from bases in Mariana Islands.
Dec. 10-Japanese forces in southern China link up with Japanese forces in French Indochina.
Dec. 12-British launch offensive in Arakan sector of Burma.
Dec. 15-Americans invade Mindoro, Philippines.

1945

Jan. 1-Major offensive operations are completed on Leyte (mopping up continues until May 8) .
Jan. 2-United States convoys begin moving toward Luzon,
Philippines.
Jan. 3-British Arakan offensive recaptures Akyab.
Jan. 9-United States Sixth Army begins landing at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon.
Jan. 20-Converging attacks from China and Burma reopen Burma Road.
Feb. 3-United States 1st Cavalry Division enters Manila.
Feb. 16-Americans launch airborne-amphibious assault on Corregidor Island, Manila Bay (completed March 2); heavy preparatory naval-air bombardment of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, begins.
Feb. 19-United States Marines land on Iwo Jima.
Feb. 25-United States 21st Bomber Command makes first mass incendiary-bomb raid on Tokyo.
March 3-Last Japanese position in Manila is wiped out.
March 10-Americans land on Mindanao, Philippines.
March 16-Iwo Jima is declared secure.
March 18-19-United States carrier aircraft attack Japanese air and naval bases in preparation for coining invasion of Okinawa.
March 21-British complete recapture of Mandalay, Burma.
March 26-Americans land on Kerama-retto near Okinawa (islands are completely occupied March 28).
April 1-United States Tenth Army lands on Okinawa.
April 7-Japanese naval sortie toward Okinawa is routed (Battle of the East China Sea).
April 11-Japanese begin furious air offensive, using Kamikaze aircraft, against United States shipping off Okinawa.
May 3-British reoccupy Rangoon.
May 11-Chinese forces halt Japanese drive on Chihkiang (begun April 1944).
May 20-Japanese in China begin moving troops northward to reinforce their army in Manchuria.
June 21-Organized Japanese resistance on Okinawa ends
June 30-Luzon is declared secure (mopping up continues until end of war).
July 1-Australians and Dutch begin operations in Balikpapan area of Borneo.
July 10-United States Navy and Army aircraft begin a major offensive against Japan in preparation for planned invasion.
July 16-United States tests successful atomic bomb at Alamogordo, N.Mex.
July 17-British Pacific Fleet joins United States Third Fleet in attacks on Japan.
Aug. 6-Atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima.
Aug. 8-The USSR declares war in Japan (effective Aug. 9).
Aug. 9-Atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki; Russians invade Manchuria.
Aug. 12-Soviet troops enter northern Korea.
Aug. 14-Japan surrenders.