Each Day in World War II – 26th June

June 26, 1940

Overview of Key Events June 26, 1940, saw the Soviet Union issue a critical ultimatum to Romania, demanding the cession of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. This aggressive move further redrew the map of Eastern Europe in the early stages of the war.

Europe and Atlantic

• The Soviet Union delivered an ultimatum to Romania, demanding the immediate cession of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The ultimatum threatened military action if Romania did not comply. This move was part of the Soviet Union’s expansionist policy in Eastern Europe, taking advantage of the fall of France and German preoccupation in the West.

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

• No specific major events were reported in the Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East on this date.

Asia

• No specific major events were reported in Asia on this date.

Pacific

• No specific major events were reported in the Pacific on this date.

Outcomes: The Soviet ultimatum to Romania marked another significant territorial change in Eastern Europe, further destabilizing the region under the shadow of the ongoing war.

Key Personalities

• Vyacheslav Molotov: Soviet Foreign Minister, who delivered the ultimatum.

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June 26, 1941

June 26, 1941

Overview of Key Events June 26, 1941, marked the fifth brutal day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. German forces continued their rapid, destructive advances, trapping vast numbers of Soviet troops, while Finland actively began its offensive operations against the Soviets.

Europe and Atlantic

• On the Eastern Front, Operation Barbarossa continued with devastating effectiveness for the German Wehrmacht. German armored formations achieved deeper penetrations into Soviet territory, exploiting the disorganization of the Red Army. The encirclement of Soviet forces in the Białystok–Minsk pocket continued to tighten.
• The Soviet Stavka (High Command of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief) was formally created, signaling an urgent effort to centralize and coordinate the Red Army’s defense against the German invasion.
• The Battle of Brody (also known as the Battle of Dubno, Lutsk, Brody) continued in Ukraine. This massive early tank battle involved elements of German Panzer Group 1 and several large Soviet mechanized corps, resulting in fierce and costly engagements.
• Finnish forces, having declared war on the Soviet Union on June 25, commenced their own offensive operations along the Finnish-Soviet border in Karelia and the Arctic regions, aiming to reclaim territories lost in the Winter War and support the German invasion.
• Unidentified aircraft bomb Kassa in Hungary resulting in damage and 29 killed. At the time, the commander of the airfield in the town identified the attackers as Germans and this is a possible false flag attack. But it isn’t entirely clear and it could still be a Soviet raid. Regardless, Hungary declares war on the USSR.
• Holocaust-related events: Iasi in Romania is bombed today by the Soviet air force. Significant damage was caused and 600 people were killed in the raid, and this followed an earlier raid two days before. The reaction on the ground was hysterical. Romanians blamed Jews, who they thought were all communists or spies for the Soviets. The citizens were being encouraged by in their beliefs about the Jews and this will lead directly to the Iasi Pogrom when Romanian Dictator Antonescu tells the Iasi garrison commander to “cleanse Iasi of its Jewish population” on 27th June. 8,000 Jews will be killed in the streets in the initial reaction, and 5,000 more were forced in to cramped rail cars, where more died of as these then travelled back and forth across the countryside for eight days. Around 75% of the people entering the trains would leave dead. All in all 15,000 Jews are killed in the pogrom.

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

• No specific major events were reported in the Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East on this date.

Asia

• No specific major events were reported in Asia on this date in the referenced timeline.

Pacific

• No specific major events were reported in the Pacific on this date.

Outcomes: Operation Barbarossa maintained its overwhelming momentum, inflicting massive losses and deep penetrations into Soviet territory. Finland’s active participation opened a new northern front. The horrific mass killings by the Einsatzgruppen continued.

Key Personalities

• Semyon Timoshenko: Soviet Marshal, leading the efforts to organize defense on the Western Front.
• Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim: Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces, overseeing their offensive operations.

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June 26, 1942

Overview of Key Events On June 26, 1942, Rommel’s Afrika Korps continued its relentless push into Egypt having reached Mersa Matruh, launch their assault against the British. On the Eastern Front, the Siege of Sevastopol was in its final, desperate moments.

Europe and Atlantic

• On the Eastern Front, the brutal Siege of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula was nearing its end, with German Eleventh Army forces under General Erich von Manstein making the final, decisive pushes against the last Soviet defenders. The city was on the verge of falling.
• The Germans are attacking towards Voronezh in Russia with Army Group B and Army Group A. The massive battle of Voronezh will being on 28 June in which the Germans will face 1,310,800 Soviet troops.
• 1,000 French Jews are on their way to Auschwitz having been deported from Pithiviers Internment Camp, near Orleans in Vichy France. All were dead by the end of the war in 1945.

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

• In North Africa, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps continued its rapid advance into Egypt, having reached Mersa Matruh. German and Italian forces, headed by 21st Panzer, 90th Light Division, 15th Panzer and XX motorised Corps launch their assault against British forces.

Asia

• No specific major events were reported in Asia on this date .

Pacific

• No specific major events were reported in the Pacific on this date.

Outcomes: Rommel’s offensive continued its dangerous momentum in North Africa, bringing the Axis forces attack the British at Mursa Matruh. The Siege of Sevastopol was reaching its conclusion, signaling a major German victory in the Crimea.

Key Personalities

• Field Marshal Erwin Rommel: Commander, German Afrika Korps.
• General Erich von Manstein: Commander, German Eleventh Army.

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June 26, 1943

Overview of Key Events On June 26, 1943, both the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean remained characterized by intense preparations for massive upcoming operations. There were no new major, independently verifiable military or political events that unfolded on this specific day beyond the ongoing strategic build-ups.

Europe and Atlantic

• On the Eastern Front, the immense preparations for the impending Battle of Kursk continued intensively. Both the German Wehrmacht (planning Operation Citadel) and the Soviet Red Army continued to finalize their colossal concentrations of armor, artillery, and infantry, anticipating the German offensive.

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

• Allied forces in North Africa and the Mediterranean continued their final detailed planning and logistical preparations for Operation Husky, the impending invasion of Sicily. This involved the movement of vast numbers of troops, equipment, and supplies to embarkation points, as well as final coordination meetings among senior commanders.

Asia

• No specific major events were reported in Asia on this date.

Pacific

• No specific major events were reported in the Pacific on this date.

Outcomes: Both the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean remained on the cusp of major, decisive military operations, with forces fully prepared for the coming clashes.

Key Personalities

• General Dwight D. Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater.
• Marshal Georgy Zhukov: Soviet general, instrumental in planning the Soviet defense at Kursk.

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June 26, 1944

Overview of Key Events June 26, 1944, saw the continued devastating success of Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front. In Normandy, British forces pressed their offensive around Caen, while U.S. forces completed the capture of Cherbourg, a vital port. The relentless V-1 attacks on London persisted, and the horrific deportations to Auschwitz continued.

Europe and Atlantic

• Operation Bagration, the massive Soviet summer offensive, continued its rapid and successful advance against German Army Group Centre on the Eastern Front. The Soviet Red Army completed the destruction of the German garrison of 28,000 men in Vitebsk, a key city. Significant advances and encirclements continued, inflicting catastrophic losses on the Wehrmacht.
• The Battle of Tali-Ihantala is underway on the Karelian Isthmus. The Finns are defending against a massive Soviet assault in what was the largest battle ever fought in the Nordic countries.
• In Normandy, Operation Epsom, the major British offensive spearheaded by British VIII Corps near Caen, continued. Fierce fighting against German armored divisions, including the 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitlerjugend,” characterized the day, as British forces sought to break through to the Odon River.
• The U.S. First Army completed the capture and pacification of the strategically vital port city of Cherbourg on the Cotentin Peninsula. Although heavily damaged by German demolitions, its securement provided a critical logistical entry point for Allied forces.
• Germany continued its retaliatory V-1 flying bomb attacks on London and other targets in southeastern England, causing civilian casualties and psychological strain.
• Holocaust-related events: The systematic mass deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau continued at an unprecedented rate. Trains arrived daily, carrying thousands of victims for immediate extermination as part of the Final Solution.

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

• On the Italian Front, Allied forces of the 15th Army Group continued their pursuit of the retreating German Tenth Army as they withdrew towards the Gothic Line in northern Italy.

Asia

• In China, Japanese forces continued their advance as part of Operation Ichi-Go, consolidating gains and pushing deeper into central and southern China.
• In Burma, remnants of the Japanese 15th Army continued their disastrous retreat from the Kohima-Imphal offensive. The British 14th Army, under General William Slim, continued its pursuit, exploiting the Japanese collapse.

Pacific

• On Saipan (Operation Forager), intense ground combat continued as U.S. V Amphibious Corps units pressed their advance against deeply entrenched and fiercely resisting Japanese 31st Army defenders.

Outcomes: Operation Bagration inflicted massive, irreversible losses on German forces. The capture of Cherbourg secured a vital port for the Allies in Normandy, despite ongoing fierce resistance. The Holocaust continued its systematic extermination.

Key Personalities

• Marshal Ivan Bagramyan: Commander of the Soviet 1st Baltic Front, involved in the Vitebsk offensive.
• General Miles Dempsey: Commander of the British Second Army, overseeing Operation Epsom.
• Lieutenant General Omar Bradley: Commander of the U.S. First Army, which secured Cherbourg.
• Adolf Eichmann: Senior SS official, central to Holocaust deportations.

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June 26, 1945

Overview of Key Events On June 26, 1945, with victory in Europe secured, the global conflict’s focus remained on the Pacific and Asia, where Allied forces continued their relentless push towards Japan. A monumental diplomatic achievement occurred with the formal signing of the United Nations Charter, establishing a new international organization for peace.

Europe and Atlantic

• In San Francisco, United States, the United Nations Charter was formally signed by representatives of 50 nations. This landmark document established the United Nations Organization, an international body dedicated to promoting peace, security, and cooperation among nations in the post-war world. This was a crucial step in shaping the new global diplomatic landscape.

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

• No specific major events were widely reported in the Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East on this date. The region was in a state of post-war stabilization.

Asia

• In Borneo, the Australian 7th Division continued its final preparations for Operation Oboe Six, the amphibious assault on Balikpapan, scheduled for July 1. This included extensive naval and air bombardments targeting Japanese defenses.
• The Australian 9th Division also continued its ground operations on Labuan Island and the Borneo mainland, engaging Japanese forces in localized actions.
• In China, Japanese forces continued their general strategic retreat from southern China. Chinese Nationalist forces continued to advance, recapturing territory.
• In Burma, remnants of the Japanese Burma Area Army were in disarray, continuing their desperate retreat. The British 14th Army continued its pursuit and mopping-up operations.

Pacific

• No specific major events were reported in the Pacific on this date, following the official end of the Battle of Okinawa and ongoing preparations for new offensives.

Outcomes: The signing of the United Nations Charter laid the foundation for a new era of international cooperation. Allied forces continued their advances against the retreating Japanese in Asia, bringing the war closer to a final conclusion.

Key Personalities

• Harry S. Truman: U.S. President, whose administration oversaw the signing of the UN Charter.
• Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek: Leader of Nationalist Chinese forces.
• General William Slim: Commander of the British 14th Army in Burma.

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