Overview of Key Events June 27, 1940, saw Romania yield to a Soviet ultimatum, leading to territorial changes in Eastern Europe. This marked another significant shift in the region’s geopolitical landscape following the German conquest of France.
Europe and Atlantic
Romania formally accepted the Soviet ultimatum issued on June 26, agreeing to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union. Romanian troops began to withdraw from the territories immediately. This peaceful resolution of the ultimatum, despite its coercive nature, facilitated the Soviet annexation of these regions.
The Luftwaffe bombs the Channel Islands. They were demilitarised but the Germans hadn’t been told. 42 civilians were killed and more than 67 injured.
Charles De Gaulle is recognised as the leader of the Free French.
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
The Battle of Espro Convoy between British and Australian ships and the Italian Navy takes place off the coast of Crete. This was the first surface engagement between the Italian and allied warships after 3 Italian destroyers were trying to transit Blackshirt volunteers from Taranto to Tobruk. They were spotted by aircraft from Malta and 5 allied light cruisers intercepted them. In the two hour battle the British fired 5,000 shells. One Italian destroyer was sunk .
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 Union successfully gained Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina from Romania without armed conflict, consolidating its territorial gains in Eastern Europe.
Key Personalities
Carol II: King of Romania, who authorized the cession of territory.
Joseph Stalin: Soviet leader, whose government issued the ultimatum.
June 27, 1941
Germans advancing through a village near Minsk, 1941
Overview of Key Events June 27, 1941, marked the sixth brutal day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Hungary officially declared war on the Soviet Union, joining the Axis effort, while German forces continued their rapid, destructive advances, further trapping vast numbers of Soviet troops.
Europe and Atlantic
Hungary formally declared war on the Soviet Union, joining the Axis powers in Operation Barbarossa. This move came after an unexplained bombing raid on Kassa (today Košice), which was attributed to the Soviets. Hungarian forces immediately began to participate in offensive operations on the Eastern Front.
On the Eastern Front, Operation Barbarossa continued its devastating progress for the German Wehrmacht.
The Battle of Brody (also known as the Battle of Dubno, Lutsk, Brody), a massive early tank engagement involving German Panzer Group 1 and several large Soviet mechanized corps, raged on with intense fighting and heavy losses for both sides.
The encirclement of Soviet forces in the Białystok–Minsk pocket continued to tighten, with German forces cutting off supply lines and escape routes for hundreds of thousands of Red Army soldiers.
The Battle of Raseiniai in Lithuania officially concluded with a decisive German victory, marking the destruction of two Soviet mechanized corps and a significant early success for German Panzer Group 4.
Holocaust-related events: Pogroms in Kaunas and Vilnius are ongoing with the widespread murder of Jewish citizens being perpetrated by German and Lithuanian forces. In Iasi the Romanians launch one of the most violent pogroms in history.
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: Hungary’s entry into the war expanded the Axis coalition against the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa continued to inflict massive damage and encirclements on the Red Army. The horrific mass killings by the Einsatzgruppen intensified.
Key Personalities
Miklós Horthy: Regent of Hungary, whose government declared war.
General Erich Hoepner: Commander of German Panzer Group 4, victorious at Raseiniai.
June 27, 1942
7th Bersalieri enter Mersa Matruh, June 1942
Overview of Key Events On June 27, 1942, Rommel’s Afrika Korps continued its swift advance into Egypt, are defeating the British at Mersa Matruh and routing them east to where the British prepared to make a final stand. 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.
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
In North Africa, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps defeat the British at Mersa Matruh, a strategically vital location in Egypt, capturing 8,000 prisoners and significant amounts of supplies, including 40 tanks. The British were routed and fleeing further east and this set the stage for the First Battle of El Alamein.
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 reached the critical El Alamein line, setting the stage for a decisive battle for Egypt. 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 Claude Auchinleck: Commander, British Eighth Army.
General Erich von Manstein: Commander, German Eleventh Army.
June 27, 1943
‘Republic of San Marino – Neutral State’, 1943
Overview of Key Events On June 27, 1943, Allied air power was brought to bear on key Axis targets in preparation for upcoming invasions. Strategic bombing intensified against Sicily, a prelude to the ground invasion, while the colossal preparations for the Battle of Kursk continued on the Eastern Front. There were no new major, independently verifiable specific military or political events that unfolded on this exact day beyond these ongoing preparations.
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 air forces continued their heavy bombing raids against strategic targets on Sicily, including the port of Palermo. These raids were part of the aerial softening-up campaign preceding Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, aiming to disrupt Axis supply lines and defences.
Allied aircraft bombed San Marino, a neutral micro state in Italy, resulting in 35 killed. There were no military forces based in San Marino at the time. The Government of San Marino at the time was fascist and closely aligned with Mussolini and the British has declined to accept it as a neutral state, although the United States did. The raid led the San Marino Government to erect placards at the boundary of their territory to proclaim their neutral status.
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: Allied air power intensified its preparatory strikes against Axis targets in Sicily. Both the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean remained on the cusp of major, decisive military operations.
Key Personalities
General Dwight D. Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater, overseeing air operations against Sicily.
June 27, 1944
German troop in the Minsk pocket, 1944
Overview of Key Events June 27, 1944, saw the continued devastating success of Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front, with Soviet forces capturing a key city. In Normandy, British forces pressed their offensive around Caen, and the crucial port of Cherbourg was fully secured by U.S. forces. 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 to gain overwhelming momentum on the Eastern Front. The Soviet Red Army captured the city of Bobruisk from the encircled German 9th Army, leading to the complete destruction of the German garrison and thousands of prisoners. This was a significant strategic victory but the civilian population which had been 84,107 before the war was reduced to 28,352. The town had been the site of a mass slaughter of the 20,000 Jews, who’d been shot and buried in mass graves during the German occupation. Meanwhile, 5th Panzer Division, commanded by Generalmajor Karl Decker arrived in Minsk to try to counter the imminent Soviet offensive.
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 officially announced that the strategically vital port city of Cherbourg on the Cotentin Peninsula was fully secured and all organized German resistance had ended. The immediate task turned to clearing the heavily damaged port for Allied use.
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: .
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. The British Chindits, with Chinese support, capture Mogaung in Burma after a fierce fight.
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 catastrophic losses on German forces on the Eastern Front, including the fall of Bobruisk. The full securing of Cherbourg provided a vital port for the Allies in Normandy. The Holocaust continued its systematic extermination.
Key Personalities
Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky: Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, whose forces captured Bobruisk.
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.
June 27, 1945
Australians from 2/23 Battalion operating on Tarakan Island, 1945
Overview of Key Events On June 27, 1945, with victory in Europe secured and the United Nations Charter signed the previous day, the global conflict’s primary focus remained on the Pacific and Asian theaters, where Allied forces continued their relentless push towards Japan. No major new military or political events were widely reported on this specific day beyond the ongoing Allied campaigns and post-war transitions.
Europe and Atlantic
No specific major new military or political events were widely reported in Europe on this date in the referenced timeline, as the continent remained engaged in post-war occupation and reconstruction following the formal end of hostilities on May 8.
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 in the referenced timeline. 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 defences. In Tarakan Island, which the Allies had recaptured from the Japanese in the Battle of Tarakan between 1 May and 21 June 1945, the first oil well was repaired and put back into use. A welcome sign of post battle reconstruction.
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: Allied forces continued their advances against the retreating Japanese in Asia, bringing the war closer to a final conclusion. The world was beginning to transition into a new post-war order, with the newly formed United Nations setting a foundation for future international relations.
Key Personalities
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek: Leader of Nationalist Chinese forces.
General William Slim: Commander of the British 14th Army in Burma.
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Each Day in World War II – 27th June
June 27, 1940
Overview of Key Events June 27, 1940, saw Romania yield to a Soviet ultimatum, leading to territorial changes in Eastern Europe. This marked another significant shift in the region’s geopolitical landscape following the German conquest of France.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: The Soviet Union successfully gained Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina from Romania without armed conflict, consolidating its territorial gains in Eastern Europe.
Key Personalities
June 27, 1941
Overview of Key Events June 27, 1941, marked the sixth brutal day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Hungary officially declared war on the Soviet Union, joining the Axis effort, while German forces continued their rapid, destructive advances, further trapping vast numbers of Soviet troops.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: Hungary’s entry into the war expanded the Axis coalition against the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa continued to inflict massive damage and encirclements on the Red Army. The horrific mass killings by the Einsatzgruppen intensified.
Key Personalities
June 27, 1942
Overview of Key Events On June 27, 1942, Rommel’s Afrika Korps continued its swift advance into Egypt, are defeating the British at Mersa Matruh and routing them east to where the British prepared to make a final stand. On the Eastern Front, the Siege of Sevastopol was in its final, desperate moments.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: Rommel’s offensive reached the critical El Alamein line, setting the stage for a decisive battle for Egypt. The Siege of Sevastopol was reaching its conclusion, signaling a major German victory in the Crimea.
Key Personalities
June 27, 1943
Overview of Key Events On June 27, 1943, Allied air power was brought to bear on key Axis targets in preparation for upcoming invasions. Strategic bombing intensified against Sicily, a prelude to the ground invasion, while the colossal preparations for the Battle of Kursk continued on the Eastern Front. There were no new major, independently verifiable specific military or political events that unfolded on this exact day beyond these ongoing preparations.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: Allied air power intensified its preparatory strikes against Axis targets in Sicily. Both the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean remained on the cusp of major, decisive military operations.
Key Personalities
June 27, 1944
Overview of Key Events June 27, 1944, saw the continued devastating success of Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front, with Soviet forces capturing a key city. In Normandy, British forces pressed their offensive around Caen, and the crucial port of Cherbourg was fully secured by U.S. forces. The relentless V-1 attacks on London persisted, and the horrific deportations to Auschwitz continued.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: Operation Bagration inflicted catastrophic losses on German forces on the Eastern Front, including the fall of Bobruisk. The full securing of Cherbourg provided a vital port for the Allies in Normandy. The Holocaust continued its systematic extermination.
Key Personalities
June 27, 1945
Overview of Key Events On June 27, 1945, with victory in Europe secured and the United Nations Charter signed the previous day, the global conflict’s primary focus remained on the Pacific and Asian theaters, where Allied forces continued their relentless push towards Japan. No major new military or political events were widely reported on this specific day beyond the ongoing Allied campaigns and post-war transitions.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: Allied forces continued their advances against the retreating Japanese in Asia, bringing the war closer to a final conclusion. The world was beginning to transition into a new post-war order, with the newly formed United Nations setting a foundation for future international relations.
Key Personalities
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World War II