Overview of Key Events June 28, 1940, saw the Soviet Union formalize its territorial gains from Romania, as Romanian forces completed their withdrawal from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Concurrently, British forces began to arrive in West Africa, expanding the global reach of the conflict.
Europe and Atlantic
Soviet Union forces began the formal occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, as Romanian troops completed their withdrawal from the territories ceded under the Soviet ultimatum. This annexation solidified Soviet control over these regions, which had been demanded on June 26.
General Charles de Gaulle was officially recognized by the British government as the leader of the Free French Forces. This provided legitimacy and support to the resistance movement formed by de Gaulle after the fall of France.
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, with French forces largely neutralized.
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 completed its annexation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The British recognition of General de Gaulle established a legitimate Free French resistance.
Key Personalities
General Charles de Gaulle: Leader of the Free French Forces.
Joseph Stalin: Soviet leader, whose government orchestrated the territorial annexations.
June 28, 1941
Minsk in ruins, 1941
June 28, 1941
Overview of Key Events June 28, 1941, marked the seventh brutal day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. German forces achieved a colossal victory with the capture of Minsk, encircling vast numbers of Soviet troops, while the fierce Battle of Brody continued.
Europe and Atlantic
On the Eastern Front, Operation Barbarossa continued its devastating progress for German Army Group Centre. The German 2nd Panzer Group under General Heinz Guderian and 3rd Panzer Group under General Hermann Hoth completed the encirclement and capture of Minsk, the capital of the Byelorussian SSR. This trapped the majority of the Soviet Western Front (under General Dmitry Pavlov, who was subsequently executed) in the massive Białystok–Minsk pocket. This was a catastrophic defeat for the Red Army, leading to the capture of hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers.
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, continued with intense fighting and heavy losses for both sides in western Ukraine.
Albania Declares War: Albania, occupied by Italy since 1939, formally declared war on the Soviet Union, aligning with Axis powers. This was largely symbolic, as Albanian forces under Italian command had limited involvement.
Holocaust-related events: The Einsatzgruppen (German mobile killing squads) continued mass executions of Jews, communists, and other perceived enemies in occupied Soviet territories. In Lithuania, particularly around Kaunas, Einsatzgruppe A and local collaborators initiated killings, with thousands murdered in pogroms and mass shootings by late June.
In Szczuczyn in Poland, a town previously occupied by the Soviets and which had been bypassed by the Germans in their advance during Barbarossa, a pogrom erupted. A Polish mob wielding axes killed around 300 Jews in a massacre, mainly focussed on wealthier families. The bodies were thrown into an anti tank ditch. A Jewish survivor, Chaye Soika-Golding, appealed to the Polish intellectuals of the town to stop the pogrom but they refused. So, Jewish women then had to appeal to a passing German army unit and convinced them to intervene after they gave them soap, coffee and voluntary work.
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Syria-Lebanon Campaign (Operation Exporter): Allied forces, including Australian 7th Division (under Major General John Lavarack), British 7th Division, Free French 1st Division (under General Paul Legentilhomme), and 5th Indian Brigade, advanced against Vichy French forces (under General Henri Dentz). On June 28, Allied troops consolidated positions around Damascus, captured on June 21, and pushed toward Beirut. Australian 25th Brigade and Free French units engaged Vichy 6th Foreign Legion and 22nd Algerian Tirailleurs, supported by No. 3 Squadron RAAF (Hawker Hurricanes) and Royal Navy ships like HMS Ajax.
Asia
In China, Japanese 13th Army (under General Shizuichi Tanaka) conducted operations in Shanxi province, targeting Chinese 8th Route Army (under General Zhu De) in the aftermath of the Hundred Regiments Offensive. Chinese communist forces employed guerrilla tactics to disrupt Japanese garrisons and supply lines.
Japan’s Southern Army (under General Hisaichi Terauchi) finalized agreements with Vichy France for basing rights in French Indochina, positioning troops for planned invasions of Southeast Asia.
Pacific
No significant military engagements occurred in the Pacific on June 28, 1941, as Japan focused on consolidating gains in Asia and preparing for future offensives. The U.S. Pacific Fleet (under Admiral Husband E. Kimmel) continued defensive preparations at Pearl Harbor, while tensions grew over Japan’s expansionist policies..
Outcomes: The fall of Minsk and the tightening of the Białystok–Minsk pocket marked a catastrophic defeat for the Soviet Union in the initial phase of Operation Barbarossa, demonstrating the overwhelming tactical superiority of the Wehrmacht. The horrific mass killings by the Einsatzgruppen continued unabated.
Key Personalities
General Heinz Guderian: Commander, German 2nd Panzer Group.
General Hermann Hoth: Commander, German 3rd Panzer Group.
General Dmitry Pavlov: Commander of the Soviet Western Front, whose forces were encircled at Minsk.
June 28, 1942
German troops and Sd.Kfz. 251 during Case Blau, 1942
Overview of Key Events On June 28, 1942, the Eastern Front saw the launch of Operation Blau (Case Blue), the decisive German summer offensive towards the Caucasus. In North Africa, the Germans are chasing the British across Egypt and towards the First Battle of El Alamein.
Europe and Atlantic
On the Eastern Front, the German Wehrmacht launched Operation Blau (also known as Case Blue), their major summer offensive aimed at seizing the oil-rich Caucasus region.
The 4th Panzer Army (under General Hermann Hoth) and 2nd Army (under General Hans von Salmuth) led the assault toward Voronezh, supported by the 6th Army (under General Friedrich Paulus), which would later target Stalingrad. German forces, including the 3rd Panzer Division and 16th Panzer Division, advanced rapidly, supported by Luftwaffe units like Kampfgeschwader 55 (equipped with Heinkel He 111 bombers) and Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (Ju 87 Stuka dive-bombers), which targeted Soviet defenses and supply lines. Soviet opposition came from the Southwestern Front (under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko) and Bryansk Front (under General Filipp Golikov). Soviet forces, weakened by losses in the Second Battle of Kharkov (May 1942), struggled to counter the German advance. The Soviet 40th Army and 13th Army faced intense pressure near Voronezh, with significant casualties and retreats.
The Siege of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula continued, with remaining Soviet defenders mounting a desperate, final resistance against the overwhelming German Eleventh Army forces under General Erich von Manstein.
Holocaust-Related Events: Deportations from the Netherlands and France to Auschwitz-Birkenau continued, organized by Adolf Eichmann. Transports from the Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands sent Jews to Auschwitz, where most were gassed upon arrival. In occupied Poland, mass shootings and ghetto liquidations escalated under SS oversight.
1,038 French Jews are deported from Beane-la-Rolande concentration camp near Lorient. Only 55 were alive at the end of the war.
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
In North Africa, Rommel’s forces, supported by Italian XX Corps (Ariete Division), pursued the retreating British Eighth Army (under General Neil Ritchie, soon replaced by General Claude Auchinleck). The 2nd South African Division and 50th (Northumbrian) Division fell back toward El Alamein, harassed by German 88mm Flak guns and Panzer IV tanks.
Asia
In China, the Japanese China Expeditionary Army (under General Yasuji Okamura) conducted mopping-up operations in Zhejiang and Jiangxi following the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, targeting Chinese 3rd War Area forces (under General Gu Zhutong). These operations aimed to destroy airfields used in the Doolittle Raid and secure Japanese control, though Chinese guerrilla tactics persisted. Japanese 25th Army (under General Tomoyuki Yamashita) maintained control over Malaya and Singapore.
Pacific
The U.S. Pacific Fleet (under Admiral Chester Nimitz) continued planning the Guadalcanal Campaign, set for August 1942. Task Force 16 (USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, under Rear Admiral Raymond Spruance) refitted in Pearl Harbor, while the 1st Marine Division (under Major General Alexander Vandegrift) trained in New Zealand. PBY Catalina aircraft of VP-44 Squadron conducted reconnaissance over Guadalcanal and Tulagi.
The Imperial Japanese Navy reinforced positions in the Aleutian Islands after occupying Attu and Kiska in June.
Outcomes: The launch of Operation Blau marked a new, critical phase on the Eastern Front.
Key Personalities
Adolf Hitler: German Führer, who had recently taken direct command of Army Group A.
Field Marshal Maximilian von Weichs: Commander, German Army Group B.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel: Commander, German Afrika Korps, pushing towards El Alamein.
General Claude Auchinleck: Commander, British Eighth Army, leading the defense at El Alamein.
June 28, 1943
Admirals Nimitz and Halsey discuss tactics, 1943
Overview of Key Events On June 28, 1943, both the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean remained characterized by intense preparations for massive upcoming operations. There were no new major, independently verifiable specific military or political events that unfolded on this exact day beyond the ongoing strategic build-ups for the Battle of Kursk and the Allied invasion of Sicily.
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
In China, Japanese 11th Army (under General Yukio Kasahara) consolidated gains in Hubei province after the Battle of Western Hubei, targeting Chinese 6th War Area forces (under General Sun Lianzhong). Chinese troops employed defensive tactics to disrupt Japanese supply lines. In New Guinea, Japanese 18th Army (under General Hatazo Adachi) reinforced positions around Lae and Salamaua, facing pressure from Australian 3rd Division and U.S. 41st Infantry Division, supported by RAAF No. 100 Squadron (Beaufort bombers).
Pacific
New Georgia Campaign Planning: U.S. forces under Admiral William F. Halsey prepared for the invasion of New Georgia in the Solomon Islands, launched on June 30. The 43rd Infantry Division (under Major General John H. Hester) and 4th Marine Raider Battalion, supported by P-38 Lightning fighters of the 339th Fighter Squadron, readied for landings at Munda Point. Naval support included Task Force 31 (under Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner) with destroyers like USS Ralph Talbot.
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.
June 28, 1944
V1 being prepared for launch, 1944
Overview of Key Events June 28, 1944, saw the continued devastating success of Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front, as Soviet forces captured 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 completed the destruction of the surrounded German garrison in Bobruisk. Remnants of the German 9th Army, trapped in the Bobruisk pocket, made desperate attempts to break out but were largely annihilated by Soviet 1st Belorussian Front forces under Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky.
In Normandy, Operation Epsom, the major British offensive spearheaded by British VIII Corps (part of British Second Army under Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey) near Caen, continued. Fierce tank battles and infantry engagements characterized the day as British forces sought to expand their bridgehead across the Odon River against determined German counterattacks from I SS Panzer Corps.
Major General J. Lawton Collins’ VII Corps of the U.S. First Army continued clearing operations in Cherbourg, consolidating the capture of the vital port city. The focus shifted to clearing mines and repairing the heavily damaged port facilities to allow for the flow of Allied supplies.
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 (composed of U.S. Fifth Army and British Eighth Army) continued their pursuit of the retreating German Tenth Army as they withdrew towards the Gothic Line in northern Italy.
Allied forces, including the U.S. Fifth Army (under General Mark Clark) and British Eighth Army (under General Oliver Leese), advanced north of Rome, pursuing German 10th Army (under General Heinrich von Vietinghoff). The 34th Infantry Division and British 78th Division engaged German 14th Panzer Corps near Florence, supported by U.S. 12th Air Force (B-25 Mitchell bombers).
Preparation for Southern France: Planning for Operation Dragoon (invasion of southern France, August 1944) continued, with U.S. Seventh Army (under General Alexander Patch) and Free French Army B (under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny) organizing in North Africa.
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 (commanded by Lieutenant General Holland Smith) 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, with the destruction of the Bobruisk pocket. Allied ground offensives continued in Normandy and Italy. The Holocaust continued its systematic extermination, and V-1 attacks persisted.
Key Personalities
Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky: Commander of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front, whose forces captured Bobruisk.
Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey: Commander of the British Second Army, overseeing Operation Epsom.
Major General J. Lawton Collins: Commander of the U.S. VII Corps, involved in Cherbourg.
Adolf Eichmann: Senior SS official, central to Holocaust deportations.
Overview of Key Events On June 28, 1945, with victory in Europe secured and the United Nations Charter recently signed, 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
Polish Provisional Government: On June 28, 1945, the Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formally established in Moscow, recognized by the Soviet Union and later by Western Allies, following agreements at the Yalta Conference (February 1945). This government, led by Edward Osóbka-Morawski, included members of the Soviet-backed Lublin Committee and some London-based Polish exiles, replacing the Polish Government-in-Exile. Soviet 1st Baltic Front (under General Ivan Bagramyan) maintained occupation of eastern Poland, enforcing Soviet influence..
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: Allied forces continued their advances against the retreating Japanese in Asia, bringing the war closer to a final conclusion. The world was solidifying its transition into a new post-war order.
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 – 28th June
June 28, 1940
Overview of Key Events June 28, 1940, saw the Soviet Union formalize its territorial gains from Romania, as Romanian forces completed their withdrawal from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Concurrently, British forces began to arrive in West Africa, expanding the global reach of the conflict.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: The Soviet Union completed its annexation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The British recognition of General de Gaulle established a legitimate Free French resistance.
Key Personalities
June 28, 1941
June 28, 1941
Overview of Key Events June 28, 1941, marked the seventh brutal day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. German forces achieved a colossal victory with the capture of Minsk, encircling vast numbers of Soviet troops, while the fierce Battle of Brody continued.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: The fall of Minsk and the tightening of the Białystok–Minsk pocket marked a catastrophic defeat for the Soviet Union in the initial phase of Operation Barbarossa, demonstrating the overwhelming tactical superiority of the Wehrmacht. The horrific mass killings by the Einsatzgruppen continued unabated.
Key Personalities
June 28, 1942
Overview of Key Events On June 28, 1942, the Eastern Front saw the launch of Operation Blau (Case Blue), the decisive German summer offensive towards the Caucasus. In North Africa, the Germans are chasing the British across Egypt and towards the First Battle of El Alamein.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
Outcomes: The launch of Operation Blau marked a new, critical phase on the Eastern Front.
Key Personalities
June 28, 1943
Overview of Key Events On June 28, 1943, both the Eastern Front and the Mediterranean remained characterized by intense preparations for massive upcoming operations. There were no new major, independently verifiable specific military or political events that unfolded on this exact day beyond the ongoing strategic build-ups for the Battle of Kursk and the Allied invasion of Sicily.
Europe and Atlantic
Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East
Asia
Pacific
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
June 28, 1944
Overview of Key Events June 28, 1944, saw the continued devastating success of Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front, as Soviet forces captured 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, with the destruction of the Bobruisk pocket. Allied ground offensives continued in Normandy and Italy. The Holocaust continued its systematic extermination, and V-1 attacks persisted.
Key Personalities
June 28, 1945
Overview of Key Events On June 28, 1945, with victory in Europe secured and the United Nations Charter recently signed, 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 solidifying its transition into a new post-war order.
Key Personalities
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