Each Day in World War II – 29th June

June 29, 1940

Overview of Key Events June 29, 1940, saw Japan intensify its diplomatic pressure on Great Britain, demanding the closure of crucial supply routes to China and the withdrawal of British forces from various concessions. This move aimed to isolate China and assert Japanese dominance in the Far East.

Europe and Atlantic

Post-Battle of France Consolidation: Following France’s armistice on June 22, 1940, German forces, including Army Group A (under General Gerd von Rundstedt), solidified control over occupied northern and western France. The German 7th Army (under General Friedrich Dollmann) and 1st Panzer Division occupied key cities like Lyon (captured June 19), establishing garrisons. The Vichy French government under Marshal Philippe Pétain began organizing in unoccupied France. Operation Aerial Completion: The evacuation of Allied forces from western France, known as Operation Aerial, was largely complete by late June. British 1st Armoured Division, 51st (Highland) Division, and Polish troops had been evacuated from ports like Cherbourg and St. Nazaire by June 25, supported by Royal Navy destroyers such as HMS Havelock. On June 29, final stragglers were processed, with minimal activity as the operation wound down.
Soviet Occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina: On June 28–29, 1940, the Soviet Red Army, under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, occupied Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina from Romania. The Soviet 9th Army (under General Ivan Boldin) and 12th Army moved into the regions, facing minimal resistance from Romanian forces. This action, ordered by Joseph Stalin, expanded Soviet control in Eastern Europe.
Holocaust-Related Events: The Nazi General Government in occupied Poland, led by Hans Frank, intensified anti-Jewish measures. The Warsaw Ghetto, established in 1940, saw increased restrictions, with forced labor and food shortages affecting over 400,000 Jews. In Kraków, ghettoization progressed, with Jews confined to overcrowded districts under harsh conditions..

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

Siege of Malta: Italian Regia Aeronautica continued bombing raids on Malta, a key British stronghold. On June 29, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers from the 36th Stormo targeted Grand Harbour and RAF airfields, countered by British Gloster Gladiator fighters of No. 33 Squadron. The raids aimed to disrupt British supply lines to North Africa.

Asia

Japan delivered an ultimatum to Great Britain, demanding the closure of the Burma Road. The Burma Road was a vital supply route from Burma (then a British colony) into China, used by the Allies to supply the Nationalist Chinese forces fighting against Japan. Japan also demanded the withdrawal of British troops from Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other concessions in China. This move was part of Japan’s broader strategy to isolate China and establish its “Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.”

Pacific

No significant military activity occurred in the Pacific on June 29, 1940. Japan focused on its campaigns in China and negotiations for Southeast Asian expansion, while the U.S. remained neutral, strengthening its Pacific Fleet (under Admiral James O. Richardson) at Pearl Harbor.

Outcomes: Japan’s ultimatum to Britain highlighted the escalating tensions in the Far East and Japan’s determination to isolate China, putting immense pressure on British colonial holdings and supply lines.

Key Personalities

Hideki Tojo: Japanese War Minister (though the ultimatum would have been issued through diplomatic channels).
Winston Churchill: British Prime Minister.
General Gerd von Rundstedt: Oversaw German occupation of France.
Marshal Philippe Pétain: Led Vichy France, consolidating collaborationist government

June 29, 1941

German soldier near a burning Soviet BT-5, Soviet Union 1941

Overview of Key Events June 29, 1941, marked the eighth brutal day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. As German forces continued their deep penetrations, the Soviet Union issued its desperate “scorched earth” directive, while fierce battles raged and the Holocaust intensified.

Europe and Atlantic

On the Eastern Front, Operation Barbarossa continued its devastating progress.
- The Soviet Union issued the “scorched earth” directive (Directive No. 210), ordering Soviet forces and civilians to destroy or remove anything of value that could aid the advancing enemy. This included crops, infrastructure, and industrial equipment, a desperate measure to deny resources to the invading 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, continued with intense fighting and heavy losses for both sides in western Ukraine.
- German forces consolidated their positions following the capture of Minsk. Army Group Center (under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock), including the 3rd Panzer Group (under General Hermann Hoth) and 2nd Panzer Group (under General Heinz Guderian), completed the encirclement of Soviet forces in the Minsk pocket, capturing the city on June 28. On June 29, German troops, supported by Luftwaffe units like Kampfgeschwader 2 (Dornier Do 17 bombers), mopped up resistance, capturing over 300,000 Soviet troops from the Western Front (under General Dmitry Pavlov). Army Group North (under Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb) advanced toward Leningrad, engaging Soviet 8th Army, while Army Group South (under Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt) pushed toward Kiev, clashing with Soviet Southwestern Front (under General Mikhail Kirponos).
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Holocaust-related events: In Lithuania, particularly Kaunas, Einsatzgruppe A (under SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Walter Stahlecker) and local collaborators conducted pogroms and mass shootings. On June 29, hundreds of Jews were killed in the Lietūkis Garage Massacre in Kaunas, where victims were beaten to death or shot by Lithuanian auxiliaries under German supervision. In Bialystok, Poland, Einsatzgruppe B and German Order Police continued massacres initiated on June 27, with Jews shot or burned in synagogues. By June 29, cleanup operations targeted survivors hiding in the city. In occupied Poland, ghettos like Lublin saw increased restrictions, with Jews forced into labor camps or subjected to random executions.

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). By June 29, Allied troops, having captured Damascus on June 21, pushed toward Beirut and Palmyra. Australian 25th Brigade 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) clashed with Chinese 8th Route Army (under General Zhu De) in Shanxi province, following the Hundred Regiments Offensive. Chinese communist forces used guerrilla tactics to disrupt Japanese garrisons and supply lines. Japan’s Southern Army (under General Hisaichi Terauchi) secured basing rights in French Indochina through agreements with Vichy France, positioning troops for planned invasions of Southeast Asia.

Pacific

No significant military engagements occurred in the Pacific on June 29, 1941. Japan focused on consolidating gains in Asia and planning future offensives, while the U.S. Pacific Fleet (under Admiral Husband E. Kimmel) strengthened defenses at Pearl Harbor. Tensions grew over Japan’s expansionist policies in Southeast Asia..

Outcomes: The Soviet “scorched earth” policy highlighted the desperate nature of their defense. German forces continued their overwhelming advance, tightening their grip on captured territories and inflicting massive casualties on the Red Army, while the Holocaust’s early stages intensified.

Key Personalities

Joseph Stalin: Soviet leader, who issued the “scorched earth” directive.
General Heinz Guderian: Commander, German 2nd Panzer Group, active in the Minsk encirclement.
Field Marshal Fedor von Bock: Led Army Group Center in the Minsk encirclement.
Reinhard Heydrich: Directed Einsatzgruppen mass executions.
Major General John Lavarack: Commanded Australian forces in Syria.
General Zhu De: Led Chinese communist resistance against Japan.
General Hisaichi Terauchi: Oversaw Japanese preparations in Indochina.

June 29, 1942

Overview of Key Events On June 29, 1942, the German forces continue their advance in Operation Case Blue. In North Africa, the Battle of Mersa Matruh was winding down as Rommel’s forces completed their advance to the El Alamein line, setting the stage for the crucial upcoming battle.

Europe and Atlantic

Operation Case Blue: Launched on June 28, German Army Group South (under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock) continued its offensive toward Voronezh and the Caucasus. On June 29, Army Group B (under General Maximilian von Weichs), including the 4th Panzer Army (under General Hermann Hoth) and 2nd Army (under General Hans von Salmuth), advanced rapidly, engaging Soviet Southwestern Front (under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko). The 3rd Panzer Division and 16th Panzer Division, supported by Luftwaffe Kampfgeschwader 55 (Heinkel He 111 bombers) and Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (Ju 87 Stukas), broke through Soviet lines near the Donets River. Soviet 40th Army and 13th Army retreated, suffering heavy losses..
Holocaust-related events: The systematic deportation of Jews from Western Europe to the extermination camps continued. On this day, German authorities in France deported approximately 1,000 Jews from Drancy internment camp to Auschwitz-Birkenau. This transport, part of the broader “Final Solution,” contributed to the escalating mass gassings which had begun just days earlier at Auschwitz II (Birkenau) with Zyklon B. Mass killings by Einsatzgruppen in the occupied Soviet territories also continued unabated, alongside the full-scale operation of the Aktion Reinhard extermination camps (Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka).

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

In North Africa, the Battle of Mersa Matruh concluded. Having been outmaneuvered and severely pressed by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps, elements of the British X Corps and XIII Corps (part of the British Eighth Army) conducted a final attempt to break out from the Mersa Matruh area. The British suffered heavy casualties, with thousands taken prisoner, before the surviving forces retreated towards the El Alamein line. Rommel’s forces, having cleared Mersa Matruh, were now poised directly at the very strong defensive positions of El Alamein, approximately 60 miles west of Alexandria, setting the stage for the First Battle of El Alamein (which would begin on July 1).

Asia

In China, the Japanese China Expeditionary Army (under General Yasuji Okamura) conducted mopping-up operations in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces after the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign, targeting Chinese 3rd War Area forces (under General Gu Zhutong). These operations destroyed airfields used in the Doolittle Raid and faced Chinese guerrilla resistance. Japanese 25th Army (under General Tomoyuki Yamashita) maintained control over Malaya and Singapore, while the Imperial Japanese Navy reinforced positions in the Aleutian Islands (Attu and Kiska), stretching supply lines.

Pacific

The U.S. Pacific Fleet (under Admiral Chester Nimitz) continued planning the Guadalcanal Campaign, set for August 1942. On June 29, 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, mapping Japanese defenses..

Outcomes: The Battle of Mersa Matruh ended in a British retreat, positioning Rommel’s forces for a direct assault on the critical El Alamein line. The Holocaust continued to escalate with deportations from Western Europe joining the mass killings in the East.

Key Personalities

General Erich von Manstein: Commander, German Eleventh Army, victorious at Sevastopol.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel: Commander, German Afrika Korps, advancing towards El Alamein.
General Claude Auchinleck: Commander, British Eighth Army, overseeing the retreat and defense at El Alamein.
Adolf Eichmann: Senior SS official, central to the coordination of deportations like those from Drancy.

June 29, 1943

Overview of Key Events On June 29, 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. German forces were bringing up their new Panther tanks and Ferdinand tank destroyers, while the Soviets meticulously constructed deep defensive lines.

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 in North Africa, as well as final coordination meetings among senior commanders like General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.
The Lviv Ghetto liquidation, initiated in early June, continued under SS and Police Leader Friedrich Katzmann. By June 29, most remaining Jews (estimated at 7,000–10,000) had been deported to Belzec or executed at Janowska labor camp. Small groups resisted, hiding in bunkers or fighting with improvised weapons, but most were killed by SS units and Ukrainian auxiliaries. In the Netherlands, deportations from Westerbork to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Sobibor persisted, with hundreds sent to their deaths. These transports targeted Jewish families rounded up in Dutch cities. In Poland, smaller ghettos were being liquidated, with survivors sent to labour camps like Majdanek or killed on-site.

Asia

In China, the Japanese 11th Army (under General Yukio Kasahara) consolidated positions in Hubei province after the Battle of Western Hubei, engaging Chinese 6th War Area forces (under General Sun Lianzhong). Chinese troops used defensive and guerrilla tactics to disrupt Japanese supply lines.
In New Guinea, Japanese 18th Army (under General Hatazo Adachi) reinforced defences 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 Launch: On June 29–30, 1943, U.S. forces under Admiral William F. Halsey initiated the New Georgia Campaign in the Solomon Islands. The 43rd Infantry Division (under Major General John H. Hester) and 4th Marine Raider Battalion landed at Segi Point and other locations, targeting Japanese airfields at Munda Point. P-38 Lightning fighters of the 339th Fighter Squadron provided air cover, while Task Force 31 (under Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner), including destroyers like USS Ralph Talbot, supported landings. Japanese 17th Army (under General Harukichi Hyakutake) resisted with coastal defenses and A6M Zero fighters from the 251st Air Group..

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 that would define the summer of 1943.

Key Personalities

General Dwight D. Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater.
Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery: Commander of the British Eighth Army, preparing for Operation Husky.
Marshal Georgy Zhukov: Soviet general, instrumental in planning the Soviet defense at Kursk.

June 29, 1944

Soviet troops of 158th Rifle Division near Vitebsk railway station, June 1944

Overview of Key Events June 29, 1944, saw the continued devastating success of Operation Bagration on the Eastern Front, as Soviet forces continued to destroy German pockets. In Normandy, British forces pressed their offensive around Caen with heavy fighting. 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 continued to destroy remnants of encircled German forces, particularly those trapped in the Bobruisk pocket. Elements of the Soviet 1st Belorussian Front under Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky completed the destruction of the German 9th Army’s main body in the pocket, taking thousands more prisoners.
Normandy Campaign (Operation Overlord): Allied forces expanded their beachheads in Normandy. The British Second Army (under General Bernard Montgomery), including the 51st (Highland) Division and Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, continued Operation Epsom (launched June 26), engaging German Panzer Group West (under General Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg) and the 12th SS Panzer Division near Caen. British VIII Corps (under Lieutenant General Richard O’Connor) faced German 21st Panzer Division, supported by RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force (Hawker Typhoons). U.S. First Army (under General Omar Bradley), including the 2nd Infantry Division, advanced toward St. Lô against the German 352nd Infantry Division, with U.S. Ninth Air Force (P-47 Thunderbolts) providing air support.
Germany continued its retaliatory V-1 flying bomb attacks on London and other targets in southeastern England. These unmanned aerial vehicles caused significant civilian casualties and contributed to a climate of fear.
Holocaust-related events: The systematic mass deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau continued at an unprecedented rate. Trains arrived daily from Hungary, carrying thousands of victims for immediate extermination as part of the Final Solution, supervised by SS officials like Adolf Eichmann.

Mediterranean including North Africa and Middle East

Italian Campaign: Allied forces, including the U.S. Fifth Army (under General Mark Clark) and British Eighth Army (under General Oliver Leese), advanced north of Rome, engaging German 10th Army (under General Heinrich von Vietinghoff). The U.S. 34th Infantry Division and British 78th Division clashed with German 14th Panzer Corps near Florence, supported by U.S. 12th Air Force (B-25 Mitchell bombers). Operation Dragoon Preparations: Planning for the 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

Operation Ichi-Go: In China, the Japanese China Expeditionary Army (under General Yasuji Okamura) advanced in Henan and Hunan provinces, targeting Chinese 4th War Area forces (under General Zhang Fakui). The 12th Army, having captured Luoyang in May, pushed toward Changsha, which fell by early July. Chinese resistance, including guerrilla tactics, slowed Japanese progress.
India-Burma Theatre: Japanese 15th Army (under General Renya Mutaguchi) retreated after defeats in the Battle of Kohima-Imphal. British 14th Army (under General William Slim), including Indian 5th Division and British 2nd Division, pursued Japanese forces, supported by RAF No. 221 Group (Hurricane fighters).

Pacific

Battle of Saipan (Operation Forager): U.S. forces, including the 2nd Marine Division and 4th Marine Division (under Lieutenant General Holland Smith), fought intense battles against the Japanese 31st Army (under Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito) on Saipan. By June 29, U.S. troops secured Mount Tapotchau and advanced north, facing heavy resistance from Japanese bunkers and artillery. Task Force 58 (under Admiral Marc Mitscher), including USS Tennessee, provided naval bombardment, while the 27th Infantry Division reinforced the assault..

Outcomes: Operation Bagration inflicted catastrophic losses on German forces on the Eastern Front, with the final 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, leading the destruction of the Bobruisk pocket.
Lieutenant General Miles Dempsey: Commander of the British Second Army, overseeing Operation Epsom.
Adolf Eichmann: Senior SS official, central to Holocaust deportations.
Lieutenant General Holland Smith: Commander of the U.S. V Amphibious Corps on Saipan.

June 29, 1945

Zhang Fakui, from the cover of ‘Young Companion’, 1938

Overview of Key Events On June 29, 1945, with victory in Europe secured, the global conflict’s primary focus remained on the Pacific and Asian theatres. Chinese Nationalist forces achieved a significant victory in China, while the United States began the process of deactivating a major army following the end of fighting on Okinawa.

Europe and Atlantic

Post-War Occupation: With Germany’s surrender, Soviet forces, including the 1st Baltic Front (under General Ivan Bagramyan), maintained occupation of eastern Germany and Poland, implementing Yalta Conference agreements (February 1945). The Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, established on June 28, began operations under Soviet influence, led by Edward Osóbka-Morawski, consolidating control over Poland..

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 China, Chinese Nationalist forces captured Liuzhou (also known as Liuchow), a strategically important city in Guangxi province, from retreating Japanese forces. This marked another significant gain for the Chinese in their efforts to regain occupied territory as part of Operation Ichi-Go. The city had been a key Japanese airbase.
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 in the oil-rich region.
The Australian 9th Division also continued its ground operations on Labuan Island and the Borneo mainland, engaging Japanese forces in localized actions.
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

The United States Tenth Army, which had led the difficult and costly Battle of Okinawa, was formally deactivated on Okinawa. Its headquarters and personnel were used to form the U.S. Army Forces, Middle Pacific (AFMIDPAC) command, a logistical and administrative command for the upcoming invasion of Japan. This restructuring indicated the shift from direct combat operations on Okinawa to preparing for the final campaigns.

Outcomes: Chinese forces achieved a notable victory in China. The deactivation of the U.S. Tenth Army signified the transition of forces and planning towards the final assault on the Japanese mainland. Allied forces continued their advances against the retreating Japanese in Asia.

Key Personalities

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek: Leader of Nationalist Chinese forces.
General Zhang Fakui: Commander of Chinese forces capturing Liuzhou
General Joseph Stilwell: Commander, U.S. Army Forces, Middle Pacific (new role).
General William Slim: Commander of the British 14th Army in Burma.