Each Day in World War II – 10th July

July 10, 1940

Overview of Key Events

On July 10, 1940, the Battle of Britain officially began, marking the start of the Luftwaffe’s air campaign against the United Kingdom to weaken RAF Fighter Command and prepare for Operation Sea Lion, the planned German invasion. This date saw the opening of the Kanalkampf phase, targeting British shipping and coastal defenses. In the Mediterranean, Italian forces intensified the Siege of Malta with air raids and prepared for operations in North Africa. In Asia, Japan continued its campaign in China and negotiated basing rights in French Indochina. The French Third Republic was replaced by the Vichy French regime, enabling collaboration with Nazi Germany. Jewish communities faced escalating persecution through ghettoization in Poland and anti-Jewish measures in occupied Western Europe and the newly established Vichy France.

European and Atlantic Theatre

• Battle of Britain (Kanalkampf, Specific Event): On July 10, 1940, the Battle of Britain began with the Kanalkampf (Channel Battle), where the Luftwaffe, under Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, targeted British convoys and coastal installations to test RAF defenses and disrupt supply lines. Luftflotte 2 (under Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring) and Luftflotte 3 (under Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle) deployed Kampfgeschwader 2 (Dornier Do 17 bombers), Kampfgeschwader 53 (Heinkel He 111 bombers), and Jagdgeschwader 51 (Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters) to attack shipping off Dover and Portland. A key engagement involved approximately 50 German aircraft (Do 17s, He 111s, and Bf 109s) raiding a convoy near Dover, met by RAF Fighter Command’s No. 11 Group (under Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park) with No. 56 Squadron (Hawker Hurricanes) and No. 610 Squadron (Supermarine Spitfires). Supported by Chain Home radar, the RAF intercepted the raiders, losing 6 fighters while downing 13 German aircraft (6 bombers, 4 fighters), with minimal convoy damage. The Kanalkampf, ongoing until August 1940, escalated into the Adlerangriff phase on August 13, 1940.
• Establishment of Vichy France (Specific Event): On July 10, 1940, the French Third Republic was dissolved, and the Vichy French regime, led by Marshal Philippe Pétain, was established. The French National Assembly in Vichy voted 569–80 to grant Pétain full powers, creating an authoritarian government collaborating with Nazi Germany after France’s surrender on June 22, 1940. The regime controlled southern France and colonies, including 300,000 Jews (120,000 in metropolitan France, 180,000 in North Africa), and began drafting anti-Jewish laws, enacted in October 1940, banning Jews from public sector jobs, education, and media. This shift, finalized on July 10, enabled collaborationist policies, ongoing through 1944.
• Jewish Affairs (Ongoing):
  • Nazi-Occupied Poland: In the General Government, under Hans Frank, ghettoization intensified. The Warsaw Ghetto, confining over 400,000 Jews by late 1940, faced severe restrictions on July 10, with overcrowding, starvation (daily rations below 200 calories), and typhus outbreaks killing 10–20 people daily. In Kraków, approximately 60,000 Jews were isolated in a forming ghetto, enduring forced relocations and property confiscation by SS authorities like Theodor Dannecker. Forced labor programs conscripted Jews for infrastructure projects under brutal conditions. Ghettoization, ongoing since 1939, continued through 1941, setting the stage for deportations starting in 1942.
  • Occupied Western Europe: In occupied France, German authorities, under Adolf Eichmann, enforced Jewish registration, curfews, and exclusion from public spaces, targeting 150,000 Jews in Paris and beyond. In the Netherlands and Belgium, registration of 140,000 and 65,000 Jews, respectively, began, with bans on businesses and employment escalating, preparing for deportations in 1942. These measures, ongoing since June 1940, persisted through 1941.
  • Jewish Responses: Emigration was restricted by Nazi policies and global barriers, including the British 1939 White Paper limiting Palestine entry to 75,000 Jewish immigrants over five years. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) aided fewer than 5,000 Jews with emigration in 1940. In the Warsaw Ghetto, the Judenrat, led by Adam Czerniaków, organized welfare, schools, and hospitals despite shortages. Underground Zionist groups like Hashomer Hatzair formed clandestine networks, distributing newsletters and planning resistance. Resistance efforts, ongoing since 1940, grew through 1941, leading to uprisings like Warsaw’s in 1943.
• Outcomes: The Battle of Britain’s opening saw RAF defenses, aided by radar, limit Luftwaffe success, with 13 German aircraft lost compared to 6 RAF fighters. Vichy France’s establishment enabled Axis collaboration and anti-Jewish measures. Ghettoization and restrictions in Poland and Western Europe isolated Jewish communities, causing thousands of deaths, with early resistance offering limited hope.

Mediterranean and African Theatre

• Siege of Malta (Ongoing): Italian Regia Aeronautica bombing raids on Malta, a key British stronghold, intensified. On or around July 10, Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers from the 36th Stormo targeted Grand Harbour and RAF airfields like Hal Far, dropping 500–1,000 kg of bombs daily. British defenses, including Gloster Gladiator fighters of No. 33 Squadron and anti-aircraft batteries, downed 1–2 Italian aircraft per raid, with 10–20 civilian casualties daily. Malta’s strategic position disrupted Axis supply lines to North Africa. The siege, ongoing since June 1940, continued until 1943.
• Italian Operations in North Africa (Ongoing): Italian forces under Marshal Rodolfo Graziani prepared for advances in Egypt from Libya, targeting British positions. On July 10, the Italian 10th Army, including the Maletti Group (M11/39 tanks), conducted reconnaissance near Sidi Barrani, engaging British 7th Armoured Division patrols in skirmishes involving 50–100 troops per side, with minimal casualties (5–10 per side). Preparations, ongoing since June 1940, led to the Italian invasion in September 1940.
• Outcomes: The Siege of Malta strained Italian air resources but failed to neutralize the island, preserving its Mediterranean role. Italian North African preparations set the stage for future offensives, limited by logistical challenges.

Pacific Theatre

• No Significant Engagements: No major military engagements occurred in the Pacific on July 10, 1940. The U.S. Pacific Fleet, under Admiral James O. Richardson, strengthened Pearl Harbor defenses, conducting routine patrols with ships like USS Arizona and USS Enterprise. Japan focused on Asian consolidation and Indochina negotiations, with no direct Pacific confrontations.
• Outcomes: The Pacific remained a latent theatre, with Japan’s preparations foreshadowing its 1941 expansion, including the Pearl Harbor attack in December.

Asian Theatre

• China (Ongoing): The Japanese 11th Army, under General Tomoyuki Yamashita, consolidated control in Hubei province after capturing Yichang (June 12, 1940), securing Yangtze River positions. On July 10, Chinese 5th War Area forces, under General Li Zongren, conducted guerrilla raids, targeting Japanese supply lines and outposts with 100–200 troops, causing 10–20 casualties per side daily. The Second Sino-Japanese War, ongoing since 1937, continued through 1945 with persistent Chinese resistance.
• French Indochina (Ongoing): Japan, led by Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka, negotiated with Vichy France for basing rights in northern French Indochina, deploying Southern Army troops under General Hisaichi Terauchi to Hanoi on July 10. This escalation, ongoing through 1940–1941, aimed to support planned Southeast Asian invasions, prompting U.S. and British oil embargoes.
• Outcomes: Japanese gains in China faced guerrilla resistance, straining resources. Indochina deployments advanced Japan’s expansionist plans, escalating Allied tensions.

Key Personalities

• Air Marshal Hugh Dowding: Led RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain’s start.
• Marshal Philippe Pétain: Established Vichy France, enabling collaborationist policies.
• Hans Frank: Governor-General of occupied Poland, oversaw ghettoization.
• Adolf Eichmann: Coordinated anti-Jewish measures in occupied Europe.
• General Tomoyuki Yamashita: Commanded Japanese forces in China.
• Adam Czerniaków: Head of the Warsaw Ghetto Judenrat, managed welfare under duress.

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July 10, 1941

Overview of Key Events

On July 10, 1941, Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, continued with significant advances on the Eastern Front, particularly in the Baltic states and Ukraine, following the Battle of Bialystok-Minsk (concluded July 9). In the Mediterranean, the Syria-Lebanon Campaign against Vichy French forces concluded with an armistice signed on July 10, effective July 12. The U.S. occupation of Iceland, initiated on July 7, progressed to secure Atlantic convoy routes. In Asia, Japan expanded its military presence in French Indochina, escalating tensions with Western powers. Jewish communities faced intensifying persecution, with Einsatzgruppen mass executions in occupied Soviet territories and ongoing ghettoization in Poland. Specific events on July 10 included the armistice ending the Syria-Lebanon Campaign and the launch of a Finnish offensive against the Soviet Union in the Continuation War.

European and Atlantic Theatre

• Operation Barbarossa (Ongoing): Launched on June 22, 1941, Operation Barbarossa saw German forces advancing across a broad front. On July 10, following the Battle of Bialystok-Minsk (June 22–July 9), which captured over 300,000 Soviet troops, German Army Group Center (under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock) pushed toward Smolensk. The 3rd Panzer Group (under General Hermann Hoth), including the 20th Panzer Division, and 2nd Panzer Group (under General Heinz Guderian), with the 17th Panzer Division, engaged Soviet Western Front remnants (under General Andrey Yeremenko) near Vitebsk, using Panzer III tanks supported by Kampfgeschwader 2 (Dornier Do 17 bombers). Army Group North (under Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb) advanced toward Pskov, with the 18th Army and 4th Panzer Group (under General Erich Hoepner) clashing with Soviet Northwestern Front (under General Fyodor Kuznetsov) near Luga, supported by Kampfgeschwader 1 (Heinkel He 111 bombers). Army Group South (under Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt) pressed toward Kiev, with the 6th Army and 1st Panzer Group (under General Ewald von Kleist) engaging Soviet Southwestern Front (under General Mikhail Kirponos) near Berdichev, facing Soviet T-34 tanks and IL-2 Sturmovik aircraft. Daily casualties averaged 2,000–3,000 per side. The operation, ongoing until December 1941, aimed to conquer Soviet territory but faced growing resistance.
• Continuation War (Finnish Offensive, Specific Event): On July 10, 1941, Finnish forces, allied with Germany, launched an offensive against the Soviet Union in the Continuation War. The Finnish Army of Karelia (under General Erik Heinrichs), including the 6th Division and 11th Division, attacked Soviet positions along the Karelian Isthmus, targeting the 23rd Soviet Army (under General Pyotr Pshennikov). Supported by limited Luftwaffe assistance (Bf 109s from Jagdgeschwader 54), Finnish troops advanced 5–10 kilometers, capturing key villages with casualties of 100–200 per side. The offensive, ongoing until September 1941, aimed to recapture territory lost in the Winter War (1939–1940).
• U.S. Occupation of Iceland (Ongoing): Initiated on July 7, 1941, the U.S. occupation of Iceland continued to secure Atlantic convoy routes against German U-boats. On July 10, the U.S. 1st Marine Brigade (under Colonel Leo D. Hermle) fortified Reykjavik, supported by U.S. Navy Task Force 19 (including USS New York), authorized by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. British forces, including the 49th (West Riding) Division, continued withdrawing, with the transition ongoing through late 1941. The occupation strengthened Allied logistics.
• Jewish Affairs (Ongoing):
  • Nazi-Occupied Soviet Territories: Einsatzgruppen, under Reinhard Heydrich, conducted mass executions in occupied Soviet territories. In Latvia and Ukraine, Einsatzgruppe A (under SS-Obersturmbannführer Franz Walter Stahlecker) and Einsatzgruppe C executed hundreds of Jews daily in cities like Riga and Lviv, often with local collaborator support, killing 2,000–3,000 by mid-July. These killings, ongoing since June 1941, escalated through 1941–1942.
  • Nazi-Occupied Poland: In the General Government, under Hans Frank, the Warsaw Ghetto, confining over 400,000 Jews, faced starvation (daily rations below 200 calories), typhus (thousands infected monthly), and forced labor under SS authorities like Theodor Dannecker. The Kraków Ghetto, isolating 60,000 Jews, saw increased restrictions. Ghettoization, ongoing since 1939, continued through 1941, preparing for deportations starting in 1942.
  • Western Europe: In occupied France, German authorities, under Adolf Eichmann, enforced Jewish registration and curfews, targeting 150,000 Jews. In Vichy France, under Marshal Philippe Pétain, anti-Jewish laws (enacted October 1940) marginalized 300,000 Jews (120,000 in France, 180,000 in North Africa). In the Netherlands and Belgium, registration of 140,000 and 65,000 Jews continued, with deportations planned for 1942. These measures, ongoing since 1940, persisted through 1941.
  • Jewish Responses: Emigration was nearly impossible due to Nazi restrictions and the British 1939 White Paper limiting Palestine entry to 75,000 Jewish immigrants over five years. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) provided limited aid, supporting fewer than 5,000 Jews with food and medical supplies. In the Warsaw Ghetto, the Judenrat, led by Adam Czerniaków, organized welfare, schools, and hospitals. Underground groups like Hashomer Hatzair formed, distributing newsletters and planning resistance. Resistance efforts, ongoing since 1940, grew through 1941, leading to uprisings like Warsaw’s in 1943.
• Outcomes: German advances in Barbarossa gained ground but faced stiffening Soviet resistance, with daily Soviet losses of 5,000–10,000. The Finnish offensive recaptured territory, aligning with German goals. The U.S. occupation of Iceland secured convoy routes. Holocaust executions and ghettoization killed thousands, with early resistance forming.

Mediterranean and African Theatre

• Syria-Lebanon Campaign (Armistice Signed, Specific Event): The Allied campaign against Vichy French forces in Syria and Lebanon, launched on June 8, 1941, concluded with an armistice signed on July 10 in Acre, effective July 12. The Australian 7th Division (under Major General John Lavarack), British 7th Division, Free French 1st Division (under General Paul Legentilhomme), and 5th Indian Brigade, supported by No. 3 Squadron RAAF (Hawker Hurricanes) and Royal Navy ships like HMS Ajax, oversaw the surrender of Vichy forces (under General Henri Dentz), including the 6th Foreign Legion and 22nd Algerian Tirailleurs. On July 10, administrative transitions began in Beirut and Damascus, with minimal fighting (casualties under 50). The campaign secured the Levant for the Allies.
• Outcomes: Allied control of Syria and Lebanon safeguarded Middle Eastern oil routes and weakened Vichy France’s regional influence.

Pacific Theatre

• No Significant Engagements: No major military engagements occurred in the Pacific on July 10, 1941. The U.S. Pacific Fleet, under Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, strengthened Pearl Harbor defenses, conducting patrols with USS Enterprise. Japan focused on Asian consolidation and Indochina deployments, with no Pacific confrontations.
• Outcomes: The Pacific remained latent, with Japan’s preparations foreshadowing its December 1941 attacks, including Pearl Harbor.

Asian Theatre

• China (Ongoing): The Japanese 13th Army (under General Shizuichi Tanaka) engaged Chinese 8th Route Army (under General Zhu De) in Shanxi province, following the Hundred Regiments Offensive (1940). On July 10, Chinese communist guerrillas disrupted Japanese garrisons and railways with attacks involving 100–200 troops, causing 10–20 casualties per side. The Second Sino-Japanese War, ongoing since 1937, continued through 1945.
• French Indochina (Ongoing): Japan’s Southern Army (under General Hisaichi Terauchi) deployed troops to northern French Indochina, following agreements with Vichy France (finalized June 29–30, 1941), positioning forces in Hanoi for Southeast Asian invasions. This escalation, ongoing through 1941, prompted U.S. and British sanctions, including oil embargoes.
• Outcomes: Japanese operations in China faced guerrilla resistance, limiting consolidation. Indochina deployments escalated tensions with Western powers.

Key Personalities

• Field Marshal Fedor von Bock: Led Army Group Center in Barbarossa.
• General Erik Heinrichs: Commanded Finnish forces in the Continuation War.
• Reinhard Heydrich: Directed Einsatzgruppen executions.
• Major General John Lavarack: Led Australian forces in Syria.
• General Zhu De: Led Chinese resistance against Japan.
• Adam Czerniaków: Head of the Warsaw Ghetto Judenrat.

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July 10, 1942

Overview of Key Events

On July 10, 1942, the First Battle of El Alamein in North Africa continued, with British forces holding defensive lines against General Erwin Rommel’s Axis advance, critical for protecting Egypt and the Suez Canal. On the Eastern Front, German forces advanced in Operation Case Blue, targeting the Caucasus oil fields, while Soviet resistance intensified. In the Atlantic, the aftermath of the Convoy PQ 17 disaster (effectively concluded by July 10) disrupted Allied supply efforts to the Soviet Union. Holocaust deportations under Operation Reinhard escalated, with transports from Poland and Western Europe to death camps like Auschwitz-Birkenau and Belzec. In the Pacific, U.S. forces prepared for the Guadalcanal Campaign, set to launch in August. In Asia, Japanese forces consolidated gains in China and the Aleutian Islands, facing Allied resistance.

European and Atlantic Theatre

• Operation Case Blue (Ongoing): Launched on June 28, 1942, Operation Case Blue aimed to seize the Caucasus oil fields and Stalingrad. On July 10, German Army Group South (under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock), split into Army Group A (under Field Marshal Wilhelm List) and Army Group B (under General Maximilian von Weichs), advanced toward Rostov-on-Don. The 4th Panzer Army (under General Hermann Hoth) and 6th Army (under General Friedrich Paulus), including the 3rd Panzer Division and 16th Panzer Division, engaged Soviet Southwestern Front (under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko) and Southern Front (under General Rodion Malinovsky) near the Don River. German Panzer IV tanks, supported by Luftwaffe Kampfgeschwader 55 (Heinkel He 111 bombers) and Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (Ju 87 Stukas), faced Soviet T-34 tanks and IL-2 Sturmovik aircraft. Soviet counterattacks near Millerovo delayed German progress, with daily casualties of 1,000–2,000 per side. The operation, ongoing until February 1943, set the stage for the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942–February 1943).
• Convoy PQ 17 Aftermath (Ongoing): Arctic Convoy PQ 17, en route to the Soviet Union, faced devastating attacks after Allied escorts withdrew on July 4 due to a mistaken threat from the German battleship Tirpitz. By July 10, German U-boats (including U-456) and Luftwaffe Kampfgeschwader 30 (Ju 88 bombers) had sunk 24 of 35 merchant ships, with attacks subsiding as survivors reached Soviet ports like Archangel. On July 10, British and U.S. naval forces, including destroyers like HMS Keppel, focused on protecting remaining ships and planning future convoys, with minimal engagements (under 50 casualties). The convoy’s ordeal, ongoing since June 27, effectively concluded by July 10, impacting Soviet aid.
• Jewish Affairs (Ongoing):
  • Nazi-Occupied Poland: Under Operation Reinhard, led by SS-Gruppenführer Odilo Globocnik, deportations from Polish ghettos intensified. On or around July 10, Jews from the Zamość and Lublin ghettos were deported to Belzec death camp, where thousands were gassed daily using carbon monoxide. The Warsaw Ghetto, confining over 400,000 Jews, faced starvation (daily rations below 200 calories), typhus (thousands infected monthly), and forced labor under SS authorities like Jürgen Stroop, with preparations for mass deportations to Treblinka (set to begin July 22). Ghettoization, ongoing since 1939, continued through 1943.
  • Western Europe: Deportations from the Netherlands via Westerbork transit camp and France via Drancy to Auschwitz-Birkenau, organized by Adolf Eichmann, escalated. On or around July 10, a transport of approximately 1,000 Jews from Westerbork was sent to Auschwitz, where 80–90% were gassed using Zyklon B. In occupied France, anti-Jewish measures targeted 150,000 Jews, with preparations for the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup (July 16–17) underway. In Vichy France, anti-Jewish laws (enacted October 1940) marginalized 300,000 Jews (120,000 in France, 180,000 in North Africa). These measures, ongoing since 1940, continued through 1944.
  • Jewish Responses: Emigration was nearly impossible due to Nazi restrictions and the British 1939 White Paper limiting Palestine entry to 75,000 Jewish immigrants over five years. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) provided limited aid, supporting fewer than 5,000 Jews with food and medical supplies. In the Warsaw Ghetto, the Judenrat, led by Adam Czerniaków, organized welfare, while underground groups like ŻOB (Jewish Fighting Organization) formed, spurred by reports of mass killings, coordinating through coded messages. Resistance, ongoing since 1940, grew into uprisings like Warsaw’s in 1943.
• Outcomes: German advances in Case Blue gained ground but faced Soviet resistance, with daily losses of 2,000–3,000. The PQ 17 aftermath disrupted Soviet aid, exposing convoy vulnerabilities. Holocaust deportations killed thousands daily, advancing the Final Solution, while Jewish resistance networks began to organize.

Mediterranean and African Theatre

• First Battle of El Alamein (Ongoing): Launched on July 1, 1942, the First Battle of El Alamein saw intense fighting on July 10. General Erwin Rommel’s Panzer Army Africa, including the 15th Panzer Division, 21st Panzer Division, and Italian XX Corps (Ariete and Littorio Divisions), pressed British defenses at El Alamein, Egypt, aiming for the Suez Canal. The British Eighth Army (under General Claude Auchinleck), with the 2nd South African Division, 18th Indian Infantry Brigade, and 1st Armoured Division, held Ruweisat Ridge. On July 10, the 2/24th Australian Battalion and 44th Royal Tank Regiment (Matilda II tanks) repelled a German assault, destroying 8–10 Panzer IV tanks, with daily casualties of 100–200 per side. RAF No. 211 Group (Hurricane fighters) and Wellington bombers disrupted German supply lines, targeting fuel convoys from Tobruk. The battle, ongoing until July 27, 1942, halted Axis advances.
• Outcomes: The Eighth Army’s defense preserved Egypt and the Suez Canal, setting the stage for the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942.

Pacific Theatre

• Guadalcanal Campaign Preparations (Ongoing): U.S. forces under Admiral Chester Nimitz prepared for the Guadalcanal Campaign, set for August 7, 1942. On July 10, 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, mapping Japanese 17th Army defenses (under General Harukichi Hyakutake), including 3,000 troops and coastal fortifications. Preparations, ongoing since June 1942, continued until August.
• Outcomes: U.S. preparations positioned forces for the first major Allied Pacific offensive, shifting momentum post-Midway (June 1942).

Asian Theatre

• China (Ongoing): The Japanese China Expeditionary Army (under General Yasuji Okamura) conducted mopping-up operations in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces after the Zhejiang-Jiangxi Campaign (April–July 1942), targeting Chinese 3rd War Area forces (under General Gu Zhutong). On July 10, Chinese 8th Route Army guerrillas (under General Zhu De) disrupted Japanese control, attacking railways and outposts with 100–200 troops, causing 10–20 casualties per side. The Second Sino-Japanese War, ongoing since 1937, continued through 1945.
• Aleutian Islands (Ongoing): Japanese forces of the 301st Independent Infantry Battalion maintained positions in the Aleutian Islands (Attu and Kiska), occupied since June 1942. On July 10, they faced U.S. 11th Air Force raids (B-24 Liberators), with minimal casualties (under 20 daily). The occupation, ongoing until August 1943, diverted Japanese resources.
• Outcomes: Japanese efforts in China met guerrilla resistance, limiting consolidation. Aleutian occupations strained logistics with minimal strategic impact.

Key Personalities

• Field Marshal Fedor von Bock: Led Army Group South in Case Blue.
• General Erwin Rommel: Commanded Axis forces at El Alamein.
• General Claude Auchinleck: Led British Eighth Army at El Alamein.
• Adolf Eichmann: Oversaw Holocaust deportations.
• General Yasuji Okamura: Directed Japanese operations in China.
• Adam Czerniaków: Head of the Warsaw Ghetto Judenrat.

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July 10, 1943

Overview of Key Events

On July 10, 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky, began with amphibious and airborne landings, marking a major offensive to capture the island from Axis forces. On the Eastern Front, the Battle of Kursk continued, with Soviet forces countering German Operation Citadel after intense fighting, including the Battle of Prokhorovka (set to peak on July 12). In the Pacific, the New Georgia Campaign saw U.S. forces advancing against Japanese defenses in the Solomon Islands. Holocaust liquidations and deportations under Operation Reinhard intensified in Poland and Western Europe, targeting ghettos and transit camps. In Asia, Japanese forces consolidated positions in China and New Guinea, facing Allied resistance.

European and Atlantic Theatre

• Battle of Kursk (Operation Citadel, Ongoing): Launched on July 5, 1943, Operation Citadel aimed to eliminate the Soviet salient around Kursk. On July 10, German Army Group South (under Field Marshal Erich von Manstein) and Army Group Center (under Field Marshal Günther von Kluge) pressed their offensive. The II SS Panzer Corps (under SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser), including the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte and 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, engaged Soviet Voronezh Front (under General Nikolai Vatutin) near Oboyan, using Panzer IV, Tiger I, and Panther tanks. Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army (under Lieutenant General Pavel Rotmistrov), with over 500 T-34 and T-70 tanks, supported by IL-2 Sturmovik aircraft, prepared for a major counterattack. Luftwaffe Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (Ju 87 Stukas) faced Soviet Yak-9 fighters, with German losses of 20–30 aircraft daily. Soviet defenses, bolstered by minefields and artillery, caused daily casualties of 1,000–2,000 per side. The battle, ongoing until July 23, 1943, shifted momentum to the Soviets.
• Allied Air Raids (Ongoing): RAF Bomber Command (under Air Marshal Arthur Harris) and U.S. Eighth Air Force (under Major General Ira Eaker) continued bombing German targets. On or around July 10, RAF No. 5 Group (Avro Lancasters) targeted Cologne’s industrial sites, while U.S. 100th Bomb Group (B-17 Flying Fortresses) struck Hamburg’s U-boat pens, each raid involving 200–300 aircraft. Civilian deaths averaged 50–100 per raid, with 5–10% aircraft losses to German flak and Fw 190 fighters. Raids, ongoing since 1942, continued through 1945.
• Jewish Affairs (Ongoing):
  • Nazi-Occupied Poland: Under Operation Reinhard, led by SS-Gruppenführer Odilo Globocnik, the Lviv Ghetto liquidation neared completion, with most of the remaining 20,000 Jews deported to Belzec death camp or executed at Janowska labor camp, where 1,000–2,000 were gassed daily using carbon monoxide. The Warsaw Ghetto, reduced after the April–May 1943 uprising, saw surviving Jews in hiding or labor camps facing persecution under SS authorities like Jürgen Stroop. Deportations from the Bialystok Ghetto to Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkenau continued, with 1,000–2,000 Jews gassed weekly.
  • Western Europe: Deportations from the Netherlands via Westerbork and France via Drancy to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Sobibor, organized by Adolf Eichmann, escalated. On or around July 10, a transport of approximately 1,000 Jews from Westerbork was sent to Auschwitz, with 80–90% gassed using Zyklon B. In occupied France, anti-Jewish measures targeted 150,000 Jews, with deportations ongoing since 1940 through 1944.
  • Jewish Responses: Emigration was nearly impossible due to Nazi restrictions and the British 1939 White Paper limiting Palestine entry to 75,000 Jewish immigrants over five years. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) provided limited aid, reaching about 20% of survivors with food and medical supplies. Surviving Jewish resistance groups, such as the ŻOB (Jewish Fighting Organization) in Poland, focused on survival and sabotage in hiding, coordinating through coded messages. Resistance, ongoing since 1942, persisted through 1945.
• Outcomes: Soviet defenses at Kursk weakened German forces, with losses of 50,000 men and 700 tanks by mid-July. Allied air raids disrupted German production, though at high cost. Holocaust liquidations decimated Jewish populations, with resistance limited but persistent.

Mediterranean and African Theatre

• Operation Husky (Invasion of Sicily, Specific Event): On July 10, 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily began with amphibious and airborne landings. The British Eighth Army (under General Bernard Montgomery), including the 51st (Highland) Division and 1st Canadian Infantry Division, landed at Syracuse and Pachino, while the U.S. Seventh Army (under General George S. Patton), with the 1st Infantry Division and 2nd Armored Division, landed at Gela and Licata. Over 150,000 troops, supported by 3,000 ships (including HMS Warspite and USS Savannah) and 4,000 aircraft (RAF No. 205 Group Wellington bombers and U.S. 12th Air Force B-25 Mitchells), faced Italian 6th Army (under General Alfredo Guzzoni) and German Hermann Göring Division. Airborne drops by the U.S. 82nd Airborne and British 1st Airborne Division faced heavy winds, scattering paratroopers, with 10–15% losses. By day’s end, Allied forces secured beachheads, with casualties of 2,000–3,000 per side. The campaign, ongoing until August 17, 1943, aimed to capture Sicily and weaken Axis control.
• Outcomes: Allied landings established key beachheads, diverting German resources and setting the stage for Italy’s invasion.

Pacific Theatre

• New Georgia Campaign (Ongoing): Launched on June 30, 1943, the U.S.-led New Georgia Campaign continued. On July 10, the U.S. 43rd Infantry Division and 37th Infantry Division (under Major General John H. Hester), supported by the 4th Marine Raider Battalion, advanced toward Munda Point airfield in the Solomon Islands, engaging Japanese 17th Army (under General Harukichi Hyakutake), including the 229th Infantry Regiment. U.S. forces secured positions near Enogai, facing jungle combat with daily casualties of 50–100 per side. P-38 Lightning fighters of the 339th Fighter Squadron and Task Force 31 (under Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner), including USS Ralph Talbot, countered Japanese A6M Zero fighters. The campaign, ongoing until August 25, 1943, targeted airfields critical for Allied operations.
• Outcomes: U.S. advances in New Georgia strengthened Allied positions, though Japanese resistance prolonged fighting.

Asian Theatre

• China (Ongoing): The Japanese 11th Army (under General Yukio Kasahara) consolidated positions in Hubei province after the Battle of Western Hubei (May–June 1943), engaging Chinese 6th War Area forces (under General Sun Lianzhong). On July 10, Chinese guerrilla units attacked Japanese supply lines and outposts with 100–200 troops, causing 10–20 casualties per side. Japanese 5th Air Army (Ki-43 fighters) faced U.S. 14th Air Force (P-51 Mustangs). The Second Sino-Japanese War, ongoing since 1937, continued through 1945.
• New Guinea (Ongoing): Japanese 18th Army (under General Hatazo Adachi) defended Lae and Salamaua, facing Australian 3rd Division and U.S. 41st Infantry Division, supported by RAAF No. 100 Squadron (Beaufort bombers). On July 10, Allied probing attacks near Salamaua involved 200–300 troops per side, with minimal casualties (10–20). Operations, ongoing since 1942, continued through 1944.
• Outcomes: Japanese control in Hubei faced Chinese resistance, limiting consolidation. Allied pressure in New Guinea strained Japanese defenses.

Key Personalities

• General Konstantin Rokossovsky: Commanded Soviet Central Front at Kursk.
• Field Marshal Erich von Manstein: Led German Army Group South at Kursk.
• General Bernard Montgomery: Led British Eighth Army in Sicily.
• General George S. Patton: Led U.S. Seventh Army in Sicily.
• Adolf Eichmann: Organized Holocaust deportations.
• Admiral William F. Halsey: Directed U.S. forces in New Georgia.

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July 10, 1944

Overview of Key Events

On July 10, 1944, Soviet forces advanced in Operation Bagration, pushing toward Poland after devastating German Army Group Center, with the capture of Vilnius imminent. In Normandy, Allied forces consolidated gains following the capture of Caen during Operation Charnwood (ended July 9), preparing for further offensives under Operation Overlord. In the Pacific, mopping-up operations continued on Saipan after its capture on July 9, strengthening the U.S. position in the Mariana Islands. Holocaust deportations from Hungary to Auschwitz-Birkenau peaked, though international pressure began to slow them. In Asia, Japan’s Operation Ichi-Go advanced in China, capturing Hengyang shortly after, while Allied forces pursued retreating Japanese troops in Burma post-Imphal.

European and Atlantic Theatre

• Operation Bagration (Ongoing): Launched on June 22, 1944, Operation Bagration aimed to liberate Belarus and push into Poland. On July 10, Soviet 3rd Belorussian Front (under General Ivan Chernyakhovsky) advanced toward Vilnius, Lithuania, engaging German Army Group Center (under Field Marshal Walter Model). The Soviet 5th Army and 5th Guards Tank Army, equipped with T-34/85 tanks and IL-2 Sturmovik aircraft, encircled German 3rd Panzer Army (under General Georg-Hans Reinhardt), including the 6th Panzer Division, which lost 80% of its tanks by mid-July. Urban combat preparations in Vilnius involved Soviet forces outnumbering German defenders (707th Infantry Division) 3:1, with daily casualties of 1,000–2,000 per side. Luftwaffe Kampfgeschwader 4 (Heinkel He 111 bombers) was limited by fuel shortages. The operation, ongoing until August 29, 1944, destroyed 28 of 34 German divisions, with Soviet losses at 180,000 by mid-July.
• Normandy Campaign (Operation Overlord, Ongoing): After capturing northern Caen on July 9 during Operation Charnwood, the British Second Army (under General Bernard Montgomery) consolidated positions on July 10. The VIII Corps (under Lieutenant General Richard O’Connor), including the 51st (Highland) Division and Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, fortified Caen against German Panzer Group West (under General Leo Geyr von Schweppenburg), with the 12th SS Panzer Division and 21st Panzer Division. The U.S. First Army (under General Omar Bradley), with the 2nd Infantry Division and 9th Infantry Division, advanced toward St. Lô, engaging the German 352nd Infantry Division and 3rd Parachute Division, supported by Panzer IV and Panther tanks. RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force (Hawker Typhoons), U.S. Ninth Air Force (P-47 Thunderbolts), and naval support from HMS Rodney targeted German positions, with daily casualties of 1,000–2,000 per side. The campaign, ongoing since June 6, 1944, continued until August 30, 1944, preparing for Operation Cobra.
• V-1 Attacks (Ongoing): Germany’s V-1 flying bomb campaign, launched from Pas-de-Calais, targeted London, operated by Flak-Regiment 155 (W). On July 10, British defenses, including anti-aircraft batteries with 3.7-inch guns and RAF Tempest fighters of No. 3 Squadron, intercepted 20–30 V-1s daily, with 100 civilian deaths per day in London. The campaign, ongoing since June 13, 1944, continued into 1945.
• Jewish Affairs (Ongoing):
  • Nazi-Occupied Poland: Deportations from the Łódź Ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Chelmno continued under SS authorities like Hans Biebow, with 1,000–2,000 Jews deported daily, most gassed using Zyklon B or gas vans. The Łódź Ghetto’s population dropped to around 70,000 by mid-1944. The Warsaw Ghetto, largely destroyed after the 1943 uprising, saw surviving Jews in hiding or labor camps facing ongoing persecution.
  • Hungary: Deportations to Auschwitz-Birkenau, organized by Adolf Eichmann, peaked, with daily trains from Budapest and provincial towns carrying 2,000–3,000 Jews, 80–90% gassed upon arrival. Over 400,000 Hungarian Jews had been deported since May 15, 1944, but pressure from the War Refugee Board and neutral countries like Sweden (via Raoul Wallenberg) prompted Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy to slow transports by late July. Deportations, ongoing since May 1944, largely ceased by August 1944.
  • Western Europe: Deportations from the Netherlands via Westerbork and France via Drancy to Auschwitz continued, with hundreds gassed weekly. Anti-Jewish measures targeted 140,000 Jews in the Netherlands and 150,000 in France, ongoing since 1940 through 1944.
  • Jewish Responses: Emigration was restricted by Nazi policies and the British 1939 White Paper limiting Palestine entry. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) aided 20% of survivors with food and medical supplies. Jewish resistance groups, like the ŻOB (Jewish Fighting Organization), focused on sabotage in hiding, while Zionist groups like Hashomer Hatzair organized clandestine emigration (Aliyah Bet). Resistance, ongoing since 1942, persisted through 1945.
• Outcomes: Soviet advances in Bagration weakened German defenses, with Vilnius’s capture imminent. Normandy consolidation strengthened Allied positions, with daily advances of 1–2 kilometers. V-1 attacks disrupted British civilians but had minimal strategic impact. Holocaust deportations killed thousands daily, though Hungarian transports began to slow.

Mediterranean and African Theatre

• Italian Campaign (Ongoing): Allied forces, including the U.S. Fifth Army (under General Mark Clark) and British Eighth Army (under General Oliver Leese), advanced north of Rome. On July 10, the U.S. 34th Infantry Division and British 78th Division clashed with German 10th Army (under General Heinrich von Vietinghoff) near Florence, engaging the 14th Panzer Corps and 4th Parachute Division. Supported by U.S. 12th Air Force (B-25 Mitchell bombers) and RAF No. 239 Wing (Kittyhawk fighters), Allies faced German defenses along the Arno River, with daily casualties of 200–300 per side. The campaign, ongoing since June 1944, continued until May 1945.
• Operation Dragoon Preparations (Ongoing): Planning for the invasion of southern France (set for August 15, 1944) continued. On July 10, the U.S. Seventh Army (under General Alexander Patch) and Free French Army B (under General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny) organized in North Africa, assembling 1,000 ships and 400,000 troops, including the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division and French 1st Armored Division. Coordination with French Resistance groups intensified. Preparations, ongoing since early 1944, culminated in August 1944.
• Outcomes: Allied advances in Italy pressured German defenses, diverting resources. Dragoon preparations set the stage for a second European front.

Pacific Theatre

• Battle of Saipan (Operation Forager, Mopping-Up Operations): Declared secure on July 9, 1944, Saipan saw mopping-up operations on July 10. The U.S. 2nd Marine Division, 4th Marine Division, and 27th Infantry Division (under Lieutenant General Holland Smith) conducted sweeps against Japanese 31st Army pockets (under Lieutenant General Yoshitsugu Saito, deceased July 7). Task Force 58 (under Admiral Marc Mitscher), including USS Tennessee, supported operations, neutralizing resistance in northern caves, with daily Japanese casualties of 50–100. Over 30,000 Japanese and 12,000 U.S. casualties occurred by July 9. Operations, ongoing through July 1944, followed Saipan’s capture.
• Outcomes: Saipan’s capture secured the Mariana Islands, enabling B-29 bomber operations and contributing to the fall of Japan’s government in July 1944.

Asian Theatre

• Operation Ichi-Go (Ongoing): The Japanese China Expeditionary Army (under General Yasuji Okamura) advanced in Hunan province, besieging Hengyang. On July 10, the Japanese 11th Army, including the 68th Division, engaged Chinese 10th Army (under General Fang Xianjue), supported by 5th Air Army (Ki-43 fighters). Chinese 4th War Area forces (under General Zhang Fakui) resisted, aided by U.S. 14th Air Force (P-51 Mustangs), with daily casualties of 500–1,000 per side. The operation, ongoing since April 1944, continued until December 1944.
• India-Burma Theatre (Ongoing): After the Japanese 15th Army’s withdrawal from Imphal (completed July 8), British 14th Army (under General William Slim), including Indian 5th Division and British 2nd Division, pursued Japanese forces toward the Chindwin River. On July 10, engagements in the Sittang Bend involved the Indian 11th East African Division, supported by RAF No. 221 Group (Hurricane fighters), with daily casualties of 50–100 per side. The Burma Campaign, ongoing since 1944, continued until August 1945.
• Outcomes: Japanese advances in China disrupted supply lines but stretched resources. Allied pursuit in Burma solidified control, weakening Japanese forces.

Key Personalities

• General Ivan Chernyakhovsky: Commanded Soviet 3rd Belorussian Front in Bagration.
• General Bernard Montgomery: Led British Second Army in Normandy.
• Lieutenant General Holland Smith: Directed U.S. forces on Saipan.
• Adolf Eichmann: Oversaw Hungarian deportations.
• General William Slim: Led British 14th Army in Burma.
• General Yasuji Okamura: Led Operation Ichi-Go.

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July 10, 1945

Overview of Key Events

On July 10, 1945, the European war had ended with Germany’s surrender on May 8, 1945, and Allied efforts focused on post-war occupation, reconstruction, and managing Holocaust survivors in Displaced Persons (DP) camps. In the Pacific, the Battle of Balikpapan in Borneo, part of Operation Oboe, continued with Australian forces advancing against Japanese defences. Mopping-up operations persisted in the Philippines and Okinawa following their liberations. In Asia, Japanese forces faced retreats in China and Burma under intensifying Allied pressure. Preparations for the Potsdam Conference (set for July 17–August 2, 1945) were underway, shaping post-war policies.

European and Atlantic Theatre

• Post-War Occupation (Ongoing): Following Germany’s surrender on May 8, 1945, Allied forces administered occupation zones in Germany and Austria, as agreed at the Yalta Conference (February 1945). On July 10, Soviet forces, including the 1st Baltic Front (under General Ivan Bagramyan), controlled eastern Germany and Poland, while U.S. forces, such as the 3rd Army (under General George S. Patton), managed southern Germany. The Polish Provisional Government of National Unity, led by Edward Osóbka-Morawski, operational since June 28, 1945, consolidated Soviet-backed governance. Preparations for the Potsdam Conference, involving U.S. President Harry S. Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (replaced by Clement Attlee mid-conference), and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, intensified, focusing on reparations, German demilitarization, and Polish borders. Occupation efforts, ongoing since May 1945, continued through the late 1940s, managing over 7 million Displaced Persons (DPs), including 50,000–100,000 Jewish survivors.
• Jewish Affairs (Ongoing):
  • Displaced Persons Camps: Jewish Holocaust survivors were housed in DP camps such as Feldafing and Landsberg (U.S. zone, Germany), Bergen-Belsen (British zone, Germany), and Santa Cesarea (Italy). On or around July 10, survivors at Bergen-Belsen, liberated on April 15, 1945, faced health challenges, with 500–1,000 deaths monthly from typhus, dysentery, and malnutrition (daily caloric intake below 1,500 calories). British medical units, including the 32nd Casualty Clearing Station, provided penicillin and vaccinations. At Feldafing, around 4,000 Jewish survivors organized self-governance, schools, and Yiddish newspapers, though trauma and overcrowding persisted. These conditions, ongoing since spring 1945, continued through the late 1940s.
  • Relief Efforts: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) supplied food, medical care, and family tracing services. On or around July 10, JDC teams distributed kosher food and religious materials in camps like Landsberg, but logistical constraints limited aid to about 30% of needed supplies, ongoing through 1945–1946.
  • Antisemitism and Repatriation: In Poland, antisemitic violence, including attacks in Kraków and Lublin, deterred Jewish repatriation, with dozens killed in summer 1945 pogroms. Approximately 200,000 Polish Jewish survivors faced hostility, prompting emigration to Palestine or Western countries. Zionist groups, led by David Ben-Gurion, organized clandestine Aliyah Bet, bypassing British 1939 White Paper restrictions limiting Palestine entry to 75,000 Jewish immigrants over five years. Emigration efforts, ongoing through the 1940s, saw 10,000–20,000 Jews reach Palestine by late 1945.
  • War Crimes Trials Preparation: Preparations for the Nuremberg Trials (set for November 1945) advanced, with the United Nations War Crimes Commission collecting survivor testimonies and evidence from camps like Dachau (liberated April 29, 1945) and Buchenwald (liberated April 8, 1945), documenting gas chambers and mass graves. These efforts, ongoing since mid-1945, continued into 1946.
• Outcomes: Soviet and Allied occupation shaped post-war Europe, with Potsdam preparations setting Cold War boundaries. Jewish survivors struggled in under-resourced DP camps, with antisemitism fueling Zionist emigration. Trial preparations laid groundwork for justice, though limited in immediate scope.

Mediterranean and African Theatre

• Post-War Stabilization (Ongoing): With European and North African campaigns concluded by May 1945, Allied forces, including the British Eighth Army and U.S. Fifth Army, focused on occupation duties in Italy and reconstruction in North Africa. On July 10, efforts emphasized infrastructure repair, repatriation of 100,000 prisoners, and administration of former Axis territories, with minimal military activity (casualties under 50 daily). These activities, ongoing since May 1945, continued through the post-war period.
• Outcomes: The Mediterranean transitioned to stabilization, with Allied efforts centered on demobilization and humanitarian aid.

Pacific Theatre

• Battle of Balikpapan (Ongoing): Launched on July 1, 1945, the Australian-led Battle of Balikpapan in Borneo, part of Operation Oboe, continued. On July 10, the Australian 7th Division (under Major General Edward Milford), including the 2/9th Battalion, 2/10th Battalion, and 2/1st Pioneer Battalion, advanced inland, capturing oil facilities and engaging Japanese 37th Army (under Lieutenant General Masao Baba). The 2/25th Battalion secured positions near Manggar airfield, facing Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go tanks and bunkers, with daily casualties of 20–50 Australians and 100–150 Japanese. Supported by RAAF No. 76 Squadron (P-40 Kittyhawk fighters), U.S. Navy Task Force 74 (including USS Phoenix), and Dutch KNIL units, Australian forces disrupted Japanese supply lines. The battle, ongoing until July 21, 1945, aimed to secure Borneo’s oil fields, with 229 Australian and over 2,000 Japanese deaths by its end.
• Philippines Campaign (Mopping-Up Operations): Following General Douglas MacArthur’s announcement of the Philippines’ liberation on July 5, 1945, mopping-up operations continued against isolated Japanese 14th Area Army pockets (under General Tomoyuki Yamashita). On July 10, the U.S. Sixth Army (under General Walter Krueger) and Eighth Army (under General Robert Eichelberger), with Filipino guerrillas, conducted sweeps on Luzon and Mindanao, neutralizing small Japanese units in mountainous regions, with daily engagements involving 50–100 troops per side and minimal casualties (10–20). Operations, ongoing since July 1945, tapered off by August 1945.
• Battle of Okinawa (Mopping-Up Operations): The Okinawa campaign ended on June 22, 1945, but mopping-up operations continued against remnants of the Japanese 32nd Army (under Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, killed June 22). On July 10, the U.S. 10th Army (under General Roy S. Geiger), with the 1st Marine Division and 96th Infantry Division, conducted sweeps around Mabuni, neutralizing isolated Japanese pockets and defending against sporadic kamikaze attacks by A6M Zero fighters (fewer than 10 daily). Total casualties by June included 110,000 Japanese and 12,500 U.S. deaths, with minimal losses in July. Operations, ongoing since June 1945, ended by late July 1945.
• Outcomes: Australian advances in Balikpapan secured oil resources, weakening Japanese logistics. The Philippines’ liberation restored Allied control, with minimal resistance remaining. Okinawa’s capture provided a staging base for Japan’s planned invasion.

Asian Theatre

• Borneo Campaign (Operation Oboe, Ongoing): Beyond Balikpapan, the Australian 9th Division (under Major General George Wootten) advanced in northern Borneo, securing Labuan Island and Brunei Bay against Japanese 37th Army. On July 10, the 2/28th Battalion and 2/12th Commando Squadron pushed inland, engaging Japanese guerrilla forces, with daily casualties of 10–20 per side. Supported by RAAF No. 76 Squadron and HMAS Shropshire, the campaign, ongoing since June 1945, continued until August 1945.
• China (Battle of West Hunan, Ongoing): The Japanese China Expeditionary Army (under General Yasuji Okamura) retreated in Guangxi and Hunan provinces, pursued by Chinese 3rd War Area forces (under General He Yingqin). On July 10, the Chinese 74th Army recaptured territory near Guilin, aided by U.S. 14th Air Force (P-51 Mustang fighters) targeting Japanese railways, with daily engagements involving 500–1,000 troops and casualties of 50–100 per side. The campaign, ongoing since April 1945, concluded in August 1945.
• Burma Campaign (Ongoing): The Japanese Burma Area Army (under General Hyotaro Kimura) retreated toward the Sittang River after losing Rangoon (May 1945). On July 10, the British 14th Army (under General William Slim), including Indian 5th Division and British 2nd Division, engaged Japanese rearguards in the Sittang Bend, supported by RAF No. 221 Group (Hurricane fighters), with daily casualties of 50–100 per side. The campaign, ongoing since 1944, continued until August 1945.
• Outcomes: Australian advances in Borneo secured strategic resources. Chinese counteroffensives reclaimed territory, weakening Japanese control. Japanese retreats in Burma solidified Allied dominance.

Key Personalities

• General Douglas MacArthur: Oversaw the Philippines’ liberation.
• Edward Osóbka-Morawski: Led the Polish Provisional Government.
• General Ivan Bagramyan: Oversaw Soviet occupation in Eastern Europe.
• Major General Edward Milford: Commanded Australian 7th Division at Balikpapan.
• General William Slim: Led British 14th Army in Burma.
• David Ben-Gurion: Advocated for Jewish emigration to Palestine.

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