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 …

July 9, 1940 On July 9, 1940, World War II saw escalating tensions in Europe and Asia following the fall of France in June 1940. The aftermath of the British attack on the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir (Operation Catapult, July 3) strained Anglo-French relations, with Vichy France having severed diplomatic ties on July 5. …

July 8, 1940 Overview of Key Events On July 8, 1940, the aftermath of the British attack on the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir (Operation Catapult, July 3) continued to strain Anglo-French relations, with Vichy France having severed diplomatic ties with Britain on July 5. German forces consolidated control over the occupied Channel Islands, while …

July 7, 1940 Overview of Key Events On July 7, 1940, the aftermath of the British attack on the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir (Operation Catapult, July 3) continued to strain Anglo-French relations, following Vichy France’s severance of diplomatic ties with Britain on July 5. Germany consolidated control over the occupied Channel Islands, while Italian …

July 6, 1940 Overview of Key Events On July 6, 1940, the aftermath of the British attack on the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir (Operation Catapult, July 3) continued to strain Anglo-French relations, following Vichy France’s severance of diplomatic ties with Britain on July 5. Germany consolidated control over the occupied Channel Islands, while Italian …

July 5, 1940 Overview of Key Events On July 5, 1940, the aftermath of the British attack on the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir (Operation Catapult, July 3) escalated tensions, with Vichy France formally breaking diplomatic relations with Britain. Germany consolidated control over the occupied Channel Islands, while Italian air raids continued against Malta. Luftwaffe …

July 4, 1940 Overview of Key Events On July 4, 1940, the aftermath of Operation Catapult, particularly the British attack on the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir on July 3, dominated events, with diplomatic repercussions unfolding. Germany continued consolidating control over the occupied Channel Islands, completing the occupation of Sark. Italian air raids persisted against …

July 3, 1940 Overview of Key Events On July 3, 1940, Britain launched Operation Catapult to neutralize the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir, aiming to prevent its use by Germany. The German occupation of the Channel Islands continued, and Soviet forces consolidated control over Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Italian air raids targeted Malta, escalating the …

July 2, 1940 Overview of Key Events On July 2, 1940, Germany continued consolidating control over occupied France and the Channel Islands, with the German occupation of Guernsey completed on this date. The Soviet Union finalized its annexation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. Italian air raids intensified against Malta, and the prelude to the Battle …