January 3rd – January 15th 1941, Libya.
The Middle East British forces, under general sir Archibald Wavell, rebaptised as XIII Corps, with naval and air support restart their offensive against Cirenaica. In the first Australian action during the war, the Australian 6th division heads the attack to conquest Bardia, just in the frontier on the 15th. 70.000 Italians and lots of materials are captured.
January 7th – January 22nd 1941, Libya.
After the 7th British Armoured Brigade surrounds Tobrouk, the Australian 6th division heads the assault against the Italian defenders of the port, who capitulate on the 22nd. 30.000 Italians are captured, as well as port infrastructure and vital petrol, water and food supplies. General sir Richard O’Connor immediately sends more troops to conquest Bengasi.
Sir Richard O'Connor
January 19th 1941, Eritrea.
The British Forces at Sudan, under general William Platt start the attack against the Axis Forces in Italian East Africa, as a prologue to general Wavell’s campaign.
January 24th 1941, Libya.
The 4th British Armoured Brigade fights the Italian Armoured forces in Mechilli. The Italian forces in Libya are now divided, with units in the interior, around Mechilli and others, in the coast, around Derna. They do not help each other and are surrounded.
January 29th 1941, Italian Somalia.
British forces, based in Kenya, under general sir Alan Cunningham attack the Italian garrison here, as part of general Wavell’s offensive.
January 29th 1941, USA.
There are significative advances in the USA-UK relations, with state-conferences in Washington. It is decided that if the USA get involved in the war, the main objective would be the defeat of Germany, which assumes the codename ABC1. This conversations produce a visit in March to some British bases, potential bases for USA forces.
January 1st 1942, USA.
In Arcadia, Washington, 26 countries sign the declaration of the United Nations, compromising to follow the Atlantic Letter. It is agreed that all the resources of all those nations will be used against the three Axis powers and that no-apart-treaties are to be signed. This puts the cementations for the future UN.
January 2nd – January 9th 1942, Philippines.
American and Philippinian forces under general Douglas McArthur take defensive positions along the Batan peninsula and the island of Corregidor after Manila falls. McArthur realises that the Japanese have air, naval and numerical superiority and he knows that his country will not send reinforcements. On the 9th, the enemy attack begins and McArthur’s 80.000 men will resist deceases, the furious fighting and the lack of supplies…
January 3rd 1942, USA.
After Arcadia conference, sir Archibald Wavell becomes the supreme Allied commander (ABDA), Australian, British, Dutch and American. He has the task of occupying southwest Pacific. The Chinese leader, Tchiang-Kai-Chek becomes Allied supreme commander in China.
January 5th 1942, Soviet Union.
Iósif Stalin orders a counteroffensive against the German invaders, despite general Zhúkov’s, commander in chief of the Western Front warnings that the USSR does not have resources enough for a counteroffensive in four huge fronts (Leningrad, Moscow, the Ukraine and the Crimea). He insists in giving Army Group Centre, in front of Moscow, a fatal blow. However, the offensives make some great advances at the beginning, but the Germans hold their positions using a ‘hedgehog’ tactic.
January 5th – January 12th 1942, Malaysia.
After the Japanese landings, the British, Australian and Indian forces retreat to the South, to Singapore, because they have not been able to form a substantial defence against the Japanese. The British had underrated, with fatal consequences to the excellently trained and equipped Japanese. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, falls on the 12th.
January 9th – January 21st 1942, Soviet Union.
The Valdai Hills battle starts in Moscow sector. After the 12 days of fighting, the Soviets achieve capturing 9 cities between Smolijensk and lake Ilmen.
January 10th – January 11th 1942, Eastern Dutch Indies.
A Japanese force, under general Tomoyuki Yamashita and admiral Takahashi starts attacking the Eastern Dutch Indies to assure the oil resources of the isles. The Eastern Japanese force lands in Celebes and Amboina before taking Bali, Timor and Eastern Java. The central force lands in Tarakan and pretends to take Borneo. The Western force departs from Indochina to attack Sumatra and Java. The remaining Allied troops, under the ABDA, including local, non-reliable troops try to repel the enemy attack.
January 12th 1942, Yugoslavia.
General Dusan Simovic demits as prime minister and is replaced by professor Yovanovic.
January 12th 1942, Libya.
General Erwin Rommel accepts his officer’s plan to counterattack the Allies that year, because the British naval strength has weakened, allowing German reinforcements to reach North Africa. At the same time, the British 7th Armoured Brigade and two Australian divisions have been transferred to the Far East due to the crisis there.
January 12th – January 31st 1942, Burma.
Two reinforced divisions from the Japanese XV Army, plus air support, head northwest, to Burma, from its neighbour, Thailand. A little group, under Aung Sang, Birmanian nationalist leader supports Japan and supports the rebellions. British, Birmanian and Indian troops, around Moulmein fight unsuccessfully the invaders and withdraw. In the previous month, the Japanese have taken a key air base in the south, in Mergui, that forms part in the air route India-Malaysia. These air fields are used for bombardment missions. Burma has the only viable supply route to support China’s struggle against Japan. The ALLIED CONTROL OF Burma maintains the Indian border secure.
January 13th 1942, London.
The Allies agree to punish the Axis leaders, responsible of war crimes after the war.
January 13th 1942, Atlantic Ocean.
The German U-Boats launch an operation against American shipping in the very Western American Coast. The German U-Boats have a tremendous success, because of the American Navy’s incompetence to take the adequate anti-submarine measures despite the British warnings. The next month, the U-boats will make a chaos in the Caribbean Sea.
January 16th – January 19th 1942, Germany.
Field marshal Walther von Reichenau, commander of Army Group South dies of a heart attack and brain haemorrhage. Field marshal Fedor von Bock replaces him on the 19th. Adolf Hitler sacks field marshal Wilhelm von Leeb as commander of Army Group North and replaces him with colonel general Georg von Küchler. Since December, Hitler has sacked 30 high-rank officers, including three Army Groups commanders, and two of Panzer groups.
Walther von Reichenau
Georg von Küchler
January 16th 1942, USA.
Donald Nelson becomes chief of the new and centralised War Production Council.
January 17th 1942, Libya.
The Axis garrison at Halfaya, under siege since operation ‘Crusader’ falls finally and 5.500 Germans are captured, which were later massacred by the free-French soldiers.
January 17th 1942, Artic Ocean.
The U-Boats make their first attack against an Allied convoy in the Artic Ocean. U-454 sinks the destroyer HMS
Matablee and a merchant ship of convoy PQ-8.
January 18th – January 27th 1942, Soviet Union.
Soviet forces of the fronts South and Southwest under marshal Simeon Timoschenko start an attack against the Donets river and then going south, to the Azov Sea and capture units of the German VI and XVII Armies. They cross the Donets on the 24th, but are repelled on the 27th.
January 20th 1942, Pacific Ocean.
Four Japanese carriers start an attack against Rabaul, New Brittany (which is about to become a very important naval base) and two submarines bombard Midway island. Australian and American war ships sink a Japanese submarine in front of Darwin. The Japanese land at Borneo, New Ireland and the Solomon Isles on the 23rd.
January 21st – January 29th 1942, Libya.
General Erwin Rommel starts his second offensive in the desert, going from El Agheila to Aghedabia on the 22nd. The British VIII Army is surprised and Rommel takes advantage of it. The British withdraw. Bengasi falls on the 29th.
January 22nd 1942, Soviet Union.
The city of Leningrad, under siege, evacuates 440.000 civilians in 50 days. Thousands of people die of starvation, deceases and the German bombings.
January 23rd – January 24th, Philippines.
The American and Philippinian forces in Batan start withdrawing to a line, from Bagac, in the east, until Orion, in the West.
January 23rd – January 24th, Far East.
In the battle of the Macasar strait, four American destroyers, Dutch bombers and a submarine attack a Japanese convoy in front of Borneo: Japan loses four supply vessels.
January 25th 1942, Thailand.
The government declares war on Great Britain and the USA.
January 26th 1942, Great Britain.
The first convoy of American troops reaches the British Isles.
January 26th 1942, Far East.
Several Japanese troops-vessels in front of Malaysia are attacked by 68 British aircraft, 13 are lost. That night, the British get their attacks stronger. The destroyer HMS
Thanet and the Australian destroyer HMS
Vampire are sunk while attacking the Japanese convoy.
January 29th 1942, USA.
Major general Millard Hatmon replaces general Carl Spaatz as commander in chief of the USA Air Force. Spaatz will lead then, the fighter division of the Air Force.
Carl Spaatz
January 30th 1942, Singapore.
British and Commonwealth troops, retreating, cross the strait of Johore, which splits Singapore from the continent and destroy the communication lines. They abandon the rest of the Malayan peninsula. The defences of Singapore are designed to repel a naval attack, the big guns are totally inadequate to attack ground forces, because the British thought that a ground attack through the dense rainforest was impossible. The RAF has lost many planes and now it cannot repel the invasion from the North.
January 1st – January 3rd 1943, Caucasus.
Soviet troops launch an offensive to surround the German forces in the north of the region. Since August 1942 the Germans have tried to conquest this extremely rich zone, unsuccessfully. The Soviet South Front heads to Rostov and Terek and the Germans withdraw on the 3rd.
January 2nd 1943, Papua, New Guinea.
American forces find a fierce Japanese resistance after attacking Buna,, in the eastern coast.
January 3rd – January 9th 1943, Atlantic Ocean.
The U-boats destroy 7 of 9 tankers which carried 100.000 tons of oil in the convoy TM-1, from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean.
January 5th 1943, Tunisia.
The V American Army is formed, under lieutenant general Mark Clark. The Allied force form a line from Serrat Cape in the Mediterranean until Gafsa, in the South. There is any advance in any side until marshal Rommel’s advance in February.
