January 6th 1943, Germany.
Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, supreme commander of the naval forces is replaced in his charge by grand admiral Karl Dönitz, commander of the submarine navy, after the errors of the Barents Sea battle.
January 6th – January 9th 1943, Pacific Ocean.
In the battle of Huon Gulf, the Allies gather planes form southwest Pacific to launch attacks over the Japanese convoys to New Guinea. Three Japanese supply ships are sunk and 80 planes are shot down. The Allied casualties are minimal.
January 9th 1943, China.
The Chinese Muppet-government declares war on USA and the UK.
January 10th 1943, Soviet Union.
A gigantic Soviet offensive inside the Stalingrad pocket starts to annihilate the rests of the German VI Army.
January 10th – January 31st 1943, Guadalcanal.
An American force of 50.000 men launches an offensive to harass the Japanese positions inside the jungle in the West. The 15.000 weakened and starving Japanese fight fiercely and make a tremendous rear-action in Tassafaronga Point. The Japanese have decided to evacuate Guadalcanal.
January 13th 1943, Papua , New Guinea.
The Japanese in New Guinea, finally lose control over Kokoda road, an important route through the mountains of Owen Stanley to Port Moresby, which they pretended to use as an air base. The fight between the Japanese and general McArthur’s Australian and American forces has been happening since 1942.
January 14th – January 23rd 1943, Morocco.
British primer minister, Winston Churchill and USA president Franklyn D. Roosvelt meet in Casablanca, Morocco. The conference underlines the difference in their opinion towards Hitler. The British want to continue with the war in the Mediterranean, before the main attack on Europe, through the English Channel. They propose to invade Sicily and then Italy to get German reserves out from France and the Low Countries, which would precipitate Mussolini’s fall and would provide suitable air fields to bombard the German industries of the South and the Romanian oil fields. The Americans believe that this would only weaken the forces for the invasion of France. They think that the fastest way to defeat Hitler is the invasion of northern France. However, this was not possible in 1943, and under a terrible pressure from Stalin, they agreed in invading Sicily (nothing was mentioned about Italy). Another disagreement is that Roosvelt wants the ‘unconditional surrender’ of the Axis powers, and Churchill thinks that an exception of this should be done in Italy, but it would cause problems with the Greek and Yugoslavian allies.
January 15th – January 22nd 1943, Libya.
The British VIII Army attacks the Axis forces of Armoured Army ‘Afrika’ under field marshal Rommel in Bouerat and chases them until Homs and Tarhuna, 150 kilometres from Tripoli. They reach Homs on the 19th and Rommel starts his withdraw to Tunisia, even if he had the order to defend the city. He prefers to save his men and form a defensive line in Mareth.
January 16th – January 17th 1943, Soviet Union.
The LVI Soviet Army starts an attack to capture the city of Krasnador, but they are stopped by German forces between the rivers Dónets and Manych.
January 18th 1943, Poland.
Jewish men start attacking the German troops inside Warsaw’s ghetto.
January 21st 1943, Papua, New Guinea.
After conquering Sanananda, in New Guinea, the Allies prepare an advance in direction northwest to get rid of the Japanese in Salamua and Lae. The Allied naval and air superiority will oblige the enemy to withdraw from the island.
January 29th 1943, Papua, New Guinea.
The Allied troops make the Japanese retreat from Wan to Bulldog track, the second route used by them in their invasion to Port Moresby.
January 30th 1943, Germany.
British bombers make the first air raid against Berlin at day-light.
January 2nd 1944, Free France.
General Jean Marie Gabriel de Lattre de Tasigny is appointed commander in chief of the free France’s forces in North Africa.
January 2nd 1944, Papua, New Guinea.
Troops from the USA VI Army land in Saidor, in the northern coast of New Guinea, as part of operation ‘Dexterity’, a slating Japanese rear-forces from their main base at Mandang, 85 kilometres from there. The loss of Saidor, a very important supplies deposit means that 20.000 Japanese troops are trapped between the American and Australian forces. Their only escape-route is through the thick jungle.
January 3rd 1944, Germany.
In a big air raid against Berlin, 27 of 383 Lancasters are lost and over 168 men. The damages on the German capital are insignificant.
January 4th 1944, Europe.
Operation ‘Carpetbagger’ begins: supplies are dropped from the air to resistance groups in Belgium, Holland, France and Italy.
January 5th 1944, Poland.
The exiled Polish government authorises the clandestine Polish movement to cooperate with Red Army.
January 9th 1944, Burma.
The British XV Corps takes the Birmanian city of Maungdaw.
January 10th 1944, Soviet Union.
The III Ukrainian Front of general Rodion Y. Malinovski launches an offensive to capture Apostolovo, but is stopped by the Germans.
January 11th 1944, Italy.
Mussolini’s son-in-law and ex foreign fascist exterior affairs minister, Galeazzo Ciano is executed in Verona because he voted in favour of Mussolini’s destitution in July 1943. Ciano and his wife were told that their children were in danger and they were given a pass to Munich and then to Spain, but they were arrested and presented to the Muppet Italian-fascist government.
January 12th – January 14th 1944, Italy.
At Monte Cassino, the French colonial troops of the French Expeditionary Corps under general Alphonse Juin crosses Rapido river, in V Army’s northern sector, although they fail to capture mount Santa Croce.
January 14th – January 27th 1944, Soviet Union.
The II Shock Soviet Army attack from the Oranienbaum’s bridgehead and the LIX Soviet Army attacks towards Novgorod, to try to break the German siege on the city. In the next day, the XLII Soviet Army attacks Pulkovo hills. On the 19th, the three Armies gather in Krasnoe and two days later, the German troops at Petergof and Streina are destroyed. The Germans try to contain the Red Army’s push, but some 324 guns announce the release of the city, under siege since 1941. A million Russian civilians have died.
January 17th 1944, Italy.
The Allies try to break through the ‘Gustav’ line, with a frontal attack of the British X Corps along the Garellano river, the Aurunci mountains and the Liri Valley, while a landing in Anzio, in the German rear is made. The German general in charge, Heinrich von Vietinghoff-Scheel transfers two Panzer divisions to Anzio.
January 20th 1944, Italy.
As part of the Allied attack on the ‘Gustav line’, the II American Corps try to cross the Rapido river and make some space for the American 1st Armoured division. The German defences are very strong and the Americans suffer great casualties.
January 22nd 1944, Italy.
Troops from the VI Allied Corps land without opposition in Anzio, in the German rear and. The attack is leaded by the American general John Lucas, who orders an halt an the creation of a defensive line to repel any enemy counter attack. Despite he has 50.0000 men and 3.000 vehicles at the end of the first day, he gives the initiative to the Germans.
January 24th 1944, Italy.
At Anzio, the Allied reconnaissance troops are stopped by German resistance, which becomes stronger every day. At Cassino, the American 34th division makes a bridgehead in the Rapido and the French hold on advancing.
January 26th 1944, Argentina.
Argentina breaks relationships with Germany and Japan after discovering a huge spy network in the country.
January 26th 1944, Papua. New Guinea.
After several fight days, the 18th Australian brigade take the key-Japanese position at Kankiryo.
January 30th 1944, Marshall Isles.
The American conquest of the Marshall Isles, operation ‘Flintlock’ starts with an amphibious attack against Majuro. The strategy is to focus on the main isles and the air fields. Once this is done, the rest of the enemy forces in the other isles will be crushed. The landing at Majuro had no opposition at all.
January 1st 1945, Czechoslovakia.
The II and IV Ukrainian Soviet Fronts start an attack against Army Group Centre, in Czechoslovakia, the zone which has the last foreign industrial resources of the Reich. The Soviets have 853.000 men, 9.986 guns, 590 tanks and 1.400 aeroplanes. The Germans: 550.000 men, 5.000 guns and 700 aeroplanes. The Germans fight very well, but the Soviets advance.
January 1st – January 21st 1945, France.
Army Group G under general Johannes Blaskowitz attacks the American VII Army in Alsace-Lorraine, forming Colmar’s bag. The Americans pull back, but general Eisenhower orders to occupy Strasbourg, because general DeGaulle told him that the loss of the city would be a severe blow to the French morale. The USA have 15.600 casualties and the Germans 25.000.
