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World War II Database

16 Mar 1868

China
  • Lin Sen was born in Shangan, Minhou County, Fujian Province, Qing Dynasty China. ww2dbase [Lin Sen | Shangan, Fujian | CPC]
7 Oct 1889

China
27 Apr 1909

China
9 Feb 1928

China
  • USS Stewart arrived at Xiamen (Postal Map: Amoy), Fujian Province, China. ww2dbase [Stewart | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
24 Feb 1928

China
  • USS Stewart departed Xiamen (Postal Map: Amoy), Fujian Province, China. ww2dbase [Stewart | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
13 Jan 1934

China
  • Tang Enbo's 10th Column captured Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China from communist forces. ww2dbase [Tang Enbo | Fuzhou, Fujian | CPC]
10 May 1938

China
  • Japanese 5th Fleet under the command of Admiral Koichi Shiozawa arrived the port city of Xiamen, China, delivering 2,000 Special Naval Landing Force troops near Fort Baishi, but outside of the range of the Chinese coastal guns. Chinese troops abandoned the fort. ww2dbase [Battle of Xiamen | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
  • Tenryu provided naval gunfire support for the amphibious assault at Xiamen, China. ww2dbase [Tenryu | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
11 May 1938

China
12 May 1938

China
  • During the night, Chinese troops abandoned Xiamen, China for nearby Songyu; thousands of civilians attempted to evacuate the city, 60,000 of whom would make their way to Gulangyu island, which was an international zone. Shortly after the departure of the Chinese troops, Japanese Special Naval Landing Force troops would arrive to capture the city; they would later be relieved by Jinmen Garrision of the Japanese 1st Garrison Unit. ww2dbase [Battle of Xiamen | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
21 Oct 1938

China
  • Before dawn, HMS Birmingham sailed along the coast of Gulangyu island, an international zone, near Xiamen, China. At 0800 hours, she sailed into Xiamen harbor between four columns of Japanese war ships by surprise; Birmingham's crew was able to take photographs of classified Japanese naval equipment such as fire controls and radar antennae before the Japanese crew was able to cover them up. At 1100 hours, Birmingham set sail for Hong Kong. ww2dbase [Birmingham | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
  • Kirishima launched a E8N1 Type 95 floatplane and photographed HMS Birmingham off Xiamen, China. ww2dbase [Kirishima | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
Photo(s) dated 21 Oct 1938
Battleship Kongo off Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, 21 Oct 1938; seen from destroyer USS Pillsbury
11 May 1939

China
  • A Chinese man shot a Japanese citizen on Gulangyu island, an international settlement off Xiamen, China, giving the Japanese to dispatch a Special Naval Landing Force detachment near Gulangyu. ww2dbase [Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
13 May 1939

China
  • American destroyer USS Bulmer arrived at Gulangyu island, an international settlement off Xiamen, China in response to the arrival of a Japanese Special Naval Landing Force detachment nearby. ww2dbase [Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
16 May 1939

China
  • HMS Birmingham arrived at Gulangyu island, an international settlement off Xiamen, China in response to the arrival of a Japanese Special Naval Landing Force detachment nearby. She disembarked a contingent of sailors and marines. ww2dbase [Birmingham | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
  • USS Marblehead arrived at Gulangyu island, an international settlement off Xiamen, China in response to the arrival of a Japanese Special Naval Landing Force detachment nearby. She disembarked a contingent of US Marines. ww2dbase [Marblehead | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
22 May 1939

China
  • Myoko, flagship of Vice Admiral Koichi Shiozawa of Japanese Navy 5th Fleet, arrived in Xiamen, China in response to recent British, French, and American troop arrivals in the international zone. ww2dbase [Myoko | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
26 May 1939

China
  • HMS Birmingham departed Xiamen, China with Vice Admiral Percy Noble aboard. ww2dbase [Birmingham | Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
18 Oct 1939

China
  • Representatives from Britain, Japan, and the United States reached an agreement regarding to the presence of troops of all three powers in and near the Gulangyu island international zone near Xiamen, China since May 1939; all three pledged to withdraw troops from the international zone and to suppress anti-Japanese activities in the international zone. ww2dbase [Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
22 Mar 1940

China
  • American gunboat USS Asheville arrived at Gulangyu island, an international zone, near Xiamen, China. ww2dbase [Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
9 Jun 1942

China
  • At Pucheng, Fujian Province, China, US Navy Commander Milton Miles and Chinese Army Dai Li agreed to form a 50,000-strong US Navy-trained Chinese guerrilla force. Having learned that General Dai was present at Pucheng, the Japanese launched four air raids, slightly injuring Miles. ww2dbase [Milton Miles | Pucheng, Fujian | CPC]
24 Oct 1944

China
  • USS Tang attacked an escorted Japanese convoy in the Taiwan Strait off the island of Niushandao, China, sinking five transports and tankers and one destroyer; among the sunken were, Kogen Maru and Matsumoto Maru. ww2dbase [Tang | Niushandao, Fujian | CPC]
19 Dec 1944

China
  • Colonel Edward Rector, one of the original Flying Tigers pilots, was shot down by anti-aircraft fire near Jinmen Island, Fujian Province, China while flying a P-51 fighter. He was rescued by Chinese civilians, who also helped him to reach the Sino-American Special Technical Cooperative Organization (SACO) headquarters in Zhangzhou, Fujian. He would later make a 200-kilometer trek inland to Longyan airfield to be picked up by a 14th Air Force aircraft to Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. ww2dbase [Jinmen, Fujian | CPC]
20 Jan 1945

China
  • USS Barb pursued a Japanese convoy in the Taiwan Strait, but the convoy was able to enter the southern entrance of the Haitan Strait before the submarine could attack. Commander Eugene Fluckey suspected that the Japanese had dredged the previously shallow northern end of the strait for warships to move through, and asked Sino-American Special Technical Cooperative Organization (SACO), which had a wide coastwatcher network in China, for information. ww2dbase [Barb | Haitan Strait, Fujian | CPC]
22 Mar 1945

China
  • American war correspondent Clarence Beliel, commonly known by the name of Don Bell, was shot down over Xiamen Harbor, China while flying in a PB4Y2 Privateer aircraft. He and other survivors, including pilot Jim Evans, were helped by pirates under the control of Chang Yizhou, who was under the employment of Chinese Army intelligence chief General Dai Li, posing as civilian fishermen. The Americans later recuperated at US Navy's SACO Camp No. 6. ww2dbase [Xiamen, Fujian | CPC]
1 Apr 1945

China
  • The 11,000-ton Japanese liner Awa Maru, given safe passage by the Americans because she had revealed that she was carrying Red Cross parcels and other aid to Allied POWs, was torpedoed and sunk by American submarine USS Queenfish in the Taiwan Strait just off the coast of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China after a breakdown in communications. Of the estimated 2,500 people on board, many of them skilled Japanese technicians, only one survived. For the only time in the war, the US Government acknowledged responsibility for wrongfully sinking an enemy ship and promised compensation after the war. Queenfish's commanding officer was court martialled for negligence, but was later exonerated based on the fact that Awa Maru was later discovered to be smuggling rubber and other war materials. ww2dbase [Queenfish | Awa Maru | Fuzhou, Fujian | AC]
18 Aug 1949

China
7 Oct 1949

China
16 Oct 1949

China
  • Tang Enbo relocated his headquarters from Xiamen, Fujian Province, China to Kinmen (Quemoy) island 10 kilometers east of Xiamen. Later on the same day, Chiang Kaishek sent Tang an urgent cable, ordering that Kinmen cannot be lost to the communists. ww2dbase [Chiang Kaishek | Tang Enbo | Kinmen, Fujian | CPC]
24 Jan 1959

Photo(s) dated 24 Jan 1959
Chiang Kaishek and Chiang Ching-kuo inspecting defensive fortifications at Kinmen island, Fujian Province, Republic of China (Taiwan), 24 Jan 1959
30 Jul 1969

China
  • Chen Shaokuan passed away from stomach cancer in Fujian Province, China. ww2dbase [Chen Shaokuan | Fujian | CPC]

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




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German Colonel General Alfred Jodl (center) signing the surrender document at Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters, Reims, France, 7 May 1945; note German Major Wilhelm Oxenius (on Jodl's right), German Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg (on Jodl's left), and British Major General Kenneth Strong (behind Jodl); photo 3 of 5


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Famous WW2 Quote
"Since peace is now beyond hope, we can but fight to the end."

Chiang Kaishek, 31 Jul 1937


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