20 May 1940
- In France, Rommel's troops began a new offensive but was held up at Arras. Meanwhile, Guderian's troops continued to advance, capturing Amiens at 0900 hours, Abbeville at 1900 hours, and Noyelles-sur-Mer at 2000 hours; they had reached the English Channel. At Dunkerque on the French coast, small seacraft began gathering for an Allied evacuation. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | TH]
- The Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano began to carry only war news published by the Italian government. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British Prime Minister Churchill sent a telegram to US President Roosevelt, again requesting for destroyers; "If they were here in 6 weeks, they would play an invaluable part." ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | CPC]
- US President Franklin Roosevelt expressed his concern regarding the Uruguayan-German tension to Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles. Welles reported to Roosevelt that the Uruguayan government had taken steps to investigate Nazi Party activities in Montevideo. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Oberleutnant Heinrich Driver was named the commanding officer of U-23, relieving Heinz Beduhn. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
- 24 G3M bombers of Japanese 13th Air Group attacked Liangshan Airfield in Chongqing, China in the morning at the altitude of 14,700 feet. They were intercepted by eight I-16 fighters of 24th Pursuit Squadron of Chinese Air Force 4th Pursuit Group. The Chinese fighters shot down a G3M bomber, damaged two others (Chinese pilots claimed these as kills but they were able to make it back to base), and shot down an accompanying Ki-15-II aircraft in an observation role. The Chinese lost two I-16 fighters, which were written off due to heavy damage. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Liangshan Airfield | Chongqing | CPC]

20 May 1940 Interactive Map
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Share this article with your friends: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB & Partner Sites
News
- » Wreck of USS Mannert L. Abele Found (29 May 2023)
- » Wreck of Montevideo Maru Found (25 Apr 2023)
- » Detonation of a WW2-Era Naval Mine (21 Mar 2023)
- » Wreck of USS Albacore Found (23 Feb 2023)
- » Accidental Detonation of a WW2-Era Bomb in Great Yarmouth (10 Feb 2023)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,131 biographies
- » 336 events
- » 41,830 timeline entries
- » 1,210 ships
- » 347 aircraft models
- » 206 vehicle models
- » 370 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 249 facilities
- » 469 book reviews
- » 28,989 photos
- » 401 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."Winston Churchill, on the RAF