13 Nov 1939
- German destroyers Z20, Z18, Z19, and Z21 mined the mouth of the River Thames in southern England, United Kingdom before dawn. At 0526 hours, British cruiser HMS Adventure hit one of the mines and was damaged, killing 23. At 0820 hours, British destroyer Blanche also hit one of the mines and was badly damaged, killing 1 and wounding 12; as Blanche sank while under tow by tugboat Fabia, she became the first British destroyer lost to enemy action in WW2. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Finnish diplomats Paasikivi and Tanner departed Moscow, Russia after all negotiation attempts failed. ww2dbase [The Winter War | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler again postponed the invasion of France; the next date for decision was to be 22 Nov 1939. ww2dbase [Invasion of France and the Low Countries | CPC]
- U-56 arrived at Kiel, Germany, ended her third patrol. ww2dbase [U-56 | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
- Prince Nagahisa's daughter Princess Hatsuko was born. ww2dbase [Nagahisa | CPC]
- King Carol II of Romania offered to mediate peace between Germany and the western powers. ww2dbase [Carol II | CPC]
- German bombers struck the Shetland Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom but did little damage. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | Shetland Islands, Scotland | TH]
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
- » 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)
- » Joseph Eskenazi honored at US National World War II Museum (16 Jan 2023)
- » Beethoven Original Manuscript to be Returned to Heirs of its Pre-WW2 Owner (13 Jan 2023)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,128 biographies
- » 336 events
- » 41,285 timeline entries
- » 1,206 ships
- » 346 aircraft models
- » 206 vehicle models
- » 370 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 248 facilities
- » 468 book reviews
- » 28,883 photos
- » 401 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, at Guadalcanal
