1 Dec 1939
- Otto Kuusinen was made head of the puppet government forming in Moscow for Finland. ww2dbase [TH]
- Firefight between Finnish coastal batteries at Russaro and the Soviet cruiser Kirov and her destroyer screen; Kirov and one of her destroyers were damaged. ww2dbase [Kirov | TH]
- Chinese 3rd Army Group cut the Lung'hai Railway line at several locations and attacked highways, both actions interrupted Japanese logistics. Meanwhile, troops of the Chinese 81st Division attacked the cities of Kaifeng and Lanfeng. ww2dbase [Winter Offensive | CPC]
- Hiroshi Nemoto was named the chief of staff of the 21st Army based in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. ww2dbase [Hiroshi Nemoto | Guangzhou, Guangdong | CPC]
- Asasaburo Kobayashi stepped down as the chief of staff of Japanese 12th Army in China and became the chief of the 1st Section of the Inspectorate-General of Military Training of the Army General Staff. ww2dbase [Asasaburo Kobayashi | CPC]
- In Germany, Ernst Udet was appointed Director General of Air Force Equipment (Generalluftzeugmeister). ww2dbase [Ernst Udet | AC]
- The third group of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was established. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The title "Waffen-SS" became official. This organisation embraced the SS Verfugungs Division, the Liebstandarte, the SS Totenkopf Division, the SS Polizei Division, the SS Junkerschulen (training schools), together with their training and replacement units. Service in these formations would count as active military duty. ww2dbase [AC]
- Tenryu was assigned to Maizuru Naval District, Japan for service as a guard ship and training vessel for the Japanese Navy Engineering Academy. ww2dbase [Tenryu | Maizuru, Kyoto | CPC]
- Kenkichi Ueda was forced into the reserve. ww2dbase [Kenkichi Ueda | CPC]
- Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima was named the commanding officer of the Taiwan Army. ww2dbase [Mitsuru Ushijima | CPC]
Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you. Please help us spread the word: Stay updated with WW2DB: |
Change View
Desktop ViewSearch WW2DB

News
- » Wreck of Teruzuki Found (27 Jul 2025)
- » USS Orlean's Bow Found (22 Jul 2025)
- » The Emperor of Japan Planned to Honor WW2-era Japanese POWs in Mongolia (4 Jul 2025)
- » US State Lawmaker John Winter Caught Using Racial Slur "Jap" and Apologized (11 Jun 2025)
- » US Government Plans to Purge WW2 Information (17 Mar 2025)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini, Lord Halifax, and Count Ciano at the Rome Opera House, Italy, Jan 1939Current Site Statistics
- » 1,182 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 45,119 timeline entries
- » 1,248 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 376 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 261 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,411 photos
- » 365 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."Winston Churchill