18 Dec 1939
China
China
- Chinese troops captured Longhua, near Yicheng, Hubei Province, China. To the south, Chinese 5th Division captured Kunlunguan Pass in Guangxi Province. ww2dbase [Winter Offensive | CPC]
- Soviet 273rd Infantry regiment retreated in the face of attacks from Finnish 40th Infantry Regiment. ww2dbase [The Winter War | TH]
- 24 British Wellington bombers were launched to attack German shipping during daylight, with the target area centered around the naval port city of Wilhelmshaven, Germany; only 22 flew to the target area because 2 developed technical problems shortly after takeoff. Flak quickly broke up the bomber formation, then the German Bf 109 and Bf 110 fighters that came to the ships' defense shot down 12 of the 22 bombers. German pilots claimed 34 kills for the loss of 2 fighters during combat and another crashed at landing; the German Air Ministry confirmed only 26. British pilots also overestimated their kills, claiming 13 definite and 12 probable. ww2dbase [Kriegsmarinewerft | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- Vidkun Quisling met with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Vidkun Quisling | Berlin | CPC]
- F5 was recommissioned into service. ww2dbase [F5 | CPC]
- Lavrentiy Beria ordered first mass deportation of Poles to Soviet Union. ww2dbase [Lavrentiy Beria | TH]
18 Dec 1939 Interactive Map
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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"We no longer demand anything, we want war."Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, Aug 1939