 |
| 01/01/1940 |
The Finns change the numbers
of 3 divisions in order to deceive the Red Army. |
| 05/01/1940 |
The Finnish 9th Division begins an
offensive on the Raate road, which leads to the almost complete
destruction of Russian 44th division in 2 days. The Red Airforce
makes its first air attack on the Finnish GHQ town of St. Michel
causing 29 dead. |
| 06/01/1940 |
Finnish pilot Lt. Sarvanto, flying
a Fokker, shoots down six out of seven Russian SB-2 bombers
in just 5 minutes. The Russian 44th Division's commander General
Vinogradov, authorizes the remainder of his troops to try escape
back to Russian lines. |
| 07/01/1940 |
General Semyon Timoshenko takes command
of all Soviet forces in Finland and begins to build up his forces
for a decisive offensive. |
| 08/01/1940 |
Finnish troops capture 1,000 Russian
soldiers near Suomussalmi. |
| 21/01/1940 |
The Russian 8th Army launches an attack
against the Finnish forces of Group Talvela, without success.
The Finnish 9th Division is transferred from Suomussalmi to
Kuhmo. |
| 27/01/1940 |
Hitler personally takes over planning
for the invasion of Norway, 'Plan Weser'. |
| 29/01/1940 |
The Soviet Union reopens negotiations
with Finland through Sweden and indicates that it may withdraw
its support for Otto Kuusinen's puppet government should the
Finns come to terms. The Finnish 9th Division launches an attack
with the aim of destroying the Russian 54th Division in Kuhmo. |
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01/02/1940
|
General Timoshenko launches
his big offensive across the iced up straits of Viipuri Bay,
although Finnish aircraft raids disrupt these attacks. |
| 02/02/1940 |
Big Russian offensive continues on
the Karelia front. |
| 05/02/1940 |
British and French governments agree
to land an expeditionary force in northern Norway without regard
for Norway's neutrality in order to aide Finland, although in
eventuality way never carried out. |
| 06/02/1940 |
The Finnish 9th Division finally manages
to encircle the Russian 54th Division in Kuhmo. |
| 11/02/1940 |
Soviet troops finally breach the Mannerheim
line, forcing the Finns to withdraw to a secondary defense line. |
| 13/02/1940 |
Russian troops capture forts on Karelia
Isthmus. |
| 17/02/1940 |
Norway protests to Britain over violation
of neutrality. |
| 19/02/1940 |
Finnish forces defeat and disperse
the Soviet 18th Division northeast of Lake Ladoga. |
| 20/02/1940 |
General von Falkenhorst is appointed
to command the German invasion of Norway. |
| 23/02/1940 |
Sweden announces that she will not
permit British or French troops to cross through her territory
on their way to Finland. The Soviet Union announces its final
conditions for peace. Finland must hand over the Karelia Isthmus
and the shores of Lake Ladoga. It must also grant a 30 year
lease on the Hangö Peninsula and sign a mutual assistance
treaty, guaranteeing the security of the Gulf of Finland against
external threats. In return for all this, the Russians will
withdraw from the Petsamo area. |
| 28/02/1940 |
Russian forces overrun the second line
of Finnish defenses on the Karelian Isthmus. |
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01/03/1940
|
The Soviet Unions peace
ultimatum to Finland expires. |
| 03/03/1940 |
The Russian launch a massive offensive
and bring Viipuri under direct attack. This brings home to the
Finns the fact that they cannot resist for must longer against
the overwhelming force that the Russians are now deploying. |
| 08/03/1940 |
Heavy fighting is reported at the outskirts
to Viipuri, as the Red Army continues its attempt to capture
the city. This prompts the Finns to seek an immediate armistice,
which the Russians refuse. Therefore the Finnish delegation
in Moscow is instructed to sue for peace. |
| 12/03/1940 |
A peace treaty is concluded between
Finland and Russia, that formally ends the "Winter War".
The terms of this treaty are harsh for Finland, who are forced
to cede the entire Karelia Isthmus, and the city of Viipuri,
which is renamed Vyborg. The also lose parts of eastern Karelia,
Lake Ladoga, the Rybachiy Peninsula and the Petsamo area. The
also have to grant the Russian a 30 year lease of the Hangö
Peninsula. However, the ever 'generous' Russians drop their
recognition of the Kuusinen puppet government in Moscow. The
British finalise their plans for the invasion of Norway. Landings
are to be made at Narvik and Trondheim in order to secure the
rail line to Sweden and the large iron-ore fields. |
| 13/03/1940 |
Hostilities between the Soviet Union
and Finland cease. The Finns have lost 25,000 killed and 45,000
wounded, while the Russians have lost an estimated 200,000 killed
and an unknown number of wounded. |
| 18/03/1940 |
Russia assures Sweden of its safety
after Finland's surrender. |
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| 02/04/1940 |
Hitler gives orders that the invasion
of Denmark and Norway is to begin on the 9th April 1940. |
| 05/04/1940 |
Norway and Sweden are both
informed of the allied intention to mine Norwegian waters. |
| 09/04/1940 |
German troops invade Denmark and Norway
simultaneously. There is very little opposition by the surprised
Danes, with Copenhagen being captured within 12 hours. The Germans
make sea-borne landings in Norway at Oslo, Kristiansand, Bergen,
Trondheim and Narvik. An airborne landing is also made against
the airfield at Stavanger. Norwegian defenders move inland.
Major Quisling sets up ‘National Government’ in
Oslo. |
| 10/04/1940 |
Denmark surrenders to the Germans.
Bitter fighting as Germans advance north from Oslo. |
| 11/04/1940 |
King Haakon VII of Norway appeals to
all Norwegians to fight. The first British troop's sets sail
for Norway, although they have been mistakenly embarked without
much of their heavy equipment. |
| 12/04/1940 |
Norway announces German control of
Kristiansand, Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim in the south,
Narvik in the north. |
| 15/04/1940 |
British troops land at Harstad in the
Lofoten Islands, opposite Narvik. Quisling government resigns
in Oslo and a 'Administrative Council’ takes control. |
| 16/04/1940 |
British and French troops make landings
at Namsos. Further British troops are landed in the Faeroe Islands. |
| 18/04/1940 |
Germans advance further north of Oslo.
More British troops are landed at Aandalesnes in Norway with
the plan of co-operating with the British and French troops
already at Namsos to surround and then retake Trondheim. However,
the Norwegian commander, General Ruge persuaded the Aandalesnes
force, to move south in order to give support to his troops
still holding out at Lillehammer. |
| 20/04/1940 |
Danish Army is demobilised. |
| 24/04/1940 |
French reinforcements arrive at Aandalesnes.
British troops forced to withdraw north of Trondheim after sharp
fighting. Norwegian troops attack the Germans south of Narvik,
but are beaten back. |
| 25/04/1940 |
Allied forces withdraw from Lillehammer
in central Norway. |
| 26/04/1940 |
The British stun the French and Norwegians
by deciding to evacuate southern Norway. |
| 28/04/1940 |
Allied reinforcements arrive in Aandalesnes,
Norway. |
| 29/04/1940 |
King Haakon VII and his government
are evacuated from Molde and taken to Tromso in northern Norway,
from where they can continue the fight. |
| 30/04/1940 |
Germans announce they have established
communication between Trondheim and Oslo. |
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| 01/05/1940 |
Norwegians surrender in
Lillehammer. |
| 02/05/1940 |
Germans troops reach Aandalesnes. Allied
forces are evacuated from Namsos. Chamberlain announces British
forces are to withdraw from southern Norway. |
| 03/05/1940 |
Allies troops remain only in northern
Norway in order to stop the supply of iron ore to Germany. |
| 05/05/1940 |
Germans advance north to Trondheim. |
| 21/05/1940 |
The isolated German troops at Narvik
are now close to exhaustion and will be unable to hold out for
very much longer. |
| 28/05/1940 |
French mountain troops capture the
port of Narvik, forcing the German defenders (Gebirgsjäger
units and crews of sunk destroyers) into the surrounding hills
and towards the safety of the Swedish border and internment. |
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| 01/06/1940 |
British forces evacuate
the Bodo area of Norway, 120 miles to the southwest of Narvik. |
| 03/06/1940 |
British and French forces start to
evacuate from Narvik in northern Norway. |
| 07/06/1940 |
King Haakon VII and the Norwegian
government leave Tromsö for England. |
| 08/06/1940 |
The evacuation of British and French
troops (24,000 men) from Narvik and Harstad is completed. A
Norwegian delegation negotiates with the Germans for a peace
treaty. |
| 10/06/1940 |
The remaining troops of the Norwegian
Army (6th Division) surrender, after Norway surrenders unconditionally. |
| 18/06/1940 |
Sweden receives a reply from Britain
regarding expectations in Norway, indicating that Britain might
have to make peace with Germany. The Swedish government agrees
to allow German troops to pass from Trelleborg, Sweden, to Oslo,
Norway, via Swedish railways. |
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| 01/07/1940 |
Germany asks the USA and other neutrals
to withdraw its diplomatic missions from Norway. |
| 08/07/1940 |
The Swedish government
agrees to transport German war material across Sweden to Norway. |
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| 25/09/1940 |
Reich-Commissioner in
Norway deposes King Haakon and the Administrative Council, declaring
the government illegal. All political parties are dissolved
except for Quisling’s pro-Nazi party, the Nasjonal Samling,
which is installed as the government of Norway. |
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