1940: A SUMMARY OF THE YEAR

Mid-Feb:  Soviets breach the Mannerheim line in Finland with 45 divsions.
March 12: Russo-Finnish treaty signed in Moscow.Finland cedes parts of
          Lapland to Soviet Union.
Winter 39/40: Period of quite on Western front termed the `Phony War`.
March 20: French Prime Minister, Daladier resigns to be succeeded by
          Paul Reynaud.
April 3:  Churchill becomes Chairman of the British Government`s Military
          Committee.
April 9:  To forstall British in Norway,Hitler invades Norway and Denmark.
          Germans take Narvik,Stavanger,Bergen and Trondheim.
April 10: British and German destroyers clash at Narvik.
May 10:   Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister.
May 10:   Germans launch `Case Yellow` - the attack on Holland,Belgium
          and France.German panzers push through the Ardennes and 
          Luxembourg.
May 11:   German airborne forces capture Fort Eben-Emael. 
May 11:   German armour reaches the Meuse River.
May 14:   Rotterdam is heavily bombed .
May 15:   French Army is in full retreat.
May 17:   Germans enter Brussels.
May 20:   General Guderian reaches Channel coast at Noyelles.
May 22:   British Expeditionary force is cut off around Channel ports.
May 26:   All this week, the BEF are evacualted from France by an army
          of small boats - the so-called `Miracle of Dunkirk`.338,226
          men are saved, though most of the arms and equipment are lost.
May 28:   Belgium surrenders.
May 31:   French 1st army surrenders at Lille after 4-day siege.
June 8:   King Haakon and Norwegian government along with 24,000 allied
          troops are evacuated to Britain.
June 9:   Field Marshall von Runstedt`s Army Group A enters campaign
          against France.
June 10:  Italians declare war on Britain and France.          
June 14:  Germans enter Paris.
June 15:  Germans capture Verdun.30,600 British troops evacuated from
          Cherbourg.
June 16:  Petain forms new French government.
June 17:  France asks for an armistice.
June 22:  Armistice is signed at Compiegne.
June 30:  U-boat offensive stepped up as Battle of the Atlantic
          gets under way.
June 30:  German troops occupy the Channel Islands.          
July 3:   British sink French Vichy ships at Mers-el-Kebir.          
July 6 - August 2: Five British submarines sunk off Norwegian coast.
July 10:  Luftwaffe begins air operations against England, culminating
          throughout August,September and October with the Battle of
          Britain.
Aug 13:   `Eagle Day` - main attacks by Luftwaffe start against Britain.
Sept 7:   Start of the London `Blitz`.
Sept 13:  Italians invade Egypt.
Sept 16:  Italians occupy Sidi Barrani.
November: 12,696 civilians in London area have been killed during the
          Blitz and 20,000 injured. 36,000 bombs have fallen on the
          Capital.
Dec 9:    Italians defeated by Wavell at Sidi Barrani.