1940: A SUMMARY OF THE YEAR

Mid-Feb:       Soviets breach the Mannerheim line in Finland with 45 divisions.
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 forestall 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 evacuated 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 to
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.