12 Jun 1941
- Men of the US Naval Reserve were called to active duty. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British cruiser HMS Sheffield sank German tanker Friedrich Breme with shellfire in the Atlantic Ocean; 2 were killed 86 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Indian and Free French forces under French General Paul Legentilhomme captured Deraa, Sheikh Meskine, and Ezraa in southwestern French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon, but were held up Kissoué. ww2dbase [Campaigns in the Middle East | CPC]
- British submarine HMS Taku sank Italian ship Silvio Scaroni 70 miles west of Benghazi, Libya; Italian torpedo boats Pallade and Polluce counterattacked without success. ww2dbase [CPC]
- British submarine HMS Torbay sank Italian schooner Gesue E Maria off the island of Skiros, Greece. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Dutch submarine O.24 sank Italian tanker Fianona and auxiliary patrol ship Carloforte 10 miles north of the island of Elba, Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-48 sank British ship Empire Dew in the North Atlantic; 23 were killed, 18 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-371 sank British ship Silverpalm in the North Atlantic, killing the entire crew of 68. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-558 sank British ship Susan Mærsk (all 24 aboard killed) and Norwegian tanker Ranella (all 29 aboard survived) in the North Atlantic. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German submarine U-552 sank British ship Chinese Prince west of Ireland; 45 were killed 19 survived. ww2dbase [CPC]
- German heavy cruiser Lützow, light cruiser Emden, light cruiser Leipzig, and destroyers passed through the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden. ww2dbase [Deutschland | CPC]
- The South African Air Force embarked on its first combat mission in North Africa. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca departed Bordeaux, France at 0904 hours and arrived at Le Verdon-sur-Mer, France mid-day; she then returned to Bordeaux at 1947 hours. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]
- A three-day conference of SS men of SS-Gruppenführer rank began at the SS castle of Schloß Wewelsburg in Büren, Germany. ww2dbase [Schloß Wewelsburg | Büren, Westfalen-Nord | CPC]
- HMS Rodney arrived at Boston Navy Yard in Massachusetts, United States to commence a refit. She would remain in Boston for one month. Many crewmembers stayed with local Boston families during the refit. ww2dbase [Boston Navy Yard | Rodney | Boston, Massachusetts | DS]
12 Jun 1941 Interactive Map
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: |
Search WW2DB
News
- » Wreck of M-49 Found (10 Apr 2025)
- » Japanese Emperor Visited Iwoto (Iwo Jima) (8 Apr 2025)
- » Race, Holocaust, and African-American WW2 Histories Removed from the US Naval Academy Library (7 Apr 2025)
- » US Government Plans to Purge WW2 Information (17 Mar 2025)
- » See all news
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,167 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 44,606 timeline entries
- » 1,243 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 376 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 261 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,505 photos
- » 365 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"With Germany arming at breakneck speed, England lost in a pacifist dream, France corrupt and torn by dissension, America remote and indifferent... do you not tremble for your children?"Winston Churchill, 1935
Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!