28 Jul 1940
- All rail lines between occupied France and Vichy France were cut by the Germans. ww2dbase [TH]
- President Jozef Tiso and Prime Minister Vojtech Tuka of the Slovak Republic met with Hitler and Ribbentrop at Berchtesgarden. ww2dbase [TH]
- British HMS Alcantara was hit by 3 shells from German armed merchant ship Thor 740 miles off Brazil, near the island of Trindade; 2 were killed and 7 were wounded; as Thor turned away to disengage from battle, Alcantara fired and hit Thor with 2 shells, killing 3. On the same day, German submarine U-99 sank British merchant ship Auckland Star 80 miles west of Ireland at 0557 hours. The entire crew of 74 were taken to lifeboats and would make it to the Irish shore. ww2dbase [First Happy Time | Thor | CPC]
- Werner Mölders flew his first combat sortie in the Battle of Britain; he sustained injuries after being hit by RAF Flight Lieutenant J. L. Webster over Dover, England, keeping him out of action for a month. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- The German Army examined closely the German Navy's draft plan for an invasion of England, United Kingdom, but it was horrified to note that the Navy estimated that it would take ten days to put the first assault ashore in the Dover area. ww2dbase [AC]
- More than 100 Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China in five waves; 16 fighters from Chinese 4th Pursuit Group and 5th Pursuit Group rose to intercept, claiming one bomber shot down. ww2dbase [Bombing of Shanghai, Chongqing, and other Cities | Chongqing | CPC]
- Maggiore Baracca departed La Spezia, Italy at 0752 hours for trials, returning at 1820 hours. ww2dbase [Maggiore Baracca | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
- Comandante Cappellini departed La Spezia, Italy at 1315 hours, starting her second war patrol. ww2dbase [Comandante Cappellini | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
- Japanese police arrested nine British nationals residing in Japan. ww2dbase [AC]
- Katori and Kashima began the last Japanese Navy midshipmen cruise before the Pacific War. They would make port calls at Etajima and Mutsu in Japan, and Dalian and Shanghai in China. ww2dbase [Katori | Kashima | CPC]
- 100 German aircraft in 5 waves crossed the Strait of Dover at 1335 hours and were intercepted by 4 squadrons of British fighters; 5 German Bf 109 fighters, 2 German He 111 bombers, and 2 British Spitfire fighters were destroyed during the ensuing battle. A few hours later, the Royal Navy withdrew all destroyers from Dover to Portsmouth in southern England, United Kingdom. Overnight, German aircraft deployed mines and bombed British coastal cities. ww2dbase [Battle of Britain | CPC]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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
- » US Government Plans to Purge WW2 Information (17 Mar 2025)
- » WW2DB's 20th Anniversary (29 Dec 2024)
- » Wreck of USS Edsall Found (14 Nov 2024)
- » See all news
Random Photograph
Current Site Statistics
- » 1,167 biographies
- » 337 events
- » 44,601 timeline entries
- » 1,243 ships
- » 350 aircraft models
- » 207 vehicle models
- » 376 weapon models
- » 123 historical documents
- » 261 facilities
- » 470 book reviews
- » 28,520 photos
- » 367 maps
Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944
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!