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The Second War War was the biggest war in human history. Fighting took place in every corner of the world, from the frozen northern oceans to the jungles of New Guinea. Hardly any country escaped some form of involvement in the fighting, which devastated large areas of Europe and the Far East.
Perhaps because of that vast scope the Second World War has been a source of constant fascination ever since.
This page will bring together all of our coverage of the Second War War, including our subject indexes and our book shop pages. We will also announce new articles on the war on this page (at the moment we have 565 articles on the war).
We now open a new section of the site, a day-by-day history of the Second World War covering the 2,214 days of the war from the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 to the Japanese surrender in Hong Kong on 16 September 1945, and currently containing 5,233 individual facts.
Raymond Spruance was one of the most important American naval commanders of the Second World War, taking command of the American carriers part of the way through the battle of Midway and then going on to command the Fifth Fleet for the campaigns in the Gilberts, Marshalls and Marianas as well as planning and implementing the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
Vice-Admiral Robert Ghormley is most famous for having been the overall American commander at the start of the Guadalcanal campaign, a role he is considered to have performed quite poorly.
No.151 Squadron began the Second World War as a Hurricane squadron, participating the Battle of Britain, before becoming a night fighter squadron in November 1940, operating first in the defensive role and later as an intruder squadron.
No.157 Squadron was the first squadron to operation the Mosquito as a night fighter, after reforming in December 1941 for that purpose.
No.158 Squadron was formed during the great wartime expansion of Bomber Command, from the home echelon of No.104 Squadron and spent the entire war operationg with the main bomber force.
No.161 Squadron was a special duties squadron, formed in February 1942 from the King's Flight and part of No.138 Squadron to carry out a mix of supply drops and agent transportation missions
No. 166 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a training unit and later as a bomber squadron operationg the Wellington and then Lancaster
William "Bull" Halsey was a hard-hitting American Admiral who played a major part in developing the strategy of "island skipping" in the Pacific in 1943-45 which saw the United States bypass a series of Japanese held islands during their advance across the southern and central Pacific.
The Panzer III Medium Tank was the main German battle tank for the first two and a half years of the Second World War, only beginning to lose that status after the appearance of the Panzer IV Ausf F2 in March 1942. Until then the Panzer III had been the only German designed tank armed with a gun designed to penetrate enemy armour.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1 was the first of a series of command tanks based on the Panzer III, produced when it became clear that the kleine Panzerbefehlswagen was not large enough for the role.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf E was the second command tank to be based on the Panzer III. It was based on the standard Panzer III Ausf E but with the same modifications as on the earlier Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf D1
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf H was the third version of command tank based on the Panzer III, and was based on the standard Panzer III Ausf H.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf J or Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5cm KwK L/42 was the first in the series of command tanks based on the Panzer III to retain the tank’s main gun.
The Panzerbefehlswagen III Ausf K/ Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5cm KwK39 L/60 was the last in the series of command tanks based on the Panzer III, and the only one to be custom built with its 5cm main gun intact.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf J (5cm KwK L/42) saw the frontal armour of the Panzer III increased in thickness from 30mm to 50mm, and was produced with the 5cm KwK L/42 from the start.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf J (5cm KwK39 L/60) was produced after Hitler insisted on the use of a longer gun in the Panzer III.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf L was the first of two interim versions of the Panzer III produced while attempts to fit a larger gun to the tank were under way.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf M was the second of two interim versions of the tank produced while attempts to fit a larger gun to the tank were under way and was virtually identical to the Ausf L, but with the addition of fording equipment, which allowed it to wade through four or five feet of water
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf N was the final production version of the standard Panzer III, and the only version to be armed with the 7.5cm KwK L/24 gun.
The Panzerkampfwagen III (Fl) was a flamethrower equipped tank based on the Panzer III Ausf M, produced early in 1943.
The Panzerkampfwagen III als Tauchpanzer (diving tank), or Tauchpanzer III, was a version of the Panzer III modified to operate underwater for up to twenty minutes.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf A was the first developmental version of the Panzer III, but even though only ten were produced the type still saw active service in Poland in 1939.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf B was the second development version of the Panzer III, produced during 1937 with a different suspension system.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf C was the third development version of the Panzer III, and featured another attempt to improve the suspension, the main weak point in the earlier designs.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf D was the fourth and final development version of the Panzer III, and saw a final attempt to improve the suspension system first adopted on the Ausf B.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf E was the first mass produced version of the Panzer III, after four pre-production series.
The Panzerhampfwagen III Ausf F was the second mass-production version of the Panzer III and the first to be built in significant numbers.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf G was very similar to the previous Ausf F, although most of the production run received the larger 5cm KwK L/42 gun.
The Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf H had been intended to be the first version of the Panzer III to use the 5cm KwK gun when 759 were ordered in January 1939, but the use of that gun on the majority of Ausf Gs and the imminent arrival of the improved Ausf J meant that only 308 would be produced.
No.142 Squadron began the Second World War as a Fairey Battle squadron, suffering heavily during the invasion of France. It then converted to the Wellington, operating from Britain and then in the Mediterranean, before ending the war as a Mosquito equipped pathfinder squadron.
No.144 Squadron spent the first half of the Second World War as a bomber squadron equipped with the Handley Page Hampden, and the second half with Coastal Command, for most of that time serving as a torpedo bomber squadron using the Beaufighter.
No.148 Squadron went through three very different incarnations during the Second World War, first as a training unit, then as a bomber unit based on Malta and finally as a Special Duties squadron based in Libya and finally Italy.
No.149 "East India" Squadron was a mainstay of Bomber Command, taking part on the Strategic Bombing campaign from its beginnings in May 1940 until the very end of the war.
No.150 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, starting as a Fairey Battle Squadron, which later converted to the Wellington and was posted to the Mediterranean, before being reformed late in 1944 as a Lancaster bomber squadron.
No. 106 Squadron began the Second World War as an operational training squadron, only starting combat operations in September 1940. After a brief spell with the Avro Manchester, it received the Lancaster in May 1942 and operated with that aircraft until the end of the war.
No.107 Squadron began the Second World War by taking part in the first British air raid against a German target, before taking part in the battle of France, the defence of Malta and Coastal COmmand's anti-submarine campaign. The squardon ended the war as a night intruder squadron equipped with the Mosquito
No. 108 Squadron went through three very different incarnations during the Second World War, starting as a training squadron in Britain, before becoming a night bomber squadron in the Mediterranean and finally a night fighter squadron, operating in Libya, Malta, Egypt and finally Greece.
No. 109 Squadron was formed from the Wireless Intelligence Development Unit in December 1940, and spent the next three years involved in scientific development, before joining the Pathfinders at the end of 1943.
No. 110 "Hyderbad" Squadron served in two very different roles during the Second World War, spending 1939-1942 operating as a Blenheim bomber squadron from Britain and the rest of the war as a ground attack squadron operating over Burma.
No. 114 "Hong Kong" Squadron began the Second World War as a Blenheim squadron, soon joining the RAF contingent in France. The squadron fought during the German invasion of the west, then took part in the attack on the invasion ports, before moving to North Africa in 1942, fighting on Sicily and in Italy.
No.115 Squadron was as near as any a typical Bomber Command squadron, operating with the main bomber from bases in East Anglia for the entire war.
No. 138 Squadron was a Special Duties squadron which spent most of the Second World War carrying out supply drops to resistance movements in Occupied Europe.
No. 139 Squadron was unfortunate enought to be caught up in two military disasters in the early days of the Second World War, first in France in 1940 and then in Burma in 1942. It ended the war as a Pathfinder squadron, equipped with the Mosquito.
No. 102 "Ceylon" Squadron was a heavy bomber command squadron that served with Bomber Command for most of the Second World War, equipped first with the Whitley and then with the Handley Page Halifax.
No. 103 Squadron began the war as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force, suffering very heavy loses while equipped with the Fairey Battle. By the end of 1940 it had joined Bomber Command, and took part in the night bombing campaign for the rest of the war.
No. 104 Squadron began the war as a Group Training Squadron, spend most of 1941 operating as a night bomber squadron from Driffield, before moving to the Mediterranean, where it remained for the rest of the war.
No. 105 Squadron began the Second World War equipped with the Fairey Battle, suffering heavily during the Battle of France. After a short spell with the Blenheim, it converted to the De Havilland Mosquito, first as a low-level daylight bomber and later as a pathfinder.
The Vickers Archer tank destroyer came about because of a need to make the 17 pounder anti tank gun more mobile. Designed as a stop gap measure, the Archer proved to be a hard hitting and effective vehicle.
Lieutenant General Hatazo Adachi commanded the Japanese forces on New Guinea from November 1942 until the end of the Second World War.
Field Marshal Harold Alexander was one of the most successful senior British generals of the Second World War, and proved to be an able commander of coalition armies.
General Korechika Anami was a Japanese general and polititian who played a part in the rise of General Tojo, but whose loyalty to the Emperor helped to foil the coup attempt of 14-15 August 1945.
General Wladyslaw Anders was a Polish general who commanded the Polish II Corps during the fighting in the Western Desert and in Italy, taking part in the final capture of Monte Cassino in May 1944.
General Aleksei I. Antonov was a Soviet general who rose to be Head of Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Red Army from 1942 to 1945.
Rear Admiral Masafumi Arima was a Japanese army officer famous for being one of the earliest "kamikaze" pilots, flying his own suicide mission just before the official start of kamikaze missions.
Colonel General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim was a Prussian general who is best known for having commanded the German forces in Tunisia towards the end of the fighting in North Africa in 1943.
The Panzer II Light Tank was the second German tank to enter mass production during the period of German rearmament in the 1930s and was the most common tank during 1939 and 1940
The 15cm slG33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) was the second attempt to mount the 15cm sIG 33 infantry howitzer on a tank chassis.
The Marder II was a self propelled anti-tank gun produced by mounting a 7.5cm PaK40/2 anti tank gun on the chassis of a Panzer II Ausf F
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf F was the last standard version of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf L “Luchs” (Lynx) was the only one of a series of reconnaissance tanks based on the Panzer II to be produced in significant numbers.
The Wespe (wasp) was the last, and most numerous, of a series of self propelled guns based on the Panzer II fuselage and carried the German army’s standard 10.5cm howitzer (the Leichte Feldhaubitze 18M or leFH18M).
The Flammpanzer II was an unsuccessful attempt to produce mount flame-throwers on an armoured vehicle, for use against enemy bunkers.
The 7.62cm PaK36(t) auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D was an early and successful attempt to mount an anti-tank gun on a tank chassis.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf a/1. a/2 and a/3 were the three earliest experimental development versions of the Panzer II.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf b was the second major development version of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf c was the final development version of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf A, Ausf B and Ausf C were the most common production versions of the Panzer II light tank.
The Panzerkampfwagen II Ausf D and Ausf E were virtually indistinguishable fast tanks, only very slightly related to the standard Panzer II light tank.
Sir Bertram Ramsay was a British admiral best known for his role in organising the evacuation from Dunkirk in 1940 and for planning the naval part of the D-Day landings in 1944.
Sir William Wake-Walker was a British admiral best know for his role in the hunt for the Bismarck in May 1941.
The siege of Calais of 23-26 May 1940 saw some of the most desperate fighting during the German campaign in the west in 1940. A combined French and British force was able to hold off heavy German attacks for three critical days, allowing the Allies to consolidate their hold on Dunkirk, but at the cost of the virtual destruction of the garrison.
Operation Cycle was the code name for the evacuation of British and Allied troops from Havre on 10-13 June 1940
Operation Aerial was the code name given to the evacuation of British and Allied troops from the ports of north west France between 15 and 25 June 1940.
John Vereker, sixth Viscount Gort, was a British soldier best known for his period in command of the B.E.F. in 1939-1940, which ended with the evacuation from Dunkirk.
The battle of Boulogne of 22-25 May 1940 saw a British and French garrison hold off a determined German attack, before the British were evacuated by sea.
Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk of 27 May-4 June 1940, is one of the most celebrated military events in British history, and yet it was the direct result of one of the most crushing defeats suffered by the British army. Over nine days nearly 300,000 men from the BEF were evacuated from Dunkirk, an action that allowed Britain to stay in the war.
The Gloster E.28/39 was the first British aircraft to be powered by a jet engine, making its maiden flight in 1941.
We begin a series of articles on the Gloster Meteor with a look at the development of the aircraft.
The Gloster Meteor F Mk.I was the first Allied jet aircraft to enter service during the Second World War, and the first production version of an aircraft that would remain in front line RAF service until 1961
The Gloster Meteor F Mk.II was the designation for a version of the Meteor powered by de Havilland H.1 engines. Only one was built.
The Gloster Meteor F Mk.III was the first version of the Meteor to be produced in large numbers, and the first truly satisfactory version of the aircraft.
The Gloster E.5/42 was a design for a single engined jet fighter that saw some development work in 1943 as an alternative in case the Meteor project was delayed by problems with the Whittle W2.B jet engine.
A list of the Gloster Meteor Squadrons of the RAF
The Gloster Meteor was the only Allied jet aircraft to see combat during the Second World War, making its debut a few days after the Me 262
Today we complete our series of articles on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator
A look at the development of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the US military aircraft produced in the largest numbers
We look at the service record of the B-24 Liberator with the Eighth Air Force in England, the B-24 in the Mediterranean and the B-24 in the Pacific.
We add a list of Consolidated B-24 Liberator Groups of the USAAF
More Eighth Air Force B-24 units today:
The 466th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force, based at Attlebridge, Norfolk, from March 1944 to the end of the war in Europe.
The 467th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit within the Eighth Air Force that was based at Rackheath, Norfolk, from March 1944 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 482nd Bombardment Group provided a pathfinder force for the heavy bombers of the Eighth Air Force.
The 486th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force, entering combat with the B-24 in May 1944 but converting to the B-17 two months later.
The 487th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force, based at Lavenham, Suffolk, from August 1944 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 489th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit within the Eighth Air Force, noteworthy for containing the only man to be awarded the Medal of Honor while flying an Eighth Air Force B-24 from Britain
The 490th Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force that entered combat just before the D-Day landings, attacking German airfields.
The 491st Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator group of the Eighth Air Force that entered combat early in June 1944, just before the D-Day landings.
The 492nd Bombardment Group was a unit of the Eighth Air Force, but despite being a heavy bombardment group it actually spent most of its time in Europe flying Carpetbagger missions, transporting agents and supplies to resistance movements in Occupied Europe
The 493rd Bombardment Group was a heavy bomber unit of the Eighth Air Force, that entered combat in May 1944, just in time to take part in the operations to support the D-Day landings.
The Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express was produced in response to a USAAF request for long range transport aircraft.
The Consolidated RY Liberator was the US Navy designation for transport aircraft based on the B-24 Liberator, known as the C-87 in the USAAF.
Operation Tidalwave, 1 August 1943, was a low level attack on the oil refineries at Ploesti, carried out by B-24 Liberators from bases in North Africa.
The Consolidated XB-41 Liberator was a prototype for a heavily armed escort fighter based on the B-24
The 34th Bombardment Group spent the first few months of the Second World War protecting the American coast, before becoming a training squadron. Finally from April 1944 the group joined the Eighth Air Force, operating the B-24 and then B-17 over Europe.
The 44th Bombardment Group was one of those Eighth Air Force units that flew the B-24 for the entire war, spending an unusually large amount of its time on tactical missions, as well as contributing detachments to the fighting in Italy.
The 93rd Bombardment Group was one of those Eighth Air Force units that operated the B-24 Liberator through the Second World War, taking part in the Strategic bombing campaign as well as sending three detachments to the Mediterranean and taking part in the attack on Ploesti
The 389th Bombardment Group was a B-24 unit of the Eighth Air Force that gained its first combat experience on detachment to North Africa between July and October 1943
The 392nd Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator group of the Eighth Air Force which operated from Wendling from July 1943 until June 1945.
The 445th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force which operated from Tibenham from November 1943 to the end of the war in Europe.
The 446th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force which operated from Flixton, England from November 1943 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 448th Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit of the Eighth Air Force that operated from Seething from December 1943 until the end of the war in Europe.
The 453rd Bombardment Group was a B-24 Liberator unit that was active from Old Buckenham in England from February 1944 until the end of the war in Europe.
The Consolidated Liberator III was the British designation for the B-24D, serving with thirteen squadrons, seven of them performing maritime patrol duties.
The Consolidated Liberator IV was apparently the designation given to the B-24E for RAF service, but no squadrons appear to have used that aircraft.
The Consolidated Liberator VI was the RAF designation for the B-24H and early B-24Js, the first production versions of the aircraft to be built with a nose turret and was the most numerous RAF version of the Liberator
The Consolidated Liberator VII was the British designation for the C-87 Liberator Express long range transport plane.
The Consolidated Liberator VIII was the RAF designation for late production B-24Js. The type equipped twenty three squadrons, although ten of those were post-war transport squadrons, leaving thirteen wartime operators of the aircraft
The Consolidated Liberator IX was the RAF designation given to 27 RY-3 transport aircraft. This was a transport aircraft based on the PB4Y-2 Privateer, a specifically naval version of the B-24 Liberator.
The Consolidated LB-30 was the USAAF designation for 75 Liberator IIs taken from an RAF order in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor
The Consolidated B-24G Liberator was the designation given to B-24 Liberators built by North American at Dallas. It would become the third version of the aircraft to be built with a nose turret
The Consolidated B-24J Liberator was built in larger numbers than any version of the aircraft, with a total of 6,678 aircraft being built by all five factories involved in the Liberator Production Pool.
The single Consolidated XB-24K Liberator saw the first attempt to fit a single vertical tail to the B-24 with the aim of improving the stability of the aircraft
The Consolidated B-24L Liberator was an attempt to improve the performance of the aircraft by reducing its weight.
The Consolidated B-24M Liberator was the final production version of the aircraft, and was produced by the two remaining Liberator factories – Consolidated at San Diego and Ford at Willow Run.
The Consolidated XB-24N Liberator was a second attempt to fit the B-24 with a single fin and would have been the standard version of the aircraft if the war had continued into 1946
The Consolidated F-7 was a photographic reconnaissance version of the B-24 Liberator, produced at the Army Modification Centres.
The Consolidated C-109 Tanker was a fuel transport aircraft based on the B-24.
The Consolidated PB4Y-1 Liberator was the US Navy’s designation for the B-24, used to fly long range anti-submarine patrols
No. 88 Squadron served as a medium bomber squadron throughout the Second World War, beginning and ending the war supporting the Army as it fought in Europe, although in very different circumstances.
No. 90 Squadron was the first RAF squadron to operate the Flying Fortress, but in an early ineffective version. It was later reformed as a Stirling and then Lancaster bomber squadron.
No. 96 Squadron went through two incarnations during the Second World War, first as a night fighter unit (1940-1944) and then as a transport unit in India.
No. 97 Squadron was one of the small number of squadrons to use the Avro Manchester, before converting to the Lancaster at the start of 1942.
No. 98 Squadron began the war as a training unit operating the Fairey Battle, before being reformed as a Mitchell bomber squadron late in 1942.
No. 99 Squadron (Madras Presidency) spent most of the Second World War operating the Vickers Wellington, first from Britain and later from India, where it eventually converted to the Liberator.
The six Consolidated LB-30As were the first production version of the Liberator bomber to be produced, entering RAF Service in 1941.
The Consolidated Liberator I was the first version of the aircraft to see active service with the RAF, carrying out anti-submarine patrols with No.120 Squadron.
The Consolidated Liberator II was the final version of the aircraft to be build as part of the original French order for the LB-30 and the first to feature the long nose that became a standard feature of all later versions.
The Consolidated Liberator GR V was a version of the Liberator III/ B-24D modified for service with Coastal Command.
A small number of the Liberators ordered by France were delivered to the U.S. Army as the B-24A.
The B-24C Liberator was the final development version of the aircraft, introducing a number of important developments into American production that would become standard on most of the aircraft to follow.
The B-24D was the first version of the Liberator to be mass produced and the first version of the aircraft to enter combat in large numbers with the USAAF.
The B-24 Liberator was produced in larger numbers than any other American military aircraft. This was achieved through the creation of the Liberator Production Pool which saw the aircraft produced at five factories run by three different companies, amongst them the massive Ford plant at Willow Run.
The B-24E was the designation given to B-24Ds built by Ford at their Willow Run plant.
The B-24H was the first production version of the Liberator to be built with a nose turret.
The Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer was the most radical modification of the B-24 Liberator to see service during the Second World War developed as a maritime patrol aircraft for the U.S. Navy
Today we look at the Boeing B-29, adding articles on the development of the Superfortress, the small number of variants of the B-29, the units that used the B-29 and the combat record of the Superfortress during the Second World War.
We also look at XX Bomber Command, created to operate the B-29 from India and China.
The YB-40 was an attempt to provide a long range escort aircraft to support the Eighth Air Force’s daylight bombing campaign over Europe, created by adding extra guns to a standard B-17F
Although the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was less important than the B-24 Liberator in the Mediterranean theatre, six Bombardment Groups did serve in North Africa or Italy
The B-17 Flying Fortress first saw combat in American colours in the Pacific, on the first day of the Japanese onslaught, when nearly 30 aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Despite this inauspicious start to the war, the B-17 went on to perform important duties in the Pacific in the first two years of the war.
The Boeing PB-1 was the US Navy designation for the B-17 Flying Fortress and was used to carry airborne early warning radar.
The B-17 may have first seen combat in American colours in the Pacific, but it would earn its enduring fame with the Eighth Air Force, based in England and fighting over Hitler’s Europe. The story of the B-17 would become the story of the daylight bombing offensive over Germany.
We also add a list of B-17 units of the USAAC and RAF and a B-17 picture gallery
When it first took to the air the Boeing XB-15 was the biggest aircraft in the world, but it had already been superseded by the smaller but more efficient B-17 Flying Fortress.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is one of the most famous aircraft of the Second World War. It earned that fame with the Eighth Air Force, carrying out daylight bombing raids over Hitler’s Fortress Europe.
The B-17B was the last development version of the Flying Fortress. It was the first model of the aircraft to feature the distinctive flat-panelled Plexiglas nose that was used in early production aircraft and the first version to be produced in any numbers that used a turbo-supercharger
The B-17C was the first version of the Flying Fortress to be used in combat, as the RAF Fortress I. This experience began to suggest that the Flying Fortress was not combat ready in its current form and would lead to the development of the much more heavily armed B-17E.
The last 42 of the 80 aircraft originally ordered as B-17Cs were completed as B-17Ds. The new model featured self sealing fuel tanks, and carried two more machine guns.
The B-17E was the first version of the Flying Fortress to have the aircraft’s familiar appearance. It was designed after RAF Fortress Is had seen combat, revealing that the aircraft was badly under-armed for its role as a daylight bomber.
The B-17F was the first version of the Flying Fortress to be built in really large numbers, with a total of 3,405 aircraft being produced.
The B-17G was the final production version of the Flying Fortress and was produced in greater numbers than every other version put together.
The B-17 Flying Fortress first saw combat with the RAF, in the summer of 1941. Its initial performance as a day bomber was disappointing, but it remained in use with Coastal Command and with No.100 Group until the end of the war.
The Panzer I was the first German tank to enter mass production. It was originally designed as a light training tank, to give German industry experience in producing tanks while development work on the real combat tanks was underway, and to train the new armoured divisions.
The Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B (Sd Kfz 101) used a longer chassis and more powerful engine than the Ausf A but was otherwise identical.
The Kleiner Panzerbefehlswagen I (PzBefw I) was a small armoured command vehicle, based on the Panzer I light tank.
The 4.7cm PaK(t) (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B was the first tracked tank destroyer to be produced in Germany. It was created by removing the turret from an obsolete Panzer I Ausf B light tank and replacing it with a mounting for a 4.7cm Czech anti-tank gun.
The Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf A (Armoured Fighting Vehicle I version A, normally shortened to the Panzer I or Pz.Kpfw I Ausf A) was the first German tank to enter mass production.
The German invasion of Norway on 9 April 1940 was the first sign that the “Phoney War” period that had followed the Polish campaign of 1939 was coming to an end.
The Altmark incident of 16 February 1940 saw a British destroyer rescue 299 British prisoners from the German supply ship Altmark in Norwegian water.
The attack on Oslo was a key component of the German invasion of Norway of 9 April 1940, and saw the only real setback suffered by the Germans on that day.
The second battle of Narvik (13 April 1940) was a British naval victory during the German invasion of Norway of 1940.
The Narvik campaign of April-June 1940 began with a dramatic German success, saw the first Allied land victory of the Second World War, before coming to an anticlimactic ending when events in France and the Low Countries forced the British and French to evacuate Norway.
The German invasion of Denmark of April 1940 was part of a wider campaign in Scandinavia designed partly to provide bases for the German navy and partly to secure the German supply of iron ore from Sweden.
Operation Royal Marine was a British plan developed in 1939-1940 to disrupt the German economy by floating mines down the Rhine.
Operation Wilfred was a British attempt, made on 8 April 1940, to stop Swedish iron ore from reaching Germany from Narvik by laying a minefield in Norwegian waters
The first battle of Narvik (10 April 1940) was a drawn naval battle fought between British and German destroyers during the German invasion of Norway.
The battle of the River Plate is one of the most famous naval battles of the Second World War, despite only involving four ships. Part of its fame came because it took place in the “phoney war” period and part because of the unjustifiably high reputation of the Admiral Graf Spee, the German pocket-battleship involved in the battle.
The Avro Anson was designed as a civil passenger plane, entered RAF service as a coastal reconnaissance, but saw most service as a training aircraft.
We also add list of the British and Commonwealth squadrons that used the Avro Anson Mk I
The Bristol Bombay was a combination of a transport aircraft and a bomber that was developed to serve with RAF squadrons in the Middle East. Partly because of its duel purpose and partly because of the time it took to develop, the Bombay was effectively obsolescent by the time it entered service in 1939, but it did perform some useful service in the Middle East.
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