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Originally Posted by Kapitän
Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...
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Friday, 20 March 1942 - Lorient
German armed merchant cruiser Michel departs La Pallice, for the South Atlantic.
Soviet Army's Kerch offensive in Russia is defeated with heavy losses. To the west, the German counter attack at Sevastopol fails, resulting in the loss of the 22nd Division.
Major General Brian Horrocks assumes command of the British 9th Armoured Division in place of Major General Brocas Burrows who has been moved to command of the 11th Armoured Division.
Allies in Libya attack Benghazi and Derna, diverting attention from an important convoy for Malta.
Douglas MacArthur gives the "I came through and I shall return" speech at Terowie, South Australia, while transferring trains.
The US Navy sets up a new radio intelligence station at Melbourne, Australia; many of the staff members of this new station were recently evacuated from station CAST at Corregidor, Philippine Islands.
The United States and New Zealand complete discussions which concluded that the US would be responsible for defending the Samoan islands.
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Started new career in August 2019 to commemorate the beginning of WWII, 80 years before ...
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Saturday, 21 March 1942 - Lorient
Germany introduces harsh laws against unnecessary rail travel.
The United Kingdom discusses plans for Indian independence after the war.
Italian submarines Onice and Platino spot British convoy MW10, which had departed from Alexandria, Egypt, off the Libyan coast. A force consisting of battleship Littorio, 3 cruisers, and 10 destroyers depart from Taranto on mainland Italy and Messina on the island of Sicily to intercept; British submarine P36 spots this Italian response.
US Army General MacArthur arrives at Kooringa, Australia by train and discoveres there would be no army waiting for him to reinforce the Philippine Islands.
Sunday, 22 March 1942 - Lorient
German Abwehr agent Paul Thümmel is arrested by the SS on recent findings that he was actually a British agent; Wilhelm Canaris requests Thümmel's release, claiming that he is actually a double agent working for him.
German troops outside the Demyansk Pocket attack Soviet 11th Army and 1st Shock Army at Staraya Russa, Russia, supporting the breakout attempt from the pocket launched on the previous day.
Italian battleship Littorio, 3 cruisers, and 10 destroyers successfully intercept Allied convoy MW10 in the Gulf of Sirte between Libya and Malta at 1430 hours, but they are fended off by the smaller British escort force of 4 cruisers and 17 destroyers. As the Second Battle of Sirte ends at 1900 hours, 3 British cruisers and 6 destroyers were damaged (39 killed), while the Italian battleship Littorio is also damaged. After the two forces disengage, Italian destroyers Lanciere and Scirocco are sunk by a storm, killing 201 and 189, respectively.
Monday, 23 March 1942 - Lorient
Hitler orders a build up of defenses in coastal areas.
German aircraft sink British transport Clan Campbell and damaged transport Breconshire of Allied convoy MW10. The remaining two transports, Pampas and Talabot, reach Malta by the end of the day.