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What was the Shelling of Mainila (1939)?

Introduction The Shelling of Mainila (Finnish: Mainilan laukaukset) was a military incident on 26 November 1939 in which the Soviet Union’s Red Army shelled the Soviet village of Mainila (near Beloostrov). The Soviet Union declared that the fire originated from Finland across the nearby border and claimed to have had losses in personnel. Through that… Read More

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What was Operation Ariel (1940)?

Introduction Operation Aerial was the evacuation of Allied forces and civilians from ports in western France from 15 to 25 June 1940 during the Second World War. The evacuation followed the Allied military collapse in the Battle of France against Nazi Germany. Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk and Operation Cycle, an embarkation from Le… Read More

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What was Operation Cycle (1940)?

Introduction Operation Cycle is the name of the evacuation of Allied troops from Le Havre, in the Pays de Caux of Upper Normandy from 10 to 13 June 1940, towards the end of the Battle of France, during the Second World War. The operation was preceded by the better known rescue of 338,226 British and… Read More

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What was Operation Paula (1940)

Introduction Unternehmen Paula (Undertaking or Operation Paula) is the German codename given for the Second World War Luftwaffe offensive operation to destroy the remaining units of the Armée de l’Air (ALA), or French Air Force during the Battle of France in 1940. On 10 May the German armed forces (Wehrmacht) began their invasion of Western… Read More

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What was Fall Rot (1940)?

Introduction During World War II, Fall Rot (Case Red) was the plan for the second phase of the conquest of France by the German Army and began on 05 June 1940. It had been made possible by the success of Fall Gelb (Case Yellow), the invasion of the Benelux countries (Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands)… Read More

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What was the Siege of Lille (1940)?

Introduction The Siege of Lille, or Lille Pocket (28 to 31 May 1940), took place during the Battle of France in the Second World War. The siege around the city of Lille took place between the French IV Corps and V Corps (about 40,000 men) of the First Army (General René Prioux) and four German… Read More

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What was the Siege of Calais (1940)?

Introduction The Siege of Calais (1940) was a battle for the port of Calais during the Battle of France in 1940 (during World War Two). The siege was fought at the same time as the Battle of Boulogne, just before Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) through Dunkirk. After the Franco-British… Read More