Today in WW II History
World War II History for June 11
1934 - The Disarmament Conference in Geneva ended in failure.
1940 - The Italian Air Force bombed the British fortress at Malta in the Mediterranean.
1940 - Britain strikes back at Italy
On this day in 1940, Britain demonstrates that it will not remain on the defensive, by bombing Italian targets in response to Mussolini’s declaration of war on England and France.
Having already marked out an offensive strategy in the event of Italian aggression, Britain bombed targets within the cities of Genoa and Turin. Africa was also another theater of conflict, as Italy and Britain were imperial neighbors. Italy had just bombed targets in the British-controlled Suez Canal territory, as well as the British-controlled island of Malta, in the Mediterranean. Britain retaliated with a raid on the Italian military installation in Eritrea. Even the Pacific would see fallout from this new conflict, with an Australian merchant cruiser giving chase to an Italian vessel, which ended up scuttling itself rather than surrendering.
1942 - The U.S. and the Soviet Union signed a lend lease agreement to aid the Soviets in their effort in World War II.
1943 - Operation Corkscrew is launched by Britain
On this day in 1943, after 10 days of bombing runs, Britain lands troops on the Italian island of Pantelleria, off the southern coast of Sicily, in Operation Corkscrew. The Italian garrisons surrenders upon orders from Mussolini, who would later deny the order when the Germans express outrage. This defeat shakes the confidence of many in Mussolini’s cabinet, since they had been assured that Pantelleria was impregnable.
Britain would continue its collection of Italian islands over the next two days, with the occupation of Lampedusa and Linosa–all in preparation for the Allied invasion of Sicily itself in July.
1947 - The U.S. government announced an end sugar rationing.
Technorati Tags: WWII, WWarII, History, June, Geneva, Italy, Malta, Britain, Lend Lease, Operation Corkscrew, Sugar
