- June 6
- Adolf Hitler issues the Commissar Order, requiring the army to murder immediately all captured Red Army political commissars. [691.119]
- June 8
- An Anglo-French force lands in Syria, with Free French declaring Syria and Lebanon sovereign and independent. [406.208] [740.25]
- June 9
- Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 31, appointing Field Marshal Wilhelm List as Commander, Armed Forces South-east, with headquarters in Salonika, in command of the occupied area of the Balkans. [149.125] [149.308]
- German ambassador Graf von Schulenburg in Moscow is given instructions to burn documents and prepare to leave Moscow. [376.54]
- June 11
- Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 32: Preparations for the period after 'Barbarossa'. The efforts of the armaments industry are to focus on Navy and Air Force. Fighting against British forces in the Mediterranean and Western Asia are to continue through Egypt and Turkey, possibly through Iran. Gibraltar is to be captured. The siege of England is to be resumed, with preparations continuing for a landing. [149.130]
- June 12
- The first Canadian bomber mission is carried out. [1.41]
- June 15
- In North Africa, British forces launch Operation Battleaxe, an attack on Halfaya Pass. Twelve of thirteen British Matilda tanks are destroyed. [277.111]
- June
- Canadian destroyers from British home waters return to Canada, to serve with the Newfoundland Escort Force. [1.6]
- The US government suspends petroleum exports to Japan from east coast and Gulf ports. [130.45]
- German submarine U-203 attempts to attack US battleship Texas, between Newfoundland and Greenland, but cannot catch the ship. [127.6]
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- Convoy HX-113, with 58 ships, makes its way across the Atlantic Ocean. Escort ships are Royal Canadian Navy destroyer Ottawa and corvettes Chambly, Collingwood, and Orillia. Six merchant ships are lost during the convoy. [27.10]
- The First Canadian Tank Brigade leaves Canada, destined for England. [72.21]
- The Swedish government allows Germany's Engelbrecht Division to pass by Swedish rail from Norway to Finland. [29.34]
- June 18
- Turkey and Germany sign a Treaty of Non-Aggression. [38.169] [406.202]
- June 22
- (0316 hours) Germany launches Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union along an 1100-mile front, with three million soldiers, the largest invasion in history. Army Group Center, commanded by Fedor von Bock, attacks north of the Pripet Marshes from Brest-Litovsk. Army Group North, commanded by Wilhelm von Leeb, attacks through Baltic states heading to Leningrad. Army Group South, commanded by Gerd von Rundstedt, attacks south of Pripet Marshes toward Kiev. In the south, the 11th Army of Romanians and Germans attack across the Pruth River into Bessarabia. German planes begin bombing and strafing Soviet airfields. By the end of day, 1200 Russian aircraft are destroyed. [29.77] [78.262,269] [80.316] [166.328] [277.84,92] [376.57] [405.518]
- Prior to the German invasion, Josef Stalin received at least 90 separate warnings of the attack since July 1940. Stalin refused to believe any, and was shocked by the invasion. [376.41]
- Soviet Defence Minister Timoshenko issues Directive No. 1, calling up men, horses, and vehicles in accordance with MP-41 plan. [331.863]
- (0715 hours) Soviet Defence Minister Marshal Timoshenko issues Directive No. 2, for bomber and ground-attack aircraft to destroy German aircraft on airfields and concentrations of ground forces, to a depth of 60-95 miles. (By this time, most Soviet front-line planes have already been destroyed, and it is not known where German forward air bases or troop concentrations are.) [331.863] [517.1801]
- (evening) In a radio broadcast, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill promises help to Russians fighting for their homeland. Churchill announces they will bomb Germany by day and night "making the German people taste and gulp each month a sharper dose of the miseries they have showered upon mankind." [406.204] [831.815]
- (about 2115 hours) Soviet Defence Minister Timoshenko issues Directive No. 3, ordering Soviet ground forces in the Southwestern Army Group in the general direction of Lubin, 55 miles inside Poland. [331.863]
- June
- German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop sends a cable message to Japan, urging them to attack the Soviet Union to the north. Japan decides to wait until Germans capture Moscow and reach the line of the Volga river. [410.27]
- June 23
- At an official conference in Japan of army-navy executives and civilian government representatives, the decision is made to adopt a north-south integration strategy. The military would be ready to move in either or both directions, depending on future events. [444.353]
- Britain completes the first chain of three GEE aircraft guidance stations. [84.342]
- June 24
- Spanish Foreign Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer encourages Spaniards to volunteer to fight with Germany against Russia. Within days, 18,000 openings for a complete division are filled. Agustin Muñoz Guardes is selected as General. (The unit becomes known as the Blue Division.) [178.52]
- June
- American Senator Harry Truman tells colleagues it is a good thing for Germany and the Soviet Union to be at war, and he hopes they would finish each other off. [213.57]
- June 26
- The German 163rd Infantry Division begins a train crossing of Sweden into Finland. (After two weeks, 15,000 troops with weapons and supplies have been transported.) [38.135]
- June 27
- German forces reach Minsk, Russia. [444.358]
- (evening) 108 British bombers attack Bremen. Fourteen do not return. [84.81]
- June 29
- Vichy Government of France breaks diplomatic relations with Soviet Union. [968.34]
- In the Soviet Union, the State Defence Committee is formed by Josef Stalin, Molotov, Voroshilov, Malenkov, and Beria. [517.1793]
- (evening) 28 British bombers attack Hamburg. Six do not return. [84.81]
- June 30
- In Russia, Edwald von Kleist's 1st Panzer Group seizes Lvov. [277.92]
- German and Romanian troops threaten the Soviet town of Kishinev. [713.40]
- A large pocket of Soviet forces surrender in Bialystok. [517.1805]
- June (month)
- Allied and neutral shipping losses in the Atlantic for the month: over 400,000 tons. [84.83] [117.12]
- (month unknown)
- Quote by Japanese war minister General Sadau Araki in a news interview: "Our national policy is advancement to the north and this is the time to destroy Soviet Russia.". [444.354]
- July 1
- The Soviet Union government declares it would apply the international law of war, especially the Fourth Hague Convention of 1907 and the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. [808.53]
- (evening) 52 British Wellington bombers attack the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen at Brest, with one hit doing serious damage. [84.94]
- July 2
- An Imperial conference is held in Japan. Leaders decide to try to settle the conflict in China, advance into southern regions, and prepare for war with England and America, if diplomacy fails. Japan will not enter the German-Russian war now, but if the conflict develops to its advantage, it will use its military strength to secure its northern borders. [277.101] [444.359]
- July 3
- Soviet Prime Minister Josef Stalin tells the Soviet people to "scorch the earth" in their retreat from advancing German forces. [416.E5] [517.1793] [766.36]
- July 4
- (daytime) Twelve British Blenheim bombers attack Bremen, bombing an aircraft factory and a minesweeper. Four planes are shot down. [84.91,342]
- July 7
- Anthony Eden recommends to the War Cabinet that Britain increase the Malaya defences, send Australian troops to Dutch Timor and Ambon, and renounce the trade treaty with Japan. [439.157]
- US forces land in Iceland to defend the mid-Atlantic base. [766.36]
- July 8
- British Bomber Command makes its first attack with American Fortress bombers, against docks at Wilhelmshaven. [84.342]
- German forces outside Soviet town of Kishinev abandon that target, switching their attack northward. [713.40]
- July 9
- The British Defence Committee issues a new directive to Bomber Command: to concentrate on the German rail transportation system in the Ruhr, and to demoralize the German civilian population. [84.85] [831.815]
- A large pocket of Soviet forces surrender in Minsk. [517.1805]
- July 10
- At Jedwabne, Poland, hundreds of Jews are massacred by Poles. [723.40]
- German forces launch an attack on Novgorod. [517.1807]
- July 11
- In the Soviet Union, Voroshilov, Timoshenko, and Budenny are appointed commanders of the north-west, west, and south-west sectors, respectively, of the war front. [517.1793]
- In the USA, the Co-ordinator of Intelligence (COI) is created. (The organization is later renamed Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and later again renamed to Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).) [127.20]
- July 12
- An Anglo-Soviet mutual assistance agreement is signed. [518.1905] [766.36]
- July 13
- Spanish volunteer troops, called the Blue Division, leave for Germany to fight on the Eastern Front. [38.97]
- July 14
- Adolf Hitler issues a supplement to Directive No. 32, planning for substantial reductions of Army strength following the overthrow of Russia. The Air Force is to be expanded as the top priority. [149.130]
- US President Franklin Roosevelt sends British Prime Minister Winston Churchill a personal message saying there must be no secret agreements made over post-war European frontiers. [831.838]
- July 15
- In the Soviet Union, Smolensk falls to German Army Group Centre. [517.1793]
- July 16
- A large pocket of about 300,000 Soviet forces surrender in Smolensk. [517.1805]
- July
- Canada receives its first shipment of mustard gas and phosgene shells from Britain. [51.63]
- British Major General A.E. Grasett meets with Canadian Chief of General Staff Major General Harry Crerar in Ottawa, Canada. Grasett convinces Crerar that Hong Kong could be adequately defended with an additional two battalions. [5.58]
- Great Britain, the United States, and the Dutch East Indies freeze all Japanese assets and halt most trade. [46.38]
- Germany threatens to invade Göteburg, Sweden, if any ship leaves the harbor for Britain. (German Intelligence in Sweden learned that ships with special steels were preparing to leave for Britain.) [29.112]
- July 16
- 36 British Blenheim bombers attack Rotterdam port, hitting 22 ships. Four planes are shot down. [84.92]
- In Japan, Prince Fumimaro Konoye resigns the cabinet, to remove foreign minister Matsuoka. [444.374]
- July 17
- First Spanish troops arrive in Bavaria, Germany, to begin training with the Wehrmacht for fighting against Soviet forces. [38.97]
- July 18
- In Japan, Prince Fumimaro Konoye returns as premier, with same cabinet members except with Admiral Teijiro Toyoda as foreign minister. [444.374]
- Josef Stalin sends an urgent appeal for help to Winston Churchill, suggesting opening a war front in the West (Northern France) and North (Norway). (Churchill replies that landings now would be repulsed.) [382.10] [529.2017] (July 19 [831.837])
- July 19
- Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 33: Continuation of the war in the East. Hitler directs that Russian armies must be wiped out before they can retreat. Hoth's panzer group is ordered to turn north to assist in the advance on Leningrad. [149.139] [277.96]
- British Prime Minister Winston Churchill starts the "V for Victory" campaign as BBC Radio broadcasts to the world. The first four notes of Ludwig von Beethoven's Fifth Symphony match the Morse code for the letter "V": dot dot dot dash. Listeners are instructed to tap the code, and to paint the "V" in occupied territories. [114.38]
- General Olof Thörnell, commander of Swedish forces, suggests Sweden should contribute to the defeat of the Soviet Union. [113.506]
- July 21
- France yields to Japanese demands on Indochina. [444.368]
- July 22
- German warship Scharnhorst moves from Brest to La Pallice. [84.94]
- Japanese occupy naval and air bases in south-east Indo-China, with aquiescence of Vichy government in France. [830.856]
- July 23
- Wilhelm Keitel issues a supplement to Directive No. 33, with further directions for Eastern Front actions. [149.143]
- (evening) Six British Stirling bombers attack the German warship Scharnhorst at La Pallice, doing some damage. [84.94]
- July 24
- British Bomber Command attempts a massive daylight aerial attack on German warships Prinz Eugen and Gneisenau at Brest, and the Scharnhorst at La Pallice. 36 Blenheim bombers make a diversionary raid on Cherbourg docks. Nine are shot down. Three Fortress bombers fly high toward Brest, while 18 Hampden bombers with Spitfire escort come in below. Two Hampdens are shot down. Then 79 Wellington bombers arrive in a second wave. Ten are shot down. 15 Halifax bombers attack the Scharnhorst at La Pallice, making five hits on the battle cruiser, doing serious damage. Five planes are shot down, the others are all damaged. [84.94]
- The Japanese government demands of Vichy France permission to occupy airbases in southern Indochina, and use the naval base at Camranh Bay. Vichy France reluctantly signs a Treaty for the Defence of Indochina. Japanese forces enter Saigon and occupy key positions throughout Indo-China. [46.38] [130.45] [277.101]
- July 25
- German battle cruiser Scharnhorst limps back to Brest for repairs. [84.94]
- Italian forces attempt to penetrate the Grand Harbor of Malta. They are not successful. [519.1933]
- July 26
- US President Franklin Roosevelt orders the freezing of Japanese assets in the US, and orders an embargo of all petroleum exports to Japan. British and Dutch governments also declare trade embargos and freezing of Japanese assets. [130.45] [410.27] [444.375] (July 25 [277.101])
- US War Department establishes US Forces in the Far East command, under General Douglas MacArthur, based at Manilla, Philippines. [830.856]
- Armed forces of Philippines are brought into the service of the USA. [830.856]
- July
- Japanese forces bomb US gunboat Tutuila in the Yangtze river. [444.376]
- July 29
- In Canada, Minister of Defence James Ralston proposes to the Cabinet War Committee that the army overseas force be extended from four divisions to six. The committee turns it down. [101.13]
- July 30
- Poland and the Soviet Union sign an agreement in London, in which the government of the USSR recognizes that German-Soviet treaties of 1939 regarding Polish territories are now invalid. Diplomatic relations are restored. The USSR consents to a Polish army forming on Soviet territory. [406.214] [808.53]
- Britain issues a Note to the Polish Government, saying it does not recognize changes to its territory by Germany or the Soviet Union since August 1939. [406.211]
- Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 34, postponing for now the objectives of Directive 33 due to strong resistance in the center of the Russian front, where Guderian is involved in a delaying operation fighting for the town of Roslaul. The northern sector is to press on to surround Leningrad. The centre group is to go on the defensive. The south-east is to destroy forces west of the Dnieper river. [149.145] [277.96]
- July 31
- German Field Marshal Hermann Göring orders Reinhard Heydrich to draft a plan for "a complete solution of the Jewish question within the German sphere of influence in Europe". [387.36] [766.36]
- The United States begins an oil embargo of Japan. [46.38]
- July (month)
- Allied and neutral shipping losses for the month: over 120,000 tons. [84.83]
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