World War Two: Week by Week - Season 2

This week, the battle in the skies of Britain enters a new, even deadlier phase, as the crowded streets of London turn into a war zone. It is the start of the Blitz.

The Blitz continues as the German army seems close to the execution of Operation Sea Lion: The Invasion of Britain.

The Battle of Britain continues as planes fight over the South-English shorelines and large parts of London are targeted during the Blitz. However, this week the ultimate goal of this air battle is postponed. The invasion of Britain, Operation Sea Lion, is called off. For now at least.

This week, the factions of World War Two begin to crystallise as the Japanese join the Axis powers.

Hitler is trying to get new Axis Powers on board in his fight against Britain, promising them all huge territorial gains.

The Blitz continues while Chinese Communists are fighting Chinese Nationalist in China. But the mass bombing of civilian targets does not really do what it is supposed to.

The World War seems to get bigger and bigger as Italy plans to invade Greece and the USA takes a stance.

Hitler finds out that not everyone is ready to do his bidding. Much to the frustration of Hitler, Franco, Petain and Mussolini all have their reasons to take the high road.

A new front opens up in Greece as the Italians invade, while the Battle of Britain seems to come to an end.

The Battle of Britain is finished, but the war is far from over. New German plans are being made for the Balkans and Greece, where the Italian offensive is not as successful as planned.

Japan has two wins this week, and one might turn out to be very consequential for the rest of the war. In the meantime, the British RAF fights the Luftwaffe and Italy struggles in their offensive against Greece.

As the Greek campaign continues, Hitler points his attention eastwards. While he can't invade the Soviet Union just yet, his dependence on it is making him nervous.

While Hitler consolidates his power in occupied France, Japanese and Italian forces try to get an edge, but fail. The war is not looking too well for anyone at this point.

Wilhelm Canaris once again disturbs Hitlers plans to drag Spain into the war, as the Germans finalize their plan for the Invasion of the Soviet Union which is scheduled for the summer of 1941. Meanwhile, the Greek counter-offensive into Albania loses steam and the Pope objects to the German T-4 euthanasia program.

The First British offensive of the War begins in North Africa. Meanwhile, the German Knickebein system is designed for bombers to accurately bomb British targets at night. This is what the Brits do to stop them.

What Adolf Hitler expects to be his Magnum Opus offensive is still 6 months in the future, but it's going to need plans and more plans. The British, though, are seeing success right now on two fronts far to the south.

Italy finds itself in a dire position in Albania as Christmas is celebrated in a war-torn Europe and fighting continues in China.

1941 begins with action in North-Africa and China, but Indy also takes a moment to assess the current stakes and stakeholders in the East-Asian theatre. What is sure, is that 1941 will be an eventful year!

Action in Albania. Action in North-Africa. Action in East-Africa. Action in China and action on the Mediterranean. It looks like every belligerent party is amping up its efforts to get a foothold wherever they are. And if your enemy is gaining ground? You just throw more material and men at them.

The Chinese Communists and Nationalists Clash while they're also both facing Japanese armies in the North. And although the Communists are not the obvious victor this week, the battle has bigger ramifications. Other action takes place in Cambodia and the Mediterranean.

The British offensive in East-Africa takes off with some rapid advances. Meanwhile in Eastern-Europe, Romania is the stage of fierce anti-semitism, but also infighting between two of the groups causing the anti-semitism.

Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas dies this week as Italy is still uncomfortably wrapped up in the Albanian Mountains. Italy also finds itself in a pickle on other fronts, as Allied troops in Africa moves into Italian territory with three offensives this week.

As the Italian campaigns in Africa collapse, Hitler considers his options and then chooses Erwin Rommel to rescue their Italian allies.

While the Germans send one of their best generals to North Africa to bail out the Italians, Great Britain switches focus from Libya to Greece, but make symbolically important gains in East Africa.

As the British make spectacular advances in East-Africa, with even more spectacular advances on the horizon, South-Eastern Europe is getting increasingly tense.

Parts of the British forces in North-Africa are being send to Greece to strengthen the Allied position there. While the remaining British plan for the near future, others make huge advances in East-Africa and Hitler plans his attack on Greece through Bulgaria.

German troops pour into Bulgaria as they join the Axis alliance, while British troops enter Greece in anticipation of a German attack. Meanwhile, the British celebrate victories in East-Africa and on the Atlantic.

An Italian offensive into Greece is prepared, just as the Germans are preparing to also attack Greece via Bulgaria. Meanwhile, a daring and spectacular dash is made by the Nigerian Army.

While two more Kriegsmarine u-boat aces go down, the moving parts of the war are getting more complex leaving the intelligence services scrambling to separate fact from fiction - they don't always get it right.

Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers, which then triggers a pro-Allied coup, angering Hitler. Meanwhile, the Italians fail to outsmart the British as the Japanese hope to capitalise on their superior army.

The British thought they would be safe for a while, but this week they are proven wrong. This week, Erwin Rommel begins his advance towards the East of North-Africa.

This week, the German Army invades Greece and Yugoslavia as it launches Operation Marita and Operation 25 respectively. They also take some remarkable captives in North-Africa.

The Battles for Yugoslavia and Greece continue as the Soviet-Union and Japan sign a non-aggression pact.

The Battle of Greece continues as forces clash once more at the historic site of Thermopylae.

Greece falls as Axis troops push through the last Allied defences. New plans are made for a German invasion of Crete, and a new war breaks out between Great Britain and Iraq.

An Enigma encode is captured in the Atlantic Ocean as the Germans make plans for a new offensive in Crete. Britain is heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe and fighting continues in Iraq, China and East-Africa.

In the week that Rudolf Hess makes his flight to Britain, the Luftwaffe prepares for theirs to Crete. The British utilise their code-breaking methods and prepare for defence.

Operation Mercury commences as fallschirmjäger airborne troops land on the Greek island of Crete. A bloody and messy battle follows as it turns out to be costly in more ways than one.

This week, the Battle of Crete continues as the Bismarck and Prinz Eugen set sail to the Atlantic, starting one of the most dramatic episodes in the histories of the Royal Navy and the Kriegsmarine.

The British morale reaches new depths after losses at Crete and the loss of the HMS Hood. New plans are made for North-Africa and Syria to restore the public and the soldier's faith.

Germany, Romania and Finland prepare for a gigantic invasion of the Soviet Union, whose own military is in a dire state. The Allies invade Vichy French Syria and prepare to relieve the Australians besieged at Tobruk.

The Allies continue advancing into Vichy French Syria, but they are halted and pushed back by Erwin Rommel at the Halfaya Pass in Libya. Meanwhile, the last preparations are being made for Operation Barbarossa. It will begin in two days.

June 22 1941. The first day of Operation Barbarossa begins as Adolf Hitler's German armies invade Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union with the largest force on the longest front ever seen in human history...

Operation Barbarossa kicks off this week with action all along the front as German panzers pierce through deep into the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, Claude Auchinleck becomes Commander of the Allied forces in the Middle East that capture Damascus.

Operation Barbarossa continues this week but is already running into problems that are gonna be hard to fix. The Japanese are thinking future war strategy, while the British set up a focused research program on nuclear power and atom bombs...

Germany keeps advancing on the eastern front, and yet by now, transport and supply problems are seriously undermining the capability of the German spearheads, even as they pull further away from the infantry. The Syria-Lebanon campaign is coming to an end, though, and an armistice is proposed which would give the Allies victory if accepted.

As the German armed forces stretch further and further into the USSR, the Wehrmacht command doesn't seem to agree where they are really going. In the Middle East, the Fascist French forces are delivered a hard blow as the Allied Syrian campaign comes to an end.

Although we may picture panzers when we think of the German Army in WW2, it was very much an army that relied on horses- especially in the east- for a large part of its supplies and logistics, and the horse situation on the Eastern Front has grown dire. Japan's economic situation has also grown dire and they are now looking south for new sources of raw materials.

Japan needs resources for its seemingly endless war in China, but where to look for them? And who might have a problem with it? Meanwhile in the Soviet Union, Hitler's forces have been diverted from the Moscow Road, and are on the move in the north and the south.

In Japan those in power are divided as to what to do as war with the Western powers looks more and more likely. Meanwhile in the USSR the war gets deadlier and deadlier, but also more and more confusing with leadership conflicts on both sides of the front.

Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt issue a charter that lays out their thoughts for the future, the Soviets are in trouble on two fronts, and Adolf Hitler repeats his orders to those who failed to heed them the first time.

Josef Stalin is forming new armies to fight off the German onslaught, and yet it continues gaining ground both in the north and in the south. He also issues Draconian orders to the Red Army concerning any form of surrender.

The British and Soviets work together invade Iran, while Barbarossa trudges ever on, with heavy losses. Bletchley Park intercepts German messages, and unease grows among the German public.