Major Battles of the Twentieth Century
1901 - 1925
- 1901 Balangiga Massacre September 28 - Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on soldiers of the 9th U.S. Infantry and massacred nearly all of them. Most infamous battle of the Philippine-American War .
- 1904 -
- --- Battle Of Port Arthur February 9 - Protracted Japanese siege of the Russian fortress; start of Russo-Japanese War
- --- Battle Of Yalu River May 2 - First Japanese land victory against the Russians
- --- Battle Of Nanshan May 25 - 26 - Japanese defeat Russians in a pitched battle outside of Port Arthur
- --- Battle Of Dairen May 30 - Japanese defeat Russians
- --- Battle Of Te-li-Ssu June 14 - 15 - Russian attempt to relieve Port Arthur smashed by the Japanese
- --- Battle Of The Yellow Sea August 10 - Russian naval breakout attempt from Port Arthur defeated by Japanese fleet
- --- Battle Of The Japanese Sea August 14 - Japanese forces force Russians to scuttle the cruiser ''Ryurik''.
- --- Battle Of Liaoyang August 26 - September 3 - Japanese defeat Russians in the first major battle of the Russo-Japanese War
- --- Battle Of Sha-ho River October 11 - 15 - Russian counteroffensive in Manchuria is checked with heavy losses by the Japanese
- 1905 -
- --- Siege Of Port Arthur (ended January 2 ) - Japanese attack on Port Arthur.
- --- Battle Of San-de-pu January 25 - 29 - Another failed Russian counteroffensive in Manchuria
- --- Battle Of Mukden February 23 - March 7 Largest battle of all time when fought, a glorious Japanese victory
- --- Battle Of Tsushima May 27 - 28 - Admiral Togo's decisive victory over Russian Baltic fleet in the Straits of Tshushima
- 1908 Battle Of Marakesh August 23 - Mulay Hafid successfully revolts against Morocco Sultan
- 1912 -
- --- Battle Of Lemnos October 8 - Greek Marines Occupy the Ottoman held port of Moudros on the Island of Lemnos
- --- Battle Of Sarantaporo October 9 - Greeks defeat Ottomans near Koritza
- --- Battle Of Giannitsa October 19 - Greeks defeat Ottoman Turks in Central Macedonia
- --- Battle Of Kumanovo October 23 - Serbians defeat Ottomans in N.Macedonia
- --- Battle Of Kirk Kelesse October 24 - Bulgarians defeat Ottomans in E.Thrace
- --- Battle Of Pente Pigadia October 24 - 30 - Greeks defeat Ottomans in seven day battle near Bizani
- --- Battle Of Prelep October 27 - Serbians defeat Ottomans
- --- Battle Of Lule-Burgas October 31 - November 3 - Bulgarians compel Ottomans to full retreat toward the lines of Tchataldja, 30 km from Constantinople and the last line of defense for the Ottoman Capital
- --- Battle Of Vevi November 2 - Successful Turkish counter offensive against Greek positions
- --- Battle Of Monastir November 16 - 19 - Decisive and final defeat in Macedonia of the Ottomans by the Serbians
- --- Naval Battle Of Dardanelles December 3 - Greek navy defeats Ottoman fleet & forces it to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles straits
- 1913 -
- --- Naval Battle Of Lemnos January 1 - 18 - Greek navy defeats Ottoman fleet near the Island of Lemnos in final naval engagement of the war
- --- Battle Of Bizani February 20 - 21 Greeks defeat last operational Ottoman army in the Balkans and capture city of Ioanina
- --- Adrianople March 6 - Fall of the city to the forces of Bulgaria and Serbia and the capture of Turkish Gen Ghazi Shulkri Pasha
- --- Battle Of Kilkis-Lahanas June 19 - 21 Greeks defeat Bulgarians in the three day battle for Kilkis
- --- Battle Of Kalimantsi July 15 - 18 - Bulgarian defensive victory against the Serbs
- --- Battle Of Kresna Gorge July 29 - Inconclusive ten day battle between Bulgaria and Greece
- --- Battle Of Dul Madoba
- 1914 -
- --- Liège August 4 - 17 - Germans invade Belgium; start of World War I
- --- Battle Of Mulhouse August 9 Part of the Battle Of The Frontiers , France takes town but then loses it again.
- --- Battle Of Lorraine August 14 German victory in World War I
- --- Battle Of Cer August 16 - 19 - Serbian forces push back Austro-Hungarian invasion.
- --- Battle Of Stalluponen August 17 - First battle on the Russian Eastern Front in World War I
- --- Battle Of Gumbinnen August 19 - 20 - Russians defeat German Eighth Army, advance deeper into East Prussia
- --- Battle Of The Ardennes August 21
- --- Battle Of Charleroi August 21
- --- Battle Of Mons August 23 British forces hold Germans back.
- --- Battle Of Tannenberg August 26 - Samsonov 's Russian Second Army encircled and destroyed by the German Eighth Army
- --- Battle Of Le Cateau ( August 26 - August 27 ) - Allied Powers retreat from German forces.
- --- First Battle Of Lemberg ( August 26 - September 11 ) - Russia defeats Austria-Hungary.
- --- First Battle Of Heligoland Bight August 28 - First major naval engagement of World War I - heavy German losses
- --- Battle Of Guise ( August 29 - August 30 ) - Belgians delay Germans to allow British to rest.
- --- Siege Of Maubeuge ( August 24 - September 7 ) - Germans capture fortress
- --- First Battle Of The Marne September 5 - 9 - German invasion of France halted by Allies
- --- First Battle Of The Masurian Lakes September 9 - 14 - German Eighth Army defeats Rennenkampf 's Russian First Army
- --- First Battle Of The Aisne ( September 13 - September 28 ) - Indecisive battle in France.
- --- Siege Of Przemyśl ( September 17 - March 22 , 1915 ) - Russians initially unsuccessful, but second siege attempt succeeds.
- --- Siege Of Antwerp September 28
- --- Battle Of The Vistula River ( September 29 - October 31 ) - Russians defeat Germans under August Von Mackensen .
- --- Battle Of The Yser ( October 16 - October 31 ) - French and Belgian victory.
- --- First Battle Of Ypres ( October 19 - November 22 ) - Early trench warfare; "Kindermord bei Ypern"
- --- Battle Of Penang October 28 - German victory, two allied ships sink near Malaysia .
- --- Battle Of Coronel November 1 - Admiral Graf Spee defeats Admiral Cradock
- --- Battle Of Tanga November 3 - November 5 , Colonel Paul Von Lettow-Vorbeck defeats General Arthur Aitken in German East Africa
- --- Fao Landing November 6 - British begin the Mesopotamian Campaign against the Ottoman Empire.
- --- Battle Of Cocos November 9 - Australia defeats Germany in a naval battle.
- --- Battle Of Łódź November 11 - Russians take city, lose it on December 6
- --- Battle Of Elhri November 13 - Moroccan tribes defeat French troops
- --- Battle Of Cracow November 16 - heavy casualties to Austria and Russia
- --- Battle Of Lowicz November 30 - December 17 - Russians take city
- --- Battle Of Kolubara December 3 - 6 - Serbians drive out Austrians
- --- Battle Of Falkland Islands December 8 - British defeat Admiral Graf Spee
- 1915 -
- --- Battle Of Jassin ( January 18 - January 19 ) - German victory in East Africa during World War I.
- --- Battle Of Dogger Bank (1915) January 24 - Admiral Beatty drives off Vice-Admiral Hipper 's raiding force, sinks ''Blücher''
- --- First Suez Offensive ( January 28 - February 3 ) - Ottoman attack fails.
- --- Battle Of Bolimov January 31 - Cold weather thwarts German gas attack against Russians.
- --- Second Battle Of The Masurian Lakes February 7 - 22 Initial German attack is highly successful but further attacks are repulsed
- --- Battle Of Gallipoli February 19 - January 8 1916 The Allied powers attempt a failed frontal assault on the Ottoman Empire
- --- Landing At Cape Helles April 25 - British amphibious assault against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
- --- First Battle Of Krithia April 28 - British attack fails.
- --- Landing At Anzac Cove ( April 25 - May 3 ) - Australia and New Zealand successfully land but later get bogged down.
- --- Second Battle Of Krithia ( May 6 - May 8 ) - Second British attack uses same plan, also fails.
- --- Second Battle Of Ypres ( April 22 - May 25 ) - Germans use Poison Gas
- --- Third Battle Of Krithia June 4 - Temporary British success reversed by Ottoman counter-attack.
- --- Battle Of Gully Ravine ( June 28 - July 5 ) - British and Indian forces defeat Ottoman Empire.
- --- First Battle Of The Isonzo ( June 23 - July 7 ) - Failed Italian attack on Austrian positions in the Alps .
- --- Second Battle Of The Isonzo ( July 18 - August 3 ) - Second attempt on Austrian positions fails.
- --- Battle Of Chunuk Bair ( August 6 - August 10 ) - Ottomans defeat Britain and New Zealand.
- --- Battle Of Lone Pine ( August 6 - August 12 ) - Australians stop Ottoman attack, but it was only a diversion.
- --- Battle Of Krithia Vineyard ( August 6 - August 13 ) - Turkish diversionary attack to allow for Sari Bair Offensive .
- --- Landing At Suvla Bay ( August 6 - August 15 ) - The main attack for which the two diversions were staged. Ottoman victory.
- --- Battle Of The Nek August 7 - Ottomans defeat Australians.
- --- Battle Of Scimitar Hill August 21 - Decisive battle of the Gallipoli Campaign, Ottoman victory.
- --- Battle Of Hill 60 (Gallipoli) - Final British attempt to take Gallipoli fails.
- --- Battle Of Loos September 25 - 28
- --- Third Battle Of The Isonzo ( October 18 - November 3 ) - Austrians endure massive Italian bombardment.
- --- Battle Of Ctesiphon - Indecisive battle between British and Ottoman forces.
- --- Siege Of Kut ( December 7 - April 29 , 1916 )- Ottoman forces led by a German general capture the city.
- 1916 -
- --- Battle Of Verdun February 21 - December Five-month battle kills 700,000
- --- Battle Of Dujaila March 8 - Failed British attempt to relieve the Siege of Kut.
- --- Battle Of Asiago March 11 - Massive Austrian counter-offensive against Italy.
- --- Battle Of Jutland May 31 - last engagement of the German High Seas Fleet
- --- Brusilov Offensive June - Russia nearly collapses Austria but losses are staggering
- --- 2nd Battle Of Albert July 1 - Opening day of the Allied Power offensive known as the Battle Of The Somme
- --- Battle Of Bazentin Ridge July 14 - British victory during the Somme offensive.
- --- Battle Of Fromelles ( July 19 - July 20 ) - German victory south of the rest of the Somme offensive.
- --- Battle Of Pozières ( July 23 - August 7 ) - British and Australian forces take and hold town.
- --- Battle Of Romani August 3 - Turkish advance on Suez Canal defeated
- --- Sixth Battle Of The Isonzo ( August 6 - August 17 ) - Italian victory during World War I.
- --- Battle Of Mouquet Farm ( August 8 - September 27 ) - Allied Powers advance toward German fortification.
- --- Battle Of Guillemont ( September 3 - September 9 ) - Allied Powers capture city.
- --- Battle Of Ginchy September 9 - Irish capture town from Germans, but suffer heavy casualties.
- --- Battle Of Flers-Courcelette September 15 - Bad weather thwarts Allied attempt to break through German defenses.
- --- Battle Of Morval September 25 - British progress resumes after Fleurs-Courcelette, but French unable to match British progress.
- --- Battle Of Thiepval Ridge ( September 26 - September 28 ) - German positions captured by Allied Powers.
- --- Battle Of Le Transloy ( October 1 - November 5 ) - Failed attempt to capture German defenses.
- --- Battle Of The Ancre November 13 - Allied Powers advance further, final battle of the 1916 Somme Campaign.
- --- Battle Of Segale - Negus Mikael , marching on the Ethiopian capital in support of his son Emperor Iyasus V , is defeated by Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis , securing the throne for Empress Zauditu .
- --- Battle Of Ctesiphon November 22 - 25 - Anglo Indian advance up the Tigris River in Mesopotamia turned back.
- --- Battle Of Magdhaba December 23 - Capture of Turkish garrison in the Sinai
- --- Siege Of Kut December 7 , 1916 - April 29 , 1917 - Siege and surrender of the 6th Poona Division in Mesopotamia in the tiny town of Kut el-Amara on the Tigris.
- 1917 -
- --- Battle Of Rafa January 9 - Capture of Turkish garrison in the Sinai
- --- Second Battle Of Kut February 23 - British forces once again take Kut.
- --- Fall Of Baghdad ( March 8 - March 11 ) British forces capture the city.
- --- First Battle Of Gaza March 26 - British fail to advance into Palestine
- --- Vimy Ridge April 9 - Canada's finest hour
- --- Second Battle Of Gaza April 19 - Turkey repels British assault on Gaza-Beersheba line
- --- Passchendaele July 31 - also known as Third Battle Of Ypres . Three-month battle costs Britain 400,000
- --- Battle Of Caporetto October 24 - Also known as the Twelfth Battle Of The Isonzo - Italians defeated by Central Powers, driven back to Venice
- --- Battle Of Beersheba October 31 - Australian Light Horse capture Beersheba
- --- Third Battle Of Gaza ( October 31 - November 7 ) - British break Turkish defensive line in southern Palestine
- --- Second Battle Of Heligoland Bight November 17 - Indecisive naval battle, Germans lose one torpedo boat.
- --- Battle Of Cambrai ( November 20 - December 7 ) - First successful use of tanks
- --- Battle Of Jerusalem ( December 8 - December 26 ) - British forces capture the city of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire .
- 1918 -
- --- Battle Of Tampere March 8 - April 6 in Finnish Civil War
- --- Battle Of Cantigny May 28 - US First Division wins in first independent action
- --- Battle Of The Piave River June 15 - June 22 Downfall of Austria in World War I .
- --- Battle Of Belleau Wood June 25 - US Second Division Marines capture woods
- --- Battle Of Hamel July 4 - Australian success with departure from massed frontal assaults
- --- Second Battle Of The Marne July 15 - 18 - Allies halt four month German drive
- --- Battle Of Chateau Thierry July 18
- --- Battle Of Amiens August 8 - August 11 - British force Germans to Hindenburg line
- --- Battle Of Havrincourt September 12 - British victory, German morale begins to weaken.
- --- Battle Of Saint-Mihiel ( September 12 - September 19 ) - Americans defeat Germans.
- --- Battle Of Epéhy September 18 - British and Australians defeat Germans.
- --- Battle Of Megiddo September 19 - Allenby's British crush Ottoman army
- --- Battle Of Meuse Argonne Forest, September 26 - November 11 - Largest AEF action of war; Allied victory. (In it, October 8 , Cpl. Alvin York , outnumbered 19:1, leads capture of German machine-gun nest)
- --- Battle Of Vittorio Veneto October 23 - November 3
- --- Second Battle Of The Sambre November 4 - Allied Power victory during final phase of World War I.
- --- Battle Of Przemyśl ( November 11 - November 12 ) - Polish forces capture town from Ukrainians.
- 1919 -
- --- Battle Of Bereza Kartuska February 14 - Polish victory during Polish-Bolshevik War
- --- Battle Of Lwów (November 1918 - June 1919) - city besieged by the Ukrainian forces.
- --- Battle Of Daugavpils ( September 28 - January 15 , 1920 ) - Polish victory in Latvia.
- 1920 -
- --- Battle Of Wołodarka May 29 - May 31 - Polish victory during Polish-Bolshevik War.
- --- Battle Of Bystrzyk May 31 - Polish victory by surprise attack.
- --- Battle Of Boryspol June 2 - Polish capture Russian supplies.
- --- Battle Of Radzymin August 12 - August 15 - Town changes hands twice during Polish-Bolshevik War.
- --- Battle Of Nasielsk August 14 - August 15 - Minor Polish victory as part of the action around Warsaw.
- --- Battle Of Zadwórze August 17 - Polish army defeated by the Red Army forces of Semyon Budennyi
- --- Battle Of Warsaw August 13 - August 25 - Poles defeat Red Army
- --- Battle Of Raszyn (August)
- --- Battle Of Giby August 30 - Lithuanian withdrawal successfully mediated by French at request of Poland during Polish-Lithuanian War .
- --- Battle Of Komarow August 31 - Decisive Polish victory.
- --- Battle Of The Niemen River September 15 - September 25 - Poles defeat the reserves of the Red Army
- 1921 -
- --- First Battle Of Inonu ( January 9 - January 11 ) - Greek reconnaissance-in-force, indecisive.
- --- Second Battle Of Inonu ( March 26 - March 31 ) - Turkish forces victorious.
- --- Battle Of Annual July 21 near Annual, Morocco, Spanish army loses to Rifi Berbers of Abd El Krim .
- --- Battle Of Sakarya - Farthest Greek advance in Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) (" Turkish War Of Independence ")
- 1922 Battle Of Dumlupinar - Final battle of Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) (" Turkish War Of Independence ")
- 1923 Beer Hall Putsch ( November 8 - November 9 ) - Failed NSDAP uprising in Munich, Hitler wounded and captured.
1926 - 1950
- 1931 Mukden Incident September 18 - Japanese forces create a pretext to invade Manchuria, start of Second Sino-Japanese War .
- 1932 First Battle Of Shanghai ( January 28 - March 3 ) - Battle halted by a cease-fire, leads to demilitarization of city.
- 1933 -
- --- Defense Of The Great Wall ( January 1 - May 31 ) - Chinese forces forced back from Great Wall, results in another truce.
- --- Battle Of Rehe ( February 21 - March 1 ) - Japanese forces capture Chinese town.
- 1936 -
- --- Battle Of Badajoz ( August 14 ) - Nationalists storm Badajoz.
- 1937 -
- --- Battle Of Guadalajara ( March 8 - March 23 ) - Spanish Republicans defeat Italians.
- --- Battle Of Guernica April 26 - April 28 Franco's forces capture Guernica following a Luftwaffe bombing.
- --- Battle Of Lugou Bridge July 7 - Japanese victory triggered outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War
- --- Battle Of Beiping-Tianjin ( July 25 - July 31 ) - China vs. Japan.
- --- Second Battle Of Shanghai ( August 13 - November 9 ) - Japanese forces invade the Chinese city, forcing a Chinese evacuation.
- --- Battle Of El Mazuco (September) - Nationalist victory during Spanish Civil War .
- --- Battle Of Pingxingguan September 25 - Japanese blunders result in Chinese victory.
- --- Battle Of Xinkou ( September 13 - November 8 ) - Japanese forces defeat National Revolutionary Army of China.
- --- Battle Of Taiyuan ( September 1 - November 9 - Japanese victory ends large-scale resistance in Northern China.
- --- Battle Of Nanjing early November to December 13 - Japanese victory after 2 months siege of the capital of Republic Of China .
- 1938 -
- --- Battle Of Cape Palos ( March 5 - March 6 ) - Republican victory over Italy during Spanish Civil War .
- --- Battle Of Tai Er Zhuang March 27 - Chinese claim strategic and moral victory over Japanese
- --- Battle Of Xuzhou (December 1937 - May) - Japanese victory, Chinese forced to destroy Yellow River dikes.
- --- Battle Of Wuhan (July - October) - Chiang Kai-shek leads Chinese forces. Result is Japanese phyrric victory.
- --- Battle Of The Ebro ( July 25 - November 16 ) - Spanish Republicans launch attacks across the Ebro river. The purpose of the battle is to relieve pressure off of Valencia and Catalonia . It is soon to become the descisive battle of the war, and a Republican defeat.
- --- Battle Of Lake Khasan
- 1939 -
- --- Battle Of Nanchang ( March 17 - May 9 ) - Japanese forces defeat Nationalist Chinese.
- --- Battle Of Suixian-Zaoyang May 24 - Chinese counterattack successful.
- --- Battle Of Halhin Gol (May - September)
- --- Blitzkrieg Attack On Poland September 1 - October 6 - Start of World War II in Europe, German victory
- --- Battle Of The Bzura River September 9 - 19
- --- Battle Of Tomaszow Lubelski September 17 - 26
- --- Battle Of Warsaw September 8 - 28
- --- First Battle Of Changsha ( September 17 - October 6 ) - Chinese forces successfully defend city. Heavy Japanese casualties.
- --- Battle Of Kock October 2 - 5
- --- Battle Of Tolvajärvi December 12 - Colonel Paavo Talvela 's Finnish forces defeat Soviet Union forces.
- --- Battle Of Suomussalmi ( December 8 - January 7 1940 ) - During Winter War , Hjalmar Siilasvuo leads Finnish to victory over Soviets.
- --- Battle Of The River Plate December 13 - '' Admiral Graf Spee '' chased into Montevideo harbour and scuttled
- --- Battle Of Summa December 23 - Finnish attack thwarted during Winter War.
- 1940 -
- --- Battle Of The Atlantic (1940 - 1945) - the name given to the conflicts in the Atlantic Ocean throughout World War II.
- --- Battle Of South Henan - Chinese Nationalists led by Li Zongren defeat Japanese.
- --- Battle Of Honkaniemi February 26 - Only tank action of the Winter War .
- --- Battle Of Salla February 28 - Finnish victory during Winter War.
- --- Battle Of Petsamo March 12 - Russian victory during Winter War.
- --- Battle Of Drøbak Sound April 9 - German naval attack thwarted by Norwegian forces.
- --- Battle Of Midtskogen ( April 9 - April 10 ) - Norwegian forces defeat German raiding party.
- --- Battle Of Narvik April 9 - June 10 - A minor Allied victory in the Arctic.
- --- Battle At The Afsluitdijk May 10 - May 14
- --- Battle Of France May 9 - May 15 - Germany takes on France, British Expeditionary Force and French Army Defeated
- --- Battle Of The Netherlands ( May 10 - [[May 17 ) - Germany invades The Netherlands.
- --- Battle Of Dunkirk May 27 - June 5 - Escape of defeated British Expeditionary Forces
- --- Battle Of Mers-el-Kebir July 3 - British navy destroys Vichy Fleet off the coast of North Africa.
- --- Battle Of Calabria July 9 - British forces fight indecisive naval battle with Italians.
- --- Battle Of Cape Spada July 19 - British and Australian forces sink an Italian cruiser.
- --- Battle Of Britain July 9 - October 31 Germans try to bomb Britain into submission - RAF answers with fighters
- --- Battle Of Taranto November 11 - November 12 - British carrier-based planes destroy Italian fleet at Taranto Harbor.
- --- Battle Of Cape Spartivento November 27 - British Navy under James Somerville fights indecisive battle with Italy.
- --- Battle Of Hundred Regiments - Major engagement of the Red Army against the Japanese Imperial Army in August and September.
- 1941 -
- --- Battle Of Shanggao ( March 14 - April 9 ) - Chinese victory.
- --- Battle Of Cape Matapan March 28 - British Royal Navy task force defeats Italian fleet.
- --- Battle Of Greece ( April 6 - April 24 ) - Germany takes the Balkan Peninsula after Italian Stalemate.
- --- Battle Of South Shanxi ( May 7 - May 27 ) - Japanese victory in China.
- --- Battle Of Denmark Strait May 23 - ''Bismarck'' sinks HMS ''Hood''
- --- Sinking of the Bismarck May 27 - Famous German Battleship is lost.
- --- Battle Of Crete May 20 - June 1 - German paratroopers capture Crete, suffer many casualties.
- --- Operation Barbarossa June 22 - German invasion of the Soviet Union
- --- Battle Of Białystok-Minsk ( June 22 - June 29 ) - German victory in Belarus .
- --- Battle At Brody - Rovno June 24 - June 26 - One of the largest tank battles of the World War II
- --- Battle Of Kiev July 7 - September 26 - The largest encirclement battle of the World War II
- --- Battle Of Smolensk July 10 - September 10 - Soviet attempt to block Wehrmacht's advance on Moscow
- --- Battle Of Uman August 8 - German victory over Soviet Union.
- --- Siege Of Leningrad ( September 8 - January 18 , 1944 ) - City endures three-year Nazi siege.
- --- Second Battle Of Changsha ( September 6 - October 8 ) - Failed Japanese attempt to take city.
- --- Battle Of Borodino
- --- Siege Of Tobruk ( March 31 - November 27 ) - Erwin Rommel defeated in North Africa.
- --- Battle Of Rostov November 27 - Germans forced to withdraw despite Hitler's orders, but Soviets suffer over 140,000 casaulties.
- --- Battle Of Pearl Harbor December 7 - Japanese carrier task force destroys U.S. Fleet in surprise attack
- --- Battle Of Malaya December 8 - Japan invades Malaysia .
- --- Naval Battle Of Singapore December 10 - Japanese torpedo craft sunk HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.
- --- Battle Of Cape Bon December 13 - Italian naval defeat.
- --- First Battle Of Sirte December 17 - Angelo Iachino defeats Andrew Cunningham in a naval battle.
- --- Battle Of Wake Island ( December 8 - December 23 ) - Japanese forces capture the Pacific Island.
- --- Battle Of Prachuab Khirikhan ( December 8 - December 23 ) - Japan conquers Thailand .
- --- Battle Of Hong Kong ( December 8 - December 25 ) - Japanese drive British forces from their Chinese territory.
- 1942 -
- --- Third Battle Of Changsha ( December 24 , 1941 - January 15 ) - Chinese forces battle Japanese back during another Japanese attack on that city.
- --- Battle Of Makassar Strait January - U.S. and Dutch forces attack Japanese convoy
- --- Battle Of Drazgose January 9 - First frontal engagement on Slovenian soil with the German occupier
- --- Battle Of Moscow January 17 Soviet defenders drive back German Army Group Centre
- --- First Battle Of Rabaul January 23 - Japanese victory.
- --- Battle Of Ambon ( January 30 - February 3 ) - Japanese victory in the Dutch East Indies.
- --- Battle Of Singapore ( January 31 - February 15 ) - Japanese forces capture city in Malaya.
- --- Battle Of Badung Strait ( February 18 - February 19 ) - Japanese naval victory despite friendly fire incident.
- --- Darwin Air Raids February 19 - Australian city hit by Japanese aerial attacks.
- --- Battle Of The Java Sea February 4 - March 1 Japanese wipe out Allied naval squadron
- --- Second Battle Of Sirte March 22 - Iachino is victorious over British naval forces.
- --- Japanese Raids Into Indian Ocean March 31 - Japanese Raids against the British Eastern Fleet. Heavy British losses.
- --- Battle Of Bataan January 1 - April 9 Gen. Douglas MacArthur 's USAFFE make gallant stand, U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war forced on Bataan Death March .
- --- Battle Of Nanos April 18 - 800 Italian soldiers lay siege to 50 Slovene partisans.
- --- Doolittle Raid April 18 - U.S. Aircraft bomb
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