Talk:Timeline of World War II (1942)

Item for April 6

The item for April 6, "Japanese naval forces are observed on the Indian Ocean; they put troops ashore in the Solomon Islands" makes no sense. It is something like two or three thousand miles from the closest part of the Indian Ocean to the Solomons.

The Japanese forces which landed in the Solomons, New Guinea, and the Bismark Archipelago during this phase of their campaign left from the large and long-prepared Imperial Japanese Navy base at Truk in the Carolines and from recently captured Rabaul in New Britain (see, among many sources, Messenger, Chronological Atlas of World War Two, ISBN 0-02-584391-5, pp 102-3), both in the Pacific, not the Indian Ocean.

In any event, the landings of April 6 were confined to the Island of Manus in the Bismark Archipelago.

Suggest changing to "Japanese naval forces put troops ashore on the Island of Manus in the Bismark Archipelago" and will do so in a few days if no one objects. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.147.76.248 (talk) 02:24, 14 April 2012 (UTC)

Item for 8 April about opening of German offensive in Crimea

Messinger, Chronological Atlas of World War Two (op. cit.) gives a date of 8 May for this, not 8 April. This agrees with Clark, Barbarossa: The German-Russian War 1941-45 (ISBN 0-688-04268-6). This is probably a simple mistake of switching 8 April for 8 May. Will change it in a few days if no one objects.

Item for 1 May on Mandalay

As currently written, this item states: "Japanese take Mandalay and other ports in Burma."

Mandalay is not a port; and in any event, according to Messinger (op cit) and Churchill, The Hinge of Fate (Chapter Nine), both Japanese and British forces were by this point in the campaign operating in the interior, along the rivers Irrawady and Chindwin, a hundred miles or more from Burma's coast. Suggest changing this to "Troops of the Japanese Fifteenth Army under General Shojiro Iida take Mandalay and Monywa, securing the western terminus of the Burma Road" and will do so in a few days if no one objects. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.205.10.91 (talk) 14:29, 1 May 2012 (UTC)

Items on first stages of Battle of Coral Sea

As currently written, the article implies the landings at Tulagi were not part of the Battle of the Coral Sea, and therefore gives an opening date of 4 May; whereas both Morrison, The Two-Ocean War (ISBN 0-316-5835-2-9) and Wikipedia's own article on the Battle of the Coral Sea, as well as numerous other sources, make it clear the Tulagi landings were the opening move of the Japanese strategic plan to invade Port Moresby, the focal point of the battle.

Additionally, almost all histories of the Battle of Coral Sea count Tulagi as the opening move, and therefore give a date of 3 May (Western Date) as the opening of the battle, as this was the day the Japanese strategic plan began to unfold with the landings on Tulagi. However, according to Morrison (op cit) and Chuchill, Hinge of Fate (Chapter Fourteen), the Americans had been able to deduce the Japanese plan through intelligence intercepts, and knew the opening date.

This led to the evacuation of the garrison at Tulagi, since it was impossible to re-inforce them to the extent necessary to repel the landings. According to Messinger, Chronological Atlas of World War Two (ISBN 0-02-584391-5), page 102, this was done on 2 May.

In addition, there seems to be some confusion over Eastern and Western dates, which is almost omni-present in discussions of the Pacific Theatre.

Since the original article was written in British English, the Western Date is perhaps more appropriate. Given this and the questionable status of the evacuation of Tulagi as part of the actual battle, it is proposed to add an item for 2 May along the lines of, "In anticipation of the impending Japanese landings to support the assault on Port Moresby, the Australian garrison is evacuated from Tulagi." In addtion, it is proposed to combine the items for 3 May and 4 May into something like, "3: In the opening move of the Japanese strategic plan to capture Port Moresby, Japanese forces under Admiral Kiyohide Shima make unopposed landings on Tulagi, opening the Battle of the Coral Sea."

Will make these changes in a few days if no objection is raised. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.205.10.91 (talk) 15:49, 1 May 2012 (UTC)

Incorrect dates for Battle of Gazala

As currently written, the article give the day of 12 June as the one Rommel 'pushes Allies out of Gazala line.' However, the wikipedia article on the Battle of Gazala states Auchinleck authorized Richie to withdraw on 14 June.

In addition, the article currently states the British withdrew from the position known as 'Knightsbridge' on 17 June. This is a rather glaring error as 'Knightsbridge' was held by 201st Guards Brigade, who abandoned it on either 11 or 12 June (accounts vary, even within the wikipedia article).

Therefore, it is proposed to change the item for 12 June to read, 'British abandon the position known as "Knightsbridge"' and to add a second item for 14 June, 'Auchinleck authorizes Richie to withdraw from Gazala line.'

Will make these changes in a day or two if no one objects. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.228.217.147 (talk) 15:06, 12 June 2012 (UTC)

Item for 26 June about Rostov, other problems with entries about Eastern Front

As currently written, the article contains several curious items about the unfolding of Case Blue, that are at glaring variance with the wikipedia article on same.

The item for 26 June says "The Germans drive on Rostov-on-Don;" but surely this attack was part of Case Blue itself, which did not open until 28 June. In any event, the Germans would not approach the Don until mid-July, with Rostov falling on 24 July according to the wikipedia article on Rostov. The wikipedia article on Case Blue gives a jump-off date of July 23 for Army Group B's attack towards the Don; surely this is more likely the correct date.

In addition, the article for 12 July claims, "It now becomes clear that Stalingrad is the largest challenge to the invaders." Clear to whom? Why? Moreover, the Germans would not even approach Stalingrad until August.

The wikipedia article on Case Blue clears things up by saying the Germans encountered heavy resistance from the Stalingrad Front, a command structure of the Red Army which obviously took its name from the city but was, as of July 12, still west of the Don and nowhere near Stalingrad itself.

The basic idea, that Case Blue originally saw the oilfields of the Caucuses as the main objective, but that Stalingrad gradually grew to occupy more and more of the Germany Army's attention and resources, is almost certainly an important one, worth retaining. However, this appears to have been a gradual process, and certainly was not an established fact as of 12 July!

Therefore, it is recommended to do away with the item for 26 June, and to re-write the item for 12 July as an undated entry at the beginning of August which reflects the wording of the wikipedia article on Case Blue in a condensed form, something like, "Stiff resistance by the Stalingrad Front of the Soviet Army in the area west of the Don river gradually forces the Germans to re-evaluate their plans, and commit ever-increasing amounts of resources to Army Group B's drive toward Stalingrad."

Will make these changes in a day or two if no one objects. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 166.147.72.15 (talk) 17:07, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

General Joseph Stillwell's diary

In this time line over World War II there are no less then twelve (12) entries on some General Stillwell's march from Burma to India.

Does a time line on this scale really need such painstaking detail? Over the adventures of a mere 114 men that seems to play little or no further role in the war?

The items are: may 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19...

213.114.138.134 (talk) 16:43, 10 March 2013 (UTC) Erik

June 1942 map

Hadn't Mexico joined the Allies by this point? The map doesn't indicate this.