World War II Timeline: December 6, 1941-December 13, 1941

More than 2,300 American sailors and soldiers were killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Learn about this and the other major events of December 1941 in the timeline that follows.

World War II Timeline: December 6-December 13

December 6: British sailor John Capes makes a miraculous escape from the submarine Perseus, which had been sunk by a mine. Despite injuries, he ascends from a depth of 170 feet and swims to the Greek coastline.

Britain declares war on Finland, at the request of the Soviet Union.

Citing his doubt that Japa­nese troops in Indochina are there for defensive purposes, Franklin Roosevelt asks Emperor Hirohito to withdraw his forces.

December 7: Adolf Hitler issues the "Night and Fog" decree, calling for the convenient disappearance of anyone who threatens the security of Nazi Germany.

Japanese planes attack American ships and planes at the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. More than 2,300 American sailors and soldiers are killed.

December 8: Adolf Hitler acknowledges that the Soviet campaign will be neither quick nor easy.

Calling December 7 a "day that will live in infamy," Franklin Roosevelt calls for a congressional declaration of war on Japan.

Japanese troops occupy Shanghai, China, and capture a small U.S. garrison.

December 10: Britain's naval force is dealt a heavy blow when the Japanese sink the battleship Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser Repulse.

Guam quickly capitulates when overwhelmed by 6,000 Japanese troops.

December 11: Nazi Germany and Italy declare war on the United States. Congress responds by declaring war on those two nations.

December 13: The American policy of preventive internment is launched with the confinement of nearly 600 Japanese and 200 Germans.

World War II Headlines

Read on to learn about some of the other major events of World War II, including the siege of Leningrad.

Soviet-British alliance: The Soviet Union began the war as a virtual ally of Germany, due to the Soviet-German nonaggression pact. But Operation Barbarossa changed this situation completely. The Kremlin rarely promoted publicly the contribution of its Anglo-U.S. allies to the defeat of Nazi Germany, as it directed most of its propaganda to self-promotion and to motivating the Russian people. Nevertheless, a 1941 poster recognized Britain's involvement in the war. It was produced when the Soviet Union was particularly dependent upon receiving large quantities of Anglo-U.S. war materiel to fight the "Great ­Patriotic War."

The siege of Leningrad, Soviet Union: The name "Leningrad" was of particular ideological significance to Adolf Hitler, and he ordered the obliteration of Leningrad and its people through bombing, shelling, starvation, and disease. He also forbade the acceptance of any surrender offer, if made.

Field Marshal Leeb's Army Group North reached Leningrad on September 8, 1941, and began an 872-day Nazi German siege, during which close to a million of the city's citizens died. Meanwhile, the survivors suffered almost unimaginable hardships, especially during the winters. Bitter and often large-scale fighting raged about the city intermittently until January 27, 1944, when the much-weakened Wehrmacht was finally forced to withdraw in the face of a major Red Army offensive.

Leningrad's Lake Ladoga provides lifeline: Although Leningrad was besieged by the Nazi Germans, Lake Ladoga to the northeast of Leningrad nevertheless provided a lifeline for the starving population and military resources for the city's defenders. In summer, boats could traverse the lake, while in winter it froze hard, enabling supply trucks to drive across it. Understandably, such hazardous activities were usually conducted by night, as they took place within range of Nazi German artillery and of the Luftwaffe's bombers. The returning trucks carried evacuees -- hundreds of thousands in 1942 -- although many died in the unheated vehicles.

Allied Aid to the Soviet Union
In June 1941, the British stood alone in their fight against Nazi Germany. The United States had not yet entered the war, France had fallen to the Nazis a year earlier, and Italy had partnered with Germany in the fight to control Europe and North Africa. When the Nazis broke their alliance with the Soviet Union by invading it on June 21, the British were quick to accept the Soviets as an ally in their fight against Germany.

While many skeptics in Britain questioned the Soviet Union's intentions, they had little choice in their support. The Soviets provided much-needed assistance.

President Franklin Roosevelt also recognized the importance of nurturing the relationship with the Soviet Union. The Lend-Lease Act, which authorized the U.S. to sell, exchange, or trade $50 billion in war materials to its Allies, did not include the Soviet Union when it was passed in March 1941. It was not until November 7, 1941, that Congress finally declared the Soviets eligible to receive materials through the Lend-Lease Act.

Almost $11 billion worth of war materials were shipped to the Soviet Union during the war, including combat aircraft, tanks, trucks, and jeeps. These supplies were especially needed at the beginning of the war when the Soviets did not yet have the ability to manufacture sufficient amounts of war materials. The United States and Britain also gave food and clothing through the Russian War Relief and the Red Cross.

To avoid capture by Nazi German or Japanese troops, much of the Soviet aid was shipped via the Persian Gulf and Iran. Most of the remaining supplies were transported across the Pacific Ocean to Vladivostok and the North Atlantic to Murmansk.

When the end of the war was near, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin acknowledged the importance of Allied aid. "Lend-Lease," Stalin said, "is one of Franklin Roosevelt's most remarkable and vital achievements in the formation of the anti-Hitler alliance.

In the final section, we'll cover the events of late December 1941.

Learn more about the significant events and players of World War II in these informative articles: