Luftwaffe

The German Air Force (the Luftwaffe) was formed, in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles.

The first Luftwaffe air raid on Britain targetted ships in the Firth of Forth in Scotland.

The efforts of British fighter pilots against a 70-aircraft Luftwaffe raid on southern towns (including Weymouth, Falmouth, Portsmouth, and Dover) opened the conflict which became known as the Battle of Britain.

The Battle of Britain was fought over Southeastern England between the German Luftwaffe and the English Royal Air Force Fighter Command .

This date later became unofficially known as Battle of Britain day: a massive Luftwaffe raid intended for the final defeat of the RAF was successfully countered with huge losses of German planes.

The Battle of Britain was considered to have ended; though night-time Luftwaffe raids continued, a German invasion of Britain no longer appeared imminent.

The Luftwaffe conducted a heavy raid on Coventry.

180 planes of the German Luftwaffe dropped bombs and firebomb canisters on Belfast, killing approximately 1,000 people.

The German Luftwaffe bombed Dublin (capital of neutral Ireland), destroying hundreds of houses and killing thirty-four civilians: a warning of the price to be paid for giving up neutrality.

Hitler 's invasion of the Soviet Union (named Operation Barbarossa, and in contravention of the German-Soviet non-aggression pact of 23 August 1939) began with a surprise attack at dawn which destroyed a thousand Soviet planes...

German General Paulus launched his offensive against Stalingrad.