The progress of WWII

 December 16  - 26, 1940

Italian fort of Sidi Omar in Egypt has been captured in a 10-minute raid- British struck from the west, Italian guns were all aimed east.
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 16, 2012

Huge RAF bombing raid on German city of Mannheim- "retaliation" for Coventry. Incendiary bombs starting fires as targets for high explosives
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 16, 2012

10,619 civilians evacuated from Malta- mostly women & children- have arrived in Britain. Malta is becoming a fortress. yfrog.com/nykijyoqj
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 19, 2012

Rudolf Höss, Commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp, has denied a request for a prisoner's Christmas Mass: no religious services allowed
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 19, 2012

Bulgaria has passed new harsh laws on Jews & Freemasons- bringing them closer in alliance to Europe's dominant power: Nazi Germany.
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 20, 2012

Churchill ordering UK's stock of chemical weapons prepared for use next year; UK has 1,485 tons of mustard gas, with 650 tons ready soon.
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 21, 2012

Germany announcing that USA supplying weapons & ships to Britain is "un-neutral" & "morally unsound"- "these pinpricks may force USA to war"
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 21, 2012

Italian docks at Porto Maghera are ablaze from British bombs- pilots under strict orders not to damage nearby historic city of Venice.
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 21, 2012

Italians announcing "mass counter-attack" vs Greeks, 1000s of fresh troops advancing; Greeks have today captured ~1/4 of Italian Albania.
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 22, 2012

Manchester is still reeling from 3 dreadful nights of German bombing, which set half the city ablaze. Watch footage: youtube.com/watch?feature=…
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 24, 2012

UK sends a film to USA today, showing British "Christmas Under Fire"- holly & barbed wire. Watch it now: youtube.com/watch?feature=…!
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 25, 2012

Food heavily rationed in Germany- but luxuries imported from conquered states are plentiful. French liqueurs & clothes popular gifts.
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 25, 2012

Jews in Poland- now mostly imprisoned in Nazi ghettos- celebrating Hanukkah indoors & in fear. Card from Lodz ghetto: twitter.com/RealTimeWWII/s…
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 26, 2012

Rationing made practical presents the rule in UK this Christmas: spades, seeds & soap all popular gifts. Stocking: twitter.com/RealTimeWWII/s…
— WW2 Tweets from 1940 (@RealTimeWWII) December 26, 2012