Chronology of World War II
German night-fighter achieves kill
Saturday, July 20, 1940 www.onwar.com
An Me110 of NJG 1specially outfitted for night fighting, with its pilot and radio operator prepare for take off. 

Over Germany... First Lieutenant Werner Streib in an Me110 night-fighter, using only visual contact, achieves the first nighttime kill of the war by shooting down a British Whitley bomber over northwestern Germany.

In Berlin... Goring, the commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, orders the creation of the first specialized night-fighter wing -- Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1) -- under the command of Colonel Josef Kammhuber.

In the Mediterranean... Off the coast of Tobruk in Libya, 2 Italian destroyers and a cargo ship are torpedoed by British Swordfish torpedo bombers.
This chronological study of the Second World War provides a comprehensive day-by-day account of WWII. While focused on the military history of the war, with an emphasis on the battles and campaigns fought, the timeline includes social and political history as well. Some Holocaust related events are already recorded and additional updates are pending. In so far as possible, the images included in this presentation are pictures from the given days. Additional information and images are welcome through the feedback form found on the index.