Photo Courtesy: afsa.org
World War I (1914-1919) Events on January 30
1915: Western Front – Trench Raids and Artillery Duels
January 30, 1915. The Western Front was a mess of mud, blood, and steel. Near Neuve Chapelle, the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards launched a daring nighttime trench raid against the Germans, snatching prisoners before vanishing back into the gloom. German artillery thundered back, a desperate attempt to reassert control. Meanwhile, along the Ypres Salient, both sides exchanged brutal barrages, the night sky glowing with fire.
1916: Verdun Looms
With the bitter winter tightening its grip, Erich von Falkenhayn and his staff finalized their plans for Verdun. The German 5th Army, led by Crown Prince Wilhelm, busied itself with stockpiling shells and men, readying for an onslaught meant to “bleed France white.” But across the lines, General Philippe Pétain was already preparing to hold his ground. French troops near the Meuse River reinforced their positions, their breath turning to mist in the frigid air.
1917: Unrestricted Submarine Warfare Approaches
A storm was brewing in the Atlantic. Germany, desperate to break Britain’s naval dominance, announced that unrestricted submarine warfare would resume February 1. Already, the Imperial German Navy’s U-53 prowled the waters, hunting. On January 30, it struck, sinking the SS Eavestone off the Irish coast. Britain scrambled to respond.
1918: Russia’s Exit Nears
As Bolshevik delegates haggled with Central Powers at Brest-Litovsk, Russian troops skirmished with Austro-German forces near Kiev. January 30 saw desperate last stands, small pockets of Red Army soldiers holding ground even as their leaders debated surrender.
1919: The Paris Peace Conference
January 30, 1919, the war was over, but the wounds were fresh. At the Paris Peace Conference, French Premier Georges Clemenceau pushed for harsh reparations. Across the table, Woodrow Wilson fought to defend his Fourteen Points vision. The fate of Germany, and Europe itself, hung in the balance.
World War II (1939-1945) Events on January 30
1939: Hitler’s Ominous Speech
On January 30, 1939, Adolf Hitler delivered one of his most chilling speeches to the German Reichstag in which he predicted that another world war would lead to the “annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe”. The speech was given in the Kroll Opera House, six years after Hitler took power.
Hitler stood before the Reichstag, his voice laced with venom. On January 30, 1939, , warning that if “international finance Jewry” caused war, the result would be their annihilation. Chilling words that, in hindsight, were a terrible prelude to genocide.
1940: U-Boat Menace in the Atlantic
The Atlantic convulsed with destruction as the German U-55 struck again. This time, its prey was the British steamship Baron Erskine, sent to the depths off France’s coast. The Royal Navy scrambled, destroyers weaving through the waves in pursuit.
1941: British Push in North Africa
January 30, 1941. Operation Compass ground forward, the British 7th Armoured Division crushing Italian resistance in Libya. Lieutenant General Richard O’Connor, his forces relentless, seized key positions near Mechili. Italian morale crumbled.
1942: Battle of the Atlantic and Pacific Struggles
January 30, 1942. The Battle of the Atlantic raged on. German U-boat U-333, commanded by Peter-Erich Cremer, prowled the waters, seeking Allied shipping. That night, off the coast of Newfoundland, it struck, torpedoing the British merchant vessel Lindenhall. The ship went down quickly in the icy Atlantic, with only a handful of survivors. Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Japanese forces tightened their grip on the Philippines, advancing steadily toward Manila as American and Filipino defenders fought desperate rear-guard actions.
1943: Stalingrad’s Endgame
January 30, Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus, once Hitler’s golden boy, sat in a bombed-out building. Stalingrad was lost, his 6th Army crushed. Hitler ordered him to die rather than surrender. Paulus, knowing better than to listen, prepared to give himself up to Vasily Chuikov’s Soviet 62nd Army.
1944: Battle for Italy Continues
The Italian front was a brutal meat grinder. The US 5th Army, led by Mark Clark, inched forward near Cassino. At Anzio, their precarious beachhead faced relentless German counterattacks. Every inch was fought for, paid in blood.
1945: German ship Wilhelm Gustloff Torpedoed-Greatest Disaster of Maritime History
Photo Courtesy: britannica.com
With the Soviet Red Army closing in, Hitler made his last-ever public radio broadcast. He urged Germans to fight to the death. Meanwhile, tragedy struck at sea. On the frigid night of January 30, 1945, the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff, packed with over 10,000 refugees, wounded soldiers, and naval personnel, was torpedoed by Soviet submarine S-13, commanded by Captain Alexander Marinesko. Within an hour, the ship sank in the icy waters of the Baltic Sea, claiming over 9,000 lives—the worst maritime disaster in history. Even as Nazi Germany faced its downfall, suffering continued on all fronts. The Allies, relentless, pushed toward Berlin, and the Third Reich’s days were numbered.
Indo-Pak War of 1947-48: January 30
The war neared its climax. Brigadier Usman, hero of 50 Para Brigade, bolstered defenses at Naushera, repelling Pakistani tribal forces. Meanwhile, in Delhi, tragedy struck. Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation, was assassinated by Nathuram Godse. The war continued, but India mourned.
US-Vietnam War: January 30 Events (1960-1975)
1968: The Tet Offensive Ignites
Boom! At midnight, the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese NVA launched the Tet Offensive. Over 100 cities across South Vietnam erupted in chaos. In Saigon, the US Embassy was stormed. 101st Airborne Division fought bitterly in Kontum, while Marines in Hue fought from street to street.
The Tet Offensive was a military campaign that took place in South Vietnam during the Vietnamese lunar new year holiday, or “Tet”, in 1968. The offensive was a major escalation in the Vietnam War and a turning point in the conflict.
Photo Courtesy: washingtonpost.com
What happened?
- The offensive began on January 30, 1968, with surprise attacks on South Vietnamese cities, military installations, and civilian centers.
- The offensive was carried out by the North Vietnamese People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and the Viet Cong (VC) .
- The offensive targeted major cities like Huế and Saigon, as well as populated areas with heavy U.S. troop presence.
- The offensive included the siege of Khe Sanh, a U.S. Marine Corps base in northwestern South Vietnam.
- The offensive was a tactical victory for the United States and South Vietnam, but it had a significant psychological impact on the American public.
Why was it important?
- The offensive weakened U.S. public support for the war.
- The offensive convinced many Americans that the situation in Vietnam was worse than they had imagined.
- The offensive was a major escalation in the war and a turning point in the conflict.
What was the name from?
- The name “Tet” is a truncated version of the Vietnamese name for the Lunar New Year festival, Tết Nguyên Đán.
1971: Operation Dewey Canyon
Photo Courtesy: cherrieswriter.com
The US 1st Marine Division, supported by the 9th Marine Regiment, launched one of the most audacious offensives of the Vietnam War. Deep in the A Shau Valley, the Marines pushed into Laos to sever North Vietnamese supply lines along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The battle was intense, as the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) had heavily fortified the area, utilizing an intricate network of bunkers, tunnels, and anti-aircraft positions.
The Marines encountered fierce resistance from the NVA 9th Regiment and NVA 29th Regiment, battle-hardened troops who had fought in multiple engagements. The NVA, supported by anti-aircraft artillery battalions and sapper units, launched ambushes and counterattacks, exploiting the dense jungle terrain to their advantage. Despite overwhelming firepower from US air and artillery strikes, the Vietnamese troops used their knowledge of the terrain to outmaneuver and harass the Marines at every turn.
In one of the most harrowing moments of the battle, Sergeant Alfredo Gonzalez, a squad leader in Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, led his men through enemy fire, personally destroying multiple machine-gun nests before being mortally wounded. His courage under fire earned him the Medal of Honor, a testament to his selflessness and heroism.
Despite sustaining heavy casualties, the NVA forces continued their resistance, retreating only when it was strategically necessary to preserve their combat strength for future battles. The operation demonstrated the effectiveness of helicopter-borne assaults, but also exposed the limitations of US military strategy, as the NVA reoccupied the area soon after the Americans withdrew. The battle underscored the resilience and tactical skill of the North Vietnamese forces, who turned seemingly unfavorable odds into strategic advantages through their knowledge of terrain and unconventional warfare tactics.
Gulf War (1990) and US-Iraq War (2003) on January 30
1991: Battle of Khafji Erupts
Photo Courtesy: usmcu.edu
January 30, Iraqi forces launched a major counterattack at Khafji, the first significant ground engagement of the Gulf War. The assault began when elements of the Iraqi 5th Mechanized Division and 3rd Armored Division surged across the Saudi border, seizing the small town of Khafji. Saudi and Qatari forces, supported by US Marines of Task Force Ripper from the 1st Marine Division, engaged in fierce urban combat. US air power and artillery played a crucial role in halting Iraqi advances, while Saudi National Guard units fought to reclaim the city. Amid the chaos, Corporal Jeffrey Nashton, despite severe wounds, repeatedly risked his life to extract injured comrades, earning the Silver Star for his gallantry. After intense fighting, coalition forces repelled the Iraqis by February 1, marking a decisive victory that showcased the effectiveness of combined air-ground operations in modern warfare.
2003: The Shadow of War
January 30, the war hadn’t started, but it was written. In Kuwait, the 3rd Infantry Division and 1st Marine Expeditionary Force readied themselves. The invasion of Iraq was mere weeks away.
