Saturday 2 August 1941

Two Finnish soldiers manning a Maxim machine gun, August 2, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

Eastern Front: Japanese Ambassador to Germany Oshima cables Tokyo on 2 August 1941 with news about the Eastern Front. He reports that an unnamed Swedish reporter who claims to have visited the front in the Baranovichi area has related that, while Germany must inevitably triumph over the Soviet Union, not everything is going well for the Wehrmacht. The Red Air Force remains powerful, and the Red Army has substantial reserves that it is throwing into the front around Leningrad. The reporter also relates to Oshima that German officers he has talked with already have noticed US tanks and planes being used in the Volga and Siberia areas.

Oshima's report also notes that:

Germany's greatest ordeals have been the result of guerrilla tactics used by the Soviet soldiers and civilian inhabitants. There is a thickly wooded area in the Pripet swamps. There are many, many remaining troops taking refuge in it. A German force endeavored to rout them, but knowing nothing of the area, failed completely.

The report seems grounded in solid fact (though the presence of US equipment at this time is questionable). The German offensive has prospered by sticking to the roads and quickly heading east to capture cities and Soviet military bases. This strategy, however, has the inherent drawback of leaving many Soviet troops and even entire units in the rear areas, fully capable of resisting and even taking offensive action against nearby Wehrmacht units and bases. Perhaps most tellingly, the German officers are surprised and even worried because captured Soviet troops remain loyal to the Stalin regime and appear committed to continuing their guerrilla warfare even if Moscow falls.

A Finnish patrol leader’s kit, including a KP-31 submachine gun, grenades, and a Luger pistol, August 2, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

In the Army Group North sector, German 16th Army (Colonel General Ernst Busch) continues attacking Staray Russa below Lake Ilmen.

In the Army Group Center sector, General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 attacks toward Roslavl as it heads south on Hitler's express orders to help with the conquest of Kiev. The Soviet, meanwhile, ramp up their attacks on the advanced German "lightning rod" position at Yelnya.

In the Army Group South sector, after many days of very hard fighting, Panzer Group 1 (General Ewald von Kleist) completes the encirclement at Uman. This happens when German XLVIII Corps (General Kempf) hooks up with German 17th Field Army (General Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel). The closure southwest of Uman is all the more dangerous to the trapped Soviet forces because 16th Panzer Division and Hungarian Mechanized Corps (Gyorshadtest) also are close to forming a second, separate closure at Pervomaisk. The Soviets have parts of 20 divisions of their 6th, 12th, and 18th armies inside the pocket, including four corps commanders and 11 division commanders. Resistance does continue until about 8 August. However, except for small parties, the Soviets trapped today are unable to break out, and 103,000 Soviet soldiers go into captivity.

Young Finnish soldiers marching to the front. Laamala, August 2, 1941.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command sends 24 Blenheim bombers on Rhubarb coastal sweeps during the day between Cherbourg and Texel. The British lose one plane. Another attack is made on Kiel with three Fortresses. Kiel takes light damage, with one person killed and 9 injured, and all the Fortresses make it back to base.

During the night, RAF Bomber Command goes back into action in a big way after about a week of unsettled weather and light operations. There are multiple raids, as the British believe in diversionary raids to distract the Luftwaffe night fighters. It is one of the RAF's biggest efforts of the war to date but produces only modest returns.

The main British attack is on Hamburg with 80 bombers (58 Wellingtons, 21 Whitleys, 1 Stirling). They lose two Wellingtons. Hamburg takes moderate damage, with 5 dead, 38 wounded and 738 made homeless. Five large fires and five other small fires break out, some of which burn throughout the night.

A secondary attack on Berlin is made by 53 aircraft (40 Wellingtons, 8 Halifaxes, and 5 Stirlings). The sky still is a bit opaque and bombing accuracy is poor. The British lose 3 Wellingtons and one Stirling.

Another attack is made on Kiel by 50 Hampdens. The British lose five planes. The damage to Kiel is light, with one injury and one house hit, though the RAF pilots claim that the raid is a great success on the dockyards area.

The RAF also sends 20 Wellingtons to Cherbourg, but little is accomplished there because of low-lying clouds. In addition, five Hampdens are sent to lay mines off of Kiel. There are no losses from these operations.

Overall, for 208 sorties, the RAF loses 11 aircraft during the night. This works out to a 5.3% loss rate, which is at the upper margins of sustainable losses.

RAF No. 129 Squadron (Mysore), equipped with Supermarine Spitfires at RAF Leconfield, becomes operational and its pilots quickly shoot down a Junkers Ju-88 near Flamborough Head. No. 129 Squadron is named after an Indian province in recognition of the Indian government raising substantial sums of money for the war effort. However, it is not manned by Indian pilots.

A Finnish soldier looks down the sights of a 20mm Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifle, 2 August 1941 (SA-Kuva). At this time, a 20-mm anti-tank weapon is still capable of destroying most armor except for Soviet KV tanks. A well-placed round could blow off a tread or penetrate the rear or the sides of most tanks.

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet submarine S-11 hits a mine and sinks in the Soela Väin Strait, Estonia (between Saaremaa and Hiiumaa). There are 44 deaths and three survivors. The submarine is raised after the war and scrapped. Soviet submarine M-99 also sinks around this time due to mines.

German 2nd S-Boat Flotilla lays 36 TMB mines off Cape Rista in the Gulf of Finland.

The Luftwaffe (KG4) drops 22 aerial mines north of Moon Sound, 15 east of Moon Sound, and 18 LMB mines west of Worms Island.

Finnish submarine Veshiisi (Lt. Cdr. Kijanen) lays eighteen mines in Minefield F.17 east of Odensholm.

Experts of the British Ministry of aircraft production examine a Bf 109F forced down near Kent, England, August 2, 1941. (AP Photo).

Battle of the Atlantic: The Royal Navy finally concedes that Operation EF, the Force K attack on Kirkenes and Petsamo, has turned into a liability when it spots German reconnaissance shadowing the fleet. The Admiralty calls off a planned attack on Hammerfest, Norway due to inability to maintain surprise and heads for home.

The RAF bombs and sinks Dutch pilot boat Loodsboot No. 12 west of Den Helder.

German guard ship H 855 Stoomloodsvaartuig 12 sinks, perhaps due to an RAF attack.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 1110-ton British freighter Koolga about 20 km off Great Yarmouth. It makes it to Great Yarmouth under tow on the 3rd.

Two Dutch tankers, 8252-ton Murena and 2068-ton Rozenburg, collide at Halifax, Nova Scotia. The bigger ship usually wins in such situations, and that is the case this time, as Rozenburg goes to the bottom.

Some sources pin the Luftwaffe bombing of British freighter Trident to today, while others list it on 1 August.

U-204 (Kptlt Walter Kell) spots Convoy SL-81 in the North Atlantic and informs U-boat headquarters in Paris.

US Navy battleship USS New Mexico (BB-40) returns to New London, Connecticut from a neutrality patrol.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Tadoussac is launched, submarine HMS P-48 and minesweeper Wedgeport are laid down.

Canadian minesweeper HMCS Minas (Lt. Commander Lt. James B. Lamb) is commissioned.

US Navy light cruiser USS Miami is laid down in Philadelphia.

U-154 (Korvettenkapitän Walther Kölle) is commissioned.

Liberty magazine, 2 August 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: There is a brief stir on the usually static Tobruk perimeter when two Australian companies attack Italian positions, supported by a heavy artillery barrage of over 60 guns. The Australians are attempting to recover some tactically useful territory lost during the May fighting but fails with heavy casualties. The Italian 7th Bersaglieri Regiment holds its ground against the Australian 2/43rd and 2/28th Battalions.

Operation Style, a convoy mission to Malta, continues. Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal launches a load of Hurricanes to Malta. Light cruisers Arethusa and Hermione continue on to Malta with fast minelayer Manxman and destroyers Lightning and Sikh, unloading collectively 54 officers and 970 other ranks, along with 130 tons of supplies. All of the ships unload quickly and the entire force, including Ark Royal, returns to Gibraltar.

During the afternoon, Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Hermione, sailing with the Operation Style ships, spots a submarine shadowing the convoy. It rams and sinks Italian submarine Tembien off Tunis.

The Luftwaffe attacks Australian destroyer Vendetta and Royal Navy destroyer Havock off Tobruk during the night supply run. However, South African fighters drive the Germans off. Both sides lose about three planes.

Battle of the Black Sea: Soviet submarine L-5 (Lt Cdr Zhdanov) lays 14 mines off Mangalia, Romania.

Battle of the Pacific: Dutch patrol boat Bellatrix seizes Vichy French vessel Dupleix and gives it to the Netherlands East Indies naval forces for use.

To make a point about the consequences of unlawful communications with England, the Germans post this notice (in English, right) in the Channel Islands about a Frenchman being executed on 2 August 1941. In fact, someone on the Channel Islands will at one point also be shot for supposedly using carrier pigeons to communicate with England.

Spy Stuff: The Japanese continue to keep a close eye on US activities across the Pacific. Interest is keen on US intentions given the recent imposition of sanctions on Japan. The Japanese embassy in Manila reassures Tokyo that the number of planes flying over Manila has decreased considerably, and the US planes flying over the Philippines have not been camouflaged or otherwise altered in a war-like fashion. This information helps to defuse tensions in Tokyo.

The Japanese also are spying on US fleet movements in the Atlantic. Tokyo receives a report today from its spies in Cuba stating the composition of US naval forces in Guantanamo Bay from 16-24 July 1941: two battleships, four light cruisers, four destroyers, two Coast Guard cutters, and two bombers.

US/Japanese Relations: The economic sanctions imposed by President Roosevelt on Japan recently have caught some ships at sea without instructions as to how to proceed. Tatsuta Maru sits off San Francisco Bay with a load of $2.5 million of raw silk, but the captain refuses to make port without assurances that the US government will not seize his cargo. A Japanese liner, 16,975-ton Asama Maru, is sailing about 980 miles north of Honolulu but also is unsure how to proceed.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry scrambles to come up with a solution. Finally, it instructs Tatsuta Maru to stop at Honolulu. It also orders freighter Heian Maru at Seattle to proceed to Vancouver and unload there.

Japanese Ambassador Nomura has a conversation with an unidentified US Cabinet member. As Nomura informs Tokyo after the meeting:

The United States is trying to restrain Japan, first of all, by waging an economic war... [T]he United States is at the same time making military preparations against the possible eventuality of a clash of arms... That the Russo-German war is lasting longer than expected has proved to be an advantage to the United States... The cabinet member believes firmly in the necessity of this war lasting for several years for the reason that due to destruction of her men and materials, and due to the shortage o foil, Germany would not be able to do anything on a great scale even after the fighting on the Eastern Front has come to an end.

This, of course, proves prophetic, but not exactly in the manner intended.

Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Kleczynski (holding cane) with his ground crew of RAF No. 305 Polish bomber squadron in front of a Wellington (Lindholme, August 2, 1941). Kleczynski Papers, Box 2, Hoover Institution Archives.

US/Dutch Relations: US Army Air Force General Henry Clagett arrives in Java to coordinate future air operations with the local Dutch authorities and to survey airfields and base sites.

US/Soviet Relations: President Roosevelt's personal emissary to the Soviet Union, Harry Hopkins, announces that he has arranged with Joseph Stalin for the commencement of US lend-lease shipments to the Soviet Union.

Chinese/Soviet Relations: The local Soviet army in Outer Mongolia orders the Chinese Communist forces under Liu Po-Chao to transfer to Suihoku, which the Chinese do. This is the beginning of cooperation between Soviet and Chinese forces. The Soviets also promise to provide supplies to the Chinese via Outer Mongolia, which the Chinese help to transport.

Japanese/Thai Relations: The Japanese reach an agreement with the Thai government in which the Thaiese authorities will extend a letter of credit worth 10 million bahta to finance Japanese purchases of Thai goods. This enables trade to continue between the two nations despite the recent economic sanctions imposed by the United States and Great Britain.

Oliver Wendell Harrington, The Amsterdam News, 2 August 1941. "That jive he's playin' on his tooter may not be in the army manual, Major, but that's the only way we can get them cats up in the mornin'." This cartoon plays upon the idea in the Andrew Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," recorded on 2 January 1941 and included in the Abbott and Costello film "Buck Privates, released in January 1941.

Japanese/Dutch Relations: Due to heightened tensions and the Dutch impositions of sanctions, Japanese nationals in the Dutch East Indies are fleeing the territory, swarming shipping agencies for passage back to Japan. The Netherlands Indies do relent just a bit on the sanctions recently imposed on Japan in conjunction with the United States and Great Britain. The Dutch allow one shipment of rubber, tin, and Ilmenite. The Japanese, meanwhile, are putting pressure on the Dutch by restricting food shipments from French Indo-China.

Japanese/Croatian Relations: Croatia, an Italian puppet state, officially recognizes the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.

Anglo/Japanese Relations: The subject of British aid to China is a sore spot for the Japanese. Tokyo receives a report from Shanghai today revealing that the British are cooperating closely with Chinese military authorities.

Anglo/Finnish Relations: Having broken relations with Finland on the 1st, the Royal Navy extends its blockade of Europe to include the northern Finnish ports. For the moment, this is somewhat symbolic, as the British have nowhere nearby to supply their ships that far north.

Anglo/Iran/Afghani Relations: The British demand that Iran and Afghanistan expel all German nationals immediately. Having retained Iraq, the British feel they are in a strong position in the Middle East. Some Germans caught in Iraq have escaped to Iran and Afghanistan, but, still, there are very few there.

Errol Flynn on his yacht "Scirocco," 2 August 1941. There later are unproven allegations that Flynn was a German sympathizer at this time.

German/Italian Relations: The Italian Pasubio Infantry Division and Torino Infantry Division move to the Eastern Front in the Army Group South region. However, they do not see combat at this time.

Japanese Military: The Nakajima Ki-43-I Hayabusa ("Peregrine Falcon," or "Oscar" in US military nomenclature) begins arriving at the Japanese 59th Flight Regiment (FR) at Hankow Airfield. The pilots begin training with the new plane, which will see operational use beginning on 29 October 1941.

Soviet Military: The NKVD is given orders to shoot on sight anyone suspected of injuring themselves to avoid combat. This is a pet suspicion of Joseph Stalin, who also suspects cowardly troops of sabotaging their own equipment. Deserters, meaning anyone walking away from the battlefield, already are subject to summary execution.

British Military: The British open a mosque in London for Muslim soldiers serving in the British armed forces.

US Military: The U.S. War Department dedicated the Millville Army Air Field (MAAF) as “America’s First Defense Airport.” The Millville, New Jersey airport serves as a gunnery school for fighter pilots, with training first conducted in the Curtiss P-40F Warhawk, then for most of the war in the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.

US Government: With trade severed between the United States and Japan, rayon (some forms are called "artificial silk") imported from Japan suddenly is in short supply. The US government thus decides to ration rayon.

Hildesheim Marketplace, showing the Town Hall, 2 August 1941 (Proietti, Ugo, Federal Archive, Bild 212-274).

German Government: In the early morning hours, after the midnight conference, Hitler sits around with his cronies expostulating on random topics as he often likes to do. Today, his topic is bureaucracy:

It's certain that we have a clean, incorruptible administration, but it's also too punctilious. It's over-organized, and, at least in certain sectors, it's overloaded. Its principal fault is that nobody in it is seeking for success and that it includes too many people without responsibility. Our functionaries fear initiative worse than anything else — and what a way they have of behaving as if they were nailed to their office chairs! We have much more elasticity in the army, with the exception of one sector of the Wehrmacht than in these civilian sectors. And that although the salaries are often inadequate!

Some neutral observers would likely agree that the World War II German bureaucracy is over-organized. However, that also, in the view of some, is one source of the efficiency of Wehrmacht divisions, which are very good at logistics and planning.

Rexist leader Léon Degrelle (center) during his medical examination on August 2, 1941, before his departure to the Eastern Front. Degrelle is one of Hitler's favorites - reportedly (accordingly to Degrelle after the war, at least), Hitler likes to say that if he had a son, he wishes it would be someone like Degrelle. The notation on the back of the photo reads: "Medical examination of the Walloon volunteers for the anti-Bolshevist front."

Holocaust: Germans massacre a large number of Jews at Ponary, Lithuania, allegedly numbering in the thousands.

Germans kill approximately 200 Jews at Kovno, Lithuania. This massacre apparently includes an American Jewish woman.

Norwegian Homefront: The German occupation authorities confiscate all civilian radios that they can find. However, as in other occupied nations, many remain used with great secrecy to listen to the BBC, which is considered a much more accurate source of news than German or Norwegian radio broadcasts.

American Homefront: The first Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, designated V-1650-1, rolls off the assembly line. It is a version of the Mark XX generating 1,390 hp (1,040 kW). It is intended for the Curtiss P-40F and XP-60 fighters. Packard Motor Car Company is producing the Merlin under license from Rolls Royce that was granted in September 1940. Rolls Royce made an order for $130 million worth of the engines. Packard will produce a total of 55,523 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines under license during World War II. Some remain in use well into the 21st Century.

Picture Post, 2 August 1941. Is this the prettiest face in films? The magazine answers that question with a "yes." It is US actress Veronica Lake.

August 1941
August 1, 1941: More Executions on Crete
August 2, 1941: Uman Encirclement Closes
August 3, 1941: Bishop von Galen Denounces Euthanasia
August 4, 1941: Hitler at the Front
August 5, 1941: Soviets Surrender at Smolensk 
August 6, 1941: U-Boats in the Arctic
August 7, 1941: Soviets Bomb Berlin
August 8, 1941: Uman Pocket Captured
August 9, 1941: Atlantic Conference at Placentia Bay
August 10, 1941: Soviet Bombers Mauled Over Berlin
August 11, 1941: Rita Hayworth in Life
August 12, 1941: Atlantic Charter Announced
August 13, 1941: The Soybean Car
August 14, 1941: The Anders Army Formed
August 15, 1941: Himmler at Minsk
August 16, 1941: Stalin's Order No. 270
August 17, 1941: Germans in Novgorod
August 18, 1941: Lili Marleen
August 19, 1941: Convoy OG-71 Destruction
August 20, 1941: Siege of Leningrad Begins
August 21, 1941: Stalin Enraged
August 22, 1941: Germans Take Cherkassy
August 23, 1941: Go to Kiev
August 24, 1941: Finns Surround Viipuri
August 25, 1941: Iran Invaded
August 26, 1941: The Bridge Over the Desna
August 27, 1941: Soviets Evacuate Tallinn
August 28, 1941: Evacuating Soviets Savaged
August 29, 1941: Finns take Viipuri
August 30, 1941: Operation Acid
August 31, 1941: Mannerheim Says No

2020

Monday 17 March 1941

The Marit Maersk arrives at Piræus, Greece, on 17 March 1941.

Italian/Greek Campaign: There is a pause in operations on 17 March 1941, as the Italian high command regroups before resuming their failed Primavera Offensive. The Greeks use the time to bring forward reserves. They replace the battered 1st Division with the 17th. So far, Italian casualties have outpaced Greek losses by roughly 3-1 - but Greek losses have not been insignificant.

The British reinforcement of Greece, Operation Lustre, continues. The New Zealand 4th Infantry Brigade arrives at Athens today from Alexandria.

East African Campaign: The Italian counterattacks at Keren continue today. The British still occupy Fort Dologorodoc and the Pinnacle and Pimple formations to the right of the Dongolaas Gorge, but further advances are becoming difficult. The British 29th Brigade does capture Falestoh and Zeban near the fort, but bringing supplies over the exposed rock, with the Italians in the heights above raining fire down on everyone making the trip, proves too difficult. After dark today, the advanced British troops abandon Falestoh and Zeban. The Italians also launch rabid counterattacks against Fort Dologorodoc which the 5th Indian Division has difficulty fighting off.

On the left side of the gorge, things are even less satisfactory for the British. The 4th Indian Division has been attacking the Sanchil heights without progress. Finally, after dark tonight when the lack of light makes crossing the open areas less dangerous, the Indian troops retreat to their original jump-off positions. The Indian troops retain a few new areas, such as Hog's Back and Flat Top, but the Italian troops are counterattacking everywhere. The fighting is desperate and savage, often descending into hand-to-hand fighting with knives and whatever else is handy.

In central Abyssinia, Lt. General Cunningham's 23rd Nigerian Brigade of the British 1st African Division troops finally capture Jijiga after a long struggle. They only are able to do this because the strong Italian defensive forces in the town have abandoned it. The British troops now have advanced 1000 miles from Kenya, but Abyssinia still remains unsubdued. Jijiga is to become a British base until after the war.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe bombs Bristol again, continuing its pattern of hitting the same medium-sized city multiple times in a row. Tonight, 162 planes hit the Avonmouth district. RAF Bomber Command sends 58 bombers against Bremen and 21 against Wilhelmshaven, where they can waste their bombs against perpetual target Tirpitz.

Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke (8 March 1912 – 17 March 1941).

Battle of the Atlantic: Talk about highs and lows. The Kriegsmarine has just had one of the best days it will have during the entire war. Heavy cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst have devastated a convoy of shipping and escaped unscathed, while U-99 captain Otto Kretschmer has fired eight torpedoes and sunk five ships. It just doesn't get much better than that. However, now we get a lesson in how fickle the fortunes of war are, and how quickly victory can turn into a calamity.

Otto Kretschmer.

Kretschmer performed his stunning surface attack on Convoy HX 112 shortly before midnight on the 16th. Out of torpedoes, now the U-boat's only objective is to get out of town without being seen. Around midnight, though, his Watch Officer spots an escort destroyer (either HMS Vanoc or Walker) and orders a dive. This is contrary to standing orders, as once submerged, the U-boat can be detected on ASDIC. This in fact happens, and Kretschmer takes the U-boat deep to avoid the depth charges. However, one of the charges seriously damages the U-boat, forcing it to surface. On the surface, the two destroyers open fire with their guns, and Kretschmer, in a panic, signals:

CAPTAIN TO CAPTAIN. I AM SUNKING [sic] PLEASE RESCUE MY CREW.

Forty crew manage to escape and become POWs, including Kretschmer, while three crew (including the engineering officer who re-entered the sinking sub to scuttle it) perish. Captain Macintyre of the Walker takes credit for the sinking.

That is only the beginning of the Germans' bad night.

U-100 (Kptlt. Joachim Schepke) also has been drawn to Convoy by U-boat command (BdU). Captain Schepke approaches HX-112 from behind. Having to make up ground, he is on the surface by necessity, not a choice as in the case with Kretschmer. HMS Vanoc detects U-100 from about 1000 meters/yards with its Type 286 radar. This is the first such interception of a U-boat using radar - not a first that Schepke would want to be any part of. Vanoc hurries over as Schepke dives and manages to ram the U-boat before it can reach a safe depth. Schepke perishes along with 47 of his mates, while six men survive.

Schepke's and Kretschmer's losses to the U-boat fleet, along with Guenther Prien's loss ten days ago, are devastating to the U-boat fleet. The German military is based on stars and supporting players - there are "experten" and everyone else. In other words, the quality of the services depends upon a broad but very thin layer of aces who excel far beyond others. Prien, Schepke, and Kretschmer are impossible to replace, not because the U-boat doesn't have other good captains - it does - but all three have that "something special" that can't be taught. Kretschmer, in particular, has been like a quarterback on a good football team, directing other U-boats in attacks even when his boat is out of torpedoes and simply observing. Some put today as the end of the first U-boat "Happy Time," when the going is good and U-boat losses are low.

Dutch freighter Tapanoeli, sunk today by U-106.

While it is a bad night for the Kriegsmarine and the entire German war effort, there are some bright spots. Far to the south, about 350 km off the coast of West Africa, U-106 (Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten) is having what is turning into a splendid second patrol. It attacks Convoy SL 68 and sinks two ships:

• 3082 ton British freighter Andalusian (all rescued)
• 7034 ton Dutch freighter Tapanoeli (all rescued)

Oesten also attacks two other ships but misses.

Having just completed perhaps the most complete convoy destruction to date on 15-16 March, Gneisenau and Scharnhorst head away from the scene of devastation. Admiral Lütjens plans to rendezvous with supply ships Uckermark and Ermland, then head for port Brest in France. The Royal Navy has Force H out of Gibraltar at sea looking for them.

Having obtained its seaplanes and stocked up with supplies at Kiel, the German battleship Bismarck departs from Kiel and makes port at Gdynia (Gotenhafen) today.

German raider Kormoran and U-124 now have sailed far enough southwest (1150 miles southwest of the Cape Verde Islands) to find somewhat calmer waters and affect their supply transfer with cruiser Admiral Scheer. U-124 has brought radar parts for the German cruiser, but the seas remain too rough for Kormoran to transfer its eight torpedoes to the U-boat.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy 597-ton anti-submarine yacht HMY Mollusc a few kilometers from Blyth Port War Signal Station. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2848-ton British freighter Cormead off Southwold and 281-ton British pilot cutter Pioneer in the Thames Estuary.

Norwegian 1858-ton freighter Einar Jarl hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea off Wormiston, Scotland. There is one death.

The Royal Navy's 1st Minelaying Squadron sets out from Loch Alsh to lay minefield SN 69. Minelayer Teviotbank, back in service after being damaged by the Luftwaffe, lays minefield BS 51 off the English East Coast.

Convoy OG 56 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX 115 departs from Halifax.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Dianthus (K 95, Lt. Commander Clement E. Bridgman) is commissioned, corvette HMCS Kamloops (K 176, Lt. James M. Gillison) is commissioned, and destroyer KNM Arendal (Hunt-class destroyer HMS Badsworth) and minesweeping trawler Orfsay are launched.

U-218 is laid down.

KNM Arendal (HMS Badsworth).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Lieutenant General Rommel's Afrika Korps continues to receive additions to its troop strength. Rommel is feeling increasingly confident, and today he sends a message to an Italian garrison at Giarabub in southeastern Libya. He tells the Italians not to surrender to the Free French because he will soon send troops to their rescue.

The RAF (Swordfish of Squadron No. 815) torpedo and sink Italian torpedo boat Andromeda in the Adriatic off Valona (Vlorë), Albania.

The Regia Aeronautica attacks Benghazi.

Convoy AG 6A departs from Alexandria bound for Piraeus, Convoy BN 20 departs from Aden bound for Suez.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin continues its replenishment operations in the Kerguelen Islands alongside supply ship Adjutant. The ship takes water from a waterfall to replenish its water tanks.

Convoy BM 5 departs from Bombay.

US/Australian Relations: With the visit to Australia by Rear Admiral John H. Newton, Commander Cruisers Scouting Force, approved for 20 March, the US sends a small detachment ahead to New Zealand. Captain Ellis S. Stone leads TG 9.2 to Auckland. They will remain there until Newton's main force makes the journey toward Sydney, at which point TG 9.2 will head to Tahiti.

German/Turkish Relations: Hitler meets with the Turkish ambassador. The Turks want nothing to do with this war, on either side, despite offers of all kinds of inducements.

A colorized photo of Grand Admiral Karl Donitz. The U-boat fleet was very close-knit, and losing two top commanders on one night in one action would have been deeply felt by Donitz and others in the service. There was nothing redeeming about the loss of Schepke and Kretschmer for anyone in the Kriegsmarine.

US Military: The US Navy Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics gives the go-ahead for research into jet propulsion. It creates a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) board that will evaluate research into jet propulsion. The NACA goals for jet propulsion are quite modest at this stage in the United States, with useful applications being seen primarily in Jet Assisted TakeOff (JATO) areas, not jet-powered planes themselves. NACA, of course, is the direct antecedent of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

British Military: Air Vice-Marshal Richard Saul, Air Officer Commanding No. 12 Group (the successor to Trafford Leigh-Mallory) is made Companion of the Order of the Bath.

Greenland: The United States South Greenland Survey Expedition leaves Boston, Massachusetts today aboard US Coast Guard cutter USCGC Cayuga. The objective is to map Greenland for sites for things like airstrips and meteorological stations. Having declared itself a self-governing territory in 1940, Greenland currently is under United States protection.

Channel Islands: The occupation of the Channel Islands by the Germans has been, for the most part, a smooth affair. However, the island is indeed occupied and the Germans are authorized to apply harsh punishments in the Channel Islands just like anywhere else. Today, Frenchman Francois Scornet, 22, of Brittany is executed in Jersey. Scornet is a French Army Cadet who fled to the Channel Islands upon the Fall of France. In fact, he had intended to reach England but got lost in a storm. Scornet, who the Germans describe as the "ringleader" of a group of 16 such refugees, is shot as a symbolic act, as a way to "send a message" to others thinking of fleeing German occupation. Scornet will be the only civilian executed by firing squad in Jersey during the war.

China: The Japanese attack the Chinese lines in the Battle of Shanggao in the direction of Haulintsai and Shangfutsun. The Chinese are well dug-in, though, and the Japanese take heavy casualties. The day ends with the lines little changed, but many dead and dying on both sides.

The military situation in Europe and the Mediterranean in early 1941, from Life magazine, March 17, 1941. Interestingly, the map includes the notation for North Africa, "German troops and tanks stiffen Italian resistance." Life notices this, but the British high command does not give this much importance.

British Homefront: The British already have rationed things like tea, and completely eliminated bananas. Now, they add some more quintessentially British foodstuffs to the ration list with jam and marmalade, which is limited to 8 oz. (225) per person per month. While that might seem perfectly adequate and even generous... the British love their marmalade and jam on scones.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies, in England for a few months, visits the Rolls Royce plant at Derby. He notes that there are "Many women employed on hard work. Music half an hour morning & afternoon. Everyone likes it 'except a few old fogies.'"

German Homefront: The German government maintains close tabs on trends in public sentiment as reflected in things like currently popular jokes and commodities. The reports now indicate that foreign-language prophecies are popular in churches that describe this as the time in Germany of a "dreadful warrior" who will be called the "Antichrist." As is often the case with these reports, the meaning of the jibe is open to interpretation - the fact that other nations call the German leader names may mean he is threatening them while helping Germany. On the other hand, taken literally, the suddenly popular prophecy may mean that people everywhere - and including Germany - are starting to view Hitler extremely negatively. Overall, it does not seem like a positive thing for the government that words like "Antichrist" are being thrown around about Germany's leader.

American Homefront: President Roosevelt dedicates the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Future History: Paul Lorin Kantner is born in San Francisco, California. As a teenager, Kantner becomes a protest folk singer. He drops out of school and begins performing full time. In 1965, he meets Marty Balin, and together they form a band called Jefferson Airplane. Kantner writes many of the band's songs as well as playing rhythm guitar and singing. Jefferson Airplane has many hits in the '60s and is the main attraction at festivals at Monterey, Altamont, and Woodstock. He begins collaborating in more ways than one with fellow bandmate Grace Slick, and together have daughter China Wing Kantner in 1971. The band continues into the 1980s, at which it has the first of many name changes, to Jefferson Starship. Kantner, the last founding member of Jefferson still left with the band, leaves in 1984, forcing the name change. Kantner and his Jefferson Airplane bandmates are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Paul Kantner passed away on 28 January 2016.

Henry Ford on the cover of Time Magazine, March 17, 1941, | Vol. XXXVII No. 11. Cover Credit: ERNEST HAMLIN BAKER. Ford will be a key player during the war, as his production plants will be the core of the United States as the "Arsenal of Democracy."

March 1941

March 1, 1941: Rettungsboje
March 2, 1941: Oath of Kufra
March 3, 1941: Germans in Bulgaria
March 4, 1941: Lofoten Islands Raid
March 5, 1941: Cooperation With Japan
March 6, 1941: Battle of Atlantic
March 7, 1941: Prien Goes Under
March 8, 1941: Cafe de Paris
March 9, 1941: Italian Spring Offensive
March 10, 1941: Humanitarian Aid
March 11, 1941: Lend Lease Become Law
March 12, 1941: A New Magna Carta
March 13, 1941: Clydeside Wrecked
March 14, 1941: Leeds Blitz
March 15, 1941: Cruisers Strike!
March 16, 1941: Kretschmer Attacks
March 17, 1941: Happy Time Ends
March 18, 1941: Woolton Pie
March 19, 1941: London Hit Hard
March 20, 1941: Romeo and Juliet
March 21, 1941: Plymouth Blitz
March 22, 1941: Grand Coulee Dam
March 23, 1941: Malta Under Siege
March 24, 1941: Afrika Korps Strikes!
March 25, 1941: Yugoslavia Joins The Party
March 26, 1941: Barchini Esplosivi
March 27, 1941: Belgrade Coup
March 28, 1941: Cape Matapan Battle
March 29, 1941: Lindbergh Rants
March 30, 1941: Commissar Order
March 31, 1941: Cookie Bombs

2020

Thursday 4 July 1940

A bomb at the New York City World's Fair on 4 July 1940 kills two policemen. The incident remains unsolved and is a prime example of terrorism in the United States decades ago.

European Air Operations: Today is sometimes referred to as the beginning of the Kanalkampf, or English Channel Battle. The battles are said to take place on the Kanalfront.

The German recently have been focusing on British convoys sailing north past Spain and France, but today, 4 July 1940, they score some major successes at England itself with Convoy OA178. Kriegsmarine E-boats join with 33 Stukas of III/StG51 to mangle a British convoy at Portland, sinking auxiliary anti-aircraft vessel HMS Foyle Bank (157 men rescued, 176 crew lost), tug boat Silverdial and five freighters (Dallas City, Britsum, Deucalion, Kolga, and Elmcrest) in the Portland Harbor. The attackers lose one Stuka to anti-aircraft fire. One of the British seamen in the attack, Jack Foreman Mantle, receives the VC - posthumously - for firing his anti-aircraft gun to the end and going down with the ship.

There also are dogfights near the Kent coastline between III/JG27 and RAF No. 54 Squadron. Each side loses a couple of fighters.

A Heinkel of III/KG54 bombs the Bristol Aeroplane Company and damages the roof before getting shot down by RAF No. 92 Squadron.

During the day, the RAF attacks refineries near Hannover and Emmerich, and also airfields in Holland. After dark, the target is Kriegsmarine bases such as Wilhelmshaven, Emden, and Kiel, along with related naval targets such as the Dortmund-Ems Canal.

General Ernst Udet, Director General of Luftwaffe Equipment, and the Kommodore of KG76, Generalmajor Stephan Fröhlich, both receive the Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz). Udet already has the Pour le mérite from World War I.

The Winnipeg Free Press of 4 July 1940 notes hopefully in its headline "British Get French Navy." Well, that's not exactly what happens.

Battle of the Atlantic: The French government issues an all-points bulletin to French ships to attack British vessels on sight due to yesterday's attack on the French fleet in Algeria.

Convoy SL 38F departs from Freetown.

Battle of the Mediterranean: At 15:30, British submarine HMS Pandora sinks French mine-layer Rigault de Genouilly off Oran, Algeria. This is part of Operation Catapult.

French battleship Strasbourg and destroyers Volta, Tigre, and Le Terrible complete their journey to Toulon from Mers el Kebir.
The French raid Gibraltar with little impact, but the British hurry up plans to evacuate women and children.

At Malta, there is an air raid alert at first light, 05:55. The Italian fighters conduct a strafing attack without causing any damage.

The Italians are broadcasting propaganda in Maltese to undermine morale. Malta’s own Rediffusion radio service begins counter-programming.

The French fleet is now the subject of interest to both sides. The Pétain government claims that the fleet at Alexandria has been recalled, but also says they are to be scuttled if they can't escape due to the wishes of Hitler that they do not fall into British hands.

At Alexandria, Admiral Cunningham and Admiral Godfroy agree to demobilize Godfroy's ships, but he does not turn them over. Talks continue.

Mrs. Hathaway, the Dame of Sark, greets the Germans.

Western Front: The Germans complete their unopposed occupation of the Channel Islands by sending a token detachment from Guernsey to Sark. Dame Sibyl Mary Hathaway, DBE rules the island independently by charter and has an American husband, and thus feels free to adopt a neutral stance. As the hereditary ruler of the island, she receives the German delegation cordially, sorts matters out quickly, and then serves them lobster dinner (which becomes notorious back in England). When the German commander asks if she is afraid, Dame Hathaway (her official title) replies, "Is there any reason why I should be afraid of German officers?"

North Africa: Italian troops advance north across the Abyssinia/Sudan border and take two British outposts, Kassala and Galabat. It is quite an aggressive move for a poorly equipped colonial garrison.

The Regia Aeronautica raids Alexandria and Malta. They lose 7 CR-42 fighters in various actions over the desert.

German/Romanian Relations: The Germans warn Romania to concede Hungarian territorial aspirations if it wants closer ties.

German/Hungarian Relations: The Germans warn Hungary against taking military action against Romania, but broadly hint that Hungary will get the territory it seeks from Romania.

Romanian Government: The political upheavals caused by the recent occupation of eastern territories continues. The Tatarescu government falls. Ion Gigurtu becomes Prime Minister, and the fascist Iron Guard goes from being imprisoned only weeks ago to having two members - Manoilesca (Foreign Minister) and Sima (Minister for Arts) - in the cabinet. Mr. Gigurtu, a wealthy industrialist, has extensive contacts with the Germans, including - according to him - friendship with Hermann Goering.

At the same time, the government expels 22 British oil technicians in an indirect swipe at the British for failing to keep the Soviets away. Romania is casting about for a "big brother" protector against the Soviets, and this is yet another indication that Germany is it.

French Government: The final rupture between former allies takes place when the Vichy government severs diplomatic relations with London.

Charles de Gaulle becomes a wanted man when a Toulouse court sentences him in absentia to four years in prison for treason.

Finnish Government: The Finnish Foreign Minister tells German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop that his country desires closer relations with Germany.

British Government: Winston Churchill goes before the House of Commons and receives his first standing ovation as Prime Minister when he denies:

“...that we have the slightest intention of entering into negotiations in any form and through any channel with the German and Italian Governments. We shall, on the contrary, prosecute the war with the utmost vigour by all the means that are open to us.”

China:  Japanese bombers attacked Chungking, China.

A bomb exploding at the World's Fair is big news in New York.

Terrorism: A bomb explodes at the New York World's Fair. Since it is at the British exhibit, German saboteurs are suspected. Two policemen are killed. Many countries' exhibits already are closing, since their home countries have been occupied.

Canadian Homefront: The government is banning many US publications. Today, the New York Post and Chicago Tribune join 115 others.

German Homefront: The German demobilize some troops to release them for industries that badly need workers.

American Homefront: Sonja Henie, Norwegian skating champ, marries baseball executive Dan Topping in Chicago.

The United States celebrates independence day as one of only 14 quasi-democracies remaining in the world. The others are Britain, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Iceland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Chile.

Future History: During a professional appearance at the Manistee National Forest Festival, a faulty brace irritates the ankle of Robert Pershing Wadlow. At 8' 11", he is the tallest person ever recorded in human history. The chafing causes a blister and subsequent parasitic infection. Doctors treat him with a blood transfusion and emergency surgery, but his condition worsens due to an auto-immune disorder, and on July 15, 1940, he dies in his sleep at age 22.

Karolyn Grimes is born today. She becomes a child actress who concludes "It's a Wonderful Life" in 1946 with the line, "Look, Daddy. The teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings” as Zuzu Bailey.

Karolyn Grimes, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed in "It's a Wonderful Life."

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020

Tuesday 2 July 1940

The Arandora Star, sunk by U-47 on 2 July 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-47 (Kptl. Günther Prien) torpedoes and sinks 15,501-ton British liner Arandora Star on 2 July 1940 about 75 miles west of Bloody Foreland, Ireland at 06:58. The liner is carrying 734 interned Italian men, 479 interned German men, 86 German POWs and 200 military guards. There are 174 crewmen. There are 868 survivors, of whom 586 are internees. About 865 men perish (sources vary).

Prien does not break any rules of war, and this solidifies his already outsized reputation as a master U-boat commander. The Arandora Star, which is not in convoy because liners are assumed to be better protected by their fast speed, is not properly identified as a POW or refugee ship and sinks quickly. The ship is painted grey like a warship and has no Red Cross sign. An Admiralty Net Defence anti-torpedo system had been fitted to the liner but removed a few months prior to the voyage.

With only room for 400 in the lifeboats, there is a mad scramble. The ship loses 805 people, including 37 of the military guard, 42 crew, 12 ship's officers, and the Captain. The oil from the ship makes swimming extremely difficult. The Arandora Star goes under within 35 minutes, still swarming with men who have no chance.

There are several instances of outstanding heroism, including internee Captain Otto Burfeind of the scuttled Adolph Woermann, who organizes his fellow internees to the end, maintains some order, and goes down with the ship. Canadian commander Harry DeWolf also is cited for his heroism in the rescue. Captain Douglas Moulton of the Arandora Star receives a posthumous Lloyd's Medal for Bravery at Sea. Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Laurent picks up the survivors. Bodies wash up on Ireland throughout August, many unidentifiable.

U-29 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart) torpedoes and sinks 8,999-ton British tanker Athellaird hundreds of miles off Cape Finisterre, Spain. All 42 on board survive.

U-29 also surfaces and sinks 4,919-ton Panamanian freighter Santa Margarita by gunfire. All 39 onboard survive.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks British ship Aenaes in the North Sea.

Convoy HG Y departs from Gibraltar.

Corvette HMS Mallow (K 81, Lt. William R. B. Noall) is commissioned.

The Orders of the Commandant to the people of Jersey, 2 July 1940.

Western Front: The Germans send a small force to occupy Alderney in the Channel Islands, where few inhabitants remain.

Kommandant Lanz of the Channel Islands issues typical rules for occupied areas, such as a curfew, no radios, no attempts to leave and so forth. Among the more inconsequential changes that annoy many islanders is changing the time zone to that of continental Europe and also changing the rules of the road to driving on the right. The currency is changed to Occupation Reichsmarks (scrip), and that becomes the payment for locals employed by the occupation forces.

Life continues much as it had previously in the Channel Islands, with performances by the German military band, cinemas open, and so forth, but there are gradual changes through the course of the war which are not always for the better. Basically, the islanders go along to get along and do their best to hide their underlying resentment. There are islanders who have fled to England who view all that remained as collaborators, and many of the remaining islanders miss their children, family, and friends who have left.

Battle of Britain: Subsequent to recent deliberations by OKW about the future direction of the war, it issues an order, "The War Against England." It starts off that "The Fuhrer and Supreme Commander has decided that a landing in England is possible."

This is not a Fuhrer Directive, which carries more weight, but a good indication that one is coming. Luftwaffe boss Hermann Goering issues orders to the Luftwaffe to intensify the air campaign against the RAF. He wants special attention given to British shipping, which is considered the main threat to any invasion. The proposed operation has the codename Operation Sealion.

European Air Operations: During the night, the RAF raids Kiel and hits heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in dry dock with 2 small bombs. The docks also are set on fire. This is the raid in which F/O Guy Gibson drops a 2,000 bomb near the Scharnhorst and wins the DFC.

The Fleet Air Arm, in conjunction with RAF Coastal Command, attacks shipping and barges in Rotterdam. This is the first attack directly designed to prevent an invasion.

The Luftwaffe raids northeast England during the evening, killing twelve and injuring 123. A raid also takes place over Wales, but the bombs drop in open country.

Ju 87 B Stuka of the 9/StG 77, Flers, France, July 1940. The use of Stukas is a key component of projected Operation Sealion.

Battle of the Mediterranean: After a day of respite, the bombers appear over Malta at 09:25, but the bombs drop out to sea due to effective anti-aircraft fire. Owners of businesses throughout the island agree to open their doors to passersby for shelter during raids.

US Government: Congress passes the Export Control Act. This gives President Roosevelt the power to control the export of goods with military uses, anything "necessary in the interest of national defense."

British Government: General Percival assumes command of the 44th Infantry Division.

Colonel Gubbins continues forming the Commando force for future operations.

French Foreign Legion volunteers form the 1st Brigade de Legion Francaise of Free France in England.

The Foreign Office decides to no longer recognize King Zog, now living at The Ritz in London, as ruler of Albania. He still maintains a retinue and retains a following among exiled Albanians.

Holland: Former Dutch Commander-in-chief General Winkelman is arrested and deported to Germany.

Poland: General Sikorski in London vows to fight on from English soil.

India: The British government arrests nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose for inciting violence.

China: At the Battle of South Kwangsi, the Japanese 22nd Army captures Lungchin.

The bombing of Chiang Kai-shek's capital, Chungking, continues. There is a meeting of the Kuomintang.

German officers hanging out in Guernsey, one of the best billets in the Wehrmacht.

July 1940

July 1, 1940: Vichy France
July 2, 1940: Arandora Star
July 3, 1940: Operation Catapult at Mers El Kébir
July 4, 1940: Romania In Crisis
July 5, 1940: The Five Freedoms
July 6, 1940: Hitler's High Point
July 7 1940: Dakar And Ringo
July 8, 1940: Tea Rationing in England
July 9, 1940: Battle of Calabria
July 10, 1940: Battle of Britain Begins
July 11, 1940: "Nous, Philippe Petain"
July 12, 1940: Enter Laval
July 13, 1940: German Surface Raiders Attack!
July 14, 1940: Bastille/Mourning Day
July 15, 1940: Tallest Man Dies
July 16, 1940: Plans for Sea Lion
July 17, 1940: Burma Road Closed
July 18, 1940: FDR Runs Again
July 19, 1940: Last Appeal To Reason
July 20, 1940: First Night Fighter Victory
July 21, 1940: Soviets Absorb Baltic States
July 22, 1940: First RAF Night Fighter Victory
July 23, 1940: Invasion False Alarm
July 24, 1940: The Meknés Incident
July 25, 1940: Black Thursday for RAF
July 26, 1940: Capture The Duke?
July 27, 1940: What's Up, Doc?
July 28, 1940: Destroyers Pulled From Dover
July 29, 1940: Barbarossa On The Burner
July 30, 1940: Hitler Delays Sealion
July 31, 1940: Bloody Wednesday of Olkusz

2020