Monday 8 December 1941

President Roosevelt as he delivers his "Day of Infamy" speech, 8 December 1941.

US/Japanese Relations:  Following the surprise Japanese attack on the United States fleet base in the territory of Hawaii, on 8 December 1941 the United States and Japan both formally declare war on each other. The Japanese government has its statement printed on the front pages of all Japanese newspapers, while the United States Congress votes for war by  82-0 in the Senate and 388-1 in the House of Representatives (pacificist Jeannette Rankin, who also voted against entry into World War I, is the only no vote). The United Kingdom declares war on Japan nine hours after the US declaration, while Japan's declaration includes the British Empire.

President Roosevelt delivers his "Day of Infamy" speech, 8 December 1941.

The United States declaration of war follows a speech delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) to a joint session of the US Congress by about one hour. FDR's speech, commonly called the Infamy Speech or the Pearl Harbor Speech (see text below), runs for about seven minutes and becomes one of the most quoted and referenced speeches in world history primarily for its opening line, "a date which will live in infamy." Several other nations, including New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, the Dutch government-in-exile and Nicaragua also declared war on Japan, primarily as a show of solidarity with the United States and Great Britain.

The NY Times on 8 December 1941 highlights "heavy fighting at sea" that is non-existent. In fact, there is virtually no fighting at sea anywhere in the Pacific.

Battle of the Pacific: Following Japanese landings at Khota Baru and elsewhere on the Malay Peninsula, Japanese forces of the 15th Army land at various points along the Kra Peninsula in the early morning hours of 8 December 1941. The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) 33rd Division under the command of Lieutenant-General Shōzō Sakurai and the IJA 55th Division under Lieutenant-General Hiroshi Takeuchi of the 15th Army move across the border from French Indochina into Thailand at Tambon Savay Donkeo,,  Athuek Thewadej District (Russei) of Battambang. This follows a two-hour ultimatum posed by the Japanese government on Thailand to which they receive no response. In addition, the IJA 143rd Infantry Regiment lands troops at Chumphon, but the Thai Army opposes this landing vigorously (unlike elsewhere) untold ordered to stand down in the afternoon. There also are landing at Nakhon Si Thammarat, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Samut Prakan, Singora, Pattani, and Surat Thani, along with the Japanese Air Force bombings of selected targets in Bangkok and Don Muang. There is a total ceasefire by the afternoon which stops all fighting. The two governments then work on an official Armistice, with Premier Plaek Phibun (Phibunsongkhram) claiming that the entire invasion had been pre-arranged in secret prior to the Japanese invasion between the two governments.

President Roosevelt signs the declaration of war on the Empire of Japan, 8 December 1941.

The Japanese objective on the Malay Peninsula obviously is the British fortified port of Singapore. Japanese bombers of the Mihoro Air Group based at Thu Dau Mot in southern French Indochina attack the city and nearby airfield before dawn, killing 61 people. Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse are in the harbor, but they are undamaged. The Japanese do not lose any planes in this attack, and the British (especially British area commander Lieutenant General Arthur Percival) are surprised that the Japanese bombers have sufficient range to even make it to Singapore.

Life magazine has the extraordinary good fortune of having planned to feature Douglas MacArthur on the cover of its 8 December 1941 edition.

There are Japanese landings and attacks elsewhere in the Pacific Theater as well:

• The 14th Army of the IJA lands at tiny Batan Island off of Luzon.
• Japanese aircraft based on Saipan bomb the United States base on Guam.
• 36 Japanese Mitsubishi G3M3 medium bombers flown from bases on the Marshall Islands attacked Wake Island, destroying 8 of 16 F4F-3 Wildcats that had just arrived at the island.
• The Japanese  21st, 23rd and the 38th Regiments under the command of Lieutenant General Takashi Sakai attack British, Canadian, Indian, as well as the local Hong Kong Chinese Regiment, and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps in Hong Kong.
• Two Japanese destroyers shell Midway Island.

The Japanese also have designed on the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), which has oil fields that are one of their top objectives. However, the Dutch Navy under Admiral Karl Doorman must be neutralized before landings can be achieved, and it lies beyond the range of Japanese bombers.

German soldiers at Korjakowa, about 66 km southeast of Moscow, huddle against the chill, 8 December 1941 (Mährlen, Federal Archive Picture 146-1992-055-33).

Eastern Front: The Red Army offensive around Moscow that began on 5/6 December 1941 shows no signs of abating. Always concerned about prestige and world opinion, Adolf Hitler uses the global distraction created by the Japanese attacks in the Pacific Theater to end Operation Typhoon. He issues Fuehrer Directive No. 39, which blames this on "The severe winter weather which has come surprisingly early." The Wehrmacht forces all around Moscow begin an orderly retreat, with those in the northwest along the Klin-Kalinin railway line under the most pressure. The weather makes the retreat incredibly difficult because the extreme winter temperatures disable many vehicles, forcing the Germans to abandon huge quantities of equipment. One German corps in General Guderian's Second Panzer Army reports 1500 frostbite cases, with 350 requiring amputations. As one unit retreats, it uncovers the flanks of other units, which also must retreat, so the process causes a general retreat all along the line even if some positions have good defensive qualities.

Some German soldiers on the Eastern Front near Molwoitzi lay a field radio cable using a Panji sled, 8 December 1941 (Fenske, Federal Archive Picture 101I-002-3362-13).

Holocaust: The Rumbula Massacre near Riga, Latvia concludes. About 25,000 victims, predominantly Latvians from the Riga Ghetto and the rest Germans brought to the vicinity by train, are exterminated by Einsatzgruppe A with the support of Arajs Kommando and other Latvian auxiliaries. There are a few feeble attempts to delay or hinder the massacre by Wehrmacht functionaries which are disregarded. With the Ghetto now largely cleared, the German authorities in Germany step up their efforts of transporting future victims east by rail to fill it up again.

The headline of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on 8 December 1941 is full of war rhetoric but very short on details. Part of the US Pacific Fleet (the part that has not been sunk, that is) certainly is at sea, but there is no "counter-offensive" anywhere.

American Home Front: The America First Committee begins winding up its activities. It releases a statement from leading spokesman Charles Lindbergh:

We have been stepping closer to war for many months. Now it has come and we must meet it as united Americans regardless of our attitude toward the policy our government has followed. Whether or not that policy has been wise, our country has been attacked by force of arms and we must retaliate.

There are long lines at U.S. military recruitment centers across the country. Lindbergh himself will seek to be recommissioned in the USAAF. However, the Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson, will decline the request on instructions from the White House. Lindbergh instead will work as a consultant to military equipment manufacturers and see unofficial action in the Pacific.

Glenn Miller and his Orchestra return to work as usual on Monday morning despite the war news. They record "Moonlight Cocktail" with vocals by Ray Eberle and The Modernaires, "Moonlight Cocktail" goes on to hit No. 1 on  February 28, 1942, and stays there for ten weeks - longer than any other Glenn Miller single. The song had been around since 1912 when Charles Luckeyeth Roberts composed it. James Kimball "Kim" Gannon added the lyrics.

A United States Marine Corps recruiting station on 8 December 1941.

DAY OF INFAMY SPEECH

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And, while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.

• Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
• Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.
• Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
• Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has therefore undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.

Fire engine ladders are used to create a "V for Victory" symbol in front of the United States Capitol building, 8 December 1941.

December 1941

December 1, 1941: Hitler Fires von Rundstedt
December 2, 1941: Climb Mount Niitaka
December 3, 1941: Hints of Trouble in the Pacific
December 4, 1941: Soviets Plan Counteroffensive
December 5, 1941: Soviets Counterattack at Kalinin
December 6, 1941: Soviet Counterattack at Moscow Broadens
December 7, 1941: Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
December 8, 1941: US Enters World War II
December 9, 1941: German Retreat At Moscow
December 10, 1941: HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse Sunk
December 11, 1941: Hitler Declares War on US
December 12, 1941: Japanese in Burma
December 13, 1941: Battle of Cape Bon
December 14, 1941: Hitler Forbids Withdrawals
December 15, 1941: The Liepaja Massacre
December 16, 1941: Japan Invades Borneo
December 17, 1941: US Military Shakeup
December 18, 1941: Hitler Lays Down the Law
December 19, 1941: Brauchitsch Goes Home
December 20, 1941: Flying Tigers in Action
December 21, 1941: The Bogdanovka Massacre
December 22, 1941: Major Japanese Landings North of Manila
December 23, 1941: Wake Island Falls to Japan
December 24, 1941: Atrocities in Hong Kong
December 25, 1941: Japan Takes Hong Kong
December 26, 1941: Soviets Land in the Crimea
December 27, 1941: Commandos Raid Norway
December 28, 1941: Operation Anthropoid Begins
December 29, 1941: Soviet Landings at Feodosia
December 30, 1941: Race for Bataan
December 31, 1941: Nimitz in Charge

2020

Sunday 5 October 1941

"A Luftwaffe officer prisoner is escorted down the gangplank of a hospital ship to exercise on the quayside at Newhaven, 5 October 1941. He was one of a number of German POWs awaiting repatriation in a prisoner exchange." © IWM (H 14474).

Eastern Front: There are many command changes during World War II on both sides. However, on 5 October 1941, the Wehrmacht makes a seemingly routine change that reverberates across the conduct of the war in the East and also reveals some unpleasant truths about the state of the Wehrmacht in 1941.

The Peterhof Memorial. This commemorates a failed Soviet landing at Peterhof Palace at Petergof, Leningrad on 5 October 1941. The Soviets landed 510 troops with the intent of seizing the town, which the Germans had captured on 23 September, and blocking the highway. The landing was a complete and utter disaster, with the German defenders killing or capturing the entire landing party by 7 October.

The southern flank of the German advance during Operation Barbarossa has been both the most and the least, successful of the three main prongs of the offensive. While it is the only army group that has actually met its main objective by capturing Kyiv, this required a diversion of the main striking power from Army Group Center, namely General Guderian's Panzer Group 2, to the south. The major port city of Odessa has been given to the Romanians to subdue, and while it now is far behind the main front, the Soviets there still hold out. Dissatisfaction at the pace of operations throughout the sector under the leadership of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt has been growing for weeks.

Oberleutnant Peter Kiesgen wins the Knight's Cross on 5 October 1941. Kiesgen is Führer (Leader) of 1./Infanterie-Regiment 239 of the 106. Infanterie-Division. Note the five tank destruction badges on his sleeve, earned by personally destroying an enemy tank. He also is wearing the Infantry Assault Badge, Iron Cross First and Second Class, Wounded Badge in Black and on the right-center pocket the Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords. Obviously, Kiesgen is a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and someone who engages in combat.

The commander of the 11th Army at the extreme south of the line at the start of Operation Barbarossa, Colonel-General Eugen Ritter von Schobert, perished on 12 September 1941 when his Fiesler Storch observation plane landed in a minefield. He was replaced by General Erich von Manstein, previously a corps commander. On 5 October 1941, the army holding the line just to the north of the 11th Army, 17th Army, also gets a new commander. However, this command change is a little different and has nothing to do with anyone dying. Instead, the reason is a little more subtle and much more complex.

General of Infantry Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel.

General of the Infantry Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel is a World War I veteran and a former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Army. However, his actual command experience is very limited. General Franz Halder, Chief of Staff of OKH, has been hinting in his diary that von Stülpnagel's performance has been unacceptable. For instance, on 3 October 1941 Halder cryptically wrote in his war diary that:

Regrouping of Sixth and Seventeenth Army has been initiated. The method chosen by the Army Group, to order the two left-wing Corps of Seventeenth Army to strike northeast, under its direct control, for the time being, is an indication of tensions within the Army Group.

The next day, on 4 October 1941, Halder wrote the following:

[17th Army] Commanding General, von Stülpnagel, has reported sick. This illness is the result of the pressure brought to bear on him because of his timid leadership. Intervention by the Army Group a few days ago in taking the command of his northern wing out of his hands and so getting the movement underway again, probably is as much a cause of this illness as is the letter from the Army Commanding General.

It is very rare for Halder to be openly caustic about his colleagues in his war diary, so to see him openly calling von Stülpnagel "timid" is shocking. This is about the worst thing that a commanding general can be called during the war on either side and invariably leads to their replacement. Being too aggressive can be worse than being too timid, but it seldom gets a general fired.

Panamanian 744-ton freighter SS C. Jon, sunk southwest of Ireland on 5 October 1941 by U-204.

Some note that Von Stülpnagel's history of riding a desk may be one cause of this "timidness." However, there may be a darker reason that Halder does not know. For some time, von Stülpnagel has been a secret opponent of Hitler. Like many of the generals, von Stülpnagel was upset by the Blomberg–Fritsch affair in January 1938. The Sudeten Crisis later in 1938 changed von Stülpnagel from being a passive resister to an active one. He initiated contact with the Schwarze Kapelle (Black Orchestra, a group of officers within the Wehrmacht who wished to overthrow Hitler) and revealing the secret plan for the invasion of Czechoslovakia. He remained a conspirator for the rest of his life. Thus, von Stülpnagel does not his heart in German conquest, which may explain his "timid" leadership.

Having reported himself sick, which is a typical ruse by German generals to resign without actually resigning, von Stülpnagel needs to be replaced. The German high command now makes the utterly unfathomable decision to replace von Stülpnagel with Hermann Hoth, the commander of Panzer Group 3. There are several reasons why this is odd. Hoth is a panzer expert, one of the best of World War II, and the 17th Army is not a panzer formation. In addition, Hoth has been having great success with his command of Panzer Group 3, which is about to be upgraded to a full Panzer Army. Finally, Panzer Group 3 is in an absolutely critical situation, being the left arm of the Wehrmacht's advance on Moscow. Replacing its commander at such a critical juncture is just asking for trouble. Hoth is replaced at Panzer Group 3 by General Georg-Hans Reinhardt, the commander of XLI Panzer Corps. While Reinhardt is a capable officer, switching command right as the panzer group is delicately trying to execute a movement that may determine the outcome of the entire war is a very risky decision. In addition, Reinhardt also will have to be replaced in his critical position in Panzer Group 3. This is akin to taking a winning formula and starting from scratch.

General Hermann Hoth.

It is unclear why Hoth is forced to move at this time from a critical point on the front to an unimportant, but a hardly critical, area. The reason may be that Field Marshal von Rundstedt in charge of the army group is the senior officer in the Wehrmacht and basically has his pick of replacements. He previously chose Manstein for the 11th Army because they had worked together well in planning the successful invasion through the Ardennes in 1940. Hoth is a dashing, aggressive tactician who does not carry the baggage of General Guderian at Panzer Group 2, who is well known to be a difficult subordinate. General Hoth can be expected to be aggressive without becoming a problem, exactly what von Rundstedt needs.

German Prisoners being loaded on ships in exchange for British prisoners waiting in Dieppe, France, 5 October 1941. There were several such trips during this exchange, including German women nurses repatriated for British nurses.

How this impacts Operation Typhoon, the drive to Moscow, is not really his concern - German generals are notorious for only worrying about their own operations and not those being handled by other commands. However, from a larger perspective, removing a successful commander such as Hoth from an absolutely critical operation, the advance on Moscow, is not positive for the German war effort. It is one of those oft-overlooked "details" that can be the difference between ultimate victory and defeat.

October 1941. An exterior view of the White Tower (called "White Tavern" in the LOC captions and eventually to be called "White Castle") restaurant in Amsterdam, New York. Medium-format nitrate negative by John Collier for the Farm Security Administration.

October 1941

October 1, 1941: Germans and Finns Advance in USSR
October 2, 1941: Operation Typhoon Broadens
October 3, 1941: Air Battles Near Moscow
October 4, 1941: Stalin Contemplates Defeat
October 5, 1941: Hoth Goes South
October 6, 1941: First Snowfall After Dark
October 7, 1941: Stalin Gets Religion
October 8, 1941: FDR Promises Stalin Aid 
October 9, 1941: FDR Orders Atomic Bomb Research
October 10, 1941: Reichenau's Severity Order
October 11, 1941: Tank Panic in Moscow
October 12, 1941: Spanish Blue Division at the Front
October 13, 1941: Attack on Moscow
October 14, 1941: Germans Take Kalinin
October 15, 1941: Soviets Evacuate Odessa
October 16, 1941: Romanians Occupy Odessa
October 17, 1941: U-568 Torpedoes USS Kearny
October 18, 1941: Tojo Takes Tokyo
October 19, 1941: Germans Take Mozhaysk
October 20, 1941: Germans Attack Toward Tikhvin
October 21, 1941: Rasputitsa Hits Russia
October 22, 1941: Germans Into Moscow's Second Defensive Line
October 23, 1941: The Odessa Massacre
October 24, 1941: Guderian's Desperate Drive North
October 25, 1941: FDR Warns Hitler About Massacres
October 26, 1941: Guderian Drives Toward Tula
October 27, 1941: Manstein Busts Loose
October 28, 1941: Soviet Executions
October 29, 1941: Guderian Reaches Tula
October 30, 1941: Guderian Stopped at Tula
October 31, 1941: USS Reuben James Sunk

2020

Friday 3 October 1941

War damage in Riga, the capital of Latvia, on 3 October 1941 (AP).

Eastern Front: While the Luftwaffe maintains clear aerial supremacy over the Soviet Air Force, one of the informal rules that German fighter pilots like to follow is to not stray too far past the front. While this is to some degree because their main purpose in the overall scheme things is to support the ground troops, around which the entire Luftwaffe has been developed, there is a deeper impulse at work. Quite simply, German pilots do not want to be shot down and captured. Unlike England, where Luftwaffe airmen can be assured of fairly correct treatment, the Soviet Union is not known for treating downed airmen fairly well. In fact, this is simply reciprocity for how Soviet prisoners are treated by the Germans. It is a savage war and especially savage if you are taken as a prisoner.

Damage from a Luftwaffe attack on South Shields Market Place, 3 October 1941, the morning after the attack.

On 3 October 1941, though, the German offensive in the middle of the Eastern Front, Operation Typhoon, is rolling toward Moscow and the Luftwaffe decides to establish aerial supremacy in that direction. So, in the morning, the German pilots of JG 51 and JG 54 engage in fierce battles around the Soviet capital. As usual, the Luftwaffe pilots do quite well and make several claims against the Red Air Force. Oblt. Erbo Graf von Kageneck of 9./JG 27, for instance, shoots down an I-18 fighter north of Vyazma for his 57th victory.

Luftwaffe ace Heinrich Hoffmann, KIA 3 October 1941.

The day is not a complete success for the Luftwaffe, however. Oberfeldwebel (Staff Sergeant) Heinrich Hoffmann, an ace ("experte") with 63 victories who has just moved south with his group from the Leningrad Front to support Operation Typhoon, goes missing. It is assumed that he perishes in a crash, but if not, he may wind up wishing that he had. There is conjecture that Soviet 233 IAP's (233rd Fighter Aviation Regiment) Starshiy Leytenant Sergeyev is the one to shoot him down at Shatalovo, Chernsky District, Tula Oblast (south-southwest of Moscow) on 19 October 1941, the 36th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored.  south of Moscow), but this is just conjecture based upon a post-war review of loss claims. Hoffmann in his Messerschmitt Bf 109F-2 Werknummer (factory number) 12876 just disappears after engaging with several Soviet Il-2s. The loss is deeply felt, and Hoffmann posthumously is awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 19 October 1941. He thus becomes the 36th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored, and also the first made posthumously and the first made to any non-commissioned officer.

South Shields, England on 3 October 1941 after a Luftwaffe raid by about 50 bombers. The Luftwaffe objective was the Tyne Bridge, a key link between Scotland and England. However, they attacked the River Drive bridge of a somewhat similar appearance that passed over some railway lines (this bridge was not hit). This damage was caused by bombs that overshot that target. There were 68 deaths and 117 seriously wounded, including many from a direct hit on an air-raid shelter.

Hoffmann, obviously, was a highly valued pilot. He had the distinction of being "ace in a day" twice, just like Chuck Yeager would do for the USAAF in 1944. Of more immediate concern to his fellow pilots, though, is that Hoffmann just vanishes and is never heard from again. Pilots notice these things about their comrades. This incident reinforces the latent fear that all German pilots have about operating over enemy territory. The lesson from this and many similar incidents is clear: no matter how tempting it may be to seek out prey behind enemy lines, don't do it. Having your plane disabled there is an almost certain death sentence unless you somehow manage to sneak back to German lines. Life is short, and it becomes a whole lot shorter if the Soviets capture you.

A German anti-tank gun being hauled into position on the Russian front on Oct. 3, 1941, likely in the Operation Typhoon sector. The Russians have set fire to the buildings before withdrawing. (AP Photo).

On the ground, Operation Typhoon is going very well, helped immeasurably by the Luftwaffe's dominance. Hermann Hoth's Panzer Group 3 reaches the Dnepr River at Kholm-Zhirkovskii and seizes two bridges intact. However, all this activity is putting a real strain on the Germans' equipment. OKH Chief of Staff General Halder notes in his daily war diary:

On Hoth's northern wing there are complaints about the deficient mobility of 1st Panzer Division. Small wonder, for the division comes straight from the battle of Leningrad, without a pause for rest and refitting. It will probably be the same story with Nineteenth and Twentieth Panzer Divisions.

The German forces are still strong despite these complaints. Hoth's panzers shrug off a weak counterattack south of the town by Soviet Group Boldin. However, the effects of Field Marshal von Leeb's decision to use his panzers in a pointless attack on Leningrad just before shifting them south to the Moscow front as ordered is having its foreseeable effect on the far more important operations on the road to the Soviet capital.

Captured German U-boat U-570 arrives in Barrow-in-Furness sailed by a Royal Navy crew on 3 October 1941. The Royal Navy captured U-570 on 27 August 1941, repaired it in Iceland in great secrecy, and later put it into Royal Navy service as HMS Graph.

General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 (the 4th Armored Division of the 24th Motorized Corps) captures Orel, 120 miles off the original front and only 220 miles south-southwest of Moscow. In retrospect, the capture of Orel can be seen as Guderian's greatest and longest-lasting triumph during Typhoon, though nobody can know that now, of course. The jaws of another gigantic Wehrmacht pincer threaten to close around the Soviet Bryansk Front (3rd, 13th and 50th Armies under the command of General Andrey Yeremenko/Eremenko), which would blow a hole in the Soviet defenses in front of Moscow. The German advance is so swift and unexpected that the 10th Panzer Division (General Fischer) captures Red Army columns moving west from the vicinity of Moscow at Mozaisk, which falls.

Wehrmacht troops using horse-drawn carts to move their supplies near Salla, Finland during October 1941.

Operation Typhoon is all going exactly as the Germans hoped. It is going so well, in fact, that Adolf Hitler makes a radio address from the Berlin Sportpalast to the people of the Reich declaring "… that this enemy [the Soviet Union] is already broken and will never rise again." He adds that the Soviet Union was "to a great extent" already destroyed and that Germany had the capability to "beat all possible enemies" no matter "how many billions they are going to spend." This comment suggests that Hitler has very good sources of information in high Allied circles because the Moscow Conference just ended on the 1st at which the United States pledged a billion dollars in aid - and it is quite a coincidence for Hitler to mention that sum. In any event, Hitler certain has grounds for confidence. The Soviet defense is weak and uncoordinated. However, there is still a lot of ground to cover before the actual attack on Moscow can start, so time is of the essence before the weather changes.

Battleship USS Iowa under construction at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn. This is looking aft from the bow area (that is the barbette for turret No. 2 at the bottom). The US Navy is in the process of building many new battleships and Essex-class aircraft carriers.

India: Mohandas Gandhi suggests using passive resistance techniques against the British. While hardly a supporter of the Axis, Gandhi wishes to hamper the British war effort in order to convince them to leave their colonial empire in India. This does not have immediate effects, but will after the war.

Vidkun Quisling (who may be barely visible to the right) administers the oath of service to Den Norske Legion (Norwegian Legion) in Norway, 3 October 1941.

American Homefront: Ernest Evans is born in Spring Gully, South Carolina. He becomes a renowned singer and dancer under the stage name Chubby Checker and is considered a pioneer of rock 'n roll. Among his top hits is "The Twist," which Billboard Magazine has determined is the most popular single to appear in its Hot 100 list since its debut in 1958. As of 2019, Chubby Checker is still active in the music scene.

Lincoln Borglum, who completed Mount Rushmore started by his father Gutzom Borglum, goes over the side of the mountain to mark out the final work on the face of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in Keystone, S.D. on Oct. 3, 1941. Work on Mount Rushmore ended on 31 October 1941 (AP Photo).

October 1941

October 1, 1941: Germans and Finns Advance in USSR
October 2, 1941: Operation Typhoon Broadens
October 3, 1941: Air Battles Near Moscow
October 4, 1941: Stalin Contemplates Defeat
October 5, 1941: Hoth Goes South
October 6, 1941: First Snowfall After Dark
October 7, 1941: Stalin Gets Religion
October 8, 1941: FDR Promises Stalin Aid 
October 9, 1941: FDR Orders Atomic Bomb Research
October 10, 1941: Reichenau's Severity Order
October 11, 1941: Tank Panic in Moscow
October 12, 1941: Spanish Blue Division at the Front
October 13, 1941: Attack on Moscow
October 14, 1941: Germans Take Kalinin
October 15, 1941: Soviets Evacuate Odessa
October 16, 1941: Romanians Occupy Odessa
October 17, 1941: U-568 Torpedoes USS Kearny
October 18, 1941: Tojo Takes Tokyo
October 19, 1941: Germans Take Mozhaysk
October 20, 1941: Germans Attack Toward Tikhvin
October 21, 1941: Rasputitsa Hits Russia
October 22, 1941: Germans Into Moscow's Second Defensive Line
October 23, 1941: The Odessa Massacre
October 24, 1941: Guderian's Desperate Drive North
October 25, 1941: FDR Warns Hitler About Massacres
October 26, 1941: Guderian Drives Toward Tula
October 27, 1941: Manstein Busts Loose
October 28, 1941: Soviet Executions
October 29, 1941: Guderian Reaches Tula
October 30, 1941: Guderian Stopped at Tula
October 31, 1941: USS Reuben James Sunk

2020

Thursday 2 October 1941

This is a photo of Panzer-Brigade (Oberst Richard) Koll of 6th Panzer Division advancing north of Vyazma. Immediately ahead is the brigade commander's Panzerbefehlswagen III, denoted by the white turret code "RO6." The vehicles ahead of it are Phänomen Granit 25H ambulances, while Soviet POWs walk toward the rear on the right. The smoke is from a Soviet oil dump hit by Luftwaffe Junkers Ju-87 Stukas. This photo is by Oberst a.D. Helmut Ritgen on 2 October 1941 and is from his book "The 6th Panzer Division: 1937-45."

 Eastern Front: While Operation Typhoon got off to an early start at the end of September when General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 launched its attacks, the main offensive involving the rest of the army begins on 2 October 1941. 

Finnish troops at Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna), 2 October 1941.

Adolf Hitler issues an Order of the Day to the entire German Army (Heer) that makes clear his intentions in the lengthy order which is read out to the troops. It reads in part:

Today begins the last great, decisive battle of this year. It will hit this enemy destructively and with it the instigator of the entire war, England herself. For if we crush this opponent, we also remove the last English ally on the Continent. Thus we will free the German Reich and entire Europe from a menace greater than any since the time of the Huns and later of the Mongol tribes.

As per usual, Hitler goes to great pains in his order to place the blame for the entire war on England. This is an odd thing to do when encouraging his troops to attack east, and it would have been fair for his troops to wonder why they are attacking east when England, the supposed instigator of the war, lies to the west. But, as usual, Hitler includes some very tortured reasoning to justify his position even if it isn't particularly inspiring for the actual battle he is writing the order about.

October 2, 1941, marks the beginning of the Jewish celebration of Yom Kippur. In Paris, certain extreme elements of French society attack Jewish-owned businesses and similar places in a "mini-Kristallnacht." They also plant bombs in many synagogues that explode in the early morning hours of the 3rd.

On a more general note, Hitler's Order of the Day revealing in other ways, too. It is full of anti-Semitic rhetoric which pins the blame for Germany's problems on the usual suspects:

This is a result of nearly a 25-year Jewish rule that, as Bolshevism, is basically similar to the general form of capitalism. The bearers of this system in both cases are the same: Jews and only Jews.

If anyone ever wonders why there are so many atrocities on the Eastern Front by the Wehrmacht, one need look no further than orders like this one of 2 October 1941. What somewhat ironic is that Stalin is not particularly a friend of the Jews either, but details like that don't enter into Hitler's worldview.

German Army commander von Brauchtisch is pictured on the cover of the 2 October 1941 ILLUSTRIERTER BEOBACHTER. This is an illustrated propaganda magazine for the German NSDAP party. It is distinctly anti-Semitic and trumpets Adolf Hitler's arguments about England being the "instigator" of the war and similar ideologically driven viewpoints.

As with many orders issuing from the Fuhrer's Headquarters, it is unclear how the ordinary rank and file feel about this one. For instance, it is the last battle - of 1941. Even that is slightly disingenuous because, as OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder has noted previously in his daily war diary, Moscow is still far away and it will take an entire campaign just to come close enough to the Soviet capital to actually attack it. Thus, it will take more than one battle for the Wehrmacht to end 1941 successfully, and perhaps many more - assuming that it does end successfully, that is.

The Synagogue of Montmartre was among those damaged in the attacks of 2 October 1941 (Federal Archive Bild 183-S69265).

Five major German formations - Panzer Group 3 (Colonel General Hermann Hoth), Panzer Group 4 (Colonel General Erich Hoepner), and 2nd Army, 4th Army, and 9th Army - now join General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 coming up from the southwest. It is a more powerful combination of forces than at any time to date in the war, and they all are pointed directly at Moscow. Panzer Group 3 advances five miles between Soviet 19th and 30th Army, Panzer Group 4 in the north advances 25 miles, and gains are achieved all up and down the line. General Guderian is so confident that he splits his forces into two prongs at Sevsk, one heading toward Bryansk and the other toward Orel. The Soviet defenses appear to be crumbling, and the German field marshals and generals breathe a sigh of relief that the final assault on Moscow has come late, but not too late.

In the United States, the second game of the World Series is played between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers takes place on 2 October 1941. Here, in a classic photograph, pitcher Spud Chandler of the Yankees (notice that Chandler is wearing a jacket, as pitchers on the basepaths always did at the time) is out at third at Yankee Stadium.

October 1941

October 1, 1941: Germans and Finns Advance in USSR
October 2, 1941: Operation Typhoon Broadens
October 3, 1941: Air Battles Near Moscow
October 4, 1941: Stalin Contemplates Defeat
October 5, 1941: Hoth Goes South
October 6, 1941: First Snowfall After Dark
October 7, 1941: Stalin Gets Religion
October 8, 1941: FDR Promises Stalin Aid 
October 9, 1941: FDR Orders Atomic Bomb Research
October 10, 1941: Reichenau's Severity Order
October 11, 1941: Tank Panic in Moscow
October 12, 1941: Spanish Blue Division at the Front
October 13, 1941: Attack on Moscow
October 14, 1941: Germans Take Kalinin
October 15, 1941: Soviets Evacuate Odessa
October 16, 1941: Romanians Occupy Odessa
October 17, 1941: U-568 Torpedoes USS Kearny
October 18, 1941: Tojo Takes Tokyo
October 19, 1941: Germans Take Mozhaysk
October 20, 1941: Germans Attack Toward Tikhvin
October 21, 1941: Rasputitsa Hits Russia
October 22, 1941: Germans Into Moscow's Second Defensive Line
October 23, 1941: The Odessa Massacre
October 24, 1941: Guderian's Desperate Drive North
October 25, 1941: FDR Warns Hitler About Massacres
October 26, 1941: Guderian Drives Toward Tula
October 27, 1941: Manstein Busts Loose
October 28, 1941: Soviet Executions
October 29, 1941: Guderian Reaches Tula
October 30, 1941: Guderian Stopped at Tula
October 31, 1941: USS Reuben James Sunk

2020

Wednesday 1 October 1941

Finnish troops enter  Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna) on 1 October 1941.

Eastern Front: The Germans score a clean breakthrough of Red Army lines on 1 October 1941 during the opening stages of Operation Typhoon, the attack toward Moscow. In his war diary, OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder, who usually is extremely pessimistic and studied, writes in the evening what for him is a joyous assessment:

Guderian has broken clean through the enemy line with his central group and has rushed 60 km into enemy territory in a sweeping advance. His right wing, still far behind and under enemy attacks, is causing concern. His left wing has advanced about 20 km. All quiet on the rest of the front.

Even Halder believes that a 60 km breakthrough in two days is extraordinary and perhaps a sign that the Soviets are weakening across the line. His great worries that the advance on Moscow has been left too late in the season may be easing a bit.

Finnish T-26E in  Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna), October 1, 1941.

The German XLVII Corps (motorized, General Lemelsen) captures Serek, while General von Kleist's Panzer Group 1 makes dramatic progress toward Kharkov before reorienting south toward Rostov and the Caucasus - Hitler's true goal because of its oil wealth. General Manstein's 11th Army has sealed off the Crimea forms the extreme south of the German line, with 17th Army slightly to the north.

Finnish troops entering Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna) under smokey skies, 1 October 1941.

The Germans have 1,929,406 troops with 14,000 artillery pieces and 1000 tanks committed to Operation Typhoon, all supported by 1390 Luftwaffe planes which have aerial superiority. This is roughly two-thirds of their strength across the entire Eastern Front. While this sounds like a true juggernaut, it is nowhere close to the power that was mustered at the opening of Operation Barbarossa. However, the Soviets also are greatly weakened, so the relative strengths are comparable. The results show on the field of battle, where Guderian's Panzer Group 2 comes close to surrounding Soviet 13th Army in only two days. Operational Group Ermakov, composed of five divisions (three infantry, two cavalry, and two tank brigades) attempts a counterattack to link back up with the 13th Army but fails.

Fires burning in  Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna), 1 October 1941.

In fact, things are going well for the Axis all the way up and down the front. The Finns take Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna ) on the shores of Lake Onega, the capital of the Soviet Republic of Karelia, putting further pressure on Leningrad. While these are not decisive gains by any means, they are good omens for the future and an indication that the harsh campaign may be over before the winter snows.

Finnish troops and civilians in  Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna), 1 October 1941.

Partisans: The German High Command feels quite confident, or perhaps relieved is a better way to describe their recent successes in the field, but is troubled by growing partisan activity. General Wilhelm issues another controversial order to address this blemish on the offensive. This order mandates that instead of just selecting random hostages from the civilian population for execution in retaliation for partisan attacks, prominent local leaders and well-known businessmen should be chosen. This, Keitel feels, will enhance the effectiveness of retaliation. Of course, everyone knows that the entire idea of shooting illegals is contrary to international law, but those are worries for another day.

Holocaust: Majdanek concentration camp becomes operational. It is intended as a work camp like Mauthausen, but 79,000 people perish there.

Finnish bicycle troops at  Petrozavodsk (Äänislinna), 1 October 1941.

September 1, 1941: Two Years In
September 2, 1941: Germans Pushed Back at Yelnya
September 3, 1941: FDR Refuses to Meet with Japanese
September 4, 1941: Hitler Furious at Guderian
September 5, 1941: Germans Evacuate Yelnya
September 6, 1941: Japan Prepares for War
September 7, 1941: Hitler Orders Drive on Moscow
September 8, 1941: Leningrad Cut Off
September 9, 1941: Germans Attack Leningrad
September 10, 1941: Guderian Busts Loose
September 11, 1941: Convoy SC-42 Destruction
September 12, 1941: Starve Leningrad!
September 13, 1941: Zhukov at Leningrad
September 14, 1941: Germany's Growing Casualties
September 15, 1941: Sorge Warns Stalin Again
September 16, 1941: Soviets Encircled at Kiev
September 17, 1941: Iran Conquest Completed
September 18, 1941: Focke-Wulf Fw 190 in Action
September 19, 1941: Germans Take Kiev
September 20, 1941: Death at Kiev
September 21, 1941: Raging Soviet Paranoia
September 22, 1941: Defense of Nickel Mines
September 23, 1941: Air Attacks on Leningrad
September 24, 1941: Japanese Spying Intensifies
September 25, 1941: Manstein at the Crimea
September 26, 1941: Kiev Pocket Eliminated
September 27, 1941: Massacre at Eišiškės
September 28, 1941: Ted Williams Hits .400
September 29, 1941: Babi Yar Massacre
September 30, 1941: Operation Typhoon Begins

2020