Monday 11 August 1941

Rita Hayworth in the 11 August 1941 issue of Life magazine. This shot by Bob Landry (there are a couple of slightly different versions) becomes a classic pin-up of World War II soldiers, second only to a Betty Grable photo from 1943.

Eastern Front: Adolf Hitler on 11 August 1941 reiterates that he wants the Wehrmacht to take Kiev before advancing on Moscow. To do this, Army Group Center is to divert forces to the south. With much grumbling and half-hearted cooperation, General Guderian and the other generals comply.

In the Far North sector, Finnish 15th Division, with 10th Division, capture Khitola (Khityola) just northwest of Lake Ladoga. This forces Soviet 142nd Rifle and 198th Motorized Division to withdraw into a "motti" (surrounded fortress) on the shores of Lake Ladoga. The Soviets there can serve as a thorn in the side of the Finnish advance toward Leningrad, with the availability of escape over the lake. In the center of the Karelian Isthmus, Finnish troops of IV Corps take Vuosalmi.

Finnish Group J of III Corps continues a rapid advance from Kestenga toward the Murmansk railway. Today, following the embankment of a spur line of the railway, it reaches the vicinity of the narrows between Yelovoye Lake and Lebedevo Lake. At this point, about 20 miles southwest of Loukhi, the Soviets make a stand and bring the Finns to a grinding halt. The Soviets are bringing in the 88th Rifle Division from Archangel (Arkhangelsk). Ordinarily, the arrival of one rifle division on the main front would mean little, but in the far north, it can have a huge impact. The Germans know something is up because they have been monitoring frantic Soviet radio traffic in the area, but they don't know what. The only question is if the Soviet defenders on the spot can hold out until the reinforcements arrive in a few days.

Another Finnish advance by Group F a little further south has become stalled at the Kis Kis River line on the Korpiyarvi-Ukhta Road. The Finns are attempting some probing attacks, but there are no signs of weakness.

In the Army Group North sector, the Germans continue pushing across the Luga River toward Leningrad.

In the Army Group Center sector, Red Army counterattacks continue at Yelnya. Guderian continues sending his panzers south to Gomel.

In the Army Group South sector, the Hungarian air force attacks Nikolayev. They manage to destroy a key bridge which eliminates a prime escape route for retreating Soviet soldiers (there are only three crossings on the entire southern section of the Dnepr River).

Soviet auxiliary river gunboats Issa, Plyussa, and Surop are lost today while in action on rivers within the Soviet Union. Soviet monitor SB-37 (Zhemchuzin) is heavily damaged by German panzers and artillery on the Dnepr River. SB-37 is a total write-off and scuttled on the 12th. Incidentally, there is some confusion about this sinking of SB-37. It often is confused with a completely separate Soviet warship sunk in the Arctic Ocean by U-451 on 10 August (that one is Soviet corvette  Zhemchug No. 27).

Newsweek, 11 August 1941. "U.S. Women Answer Call of National Defense."

European Air Operations: There is little activity during the day aside from training and the usual reconnaissance.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Rotterdam, Krefeld, and Monchengladbach.

The Rotterdam raid is completed with 31 Hampden and 3 Wellington bombers. They target the dockyards. All of the bombers, including another bomber that goes to Antwerp, return safely. This raid is notable because Hampdens of RAF No. 50 Squadron drop 500 pounds of teas intended for civilians as a "gift" from the Dutch East Indies.

The Krefeld raid is made with 20 Hampdens and 9 Whitleys. They target railway marshaling yards. Bombing accuracy is terrible due to clouds over the target, and only one bomber even claims to hit the target. All of the planes return safely.

The Monchengladbach raid is completed with 29 Wellington bombers. This raid is almost identical to the Krefeld raid, as the bombers target railway yards, find cloud cover, and bomb at random.

The RAF uses two Wellington bombers to test out the new Gee navigational device during this raid. The test is a success, and plans are made to perform further tests over the next two nights.

Time, 11 August 1941. "[Sumner] Welles, Under Secretary of State."

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet minesweeper T-213 "Krambol" hits a mine and sinks off Cape Yuminda.

The Soviets use motor torpedo boats to intentionally sink Soviet destroyer Karl Marx at Loxa Bight, Estonia. It was damaged by the Luftwaffe on 8 August 1941.

Before dawn, German 2nd S-Boat Flotilla lays 24 mines in minefield Allirahu in Riga Bay. After dark, German 5th M-Boat Flotilla lays 45 EMC mines in minefield Pinnassi I, Pinnassi II, and Pinnassi III off Cape Domesnas.

"The Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and Lord Beaverbrook leave HMS PRINCE OF WALES to say good-bye to President Roosevelt aboard USS AUGUSTA. This photograph was taken during a series of meetings between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill on board HMS PRINCE OF WALES and USS AUGUSTA in the North Atlantic off the coast of Newfoundland, 9 - 12 August 1941." © IWM (A 4862).

Battle of the Atlantic: The Luftwaffe (a Focke-Wulf FW-200 of I,/KG40) attacks and sinks 2852-ton British freighter Empire Hurst in the Atlantic about 100 miles southwest of the southern tip of Portugal. Empire Hurst had fallen behind Convoy HG-70 and was being escorted by anti-submarine trawler HMS Lady Hogarth. There are 26 deaths and nine survivors.

Italian submarine Guglielmo Marconi I (Lt Cdr Pollina) attacks Convoy HG-70 about 100 miles off the southern Portuguese coast. It misses and then is attacked by Royal Navy corvette Convolvulus and sloop Deptford, but the submarine escapes.

German E-boats attack shipping in the Thames Estuary. S-49 (LtzS Günther) of the 4th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla sinks 1548-ton British freighter Sir Russell near No. 10 Buoy. Everyone survives. S-20 also claims to sink a freighter, but there is no confirmation of this.

Norwegian 124-ton wooden transport Cito hits a mine and sinks in the Sognefjord (north of Bergen). This apparently is a German mine left over from the Battle of Norway in 1940, though it may also have been a defensive mine laid later.

U-93 and U-94 intercept Convoy HG-69 west of Gibraltar, but the escorts force them to abandon any attacks.

U-501, operating west of Ireland, spots outbound convoy ONS-4 and reports it to BdU in Paris.

An RAF De Havilland DH.91 Albatross AX903 on a cargo flight from Ayr, Scotland to Reykjavik, Iceland spots a U-boat on the way and reports its position to Reykjavik. After landing and while slowing, the Albatross' landing gear collapses and the plane skids off the airfield and hits a Fairy Battle aircraft parked by the runway. The Albatross is written off, but the crew survives.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tigris is based in Murmansk for the time being. Today, it leaves on patrol.

Minelayer Port Quebec lays minefield SN.22A in the North Sea.

Convoy ON-6 departs from Liverpool.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Bellwort and minesweeper Ipswich are launched and submarine Unsparing is laid down.

Canadian minesweepers Gananoque and Nipigon are commissioned, corvette Moncton is launched.

US Navy cruisers USS Belleau Wood and Independence are laid down as Cleveland-class cruisers. They are later diverted into becoming light fleet carriers.

U-655 (Kapitänleutnant Adolf Dumrese) is commissioned and U-416 is laid down.

"Exterior view of Rubber Products Co. at 114 East G Street, in Wilmington." [photo dated August 11, 1941]. Note the vintage hot rod in the drive and the Wilmington Oil Field rig in the background, a common sight in Los Angeles, California then. Source: waterandpower.org.

The same building as seen on Google street view, 31 May 2018. It looks like the building behind the old rubber store has survived and the power lines, too. The oil rig is long gone, though.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages Royal Navy net-layer Protector with an aerial torpedo while en route from Port Said to Alexandria. Corvette HMS Salvia takes Protector in tow back to Port Said, where they arrive in the evening.

The Red Sea is full of German mines, and US ships have been traversing it since the last Italian port in East Africa fell. Today, one of those US freighters, 5685-ton Iberville, hits one and is damaged. It makes it to port.

Operation Guillotine, the British reinforcement of Cyprus, continues as Australian sloop HMAS Parramatta departs from Port Said for Famagusta.

At Malta, Luftwaffe Junkers Ju-87 reappear over Malta for the first time in weeks. Nine Stukas attack the Ta Qali area and Grand Harbour, damaging some warehouses and private dwellings. The RAF claims two of the Stukas. Rome radio claims that this small raid is a massive success, stating "A veritable shower of bombs was rained down on [Luqa] aerodrome" and "The attack on the naval base of Valletta was extremely effective. Loud explosions were heard and huge fires visible from a great distance were started."

Battle of the Black Sea: Soviet submarines M-33, SHCH-211, and SHCH-301 are all in operation today. M-33 unsuccessfully attacks Romanian submarine Delfinul off Constanza, SHCH-211 (Lt Cdr Devyatko) lands two spies off Varna, Bulgaria, and SHCH-301 (Lt Cdr Grashchev) unsuccessfully attacks Romanian convoys off Landsort, Romania.

War Crimes: RAF  Fairey Swordfish torpedo-bombers of RAF No. 830 Squadron based on Malta attack shipping in Syracuse harbor on Sicily. This is a standard target for the RAF which they hit every week, and sometimes daily. This attack is slightly different than the norm because one of the torpedoes sink 13,060-ton Italian hospital ship California (formerly SS Albania pre-1930). The wreck is in 30 feet of water.

While all sorts of factors are usually taken into account to "define away" war crimes ("It was a mistake" "I was aiming at something else") and they seldom are prosecuted, sinking a hospital ship - they are clearly marked - is a war crime.

Rita Hayworth.

Anglo/US Relations: President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill spend their third day (second official day of the Atlantic Conference) conferring at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. They meet twice aboard Roosevelt's ship USS Augusta (CA-31). The British War Cabinet is kept apprised of developments and writes in the Minutes:

America is as yet far from being prepared for active operations on a war footing. While the American Navy is in a more advanced state of readiness, the building up, training and equipping of the American army and air corps is still in embryo and the shortage of equipment is acute.

The bottom line, the Minutes reveal, is that American needs come first, and then surplus production will be sent to Great Britain.
Most of the real work of the meeting, of course, is being done by their staff throughout the day.

Life magazine, 11 August 1941. This is the issue that contains the famous Rita Hayworth pin-up that adorns countless barracks around the world.

British Military: King George VI, who arrived at Scapa Flow on 9 August, continues his inspection tour of the naval base. Today, he visits destroyers, including HMS Charlestown and Eclipse, and also destroyer depot ship Tyne. He then boards on destroyer Inglefield at 12:30 to Scrabster, returning to Scapa Flow later in the day.

Japanese Military: The new chief of staff of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet is Matome Ugaki.

Rita in an out-take from her Life photo-shoot. I don't know, I kind of like this one better than the cover version they chose.

French Military: General Huntziger, Minister of War who signed the armistice with Germany in 1940, becomes Commander-in-Chief of Vichy French ground forces.

US Military: Lieutenant Colonel Harold D. Shannon, executive officer of the US Marine Corps 6th Defense Battalion, arrives at Midway. He is there to prepare for his battalion to relieve the 3rd Defense Battalion.

A barracks on Adak Islands, Aleutians, 1943 (Dmitri Kessel—Time & Life Pictures: Getty Images).

Polish Army: General Wladyslaw Anders, released from the Soviet Lubianka prison in Moscow on 4 August, is made commander of a new Polish Army in the Soviet Union and begins collecting Polish POWs in Buzuluk and Totskoye. It is estimated that 1.7 million men are POWs, but, in fact, about a third of those are dead from mistreatment. Those that survive and are able to serve, about 400,000 men, are given amnesty and struggle to get to the collection points in rags and using whatever transportation they can find. The Poles forming the army notice a surprising absence of officers among the released Polish POWs. Poles in the prison camps who are not soldiers are sent to work on collective farms (Kolkhoz) in Tashkent and Bukhara and the southern Aral regions.

China: Japanese bombers attack Chungking again. The Japanese lose another three out of four I-153 fighters sent up to intercept them. In a subsequent action, the last of the I-153 fighters is destroyed. The Chinese manage to shoot down one plane.

Holocaust: Vichy France forbids Jews from serving as doctors.

Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in production on MGM's "Babes On Broadway," 11 August 1941 (The Judy Garland Experience).

American Homefront: Glenn Miller and his Orchestra record "Elmer's Tune," written by Elmer Albrecht, Dick Jurgens, and Sammy Gallop. Previous versions of the song did not have lyrics, so Miller has the song's publisher, Robbins Music Company, hire Sammy Gallop to write some lyrics. Ray Eberle does the lead vocals, backed by the Modernairnes. Released later in the year, it hits No. 1 on the Billboard Best Selling Retail Records chart of 13 December 1941 and spends 20 weeks in total on the chart. It becomes a classic of the big band era.

Actress Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino) appears in a classic spread in Life magazine. One of the shots inside, of Rita on a bed dressed in a satin negligee and black lace bodice sitting on a bed, becomes the most requested pin-up for GI's during World War II until a 1943 shot of actress Betty Grable appears. Hayworth broke through as a major film star with "Only Angels Have Wings" (1939) and is at the peak of her fame during World War II. Incidentally, that nightgown in the photo is preserved and sold for $26,888 in 2002.

Adak island barracks in the Aleutians, 1943, showing typical pin-ups. That appears to be a different Rita Hayworth pin-up on the right (Dmitri Kessel—Time & Life Pictures: Getty Images).

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 4 August 1941

Adolf Hitler meets with Army Group Center commander Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, 4 August 1941.

Eastern Front: Adolf Hitler on 4 August 1941 makes one of his rare visits to an army group headquarters when he flies to visit Field Marshal Fedor von Bock at Borisov. Also in attendance are the senior Wehrmacht commanders of Army Group Center.

Hitler seems unsure of the future direction of the campaign, at least according to some in attendance. At these conferences with Hitler, the generals invariably choose one man to put forth their own point of view, and today that is Colonel-General Guderian. Guderian, who has led the advance toward Moscow with Panzer Group 2, later recalls that Hitler wants to take Leningrad first, but is undecided between Moscow and Ukraine:

He seemed to incline toward the latter target for a number of reasons: first, Army Group South seemed to be laying the groundwork for victory in that area; secondly, he believed that the raw materials and agricultural produce of the Ukraine were necessary to Germany for the further prosecution of the war; and finally, he thought it essential that the Crimea, ‘that Soviet aircraft carrier operating against the Rumanian oilfields’ be neutralized.

Based upon sheer conjecture buttressed by faulty staff work at army headquarters (OKH), Guderian opines that the Soviet Union is running out of manpower. Thus, Moscow should come next in order to force the Red Army to commit the last of its troops.

Adolf Hitler at headquarters of Army Group Center in Borisov, Belarus on August 4, 1941.

However, no firm decision is made. The impression gathered by those present is that General Hoth will take his Panzer Group 3 north to aid in the capture of Leningrad, while Guderian will take Panzer Group 2 south to help take Kyiv. These moves, however, await definite OKW orders. It is often Hitler's tendency to leave those present at his conferences unclear about what he really wants even when he has very definite ideas about what that is.

Guderian decides to make the decision about future strategy himself rather than wait for formal orders. On the flight back to his headquarters, Guderian prepares plans for a continuation of the offensive toward Moscow using all of his troops. In this, he feels confident because all around him - von Bock, OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder, Panzer Group 3 commander Hermann Hoth, and commander in chief of the army Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch - agree that Moscow should be the next objective. Everyone is sure that Hitler will come around to their point of view.

A Finnish soldier aiming an M/26 machine gun, August 4, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

In the Far North sector, Group J of Finnish III Corps pursues the fleeing Soviets from the Sof'yanga that connects Top Lake with Pya Lake. The Soviets hope to make another stand at Kesten'ga in order to defend the vital Murmansk railway.

In the Army Group South sector, Kirovohrad falls to the Germans. Soviet 5th Army counterattacks the German 6th Army south of Kyiv but makes no progress. Soviet 9th and 18th armies are told to retreat behind the Bug River once they realize they cannot relieve the Uman pocket. Since this already is the situation, the 9th Army begins retreating toward Nikolayev and 18th toward Nikopol. The Germans (XIV Corps) already are across the Bug and heading south to cut off both armies.

German soldier Karl Fuchs sends a letter today to his father, who is serving elsewhere on the front. It reads in part:

The pitiful hordes on the other side are nothing but felons who are driven by alcohol and the threat of pistols pointed at their heads. There is no troop morale and they are at best cannon fodder.

and

Having encountered these Bolshevik hordes and having seen how they live has made a lasting impression on me. Everyone, even the last doubter, knows today that the battle against these subhumans, who’ve been whipped into a frenzy by the Jews, was not only necessary but came in the nick of time.

Supply problems are becoming an issue in the Wehrmacht. After the generals tell him of the supply situation at their meeting, Hitler agrees to allocate an entire month of war production to the Eastern Front. In terms of tanks, this means only 35 new machines and 400 tank engines (which must be replaced regularly). This does not keep up with wastage and ordinary wear and tear.

A Finnish marksman with a Mosin-Nagant rifle, August 4, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

European Air Operations: It is another day of light activity in northwestern Europe. RAF Bomber Command sends a dozen Blenheim bombers on a sweep of the Frisian Islands. Only six make an attack, with the others being recalled. The bombers only see fishing boats, which they attack. No bombers are lost.

East African Campaign: After a long period of quiet, there is some action in East Africa. While the British and their local allies have evicted the Italians from the coast and most of their inland strongholds, Mussolini's Italian forces do still control a few strong points in the mountains. One of these is Gondar, in the northern part of Abyssinia. Today, the South African Air Force swings into action and begins a daily bombing campaign that lasts until 6 August.

Battle of the Baltic: German bombers of KG4 drop 16 LMB mines in the Irben Strait and 16 LMB imines in the mouth of the river Triigi.

Soviet minesweeper T-201 Zariad hits a mine and sinks at Ristna beacon.

Dutch fishing boat Sumatra hits a mine and sinks north of Kolberg, Germany.

August 4, 1941: Hornet CV-8 under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-126 (Kptlt. Ernst Bauer), on its first patrol out of Bremen, is operating east of the Azores when it spots 172-ton British schooner Robert Max. Bauer decides to use his deck gun, so he fires two warning shots over Robert Max's bow. After the ship is evacuated, Bauer sinks the ship. Afterward, he visits with the six-man British crew in their lifeboat, offering them directions to San Miguel and some cigarets. The crew reaches the Azores in three days.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Victorious sends three Fulmar planes to attack Tromsø, Norway. One of the planes is shot down and the crew is captured.

A Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw-200 bombs and sinks 4337-ton British freighter Tunisia in the mid-Atlantic south of Iceland and west of Ireland. Tunisia's valuable cargo of manganese ore is lost. There are five survivors and 38 deaths.

Royal Navy escort ship Banff (a former US coast guard cutter) collides with a lighter in the Thames Estuary and sustains some damage.  Banff returns to Tilbury for repairs.

Royal Navy patrol ship Cavina intercepts 5522-ton German blockade runner Frankfurt west of the Azores. Frankfurt's crew scuttles the ship rather than surrender it. Two lifeboats are launched by the Frankfurt, and the Cavina picks up one with 26 men. The other lifeboat refuses to be taken aboard and is never seen again.

Having delivered its good at Archangel, Royal Navy minelayer Adventure departs, escorted by two Soviet destroyers.

Royal Navy submarine Tigris arrives at Polyarny, Russia in order to conduct patrols from there off the coast of northern Finland and Norway.

The Royal Navy sinks floating crane AC-6 in Skerry Sound in Scotland as a blockship in order to block access to Scapa Flow.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Sidmouth (Commander Henry T. Rust) is commissioned.

Canadian minesweeper HMCS Malpeque (Lt. Leslie L. Foxall) is commissioned.

US Navy light cruiser USS Houston is laid down.

U-523 is laid down.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Luftwaffe strafes Royal Navy minesweeping whaler Sotra off Mersa Matruh. There is one death.

Royal Navy destroyers HMS Jaguar and Nizam make the nightly run to Tobruk.

An Axis supply convoy departs from Naples bound for Tripoli, while one also departs from Tripoli bound for Naples.

The Luftwaffe attacks Ismailia, Egypt.

At Malta, Governor Dobbie announces that olive oil is going to be rationed. This sorely disappoints the Maltese people, who use a lot of olive oil in cooking.

August 4, 1941: Hornet CV-8 under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding.

Battle of the Pacific: The Japanese recall 16,975-ton liner Asama Maru, which has been on a trans-Pacific voyage. The ship, which is about 980 miles east of Honolulu, has been caught by the imposition of US sanctions.

Japanese 16,975-ton liner Tatsuta Maru departs from San Francisco for Tokyo. The Americans have made an exception to their sanctions against Japan to refuel the Tatsuta Maru in order for it to return to Japan.

Japanese freighter Heian Maru departs Seattle and heads back to Japan.

Spy Stuff: The Japanese are keeping a close eye on US activities throughout the Pacific. Today, they learn that about 600 US soldiers have arrived in Manila aboard transport USS President Coolidge.

Ambassador Nomura reports to Tokyo that anti-Japanese sentiment (as reflected in a published Gallup poll) is high and that the US newspapers are in full support of the US government position on Japan. In his cable to Tokyo, Nomura asks to be sent a "Foreign Office expert" who is familiar with "the Government's high policy" because he does not know what the government truly wants.

Tokyo sends out a circular that covers proper procedures for the destruction of obsolete codes and the proper care of current codes.

Newsweek, 4 August 1941, Cover story: "What is Japan's Real Goal in the Indies?"

US/Japanese Relations: Acting Secretary Sumner Welles meets with Japanese Minister Wakasugi in Washington. Welles says that the policy of the US is peace in the Pacific and that it opposes all use of force there by others. He says that the Japanese have adopted an "attitude of aggression" toward other countries to establish military overlordship throughout the region. Wakasugi responds that the Japanese were isolated for centuries and only awoke from this isolation after other foreign powers had established their own imperialist dominions in the region. Welles further states that regional approaches to international relations, such as decisions confined only to Europe or only to the Pacific, were insufficient and only a "universal approach" could work.

Welles also mentions that he had received "reports" that Japan intended to move further south into Thailand. This would cause further problems in US/Japanese relations. He also states that the "basic principle of the future" would be free trade, with equal accessibility to raw materials by all countries.

Life magazine, 4 August 1941, cover story "British Women."

US/Soviet Relations: The US State Department makes a formal commitment to Soviet Ambassador Konstantin Umansky to begin lend-lease shipments. Umansky calls the decision "an expression of confidence" in the survival of the Soviet Union - which is not a commonly held view at this time. The US also announces that the American-Soviet Trade Agreement of 6 August 1937 has been extended to 6 August 1942.

Soviet/Polish Relations: In a sign of goodwill to the Polish government-in-exile in London, the Soviets release General Władysław Anders from prison.

German/Italian Relations: The Germans and Italians agree on terms under which the Italian expeditionary forces will operate on the Eastern Front.

Time magazine, 4 August 1941, Cover Credit: Ernest Hamlin Baker.

US Military: The US 1st Marine Division begins amphibious maneuvers in conjunction with the US Army 1st Division (the "Big Red One") at New River, North Carolina. Aircraft escort ship Long Island (AVG-1) stands offshore and provides air operations during the maneuvers.

The Ryan Aeronautical Company NR-1 trainer plane takes its first flight. It is a low-wing monoplane with a metal fuselage, unlike most other trainers at this time. This is part of a huge expansion of the US Navy training of pilots during this period of time. The Ryan NR-1 will equip NAS Jacksonville.

Mark Clark is appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (G-3) at US Army General Headquarters and promoted to Brigadier General.

US Government: President Roosevelt continues his "fishing trip" off the northeast coast. While that is what the White House has told reporters it is, in fact, Roosevelt has other plans. Aboard presidential yacht USS Potomac (AG 25), Roosevelt sails today from Point Judith, Rhode Island to South Dartmouth, Massachusetts. There, Crown Prince Martha of Norway and her party board. There apparently is some fishing during the day, but that is not the point of the trip. Then, after Martha returns to shore, Roosevelt sails up to Menemsha Bight, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts. There, as planned, await US heavy cruisers Augusta (CA-31) and Tuscaloosa (CA-37), along with five destroyers.

"Prime Minister Winston Churchill on board HMS PRINCE OF WALES during his journey to America to meet with President Roosevelt. The quadruple 14-inch guns of Y turret can be seen in the background." © IWM (H 12784).

British Government: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill boards battleship HMS Prince of Wales at Scapa Flow. It departs at 17:30 and proceeds across the Atlantic to Placentia Bay. With him is Harry Hopkins, returning from Moscow.

Soviet Union, Vitebsk - A military service, with German soldiers and local women standing in the church (Wundshammer, Benno, Federal Archive, Bild 146-2018-0001).

Holocaust: The Kovno Ghetto at Slobodka is sealed. It is encircled with barbed wire and German guardhouses. There are 29,760 people in the Ghetto.

American Homefront: Mickey Owen of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the first catcher to successfully handle three foul pop-ups during the same inning.

New York Yankees Joe DiMaggio and Lefty Gomez, right, during at call at Treasury House in Washington, Aug. 4, 1941. They have offered to autograph books of defense savings stamps. (AP Photo).

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

Thursday 20 March 1941

"Their Majesties being greeted by the C in C, Admiral Sir Martin E Dunbar-Nasmith, VC, KCB." This is at Plymouth on 20 March 1940. © IWM (A 3481).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The desultory Italian Primavera Offensive continues today without any progress on 20 March 1941. Italian 11th Army attacks the Greek Epirus Army near Klisura. Meanwhile, Operation Lustre, the British reinforcement of Greece to oppose an expected German invasion, continues. The Tommies take up positions on the Aliakmon Line facing Bulgaria.

East African Campaign: The British at Keren make one last attempt to clear the Dongolaas Gorge in order to ram a column through it despite strong Italian defensive positions. The attempt fails, with the British taking 19 casualties, and a later attempt with two I tanks also fails. After this, the British spend their time repositioning their forces for flank attacks on the gorge, so ground activity is light. However, RAF and South African RAF planes bomb the Italian positions in the hills that overlook the key Dongolaas Gorge.

British forces to the south are proceeding practically unimpeded. The British troops that landed at Berbera make more good ground and link up with the 11th African Division at Hargeisa. That said... the ground being occupied in this region is largely worthless - only the ports and major cities have any strategic value, and that only slight.

"On his arrival at Flags Staff steps His Majesty was greeted by his cousin, Captain the Lord Louis Mountbatten, GCVO, DSO. His personal ADC." This is at Plymouth on 20 March 1940. © IWM (A 3485).

European Air Operations: The King and Queen have been on a tour of Wales and southern England to boost morale. Yesterday, they were at Swansea, and today the royals visit Plymouth. It is a standard visit, and around dusk, the King and Queen depart at 18:00 on their private train. As they are at the station, the air raid sirens sound. The royals continue on to their next destination without incident, but many other important personages remain behind. The actual raid by 125 bombers begins around 20:30, and the VIPs adjourn to basements. It is an unusually heavy raid, destroying the center of town and sinking:

• 338-ton Royal Navy tug HMT Sir Bevois
• 35-ton Royal Navy fishing vessel HMT Dox
• Hulk Mackay-Bennet (an old cable layer involved in the aftermath of the RMS Titanic sinking, later refloated and repaired)
• Tug Elan II (later refloated and repaired)
• 5248-ton British freighter Lindenhall (sunk at Victoria Dock, later refloated and repaired)
• 1395-ton British freighter Mari II (later refloated and repaired)

The colorful Lady Nancy Astor is unhurt and makes some inspirational comments to the press.

Some Luftwaffe bombers hit Bristol during the night, where visiting Australian Prime Minister Menzies is spending the night. He makes an interesting comment in his diary about how the RAF now can predict the location of attacks before they occur:

Air raid warnings from London. They study beams from Germany, and where they cross is the place. Loud noises from the city after dinner, but we talk, as usual, until midnight.

A small force of three Manchester bombers attacks the U-boat pens at Lorient. One of the bombers has an engine fire which quickly consumes the aircraft. The pilot and crewman Charles Leonard Wheatley try to bring the plane home, but it hits a tree and crashes. Wheatley survives the crash and, knowing that the fire might set off the plane's bombs, successfully fights the fire at close range. He will receive the George Medal for this. RAF Bomber Command also sends 42 aircraft on minelaying operations along routes used by U-boats to and from bases in the Bay of Biscay (Brest, Lorient, and St. Nazaire).

"HM The King inspecting an Indian contingent paraded in the grounds of Admiralty House." This is at Plymouth, 20 March 1941. © IWM (A 3497).

Battle of the Atlantic: German heavy cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst are on their way to Brest at 23 knots. The British have numerous ships out looking for them, and they succeed: the ships are spotted by an airplane flying from HMS Ark Royal, which is part of Force H out of Gibraltar. Admiral Lütjens on board the Gneisenau is apprised of the RAF plane and alters course slightly to the north. During the day, the two Operation Berlin cruisers pass Norwegian tanker Polykarb, which Gneisenau captured on 15 March and is heading for the Gironde estuary with a prize crew.

While the Polykarb continues on its way unmolested, tankers Bianca (5688 tons) and San Casimiro (8046 tons), also captured by Gneisenau on the 15th, are not so lucky. The same aircraft that spots the cruisers also spots those two ships which are heading for France. Royal Navy battleship HMS Renown approaches the tankers, whose crews scuttle them. There are 46 Germans on the two ships taken as prisoners.

U-106 (Kptlt. Jürgen Oesten) continues operating in the area north of the Cape Verde Islands and west of the African coast where it has been stalking Convoy SL-68. Today, late in the say at 23:23, U-106 launches two stern torpedoes at the convoy - basically potshots taken in poor light. One torpedo hits 31,100-ton Royal Navy battleship HMS Malaya on its port side, causing extensive damage and a list of 7 degrees. Malaya makes it to Trinidad, and then to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Malaya thus beats damaged aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to become the first Royal Navy ship repaired in a US shipyard during the war.

The other U-106 torpedo hist 7995-ton Dutch freighter Meerkerk. The Meerkerk also is damaged, but much less than Malaya. It sails back to Freetown, where it is under repair until late April 1941.

Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk returns to service after repairs to its damage from its April 1940 bombing. However, it still has some engine issues that need attention.

In a striking coincidence which may not actually be so coincidental - let's call it serendipitous instead - Royal Navy Minesweeping trawlers HMS Juliet and Romeo are commissioned and launched, respectively, while HMCS Truro and Digby are laid down.

The Luftwaffe sinks 21-ton Royal Navy fishing boat HMT Gloaming and 25-ton fishing boat Joan Margaret off the Humber. There are five deaths.

The Luftwaffe sinks 1386-ton Polish freighter Cieszyn a few miles off Manacle Point. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe indirectly sinks 174-ton British trawler Bianca in the Irish Sea (this Bianca is different than tanker Biance that is scuttled today in the Bay of Biscay). Bianca is dragging its net as usual when it has an unwelcome catch - a Luftwaffe bomb or aerial mine. There are five deaths.

Royal Navy 72-ton drifter HMT Soizic is lost in action, perhaps due to a mine or Luftwaffe attack.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 40-ton tug Charlight at Milwall.

RAF Coastal Command bombs and sinks 7500-ton Sperrbrecher-12 (minesweeper) Stolzenfels in the North Sea off Ameland, Friesland.

Convoy OB 300 departs from Liverpool, Convoy SC 26 departs from Halifax.

Three Royal Navy destroyers (HMS Intrepid, Icarus and Impulsive) lay minefield GU in the English Channel.

U-562 (Oberleutnant zur See Herwig Collmann) is commissioned.

HMS Malaya (Maritime Quest).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Troops continue to arrive in Tripoli. Among the men arriving today are members of a medium tank battalion of the Ariete Division. The local commanders send OKH (the German army command) an assessment of the strategic situation late in the day which places the German line as follow:

Forward forces still southwest of Agedabia. Defensive line Mersa el Brega (security patrols at Bescer) – southern tip Sebeha es Seghira and mobile tank security at Uadi Faregh from Bettafal to Ain en Naga, security in Haselat, reserves around Bilal, Gtafia.

Tentatively, the Germans plan to launch an offensive to take Mersa el Brega and then Gialo with battalion troops stationed at Marada (Major Appel commanding). The Germans request that the Italian Commando Supremo set aside troops to guard the rear, flanks, and gaps of any offensives.

The Royal Navy has begun another elaborate supply operation to Malta. The Admiralty instructs Admiral Cunningham, Commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, to assist aircraft carrier HMS Argus to deliver a dozen Hurricanes and two Skuas to the embattled island. As per standard practice, the Hurricanes will fly off in two groups, each group led by a Skua.

Operation Compass was a phenomenal success for the British. However, it is still easy to overstate this success. While the British removed the Italians from Egypt and took several key Italian ports and bases, they still only occupied a thin coastal slice of Libya. On 20 March 1941, Australian 2/9th soldiers begin trying to expand this strip of occupied land to the south, attacking Giarabub (Jarabub) Oasis, located about 225 km (140 miles) to the south of Bardia. The Germans set aside two Junkers Ju 88 bombers for support against the attacks.

Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel becomes the 10th person in the Wehrmacht to receive the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

There is a resumption of invasion jitters on Malta. "Sources" suggest that Germans are accumulating flat-bottomed landing craft in Sicily. However, this time the rumors have a unique twist: rather than the main island of Malta, the target is said to be Gozo, the second-largest island in the group just to the northwest. The Royal Army begins preparing defenses on Gozo, which apparently has been undefended until now.

Convoy BN 22 departs from Bombay bound for Suez.

"HM The Queen talking to girls who work in the dockyard." This is at Plymouth on 20 March 1941. © IWM (A 3484).

US/Australian Relations: The cruiser squadron (USS Chicago and Portland) under the command of Vice-Admiral John H Newton, Jr, Commander, Cruisers, Scouting Force, Pacific Fleet, arrives in Sydney Harbor. The government in Canberra has adjourned so that the ministers can watch the arrival and subsequent parade. While little-noted on the US side, the arrival is feted by the Australian press and it is a watershed moment in US/Australian relations. An estimated half-million Australians watch the fleet arrive. Tellingly, the event completely overshadows the arrival of the first Japanese ambassador, Tatsuo Kawai, to Australia on the 19th. The fleet's arrival is recounted in an official government summary:

Owing to misty rain the entry of the detachment into the harbour, originally scheduled for 8 a.m., was delayed until about 8:45 a.m. A salute of 21 guns was accorded to the ships as they passed the Heads, and public enthusiasm expressed itself in the hooting of sirens and motor horns and the cheering of the dense crowds lining the foreshore as the detachment proceeded up the Harbour.

"Visit of United States Naval Detachment to Sydney and Brisbane - March 1941," National Archives of Australia: A981, War S23.

After the parade, there is a luncheon for the US sailors at the Sydney Town Hall. Later, there is a dinner at which Acting Prime Minister Arthur Fadden toasts "our guests" and noted that this visit "signified a new and higher plane of friendship" between the two countries."

US/New Zealand Relations: Captain Ellis S. Stone and his TG 9.2 cruiser squadron departs from Auckland, New Zealand after a three-day visit. They proceed toward Tahiti.

An infantryman with a No.18 wireless set, Royal School of Signals. Catterick, 20 March 1941 (IWM COM 1126).

US/Soviet Relations: Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles meets privately with Soviet Ambassador Konstantin Umansky and reiterates his previous statements that Germany is planning to invade the USSR. Welles' source, which he cannot reveal, is top secret decrypts of Japanese coded transmissions to and from Baron Oshima, the Japanese ambassador to Germany. It is unclear if the Americans decoded these, or the British - for the British cracked the Japanese diplomatic code some time ago. See below for the beginnings of Japanese recognition that at least some of their codes have been broken.

US/Anglo Relations: The United States quickly takes up Winston Churchill's suggestion that interned Italian and German vessels in US ports be put to some kind of use. The US Coast Guard begins surveying these ships and finds some evidence of sabotage on an Italian ship being held at Wilmington, North Carolina. For the record, there are 28 Italian, 2 German and 35 Danish such vessels available. The US does not yet requisition these vessels, but the idea of doing so is being bruited about in the highest levels of the US government.

US/Japanese Relations: Japanese passenger ship Tatsuta Maru arrives at the port of San Francisco carrying Colonel Hideo Iwakuru. He is on a special mission from Prime Minister Hideki Tojo to repair diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Spy Stuff: The British have been reading the Japanese diplomatic codes, and the Americans also have broken some of their codes. Japanese Ambassador to the US Admiral Nomura Kichisaburo sends a message to the Foreign Ministry:

Though I do not know which ones, I have discovered that the United States is reading some of our codes. As for how I got the intelligence, I will inform you by courier or another safe way.

Yugoslavia: Prince Paul meets with the Royal Council to discuss Adolf Hitler's ultimatum that Yugoslavia either joins the Tripartite Pact within the next few days or face the consequences. Prince Paul is ready to sign on the dotted line and gets a vote of 16-3 in favor of signing. However, there is extreme disagreement within the government and military about this path. In fact, disagreement about allying with the Germans within the Royal Council (and perhaps over Prince Paul's strongarm tactics in getting the outcome that he desires) causes four ministers to resign.

Prince Paul takes some direct action, too. In a murky incident, he hands over Premier Milan Stoyadinovich to the British, who will keep him in Cairo "for safekeeping." Stoyadinovich apparently has attempted to regain power with a much more pro-Axis agenda than Prince Paul. Some accounts state that British agents kidnap Stoyadinovich, but press reports at the time suggest this was a voluntary move by the legitimate Yugoslav government.

"4.5-inch anti-aircraft gun, Leeds, 20 March 1941." © IWM (H 8263).

US Military: Admiral Bloch, the commandant of the Fourteenth Naval District, replies to a 15 February 1941 letter from Admiral Stark concerning defenses at Pearl Harbor. Bloch notes that the depth of Pearl Harbor is 45 feet, which is far less than the minimum depth of 75 feet required for air-launched torpedoes. He agrees with Admiral Kimmel's previously expressed view that, for this reason, anti-torpedo baffles (nets) are unnecessary there. The Japanese, meanwhile, are well aware of the mechanics of air-launched torpedoes and are studying if these minimum depths can be made compatible with an attack on the US Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor.

German Government: Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler meets with his top cronies - including Rudolf Heß, Fritz Todt, and Reinhard Heydrich - and discusses plans for the future of soon-to-be-invaded eastern Europe. Along with this meeting, racial theorist Alfred Rosenberg becomes "Delegate for Central Planning for Questions of the Eastern European Area." Rosenberg has definite ideas about how captured territories in the East - those to be acquired during Operation Barbarossa - should be organized. This will involve organizational units called Reichskommissariats. This is not an original idea - Reichskommissariats are used in Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France - but the ones in the East will cover vast tracts of land and be notorious for their exploitative agendas.

China: The Battle of Shanggao continues, but there is a lull in the battle. The Japanese retain a penetration into the first of three Chinese defensive lines. Both sides are bringing up reinforcements. There are some Japanese attacks near the Chin River at Szehsi and Kuanchiao.

German Homefront: The Propaganda Ministry's Reich Press Chief instructs his media outlets to highlight recent comments by Charles Lindbergh that the USAAC produces as many combat-ready planes as Germany produces every week. This actually is roughly true... now.

"Spotter and predictor operators at a 4.5-inch anti-aircraft gun site in Leeds, 20 March 1941." © IWM (H 8271).

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 Becomes 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

Saturday 16 November 1940

A picture of devastated Coventry Cathedral featured on the 16 November 1940 edition of the Daily Express. Accounts of the bombing are still sketchy as of this date, with estimates of 1000 casualties (actually, more than that, though the dead subsequently are estimated to number at 500-600.

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Battle of Korytsa, at the town of Korçë, opens on 16 November 1940 in southern Albania in the Morava Mountains. The Italian 9th Army defends the sector against the Greek III Army Corps. This is part of the larger Battle of Morava–Ivan heights. The Italians have strong defenses around the town, but the Greeks are highly motivated and operating on foot, infiltrating through unexpected areas of rough terrain. The Italians also are taken by surprise, overconfident in the balance of forces and who has the initiative - which in fact has switched to the Greeks.

Elsewhere, the news is no better for the Italians. The Greeks attack in the Koritsa sector with the 9th, 10th, and 15th Greek divisions. A Greek cavalry division enters Konitsa in the Pindos sector. The Greek 1st Infantry Division takes control of the Kamenik Heights. In the coastal sector, the Greek 8th Division continues its offensive on the Negrades sectors and the Kalamas River.

The British continue using cruisers to ferry troops to Piraeus. At this point, 4230 troops have arrived, many in support of RAF operations.

While Coventry's Holy Trinity Church spire still rises, the city is gutted.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command retaliates for the destruction of Coventry by sending daylight raids against several German cities, including Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerp, and other cities. The raid on Hamburg, a favored RAF target, is particularly heavy, with 131 bombers involved.

The Luftwaffe sends raids against the south coast of England. For the first time, Luftwaffe planes attack the Hebrides. After dark, the Luftwaffe sends 87 planes against London.

King George V tours devastated Coventry.

The RAF creates a photo-reconnaissance unit of adapted Spitfire fighters.


Battle of the Atlantic: German cargo ships Phrygia (4137 ton), Idarwald (5033 ton), Orinoco (9660 ton) and Rhein (6031 ton) depart from Tampico, Mexico in a bid to make port in occupied France. The Orinoco breaks down at the mouth of the Rio Panuco and is towed back to port by an accompanying tug. The other three ships continue to sea, but spot patrolling US destroyers USS Plunkett (DD-431, LtCdr P.G. Hale), McCormick (DD-223, Cdr T.V. Cooper), and Broome (DD-210, LtCdr. T.E. Fraser). The US ships are operating as part of the Neutrality Patrols agreed to by the nations of the Americas in Havana, Cuba.

The crew of the Phrygia mistakes the US ships for Royal Navy ones and scuttles the ship. The two accompanying ships continue to sea, attempting to outrun the shadowing US ships. It is widely known that US ships are openly broadcasting the positions of German ships and tracking them, which Royal Navy ships can pick up and use to intercept German ships, so the fact that US ships continue to shadow them is extremely dangerous for the German freighters.

Elsewhere, the destroyer HMS Naiad spots 384 ton Kriegsmarine weather ship BS 4 Hinrich Freese (a converted fishing trawler) off Jan Mayen Island, Norway. The Royal Navy light cruiser chases it and apparently opens fire. Realizing that the ship cannot outrun the cruiser, the captain of the weather ship intentionally runs it aground on the Søraustkapp, wrecking the ship with the loss of two lives. The rest of the crew survives as POWs, rescued by trawlers HMT Elm and Wistaria. The weather ship has been operating as support of German raiders such as Admiral Scheer and rescuing the crews of downed Luftwaffe seaplanes.

U-137 ( Kapitänleutnant Herbert Wohlfarth) is on its third patrol out of Lorient and is patrolling in the sea lanes west of Bloody Foreland, County Donegal, Ireland when it spots 5887-ton British freighter Planter. The Planter, carrying fruits and vegetables from Egypt, has been part of Convoy SLS 53, but perhaps out of impatience with the convoy's deliberate speed (convoy speeds are restricted to the speed of the slowest ship), the captain of the Planter has outrun the convoy and become essentially an independent. Such ships are called "rompers." This proves to be a poor decision, as U-137 pumps a torpedo into the ship and sinks it. There are 59-60 survivors and 13 crew perish. The survivors are rescued by HMS Clare.

U-65 (K.Kapt. Hans-Gerrit von Stockhausen), on an extended patrol out of Lorient and sailing about 650 km west of Freetown, spots 3059-ton British freighter Fabian. After putting a torpedo into the ship at 14:29, U-65 surfaces and hits the ship with five out of eight shots from its deck gun. There are 6 deaths. The Germans question the 33 survivors in lifeboats and provide them with food and water before leaving the scene. The men are rescued by 7121 British tanker SS British Statesman.

Royal Navy 550-ton anti-submarine trawler HMT Arsenal (Skipper C. R. Radford RNR) collides off Kilchattan Bay (the Clyde estuary) with Polish Navy destroyer Burza, which had barely survived a bomb hit at Dunkirk but been repaired. The crew survives, rescued by HMS Arrow and tug Superman. The wreck is about four miles south of Toward. HMS Arrow, meanwhile, is damaged by exploding depth charges on the Arsenal and requires repairs in the Clyde until January. The Burza also requires repairs in the Clyde that take two months.

The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy FS 335, damaging 2052-ton British freighter Sherbrooke southeast of Orfordness. In addition, 2178 ton British freighter Dagenham is damaged on a mine northeast of Mouse Light Vessel.

German raider Thor restocks from supply ship the Rio Grande. The Thor also transfers prisoners it has taken to the Rio Grande, which then heads to France.

Heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk returns to service after repairs in the Tyne.

US Navy PBY Catalina flying boats are now patrolling the North Atlantic from bases in Bermuda, supported by seaplane tender USS George E. Badger. They operate from a base obtained in the September 1940 destroyers-for-bases deal with the UK. The deal helps both sides because the British are no longer required to allocate manpower to Bermuda, and the US air patrols can provide useful intelligence to the Royal Navy.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Cotswold (L-54, Lt. Commander Peter J. Knowling) is commissioned and transfers from Greenock to work up at Scapa Flow.

US Navy minesweeper USS Osprey (AM 56, Lt. Commander Cecil L. Blackwell) is commissioned.

Collier's, 16 November 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian bombers raid Alexandria during the night.

Malta continues a period free of air raids. Many from the harbor areas who have evacuated to the interior are returning to their homes. There are practical reasons for this, as living far from work is a burden for many people. Estimates are that over 20,000 people have repopulated the area around Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. While this is a nice sign of confidence in the war effort, the lack of underground or "rock" shelters is becoming a major concern.

Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Atlantis rendezvouses with its captured Norwegian tankers Teddy and Ole Jacobs. The Atlantis refuels from the Teddy, then sinks it. The Atlantis then sends captured Norwegian vessel Ole Jacob, full of high-octane aviation fuel (extremely useful to the Axis) and manned by a prize crew, to Japan.

The Ole Jacob carries top-secret British war documents recovered from British vessel Automedon. The documents are to be delivered to the German ambassador in Japan, who will give copies to the Japanese and the German government in Berlin. These are extremely sensitive and Top Secret documents that detail the British military position and plans in the Far East. Many believe they are instrumental in the Japanese decision to initiate war on 7 December 1940.

The classic tuft stitch ladies' jumper knitting pattern is first published in the 16 November 1940 issue of Woman's Weekly. "Skill level: Advanced."

US/Vichy French Relations: Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles has asked (on 13 November) the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, H. Freeman Matthews, to meet with the French about the status of the French battleships Jean Bart and Richelieu. Accordingly, Matthews meets with French leader Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain. Mathews asks if the US can buy the battleships. Pétain demurs. He says that the ships will only be used to defend French territory and not against the British and adds: "Under present circumstances, I have neither the right nor the possibility of selling them."

German Military: Colonel General Heinz Guderian, one of the stars of the Polish and French campaigns while commanding XI Corps, is promoted to command of Panzer Group 2 (these formations are not yet designated Panzer Armies) in Germany. Guderian is one of the most respected men in the Wehrmacht (and internationally) due to his widely read book about tank tactics. Colonel-General Hermann Hoth, another successful panzer leader, takes over Panzer Group 3 in France.

The wall of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Mexico: Protests continue about the results of the 7 July 1940 Presidential election in which Manuel Ávila Camacho prevailed over war hero Gen. Juan Andreu Almazán. Many protesters are jailed. The election results, in which Camacho received 93.9% of the vote, have spurred many of Almazán's supporters to riot to protest a supposedly fraudulent result. Almazán himself has fled the country in hopes of stirring up support for his cause in the United States. The inauguration of Camacho is scheduled for 1 December 1940. The wave of protest against the result is called almazanismo. It is fair to point out that such lopsided election returns in hotly contested elections are rare in democracies, especially those where there is obvious widespread street support for the loser. The US, for its part, does not want to get involved in this foreign quarrel and is not supporting Almazán.

Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto is now walled-off from outside contact. An estimated 380,000-400,000 people are trapped inside an area too small to support them comfortably. Armed guards patrol the wall.

British Homefront: A correspondent with the Daily Express asks the Mayor of Coventry, J.A. Moseley if he intends to order an evacuation of the city. He replies:

Of course not. We stay.

While the Daily Express highlights the Coventry raid's devastation on its front page, other newspapers downplay the damage and instead focus on things like the need to maintain war production there (the Guardian) or simply give short shrift to the entire affair (The Times makes the raid only the third leading article of the day). The Daily Express expresses a need for "more action to beat the night bomber" and "less talk about the so-called slackening of the blitz."

American Homefront: In the "Fifth Down" game between college teams Cornell and Dartmouth, college official Red Friesell mistakenly gives Cornell an extra down during the last seconds of the game. This mistake provides the opportunity for Cornell to score a touchdown which apparently wins the game for it 7-3. Officials (and everyone else) reviewing the game film quickly notice the error and forfeit the win, handing it to Dartmouth. The game is notable not only for the bad call and the reversal but for its unique status as a game. The outcome and score are decided by film only after the game is over and the teams have left the field. Cornell, incidentally, was on an 18-game winning streak at the time, and Dartmouth was only 3-4; the decision was a cruel blow to Big Red supporters.



November 1940

November 1, 1940: Hitler Irate
November 2, 1940: U-31 Sunk - Again
November 3, 1940: Kretschmer's Master Class
November 4, 1940: Spain Absorbs Tangier
November 5, 1940: Jervis Bay Meets Admiral Scheer
November 6, 1940: San Demetrio Incident
November 7, 1940: Galloping Gertie
November 8, 1940: Italian Shakeup in Greece
November 9, 1940: Dutch Fascists March
November 10, 1940: Fala and Doc Strange
November 11, 1940: Taranto Raid
November 12, 1940: Molotov Takes Berlin
November 13, 1940: Molotov Foils Hitler
November 14, 1940: Moonlight Sonata
November 15, 1940: Warsaw Ghetto Sealed
November 16, 1940: France Keeps Battleships
November 17, 1940: Malta Hurricane Disaster
November 18, 1940: Hitler Berates Ciano
November 19, 1940: Birmingham Devastated
November 20, 1940: Hungary Joins Axis
November 21, 1940: Dies White Paper
November 22, 1940: Italians Take Korçë
November 23, 1940: U-Boat Bonanza!
November 24, 1940: Slovakia Joins In
November 25, 1940: Molotov's Demands
November 26, 1940: Bananas Be Gone
November 27, 1940: Cape Spartivento Battle
November 28, 1940: Wick Perishes
November 29, 1940: Trouble in Indochina
November 30, 1940: Lucy and Desi Marry

2020