Sunday 18 January 1942

"Malaya. Three Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks destroyed near Bakri by gunners from the 13th Battery, 4th Australian Anti-Tank Regiment." 18 January 1942. Australian War Memorial 011301.

Eastern Front: On 18 January 1942, Soviet paratroopers begin the next phase of the Red Army counteroffensive at Moscow by dropping behind German lines south of Vyazma. The landings are conducted by the 201st Airborne Brigade and the 250th Airborne Regiment under the overall command of Lieutenant General Ivan Zatevakhin. Their objective is to cut the Vyazma-Yukhnov highway and the Vyazma-Bryansk railroad.

Soviet paratroopers during 1942.

Following the pattern of German Fallschirmjaeger raids, these Red Army paratrooper landings make a big impact psychologically but do not lead to successes against key objectives. The Germans have few troops in the area - with all reserves having been committed at the front - and thus must redirect troops from the front to contain this unexpected threat. The major impact of the landings is to create a major distraction that helps the Red Army's 33rd Army and 1st Guards Cavalry Corps at the front further east.

"USS Arthur Middleton (AP-55). Departing New York on 18 January 1942 en route to the Pacific after interim conversion for Naval service at the Tietjen & Lang Dry Dock Co. yard in Hoboken, N. J. She operated as a civilian-manned convoy-loaded transport until arriving at San Francisco in June 1942 for final conversion to a combat-loaded (attack) transport." Photo No. 19-N-27271. Source: U.S. National Archives, RG-19-LCM.

On the high road to Moscow, a long, grueling battle at Borodino Field finally ends in a Red Army victory. The battle, which began on 13 October 1941 and technically won that month by the Germans, now is won for good by the 82nd Soviet Rifle Division as it takes back the field. This battle is particularly memorable to Russians because of its echoes of the 1812 battle on the spot which technically was won by the French but was so costly that it became a Pyrrhic victory.

"A two-pounder Anti-Tank Gun of the 4th Anti-Tank Regiment, 8th Australian Division, AIF, directed by VX38874 Sergeant (Sgt) Charles James Parsons, of Moonee Ponds, Vic, in action at a roadblock at Bakri on the Muar-Parit Sulong Road. In the background is a destroyed Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go Medium Tank. The Anti-Tank Gun was known as the rear gun because of its position in the defense layout of the area. Sgt Parsons was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his and his crew's part in destroying six of the nine Japanese tanks during this engagement." This appears to be another view of the ambush which resulted in the demise of the three Japanese tanks shown in the top photo on this page. Australian War Memorial 011302.

Army Group North also is facing mounting problems. A Red Army breakthrough south of Lake Ilmen works behind several German divisions ordered to hold Demjansk and surrounds them. Other Soviet troops are heading toward nearby Kholm to do the same thing. In Army Group South, however, the Germans are more successful and consolidate their hold on the key port of Feodosia, which they captured on the 17th. The focus of the battle there now shifts to the continuing assault on the Red Army line at the Parpach Narrows, which so far has been creaking but not giving way.

"The crew of the forward pom-pom pause for a cigarette while at their post." Aboard minesweeper HMS Beaumaris on 18 January 1942 (© IWM (A 7207)).

Battle of the Atlantic: Operation Drumbeat, the German U-boat offensive along the east coast of the United States, shifts into high gear. There are now several U-boats in position, and easy targets are everywhere. There are mounting successes on the far side of the Atlantic, with several today very close to Newfoundland:

• U-66 (KrvKpt. Richard Zapp) torpedoes and sinks 6635-ton US tanker Alan Jackson east of Cape Hatteras;
• U-86 (Kptlt. Walter Schug) torpedoes 4271-ton Greek freighter Dimitrios G. Thermiotis off Newfoundland (U-86 is not actually part of Operation Drumbeat and simply sinks a member of Convoy SC-63);
• U-333 (Kptlt. Peter-Erich Cremer) torpedoes and sinks 5851-ton US freighter Caledonian Monarch of Convoy SC-63 off Newfoundland (also not a part of Operation Drumbeat, and some sources place this sinking on 22 January);
• U-552 (KrvKpt. Erich Topp) torpedoes and sinks 2609-ton US freighter Frances Salman off Newfoundland (U-552 is operating as part of Wolfpack Ziethen);
• U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen), having headed south from New York City, shells and then torpedoes 8206-ton US freighter Malay. The tanker makes it to Hampton Roads. Some sources place this incident on 19 January.

Operation Drumbeat is turning into a dramatic overall success for the Kriegsmarine and is embarrassing the US Coast Guard. After a long quiescent period, the Battle of the Atlantic is picking up again.

"Gunner and look-out on the alert for any intruders." Aboard minesweeper HMS Beaumaris on 18 January 1942 (© IWM (A 7203)).

Battle of the Pacific: The Allied forces continue to try to restore their lines after recent Japanese incursions. On the eastern II Corps front, the US 31st Infantry Division continues attacking along the western portion of the front but makes little headway along the Balantay River. The Filipino 45th Infantry Division of the Philippine Scouts makes some ground to the west of the Balantay River and reaches the most advanced 31st Division troops. The fighting is savage and deadly in the thick forests. Further west, in the I Corps area, the Japanese along the coast in Morong Province send some troops east behind the Allies in order to isolate them and dislodge the entire Allied line. About 5000 Japanese troops under General Kimura capture Poblacion, Morong Province, and burn it almost entirely to the ground, leaving only a few buildings for their own use.

The Brooklyn Eagle of 18 January 1942 trumpets fake victories in Tokyo Bay while real victories are proving scarce. However, unknown to the media, a US submarine is, in fact, operating very close to Japan and is beginning to score successes.

US submarine USS Plunger (Capt. David C. White), on its first war patrol, claims a rare (so far) victory in Japanese territorial waters. Operating south of Kobe at the mouth Kii Suido, Honshu, it torpedoes and sinks Japanese merchant cargo ship Eizon Maru. The success confirms the effectiveness of the new Mark VI magnetic exploder for the Mark 14 torpedoes. The Plunger also successfully uses a new sonar (SD radar) set which confirms that the Japanese themselves are using echo-ranging sonar ("pinging"). White and his crew survive a brutal depth charge attack before sinking the freighter.

"A two-pounder Anti-Tank Gun of the 4th Anti-Tank Regiment, 8th Australian Division, AIF, directed by VX38874 Sergeant (Sgt) Charles James Parsons, of Moonee Ponds, Vic (center), with two crew members, identified as Gunner (Gnr) Len Coutts and Gnr Ken Daniels, standing against their Anti-Tank Gun in a clearing near the roadblock at Bakri on the Muar-Parit Sulong Road. The Anti-Tank Gun was known as the rear gun because of its position in the defense layout of the area. Sgt Parsons was later awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his and his crew's part in destroying six of the nine Japanese tanks during this engagement." 18 January 1942. Australian War Memorial 011309.

On the Malay Peninsula, the battered Indian 45th Brigade continues a difficult defensive battle in the Muar/Yong Peng area. The troops destroy some Japanese tanks, but the Japanese bring reinforcements up by sea north of Batu Pahat. At the end of the day, the 45th Brigade comes under the command of Indian 3 Corps and ordered to withdraw. After dark, the Indian 9th Division and Australian 27th Brigade Group, in danger of being cut off, withdraw behind the Muar and Segamat Rivers, respectively. The 6/15th Infantry Brigade stands on the south bank of the Batu Pahat River - it is augmented during the day by D Company of the 2nd Battalion of the Malay Regiment, which retreats back across the river. The Japanese are right behind D Company and immediately begin infiltration operations.

At Muar, General Takuma Nishimura orders his 4th and 5th Guards Regiments to attack Bakri. The attack is led by nine Type 95 Ha-Gō light tanks under Captain Shiegeo Gotanda. The attack goes disastrously wrong, however, when the tanks unwisely advance without infantry support and are destroyed by Australian gunners of the 2/29th Battalion. However, the battle is not an unalloyed victory for the Australians, as the Japanese kill the commander of the battalion, Lieutenant Colonel John Robertson, while he is leading his troops during an attack along the main road. The battle is bloody, but the Australians succeed in halting the Japanese, who are forced to regroup now that they have no tanks left.

"Malayan Campaign, December 1941-January 1942. American Fighter Planes Over Malaya. American fighter planes have arrived in Malaya after month and assembly has continued at high speed but without publicity. Singaporeans have become used to the long, grey crates passing through the streets and hardly notice the roar of engine and whistle of wind past fuselage as the fighters are rested near and over the city. But the planes are here in great numbers – distributed strategically throughout Malaya. Shown are Brewster Buffalo fighters over the Malaya coasts. This photograph released circa 1942. Office War Information Photograph. Courtesy of the Library of Congress. (2016/01/22)." National Museum of the US Navy.

Back in Singapore, the daily Japanese bombing forces the RAAF to withdraw across the Malacca Strait to Sumatra. This drastically curtails Allied air defenses both over the fortress and the decisive battles underway just to the north.

Axis Relations: The main signatories of the Tripartite Pact - Italy, Japan, and Germany - sign a new military pact in Berlin. However, it is of little value given that there is little more they can do to help each other than they are doing already. In other words, the big decisions have all been made, and now it is just a question of fighting it out to victory or defeat.

A US Navy cable memo ordering destroyers to visit Londonderry. As the memo states, "These will be the first U.S. Warships officially to visit a British port in this war, except for the U.S. trawler Albatross which arrived at Londonderry a.m. today, 18th January, having been driven there by the stress of weather." Note that the typewriter paper of the day was very thin and showed pages below.

US Military: In order to protect Dutch Harbor, units of the US Army Corps of Engineer land at Umnak Island in the Aleutians to build an airfield. This becomes Otter Point Airfield (Cape Field), part of Fort Glenn.

British/Burmese Relations: Just like in other Asian colonies, there are pressures for independence in Burma. One of the most influential proponents of this policy is U Saw, Burma's prime minister. Saw has been in England negotiating openly with the British for promises of independence after the war and also secretly with the Japanese for promises of independence during the war. The British, through the Ultra service, learn about the latter and imprison U Saw during a stop at Haifa, Palestine.

"A big thrill, a young ATC boy has a parachute fitted and is shown how to use the safety cord in case." 18 January 1942 at the Royal Naval Air Station at Donibristle. © IWM (A 7201).

German Homefront: Publicized by the Ministry of Propaganda as a gesture of solidarity with the troops at the front, restaurant patrons now are served only "field-kitchen meals" every Monday and Thursday. Such meals typically consist of thin vegetable soup and a slice of bread. Customers are allowed, however, to bring their own ingredients with them and have the "field kitchens" prepare their meals any way they like. German civilians otherwise remain largely unaffected by the privations being suffered in England, Occupied Europe, and large swathes of the Soviet Union, as military conquest has brought vast new resources under German control. Hitler feels that it is important to the war effort to shield German civilians from the consequences of the war for as long as possible except in such "noble" ways.

American Homefront: New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio is named American League Player of the Year (his second of three such awards). This follows his unmatched 56-game hitting streak. Finishing second is Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams, who hit over .400. Neither feat has been equaled since. Both men wind up in the military during World War II.

Oliver Hardy, left, cuts the cake at this 50th birthday party on 18 January 1942 backstage at a Chicago theater while Stan Laurel looks on. As part of the act, Laurel wears a tag that says "Freight."

1942

January 1942

January 1, 1942: Declaration By United Nations
January 2, 1941: Manila Falls to Japan
January 3, 1942: ABDA Command Announced
January 4, 1942: MacArthur on His Own in the Philippines
January 5, 1942: Soviets Plan General Offensive
January 6, 1942: US Army in Europe
January 7, 1942: Soviet General Offensive Opens
January 8, 1942: Hitler Sacks Hoepner
January 9, 1942: Battle of Dražgoše
January 10, 1942: Building the Jeep
January 11, 1942: Japan Takes Kuala Lumpur
January 12, 1941: Rommel Plans Counterattack
January 13, 1942: First Ejection Seat Use
January 14, 1942: Operation Drumbeat First Sinking
January 15, 1942: U-Boat Off NYC
January 16, 1942: Carole Lombard Crash
January 17, 1942: British Take Halfaya Pass
January 18, 1942: Soviet Paratroopers in Action
January 19, 1942: FDR Approves Atomic Bomb
January 20, 1942: The Wannsee Conference
January 21, 1942: Parit Sulong Bridge Battle
January 22, 1942: Parit Sulong Massacre
January 23, 1942: Japan Takes Rabaul
January 24, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
January 25, 1942: Kholm Surrounded
January 26, 1942: GIs Land in Europe
January 27, 1942: Battle of Endau
January 28, 1942: Rommel Takes Benghazi
January 29, 1942: First US Coast Guard Ship Sunk
January 30, 1942: Singapore Isolated
January 31, 1942: Army Group South Averts Disaster

2020

Friday 17 October 1941

USS Kearny photographed in Iceland after its arrival there on 19 October 1941, showing the damage caused by the torpedo attack of 17 October 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: Pursuant to President Roosevelt's standing orders for US Navy warships to protect convoys in the North Atlantic, the 1630-ton destroyer USS Kearny (DD-432) is sailing with Convoy SC-48 south of Iceland when disaster strikes. During the night, U-568 (Kptlt. Joachim Preuss), on its second patrol out of St. Nazaire, spots Kearny illuminated by the fires of a burning freighter. Captain Preuss fires one torpedo that strikes Kearny in the starboard forward fire room (roughly amidships). Quick action by the Kearny's crew seals off the flooding, but the ship sustains heavy damage.

Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers of the VS-6 in flight on 17 October 1941.

Fortunately for the men of the Kearny, the fire room and engine room are separate, and they can use another fire room in the rear of the ship. Thus, it retains engine power despite the damage. The Kearny, under escort by USS Greer (DD-145), makes it safely back to Hvalfjordur, Iceland on the 19th, and then at the end of the year to Boston for repairs. There are 11 deaths and 22 injured, the first combat deaths for the US Navy since World War I. U-568, meanwhile, survives a brief depth charge attack by HMCS Pictou and then escapes on the surface into the night.

Royal Navy battleship HMS Duke of York in the fitting-out basin at Rosyth, 17 October 1941 (© IWM (A 5917)).

The Kearny incident reflects the greatly increased (and controversial) role of US Navy ships in the North Atlantic during 1941. The Kearny actively engaged in attacks on U-boats upon arriving at Convoy SC-48 on 16 October, dropping depth charges throughout the morning of the 17th. Thus, it "began hostilities." The entire incident reflects the murky nature of US involvement in World War II in October 1941, as the United States is not at war and at least arguably should not be engaging in military actions unless it wants to be at war. There are strong arguments of every side of questions like this: in brief, the US maintains that it has a right to keep open its sea lanes and protect its ships, while German views peacetime US military support of England as violating international law. There is nothing that the Reich can do to retaliate directly against the United States following this incident, or vice versa, short of declaring war. However, Hitler does hold a grudge, while Roosevelt decides that now is not the time to declare war. Active US Navy participation in convoy protection is a very sensitive political topic both in 1941 and later.

Supplies ("comforts") being taken aboard HMS Ramillies at Liverpool, 17 October 1941. © IWM (A 6098).

Some feel that Roosevelt purposefully putting warships in harm's way is a deliberate provocation. Hitler certainly does. He learns about the entire incident, either through the United States media, his spies, or codebreaking activities. Along with other incidents, he specifically mentions the Kearny incident - highlighting its participation in attacking the U-boats, of course - during his declaration of war on the United States on 11 December 1941.

German soldiers take the crew of a Soviet T-34 tank prisoner at Kalinin (Tver). T-34 tank number 4 of the 21st Armored Brigade rammed a German self-propelled guns StuG III of Lieutenant Tachinski of the 660th Assault Gun Battery. Both vehicles were put out of action. This was a Soviet raid on German forces at Kalinin, the Germans still attempting to eliminate resistance in the area. Either 17 or 18 October 1941.

Eastern Front: In the center of the German advance on Moscow, Paul Hausser’s SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) Das Reich and the attached "Hauenschild Brigade" of 10th Panzer Division batter against the defending Soviet 32nd Siberian Rifle Division from Vladivostok. The battle along the two parallel highways to Moscow (the Minsk and Moscow Highways) takes place at Borodino Field, site of the 1812 Napoleonic battle won by France at great cost. Just as at that earlier battle, the invading force pushes back the heroic defenders after fierce fighting. The Soviet troops fall back on Mozhaysk, the anchor of the main defensive ring around Moscow. The Stavka, alarmed by the continued German advance against elite troops, beings pulling troops north from Ukraine for the defense of Moscow.

A view of USS Greer showing the damage amidships incurred on 17 October 1941.

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

Tuesday 14 October 1941

German soldiers manning a machine gun beside railway tracks on the outskirts of Kalinin, 14 October 1941.

Eastern Front: Operation Typhoon, the German attack on Moscow, has transformed into an attempt to envelop the city by 14 October 14, 1941. The Soviets are hastily assembling their remaining Western Front troops and those finally arriving from the East in a defensive ring anchored on Mozhaysk (Mozhaisk) on the high road to the Soviet capital. Rather than try to batter their way into the city, the Germans instead are sending their panzers to the northeast and southeast. This is part of an increasing German pattern of focusing their advances only where the Soviets have the fewest defensive forces and not actually confronting them where they are strong, a tendency that will get them in trouble in 1942.

Two German soldiers grab some rest in the field, 14 October 1941.

The Germans make good progress, but there's a problem: the distances are immense. An advance of hundreds of kilometers against fierce opposition is necessary to encircle Moscow, and there are many natural features that favor the defense. Nevertheless, the Wehrmacht is off to a good beginning today. The 1st Panzer Division under the command of Generalleutnant Walter Krüger skirts the Soviet defenses and advances an astonishing 75 miles (120 km) to take Kalinin (Tver), an important city on the main Moscow - Leningrad road. This is an extraordinary achievement after going cross-country from the south, it still leaves the panzers 93 miles (150 km) away from Moscow. This advance also cuts the Moscow - Leningrad railway, but Army Group North already did that in September. These sorts of achievements look great in the abstract, but they do not actually achieve anything significant - they simply set the stage for achieving something eventually. When that will be, or rather if that will be, remains very much in doubt.

Gander, Newfoundland is a key airfield on the air transport link from the United States and Gret Britain. Here, Sir Humphrey Walwyn, Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, chats with an unidentified RCAF ferry pilot. This photo was taken on 14 October 1941.

Krüger's troops also capture a bridge across the Volga and establish a small bridgehead on the north bank. This not strategically important - it does not really aid the advance on Moscow - but it conceivably could aid an advance further east using the Volga as a shield to the south against flank attacks. It is symbolically important as the only intact bridge over the Volga that the Germans ever seize, either here or much further south in the Stalingrad area. However, on the all-important Smolensk highway to Moscow, The Soviet 32nd Siberian Rifle Division from Vladivostok is dug in now and armed to the teeth. It incorporates three infantry regiments and two armored brigades newly equipped with T-34s and KV-2s. This unit is only there because of the work of master spy Richard Sorge in Tokyo, who gave Stalin the information that led to its redeployment to the west.

Paul Hausser, wearing his eyepatch, and General Erwin J. Rommel.

While the general German plan now is to encircle Moscow, SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser probes the Soviet defenses at Borodino with his SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) Das Reich and the attached "Hauenschild Brigade" of 10.Panzer Division. He gets an unpleasant surprise, as the Siberian troops are warmly attired, including fur caps, and amply equipped with the multi-purpose 7.62-cm gun that has proven extremely effective along with the Katyusha mortars (called "Stalin's organs" by the Germans due to their distinctive sound). While the Germans already are familiar with the T-34s and KV-2s, for the first time the Soviets deploy them in mass formations. The Germans take heavy casualties, and commander Obergruppenfuhrer Hausser himself suffers a serious wound to his right eye that forces him to wear a patch over it for the remainder of the war. However, the panzers' momentum proves unstoppable at this time, and they force their way through a key part of the Siberian line. Fighting continues at Borodino Field, but the Germans appear poised to overcome the Soviet defenses and continue moving east toward Moscow.

A bomb disposal unit in northeast England, 14 October 1941.

Overall, it is another good day for the Wehrmacht. The panzers blast through to new gains. However, the strength of Soviet resistance after almost four months of constant fighting is troubling. The presence of fresh and well-armed Soviet troops at the gates of Moscow is unexpected, and the vast distances that must be covered just to be in a position to attack are causing greater wear and tear on the panzers than in the past. The temperatures around Moscow are right around freezing, and the first heavy snowfall at Leningrad turns the entire area white. The lack of anti-freeze for vehicles forces the Germans to make a hard choice: they can either drain their radiators at night and hope that their vehicles don't freeze solid, or run them periodically throughout the night to keep them warm and thereby waste fuel and give the enemy an extremely easy way to know where they are. For now, the problem is not acute, but it is getting worse every day as the temperature drops.

"Five children eat American cheese sandwiches at an open-air emergency feeding center in Liverpool. Behind them, a man can be seen cooking at one of several Soyer boilers or field cookers, available for use by civilians in the area." 14 October 1941 © IWM (V 93).

Partisans: The partisan threat in the Soviet Union remains fairly muted as the panzers appear poised for victory. However, the rapid German advance has left many bypassed Red Army formations intact in between the roads. Today, the Germans begin Operation Karlsbad to pacify the region between Smolensk and Minsk in the vicinity of Orsha and Vitebsk and along the Berezina River. These Soviet units, some of which include tanks and airplanes, are no match for a determined German offensive, but the Germans front is far to the east and focused on Moscow, not Orsha. Partisan operations prove extremely difficult because the Wehrmacht simply doesn't have the spare infantry to enclose large areas under partisan control. Still, the attempt must be made, and Operation Karlsbad is just the first of many anti-partisan operations that usually achieve little but must be attempted due to the vulnerability of German supply lines.

HMS Syrtis (P241). Laid down: 14 October 1941 Launched: February 4, 1943. Commissioned: 23 April 1943. Sunk March 28, 1944.

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

Monday 13 October 1941

Women digging tank ditches on the Mozaysk Defense Line outside of Moscow ca. 13 October 1941.

Eastern Front: Different sources give different dates for the actual beginning of the Battle of Moscow during Operation Typhoon. A good starting date is 13 October 1941, because it is on this date that the German panzers first encounter the Mozhaysk (Mozhaisk) defense line that forms a half-circle around the Soviet capital.

Bomb damage on Punch Street in Bolton, Lancashire, England following a Luftwaffe raid on the night of 12-13 October 1941.

On Sunday, Army Group North commander Field Marshal Fedor von Bock sends his worn and weary troops east in a final dash along the main road to Moscow. The leading elements on the main road, SS Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser’s SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) ‘Reich’ from XLVI. Armeekorps (mot.) reinforced with a Kampfgruppe from 10. Panzer-Division set out from the vicinity of Gagarin, which is still about 180 km east of Moscow. On Monday the 13th, the panzers encounter the Mozhaysk line, which Western Front commander General Georgy Zhukov has hastily assembled with about 90,000 troops. At noon, the Luftwaffe supports this movement by sending Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers escorted by Bf 109 fighters to attack Soviet positions at Borodino Field, site of the famous Napoleonic battle.

"Infantry of the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) on the march with messenger dogs near Barham, Kent, 13 October 1941" (© IWM (H 14688)).

Assuming that there is a massive Soviet force to defend the capital, the Germans branch off the main road to the north and south. The nebulous plan is to encircle Moscow, with the first objectives being Kalinin (Tver) to the northeast and Kaluga and Tula to the southeast. The distances to be covered are immense by western European military standards, 180-200 km cross-country in each direction, but Russia is a large place and the Wehrmacht is forced to think in larger orders of magnitude than it is used to.

Punch Street following a Luftwaffe raid on the night of 12-13 October 1941. There were 11 people killed and 64 injured. Bolton, Lancashire, England (Bolton Remembers the War).

While the Germans are tested by the distances to be covered, they still hold the initiative. The Soviet situation, by contrast, is almost catastrophic. Resistance at Vyazma dies out as encircled Soviet troops either break out through swampy areas or surrender. General Rokossovsky and his HQ group abandon the area and slip out. General Yeremenko (Eremenko), in command of Bryansk Front, is wounded, evacuated, and relieved of command. Another disaster strikes at Rzhev, where Soviet 30th Army is eliminated. In an unusual turn of events for the Soviets, they are low on troops, so not only does the Red Army scrounge for any available men in the Moscow region and send them to the Mozhaysk Line, but they also draft 600 women to serve as soldiers. The Soviet 5th Army under General Leliushenko anchors the center of the Mozhaisk Defensive Line on the highway. However, the line itself is still under construction by about 250,000 Moscow women.

Pearl Harbor Naval Base on Oahu, Hawaii on 13 October 1941. Note battleship row at the upper right and the submarine base at lower left. Visible at the top are (left) USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and (right) USS Arizona (BB-39) (US Navy 80-G-451131).

There is one bright spot for the Soviets. Based upon intelligence received from Richard Sorge in mid-September, Stalin has recalled seven Siberian divisions to the defense of Moscow. In addition to being fit, fresh, and well-trained troops, the Siberian troops also are experienced in and equipped for winter warfare. Considering that it already is snowing in the area, this is a major skill to have. These troops are beginning to arrive at the Moscow railway stations just at the right time. The 32nd Siberian Rifle Division under Colonel Polosukhin, supported by three tank brigades and the cadets from a Moscow military college, move up the highway to Borodino.

1768-ton Norwegian freighter SS Roy (formerly the Danae), sunk by a torpedo from S-53 (Block) on 13 October 1941 along with 1537-ton British freighter Chevington (sunk by a torpedo from S-105 (Howaldt). This was an E-boat (Schnellboot) action off Cromer.

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