Eastern Front: A full 73 days after they began the siege of Odessa, Romanian troops enter the city late in the afternoon of 16 October 1941. They find Odesa empty, the last Soviet evacuation ships having left well before sunrise at 05:10. The fortifications are still there, but many buildings are burning and everything else of value is wrecked.
"Patrick Mead, aged 14, wears his father's medals and holds the British Empire Medal posthumously awarded to his father, a member of the Royal Marines, at a recent Investiture. With him are his mother and baby brother, Roger." 16 October 1941 (@IWM(10551785)).
Both sides justifiably can claim a victory at Odessa. The Romanian 4th Army captures an important port and completes the occupation of Transnistria, their long-desired territory in the East. The Romanians inflict roughly the same number of casualties on the Soviets as they themselves incur (accounts vary wildly, but losses seem to be roughly even). Capturing Odesa solidifies Axis control of the Black Sea coast and provides a useful port to supply the troops operating farther east. It also proves handy for operating warships and warplanes to aid in the eventual capture of the Crimea.
A German radio operator in a light armored observation car (Sd.Kfz. 253), October 1941 (Utrecht, Fred Erich, Federal Archive Bild 101I-268-0158-16).
While the Romanians capture the town and thus "win," the Soviets can claim an important defensive victory. They hold up the Axis advance for over two months during good campaigning season, inflicting 98,000 casualties (17,729 dead, 63,345 wounded, 11,471 missing people) on the Romanians and attached German forces, and escape with their forces almost intact. About 121,000 Soviet troops escape, along with 1000 trucks and 20,000 tons of ammunition. These troops and their equipment will go to good use in their new quarters in Sevastopol, which already is threatened by General von Manstein's 11th Army. The evacuating troops dump the big artillery guns of the 95th Rifle Division into Odessa Harbor and destroy numerous port facilities and other installations of value to the enemy.
Russian Bessarabians deported from Amara arrive at the main station in Poznan, 16 October 1941 (Holtfreter, Wilhelm, Federal Archive R 49 Bild-0244).
It is common to call the Romanian capture of Odessa a "Pyrrhic Victory." This is because of the length of time that it takes and the number of casualties that the Romanians incur for something they don't really need and which is of no lasting value. There is no question on either score. The siege lasts much longer than anticipated and casualties are heavy. However, the Romanians don't really care how long the victory takes, and, to them at the moment, the casualties are worth the gain. Their war aim was to capture Odessa and the nearby region. Having done that, the Romanians consider the war effectively over for their country - with the minor proviso that they continue helping the Germans to defeat the Soviet Union. Of course, the Soviet defeat is a foregone conclusion, so that is a small price to pay.
Having achieved their own war aims, the Romanians immediately begin demobilizing their army. They reduce it in size from nearly 900,000 men to 465,000 by the end of the year. Since this was the plan all along, the German war effort is not really impacted much by the length of time it took to capture Romania. That is, Romania would not have given the Wehrmacht any more help even if casualties had been lighter and the siege shorter because Romania simply would have demobilized its army earlier. So, in that sense, the lengthy siege that leads to the capture of Odessa is not Pyrrhic at all, it is simply tedious.
Russian Bessarabians deported from Amara arrive at the main station in Poznan, 16 October 1941 (Holtfreter, Wilhelm, Federal Archive R 49 Fig. 0245).
However, in a larger sense, the Romanian capture of Odessa does have, if not a strictly Pyrrhic effect, a terribly negative impact on the Romanian state for many years. By having joined the Wehrmacht in its war of conquest and gained such a high-profile victory, Romania angers both the Soviets and the Western Allies. Ultimately, Romania winds up at war with both Great Britain and the United States as a result - and, obviously, the Soviet menace never ends, it just temporarily recedes. The reduced military assistance that Romania continues to give to Germany at places like Stalingrad ends very badly, as we shall see. In an even larger sense, Romania's international reputation is stained for decades by its repressive Transnistria Governate. That territory becomes the scene of horrible events that form an integral part of the Holocaust. The local Romanians pay dearly when the Soviets recapture the city. Of course, hindsight is perfect, but Romania would have been better served by never having joined Germany in Operation Barbarossa and never having coveted Odessa.
Victims of executions at Lubny, Ukraine. About 1900 villagers and residents of the surrounding area, perhaps entirely Jewish, are executed after being told to gather for deportation. As at Babi Yar and other sites, the victims are taken to trenches outside of town and shot.
Italian/Greek Campaign: The Italians on 14 February 1941 attack on the Skutara line near a height designated Height 504 in the coastal sector west of Klisura Pass. The Greek 6th Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Ioannis Theodorou, fights savagely to maintain their position. The Greeks succeed but suffer 109 killed and wounded. The RAF chips in with attacks in the area.
East African Campaign: The British 22nd East African Brigade under General Alan Cunningham take the port of Kismayu. The real prize is Mogadishu to the north. Royal Navy Force T, led by heavy cruisers HMS Shropshire and Hawkins and aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, assists the ground forces with supporting fire. The British take possession of fifteen vessels in the port.
The Free French land at Port Sudan, Sudan. This is the 14th Demi-Brigade de Marche de la Légion Étrangère under the command of Colonel Raoul Magrin-Vernerey.
Things are quiet at Keren as the British regroup. Indian 7th Infantry Brigade takes Mersa Dersa on the Red Sea coast. Another action takes place near Cam Ceua.
European Air Operations: During the day, the RAF sends Rhubarb sweeps over the German invasion ports. RAF Bomber Command sends 44 bombers against the Gelsenkirchen oil installations (a favored target) and a similar number to attack Homberg oil installations.
The Luftwaffe sends lone raiders across to bomb Northeast Scotland and Kent. It also mounts fighter sweeps over southern England. There is another raid on London after dark, but it causes little damage.
An event supposedly happens during the night which enters legend; whether it is true or not is uncertain (like the "wooden bombs" story). A disoriented Luftwaffe pilot lands by mistake at an English airfield and does not realize his mistake until he spots the control tower. He takes off quickly, then does the same thing elsewhere. Eventually, the pilot makes it back to France.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with Free French leader Charles de Gaulle, 14 February 1941.
Battle of the Atlantic: Today is a rare day, as four German heavy cruisers at sea have news. It is unusual for the Kriegsmarine to maintain that many warships in the Atlantic, and if operating together they could be a formidable force. This, however, never happens.
German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper makes port at Brest (some sources place this on the 15th). It sank 8 ships during its 140-day cruise, a small return for the effort expended - but expanded by the effect it has had on the Royal Navy. Things have changed at Brest, and it is no longer as secure for warships as it had been in the past. Admiral Hipper draws a lot of RAF attention there.
German cruiser Admiral Scheer meets supply ship Tannenfels and raider Atlantis, which has with it a captured tanker, Ketty Brøvig. Scheer refuels from the tanker and the two ships exchange supplies.
German battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst meet German tankers Schlettstadt and Esso Hamburg in the North Atlantic to refuel. The ships, south of Greenland, are biding their time before attacking the convoys passing just to the south.
German raider Thor, operating in the South Atlantic, meets up with supply ships Eurofeld and Alsterufer.
U-101 (Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen) or U-123 (Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle) torpedoes and sinks 5462-ton British freighter Holystone in the mid-Atlantic. Holystone had been in Convoy OB-284, which had been dispersed. All 40 men on board perish. Since there are no survivors, the cause of the sinking is debated. Among the candidates for this sinking are U-101, U-123 and Italian submarine Bianchi, all operating in the same area. If this is the ship attacked by U-123, then Kptlt. Moehle uses six torpedoes to sink the freighter. The first five torpedoes miss. The actual sinking is during the first minutes of the 15th. The ship explodes in a massive explosion caused by a detonation of ammunition or explosives carried within the ship.
Italian submarine Bianchi happens upon a straggler from Convoy SC 21 in the mid-Atlantic south of Iceland. It torpedoes and sinks 4517-ton British freighter Belcrest. All 36 men on board perish.
Royal Navy torpedo boat MTB 41 hits a mine and sinks in the North Sea. There are two deaths.
The Luftwaffe (I,/KG 40) bombs and sinks 616-ton British freighter Elisabeth Marie in the Northwest Approaches. There is one death, the rest of the 25-man crew is picked up by destroyer HMCS Ottawa.
The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 420-ton British freighter Moorlands just off Sands End Bay near Banff. The ship makes it to Buckie Harbour.
The Luftwaffe attacks Canadian destroyer HMCS St. Laurent in the Northwest Approaches. The destroyer is lightly damaged but remains in service.
The Luftwaffe also bombs minelayer HMS Teviotbank off Flamborough Head. The minelayer proceeds to the Humber for repairs lasting about a month.
Convoy SLG 1A departs from Gibraltar. It includes two troopships.
US destroyer USS Grayson (DD 435, Lt. Commander Thomas M. Stokes) is commissioned; and USS Woolsey is launched.
Battle of the Mediterranean: Now that the British have decided to terminate their offensive operations, they begin reorienting their forces. The 11th Hussars, who led the assault at Beda Fomm, enters the reserve while its position is taken over by the King's Dragoon Guards. The Luftwaffe attacks the Hussars as they are leaving, devastating their convoy with Junkers Ju 87 Stukas. This is the Luftwaffe's first attack on the 7th Armoured Division, a harbinger of future attacks.
General Erwin Rommel only has a small group of troops in Tripoli, but he sees opportunity in the British over-extension past Benghazi. He does not know it, but he is getting helped by the British decision to redirect their major effort toward Greece.
The Luftwaffe arrives to help Rommel, starting with a small assortment of various reconnaissance planes, Stukas and Bf 110s of III,/ZG 26. Rommel sends his available troops of the 5th Light Division to Sirte to form a defensive block - but this is unnecessary due to decisions being made on the other side. Many more troops are on the way. The Luftwaffe loses its first two planes in the desert.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Rover torpedoes and damages 6161-ton Italian tanker Cesco off Calabria. Tankers are very tough to sink by torpedo due to their compartmentalized construction, so Cesco makes it back to port.
At Malta, Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 88s drop the first land mines on the island. They damage homes in Valletta and Senglea, as well as other scattered locations such as St Elmo, Fort Leonardo, the Dockyard and Tigne areas, as well as in St Thomas’ Bay. These types of bombs, which cause devastation over wide areas, are common in England, but this is a first for the Mediterranean. There are five civilian deaths and twenty injuries. The parachute mines hit various structures, including a primary school, barracks, and other areas, and flatten wide areas. The Luftwaffe also drops anti-personnel mines on the beaches of Mellieha.
Convoy AN 15 departs from Port Said bound for Suda Bay, Convoy AC 1 departs from Alexandria bound for Benghazi
"Hitler: Spring is here." Time Magazine, 14 February 1941.
German/Yugoslavian Relations: Hitler meets with Yugoslavian Prime Minister Dragiša Cvetković at the Berghof in Berchtesgaden. They talk for three hours. Hitler wants Yugoslavia to join the Tripartite Pact, which would obviate the need to invade it. He does not demand military support, but he does want transit rights so that he can send Wehrmacht forces south through Yugoslavia to invade Greece. However, Cvetković knows that there is immense opposition to joining the Axis, so he demurs.
US/Yugoslavian Relations: Making a rare foray into Balkan politics, President Roosevelt warns Prince Paul not to help Germany.
Ambassador Nomura presents his credentials to President Roosevelt at the White House on 14 February 1941.
US/Japanese Relations: New Ambassador Kichisaburō Nomura presents his credentials to President Roosevelt at the White House. President Roosevelt comments, in a classic understatement, "there are developments in the relations between the United States and Japan which cause concern." He specifically mentions the "movements of Japan southward down to Indochina and the Spratly Islands and other localities in that area."
Nomura, unlike his masters in Tokyo, actually wants to find some way to avoid a war. He promises to do what he can. However, both sides expect the other to grant concessions, and nobody is interested in doing that.
US diplomat Eugene Dooman, the US embassy counselor in Tokyo, submits a message from President Roosevelt to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The message, more an ultimatum than anything else, warns the Japanese that the US is helping Great Britain and would not tolerate any interference with British Asian possessions. The bottom line, the message states, is:
it was quite possible to pass over the present critical period without war, but that one essential condition to this more or less happy issue out of our difficulties must be the realization on the part of the Japanese that they cannot substantially alter the status quo in Southeast Asia, particularly, without incurring the risk of creating a very serious situation.
British/Romanian Relations: The British Foreign Office officially breaks relations with Romania. It announces that Romania is "territory under enemy occupation" (which is not the case) and that Great Britain would deem Romania an "enemy destination for contraband purposes." This is a poignant moment because Romania during the 1930s relied greatly on British guarantees of protection. Singapore/Australian Relations: British Commander-in-chief of the Far East Command Robert Brooke-Popham visits Australia (which is not part of his command). He meets with the Australian War Cabinet. Brooke-Popham gives an optimistic review of the state of British defenses in his realm, saying that Singapore is unlikely to be attacked from the landward side and that it could hold out for six to nine months if attacked. Anglo/Polish Relations: The RAF drops supplies to the Polish underground for the first time during the war.
The Glenn L. Martin Company Fort Crook Plant. It was renamed Offut Air Base in 1946 in honor of Omaha's first World World I casualty, Lt. Jarvis Offutt. It became the headquarters of Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1948. Among many other planes, the Enola Gay and Bockscar, the only two planes in history to drop nuclear weapons intentionally, were built here.
US Military: USN/USMC Fleet Landing Exercise (FLEX) No. 7 at Culebra/Vieques concludes.
The US Army contracts with the Glenn L. Martin Company for the construction and operation of the Fort Crook Plant, Sarpy County, Nebraska. This plant is intended to assemble the Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber. The construction order will be sent tomorrow. In all, there will be nine primary buildings, including a 600x900 foot two-story manufacturing and assembly building (some of the plane parts are prefabricated by other companies and simply assembled here). The location was chosen because it was over 200 miles from a coast, as required by the government, and near the city of Omaha. British Military: General Percy Hobart is appointed commander of the 11th Armoured Division. British Government: Winston Churchill continues his attention to the WS7 (Winston Special Convoy) now being assembled at Plymouth. As he states in a memo to Sir Andrew Duncan, he remains opposed to sending any but front-line troops on the convoy, preferring to send "a complete infantry division" even though that means "displacing others." He asks Duncan to find seven more transport ships for the convoy. Churchill is determined to improve the "tooth to tail" ratio in the Middle East Command and sees little need for service troops when there is fighting to be done.
Australian Government: Prime Minister Robert Menzies resumes his epic journey from Melbourne to London, today flying from Cairo to Khartoum.
Vichy France Government: Admiral Darlan adds Interior Minister to his other government posts.
American Homefront: RKO Radio Pictures releases the short film "The Little Whirlwind," starring Mickey Mouse and Minny Mouse. The film, produced by Walt Disney for Walt Disney Productions, is directed by Riley Thomson. It features the voices of Walt Disney and Thelma Boardman.
Future History: Paul Tsongas is born in Lowell, Massachusetts. He develops an early interest in politics and goes on to election to the US Congress in 1974 and to the US Senate in 1978. He later runs for the Democratic Party nomination for President in 1992 and wins seven states, but ultimately loses the nomination to Bill Clinton. Paul Tsongas passes away on 18 January 1997.
Jewish stores in Bucharest, Romania during the Iron Guard pogrom that ends on 23 January 1941.
Italian/Greek Campaign: The battles around the Klisura Pass continue on 23 January 1941. Greek II Corps counterattacks against small Italian successes and recaptures the heights west of the pass.
East African Campaign: The British are not 42 miles within Eritrea. The British troops advancing from Kassala are pressuring the Italians in the vicinity to fall back. The RAF is active, bombing various points throughout the region. Continuing the long-established pattern displayed by the Italians, they quickly give ground under determined attacks.
At Keru Gorge, where they had established a fairly decent defensive position, the Italian 41st Colonial Brigade precipitously retreats during the night of 22/23 January under pressure from Indian 4th and 5th Divisions (primarily the Indian 10th Infantry Brigade). What they forget to do is tell their command, General Ugo Fongoli and his 800 headquarters troops nearby that they are leaving. The General and his troops become guests of His Majesty for the duration of the war. The Indian troops continue pressing forward toward Agordat, and the Italian retreat turns into a fleeing mass of panicked men.
European Air Operations: The slow pace of operations continues. The Luftwaffe only drops scattered bombs along the east coast of England, and neither side puts bombers in the air after dark. Battle of the Atlantic: One of the little-known stories of World War II is the occasional breakout attempts of merchant ships from internment or capture. Ships from both sides have attempted it, with varying success. Today, five Norwegian ships (Elizabeth Bakke, John Bakke, Tai Shan, Taurus, and Ranja) engage in Operation Rubble. Under the command of British temporary attache to Stockholm Captain R.D. Binney, they journey mostly as a convoy (one ship is faster and travels independently) from Gothenburg, Sweden through the Skagerrak north of Denmark and head for a rendezvous with the Royal Navy. It is a rare escape attempt within the Baltic by ships operating against German interests, as the Germans have complete hegemony over the western Baltic at this time.
German heavy cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau continue their journey north along the Norwegian coast as part of Operation Berlin. A British agent spots them between Denmark and the island of Zealand and reports to England. The British are preparing to send their heaviest naval units north to confront them before they can break out into the North Atlantic.
The Luftwaffe (Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condors of 1,/KG 40) bombs and sinks 3564-ton British freighter Lurigethan in the shipping lanes about 500 km west of Ireland and south of Iceland. There are 16 deaths and 35 survivors. Not far away from where the Lurigethan sinks, the Luftwaffe also bombs and sinks 4524-ton British freighter Langleegorse (entire crew lost) and 1859 ton British freighter Mostyn (two dead). The Lurigethan, incidentally, is abandoned by her surviving crew and left as a derelict and will be sunk on 26 January by U-105.
Royal Navy 255 ton minesweeping trawler HMT Coutier hits a mine and is damaged, but makes it to Milford Haven. Royal Navy 248 ton minesweeping trawler HMT Ronso also hits a mine but also makes port.
The Kriegsmarine sends four minelayers to lay mines off the south coast of England during the night in Operation SW-b.
Convoy FN 390 departs from Southend, Convoys FS 394 and FS 395 depart from Methil.
In the Royal Canadian Navy, minesweeper HMCS Reo II and corvettes HMCS Agassiz and Bittersweet are commissioned. Minesweeper HMCS Wasaga is launched.
U-204 and U-561 are launched.
Rosalind Russell in a promotional shot taken on 23 January 1941, perhaps for her upcoming starring role in "They Met in Bombay" with Clark Gable.
Battle of the Mediterranean: Emergency repairs are completed on HMS Illustrious, and, at 1846, it departs from Grand Harbour, Malta for Alexandria (and thence Norfolk, Virginia for permanent repairs). The departure is timed to minimize the chances of Axis reconnaissance observing the escape attempt, and other more subtle precautions also are taken, such as keeping escorting destroyers in the harbour as long as possible. This is a major operation (Operation MBD 2) covered by the Mediterranean Fleet, including battleships HMS Barham and Valiant. The Luftwaffe quickly notices the operation and prepares an attack on the carrier and its escorts before they get out of range.
This is important not only for the prospects of getting the aircraft carrier back in service (eventually), but it also removes the major catalyst behind Luftwaffe Fliegerkorps X's recent onslaught of air raids against Malta. Thus, while the Illustrious Blitz may or may not continue, the Illustrious itself is no longer in harm's way within range of the Stukas. The departure of Illustrious, while good news for the British tactically, also leaves a strategic gap in the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet which will take time to fill.
Winston Churchill is unhappy about the recent Luftwaffe successes in the Mediterranean. As is his habit, he meddles in Royal Navy decisions, suggesting that the navy replace its obsolete Fairey Fulmars with monoplanes such as the American-made Brewsters and Martlets. The Fulmars, however, are quite effective when used properly.
General O'Connor of XIII Corps, fresh off another victory over the Italians at Tobruk (where all remaining resistance has ended), quickly sends his British and Australian units northwest and north, respectively, to continue Operation Compass. The next stop along the coast is Derna, a town of 10,000 people, while Mechili also is coming within view of the 7th Armoured Division. The Italians are sending Special Armoured Brigade (Brigata Corazzato Speciale) under the command of General Valentino Babini (also known as the "Babini Group") to block the coast road. Italian 10th Army commander General Giuseppe Tellera orders a counterattack against the advancing British Seventh Armoured Division for the 24th. The RAF bombs Derna.
The British rush to get Tobruk Harbor back in operation as a depository of British supplies. They begin Operation Parallax, which aims to sweep the harbor of mines and restore the port facilities. Minesweeping trawlers HMT Arthur Cavanagh and Milford Counties begin sweeping the harbor today, while boom vessel HMS Magnet arrives to restore order in the port.
In London, the Admiralty reports to the War Cabinet that recent RAF attacks on Fliegerkorps X bases at Catania, Sicily and elsewhere have been successful. However, the Luftwaffe is still in business and shortly will make its continued vitality known. Battle of the Pacific: While the war, by and large, has not yet extended to the Pacific Ocean aside from scattered attacks by German raiders, the British in Hong Kong decide to make some preparations. They send minelayer HMS Man Yeung and destroyer HMS Thracian to seed some mines in the approaches to Hong Kong.
US/Yugoslavian Relations: "Wild Bill" Donovan continues his fact-finding mission in the European and Mediterranean region. Today, he stops off at Belgrade, no doubt drawn by the issues in Romania that are attracting worldwide attention.
US Military: Although a pre-World War I warship, the battleship USS Arizona is made the flagship of Battleship Division 1 by Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd, replacing Rear Admiral Russell Wilson, who himself had relieved Rear Admiral Chester Nimitz.
Charles Lindbergh testifies before Congress, 23 January 1941.
US Government: Aviation legend Charles Lindbergh is invited to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Lindbergh is a well-known Isolationist who is supported by, and supports, the America First Committee organized by a Yale student. Lindbergh knows many of the German leaders personally and has deep knowledge of the European aviation situation. Escorted into the chamber by police, he faces a largely hostile committee (most being Democrats behind President Roosevelt's support of Great Britain). He testifies that he is "in sympathy with the people on both sides" and prefers a negotiated peace. His theory appears to be that a complete victory over Germany would cause huge long-term problems in Europe, both economically and militarily.
It is easy from a vantage point many decades later to criticize Lindbergh's testimony. In hindsight, though, while Lindbergh's fears may have been exaggerated, they do find echoes in the Cold War. Even given that his position of isolationism is completely destroyed by subsequent events, it is hard to argue with his prediction on 23 January 1941 that total victory over Germany would mean "prostration in Europe," both militarily and economically. One must remember that the Holocaust at this point is not a matter of common knowledge and has not geared up yet into factory-like exterminations (some will never forgive Lindbergh for arguing for a policy that would have permitted the continuation of the Holocaust). The committee chairman, New York Democrat Sol Bloom, tells Lindbergh at the conclusion of his 4 1/2 hours of testimony that:
You have made one of the best witnesses that this committee could possibly ever hear. You answered all the questions only as a Colonel Lindbergh could answer them....
A destroyed doctor's office in Bucharest, Romania, 23 January 1941.
Romania: Prime Minister Ion Antonescu calls in the troops, and the put down the Iron Guard rebellion that began on 21 January. His loyal army commanders assemble 100 tanks and other units from outlying areas and regain control of the Bucharest streets. General Ilie Şteflea's troops incur 30 deaths and 100 wounded while sending about 200-800 Legionnaires to their eternal rewards. Contrary to international press reports, the Wehrmacht troops in Romania for other purposes never lift a rifle to quell or support the rebellion, but at Antonescu's request, they afterward stage a mock victory parade that ends in front of the Prime Minister's building. That gives Antonescu an air of legitimacy and support, but also creates an appearance of German control of the situation which is absolutely false.
The politics of the situation now become extremely muddied. Antonescu is now cast in the role of a Romanian moderate, while the Iron Guard is shown to be perhaps the most extreme fascistic organization outside of Germany. Iron Guard leader Horia Sima, who disappeared during the rebellion, flees to Germany, while 9000 Legionnaires left behind are sentenced to prison. The facts of what happened in Romania never really filtered out to the western press during the war and this episode contributes to the western belief that Hitler has "taken over" Romania. In fact, Wehrmacht units remain guests of the Romanian government who try as much as possible to stay out of the internal politics of the country. However, they are present, and the world just assumes they committed crimes.
All that said, the true victims of the rebellion are the country's Jews. The Legionnaires burn down synagogues, destroy 1274 businesses of one form or another, and collect 200 trucks-worth of stolen items (along with vast sums of money, much of which likely gets buried in backyards and hidden in attics across the country). And even all that pales beside the torture, humiliation by the Iron Guard of at least 125 Bucharest Jews and undoubtedly others from other parts of the country as well. This, too, never really filters out to the international press, and the memory of all such depredations eventually gets dumped in a single bin marked "Hitler."
Indochina: The Japanese are getting tired of the rather pointless frontier war going on in French Indochina between Thailand and the Vichy French. While the two sides have expressed some interest in Japanese mediation, the war continues. The Japanese decide to hurry things along, so, in a classic example of gunboat diplomacy, they dispatch four cruisers from Kure for Saigon as an expression of their deep interest in a peaceful resolution. This is the "S" Operation.
Actress Rosalind Russell in another promotional shot taken on 23 January 1941.
Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greek 13th Division of 3rd Army Corps on 30 November 1940 now is 20 miles past Korçë and captures much of Pogradec on Ohrid Lake. The city is not particularly significant, but the manner of its loss is troubling: the Italian troops simply abandon it. The local Italian commanders say that the Italian defensive stance is in poor shape. Mussolini loses confidence and considers asking for a truce through Germany (something that the London media has been hinting about for some time). This crisis of confidence will have consequences for the Italian command. However, the Italian defense already is stiffening.
Greek 3rd Infantry Division attacks around Kazania and Boularat.
The Greeks are on the heights overlooking Argyrokastro. However, the Italians there have decided to fight.
Greek civilian air raid casualties since the beginning of the war on 28 October: 604 killed, 1070 seriously injured.
European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe, which has been targeting individual medium-sized cities for attacks over consecutive nights, switches to Southampton and its suburbs. They send 128 bombers and cause (estimated) 137 deaths and 370 other casualties. The King visits during the day to inspect the damage, which is concentrated in the downtown area. Water pressure drops because 74 water mains are cut, hampering firefighting efforts. The Luftwaffe increasingly has been using incendiary bombs to start fires, then high explosives to spread them. In general, fire-fighting efforts are ineffective in most of the city and the strongest efforts are made to preserve the docks and most important downtown areas.
During the day, the Luftwaffe sends a large fighter-bomber raid over southern England. A few of the raiders make it to London.
RAF Coastal Command makes a dawn raid on U-boat base Lorient. However, RAF Bomber Command cancels its night operations due to poor weather.
Battle of the Atlantic: Another short, sharp surface engagement takes place in the English Channel. Two Royal Navy motor torpedo boats engage in a sweep off Flushing and run into a German convoy off the Schelde Estuary. Both sides take damage, the British to MTB 31 and the Germans to 5943-ton German freighter Santos.
U-101 (Kptlt. Ernst Mengersen), on her 5th patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5378-ton British freighter Aracataca in the shipping lanes about 700 km west of Ireland. There are 8 deaths. The Aracataca, incidentally, is a banana boat coming from Jamaica, and its sinking somewhat justifies Lord Woolton's recent decision to stop the importation of bananas in favor of oranges.
Royal Navy 505-ton minesweeper trawler HMT Chestnut hits a mine and sinks off North Foreland, Kent. Everyone survives.
The Luftwaffe damages 187-ton Dutch freighter Gorecht off Southampton.
The weather in the western North Atlantic is terrible, with a hurricane passing near the Canadian coast. Destroyer HMCS St. Croix sustains damage and returns to St. John.
German cruiser Admiral Hipper departs from its anchorage at Kiel in the Elbe River on a raiding mission in the Atlantic.
German freighter Helgoland, which embarked on an extremely risky trip from Columbia to Europe, safely arrives at St. Nazaire.
Convoy OB 252 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 347 departs from Southend, Convoys FS 348 and FS 349 depart from Methil, Convoy FS 350 is canceled, Convoy SC 14 departs from Halifax, Convoy BS 9B departs from Aden, Convoy BS A departs from Suez.
During the month of November 1940, the following Allied shipping losses occur (the figures appear differently in different sources, usually due to slight definitional variations):
U-boat sinkings - 146,613 tons
Aircraft sinkings - 66,438 tons
German raiders - 123,671 ton
Mines - 46,672 tons
Total: 86 Allied ships of 294,054 tons in the Atlantic, 11 Allied ships of 91,661 tons elsewhere.
The Kriegsmarine loses two U-boats (one is presumed lost in November, but may, in fact, be lost in December). The Italians also lose a submarine.
U-boat sinkings of shipping have fallen by over 50% from October - 352,407 tons - but the other causes of sinkings have increased. The Germans have 27 U-boats available for patrols in the Atlantic. Typically, about 1/3 will be on patrol at any one time.
Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy headquarters Mediterranean reports that the Malta supply situation has eased due to the attack on Taranto, which caused the dispersion of the Italian fleet, and the British presence at Suda Bay. RAF reconnaissance, though, has been hurt by the dispersion of the Italian fleet, and the Taranto thus has had the unexpected effect of making it harder to keep track of Italian fleet operations. This has impaired efforts to attack Italian convoys. Battle of the Indian Ocean: German raider Pinguin, with captured freighter Storstad following, has headed to the southwest in the mid-Indian Ocean, taking it away from a searching Australian cruiser. The crew has painted the ship black. The crew spots a freighter and closes, opening fire and destroying the radio. After the first salvo, the freighter is a flaming wreck, its captain dying. It is 8301-ton British refrigerated ship Port Wellington - a sister ship of the Pinguin's last victim, Port Brisbane. The Pinguin takes the 82-man crew and seven women passengers as prisoners (the captain and one other perish from injuries). Pinguin then sinks the ship - but not before the Pinguin's first officer personally returns to the burning ship to retrieve clothing for the women (many in only their nightgowns). The Pinguin now has 405 prisoners on board. Japanese/Chinese Relations: The Japanese recognize and conclude a treaty with their Chinese puppet government led by Ching-wei.
Being desirous that these two countries should respect their inherent characteristics and closely cooperate with each other as good neighbors under their common ideal of establishing a new order in East Asia on an ethical basis, establishing thereby a permanent peace in East Asia …
Ching-wei's government is based in Nanking. Setting up puppet governments in occupied territory is a typical tactic used throughout World War II by several governments. Essentially, it is just a propaganda move. The Nationalist Chinese government in Chungking led by Chiang Kai-shek has rejected secret peace feelers from the Japanese, and this is the result.
US/China Relations: The US extends $100 million in aid ($50 million for currency stabilization, $50 million in purchase credits) to China.
German/French Relations: The Germans have deported the Jewish residents of Lorraine (within their zone of occupation) under the Wagner-Burckel Aktion. They also have changed place names from French back to German (Germany held the territory prior to World War I). They even have required the French residents to change their French names to German (e.g., from Pierre to Peter). Failure to comply with the name changes is punishable by arrest and deportation to Germany. All that, however, was just a prelude to today's action: outright annexation of Lorraine to the Reich. The German press agency states:
Lorraine's return to the Reich has closed an historical chapter which liberated age-old German land and righted a political wrong. The century-long battle for the Rhine has now been ended. Within this territory the complete economical and political union of Lorraine and Saarpfalz will be effected.
US/Latin American Relations: In a telegram to Secretary of State Cordell Hull, US Ambassador to Uruguay Edwin C. Wilson once again warns of virulent pro-German sentiment in the country. Such worries about Uruguay and Argentina are what have led to the succession of "Show the Flag" operations that are still on-going. Wilson paints a picture of a weak government unable to stop the growth in pro-German sentiment which he claims could lead to an "armed movement."
Lucille Ball wedding photo.
US/French Relations: President Roosevelt instructs Secretary of State Hull to reject former Ambassador to Vichy France Bullitt's request that the US send its fleet to the Mediterranean to over-awe the Fascists (the American embassy in Vichy is being run by Chargé d'Affaires ad interim Robert Murphy due to Bullitt's dismissal). In a somewhat ironic reply (in light of later events), Hull now tells Murphy:
The presence of the fleet in the Pacific at this time is a very practical contribution to the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Bullitt, meanwhile, is a controversial figure who is marked for replacement by Admiral Leahy.
British Military: Prime Minister Winston Churchill appoints legendary Air Marshal Hugh Trenchard to a new position reorganizing the military's intelligence services. Trenchard is a believer in the RAF fighters taking the fight to France and not remaining in a purely defensive posture - "lean toward France."
Romania: The turmoil in Romania continues, largely stirred up by the Iron Guard but also flowing from the country's recent territorial losses. The police are making mass arrests. It is the second anniversary of the announcement of the murder of Iron Guard Founder Corneliu Zelea Codreanu. The body of Codreanu, which the government dissolved in acid and placed under seven tons of concrete in the prison, is reburied. The Luftwaffe, reflecting a deep German interest in Romania, flies over the ceremony and drops wreaths over the open casket.
Codreanu, incidentally, remains a very popular figure in Romanian society in the 21st Century, fairly recently (2006) coming in 22nd in a Romanian Television poll of "100 Greatest Romanians" of all time. It is illegal in Romania, however, to talk about the fascist Iron Guard in a positive way, and where exactly that line is drawn with regard to Codreanu has become a very controversial issue in Romanian society.
China: The Japanese 11th Army, facing heavy Chinese counterattacks, retreats to its start line in the Central Hubei sector (Han River Operation). The Chinese 5th War Area re-occupies all territory lost during the failed Japanese offensive.
US Homefront: Navy wins the annual Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia, 14-0. It is the 50th game in the series.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz have eloped to Connecticut. They get married with a wedding ring purchased at the last minute from Woolworth's:
Eloping with Desi was the most daring thing I ever did in my life. I never fell in love with anyone quite so fast. He was very handsome and romantic. But he also frightened me, he was so wild. I knew I shouldn't marry him, but that was one of the biggest attractions.
"Lucy and Desi: The Legendary Love Story of Television's Most Famous Couple," Warren G. Harris (Simon & Schuster 1991).
Having eloped yesterday, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz get married today. The two met earlier in 1940 while filming the Rodgers and Hart stage hit Too Many Girls.
Battle of Britain: Weather is poor on 9 October 1940, preventing major operations. As on the 8th, there are mostly small raids that don't accomplish much, with one major raid in the afternoon. There is a lot of damage, but by this time, bad as it is, the bombing is becoming almost routine.
Early in the morning, a bomber scores a strike on St. Paul's Cathedral. It damages the High Altar. Later in the morning, around 11:00, a moderate-sized raid of 20-30 planes reaches south London. The fighter-bombers (Jabos) fly high, as usual, and elude interception. Another raid of around 35 aircraft around the same time targets Gravesend, Hornchurch, and Canewdon. Other raids of about the same size hit Maidstone and Dover.
After lunch, at 13:00, some Heinkel He 111s attack a convoy of Land's End, but RAF No. 601 Squadron intercepts and shoots two of the bombers down. At 14:30, the day's main raid of about 175 aircraft crosses to hit East London. This formation includes Junkers Ju 88s and causes appreciable damage. Major dogfights break out over the Thames Estuary and points east. Damage is scattered, with many private residences taking damage.
Right before sunset, at 18:53, a Jabo attack on Solent Naval Air Station causes little damage. About half an hour later, the Luftwaffe attacks Yeovilton Naval Air Station, but the damage is slight. A little later, attacks are made on St Merryn Naval Air Station, which damages a Swordfish and a Proctor aircraft.
After dark, London is the main bomber target. The attacks begin around 19:00 and are of moderate intensity. Aside from London, the usual targets of Liverpool, Manchester, and Derby are hit. The Luftwaffe drops 386 tons of High Explosive bombs on London and 70,000 one kg bombs. The Luftwaffe also drops mines all along the English Channel shoreline.
Losses for the day are light, with the RAF losing only three planes and the Luftwaffe 9.
Oblt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob from 7./JG 54 makes two claims, both Spitfires.
Hawker Hurricanes, RAF No. 85 Squadron, October 1940.
European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks oil installations at Hamburg and various targets in Holland (Texel Airfield, Helder) and France (Le Havre) during the day. After dark, it launches an oil installation at Cologne, a Krupp factory in Essen, and various Channel ports.
A Whitley of RAF No. 77 Squadron returning from a raid over Germany during the night flies into high ground west of Snape while returning. Midshipman D. A. C. Hadingham perishes.
RAF Coastal Command chips in with an attack on the port of Brest, causing minor damage to destroyers Eckholdt, Lody, and Riedel. The RAF loses one Albacore biplane, the crew becoming POWs.
Battle of the Atlantic: U-103 (KrvKpt. Viktor Schütze), on her first patrol and having entered the Atlantic between the Faroe and the Shetland Islands, has a big day. During the morning, the lookout spots Convoy SC 6 about 37 miles north-northwest of Rockall and Schütze goes to work. After stalking the convoy all day, he shoots three torpedoes at 22:11 and makes three hits.
U-103 torpedoes and sinks 3816 ton Greek freighter Delphin. Everybody survives.
U-103 torpedoes and sinks 4407 ton Greek freighter Zannes Gounaris, which is carrying a cargo of phosphate rock. One crewman perishes.
U-103 also torpedoes and badly damages 3697-ton British freighter Graigwen (Master Daniel Wright Fowle). After putting a torpedo into it at 22:11, the crew abandoned the ship. U-123 (Kptlt. Karl-Heinz Moehle) sees the drifting hulk on 10 October at 21:33 and finishes it off with a torpedo. There are 27 survivors and 7 crew perish. The survivors are picked up by HMS Enchantress.
After this engagement, the convoy escorts depth-charge U-103, but it escapes.
Royal Navy 321 ton minesweeper (former fishing trawler) HMT Sea King (Acting Temporary Skipper T. Sleeth RNR) hits a mine and sinks in the Humber Estuary about 28 nautical miles off Bull Sand Fort, Grimsby. All 14 crew perish.
The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 633-ton British collier Alderney Queen off Grassholm Island in the Bristol Channel. Everybody aboard survives.
The weather in the North Sea is poor, and Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Furious is forced to abandon a planned strike on Bodo after leaving Scapa Flow.
Convoy OB 226 departs Liverpool, Convoy FN 304 departs from Southend, Convoy HG 45 (49 ships and carrying 1093 civilians on troopship Neuralgia) departs from Gibraltar.
German raider (AMC) Kormoran is commissioned.
Hermann Goering on an inspection tour in France, September/October 1940 (Dreesen, Federal Archives).
Battle of the Mediterranean: The Free French under General Charles de Gaulle invade and capture Duala in Cameroon. This establishes Free French control over the colony, from which de Gaulle hopes to launch air raids against Italian positions to the north and east. De Gaulle himself arrives aboard Free French minesweeper Commandant Duboc.
Both the Royal Navy fleet based at Alexandria and elements of the Italian fleet based at Taranto are at sea, but they don't spot each other. Aerial reconnaissance from Malta, though, spots Italian ships at sea near Taranto. The reconnaissance establishes that the Italians have five battleships there.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Regent torpedoes the 6968-ton Italian transport Antonietta Costa off Durrës, Albania. The freighter manages to make it close enough to shore - about 10 miles - to run aground, but it is a total loss.
The RAF attacks Tobruk Harbor. There is some skirmishing south of Buna in East Africa that results in some Italian casualties.
Italian destroyers Vivaldi, Da Noli, and Tarigo lay mines south of Malta.
At Malta, Governor Dobbie requests permission to implement a bonus system for the fast construction of shelters.
German/Romanian Relations: German troops continue entering Romania with that government's permission in order to secure the Ploesti oil fields and other key points. The oil fields are a major preoccupation of Adolf Hitler and are the real reason for this "invasion," which ostensibly is to train the Romanian Army (which doesn't really need any training). While the Soviet Union looms nearby, Hitler is more worried at this point by British sabotage.
The New York Times reports the end of the World Series.
Anglo/Canadian Relations: Continuing the cozy relationship between Great Britain and North America, the British purchasing mission places initial orders for 20 10,000 ton freighters. This order eventually expands to 26 ships.
British Government: In a quirk of British politics, Prime Minister Winston Churchill has not been the leader of the Conservative Party - that honor has belonged to Neville Chamberlain. Today, with the "retirement" of Chamberlain recently due to illness, that is rectified and Churchill formally becomes the leader of the party. While not well-liked within the party, for better or worse he has become the face of the Conservatives and of the war effort in general.
Holland: The Germans ban Jews and half-Jews from public employment.
Future History: John Winston Lennon is born at Liverpool Maternity Hospital to Julia and Alfred Lennon. Alfred is a merchant seaman and is not present. John Lennon becomes a happy-go-lucky schoolboy in the 1950s, gets a guitar from his mother in 1956 and goes to art school. He forms a skiffle/rock and roll group called the Quarrymen in 1956 and meets younger student Paul McCartney on 6 July 1957. They team up with McCartney's even younger friend George Harrison and Lennon's old pal Stuart Sutcliffe from art school (from which Lennon flunks out). In early 1960, they rename the group "The Beatles," and in August/September perform in Hamburg. They continue these German gigs into 1962, when Brian Epstein, the son of a local record store owner, becomes their manager and starts them on a path to recording their music. Ringo Starr, a local but well-known Liverpool drummer, now joins the group to replace the first drummer, Pete Best. Sutcliffe passes away around this time, leaving the lineup of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr.
The Beatles release their first single, "Love Me Do," in October 1962, and finds middling success (on its initial release). After recording their first album, Please Please Me, in February 1963, which contains 8 songs written by Lennon and McCartney, the group begins to get mainstream success. The movie "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964 causes the group to explode in popularity, and an appearance in New York on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964 cements their international fame. The group, always led by Lennon and McCartney, goes on to become the most successful act in pop music history, with songs reaching the charts decades after the Beatles' breakup in early 1970. John Lennon goes on to solo success as a singer and songwriter but is assassinated by a crazed fan on 8 December 1980.
