Wednesday 13 August 1941

Wellington X9764/AA:V of RAF No. 75 Squadron, shot down by a night fighter over the Zuider Zee in the early hours of 13 August 1941. The pilot nurses the plane back to England and crash-lands it here, in Thetford forest. The plane is repaired and returned to service (IWM CH3366).

Eastern Front: OKH Chief of Staff Franz Halder on 13 August 1941 has a conference with Chief of Staff for Army Group South at Uman and the army generals under Field Marshal von Rundstedt's command. Afterward, Halder writes:

The consensus is that the projected missions can be carried out. At present we have no clear plans yet for solving the Kiev problem and for swiftly occupying the Crimea.

Considering that the capture of Kyiv and the Crimea, in fact, are the two primary missions of the Army Group, not having a plan for achieving these objectives is not overly reassuring for the Army Group's prospects.

Halder also sets down his impression of Hitler's most recent Fuhrer Directive, "Supplement to Directive 34." Halder writes:

Attack on Moscow by Army Group Center is approved, but approval is made conditional on so many factors... that the freedom of action which we need for the execution of the plan is severely restricted.

Note that Halder says the army does not have the full freedom of action "which we need." Not want, need. Already, doubt is creeping into the high command as to whether Moscow will or even can be captured.

Dnieper crossing near Strešyn on 13 August 1941.

In the Far North sector, The Finns continue making slow progress around Lake Ladoga. However, the advance toward the Murmansk railway at Loukhi has slowed to a crawl as the Soviets bring in reinforcements by rail - a luxury the Finns do not have.

In the Army Group North sector, there are fierce battles at Luga, where Panzer Group 4 is attempting to blast out of a bridgehead, and Staraya Russa, where the Germans are pulling back. In effect, for the moment the German offensive has run tight and the Soviets are giving as good as they get.

In the Army Group Center sector, the Soviets continue beating against the exposed German Yelnya bridgehead. General Guderian refuses a request for a pullback there. At Krichev, XXIV Corps (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) subdues a pocket of Soviet troops and takes 16,000 prisoners, 76 guns, and 15 tanks.

In the Army Group South sector, leader Ion Antonescu orders the Romanian 4th Army to stop its offensive at Odessa. He orders the generals to build up a position along the Khadzhibey Estuary to the northwest of the city before proceeding further. The halt doesn't really affect the battle because the Soviet troops in Odesa are under orders to stay put anyway - and anyone who disobeys a Red Army order to hold their position usually winds up wishing they had regardless of what would have happened to them in the position.

German 11th Army captures Cherson (Kherson), a key crossing over the Dneipr. While still over a hundred miles from the Crimea, Cherson controls the main line of communications to it. Soviet destroyers and gunboats are used in the defense.

European Air Operations: Activity is light today on the Channel front following the maximum effort of RAF Bomber Command during the night of 12/13 August. The British took unacceptable casualties overnight for a sustained bombing offensive regardless of the damaged caused to Cologne and the other targets. However, the RAF is gearing up for another major effort on the 14th and has plenty of bombers at its disposal.

The Luftwaffe Attacks the northeast British coast at Sunderland, Alnmouth and Horden Colliery. The raids kill four people at Sunderland and two dead at Horden Colliery Yard, with others injured.

"Australian troops occupy a frontline position at Tobruk, 13 August 1941. Between April and December 1941 the Tobruk garrison, comprising Australian, Polish, Indian and British troops, was besieged by Rommel's forces. It fell to the Germans after the battle of Gazala on 21 June 1942 but was recaptured five months later." © IWM (E 4792).

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet minesweeper Tralshik hits a mine and sinks in the Gulf of Finland.

Estonian submarines Kalev and Lembit lay mines off Cape Ushava.

The German 2nd S-Boat Flotilla lays minefield Mona I, composed of 18 TMB mines in the south entrance to Moon Sound.

The German 5th M-Boat Flotilla lays minefields Pinnass V and Pinnass VI with 28 mines at Cape Domesnas.

Soviet torpedo boat U-2 Proletariy Ukrainy is lost of unknown causes today.

Battle of the Atlantic: German E-boats sink Soviet minesweeper No. 41 in the Gulf of Finland north of Tallinn, Estonia. Another Soviet minesweeper, No. 89, also is lost today.

Faroes 158-ton fishing ship Sjoborg hits a mine and sinks east of the southern Faroes. This is the second ship sunk in this restricted area recently, and the mines are "friendly" mines.

Soviet submarine K-2 attacks some German ships off Tanafjord, Norway, but misses.

Free French submarine Rubis claims to attack and sink a ship off Norway, but there is no confirmation.

Convoy OG-71 departs from Liverpool bound for Lisbon, Convoy OS-3 departs from Liverpool bound for Freetown.

Royal Navy minesweeping trawler HMS Rysa (Lt. John H. CooperThat ) is commissioned.

Canada orders minesweepers HMCS Llewellyn and Lloyd George.

"Australian troops man front-line trenches in the Tobruk perimeter, 13 August 1941." © IWM (E 4791).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British continue replacing worn-out Australian troops with Polish soldiers at Tobruk. This is done at night throughout the week with the usual fast nightly supply runs.

Royal Navy 1267-ton schooner Kephallinia makes a supply run from Alexandria to Tobruk, but sinks for unexplained reasons not far from Alexandria. HMS Hero is nearby and picks up survivors.

According to some sources, landing craft tank HMS LCT-14 hits a mine and sinks today. According to other sources, it sinks on the 12th. Whichever day it is, LCT 15 sinks near Tobruk.

Operation Guillotine, the British reinforcement of Cyprus, continues as Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Neptune, minelaying cruiser Abdiel, and destroyer Jackal take troops to the island.

An Italian departs from Naples bound for Tripoli. The convoy is composed of five freighters escorted by five destroyers and a torpedo boat.

The Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria during the night.

At Malta, a Maryland sent to drop propaganda leaflets on Tunisia is shot down.

Muir Glacier, Alaska's Glacier Bay on 13 August 1941 (National Snow and Ice Data Center, W. O. Field, B. F. Molnia).

Battle of the Black Sea: The 1st Marine Rifle Regiment makes an attack at Grigorevka, Ukraine. Soviet destroyers Shaumyan and Nezamozhink and gunboat Krasny Adzharistan support the attack. Coastal defense batteries No. 412 and 726 also support the attack.

Soviet destroyers Shaumyan, Nezamozhnik, Frunze, and Dzerzhinski support the defense of Odesa by firing at Romanian positions today and throughout the week. Soviet river gunboat Akhiti sinks today from unknown causes.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Soviet freighter Polina Osipenko in the Black Sea.

POWs: Captains A.L.C. Dufour and J.G. Imit of the Royal Netherlands Indies Army and E.H. Larive and F. Steinmetz of the Royal Netherlands Navy escape from Colditz POW camp through a manhole. The first two are recaptured and returned to Colditz, the second two make it to Switzerland.

US/Australian Relations: The goodwill tour of US heavy cruisers USS Northampton (CA-26) and Salt Lake City (CA-25) continues, as they arrive today at Rabaul, New Britain.

"Construction of the open sheds area of Camp Polk, Louisiana on 13 August 1941" (The Digital Collections of the National WWII Museum).

German Military: There is some disagreement regarding the date of the first powered flight of the Messerschmitt Me 163 VI Komet. Some accounts state that it takes place today at Karlshagen, Peenemunde and reaches a speed of 497 mph (800 km/h) at the hands of Heini Dittmar. Other dates vary wildly, from about a week earlier to some time in 1942. Today seems to be the most generally accepted date.

Australian Military: The Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) is raised.

Canadian Military: The Canadian government authorizes the Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC).

US Government: Due to the growing war emergency, President Roosevelt signs an executive order suspending the 8-hour workday for certain skilled trades such as mechanics and laborers who are working for the War Department. These men are building infrastructure for the military such as airfields and barracks which has a high priority.

A soldier of the 9th Australian Division giving a drink of water to a donkey foal in Tobruk during the final months of the city's siege, Libya, 13 August 1941.

China: The Japanese bomb Chungking for the seventh day in a row, a total of 40 separate air raids. The city's air defenses have been worn down from ceaseless combat, and the Japanese now have total control of the skies over the Nationalist capital.

Holocaust: Ostland Reichkommissar Hinrich Lohse orders Jews to turn in all property to have it registered and confiscated, including money and other valuables such as rings and watches.

At Raseiniai, Einsatzcommando 3 executes 294 Jewish women and three Jewish children.

French Homefront: Apparently in response to Premier Petain's somewhat authoritarian speech on the evening of the 12th, communist protesters riot in Paris. The French and German authorities make many arrests.

Henry Ford (right, in straw hat) with his soybean car, circa 13 August 1941.

American Homefront: Henry Ford's prototype soybean car, supposedly designed in part by George Washington Carver, is introduced to the public at a community festival in Dearborn, Michigan. The car has a tubular steel frame to which are attached 14 plastic panels that are extremely thin. Ford claims that they are made at least in large part from biodegradable materials such as soybeans and hemp. The project is a personal project of Henry Ford, who hopes to integrate agriculture and industry.

Much mystery surrounds this soybean car (which does not survive because Ford had it destroyed almost immediately after showing it), and at least some scientists today think that the whole "soybean" angle was a scam and, in fact, the car was made of simple plastic - itself revolutionary for the time. In fact, some license plates are made of soybean products during the war, and the drivers learn that farm animals find them quite tasty.

Warner Bros. releases "International Squadron," directed by Lewis Seiler and Lothar Mendes and starring Ronald Reagan and Olympia Bradna. As is often the case during this period, Reagan plays the friend of someone (James Stephenson) who inspires the Reagan character into action. Reagan's character ultimately winds up in the RAF's Eagle Squadron and ultimately becomes a big hero. The film is notable for including actual aerial combat footage shot by Warners' Teddington studios technicians during the Battle of Britain and shipped over the United States. However, the close-up shots of "RAF" aircraft show a motley group of contemporary civilian aircraft dressed up as fighters.

It is Ladies Day at Dodgers Stadium in Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Running against convention for sports events, General Manager Larry MacPhail stages a fashion show for the ladies.

Muir Inlet, Alaska on 13 August 1941 (United States Geological Survey (USGS)).

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

Saturday 4 January 1940

"Tracer from German anti-aircraft gunfire (flak) vividly depicted in a vertical aerial photograph taken over the Port Militaire, Brest, France, during a night raid, possibly that of 4/5 January 1941." Note that this apparently was taken by an unknown official RAF photographer from one of the bombers. © IWM (C 1856).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greeks and Italians continue fighting for control of the Klisura Pass on 4 January 1941.

The RAF raids Elbasan.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command targets Brest during the night, where German cruiser Admiral Hipper is anchored between voyages. No major damage reported, and the air lights up with German flak. Other bombers visit Hamburg. The weather is brutal, and not much is accomplished by either side today.

The Luftwaffe once again bombs Dublin. This has become a diplomatic incident, with the Irish government complaining to the German government. It also is leading to the suspicion that these attacks on Irish soil may not all be accidental. The other Luftwaffe raids of the night are in the western part of England, so it is quite possible that the Luftwaffe planes were off course.

"An Air Training Corps cadet secures his parachute, before an air experience flight in a De Havilland Tiger Moth at Biggin Hill, Kent, 4 January 1942." The DH 82 Tiger Moth is a legendary aircraft originally designed for civilian use, and its return to civilian use after the war via surplus sales extended its fame throughout Europe.  © IWM (CH 5030) (F.W. Crouch).

Battle of the Atlantic: A RAF Lockheed Hudson bombs and sinks Norwegian 1326 ton freighter Snyg near Hadyret southeast of Haugesund, Norway. As with many European ships, this one - built in 1918 - was named after another freighter which had just been sunk during World War I. The crew is rescued by a German patrol boat, M-1103.

Convoy FN 375 departs from Southend, Convoy FS 379 departs from Methil, Convoy FS 380 is canceled, Convoy BN 12A departs from Suez bound for Port Sudan.

U-72 (Korvettenkapitän Hans-Werner Neumann) is commissioned.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Larkspur (Lt. Stuart C. B. Hickman) is commissioned.

U-203 is launched, U-595 and U-596 are laid down.

Australian 2/2nd Battalion troops attacking into Bardia, 4 January 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Having blown a hole through the Italian defenses on the 3rd, the Australian 6th Division under Major General Iven Mackay today pushes through to the sea, capturing the port of Bardia and bisecting the Italian garrison. While Italian troops hold out in pockets north and south of the town, they cannot be resupplied and they have few fortifications between themselves and the Australians. Already, thousands of Italians are streaming to the rear as prisoners. The battle will go on for quite some time, but essentially today's advance decides the outcome.

The Italians are in complete disarray. General Bergonzoli and his retinue depart on foot for Tobruk. The Italians, as has been the case since the start of Operation Compass, are only too ready to surrender. There are reports of hundreds, even thousands, of Italians surrendering to isolated Australian units. The number of POWs already exceeds 10,000.

With the battle for the Bardia essentially decided already despite the Italian holdouts, Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell quickly begins shifting forces toward the next major target, Tobruk. He sends the 7th Armoured Division (Major General Michael Creagh), which has been idle since the early stages of Operation Compass, toward the port without bothering it with Bardia, which it bypasses. The 7th Armoured is headed to cut Tobruk off from supply from the west. While Bardia is strategically important, Tobruk is the real prize in eastern Libya and has much more formidable defenses.

The Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, led by battleships HMS Warspite, Barham, and Valiant, returns to Alexandria. Shockingly, the Italian fleet has not bothered to put in an appearance despite the fact that, at least on paper, it has at least parity with the British naval forces.

Far to the west, the recently renamed British Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) under Colonel Bagnold is approaching Murzuk, the Italian District Headquarters in the Fezzan Province. They intend to raid the oasis town - which had been 1300 miles from any other British forces when they set out, but now, after Operation Compass, only 700 miles away - to stir up Libyans against their Italian occupiers. This also is a good chance for cooperation with Free French in the area, who help out the LRDC men with supplies, and local Tuareg and Tibesti tribesmen. Today, the British camp out near some lava beds southwest of Tazerbo, where they will stay for three days. The Italians have no idea they are there, of course.

A Fulmar of RAF No. 803 Squadron, flying off HMS Formidable, is shot down during a reconnaissance flight over Dakar. The two aircrewmen become French POWs.

Off Cape Bon, British Swordfish torpedo bombers unsuccessfully attack an Italian supply convoy returning to Italy from Tripoli.

This photo was taken from the roof of St. Paul's in London. While dated 4 January 1941, this photo may have been taken a few days earlier and only released on the 4th (AP Photo).

Battle of the Pacific: Royal Navy destroyer HMS Stronghold begins a prolonged series of minelaying around Singapore. This process will continue into March.

Spy Stuff: Free French leader Charles de Gaulle continues to press for the release of Vice-Admiral Emile-Henri Muselier, accused of spying and arrested by the British on the 1st. Muselier is accused of, among other things, betraying the British/Free French assault on Dakar in late 1940, Operation Menace.

German/Bulgarian Relations: Hitler meets with Bulgarian Prime Minister Bogdan Filov in Berlin and continues his campaign of trying to coerce an alliance with Bulgaria. Adopting a threatening tone (recently used by Hitler with Admiral Darlan in France, too), Hitler broadly hints that the Wehrmacht troops already taking positions for Operation Marita in Romania would be enough to take care of themselves against all comers. Hitler wants Filov to sign the Tripartite Pact, but Filov demurs and returns to Sofia to discuss the brewing crisis with his ministers.

Soviet Military: The Soviet war games that began on 2 January continue. General Zhukov, in command of the "Western" or "Blue" forces, opposes General D.G. Pavlov. While Pavlov is given a numerical advantage, Zhukov is doing quite well with his (paper) forces.

Indochina: French Indochina is granted dominion status and tariff autonomy by decree (Times, January 4, 1941, p. 2). This sounds like it is a major step toward independence, but many disagree with this interpretation. Dominion status grants Marshal Petain ultimate control over the colony rather than Parliament. He is an autocrat, as opposed to the fairly liberal Parliament, so some consider this a step backward for local rule. Dominion status also does nothing with regard to the continuing conflict with Thailand, which, among other things, has its eye on major portions of the Mekong Delta. It also does nothing to mollify Vietnamese nationalists/communists such as Ho Chi Minh, who continue strategizing some kind of revolt to achieve independence.

Burma: Lieutenant-General Harold Alexander takes command of the British I Corps in Burma.

China: The Communist New Fourth Army departs from Yunling, Anhui Province.

The New Yorker - Saturday, January 4, 1941 - Issue # 829 - Vol. 16 - N° 47 - Cover: Ilonka Karasz.

American Homefront: Marlene Dietrich, a top German film star ("The Blue Angel") who fled Germany upon Adolf Hitler's assumption of power, becomes a naturalized US citizen. There are many dates given for Dietrich's actually becoming a US citizen, a process that she began in the mid-1930s, but this appears to be the final step in the process.

Bugs Bunny appears in the short "Elmer's Pet Rabbit" and, for the first time, is identified as Bugs Bunny. Bugs has been developing since his first appearance in "Porky's Hare Hunt" (30 April 1938), but really has only been identifiable as Bugs since his 27 July 1940 outing in "A Wild Hare" (and which recently has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cartoon Short Subject). "Elmer's Pet Rabbit" is considered Bugs' second true outing. Bugs Bunny makes his debut identified in a title card that simply says, "featuring Bugs Bunny"("Bugs" is the nickname of the character's first director, Ben Hardaway). Original illustrators Charlie Thorson and Cal Dalton would refer to their bunny character as "Bugs' bunny," and the name stuck after it was rather casually put in a model sheet (this is a very famous story in the animation world, though little-known elsewhere). Bugs Bunny's real name, revealed later, is George Washington Bunny, and Mel Blanc later recalled they were considering "Happy Rabbit" (or "Happy Wabbit" as Elmer Fudd would say).

They are still working on the character at this juncture, and this Bugs Bunny looks and sounds less like the Bugs known in later years than he did in the previous July's "A Wild Hare." Chuck Jones directs this time, and Mel Blanc voices Bugs (though he is uncredited). Cartoons at this point in time are considered adult entertainment, and they bring vivid technicolor to the Saturday night at the Bijou at a time when virtually everything else there is in black and white.

Future History: Movie stars Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman welcome Maureen Elizabeth Reagan into the world. Maureen is their first child. She becomes an actress, appearing In "Kissing Cousins" with Elvis Presley, but eventually gives that up as her father becomes a famous political figure. Later, she herself runs for political office but loses both times. Maureen is very supportive of her father during his time as US President and afterward. Maureen Reagan passes away at 60 from cancer on 8 August 2001, predeceasing her father.

January 1941

January 1, 1941: Muselier Arrested
January 2, 1941: Camp Categories
January 3, 1941: Liberty Ships
January 4, 1941: Aussies Take Bardia
January 5, 1941: Amy Johnson Perishes
January 6, 1941: Four Freedoms
January 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor Plans
January 8, 1941: Billions For Defense
January 9, 1941: Lancasters
January 10, 1941: Malta Convoy Devastation
January 11, 1941: Murzuk Raid
January 12, 1941: Operation Rhubarb
January 13, 1941: Plymouth Blitzed
January 14, 1941: V for Victory
January 15, 1941: Haile Selassie Returns
January 16, 1941: Illustrious Blitz
January 17, 1941: Koh Chang Battle
January 18, 1941: Luftwaffe Pounds Malta
January 19, 1941: East African Campaign Begins
January 20, 1941: Roosevelt 3rd Term
January 21, 1941: Attack on Tobruk
January 22, 1941: Tobruk Falls
January 23, 1941: Pogrom in Bucharest
January 24, 1941: Tank Battle in Libya
January 25, 1941: Panjiayu Tragedy
January 26, 1941: Churchill Working Hard
January 27, 1941: Grew's Warning
January 28, 1941: Ho Chi Minh Returns
January 29, 1941: US Military Parley With Great Britain
January 30, 1941: Derna Taken
January 31, 1941: LRDG Battered

2020

Saturday 28 December 1940

An experimental craft in the Detroit River near Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan. The creation of T.F. Thompson of Des Moines and Arthur W. Reed of Windsor, Ontario, it does not meet expectations. During a test run shortly after this picture was taken, the "torpedo boat" is taken out on the Detroit River, turns over, and goes dead. Detroit will make major contributions to the war effort; this is not one of them (AP).

Italian/Greek Campaign: Greek I Corps, operating in the coastal sector, captures Nivitsa on 28 December 1940. About 580 Italians surrender. The Italian Regia Aeronautica raids Preveza, which is an important Greek naval base.

Greek commander-in-chief, Alexandros Papagos decides to call a halt to the Greek offensive. The Greek advance has been sputtering for some time, given the twin difficulties of winter weather and firmer Italian resistance, and the Italians have been reinforcing their troops in Albania. This order will take effect on 6 January 1941, but in essence, the offensive ends on today's date. Local offensive operations continue, but they are of no strategic significance. The Greeks have saved their country (for the time being) and advanced into Albania, but they have captured virtually no points of true strategic significance during their advance through the mountains and along the coast. The Greek offensive becomes known as the Epic of 1940.

Italian leader Mussolini, of course, does not know about the Greek decision to suspend operations. He requests Wehrmacht assistance in Albania, perhaps some mountain troops. Hitler is undecided about how he wants to handle this - he has plenty of spare troops, but alerting the Greeks and others to German interest in the region is the last thing that he wants to do as he sets deployments for Operation Marita.

Mussolini, meanwhile, is mulling further command changes.

Air gunner Leopold Gordon Alexander of RAF No. 49 Squadron, photo was taken 28 December 1940, KIA 2 February 1943.

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks Antwerp, Rotterdam, Lorient and other points along the coast with 59 aircraft. The Luftwaffe focuses on England's south coast, hitting Southampton both during the day and after dark.

The issue of bomber accuracy has been brewing with the RAF for some time. Today, the RAF completes a detailed examination of aerial photo-reconnaissance of 24 December 1940 attacks on two oil installations at Gelsenkirchen. That oil target has been targeted several times. Gelsenkirchen has two oil plants. The attacks to date have involved the following attacks:

• Plant No. 1 - 162 attacking aircraft - 159 tons of bombs.
• Plant No. 2 - 134 attacking aircraft - 103 tons of bombs.

The RAF uses as its yardstick that 100 tons of bombs should eliminate an oil plant. Both of the Gelsenkirchen plants have received that much attention, and Plant No. 1 has received over 50% more than that amount. Post-raid reports suggest that there should be 1,000 craters in the vicinity of the oil plants. However, the photos show that neither plant has sustained any major damage, and there are only about a handful of craters in the vicinity.

This provides evidence that targeting specific targets is ineffective. This conclusion is buttressed by the recent experience at Mannheim, where Bomber Command targeted the city center - but completed major targets there such as the railway station. In fact, many of the bombs did not even hit Mannheim, with some bombers releasing their bombs on nearby cities or to no purpose. These results begin to call into question Bomber Command's "Oil Plan," in which German oil infrastructure receives bomber priority. However, for now, the British continue assigning priority to refineries and the like.

Battle of the Atlantic: German heavy cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau begin Operation Berlin, an attempted breakout into the Atlantic together. However, severe storms damage Gneisenau, forcing the two ships back to port within a few days. Scharnhorst goes to Gotenhafen (Gdynia), while Gneisenau gets repaired at Kiel. This operation is under the command of Admiral Günther Lütjens.

The Luftwaffe stages an effective raid on Southampton. Two Royal Navy destroyers under construction at the Thornycroft naval yard, Norseman and Opportune, are hit and seriously damaged. The Norseman in particular basically is wrecked, but since it is not sunk, the workmen simply begin rebuilding it again (though this sets back its completion date to 29 May 1942). In addition, 271-ton tug Canute is hit and damaged.

Destroyer HMS Valorous and 202-ton minesweeping trawler HMT Libyan collide in Sheerness Harbour in the Thames Estuary. The Valorous receives minor damage and heads to Chatham for repairs, which will take a couple of weeks.

British 964 ton freighter Lochee hits a mine in the Mersey near the Bar Light Vessel. It makes it back to port.

Royal Navy boarding ship HMS Camto seizes 913-ton French trawler Senateur Duhamel in the Atlantic and takes it to Gibraltar.

Convoy OB 266 departs from Liverpool, Convoy FN 370 departs from Southend,

U-148 (Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Jürgen Radke) commissioned, U-402 launched.

Royal Navy armed merchant cruiser (AMC) HMC Prince David is commissioned, corvette HMS Celandine launched. In Canada, corvette HMCS Galt is launched at Collingwood, Ontario.

USS Grouper, the only US ship ever named after the grouper fish, is laid down. Light cruiser CL-78, under construction by New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, New Jersey, is named USS Dayton today. However, when the decision is made to convert it to a light aircraft carrier, its name changes to USS Monterey (CV-26).

RAF Hawker Hurricane fighters break formation to attack Italian aircraft over Libya, 28 December 1940.

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Australian 6th Division is moving into position opposite Bardia and its 40,000 Italian troops. It has not seen action yet, and today exchanges shots with the Italians for the first time. Monitor HMS Terror bombards Bardia, unmolested by the Italian air force, which is getting mauled by the RAF. Hawker Hurricanes today shoot down three Italian bombers and a CR 42 fighter. The CR 42 biplanes clearly are outclassed by modern aircraft, particular when opposed by experienced RAF pilots who know how to counteract the biplanes' greater maneuverability.

General Wavell, Commander of British forces in the Middle East, meets in Cairo with General Richard O'Connor, Commander of the Western Desert Force, and Major General Iven Mackay, commander of the 6th Australian Division (16th, 17th, and 19th Australian Infantry Brigades). Mackay's troops are designated to lead the assaults on Bardia and Tobruk, with the advance in Libya to have priority over everything else. Thus, Mackay forms his own time and plan of attack.

Mackay sets the offensive start date as 05:30 on 2 January 1941. Studying aerial photographs, he sees that the Italians have two main defensive lines fortified with concrete bunkers, anti-tank ditches, and barbed wire. Overcoming this will require extensive artillery support to blow holes through the defenses. Mackay's plan:

1. Seize a "bridgehead" through the first line of defenses by isolating the area with artillery preparation and staging demonstration attacks elsewhere on the 17-mile line;
2. Immediately follow with combat engineers to fill in the anti-tank ditch, cut the wire and clear the area of mine.
3. Funnel I-tanks through the gap and overcome the heaviest Italian defenses in the southern part of the line.

The Australians build a full-scale replica of the Italian defensive line for practice. This helps to time the start of the operation so that daylight breaks just as the breakthrough is achieved (in theory).

Battle of the Pacific: Having stocked up at Kobe, Japan, German supply ship Emland leaves port to meet up with German raiders in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, having shelled Nauru on the 28th, German raider Komet heads east, then south, to elude Royal Navy pursuers.

Richard Sorge (AKG-Images/Ullstein Bild).

Spy Stuff: Richard Sorge, a long-time Soviet "sleeper" operative who pretends to be a strong Third Reich supporter, works as a correspondent in Tokyo for the Frankfurter Zeitung. A hearty, hail-fellow-well-met party-thrower type, Sorge disingenuously pumps his contacts at the German embassy for secrets while they are enjoying his cocktails and the ladies who frequent his get-togethers. Today, 28 December 1940, Sorge sends his first warning to Moscow that the Germans are planning to attack the USSR.

While a committed Communist with excellent contacts within the German diplomatic corps, the Soviets don't really think too much of Sorge and his "scoops." In fact, they probably would have executed Sorge during one of the 1930s purges if he hadn't been in Japan - as they did some of his colleagues. The men in the Kremlin discount much of the information that Sorge sends when it does not jibe with their preconceptions. Stalin reputedly comments that Sorge is that "bastard who set up factories and brothels in Japan." True, Sorge adopts the air of a half-drunk ladies man... as he listens intently to the attachés and Japanese "in the know" boasting about what was going on "back in Berlin." Even if Stalin's comment is valid... Sorge knows what he's talking about. He also becomes an inspiration for a debonair fictional spy named James Bond, though the real thing is infinitely more fascinating. There are memorials and statues to this guy all over the place.

The Army High Command (OKH) wants to reinforce the impression that the German presence in Romania is only, as billed, for training purposes, so the division-sized DHM technically controls Field Marshal List and Twelfth Army. Liaison staffs are competent at what they do, but they are not equipped to control the operations of an army, so this places a strain on German deployments.

This information comes from Oberkommondo des Heeres (OKH), “Instructions on Command Relationships in Romania,” December 28, 1940, BA-MA RL 2 II/271. I point this out because there are two competing commands in the Balkans, OKH and OKW (the overall Germany military high command). While the OKW technically is superior and controls not only the army but the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine, the army is the overwhelmingly dominant military force in Eastern Europe. OKH begins its practice of basically doing what it wants and resenting "interference" by OKW. This bifurcation of authority - basically, both commands exert equal authority within the theater - is a brewing problem that eventually will have to be addressed. For now, however, there are no major disagreements between the two command staff.

Levant: Vichy France remains an important world power outside the confines of European France. Today, it sends General Henri Dentz to Beirut to take command of French forces there. These forces have an uneasy relationship with the British next door in Palestine.

Raymond Massey in "Santa Fe Trail," released 28 December 1940.

Dutch East Indies: Holland, too, remains a world power overseas. Japanese negotiators arrive today to increase purchases of raw materials such as oil.

Italian Homefront: The government announces the death penalty for hoarding. Italy is suffering from the loss of trade.

American Homefront: All aliens within the United States are required to register with the government. About 5 million people register as required.

Warner Bros. releases "Santa Fe Trail," a rousing pre-Civil War actioner directed by Michael Curtiz about the insurrection led by abolitionist John Brown. This is one of two wartime films in which Ronald Reagan and Errol Flynn appear together (the other is "Desperate Journey" (1942)). Also appearing is Alan Hale, (the father of Skipper from Gilligan's Island). Raymond Massey absolutely walks away with "Santa Fe Trail," playing a messianic, demented John Brown who feels a personal calling to free the slaves. Why it is named "Sante Fe Trail," incidentally, is one of those enduring mysteries, though the trail does kind of feature in the early parts of the film. This film marked a major step up in Ronald Reagan's career after he blew out the stops in "Knute Rockne, All-American" as George Gip.

This is part of a brief round of films portraying (later) Confederate soldiers in a positive light. In that sense, it follows in the tracks of "Gone With The Wind" (1939), but this suffers by being filmed in black and white (though with the novel Vitasound process). This film could not get made today with the same political orientation, at least by a major studio. It is in the public domain.

Michael Curtiz, incidentally, was born Mihaly Kertesz in Hungary fought in World War I for the Austro-Hungarian Army and emigrated to the US in 1926. You might remember his film from a couple of years after this, "Casablanca," and maybe "King Creole" (1958) starring some guy named Elvis Presley. Supposedly, one of the most focused, single-minded directors ever, even after all his success, at the end of his life he was living in a small apartment in Sherman Oaks (and still making top films). Truly one of the greats in Hollywood history, not a doubt about it, even though he is little-remembered. "Santa Fe Trail" is one of his best films, too. "A great day for the Hungarians" - bonus points for you, if you know what film that, is from.

Ronald Reagan and Errol Flynn in "Santa Fe Trail," released 28 December 1940.

December 1940

December 1, 1940: Wiking Division Forms
December 2, 1940: Convoy HX 90 Destruction
December 3, 1940: Greeks Advancing
December 4, 1940: Italian Command Shakeup
December 5, 1940: Thor Strikes Hard
December 6, 1940: Hitler's Cousin Gassed
December 7, 1940: Storms At Sea
December 8, 1940: Freighter Idarwald Seized
December 9, 1940: Operation Compass Begins
December 10, 1940: Operation Attila Planned
December 11, 1940: Rhein Wrecked
December 12, 1940: Operation Fritz
December 13, 1940: Operation Marita Planned
December 14, 1940: Plutonium Discovered
December 15, 1940: Napoleon II Returns
December 16, 1940: Operation Abigail Rachel
December 17, 1940: Garden Hoses and War
December 18, 1940: Barbarossa Directive
December 19, 1940: Risto Ryti Takes Over
December 20, 1940: Liverpool Blitz, Captain America
December 21, 1940: Moral Aggression
December 22, 1940: Manchester Blitz
December 23, 1940: Hitler at Cap Gris Nez
December 24, 1940: Hitler at Abbeville
December 25, 1940: Hipper's Great Escape
December 26, 1940: Scheer's Happy Rendezvous
December 27, 1940: Komet Shells Nauru
December 28, 1940: Sorge Spills
December 29, 1940: Arsenal of Democracy
December 30, 1940: London Devastated
December 31 1940: Roosevelt's Decent Proposal

2020

Friday 4 October 1940

Bombs dropping on Tillbury, England. This port is the source of London's food supply. The bomb cluster on the left will hit ships, the second to the right will hit the docks. 4 October 1940.

Battle of Britain: The weather remains lousy on 4 October 1940, and air operations remain minimal. In any event, given the pattern of the battle so far, this probably would have been an "off" day for the Luftwaffe anyway, which has alternated periods of attacks and quieter days since June.

RAF Fighter Command, for its part, is focusing on developing more lead-time for its fighters. These measures, championed by Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park, include a new reconnaissance squadron based at Gravesend. The new guidelines are that Spitfires are to assemble at 25,000 feet and Hurricanes at 20,000 feet before embarking on patrol.

The new pattern of using primarily fighter-bombers by day and regular bombers by night continues, but especially on days like this with heavy clouds and rains, the Luftwaffe does sneak a fair number of Junkers Ju 88s, Dornier Do 17s and Heinkel He 111s into the mix.

The morning is occupied with lone bombers seeking out specific targets. Some hit London, others various other targets in the southeast. Among the areas hit are RAF Penrhos, which destroys some buildings, and Fairlight (home of the Air Ministry). Some bombers are intercepted at sea before they can even make land.

Around 13:00, the Luftwaffe sends over some Bf 109E-7 Jabos (fighter-bombers) and Bf 110s. This is the first organized raid, but does not accomplish much in the muck.

Another raid at 17:00 crosses the coast apparently heading for London. A timely interception by RAF No. 605 Squadron Hurricanes, though, sends them running.

The weather clears up a bit after dark, just in time for the Luftwaffe to get to its main task, the bombing of English cities. Airfields around Abbeville send out a steady stream of bombers beginning around 19:00. The aircraft are in parade formation, regularly spaced in true Germanic precision. These raids last for about two hours and all head for London, which is fairly easy to find even in the poor weather conditions. Southwest and Northwest London take the brunt of the attack, with some bombers hitting the RAF stations at North Weald and Debden. The most significant damage to infrastructure is at the Hawkers Aircraft Factory at Kingston, the New Cross Telephone Exchange, and the railroad track near Crews Hill Station. This last attack stops all rail traffic on the line in both directions for a while.

The Luftwaffe also mines all along the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts.

Losses are light today. The Luftwaffe loses about 10 planes, the RAF about 3.

Squadron Leader M. Lister Robinson, DSO, DFC, becomes commanding officer of RAF No. 609 Squadron.

Hauptmann Walter Adolph becomes Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 26.

A Wehrmacht man enjoying wine and some artichokes. This is why France is one of the most sought-after billets in the German Army. Dieppe, 4 October 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: The Royal Navy once again tries to implement Operation Lucid, the fireship attack on Channel ports. Once again, creaking old tankers Nizam and War African, loaded with volatile fuel oil, diesel oil, and petrol, head across the Channel. The previous time the Royal Navy attempted this, the Nizam broke down within sight of the target. This time, a massive force of 11 destroyers, 6 minesweepers and various torpedo boats escorts the tankers toward France. However, this time it is the weather that does not cooperate (the tankers are barely seaworthy), and once again the operation is scrubbed.

British paper mill tug HT Sirdar hits a mine and sinks in The Swale near Kent. Some accounts state that the Luftwaffe sank it, but an oral history by local Keith Chisman states that it hit a mine, with the loss of all three crew. The Luftwaffe story is unlikely due to the foul weather, but memories can be shaky 70 years later, too.

Convoys OA 224 and FS 300 depart from Methil, Convoy FN 299 departs from Southend, Convoy HX 78 departs from Halifax.

British patrol ship HMCS Otter is commissioned.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Due to the foul weather in the Atlantic, all of the action at sea today is in the Mediterranean for a change - where the weather also is cloudy and rainy. It is a very mixed day for British submarines in the Mediterranean. Despite some successes, it is a sad day for the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet.

British submarine HMS Rainbow (Lt. Colonel Moore), operating in the Adriatic 20 miles north of Brindisi, gets too close to 6860-ton Italian freighter Antonietta Costa, which is on a supply run to Durazzo. The sub is rammed and sunk, with all 55 crew perishing. This is a very rare instance of a freighter "evening the score" with the submarines that terrorize them.

British submarine HMS Triton approaches Genoa and uses its deck gun to get in some target practice and shell Savona and Vado Ligure. During this action, it sinks passing 1854 ton Italian passenger ship Franca Fassio about 30 km off Capo Noli, Liguria (Vado Roads, Gulf of Genoa).

British submarine HMS Tetrarch is operating in the same general area as Triton and attacks another (unknown) Italian freighter, but misses.

British submarine Rorqual lays mines off neutral Portugal.

At Lisbon, British troopship Neuralia takes off various refugees and Polish troops who failed to escape over the summer. The troopship makes it back to Gibraltar escorted by destroyer Wishart - which is only a marginally better location for the people aboard, and perhaps worse.

Italian 2180 ton freighter Nina Bianchi collides with fellow freighter Veloce near Brindisi. The Nina Bianchi sinks.

The RAF sends raids against railway infrastructure serving Italian bases in Eritrea and Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Force H, which participated in Operation H, returns to Gibraltar.

At Malta, there is a sustained Italian air raid shortly after 10:00. The formation is composed of fighters, and the defending Hurricanes only rise to defend when they attack Luqa and Hal Far airfields. The Italians lose one Macchi C.200 Saetta ("Arrow") and the pilot perishes.

Hitler and Mussolini exchange a few last words through the window of his Führersonderzug "Amerika."

German/Italian Relations: Hitler and Mussolini meet in the Brenner Pass, which is convenient for their command trains. They talk for three hours. The main subject apparently is new plans in the Mediterranean, as the Germans have given up on Operation Sealion. This pleases Mussolini militarily because his priority always is the "Italian Lake." However, there may be more to Mussolini's good humor than merely a convenient military decision. Foreign Minister Count Ciano confides to his diary that Mussolini appears to be delighted by this setback for the Germans, happier than at almost any other time. This is an attitude that Mussolini reprises throughout the war even as it can't be good news for himself personally in the long run.

However, Hitler also is in an expansive mood and declares "The war is won" - which somewhat contradicts the topic of the conference, to change the Axis' focus away from the country that he cannot defeat, Great Britain, to the Mediterranean. Hitler states that the British people are about to "crack" - a constant refrain of his about his accumulating enemies throughout the conflict.

Hitler offers his support for Italy's (now stalled) drive into Egypt. Mussolini, however, indicates that he doesn't need the help yet, perhaps during the final drive into Alexandria and Cairo. Mussolini still sees his armed forces as capable of defeating Allied resistance and Italy being an equal partner in the relationship. Perhaps Mussolini feels it would be a slight to Italian prestige to require German help. This is one of Mussolini's quirks - perhaps fantasies is a better word - that leads him into a lot of difficulties and actual loss of prestige.

Another major issue at this conference is France. Hitler wants to upgrade Vichy France to virtually a full partner in the war. Mussolini, however, adamantly opposes any French rearmament, perhaps because he has his eyes cast in a completely different direction. France recently has shown its potential value in the successful defense of Dakar against Charles de Gaulle's and the Royal Navy's Operation Menace, and Hitler wants to build upon that. Vichy France occupies vast overseas dominions such as Madagascar and could be a big help to the Axis. The outcome of the discussion on this point is unclear, but Hitler seems to have succeeded in keeping Mussolini from interfering with his plans for Vichy France.

What is most significant about this meeting is what is not said. Hitler does not bring up Operation Barbarossa - which is consuming Wehrmacht planning. Mussolini also (apparently) does not mention that he also has plans of his own. These involve perennial Italian nemesis Greece, Italy's ancient enemy stretching back before even Roman times. Mussolini has a springboard against Greece in Albania - the traditional European route of the Middle Ages to attack Constantinople/Istanbul - and he intends to use it, and soon. In Mussolini's defense, these meetings according to accounts of other meetings usually turn into Hitler monologues, with Mussolini probably trying to stay awake in a comfortable chair.

Little is known about this meeting, and there are some subtle indications that maybe the topic of an Italian invasion of Greece did come up, at least tangentially. It is known that Mussolini speaks at the meeting with contempt of Greek "double-dealing," but Hitler may not "take the hint." Hitler's later reaction to the Italian invasion suggests that this meeting at least did not bring him completely on board. Immediately after this meeting, Mussolini quickly gives up plans to invade Yugoslavia as well - which is almost always overlooked by historians - so Hitler and Mussolini may have made some kind of deal on that score.

Back in Berlin, one of the Foreign Ministry's tasks is to brief neutral governments (such as the United States) about what is going on with things like the Mussolini/Hitler meeting. A spokesman says that the discussion at the Brenner Pass was about reaching a peace deal with Great Britain - which is far-fetched because Great Britain would need to be interested, or at least consulted, and it isn't. The Italian newspaper Il Popolo di Roma harps on the fact a German invasion of Great Britain is impossible in 1940. There is always an underlying resentment during World War II of the Italians at their military domination by the Germans, who in the 1920s were seen as little more than beggars across the Alps.

Cole sorghum mill near Camden, Tennessee, October 4, 1940. This sorghum mill belongs to John Cole, located about 5-6 miles south of Camden, Tennessee on Highway 69. Nelson Cole, grandson of John Cole, reports that the individuals in the photograph are Pauline Hargis, Rural Cole (son of John Cole), Fay Howe, Johnell Moore, Reba Nell Pace, and Harold Cole. Two mules are visible, "Bigun" and "Littleun." Department of Conservation Photograph Collection, Courtesy of the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN (USA).

Anglo/US Relations: Churchill sends a message to President Roosevelt requesting a US naval presence in Singapore.
British Government: The re-shuffling of government and military posts that began on the 3rd continues. Sir Charles Portal takes over as British Chief of Air Staff from Sir Cyril Newall, who becomes Governor-General of New Zealand. This change is effective on 24 October 1940. Sir Richard Peirse takes over at RAF Bomber Command.

Free France: Charles de Gaulle (still referred to as a "General," but in fact no longer a member of any army) arrives in Douala, French Cameroon. His arrival fits into grand British strategy to wrest all of Africa from the Axis by picking off the low-hanging fruit first. While an overlooked part of World War II, control of central and southern Africa is of immense importance for many reasons, not least the ability it gives to extend the range and scope of U-boat and Luftwaffe operations against vulnerable British supply routes.

PM Weekly Magazine, 4 October 1940.

Vichy France: The Petain/Laval government continues the persecution of communists that has lasted ever since the first days of the German invasion and arrests communists in Paris.

China: The Japanese launch a typical raid by 27 G3M bombers escorted by 8 A6M Zero fighters against Chengdu, Sichuan. Half a dozen Nationalist Hawk 75 fighters intercept. The Zeros once again demonstrate their superiority and destroy three of the Hawks.

The Nationalists at Huangqiao attack the communist Chinese New 4th Army forces which have been advancing along the Yangtze. The communists struggle to hold the town.

American Homeland: "Knute Rockne, All American" premieres at four separate venues in South Bend, Indiana, the home of Rockne's alma mater, Notre Dame. The film stars Pat O'Brien and Ronald Reagan. Ticket prices range from $1.10 to $1.65 for reserved seating on the main floor (about $23 today).

Boxer Fritzie Zivic beats Henry Armstrong for the world welterweight title at Madison Square Garden.

Future History: Barbara-Maria "Barbi" Henneberger is born in Oberstaufen, Bavaria. Germany. She becomes a top alpine skier who competes in the 1960 and 1964 Winter Olympics, winning the bronze medal in the Slalom in the former. She perishes in an avalanche accident not long after the latter Olympics.

The War Illustrated magazine, 4 October 1940. One of the reasons we have so many excellent photographs of World War II is that picture magazines were in vogue in the 1940s, much more so than today when television and other media has lessened their importance.

October 1940

October 1, 1940: Wait Daddy October 2, 1940: Hitler's Polish Plans
October 3, 1940: British Cabinet Shakeup
October 4, 1940: Brenner Pass Meeting
October 5, 1940: Mussolini Alters Strategy
October 6, 1940: Iron Guard Marches
October 7, 1940: McCollum Memo
October 8, 1940: Germans in Romania
October 9, 1940: John Lennon Arrives
October 10, 1940: Führer-Sofortprogramm
October 11, 1940: E-Boats Attack!
October 12, 1940: Sealion Cancelled
October 13, 1940: New World Order
October 14, 1940: Balham Tragedy
October 15, 1940: Mussolini Targets Greece
October 16, 1940: Japanese Seek Oil
October 17, 1940: RAF Shakeup
October 18, 1940: Convoy SC-7 Catastrophe
October 19, 1940: Convoy HX-79 Catastrophe
October 20, 1940: Convoy OB-229 Disaster
October 21, 1940: This Evil Man Hitler
October 22, 1940: Aktion Wagner-Burckel
October 23, 1940: Hitler at Hendaye
October 24, 1940: Hitler and Petain
October 25, 1940: Petain Woos Churchill
October 26, 1940: Empress of Britain Attack
October 27, 1940: Greece Rejects Italian Demands
October 28, 1940: Oxi Day
October 29, 1940: US Draft Begins
October 30, 1940: RAF Area Bombing Authorized
October 31, 1940: End of Battle of Britain

2020