Sunday 10 August 1941

One of the most dangerous activities on the battlefield is to attack an armored vehicle (such as this BA-10 armored car). SS-Unterscharfuhrer Josef Wilhelm "Bubi" Burose attempts it here. He gets shot in the head for his pains. KIA on 10 August 1941.

Eastern Front: Weather is poor across much of the front on 10 August 1941, particularly in the north. It is high summer, and when it isn't stifling hot, it is raining in torrents. This makes the roads muddy and briefly impassable in places. In general, Soviet vehicles handle the mud better, as the peasant Panje carts that are built somewhat like boats can skim along the top of muddy quagmires while German trucks and heavy horse-drawn wagons bog down. Soviet tanks also do better in the mud, having broader tracks that give more of a grip. Overall, the Germans retain the advantage, but poor weather and attrition due to the conditions and battles whittles that advantage down noticeably.

In a more successful attack than Bubi Burose's tank attack, shown above, here Finnish soldiers capture a Soviet bunker. Note the Soviet soldier with his hands up to the left. 10 August 1941 (AP Photo).

In the Far North sector, Finnish Group J of III Corps continues advancing relatively quickly from Kestenga toward the Murmansk railway line at Loukhi. The Finns have their choice of an improved road or a spur line of the railway to advance through the forest and choose to focus on following the train tracks. The Finns are approaching the narrows between Yelovoye Lake and Lebedevo Lake and are about 25 miles southwest of Loukhi. Soviet resistance on the road and between the road and railway, however, is growing as the Soviets bring in reinforcements - which is a common theme in all advances in the sector.

In the Army Group North sector, the German offensive toward Novgorod at the northern tip of Lake Ilmen faces strong opposition. The Germans hope to create a continuous front, using the lake, between Novgorod and Staraya Russa at the southern tip of the lake - but the Soviets have good defensive positions. If the Germans succeed, they can wheel directly to the north and invest Leningrad. At the close of the day, General Halder notes in the OKH war diary that "The attack is making slow progress in bad weather and against very stiff enemy opposition." Another attack by Panzer Group 4 on the Luga River is doing a bit better.

SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Schutzpolizei Arthur Mülverstedt, Commander of the 4th SS Polizei Division, is killed in action by artillery fire - a growing Soviet priority, as Stalin believes wholeheartedly that artillery is the "Queen of Battle."

A German half-track driver, August 1941 (AP Photo).

In the Army Group South sector, the Romanian 4th Army continue to tighten their grip on Odessa. Romanian 7th Division of 3rd Corps takes Elsas and 1st Guard Division also moves up. Romanian 1st Armored Division of 5th Corps breaks through the outer Soviet line and closes on the second line of defense. The Romanians are making ground, but the Soviet defenders exhibit excellent morale and tenacity that does not bode well for quick capture of the port.

General Halder notes in the OKH war diary that "the situation on the northern wing ... (Sixth Army) had badly deteriorated." He notes with some surprise that "the enemy is attempting to cross the Dniepr." This should not be, as it is the Germans who are supposed to be advancing, not the Soviets. He notes many "enemy railroad movement from Poltava to Kyiv," usually a sign of a coming enemy offensive. Given the precarious situation, Field Marshal von Rundstedt prudently postpones an attack on Kyiv and orders Sixth Army to go over to the defensive - a first in the southern sector.

A Finnish soldier stands guard beside a lake. Kiestinki, White Karelia, August 10, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

After dark, the Soviets again attempt to bomb Berlin, as they did on 7 August. The first mission went smoothly, but this one... not so much. The Red Air Force, in order to restore its honor after the navy staged the first (moderately successful) raid, assembles a grandiose unit of twin-engine Yermolayev Yer-2 medium bombers and 14 four-engine Petlyakov Pe-8 (TB-7) long-range bombers at Pushkino Airfield in Leningrad. Problems begin right from the start when only three of the overloaded Yer-2 bombers can even get off the ground, while one of the Pe-8s suffers catastrophic engine failure upon liftoff and crashes, killing all 11 crewmen.

After that inauspicious beginning, things just get progressively for the Red Air Force crews. Soviet Flak gunners shoot down one of the planes, another turns back with engine trouble, and other misfortunes plague the flight. Ultimately, eleven Pe-8s and three Yer-2s struggle to Berlin, but, unlike the first raid, the Berlin air defenses are primed for revenge. Flak damage and more engine problems take their toll on the way home, and only 7 of the original 17 planes makes it back to Leningrad. Overall, it is a disaster, mangling Stalin's supply of big bombers and depressing morale among the crews tasked with flying future missions.

The Luftwaffe sends an air raid over Moscow, but it is a shadow of earlier efforts, more a nuisance raid than a grand London-style attack. Overall, the Luftwaffe claims 54 Soviet planes today. Over most areas of the front, the Luftwaffe can achieve air superiority at will - but it is a very long front, and the Luftwaffe can't be everywhere at the same time.

A Petlyakov Pe-8 (TB-7). Eleven of these long-range, four-engine bombers bomb Berlin on 10 August 1941. Pe-8 is the only 4-engine bomber used by the Red Air Force during World War II.

European Air Operations: It is a quiet day in the air in Northwest Europe. The RAF sends six Blenheim bombers on a Roadstead sweep over the French coast, losing two planes. The bombers claim hits on three ships at Gravelines.

Wreck of what is believed to be Soviet submarine S-6 off the coast of Sweden (@EPA).

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet submarine S-6 (Lt Cdr Kuligin) hits a mine and sinks southeast of the Swedish island of Oeland around this date. (The wreck of what is believed to be S-6 is found in 2012 by civilian divers).

Soviet minesweeper T-201 "Zaryad" his a mine off Suursaari while escorting a convoy from Tallinn to Kronstadt. The mine explodes, sinking T-201 and damaging 7484-ton troopship Vyacheslav Molotov, which has thousands of wounded men aboard.

Soviet submarine S-4 (Lt Cdr Abrosimov) attacks a large tanker off the Polish coast but misses.

According to some sources, Soviet submarine SC-307 (Lt. Cmdr. Petrov) sinks U-144 (Kptlt. Mittelstaedt) today. Other sources state this occurs on 9 August. The submarine sinks west of Hiiumaa, Estonia. All 28 men on board perish.

A Soviet convoy departs from Revel carrying an estimated 3500 Soviet troops. It proceeds to Suursaari and then Kronstadt, Kotlin Island.

Soviet submarine S-6.

Battle of the Atlantic: In the far north, German destroyers continue their aggressive patrols.  Z4 Richard Beitzen, Z10 Hans Lody, and Z16 Friedrich Eckoldt, operating off the Kola Peninsula, use their guns to sink Soviet guard ship Tuman DK-10.

U-451 (Kptlt. Eberhard Hoffmann), on its first patrol out of Kirkenes, torpedoes and sinks 441-ton Soviet patrol boat SKR-27 "Zhemchug" west of Kanin (between Cape Svyatoy Nos and Cape Kanin Nos). By some accounts, it is a 550-ton corvette. All 61 crewmen on board the Zhemchug perish.

German 460-ton fishing trawler M-1102 HAW Müller sinks off Lindesnes, Vest-Agder, in southern Norway. By some accounts, this is due to a mine laid by the RAF. Other accounts claim it is due to RAF bombing. Some other Danish fishing boats also go missing around this time, perhaps for the same reason (whatever it is).

The RAF bombs and damages German patrol boat V.1506 near Ostend, Belgium.

German E-boat S-49 torpedoes and sinks British freighter Sir Russell off Dungeness in the English Channel. Some sources place this sinking on 11 August.

Damaged 1392-ton Norwegian freighter Dagny I, in tow of trawler Leicester City, sinks between the Faroes and Scotland. All of the crew are picked up by Leicester City.

U-79 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Kaufmann), on its second patrol out of Lorient, spots Allied Convoy HG-69 and reports it to BdU in Paris, which redirects U-boats to intercept it.

American Task Group TG.2.5, on a neutrality patrol, arrives in Bermuda. It is led by the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.

Convoy HX-144 departs from Halifax bound for Liverpool, Convoy SC-40 departs from Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia bound for Liverpool.

U-440 is launched.

U-440 (shown) is launched on 10 August 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Destroyers HMS Decoy and Havock depart Alexandria for the nightly supply run to Tobruk. They complete the mission and return without incident.

The Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria, Suez, Port Said, and Ismailia after dark.

At Malta, morale is a huge concern of the British administration. Mail service has been a priority because many soldiers have loved ones back in England who are being subjected to Luftwaffe bombing (though not so much recently). Accordingly, Governor Dobbie sends a message to the War Department in London requesting an official Post Office Section, staffed by experienced postal employees, stating: "Prompt delivery and despatch of the very limited and intermittent mail is considered absolutely essential for the maintenance of morale."

A Maryland on photo-reconnaissance crashes on approach at Malta due to engine failure, killing two of the crew and injuring a third.

SS Kriegsberichter Fritz Mielert, KIA August 10, 1941.

Battle of the Pacific: Soviet submarine M-63 hits a mine and sinks off Vladivostok. Everyone aboard perishes. Odds are good that this is a "friendly" mine.

Spy Stuff: FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover announces that his organization has uncovered German plots throughout Latin America - in Argentia, Chile, and Cuba. The FBI isn't really equipped for such international investigations, and there is some doubt in retrospect whether these "plots" are actually fabrications by British Intelligence to create an atmosphere of crisis in Washington and the Americas. However, MI6 does its work extremely artfully and knows how to pull off "Black Ops" without being caught.

Allied/Turkish Relations: The Britsh and Soviet Union submit identical statements to the Turkish foreign embassy. Both countries agree to go to the assistance of Turkey and "observe the territorial integrity of the Turkish republic." It is an odd statement that is sort of a mirror image of the Tripartite Pact - except Turkey does not sign anything. Hitler still holds out high hopes that he can draw Turkey into the Axis by dangling the chance for it to even old scores with old enemy Russia, but the Turks officially are maintaining a purely neutral stance (though the British strongly suspect that it was aiding the Vichy French during the recent campaign in the Levant).

President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill attend services aboard HMS Prince of Wales, 10 August 1941.

Anglo/US Relations: It is day two of the Atlantic Conference at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland (it officially opens today). Yesterday Prime Minister Churchill visited President Roosevelt's ship, so today Roosevelt returns the favor and boards Royal Navy battleship Prince of Wales. They attend a prayer service together. As Churchill later recalls:

This service was felt by us all to be a deeply moving expression of the unity of faith of our two peoples, and none who took part in it will forget the spectacle presented that sunlit morning on the crowded quarterdeck – the symbolism of the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes draped side by side on the pulpit; the American and British chaplains sharing in the reading of the prayers; the highest naval, military, and air officers of Britain and the United States grouped in one body behind the President and me; the close-packed ranks of British and American sailors, completely intermingled, sharing the same books and joining fervently together in the prayers and hymns familiar to both.

After a brief inspection topside, Roosevelt returns to his heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) aboard destroyer USS McDougal (DD-358). Churchill then visits the Augusta and has dinner with the President.

A detective examining a body apparently in New York City, 10 August 1941 (unknown photographer in the Daily News).

Japanese Military: The Imperial Japanese Navy requisitions Japanese liner Kiki Maru for use as a hospital ship.

Japanese 16,975-ton liner Asama Maru, which got caught between Hawaii and San Francisco when the United States imposed its oil embargo, arrives back in Yokohama, Japan with all of her 98 passengers and cargo.

China: Japanese air raids on Chungking continue on a daily basis. The Chinese air force defenders, stuck with poor Soviet equipment and facing the superior Japanese Mitsubishi A6M fighter and fast bombers, is losing ground. Chinese Captain Ou Yangdeng (no. 7261) of the Chinese 21st PS is killed while flying with the remnants of the 5th PG. There is relief on the horizon for the Chinese, as the American Volunteer Group "Flying Tigers" are starting to embark for China, but they are heading for Burma and will need months to work up into combat readiness.

Benny Goodman and his Orchestra on August 10, 1941, in the Chicago, Illinois Hotel Sherman.

American Homefront:  Queen Elizabeth makes a radio address over the NBC broadcasting system directed primarily toward American women. She quickly emphasizes the stakes:

Women and children have been killed and even the sufferers in hospitals have not been spared. Yet hardship has only steeled our hearts and strengthened our resolution.

The Queen praises the "many roles" that women play in the war effort and concludes with a plea "for our children":

The things for which we will fight to the death are no less sacred, and to my mind, at any rate, your generosity is born of your conviction that we fight to save a cause that is yours no less than ours; of your high resolve, however great the cost and however long the struggle, liberty, and freedom, human dignity and kindness shall not perish from the earth, I look to the day when we shall go forward, hand in hand, to build a better, a kinder, a happier world for our children, May God bless you all.

As with many themes enunciated during World War II, this resonates through subsequent decades.

The August 10, 1941 edition of The Washington D.C. Times Herald carries "Text of Lindbergh's Speech Charging Government." Charles Lindbergh has been giving speeches around the country on behalf of the America First movement.

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

Wednesday 18 June 1941

"Australian pilots of No. 452 Squadron relax outside their dispersal hut at Kirton-in-Lindsey, 18 June 1941." © IWM (CH 2883).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: At 20:30 on 18 June 1941, the 5th Indian Brigade start heading twelve miles north toward Damascus. This begins the Battle of Damascus, perhaps the defining event of Operation Exporter.

After hand-to-hand fighting, the Indian troops take Mezzeh, on the Damascus-Beirut road about three miles west of Damascus. This accomplishes the major goal of cutting communications between the two cities. The Indian troops are now to head east and take Damascus. That is the plan, at least.

However, the Vichy French destroy their convoy of anti-tank guns and other supplies. The Vichy French troops then put pressure on the Indian troops at Mezzeh with Renault R35 tanks even though the town was supposed to be merely a stepping-stone to a further advance on Damascus. The day ends with the Indian troops desperately trying to defend Mezzeh rather than advancing further north.

Vichy French destroyers Guepard and Valmy sortie out of Beirut Harbor and bombard the advanced Australian positions at Sidon. They don't tarry long, however, because the Royal Navy is nearby.

Overhead, six Gloster Gladiators bounce a formation of Vichy French Dwoitine D.520 fighters. The Gladiator biplanes shoot down two of the French planes over Kissoue. These apparently are the final two claims by Gloster Gladiator pilots of World War II.

The fierce Vichy French resistance has caused more British and Australian effort than anticipated. This has caused some command difficulties as British General Henry Maitland Wilson has retained sole command at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. For a simple campaign, such a command arrangement would have sufficed, but the French are showing signs of digging in. Thus, Australian Lieutenant General Thomas Blamey, Deputy Commander in Chief, Middle East Command, gives tactical authority to Lieutenant General John Lavarack General I Corps.

Behind the scenes, the Vichy French already see how things are going and quietly open negotiations with the British through the American Consul-General in Beirut. The Vichy government asks what terms the British and Free French would accept.

No. 3 Squadron Course No.5  RCAF 52 O.T.U. Debden, 18 June 1941 (Fred Turner Collection).

European Air Operations:  During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends a Circus mission (6 bombers with heavy fighter escort) over Bois de Licques. A major action takes place in which the RAF claims 10 fighters for the loss of four.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Bremen with 100 bombers. The RAF also sends 57 bombers to attack the German cruisers at Brest without success.

London Docks, 18 June 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-138 (Oblt.z.S. Franz Gramitsky), on its fifth patrol and operating west of Cadiz, is sunk in a depth-charge attack by Royal Navy destroyers HMS Faulknor, Fearless, Foresight, Forester, and Foxhound. The submarine broaches the surface before it goes down long enough for the crew to scuttle it and for the entire 27-man crew to escape and survive the day to become POWs aboard the Faulknor. U-138 has sunk six ships totaling 48,564 tons and damaged one ship of 6,993 tons.

The lookouts on U-552 (KrvKpt. Erich Topp), on its third patrol out of St. Nazaire and operating about 150 nautical miles (280 km) northwest of Malin Head, spot a convoy. At 03:28 it torpedoes 10,948-ton British transport Norfolk. The freighter takes over an hour to sink and requires two more torpedoes, at 04:19 and 04:38. There is one death, the 70 survivors are picked up by HMS Skate. After the attack on Norfolk, U-552 attempts to shadow the convoy and bring in a wolf pack but the convoy escorts drive it off.

Polish destroyer Kujiwiak, just commissioned, is attacked by the Luftwaffe. There is one fatality from an exploding ammunition locker, but otherwise, the damage from the machine-gun fire of the German planes is minor.

British 6-ton fishing trawler Doris II hits a mine and sinks just off Sheerness. Both men on board perish.

Convoy SL-78 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy minesweeping trawler HMS Romeo (Skipper William R. H. Stewart) is commissioned.

US Navy escort carrier USS Copahee and submarine Peto are laid down.

U-753 (Korvettenkapitän Alfred M. von Mannstein) is commissioned.

US Navy destroyer USS Gleaves underway, 18 June 1941. Note the U.S. Navy camouflage (National Archives NAID 513043).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British re-establish their positions after the failed Operation Battleaxe. British 7th Armored Division and Indian 4th Infantry Division have withdrawn to their original positions and, in some cases, behind them.

The RAF bombs Benghazi. During air battles, the Bf 109s of I,/JG 27 shoot down three Brewster Buffaloes. Ace Hans-Joachim Marseille requests and receives medical leave in Berlin.

The Royal Navy makes a supply run to Mersa Matruh, sending troopship Glenroy and net-layer Protector. They carry troops, gasoline and other supplies for the retreating British troops.

Spy Stuff: A German defector tells the Soviets that Operation Barbarossa will begin at 04:00 on 22 June. During warfare, such a warning would be given great credence, but this warning is brushed off because it is a time of peace. Another warning from the Soviet embassy in London also is filed.

Signing the German/Turkey Treaty of Friendship, 18 June 1941.

German/Turkish Relations: While Hitler ideally would like Turkey to join the war on its historic enemy Russia, he realizes that is not going to happen. However, he gets the next-best thing today when Turkey signs a ten-year non-aggression pact (Türkisch-Deutscher Freundschaftsvertrag) with Germany. German ambassador to Turkey Franz von Papen signs on behalf of the Reich, while Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Şükrü Saracoğlu signs for Turkey. Germany, of course, has a similar pact with the Soviet Union.

German/Soviet Relations: Soviet Ambassador to Germany Vladimir Dekanozov suddenly requests an audience with the Foreign Ministry. Hitler flies into a panic and fears that the Soviets have uncovered his invasion plans. The last thing he wants is some desperate offer made to try to stop Operation Barbarossa when it is in the final stages of preparation. He spends a long time discussing the matter with Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop and his adjutants Engel and Hewel. They decide that Hitler and Ribbentrop need to "disappear" for a few days to avoid any awkward questions. They even consider fleeing to Berchtesgaden.

However, Dekanozov shows up unannounced at the Foreign Ministry at 18:00 on the 19th, makes some small-talk, transacts some mundane business, cracks a few jokes, and leaves. Everyone then breathes a huge sigh of relief and Hitler stays in Berlin. It is probably the most uncomfortable Hitler has been during the entire war.

Filmwoche Magazine, 18 June 1941.

German/Romanian Relations: Hitler meets with Ion Antonescu and lets him in on the details of the "great secret" Operation Barbarossa, including the opening date.

Japanese/Dutch Relations: The Japanese terminate their attempts to secure all of the oil and other output from the Dutch East Indies. They state:

The reply of the Netherlands of June 6 is not only very unsatisfactory but asserts in connection with the question of the acquisition of essential materials and goods, to which Japan attaches importance, that their quantities may be decreased at any time to suit their own convenience.

Luftwaffe reconnaissance of  Münsterwalde, 18 June 1941 (Federal Archive, Bild 196-02278).

German Military: The Luftwaffe continues its reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union. One at the Soviet Koshka Yavr airbase 25 km southeast of Zapolyarny in the Murmansk Oblast comes under anti-aircraft fire. German troops are assembling across the border in Finland to invade the Soviet Union and try to seize the port of Murmansk.

The Kriegsmarine lays mines in the Baltic

General Halder confers with the Romanian Minister of War and tours the "front."

Luftwaffe reconnaissance over Neuenburg, 18 June 1941 (Federal Archive, Bild 196-02378).

US Military: President Roosevelt meets with Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox and William "Wild Bill" Donovan. They talk about setting up a new intelligence organization based upon the British MI6, which Donovan studied during his recent European visit. This will become the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, which will morph into the Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA.

The US Navy concludes Pacific Fleet Exercise No. 1 off the coast of California.

Soviet Government: Premier Joseph Stalin, completely unruffled by the mounting piles of warnings on his desk about a coming German invasion, leaves Moscow on a vacation down south.

British Government: King George and Queen Elizabeth tour munitions factories and shipyards in Tyneside.

Royal Visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Tyneside, 18 June 1941.

British Homefront: Perhaps in an effort to boost morale, the government has decided to release some information about radar (known in England as "radiolocation technology"). It appears in the press today.

American Homefront: Felix Frankfurter, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, gives the Commencement address at Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He gives a rationale for the war:

One of the most current of these evasions of thought is that "war never settles anything." The Civil War settled slavery. This war will settle the quality of your lives and your children's lives. It simply is not true that war never settles anything. I respect the convictions of a conscientious objector to war and I believe I understand the philosophy underlying Gandhi's non-resistance. But the relentless choice events may force on every individual cannot be met by such a fair-sounding pernicious abstractions as that "war never settles anything.

Boxer Joe Louis knocks out Billy Conn in the 13th round at the Polo Grounds in New York City. He thus defends his World Heavyweight Boxing title. It is his first serious defense after a string of "bum of the month" opponents.

New York Yankees Centerfielder Joe DiMaggio extends his record club-record hitting streak to 31 games with a single off White Sox pitcher Thornton Lee.

RCAF 1941 Chevrolet staff car with a flag, 18 June 1941.  (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3581798).

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020

Monday 2 June 1941

Victims and fellow townspeople of Kondomari, Crete are herded to the site of hostage executions, 2 June 1941 (Franz Peter Weixler, Federal Archive).

Anglo-Iraq War: Jamil al-Midfai is named Prime Minister of Iraq on 2 June 1941. In Baghdad, the "Farhud" attacks continue against the Jewish Quarter. While the instigation and causes of the Farhud are subject to debate, but what is known for certain is that it ends today during the afternoon. It is unknown exactly how many deaths result from the Farhud, but estimates range from 100-1000, wich larger numbers of wounded.

Regent Abdul Illah (Abdullah) ends the Farhud riots, according to the Iraqi Commission Report, when he orders forces loyal to him into Baghdad. They use machine guns to kill many rioters. Another version of events is that the British are the ones that restore order. The two versions may be reconciled by assuming that the Regents ask the British to restore order, but that is unclear. In any event, hundreds of people on both sides of the Farhud - rioters and Jewish victims - perish. This incident begins the gradual elimination of the centuries-old Jewish presence in Baghdad.

In Syria, Vichy French forces claim to shoot down a British Blenheim reconnaissance plane over Syria-Lebanon.

German troops choose which hostages to execute in Kondomari, Crete, 2 June 1941 (Franz Peter Weixler, Federal Archive).

European Air Operations: RAF Bomber Command attacks the Ruhr River Valley of Germany with 44 bombers.

RAF Bomber Command sends 9 Blenheims of 2 Group, 105 Squadron to raid the Kiel Canal. This includes the naval barracks at Friedrichskoog and various villages along the canal. The RAF planes sink two small ships that block the canal for ten days.

RAF Bomber Command also sends bombers of 107 Squadron to raid the region between the Ems and the Elbe.

RAF Bomber Command also targets the liner Europe, tied up at Bremerhaven.

RAF Bomber Command sends 150 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 25 aircraft to attack Duisburg overnight.

The Luftwaffe attacks Manchester during the night of 1-2 June, killing 70 and injuring 86. This is the Manchester Blitz.

The Luftwaffe bombs Park Grove, Hull. This is Hull's fiftieth raid of the war. There are 27 killed and 11 wounded, and the tragedy is that the "all clear" mistakenly had sounded and the victims had just exited their shelters.

The RAF shoots down a Junkers Ju 88A northeast of Tynemouth at 22:29. There are two deaths, and two crewmen become POWs.

East African Campaign: East African 22nd Infantry Brigade begins crossing the Omo at Sciola in Galla-Sidamo.

Victims at Kondomari, Crete lining up for their executions, 2 June 1941 (Franz Peter Weixler, Federal Archive).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-147 (Oblt. Eberhard Wetjen), operating in the Northwest Approaches on its third patrol, attacks Convoy OB-329. It torpedoes and damages 4996-ton Belgian freighter Mokambo. The Mokambo makes it to the Clyde in tow. However, Royal Navy destroyer HMS Wanderer and corvette Periwinkle attacks and sinks U-147 with a depth charge attack. There are 24-26 deaths - the entire crew - on U-147.

U-108 (Kptlt. Erich Hilsenitz), on its third patrol out of Lorient, spots Convoy OB-327 in the mid-Atlantic. It torpedoes and sinks 7628-ton freighter Michael E, which happens to be the first catapult aircraft merchant (CAM) ship. There are four deaths on the Michael E. The ship has no time to launch its fighter plane, but the pilot manages to survive the sinking along with 61 others. It is an inauspicious debut of the CAM ship force.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages Royal Navy submarine HMS P.32 off Finisterre. P.32 is able to continue on to Gibraltar, though its batteries are damaged and it is unable to submerge.

Royal Navy escort ship Hartland (formerly a US Coast Guard cutter) collides with 646-ton British freighter Welsh Coast. The Hartland makes it to Falmouth for repairs and a scheduled refit.

Dutch submarine O.14 is involved in a collision. The submarine makes it to Grangemouth for repairs that take a month.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2477-ton British freighter Beaumanoir in Robin Hood's Bay. The ship is taken under tow, but the Luftwaffe returns and sinks the Beaumanoir.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 4749-ton British freighter Prince Rupert City north of Loch Eriboll, Scotland. There are four deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 197-ton Belgian trawler John 90 miles southeast of Inglos Hofdi. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2183 ton British freighter Thorpebay about six miles from Coquet Lighthouse, Northumberland. The Thorpebay makes it back to the Tyne for repairs.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 195-ton British trawler Ben Screel east of Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland. Ben Screel makes it back to the Tyne for repairs.

Finnish 5417 ton freighter Kasteholm hits a mine and sinks northeast of the Faroe Islands. There is one death, the rest of the crew makes it to Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

Canadian minesweeper (former Norwegian whale factory ship) HMCS Suderøy V is commissioned, minesweeper Caraquet is launched, minesweepers Grandmère and Vegreville are laid down.

US escort aircraft carrier USS Long Island (AVG-1) is commissioned (Commander Donald B. Duncan) at Newport News, Virginia. The Long Island is a conversion from cargo ship SS Mormacmail.

Royal Navy minelayer Plover lays minefield BS.57 in the English Channel.

Convoy OB 330 departs from Liverpool.

German troops line up to execute hostages in Kondomari, Crete, 2 June 1941 (Franz Peter Weixler, Federal Archive).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The Wehrmacht High Command issues a communique:

The battle for Crete is over. The whole island has been freed from the enemy. Yesterday German troops occupied the last base of the beaten British, the port of Sfakion, capturing 3,000 more prisoners in the process.

For once, the Germans understate their achievement - they actually capture more than 3,000 men at Sfakia.

The British War Cabinet discusses the future of Cyprus, which it believes may be next on Hitler's agenda in the Mediterranean. The Greek government would like to set up its capital in Cyprus, and there is some support within the British government for ceding the island to Greece for that purpose. The Cabinet concludes that the entire matter should be left to postwar peace settlement discussions.

Navy 353-ton whaler HMT Kos XXII attempts to make a run from Crete to Alexandria but sinks along the way. Royal Navy HMS LCT 16 also is sunk by the Luftwaffe off Canea, Crete.

Royal Navy submarine Clyde fires a torpedo at an Italian freighter off Terranova but misses.

In Malta, the British notice a new, large incendiary bomb being used by the Italian bombers. The anti-aircraft defenses claim to have shot down a Junkers Ju 52 transport off the coast.

German troops raise their rifles to execute hostages in Kondomari, Crete, 2 June 1941 (Franz Peter Weixler, Federal Archive Bild 101I-166-0525-39).

War Crimes: Pursuant to a standing order of temporary Crete commander General Kurt Student (sanctioned by Hermann Goering), German paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) decide to settle some scores with the local population. Four trucks full of soldiers from the III Battalion of Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1 under the command of Oberleutnant Horst Trebes arrive at the village of Kondomari. The Germans force all civilians into the town square and then pick out male hostages. The 23-60 men are taken to a nearby olive grove and executed. The whole event is filmed by a Wehrmacht war correspondent, Franz-Peter Weixler, who secretly opposes the action.

Other Fallschirmjäger troops surround the village of Alikianos. The Germans take 42 men from the village to a churchyard and execute them. Other civilians are executed at Agia (12 men shot) and Kyrtomado (25 men shot).

These incidents will be included in charges of war crimes made after the war against General Student and others.

German/Italian Relations: Hitler and Mussolini unexpectedly meet at the Brenner Pass. It is their first meeting since 20 January 1941, their third at the Brenner Pass, and their fifth conference since the start of the war. Also attending the meeting are German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop and Italian Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano. Exactly what is said at this private meeting has been the subject of much conjecture and debate.

It is believed that Mussolini urges a joint strategy against Great Britain in the Mediterranean, which Hitler rejects. This would jibe with Kriegsmarine Admiral Raeder's "peripheral strategy" which has been working well to date.

According to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler tells Mussolini about Operation Barbarossa at this meeting. However, Ciano writes in his diary, "The general impression is that for the moment Hitler has no precise plan of action." If Hitler does tell Mussolini, the latter does not tell even his closest government cronies. The official communique simply states that the meeting lasted for several hours and was cordial.

After the meeting, Mussolini - who has a tendency to disparage the Germans after such meetings, but not Hitler personally - supposedly says:

I wouldn't be at all sorry if Germany in her war with Russia got her feathers plucked.

Many believe that the Italians are, indeed, aware of Operation Barbarossa by this date, as evidenced by Italian troop movements in the Balkans.

The old Salford Royal building in Manchester takes a direct hit on June 2, 1941, with the attack claiming the lives of 14 nurses and their tutor.

German/Vichy French Relations: Pursuant to the Paris Protocols, the Vichy French government grants the Reich the use of port facilities in Bizerte, Tunis (Tunisia). While this is farther from the Libyan front, it also is closer to Naples than Tripoli. This makes Bizerte ideal for quick and relatively safe convoys across the Tyrrhenian Sea for items that are not time-critical. However, for the time being, only non-military supplies are allowed through the port.

Anglo/Turkish Relations: The Turkish government informs the British government that it prefers to remain neutral and declines a request to join an invasion of Vichy French Levant.

Anglo/US Relations: The US Army-Navy Board officially adopts the U.S.-British Commonwealth joint Basic War Plan, or, as it later became known, Rainbow Five. In the event of a worldwide conflict, the plan is for the Allies to make their priority defeating Italy and Germany first. As for Japan, the Allied "strategy, in the Far East will be defensive" because "the United States does not intend to add to its present military strength" there. Rainbow Five basically foresees the loss of the Philippines. However, no plans are made for evacuating the Americans in the islands.

Admiral Ernest J. King on the cover of Time magazine, 2 June 1941.

US Military: Cryptanalyst Joseph Rochefort reports to the main US Navy building at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii for his new duty as head of the cryptanalysis section.

Australian Military: The RAAF established its No. 3 Base Stores Depot at Spring Hill.

Channel Islands: Hitler is worried about the defense of the islands. He asks to have maps of them brought to him.

China: The Chinese (commander of the Chinese 3rd PG, Lo Ying-Teh) decline a shipment of Hawk 81A (P-40C) fighter aircraft. They thus become the property of Claire Chennault’s Flying Tigers.

Holocaust: The Vichy French government orders a census of Jews. It also bans Jews from holding public office.

The U.S. Navy troop transport USS West Point (AP-23) under initial conversion and painting at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Virginia (USA), 2 June 1941. She was previously SS America. The aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) is in the background. Note the neutrality markings on West Point's side and the repainting operations (US Navy, National Archives).

American Homefront: Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig passes away in Riverdale, the Bronx, New York from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable neuromuscular disorder later referred to in North America as Lou Gehrig's disease. Mayor Fiorella La Guardia ordered flags in New York to be flown at half-staff. His remains are interred at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. At the time of his death, Gehrig - "The Iron Horse" - holds the record for the number of consecutive games played, 2130, which will not be broken until 1998.

Chief Justice of the United States Charles Evans Hughes informs President Roosevelt that he will be retiring effective July 1.

Former 1936 Presidential candidate Alf Landon gives a speech at the commencement of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. He urges caution and deliberation before going to war. Landon notes, in reference to the rush to war:

We find a fatalistic acceptance of the inevitable.

He warns that the country runs the risk of falling into "dictatorship, of the right or of the left," due to the "weakening [of] our checks upon the majority."

Future History: Walter Stacy Keach Jr. is born in Savannah, Georgia. Keach goes on to a renowned acting career, which includes the CBS television series Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer and The New Mike Hammer from 1984 to 1987. Stacy Keach continues to act as of this writing, including serving as the narrator for the CNBC series "American Greed" and hosting "The Twilight Zone" radio series.

Charles Robert Watts is born in Kingsbury, London. He becomes a talented drummer and, in mid-1962, meets Brian Jones, Ian "Stu" Stewart, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In January 1963, Watts joins The Rolling Stones, which goes on to become one of the top rock groups of all time. As of this writing, he continues to be a member of the group despite having experienced some health problems.

USS Long Island (CVE-1) on June 10, 1944, in San Francisco Bay. This photo was taken by NAS Alameda.

June 1941

June 1, 1941: Farhud Pogrom
June 2, 1941: Massacres on Crete
June 3, 1941: Kandanos Massacre
June 4, 1941: Kaiser Wilhelm Passes Away
June 5, 1941: Death in Chungking
June 6, 1941: Hitler's Commissar Order
June 7, 1941: Commandos Strike at Pessac
June 8, 1941: British Invade Syria and Lebanon
June 9, 1941: Litani River Battle
June 10, 1941: British Take Assab
June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia
June 12, 1941: St. James Agreement
June 13, 1941: Lützow Damaged
June 14, 1941: Latvian June Deportations
June 15, 1941: Operation Battleaxe
June 16, 1941: The Old Lion
June 17, 1941: British Spanked in North Africa
June 18, 1941: Turkey Turns Its Back
June 19, 1941: Cheerios Introduced
June 20, 1941: Birth of US Army Air Force
June 21, 1941: Damascus Falls
June 22, 1941: Germany Invades Russia
June 23, 1941: A Soviet KV Tank Causes Havoc
June 24, 1941: Kaunas and Vilnius Fall
June 25, 1941: Finland Declares War
June 26, 1941: Bombing of Kassa
June 27, 1941: Encirclement At Minsk
June 28, 1941: Minsk Falls
June 29, 1941: Brest Fortress Falls
June 30, 1941: Mölders Becomes Top Ace

2020