Showing posts with label U-130. Show all posts

Monday, August 19, 2019

February 2, 1942: Germans Recovering in Russia

Monday 2 February 1942

British warships on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"A British destroyer flotilla taking part in Mediterranean operations." This photo was taken on board HMS Jervis in the eastern Mediterranean, 2 February 1942 (© IWM (A 8576)).

Eastern Front: The winter has bent but not quite broken the Wehrmacht, and by 2 February 1942 it is fighting back to protect its most vital arteries. The Rollbahn, a major (for Russia) road from Yukhnov to Gzhatsk, is the lifeline to Fourth Army in the Moscow sector, and the Soviets have held it for a week. The Germans now are fighting furiously from either end of the road to open it up, with General Heinrici sending his Fourth Army troops south and General Ruoff advancing with his Fourth Panzer Army vehicles north toward him. They make good progress today, though they do not quite close the gap and reopen the road yet. There are supplies waiting behind Ruoff's forces to be sluiced through the moment the road is cleared. This is one of the most important operations of the winter because until the road is cleared, the Fourth Army must rely on air support. The Luftwaffe already is hard-pressed supplying surrounded garrisons at Kholm, Demyansk, and elsewhere, so clearing the road is a top priority.

British Home Guard troops on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Major the Earl of Bradford (right) directs his company of the Home Guard during exercises with regular troops, 2 February 1942." © IWM (H 17543).

As the Germans regain their footing on the Eastern Front, their ambitions begin to expand again. General Dietl, commanding the Army of Lapland, is trying to convince the Finns to participate in an attack to cut the Soviet railway line to Murmansk at Belomorsk. Marshal Mannerheim, commanding all Finnish forces, is noncommital but indicates that he would be ready to participate in such an operation once the Germans capture Leningrad. Of course, the Germans have no hope of capturing Leningrad anytime soon due to their difficulties on the main front and pretty much everyone knows that. German General Waldemar Erfurth, who leads the German liaison team at Mannerheim's headquarters, reports back to OKW that Mannerheim has a pessimistic view of the war and is unwilling to stage any attacks that he has any chance of losing. Mannerheim prepares a letter to General Keitel today which basically expresses these views. The Germans have no alternatives in the northern sector of the front and are at Mannerheim's mercy.

A P-47 on the cover of Life magazine on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Life Magazine for 2 February 1942 features a Republic P-48 Thunderbolt on the cover. The XP-47B prototype, designed by Alexander Kartveli, first flew on 6 May 1941. There are only the XP-47B and an engineering prototype in existence during February 1942, so this truly is a cutting edge photo and undoubtedly had to pass through military censors.

Battle of the Pacific: In the Philippines, the fighting along the Main Line of Resistance (MLR) on the Bataan Peninsula has died down while the Japanese reinforce their presence for a decisive attack. However, the Allies continue strenuously battling Japanese pockets and bridgeheads behind the MLR, some very close to the MLR and others many miles to the south. On the eastern half of the MLR, US II Corps eliminates a small Japanese bridgehead across the Pilar River when the last Japanese leave after dark. On the western half of the MLR, the Americans send tanks of the US 192d Tank Battalion supported by a platoon of the 1st Battalion, 45th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, against the "Big" Japanese pocket. However, the Japanese are dug in and hold their ground in the rough terrain. Much further south, the Americans try the same formula (tanks of the 192d and Filipino Scouts) against the Quinauan Point beachhead. However, the Japanese there have been cheered by ultimately unsuccessful Japanese attempts to resupply and reinforce them, so they also resist the Allies. Those reinforcements, which the Allies diverted to the Anyasan-Silaiim sector, also hold out against fierce attacks by the Scout battalions (2d Battalion of the 45th Infantry; 3d and 1st Battalions of the 57th Infantry. The day's events are discouraging for the Allies, but the MLR provides a growing sense of security and the hope that they can hold the Bataan Peninsula indefinitely.

An SB2U-2 Vindicator aboard USS Wasp on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

A snow-covered SB2U-2 Vindicator sits on the USS Wasp flight deck, February 1942 (Naval History and Heritage Command).

In the Netherlands East Indies, Japanese troops continue occupying Ambon Island, home to an important naval base. The Japanese take Laha Airdrome from Australian troops during the morning. Later in the day, the surviving Australian troops send a surrender parley under a white flag carried by Major Newberry, the commanding officer at Laha. The Japanese promptly imprison them in the local school for the night. Offshore, Dutch mines sink Japanese minesweeper W-9 and damage minesweepers W-11 and W-12.

Sailors in Singapore on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Kepper Harbour, Singapore. 2 February 1942. Men of HMAS Hobart returning electric sewing machines in wooden crates that they had found in a godown (storage shed where incoming merchant goods were stored after unloading), just before the fall of Singapore. Approximately fifty sailors were placed under guard on the quarterdeck by the gunnery officer before Captain H. Howden returned to the ship from the dockyard and ordered the sailors to return the machines to the godown. However, some machines were brought back to the ship with a lot of other selected material. The Captain returned to the ship with a car and the dockyard crest, both of which were shipped back to Australia. (Donor M. Williams)" Australian War Memorial P02497.026.

This is the last relatively quiet day in Singapore, as the Japanese have not yet brought up artillery. The British have blown the causeway to the mainland and organized their defenses into three sectors: Northern, Southern, and Western. The largest RAF airfield is at RAF Tengah in the Western Area, but the planes have almost all been withdrawn to the Netherlands East Indies. The most vulnerable area for an invasion is recognized as the northwest part of Singapore, where there are mangrove swamps, jungles, creeks, and rivers. The British are still able to receive reinforcements and leave by sea, and there really isn't much sense of urgency in the city.

Tamagawa Maru, sunk on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Tamagawa Maru, sunk by USS Seadragon on 2 February 1942.

USS Seadragon (SS-194), on its first patrol out of Soerabaja, Netherland East Indies, sinks 6441-ton Japanese freighter Tamagawa Maru off Cape Bolinao, Luzon. Seadragon attacks a five-ship convoy off San Fernando and sinks the fourth ship in the line. This is of great aid to the Allies in Bataan, as the ship carried reinforcements and equipment for the coming Japanese offensive.

Following the successful Marshalls-Gilbert Raids of 1 February, Admiral Halsey retires with his task force from the area in bright moonlight. The US Navy ships are shadowed by Japanese planes and a submarine but escape unscathed at 25 knots. The ships encounter a sudden storm during the morning, which they use to screen themselves from the Japanese. Halsey proudly tells that the task force that it has "made history in the Marshalls."

FV Cape Spartel, sunk on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

FV Cape Spartel, one of the ships sunk by the Luftwaffe on 2 February 1942.

European Air Operations: There is a week-long lull in strategic air operations along the western front due to winter conditions. About twenty German aircraft do mount a raid on the Humber and bomb and sink 346-ton HMT Cape Spartel and also 324-ton HMT Cloughton Wyke at Yarmouth.

Admiral Doenitz on the cover of Time magazine on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Admiral Doenitz graces the cover of Time Magazine, 2 February 1942 (cover credit: Vuk Vuchinich).

Battle of the Atlantic: British escort destroyer HMS Westcott (D47) sinks U-581 (Kptlt. Werner Pfeifer) off the south exit from Horta Harbor, Azores, Portugal. U-581 was caught on the surface after an unsuccessful torpedo attack on Westcott and accompanying destroyer Croome. Due to a mechanical issue, U-581 could not submerge, and Westcott succeeds in a second attempt to ram it. Almost the entire U-581 crew, 41 men, survive after being picked up by the destroyers, while four men perish. One German sailor, Oblt. Walter Sitek, survives by swimming six km (well over three miles) to shore (he is repatriated to Germany, becomes a U-boat commander, and survives the war). U-581 ends its career having sunk one ship, HMS Rosemonde on 19 January 1942, of 364 tons.

U-103 (Kptlt. Werner Winter), on its sixth patrol out of Lorient, is operating off the east coast of the United States as part of Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat). Winter gets his first sinking of the patrol when he torpedoes and then shells 6182-ton US tanker W. L. Steed about 85 nautical miles (160 km) east of the mouth of the Delaware River. The weather is horrendous, with snow and icy temperatures, so many of the 38 men who take to the boats perish from exposure. Ultimately, there are 34 dead and four survivors.

Captain Erns Kals of U-130 departs from the East Coast of the US on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Ernst Kals, commander of U-130.

Operation Paukenschlag was never intended by the Germans to be a lengthy offensive. The original plan was to send one wave of five U-boats (U-66, U-109, U-123, U-125, and U-130) in early 1942 and then return focus to the convoy routes. However, the unexpected success of the U-boats along the east coast of the United States has led to a decision to continue the offensive with new waves of boats. The first wave of U-boats already is returning to Europe, with U-130 (Ernst Kals) exiting the area south of Cape Sable on 2 February. It heads back to Lorient, though it first has a rendezvous with U-109 (Heinrich Bleichdrodt), which also is leaving the area, in the mid-Atlantic in order to transfer some fuel.

W. L. Steed is sunk on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

W. L. Steed, sunk by U-103 on 2 February 1942.

The Royal Navy has been keeping a close eye on German heavy cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, which have been bottled up in Brest, France, for the better part of a year. They are within easy bombing range of the RAF, but winter conditions have not been suitable for a decisive air attack on them. Since that will soon change with the passing of seasons, the Germans have been busy readying the ships for action. The British Naval Staff, perhaps operating off of decoded German radio transmissions, begins planning to stop an expected cruise of the large German ships up the English Channel and back to Germany. This is considered extremely dangerous by both sides, as the ships would have to make much of the journey during daylight when the RAF could easily attack. However, Adolf Hitler believes that the risks are worthwhile because of Allied control of the air and sea in the Atlantic and the ships can be put to some use in northern Norway. Thus, the Germans have begun planning Operation Cerberus, also known as the Channel Dash.

Battle of the Mediterranean: German Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel's troops continue their rapid march from Benghazi. The Afrika Korps is advancing in two columns. The coastal column captures Berta but is stopped a dozen miles west of Derna. The inland column advances further, stopping south of Derna. In Cairo, General Claude Auchinleck, Commander in Chief Middle East Command, can see what is coming and tells his Eighth Army commanders that he expects them to hold Tobruk.

ATC Gazette of February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The Air Training Corps (ATC) Gazette Vol. II No. 2, February 1942.

US Military: VII Interceptor Command is activated at Ft Shafter in Hawaii.

Major General Joseph W. Stilwell becomes Chief of Staff to Supreme Commander, China Theater (Chiang Kai-shek). His portfolio is to:

increase the effectiveness of United States assistance to the Chinese Government for the prosecution of the war and to assist in improving the combat efficiency of the Chinese Army.

Stilwell cannot do much about the Chinese Army, but he helps to sort out the chaos of Lend-Lease shipments to China.

The Headquarters of the USAAF 49th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) arrives in Melbourne, Victoria. They are equipped with P-40s, the most plentiful USAAF fighter at this time. These are raw pilots just out of flight school and their first assignment is to help put their own planes together from the crates in which they were shipped.

Egypt: The entire British position in the Mediterranean hinges on keeping a tight grip on Egypt. However, that grip is shaken today when King Farouk, who is known to harbor Axis sympathies, forces his entire cabinet to resign.

Holocaust: The commandant at the Auschwitz camp institutes a new "reeducation" policy for some prisoners (Erziehungshäftlinge). This involves giving such prisoners a new series of numbers (beginning EH 1) that are distinct from the general series of numbers. A total of 1137 such numbers are issued. These reeducation prisoners live under the same conditions as other prisoners in the camp but are released after a limited period not to exceed eight weeks (though this time limit is not honored in actuality and many spend much longer in the camp). Ultimately, about 11,000 prisoners in this category pass through Auschwitz.

American Homefront: The Federal Bureau of Investigation is rounding up suspected Japanese spies, as evidenced by a headline in the 2 February 1942 Seattle Daily Times which reads, "FBI Ousts Nipponese in Island Raid."

USS Silversides on 2 February 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Bow view of the USS Silversides (SS-236) off Mare Island, California, 2 February 1942 (U.S. Navy).

February 1942

February 1, 1942: The US Navy Strikes Back
February 2, 1942: Germans Recovering in Russia
February 3, 1942: Japanese Shell and Bomb Singapore
February 4, 1942: Battle of Makassar Strait
February 5, 1942: Empress of Asia Sunk
February 6, 1942: The Christmas Island Body
February 7, 1942: The Double-V Campaign
February 8, 1942: Japan Invades Singapore
February 9, 1942: French Liner Normandie Capsizes
February 10, 1942: US Car Production Ends
February 11, 1942: Tomforce Fails on Singapore
February 12, 1942: The Channel Dash
February 13, 1942: Japanese Paratroopers In Action
February 14, 1942: RAF Orders Terror Raids
February 15, 1942: Japan Takes Singapore

February 16, 1942: Operation Neuland Begins

February 17, 1942: Indian Troops Defect to Japanese
February 18, 1942: Battle of Badung Strait
February 19, 1942: FDR Authorizes Internment Camps
February 20, 1942: O'Hare the Hero
February 21, 1942: Crisis in Burma
February 22, 1942: Bomber Harris Takes Over
February 23, 1942: Bombardment of Ellwood, California
February 24, 1942: US Raid on Wake Island
February 25, 1942: Battle of Los Angeles
February 26, 1942: Gneisenau Eliminated
February 27, 1942: Battle of Java Sea
February 28, 1942: Battle of Sunda Strait

2020

Friday, May 17, 2019

January 25, 1942: Kholm Surrounded

Sunday 25 January 1942

Fairey Fulmars at Donibristle after a snowstorm, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Fairey Fulmar planes grounded in the snow after a storm." Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle, 25 January 1942. © IWM (A 7252).

Battle of the Pacific: Thailand, on 25 January 1942, declares war on the Allies, and Britain, New Zealand, and South Africa reciprocate. While Thailand does not have a particularly imposing military, it does have an extremely useful location for Japanese troops invading Burma. General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief Australian-British- Dutch-American (ABDA) Command, South West Pacific, flies to Rangoon and finds the situation deteriorating rapidly. The battle line is west of the Salween River, opposite Moulmein, and Wavell orders Moulmein held. The Japanese are bringing up reinforcements via Thailand, however, and the unit tasked with holding Moulmein, the 16th Brigade, Indian 17th Division, is overmatched and at best can delay the Japanese.

"Fairey Fulmar planes grounded in the snow after a storm." Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle, 25 January 1942. © IWM (A 7251).

On the Malay Peninsula, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival meets with Generals Bennett and Heath. They decide to order a withdrawal by the troops at Buta Pahat back to Singapore. The British in any event are unable to hold Batu Pahat after furious battles during the day, including attempts to reinforce the garrison with the British 53rd Brigade Group. Indian 3 Corps begins pulling out of the area after dark. The Japanese focus their attack in the western portion of the line, and the 2/20th AIF Battalion evacuates Mersing to Jemaluang Crossroads.

25-pounder in Malaya, January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Malaya. AIF artillerymen firing a 25 pounder gun from beside a rubber plantation." January 1942. Australian War Memorial 011303/30.

In Borneo, the Japanese expand their hold at Balikpapan, where they already are in possession of the critical refinery. Their advance southward is slow because the Dutch garrison has destroyed the bridges on the main coastal road. Late in the day, the Japanese reach Balikpapan City, which the Dutch have abandoned. The Japanese send their Surprise Attack Unit south of the Reservoir and head upriver toward the village of Banoeabaroe. The remaining Dutch troops in the area attempt to withdraw via the coast road, but the Surprise Attack Unit cuts them off. After that, the Surprise Attack returns to Balikpapan City and helps to complete its occupation.

Richmond Times-Dispatch, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The Richmond Times-Dispatch for 25 January 1942 has timely news about the Battle of the Makassar Strait, an American victory.

In the Philippines, the eastern half of the Allied line controlled by II Corps pulls back under pressure. I Corps, in control of the western half of the line, also pulls back and abandons its defenses at Mauban south of Moron (Morong). The Japanese roadblock on West Road behind the main front line continues to be a thorn in the I Corps side, and the US command has to divert additional troops to it from the west. The small Japanese bridgehead far to the south at Quinauan and Longoskawayan Points also holds out against fierce Allied attacks, though it is being forced back against some cliffs. It is a bitter battle, with heavy casualties on both sides. The retreat down the Bataan Peninsula has progressed so far now that the southern beach areas now shift from the control of the Service Command Area to the military commanders of I and II Corps.

Warangoi River, New Britain, near Rabaul, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Warangoi River, New Britain. 1942-01. The Adler River, in the Bainings Mountains on the eastern side of the Gazelle Peninsula, an obstacle to the Australian troops retreating from Rabaul after the successful attack by Japanese forces. This is the point where at least two parties of retreating Australian troops crossed the Adler River. The first party of twenty-one men from the Anti-aircraft Battery Rabaul and the 17th Anti-tank Battery crossed here on 1942-01-26 securing a lawyer vine rope to cross the river. This image was taken in late January 1942 and shows some of the men of Sergeant L. I. H. (Les) Robbins' party fording the river as they make their way south toward Palmalmal Plantation and rescue in April 1942." The Japanese are in firm control of the port of Rabaul on 25 January 1942, but their grip on the rest of New Britain is tenuous. The retreating Australian troops have nowhere to go and little hope of rescue, but they can hide out in the jungles for as long as they can find food and water. Australian War Memorial P02395.012.

Sailors in the Japanese Navy continue to feel invulnerable and use their submarines to take potshots at US military installations. on 25 January 1942, Japanese submarine I-73 shells the US base on Midway Island. Meanwhile, I-59 enters Sabang Roads, Sumatra (Indonesia) and sinks a freighter and captures part of the crew.

General Rommel inspecting the front, January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel on an inspection tour of the front, January 1942 (Gemini, Ernst A., Federal Archive Figure 183-H26262).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Panzer Group Africa continues its offensive and takes Msus. British 1st Armoured Division, 13 Corps, falls back on Mechili. Indian 4th Division evacuates Benghazi and Barce, protected by a small detachment of tanks from the 1st Armoured Division. British General Neal Ritchie, General Officer Commanding Eighth Army, then orders the Indian 4th Division and 1st Armoured Division to prepare a counterattack.

U-123, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen, shown here in January/February 1942, was the first U-boat operating off the east coast of the United States as part of Operation Drumbeat. On 25 January 1942, it sinks British freighter Culebra.

Battle of the Atlantic: Operation Paukenschlag (Drumbeat), the U-boat offensive off the east coast of the United States, continues claiming victims. U-125 (Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers) is on its third patrol out of Lorient attacks 7294-ton US tanker Olney off Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Attempting to escape, Olney's captain grounds the tanker. Olney later proceeds to port, its minor damage is repaired, and returns to service.

U-130 (KrvKpt. Ernst Kals) is on its second patrol out of Lorient. Today, it is operating off the coast of New Jersey and torpedoes and sinks 9305-ton Norwegian tanker Varanger. Everyone is rescued.

British freighter Culebra, sunk on, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

British freighter Culebra, sunk by U-123 on 25 January 1942.

U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen) is on its seventh patrol out of Lorient. It was the first U-boat to reach the US east coast and now is on its way back to France. Today, in the mid-Atlantic, it uses its deck gun to attack and sink 3044-ton British freighter Culebra, which was dispersed from Convoy ON-53 and is en route from London/Loch Ewe to Bermuda/Jamaica. There are no survivors. Captain Hardegan praises the crew of the Culebra in his log, noting their "astonishing cold-bloodedness" as the Culebra's crew puts up a heroic fight with its deck gun.

U-754 (Kptlt. Hans Oestermann) is on its first patrol out of Kiel. Today, it torpedoes and sinks 3876-ton Greek collier Mount Kitheron about two miles off St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. There are 12 deaths and 24 survivors.

German soldiers in southern Russia, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

German soldiers on the march in southern USSR, January 1942 (Grunewald, Federal Archive Picture 101I-539-0393-26A).

Eastern Front: The Red Army advance west of Moscow continues on 25 January 1942. The advancing Soviets encircle Kholm (south of Lake Ilmen). Isolated in the pocket are about 5500 German troops under the command of General Theodor Scherer, primarily of the 218th Infantry Division and the 553rd Regiment of the 329th Division, but with many other men from other units, too. Unlike in the larger Demyansk pocket nearby, there is not enough land for an airstrip, so all supplies must be air-dropped - which is hazardous for both the planes and the German soldiers who sometimes are enticed into going dangerously close to Soviet outposts to get the containers.

Greek freighter Mount Kitheron, sunk on 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Greek freighter Mount Kitheron, torpedoed off St. John's, Newfoundland, on 25 January 1942.

The Soviet troops are occupying vast swathes of territory during the Moscow counteroffensive, but it is not easy. They are struggling through snowdrifts and over icy roads, and the fact that they are encountering little opposition from the Wehrmacht, which is, for the most part, sitting tight in fortified towns, is cold comfort. Due to necessity, the Germans have adopted a strong-point strategy (also called a hedgehog defense) wherein they occupy isolated fortified towns and villages while basically conceding everywhere else to the Soviets. This has been put in motion not out of some kind of well-thought strategy, but because Hitler has ordered the troops to hold towns without regard to being surrounded. The hedgehog defense actually is very effective (it is "invented" by NATO in the 1970s), but flies in the face of 1942 military doctrine.

German soldiers unloading a Junkers Ju 52 in the Demyansk pocket, January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

German soldiers use sleds to unload a Junkers Ju 52 transport in the Demyansk pocket south of Lake Ilmen, January 1942 (Ullrich, Gerhard, Federal Archive Bild 101I-003-3446-21).

On the Crimea Peninsula, Soviet General Kozlov continues sending reinforcements by sea to his small bridgehead at Sudak, which is far behind the mainline. Kozlov is convinced that the Germans don't have the strength to eliminate the bridgehead, but German General Fretter-Pico already is diverting troops from 30 Corps which will soon be in a position to attack with devastating superiority.

Hermann Goering and Mussolini at Furbara Airfield, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering and Italian leader Benito Mussolini watch a demonstration of aircraft prototypes at Furbara Airfield, January 1942 (Federal Archive Picture 146-1979-155-22).

Australian Government: The Australian War Cabinet calls up for military service "all able-bodied white male British subjects" between the ages of 18 and 45 years old.

British telephone company repairing lines, 25 January 1942 Worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"At the scene of the 'incident', telephone repair crews unroll new cables on a bomb-damaged London street in order to breach the gap in telephone supply caused by an air raid." London, January 1942 (© IWM (D 6445)).

1942

January 1942

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

2020

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

January 11, 1942: Japan Takes Kuala Lumpur

Sunday 11 January 1942

Japanese take Kuala Lumpur, 11 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, January 11, 1942. Japanese troops advance through the streets during the invasion of the Malayan Peninsula which culminated in the surrender of all British forces and occupation of the British naval base on Singapore Island." Australian War Memorial 127892.

Battle of the Atlantic: Unternehmen Paukenschlag (Operation Drumbeat, or "roll of the kettledrums"), a U-boat offensive off the coast of the United States, scores its first victory on 11 January 1942 when U-123 (Kptlt. Reinhard Hardegen), on its seventh patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks a ship about 125 nautical miles (232 km, or 144 miles) southeast of Nova Scotia. The victim is 9076-ton British freighter Cyclops. Hardegen puts one torpedo into Cyclops near the funnel, but it does not sink and some of the crew even reboard it. However, U-123 lurks nearby and pumps another torpedo into Cyclops that splits it in two. It sinks within five minutes, taking 39 crew members, 48 passengers, and one gunner with it. There are 56 crew survivors (including Master Leslie Webber Kersley), six gunner survivors, and 31 passengers who survive and are picked up by HMCS Red Deer (J-255).

Map of Pacific Theater of Operations, 11 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Map of fighting in the Pacific in the Virginia-Pilot of 11 January 1942. It shows the major conflicts in the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula, and other hot spots.

The sinking of the Cyclops opens a new phase in the Battle of the Atlantic. Admiral Karl Dönitz has sent five U-boats to the far side of the Atlantic. These are:

U-125 (Kptlt. Folkers)
U-123 (Hardegen)
U-66 (Zapp)
U-130 (Kals)
U-109 (Bleichrodt)

in that order. It has taken U-123 about two weeks to score the first of many victories of Operation Drumbeat. While the U-boat commanders are under orders to only attack significant targets like cruisers or a battleship until they reach the United States, these orders are interpreted very liberally by captains who are hungry for victories. Because of the easy pickings along the eastern coast of the United States, this is known as the beginning of the second "Happy Time" for the U-boats, the first having lasted from July 1940 to April 1941.

Japanese troops advancing into Kuala Lumpur, 11 January 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: The Japanese on the Malay Peninsula continue advancing south in pursuit of the fleeing Commonwealth troops. They move quickly from Serendah, about 26 km north of Kuala Lumpur, and enter the take the capital of the Federated Malay States, a British protectorate. The Japanese take possession of a fairly intact airfield, large quantities of supplies, burning oil tanks, and brand new maps of Singapore found in a railway car. The capture of KL serves as a tonic for Japanese morale, which has been taking a beating due to the hard trek down the peninsula (many people only take into account the hardships of British troops, but the Japanese troops are under strain, too).

While the British have abandoned Kuala Lumpur, there is some scattered fighting. Some Allies are taken prisoner and subsequently tortured to death in Pudo Jail. The Japanese quickly take over all of the government and public buildings use it as their own administrative center for the region. The British and Indian troops beat a quick retreat to Johor and plan on fighting a desperate battle to protect Singapore from invasion. Japanese forces (2500 men in the Combined Sasebo SNLF) also land at Manado (also spelled Menado) on the Minahasa peninsula on the northern part of the island of Celebes (now known as Sulawesi). They quickly occupy Manado town and prepare to advance toward Kakas on the 12th. The Sasebo 2nd SNLF lands at Kema and advances toward Kakas from the opposite direction.

"Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, January 11, 1942. Japanese troops take up a position in the streets during the invasion of the Malayan Peninsula which culminated in the surrender of all British forces and occupation of the British naval base on Singapore Island." Australian War Memorial 127893.

Imperial Japan is finally ready to attack the Netherlands East Indies, so Japan declares war on the Netherlands (which already declared war on Japan) and lands troops at Tarakan Island in northeastern Borneo at midnight. The Japanese Right Wing Unit from the Sakaguchi Detachment lands on the east coast of Tarakan, while the 2nd Kure Special Naval Landing Force follows soon thereafter. Late in the day, the Dutch submarine K-X,[1] the patrol boat P-1, and the civilian motor launch Aida all manage to leave Tarakan. However, Dutch minelayer Prins van Oranje is not so lucky and is sunk by Japanese destroyer Yamakaze (Lt. Cdr Shuichi Hamanaka) and patrol boat P-38. Dutch airplanes based at airfield Samarinde II in eastern Borneo fly missions against the invading Japanese that have little impact on events.

Damage to USS Saratoga, 11 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Damage to USS Saratoga that was caused by Japanese I-6 on 11 January 1942, looking aft (Naval History and Heritage Command).

US Navy aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3) is cruising about 420 nautical miles (780 km, 480 miles) southwest of Pearl Harbor on 11 January 1942 toward a rendezvous with USS Enterprise when Japanese I-6 torpedoes it. The torpedo blast floods three of Saratoga's boiler rooms, reducing her speed to a maximum of 16 knots (30 km/hour, 18 mph). Six crewmen perish. Saratoga returns to Pearl Harbor and arrives there on the 13th. The final report on the incident is issued on 15 November 1942 and concludes that Japanese torpedoes are not, as commonly believed, more destructive than American torpedoes: "[The damage] was little if any more than might be expected from one of our submarine torpedoes carrying 500 lbs of explosive."

The attack keeps Saratoga out of two critical battles, the Battle fo the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway. However, it returns to service just after the latter battle when the U.S. Navy carrier fleet needs it.

Torpedo damage to USS Saratoga, 11 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Damage to USS Saratoga caused by Japanese I-6 on 11 January 1942, looking forward (Naval History and Heritage Command).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Early in the day, the South African 2d Division of 30 Corps, British Eighth Army, attacks Sollum. There is a sharp but brief battle that results in the capture of the Axis fortress early on the 12th. This is one of several Axis outposts along the Egyptian border that have been isolated by Operation Crusader. Lieutenant General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps troops are still being chased to the west at El Agheila and thus the Sollum troops have had no hope of relief. The fall of Sollum also isolates the heavily fortified Halfaya position, which now has no access to the sea. The Italian troops there are determined to hold out despite being very short of food and water. However, their eventual capitulation also is inevitable unless Rommel pulls off a miracle.

HMS Victorious, 11 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Officers and men of 832 Squadron descending in the lift after having the Squadron photograph taken." This photo was taken on board HMS Victorious on 11 January 1942. © IWM (A 7075).

Eastern Front: In the Crimea, Soviet 51st Army prepares to deploy its two rifle divisions at the front on the Parpach Narrows. The Germans, meanwhile, have the 46th Infantry Division, the 170th and 132nd Infantry divisions, two battalions of the 72nd Infantry Division, the Romanian 18th Infantry Division, and around five StuG III assault guns in position along the line. They are preparing for an attack on the Soviet forces as soon as possible.

SS City of Pittsburgh, sunk on 11 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

SS City of Pittsburgh, a 7377-ton British freighter, runs aground at Great Pass, Alexandria Harbor on 11 January 1942 and breaks its back. The ship is a total loss. The ship was on a routine cargo mission from Montreal to Alexandria with a cargo of food and munitions. There are no casualties.

Around Moscow, operations are still paralyzed by a brutal blizzard that began late on the 9th. One of the Red Army objectives is to cut the railroad line that runs parallel to the front between Vyazma and Rzhev, and they are approaching Sychevka, a small town in the middle of the railway line, throughout the day. Sychevka also happens to be the headquarters of the German Ninth Army, where General Adolf Strauss knows he has very little chance of holding out. There is no possibility of the large German base at Rzhev holding out for long if it is deprived of supplies that arrive by train through Sychevka, so, at this moment, Sychevka is the most critical spot on the entire Eastern Front.

Paratrooper Sgt. Brian Quinn, 11 January 1942.

Army Group Center commander Field Marshal Guenther von Kluge also is very worried. He arrives at Adolf Hitler's Fuehrer Headquarters in Rautenberg by plane and quickly secures an audience with Hitler. He pleads for permission for further withdrawals, but Hitler has taken heart from the cessation in operations due to the weather. He refuses to talk about withdrawals and instead urges von Kluge to resist "every day, every hour" because "all the acclaim" would accrue to Kluge if he managed to hold the front.

USAT Liberty, sunk on 11 January 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

USAT Liberty (6119 tons), shown, is sunk on 11 January 1942 by Japanese submarine I-66 off Lombok. It is carrying a cargo of railway parts and rubber. US destroyer USS Paul Jones (DD-230) and Dutch destroyer HNLMS Van Ghent try to tow Liberty to Singaraja, but they finally give up and beach Liberty on the eastern shore of Bali at Tulamben. The cargo was later salvaged, but the ship remains in that approximated location to this day (pushed slightly offshore in shallow water by lava from a volcano). It is a favorite spot for divers who can make it to Liberty's remote location.

Partisans: The Battle of Dražgoše that began on 9 January 1942 ends after the partisans in the village disappear into the countryside. The victorious Germans execute 35 male civilians, some of whom may be partisans but many of whom likely are not. The Germans also loot houses and then set the entire village on fire. All survivors of the village are sent to concentration camps. The partisans have established a new base at the Mošnje Pasture (Mošenjska planina), and the Germans prepare to attack them in a couple of days. The Battle of Dražgoše remains a controversial incident because there are conspiracy theories that contend that the partisans actually wished to punish the inhabitants of the village and not the Germans by launching an attack from there. Everyone in the region knows the brutal methods used by the occupying forces against areas that rebel and the Germans have acted true to form with their destructive and deadly reprisals.

"Captain H W Kirby and his fiancee Sally Reyne, with a group of well-wishers on the flight deck of HMS VICTORIOUS." Reyne is the daughter of Rear Admiral (Ret'd) C.W. Reyne, while Kirby commands the Royal Marines on board Victorious. 11 January 1942. © IWM (A 7086).

Saturday, March 10, 2018

June 11, 1941: Hitler Thinking Beyond Russia

Wednesday 11 June 1941

Fort Merdjayoun Syria 11 June 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"Lebanon. 11 June 1941. Fort Merdjayoun in the town of Merdjayoun, which was occupied by French forces before being captured on 11 June 1941 by elements of the 7th Australian Division AIF. The town was then occupied by 2/33rd Battalion, a cavalry unit and a battery of artillery in a defensive role." (Australian War Memorial 128437).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: The Australian 21st Brigade continues marching north from Tyre toward Sidon as part of Operation Exporter on 11 June 1941. Further inland, the Australian 25th Brigade takes Merdjayoun (Merjayun). The Australians, feeling confident, leave only a skeleton force to hold Merdjayoun and send the bulk of the 25th Brigade north to attack Jezzine.

Free French 1st Infantry Brigade and 2nd Infantry Brigade attack Kissoue south of Damascus. The Vichy French, however, are massing large forces to block the Commonwealth troops' advances.

A French Dewoitine D.520 shoots down a British Curtiss Tomahawk. It is the only Tomahawk that the RAF loses during the campaign.

Journalist Alan Moorehead talks to captured Vichy French soldiers and gets a surprise: their morale is excellent. He reports that the French say that they are resisting the British invasion fiercely because they are professional soldiers and the attack was unprovoked. Another factor is that Germany essentially is holding their relatives in metropolitan France hostage. There also is an element of simple Gallic pride, as the French soldiers feel that the British look down on them ("like the Italians") for losing France to Hitler.

In other words, the French are resisting not just for pragmatic reasons, but for pride. However, the silver lining is that, once the defending French soldiers prove their point about their ability to resist, they eventually will give in to the inevitable and surrender. There is some hard fighting left before that can happen, though.

Curtiss Tomahawk 11 June 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

A Curtiss Tomahawk of 3 Squadron at Lydda (Lot), 11 June 1941 (via Mike Mirkovic).

European Air Operations: During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft to bomb Bremerhaven, but 19 turn back due to Reich air defenses. The British, like the Luftwaffe before them, are gradually coming to the realization that daylight bombing raids are extremely costly.

RAF Fighter Command sends fighters on Rhubarb and Roadstead operations. RAF 11 Group (12 planes of RAF No. 74 Squadron and 12 of No. 609 Squadron escort five Blenheim bombers of 16 Group) conducts a Roadstead operation that targets a tanker defended by flak-ships off Dunkirk. The pilots report scoring a hit on the tanker, but there is no verification from German records. Luftwaffe Oblt. Johannes Seifert of 3./JG 26 downs a Hurricane from RAF No 248 Squadron during daylight action.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command raids the industrial Ruhr River Valley, the Rhineland, Hamburg, and Bremen. The weather is good, and the British will continue attacking the Ruhr for the next 19 nights. They put 98 bombers over Dusseldorf and 80 over Duisburg. RAF Bomber Command also sends 24 aircraft to Boulogne and 20 bombers on minelaying missions.

The Luftwaffe drops leaflets over East Anglia, as it did during the summer of 1940, and sends planes across Great Britain. These tout German successes in the Atlantic and they warn, with some credibility, that further resistance to the Reich will mean starvation throughout the British Isles.

East African Campaign: The Indian 15th Punjab Regiment of the Indian 3rd Battalion completes the capture of Assab, which essentially just means checking the town for any Italian stragglers. The entire Red Sea now is clear of Axis influence, and soon American freighters will be able to cross it to deliver supplies to British forces in Egypt.

(Kraupa; Tuskany; Duskamp, Federal Archive Bild 101II-MW-3509-30).

Admiral Karl Doenitz 11 June 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"France, Saint-Nazaire.- Admiral Karl Doenitz on the quay in front of incoming U-boat U-93, the crew standing on the U-boat deck in anticipation of the award of the Knight's Cross to Lieutenant Claus Korth, U-93's commander.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-79 (Kptlt. Wolfgang Kaufmann), on its first patrol out of Kiel, is operating west of Iceland when it torpedoes and sinks 1524 ton Norwegian freighter Havtor. There are six deaths and 14 survivors.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2056-ton British freighter Moorwood near 19C Buoy north of Whitby. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 3178-ton British freighter Baron Carnegie just east of St. Davids in St. George's Channel. There are 25 deaths (16 are listed as "missing" but never are found). British 1358-ton freighter Seine takes Baron Carnegie in tow, but Baron Carnegie sinks north of Fishguard.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2842-ton British freighter Westburn a few miles north of Skinningrove off Hartlepool. Taken in tow, the Westburn arrives in Hartlepool later in the day.

Royal Navy submarine H.32 grounds in the Clyde. After it frees itself, H.32 goes to Ardrossan for repairs.

The Kriegsmarine makes a rare fleet maneuver (the Royal Navy, by comparison, keeps its ships constantly in motion). This is Operation Sommerreise (Summer Journey). The Germans send heavy cruiser Lutzow (damaged during the invasion of Norway), light cruisers Emden and Leipzig, and destroyers Eckhold, Galster, Lody, Z.23, and Z.24 to Norway. The plan is for Lutzow to break out into the Atlantic and be joined there by sister ship Admiral Scheer.

The British, of course, keep very close tabs on German warships. They learn today from Ultra decrypts about Operation Sommerreise and begin preparing a response. The Admiralty brings the Home Fleet to one hour's notice.

Convoy OB-334 departs from Liverpool.

U-130 (K.Kapt. Ernst Kals) is commissioned at Kiel.

Australian Vickers Light Tank Mk VI 11 June 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

"The crew of an Australian Vickers Light Tank Mk VI works on their vehicle during the advance into Syria, 11 June 1941."(© IWM (E 3149E)).

Battle of the Mediterranean: British troops under General O'Moore Creagh prepare for the upcoming Operation Battleaxe, scheduled to begin on 15 June. On the other side, newly appointed commander of the 15th Panzer Division General Walter Neumann-Silkow is more worried about his supply situation than the enemy, as his panzers are running low on petrol.

Royal Navy submarine Taku (Lt. Commander Edward C.F. Nicolay) torpedoes and sinks 1600-ton German freighter Tilly L.M. Russ in Benghazi Harbor.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay rams and sinks a caique about 15 miles south of Mitylene (Lesbos). The caique is being used as a troop transport, there is an unknown number of casualties.

The RAF attacks Benghazi and sinks Italian naval trawlers Mario Bianco and Cirene.

At Malta, the Luftwaffe drops bombs between Ta Qali and Mosta, as well as eight east of Valletta. A much larger attack of an estimated 22 Axis aircraft is spotted 30 miles north of the island but turns back when the RAF scrambles fighters.

Convoy BA-3 departs from Karachi bound for Aden.

Battle of the Pacific: Captured whaler Adjutant with prize crew departs German raider Komet for minelaying operations in New Zealand waters.

Anglo/US Relations: President Roosevelt agrees to occupy Iceland with US troops. While there is no danger of combat in Iceland, this will free up 25,000 British troops who have been unopposed, though not invited, by the Icelandic government. Iceland is critically important to the Allies for protection of their cross-Atlantic convoys, as both ship and air patrols emanating from there cover a large area that U-boats are using with great success.

Vickers Light Tank Mk VI with Australian crew during the advance into Syria, 11 June 1941.

Japanese/Dutch Relations: While the Germans have conquered The Netherlands, the Dutch East Indies remain a powerful force in the Pacific. Not only do the Dutch there possess a strong navy, but they also control raw materials that the Japanese need. Today, however, the Japanese accept defeat in their attempts to lock up more oil and other supplies. This is another skirmish in a trade battle that has broken out across the globe, with the Axis and Allies vying to "lock-up" sources of supply of strategic commodities such as oil and tungsten.

Japanese/Soviet Relations: The Japanese and Soviets, who recently reached an agreement regarding the border in Manchuria, expand their economic relations.

Anglo/Soviet Relations: Sir Stafford Cripps, ambassador to Moscow, returns to London for consultations. Cripps is England's point man for the Soviet Union because he is a committed Socialist with decidedly Marxist leanings and works well with the Russians. Cripps' departure in the face of all the warnings he has been receiving about a prospective attack by Germany leaves Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin very suspicious about what Winston Churchill is planning.

German/US Relations: Brazilian steamer Ozorio rescues the last eleven survivors from the US freighter SS Robin Moor (Captain E. W. Meyers). The Robin Moor was sunk in the South Atlantic on 21 May by U-69 (Kapitänleutnant Jost Metzler) while carrying contraband aircraft parts bound for the British in the Middle East. The sinking has become a major diplomatic incident, but not sufficiently for the United States to declare war.

Bomb damage in Belfast 11 June 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Bomb damage in Belfast at Ravenscroft Avenue, East Belfast looking toward the Hollywood Arches (11 June 1941).

Japanese Military: At an army/navy conference, the new chief of the Imperial Japanese Naval General Staff, Admiral Osami Nagano, comes out forcefully as a supporter of Nanshin-ron. This is the southeastern expansion of the Empire of Japan at the expense of the current colonial powers there. While Nanshin-ron has been official Japanese national policy since the promulgation of the Toa shin Shitsujo (New Order in East Asia) in1936 at the "Five Ministers Conference," everybody knows this means war with Great Britain, the Netherlands East Indies, the Vichy French in Indochina, and the native powers in the region such as Thailand and Burma. Nagano wants to expand to the southeast before the United States completes its "two-ocean" construction plans.

Nagano, however, remains opposed to war with the United States if it can possibly be avoided. He takes a very dim view of Admiral Yamamoto's plans to attack Pearl Harbor. However, almost everyone else in the top tier of the Japanese military prefers to strike the United States while it remains relatively weak in the Pacific.

US Military: Battleship USS Arizona departs from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for Long Beach, California.

Soviet Military: Soviet General Georgi Zhukov continues quietly building up forces in the European portion of the Soviet Union. He orders the transfer of some Red Army units from Transbaikal to the Kyiv region. However, Zhukov remains bound by Premier Joseph Stalin's wishes to do nothing to provoke the Germans.

German paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) on Crete 11 June 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Two related German paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) who have survived Operation Mercury meet in Canea, Crete, 11 June 1941 (Federal Archive Bild 183-H25246).

German Military: Adolf Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 32, "Preparations For The Period After Barbarossa." The directive turns out to have no effect on anything aside from planning but does offer insight into Hitler's mindset on the eve of Operation Barbarossa.

As he is wont to do, Adolf Hitler begins making plans for operations far in the future that depend on operations closer in time to turn out as planned. So, today he tasks the OKW Operations Staff led by General Alfred Jodl with working up plans for the period after the Soviet Union is conquered.

Hitler notes pointedly that, "The main efforts of the armaments industry can be diverted to the Navy and Airforce." The Reich armaments sector takes this to heart, and begin to view the production of shells and other munitions as a low priority. This will have baleful consequences for the Wehrmacht late in 1941 and in 1942 as Soviet resistance proves fiercer than expected.

Hitler demonstrates in Directive No. 32 that he views Operation Barbarossa more as a temporary pause in other operations already on the docket than a major, long-term undertaking. So, he anticipates implementing Operation Felix, the planned seizure of Gibraltar. His thinking is revealed when he orders the capture of Tobruk in "about November," when the Afrika Korps can be "brought to the highest possible efficiency in personnel and equipment." This, presumably, would only be possible after the Wehrmacht can redirect forces from the conquered Soviet Union.

Interestingly, Hitler barely mentions Operation Sea Lion, the proposed invasion of England, in Directive No. 32, and only in passing. He notes that preparations for the invasion would "serve the double purpose of tying down English forces at home and of bringing about a final English collapse through a landing in England." He is more interested, however, in a resumption of the "Siege of England," which can be undertaken "with the utmost intensity" only after the Soviet Union is beaten.

British soldiers looking across the river at Baghdad, 11 June 1941.

British Military: Major-General Neil Ritchie is sent to the Middle East Command to join the staff of the British Eighth Army in Cairo. His replacement in charge of the British 51st Highland Division is Major General Douglas Neil Wimberley. Wimberley institutes strenuous training routines for future operations - the division is seen as having gotten a bit slack after almost two years of home defense in anticipation of a German invasion that never came.

American Homefront: The President of Fordham University, Rev. Robert I. Gannon, gives a commencement address at the school entitled "What Will Replace It." The "it" is civilization, and Gannon says in part:

we believe that democracy will rise again, but not until the authority of God is recognized again in public and in private life. Apparently, then, it has fallen our lot to see the end of a civilization.

He notes that whatever the ways of the world, religion will always be there for people. The theme of the address mirrors a growing pessimism in some quarters about the state of the world in 1941.

"Health Lecturer" Russell James is arrested in Minneapolis for practicing healing without a license. He sells a health food product made out of powdered bananas and whey (which does sound pretty healthy). The Hennepin County District Court deliberates for three hours, then finds him not guilty.

Mikoyan Bread-Baking Plant, Moscow 11 June 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Exterior view of the N. 11 Mikoyan Bread-Baking Plant, Moscow, June 1941 (Meyer, Hannes).

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

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