Showing posts with label U-404. Show all posts

Sunday, March 29, 2020

March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia

Tuesday 17 March 1942

US GIs arriving in Australia, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

United States troops arrive in Australia, 17 March 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: General Douglas MacArthur completes his escape from the Philippines by arriving on 17 March 1942 at the emergency field Batchelor Airfield about 50 miles from Darwin, Australia. Arriving at 09:00 in two B-17 bombers from Mindanao, MacArthur and his group have had to leave their luggage behind because a third bomber experienced engine troubles. The bombers take off at 01:30 on the 17th with one engine spluttering due to a bad supercharger and with MacArthur sitting in the radio operator's seat. His chief of staff, Major General Richard K. Sutherland, rides out the 1500-mile flight in the cramped bomb bay.

NY_Times, 18 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The NY Times edition that announced the return of General MacArthur notes optimistically in its headline that "Move hailed as foreshadowing turn of [the] tide."

MacArthur's journey almost had a disastrous ending. As the two B-17s approached Darwin, the original destination, the crew learned that a Japanese air raid was in progress over the airfield. The planes are able to divert without incident to nearby Batchelor Airfield, where a very grateful General MacArthur awards Silver Stars to the crews of the two bombers. Waiting at the airfield are two Australian National Airways DC-3 transport planes. Because the general's wife, Jean MacArthur, is tired of flying, the general has the planes fly them only to the nearest railway station at Alice Springs, 1000 miles (1600 km) away. There, the general, his wife, and a few cronies spend the night on cots on a hotel verandah before later boarding a special train to Melbourne.

Adelaide, Australia, Advertiser, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The Advertiser of Adelaide, Australia, of 17 March 1942 notes in its headline that the Japanese have bombed Darwin for the third time. However, there does not appear to be any mention of General MacArthur's arrival.

MacArthur's arrival receives worldwide attention. President Roosevelt issues a public statement congratulating the general on his escape:

I know that every man and woman in the United States admires with me General MacArthur's determination to fight to the finish with his men in the Philippines. But I also know that every man and woman is in agreement that all important decisions must be made with a view toward the successful termination of the war. Knowing this, I am sure that every American, if faced individually with the question as to where General MacArthur could best serve his country, could come to only one answer.

President Roosevelt quickly sends off a cable to Winston Churchill apprising him of the general's arrival in Australi with "a small staff." Roosevelt also instructs General Brett, the US commander in Australia, to propose MacArthur as the supreme commander in that region to Australian Prime Minister Curtin. This offer is immediately accepted by PM Curtin, making MacArthur the overall commander of Allied forces in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The United States officially takes responsibility for the strategic defense of the Pacific Theater of Operations. The British still have a presence there, of course, but the overwhelming power lies in the hands of the Americans and this is just an acceptance of the reality of the situation.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, American, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The Hattiesburg (Mississippi) American of 17 March 1942 notes the arrival of General MacArthur but also trumpets the series of tornadoes that have devastated many nearby states from 15-17 March 1942.

The trapped men left behind in the Philippines (two-thirds of whom do not survive the war) are not quite as joyful as some others, but nobody in the outside world can hear them anyway. However, the Axis propaganda networks are trumpeting MacArthur's departure from the Philippines, a fact which makes Roosevelt urge Churchill to issue a joint press release announcing the general's escape so that the effects of such propaganda is "forestalled." MacArthur will further this effort on 20 March 1942 when he makes his famous "I shall return" speech.

US Navy submarine USS Grayback (SS-208, Lt. Cdr. W. A. Saunders) sinks 3291-ton Japanese collier Ishikari Maru six miles west of Port Lloyd, Chichi Jima, Bonin Islands. There is no indication of casualties.

US Navy submarine USS Permit is damaged by depth charges off Tayabas Bay, Luzon, but remains on patrol.

Eastern Front: Operation Raubtier, the German attempt to encircle Soviet forces that have advanced across the Volkhov River, continues to make slow but steady progress. The Germans in the north are coming very close to one of the two Soviet supply roads, codenamed "Erika." If they take it, the Soviets will have only one other supply road, codenamed "Dora," for their two armies operating to the west.

European Air Operations: A prolonged lull in major RAF operations continues. A lone Wellington bomber is sent to Essen but, due to clouds that prevent accurate navigation, drops its bombs in the Ruhr River.

Tanker San Demetrio, sunk on 17 March 1942.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-68 (K.Kapt. Karl-Freidrich Merten), on its third patrol out of Lorient, has a big day while operating about 28 miles southwest of Cape Palmas, Ivory Coast. It sinks three ships. First, at 06:35, Merten torpedoes and later uses the deck gun to finish off independent 5755-ton British freighter Ile de Batz. There are four deaths and 39 survivors. Then, at 13:26, Merten puts two torpedoes into 4917-ton British freighter Scottish Prince. Once again, Captain Merten surfaces and the crew uses the deck gun to finish off the slowly sinking Scottish Prince. There is only one death, and the 38 survivors make it to Cape Palmas in the boats. Finally, at 21:03, Merten spots his third victim, 5081-ton British freighter Allende. Two torpedoes send the Allende to the bottom. There are five dead and 38 survivors.

U-404 (Kptlt. Otto von Bülow), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 8073-ton British tanker San Demetrio. The tanker is traveling independently northwest of Cape Charles, Virginia. There are 19 dead, and the 34 survivors spend two days in lifeboats before being picked up by passing American freighter Beta. The master, Conrad Vidot, receives the Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at sea. This is another in a series of devastating tanker losses for the Allies in early 1942 which are causing concern in Washington and London.

British freighter Allende, sunk on 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

British freighter Allende, sunk on 17 March 1942 off the coast of Africa.

U-124 (K.Kapt. Johann Mohr), nicknamed "Edelweisseboot," on its eighth and most successful patrol, torpedoes and sinks 1698-ton Honduran freighter Ceiba off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The crew of the independent Ceiba has brought along their wives and children, and many of them are among the 44 deaths. There are only a dozen survivors.

U-71 (K.Kapt. Walter Flachsenberg) is operating about 450 miles southeast of Philadephia, Pennsylvania when it puts two torpedoes into 6355-ton Norwegian tanker Ranja at 18:58. The ship catches fire and develops a list but does not sink and even continues to make headway, so Flachsenberg puts another torpedo into it at 19:54. That does the trick and the tanker becomes a blazing wreck that soon sinks. There are 34 deaths.

Norwegian tanker Ranja, sunk on 17 March 1942.

U-373 (Kptlt. Paul-Karl Loeser), on its fourth patrol out of Brest, torpedoes and sinks independent 4292-ton Greek freighter Mount Lycabettus at 15:08 in the mid-Atlantic. All 30 men on board perish and this sinking was a mystery under post-war records were consulted. According to one source, the Lycabettus was chartered by neutral Switzerland with a Swiss cross painting and "Switzerland" prominently written on her hull, but this did not save her.

Royal Navy 630-ton rescue tug HMS Adept runs aground at Paterson's Rock near Sanda Island, Scotland, in thick fog. The sea batters the tug before it can be refloated and it is written off. There is no indication of any casualties.

British 3738-ton freighter Clare Lilley runs aground at Portuguese Cover, Halifax Harbor, and is lost. There are five deaths, and the rest of the crew is saved only due to heroic efforts by locals residents. The Clare Lilley's cargo of munitions remains a local hazard until the present day, though much of it was removed in the 1970s.

Italian submarine Guglielmotti, sunk on 17 March 1942.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy submarine HMS Unbeaten (captain Edward Arthur Woodward) spots Italian submarine Guglielmotti off Capo dell Armi, Sicily, At 06:40, Captain Woodward fires four torpedoes and sinks the Italian submarine. All 61 men on board perish. Guglielmotti ends its career having sunk only one vessel, 4008-ton Greek tanker Atlas on 6 September 1940. This is the second British sinking of an Italian submarine recently, with HMS Ultimatum having sunk one on 14 March 1942.

U-83 (Kptlt. Hans-Werner Kraus) torpedoes and badly damages 2590-ton British tanker Crista between Alexandria and Tobruk. There are seven deaths, but the ship does not sink. A British motor torpedo boat (MTB 266) finds it abandoned and anchors it off Bardia, Libya. It is then towed back to Alexandria, arriving on the 28th. Crista is put back into service after repairs in 1944.

Royal Navy carrier-based aircraft attack 1778-ton German freighter Achaia and send it on a frantic attempt to escape. This causes the ship to blunder into a minefield, which does sink her about 25 miles east of Tripoli, Libya. There is no record of casualties.

Heavy Axis bombing of Malta resumes after a day of rest. Numerous bombs are dropped, particularly on favored targets Luqa and Grand Harbour. There are 30 civilian deaths recorded and one Spitfire is lost, along with several planes damaged on the ground. All told, the Luftwaffe drops 79,000 kg of high explosives today on the island.

Funeral for US seaman in the UK, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Funeral of a United States seaman on 17 March 1942 in Gillingham Cemetery, Kent. "US Marines and US Seamen standing at the salute at the graveside." © IWM (A 7813).

British Military: Air Vice Marshal Donald F. Stevenson, commanding Allied air forces, transfers his headquarters from Burma to Calcutta. India.

US Military: Vice Admiral Robert L. Ghormley establishes his new United States Naval Forces Europe command. This will plan joint operations with the Royal Navy. Ghormley, former commander of the USS Nevada and Assistant Chief of Naval Operations, has been President Roosevelt's Special Naval Observer in the United Kingdom since August 1940. While Ghormley has a fancy new title, his European command actually only encompasses a very few ships, at least one of which the British have "lent" the US Navy (USS Impulse, formerly the British corvette HMS Begonia, commissioned into the US Navy on 16 March 1942 at the Albert Dock.).

The US Army Air Force 9th Pursuit Squadron arrives at Darwin, Northern Territory, equipped with P-40Es. The port city has been under regular Japanese air raids and today, of course, is when General MacArthur arrives there from the Philippines.

Serbian communist and anti-fascist militant Nada Dimić, executed 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

On 17 March 1942, occupation authorities execute Serbian communist and anti-fascist militant Nada Dimić. She is executed in the Stara Gradiška concentration camp. Nada Dimić was a member of a partisan group in Croatia. She was executed for helping people escape the fascists into partisan areas.

Holocaust: At recently constructed Belzec extermination camp in Poland, daily gassings of prisoners begin. This is done quietly by experienced Aktion T4 (euthanasia program) personnel brought in under the guise of being Operation Todt construction laborers. While there have been gassings of prisoners before during the T4 euthanasia program (since ended, at least officially, due to public outcry), Belzec is the first stationary extermination camp to enter operation (Auschwitz is already functional but is not yet gassing inmates).

The Germans take great pains to conceal the camp's true purpose by creating two separate zones, or camps that are completely screened from each other. These are smaller gas chambers than are used later, made of planks and insulated with sand and rubber. It takes time to perfect the extermination process, with many rooms not functioning properly, and this quickly creates a massive backlog of thousands of people awaiting execution with more arriving daily by train. New gas chambers of brick and mortar are soon built as a result of the lessons learned from this early process. There is little time to waste, as today the Germans send the first transport trains of Jews from the cities of Lublin and Lwów (Lviv) to Belzec.

In Ilja, north of Minsk, USSR, the SS rounds up and liquidates 900 Jews. The incident is notable because the victims attempted collective resistance, but it failed.

In Kovno, 24 Jewish residents are found outside the ghetto buying food from local Lithuanians. Such "escapes" are strictly forbidden, and all 24 men are shot by the Gestapo.

First US draft lottery held on 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The first United States wartime draft lottery takes place on 17 March 1942.

British Homefront: The recent surge in U-boat sinkings of tankers, such as the sinking of tanker San Demetrio today, leads to a painful result in Great Britain. Drastic cuts are announced by Hugh Dalton, the president of the board of trade, in parliament. The British government imposes fuel rationing of about 25%. Coal, gas, and electricity for home heating are all subject to new limits. Persistent over-consumption will lead to prosecution and a complete cut-off of supply. In addition, the government announces cuts in the civilian clothing ration in order to release 50,000 textile workers for war production. All pleasure boating also is banned in order to save fuel.

American Homefront: The Wartime Civil Control Administration of the Western Defense Command and Fourth Army announce two new steps to speed up the "voluntary" evacuation of alien and American-born Japanese from the Pacific Coast military area. These include the opening of new services centers in 64 communities in the three Pacific Coast states and Arizona. In addition, the Farm Security Administration announces a plan for continuing full production on agricultural lands to be evacuated by the departing internees.

Future History: John Wayne Gacy is born in Chicago Illinois. He becomes involved with the Illinois Democratic Party in 1960, becoming an assistant precinct captain. He then engages in a series of odd jobs, including that of a mortuary attendant. During the 1960s, Gacy is believed to have begun sexually assaulting minor boys, and for one incident he is convicted and serves time in the Anamosa State Penitentiary. During the 1970s, Gacy's sexual violence escalates and he begins a string of murders, again of minor boys. He performs at events as ""Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown," which enables him to disarm his victims into thinking he is safe. Gacy is arrested on 21 December 1978 and convicted of sodomy of a teenage boy in Iowa in 1968, serves his time, and returns to Illinois. He then continues his string of murders, which leads in 1980 to convictions of 33 counts of murder. After spending 14 years on death row, John Wayne Gacy is executed by lethal injection on 10 May 1994.

Decatur, Illinois, Daily Review, 17 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The 17 March 1942 Decatur (Illinois) Daily Review features scenes of devastation from the series of hurricanes that hit the southern half of the United States in mid-March 1942.

March 1942

March 1, 1942: Second Battle of Java Sea
March 2, 1942: Huge Allied Shipping Losses at Java
March 3, 1942: Japan Raids Western Australia
March 4, 1942: Second Raid On Hawaii
March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia
March 6, 1942: Churchill Assaults Free Speech
March 7, 1942: British Defeat in Burma
March 8, 1942: Rangoon Falls to Japan
March 9, 1942: Japanese Conquest of Dutch East Indies
March 10, 1942:US Navy attacks Japanese Landings at Lae
March 11, 1942: Warren Buffett's First Stock Trade
March 12, 1942: Japan Takes Java
March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again
March 14, 1942: The US Leans Toward Europe
March 15, 1942: Operation Raubtier Begins
March 16, 1942: General MacArthur Gets His Ride
March 17, 1942: MacArthur Arrives in Australia
March 18, 1942: Japan Attacks In Burma
March 19, 1942: Soviets Encircled on the Volkhov
March 20, 1942: "I Shall Return," Says MacArthur
March 21, 1942: Germans Attack Toward Demyansk
March 22, 1942: Second Battle of Sirte
March 23, 1942: Hitler's Insecurity Builds
March 24, 1942: Bataan Bombarded
March 25, 1942: Chinese Under Pressure in Burma
March 26, 1942: Win Or Die, Vows MacArthur
March 27, 1942: The Battle of Suusari
March 28, 1942: The St. Nazaire Commando Raid
March 29, 1942: The Free Republic of Nias
March 30, 1942: Japanese-Americans Off Bainbridge Island
March 31, 1942: Japanese Seize Christmas Island

2020

Sunday, March 22, 2020

March 13, 1942: Soviets Attack In Crimea Again

Friday 13 March 1942

U-boat Captain Clausen, 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Kapitänleutnant Nicolai Clausen poses on board U-129 in the mid-Atlantic, 13 March 1942. Clausen is wearing a temporary Knights Cross made by his crew after receiving confirmation of the award. Clausen becomes the 103rd member of the Kriegsmarine and the 46th member of the U-Boat forces to receive the Knights Cross.

Eastern Front: Following an order by Joseph Stalin, General Dimitri Kozlov's troops in the Crimea launch another attempt to break through German lines at the Parpach Narrows to relieve Sevastopol on 13 March 1942. Stalin had commanded on 3 March, when the previous offensive failed, that the next one was to begin ten days later, and Kozlov dutifully complies.

The main Soviet objective is the German strongpoint at Koi-Asan and the Soviets have 224 tanks. Soviet 44th Army mounts a feint against the German 132nd Infantry Division in the north along the coast, where the line bulges west slightly, but the main attack is in the center. The Red Air Force has brought in 581 aircraft to support the offensive, though most are obsolete models that are no match for the modern Luftwaffe planes.

US tanker John D. Gill, sunk on 13 March 1942.

The Soviet attack by 51st Army begins at 09:00. It quickly fails due to the boggy terrain caused by the early onset of the Spring thaw (Rasputitsa) in Crimea. The infantry has to struggle through the marshy ground that also slows the Soviet tanks. The Germans have anticipated an attack in this stop and have massed their anti-tank guns and StuG III assault vehicles under Lieutenant Johann Spielmann for this exact situation.

While the Germans stay busy knocking out the tanks, though, the Soviet infantry launches attack after attack in bitter fighting. Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, commander of the German 11th Army, calls in a top Luftwaffe fighter wing, II./JG 77, and neutralizes the Red Air Force buildup. The Soviet attacks will last for three days and is a failure.

Further north, the German 18th Army under the command of General Georg Lindemann, part of Generaloberst Georg von Küchler’s Army Group North, is trying to get its own offensive begun. The operation, codenamed Operation Raubtier ("Beast of Prey" or "Predator"), aims to cut off a Soviet salient north of Novgorod. One of the reasons for the offensive is to protect Lyuban, which is threatened by the Soviet salient. The offensive was planned to begin today, but fog and low clouds force a postponement.

Guld Calendar for March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Gulf calendar for March 1942.

Battle of the Pacific: The Japanese complete Operation SR, the invasion of Salamaua-Lae, New Guinea. They quickly begin building an airfield to support further operations in eastern New Guinea and the Coral Sea area. The Australian defenders withdraw toward Wau while conducting harassing operations with their Kanga Force. Japanese planes strafe 7 Mile Drom at Port Moresby and destroy a Ford Trimotor A45-2. Off Salamaua-Lae, Japanese minesweeper Tama Maru No. 2 sinks from damage inflicted by the 10 March 1942 US Navy air raid.

The conquest of Salamaua-Lae frees up the forces to invade Tulagi in the Solomon Islands eventually. In preparation for that, the Japanese 4th Fleet sails from Rabaul, New Britain, to seize Buka Island, Solomon Islands.

US Navy submarine USS Gar, on its maiden patrol, torpedoes and sinks 1520-ton Japanese freighter Chichiubu Maru about 6-10 miles southwest of Mikura Jima, Japan. Gar is patrolling near the Nagoya and the Kii Channel entrance to the Inland Sea of Japan.

Chilean freighter Tolten, sunk on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Chilean freighter Tolten, sunk by U-404 on 13 March 1942.

HIJMS submarine I-64 sinks 1513-ton Norwegian freighter Mabella east of India. There are six deaths and six survivors.

Japanese submarine HIJMS I-25 sends its "Glen" patrol plane to reconnoiter Auckland, New Zealand. As with similar flights, this one by Japanese Warrant Flying Officer Nobuo Fujita (who had flown over Melbourne on 26 February) passes unnoticed.

Having secured Java on 12 March, the Japanese quickly send the Sakaguchi Detachment from there to Burma to rejoin the 56th Division.

General MacArthur and most of his party, having escaped from Bataan, arrive at Cagayan on Mindanao Island aboard three motor torpedo (PT) boats after a two-day journey. MacArthur, however, is temporarily stranded there because there are no sufficiently reliable planes at Del Monte Airfield to take him to his destination in Australia. Major General George Brett, Commanding General U.S. Army Forces in Australia, sends three B-17 Flying Fortresses from there to pick up the general. A fourth PT boat had to divert to Tagauayan Island due to engine trouble. Submarine USS Permit arrives there during the day and picks up the crew and passengers. Permit's commander destroys the disabled PT boat (PT-32) with its deck gun before leaving.

USS Regulus on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Stern view of USS Regulus (AK-14) at Mare Island, 13 March 1942. Regulus was under repairs at Mare Island from 17 January to 20 March 1942. Note the exposed after steering station on her stern (US Navy).

European Air Operations: During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 11 bombers to attack the Hazebrouck marshaling yard, with ten making successful attacks.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Cologne with 135 bombers (112 reach the target) at the cost of one Manchester. There is extensive damage in the Nippes section of the city, especially to the Franz Cloud rubber works and the Land- und See-Kabelwerke A.G. factory. Five churches and 1500 homes are hit. This is the first successful raid led by the Gee navigational system. It also involves the use of "Pathfinder" bombers (though they are not yet called that) which drop flares and incendiary bombs to identify the target for following bombers. The results are good, with 237 separate fires started, 62 Germans killed, and 84 injured.

Bomber Command also sends two bombers to attack the port area at Ostend, 20 aircraft to bomb Boulogne (seven planes bomb the target), and 19 to bomb the port area of Dunkirk (11 complete the attack). One other bomber attacks Schiphol Airfield near Amsterdam, and one bombs Bonn. Another five Hampdens drop leaflets over France.

US schooner Albert F. Paul, sunk on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

US schooner Albert F. Paul, sunk by U-332 on 13 March 1942.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-332 (Kptlt. Johannes Liebe), on its third patrol out of La Pallice, torpedoes and sinks two ships northeast of Cape Hatteras:

735-ton US schooner Albert F. Paul (all 8 aboard killed)
5402-ton Yugoslavian freighter Trepca (4 dead, 33 survivors)

Both ships are independents, as an effective convoy system has not yet been organized along the US East Coast.

U-404 (Kptlt. Otto von Bülow), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 1858-ton Chilean freighter Tolten east of Neptune, New Jersey. There is only one survivor and 27 dead. This sinking of a neutral ship leads to a diplomatic protest by the Chilean government, but things soon settle down and it does not lead to a break in relations between Chile and Germany.

U-158 (Kptlt. Erwin Rostin), on its first patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 11,641-ton US tanker John D. Gill about 25 miles east of Cape Fear, North Carolina. There are 26 survivors (many badly burned) and 23 deaths.

Italian submarine Enrico Tazzoli torpedoes and sinks 6422-ton British freighter Daytonian in the Atlantic while en route from Mobile to Halifax.

Artwork titled "Wrecked Italian tank at Sidi Barrani 13 March 1942" worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Historical artwork by Peter McIntyre, "Wrecked Italian tank at Sidi Barrani, 13 March 1942" - watercolor (New Zealand government).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Fierce Axis air attacks continue on Malta. Luftwaffe Ju 88 bombers drop bombs on Ta Qali, Hal Far, Dingli, Siggiewi, and Wardia.

HMS Turbulent (Cdr. J.W. Linton) sinks 32-ton Greek schooner Anastassis (KAL-155) with its deck gun west of Serifos, Greece.

Freighter Rabmanso leaves Haifa, Palestine, with a cargo of 7000 tons grain in emergency food supplies for Greece.

Anglo/US Relations: President Roosevelt cables Winston Churchill to discuss relations with China. Chiang Kai-Shek has requested the appointment of General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell to command all Allied forces in Burma and southern China. While FDR notes that this would be "unwise," he tells Churchill that he is "pleased" that Chiang is forming a "closer working relationship" with the US and UK. Chiang, of course, remains upset with the British over the Tulsa Incident in which local British commanders in Burma tried to take US Lend-Lease goods intended for China.

Australian/US Relations: Prime Minister Curtin broadcasts to the United States that "Our minds are set on attack." He instructs Minister for External Affairs Dr. Evatt to head immediately for Washington (this takes a week).

SNJ-2 Texan trainer on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

A U.S. Navy North American SNJ-2 Texan (BuNo 2556) at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida (USA), in March 1942. (U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.488.166.130).

US Military: Some US Army Air Force troops of the 10th Air Force, 26th Pursuit Squadron, originally sent to Java arrive in Karachi after being diverted. These are the first US troops to reach the China-Burma-India Theater (aside from some individuals such as General Joe Stilwell and the "volunteer" air force known as the "Flying Tigers"). These units bring P-40 fighters. They will fly their first mission on 15 October 1942.

The 8th Pursuit Group, 36th Pursuit Squadron, 5th Air Force, transfers from Brisbane to Lowood, Australia. They fly P-39s.

USAAF XII Bomber Command headquarters is activated at MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida.

Julia Flikke, Nurse Corps, becomes the first female Colonel in the U.S. Army, 13 March 1942.

Yugoslavian freighter Trepca, sunk on 13 March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Yugoslavian freighter Trepca, sunk by U-332 on 13 March 1942.

Canadian Military: The Canadian Women's Army Corps is integrated into the Canadian Army.

Holocaust: A transport of 62 Poles deported by Germans from Warsaw arrives at Auschwitz concentration camp. Among them are 23 prison wardens from Pawiak prison arrested for helping prisoners there to escape and communicate with the outside world.

American Homefront: 20th Century Fox releases the musical comedy film "Song of the Islands" starring Betty Grable and Victor Mature. While little remembered, "Song of the Islands" begins Grable's long run as a major box office star. She will remain in the top ten box office stars every year from 1942 into the 1950s, hitting No. 1 in 1943.

NYPD magazine "Spring 3100" for March 1942 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

NYPD New York City Police Department "Spring 3100 Magazine" from March 1942.Volume 13, No.1.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

March 5, 1942: Japan Takes Batavia

Thursday 5 March 1942

Tempo magazine, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The cover story of the 5 March 1942 Tempo magazine is "Italian tanks in Marmarica." Marmarica is the border region between Libya and Egypt, and at this moment, the only Italian tanks in that area are captured one.

Battle of the Pacific: At dusk on 5 March 1942, the Japanese 2nd Infantry Division captures Batavia, Java. Batavia is the capital of the Netherlands East Indies. Dutch troops in the vicinity of Batavia surrender. Remaining Allied forces fall back to the south to defend Bandung in the central highlands. Also under threat, further south, is the key naval base at Tjilatjap, which Japanese naval forces bombard with airstrikes during the day. The damage to Tjilatjap is extensive and 17 ships are sunk.

Napa Register, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The Napa (California) Register of 5 March 1942 predicts the fall of Java. Also worthy of the front page: a Conn Valley man is charged with failing to darken his car headlights in violation of blackout laws.

Japanese invasion forces under the command of Rear Admiral Marumo Kuninori of the Fourth Fleet depart from Rabaul, New Britain, to invade Salamaura-Lae, Papua. Serving as escorts are light cruiser Yubari, seaplane tender Kiyokawa Maru, and destroyers Oite, Asanagi, Yunagi, Mutsuki, Yayoi, and Mochizuki. This is Operation SR. The landings at Huon Gulf, New Guinea, are scheduled for 8 March.

The front on the Bataan Peninsula is quiet as the Japanese build up their forces for an offensive to eliminate the Allied presence there. Filipino saboteurs destroy Japanese transport Takao Maru, run aground off Vigan, Luzon, on 10 December 1941.

Japanese freighter Takao Maru, sunk on 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Japanese freighter Takao Maru, destroyed by saboteurs on 5 March 1942.

Eastern Front: The Soviets announce the recapture of Yukhnov, northwest of Kaluga. This town was voluntarily abandoned by the German Fourth Army with Hitler's consent as it was difficult to defend.

European Air Operations: Air operations today are minimal as the RAF recuperates from its all-out raid on the Billancourt Renault factory on 3/4 March.

US freighter Collamer, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

US freighter Collamer, sunk on 5 March 1942.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-404 (Kptlt. Otto von Bülow), on its second patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks 5112-ton US freighter Collamer off the coast of Nova Scotia. Collamer is a straggler from Convoy HX-178, having been separated by foul weather, and is trying to return to Halifax. The first torpedo kills seven men instantly, and a second torpedo sends the ship under within seconds. Fortunately, the radio operator has just enough time to get a distress call off to Halifax, 43 miles to the northwest. While 7 men perish, the other 31 are rescued quickly.

U-126 (Kptlt. Ernst Bauer), on its third patrol out of Lorient, torpedoes and sinks independent 3110-ton US freighter Mariana near Turks Island (north of Santo Domingo) in the Caribbean. The 36 men aboard all perish.

German 3143-ton ammunition transport Argus blows up at Hambukt, Norway, in a mysterious explosion.

Superman cartoon of 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Superman helps to sell war bonds on 5 March 1942.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy submarine HMS Uproar (P-31) torpedoes and sinks 5081-ton Italian freighter Marin Sanudo about 18 miles south of Lampedusa Island. The Marin Sanudo is carrying a cargo of military equipment including aircraft engines, trucks, motorcycles, helmets and shoes, and also the wages for 44,000 Axis troops in North Africa. Axis planes raid Malta throughout the afternoon and evening, bombing airfields at Ta Qali, Luqa, Hal Far, and Safi. The Luqa airfield becomes unusable for several hours.

Partisans: Partisan forces of Chetnik leader Major General Draza-Dragoljub Mihajlovic score some successes against Italian occupation forces in Montenegro.

Allied Relations: Winston Churchill badly wants New Zealand troops to remain in the Middle East, but the government of New Zealand is concerned about Japanese advances and wants them back in New Zealand. Today, Churchill tries to solve this problem by asking President Roosevelt if he would send troops to New Zealand so that the New Zealanders can stay in North Africa.

Ukrainian occupation currency, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Ukrainian occupation currency dated 5 March 1942.

British Military: Field Marshall Sir Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, replaces Admiral of the Fleet Sir Dudley Pound as Chairman of the British Chiefs of Staff Committee. Winston Churchill prefers this as he considers himself to be the ultimate naval authority and Pound, who also views everything through a naval lens, only offers redundancy at the top. Also, Churchill just gets on well with Brooke, though Brooke tends to look askance at some of the PM's personal quirks. Rightly or wrongly, Pound is a scapegoat for the recent successful German Channel Dash. He has a reputation for making decisive judgments that at times neutralize very shaky strategic wishes of Churchill (such as sending a fleet into the Baltic early in the war) but at other times turn out poorly (such as withdrawing escorts from Arctic convoys at the first signs of trouble, which leads to devastating merchant ship losses). Pound, who is known for dozing off at meetings due to insomnia relating to physical ailments, remains as First Sea Lord but accepts the appointment of a deputy first sea lord to "help him."

Tru-Life Detective Cases, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Tru-Life Detective Cases, March 1942, #5, published by Trysack. It includes tales of "Bizarre case of the woman who wanted two husbands" and "Blonde Enchantress."

Lieutenant-General Sir Harold Alexander arrives in Rangoon to become General Officer Commanding Burma Army. He replaces General Thomas Hutton, who becomes Alexander's chief of staff, and is under the command of General Archibald Wavell, Commander in Chief India. Wavell orders Rangoon held, but there is little chance of that given the disparity of forces in Burma. Alexander, with a shaky grasp of the real situation on the ground, obligingly orders the devastated 17th Indian Division to attack east of Pegu and the 1st Burma Division, guarding another important road north of Pegu, to attack as well. Neither attack accomplishes anything and today the Japanese capture the strongpoint of Pegu, which is only 50 miles from Rangoon.

USS Lexington pilots, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Pilots of US Navy Fighting Squadron 3 (VF-3) of USS Lexington on 5 March 1942. Four of these men perish in the Battle of the Coral Sea.

US Military: Having completed his journey from Australia, Major General Lewis H. Brereton takes command of the USAAF 10th Air Force. Establishing his headquarters at New Delhi, Brereton has at his disposal eight B-17s. His top priority is establishing a secure supply route to China over the Himalayas, a formidable obstacle to the USAAF transport aircraft.

Air units of the 30th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bomber Group (Heavy) complete their journey from Singosari, Java, to Melbourne, Australia. The planes include B-17s, B-24s, and LB-30s. The ground echelon of this unit remains trapped in Java and the Philippines. While these transfers save the units, they leave Java without any air defense whatsoever.

Headquarters, XII Interceptor Command, is activated at Drew Field, Tampa, Florida.

Japanese Military: Imperial General Headquarters issues Navy Directive No.62. This orders the Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet, to occupy strategic points in Dutch New Guinea. The first task is to perform reconnaissance to determine the best places to occupy first.

Auschwitz victim, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

On 5 March 1942, Józef Henig, a Polish Jew, an accountant born on 26 August 1890 in Tarnów, is registered at #Auschwitz as number 26388. He shows obvious evidence of mistreatment. Henig perishes in the camp on 12 March 1942 (Auschwitz Memorial).

Soviet Homefront: Exiled Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia passes away in a Swiss clinic from complications related to tuberculosis. The Grand Duke was one of the few Romanovs to escape the wrath of the Bolshevik uprising because he was forced out of Russia before the revolution and thereafter lived abroad. The cause of the Grand Duke's exile was his involvement in the December 1916 assassination of Russian mystic Gregory Rasputin - his revolver was used to shoot him, and the Grand Duke was one of the men who threw Rasputin in the river. While in exile, there was some hope that the Grand Duke could return to Russia, overthrow the Bolsheviks, and become the next Czar, but that never happened. The Grand Duke did have tangential involvement in World War II, refusing a request by Hitler to lead a White Russian contingent in the Wehrmacht against the Bolsheviks (a task later taken up by Soviet General Andrey Vlasov).

Desert magazine, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

The Desert Magazine, Vol. 5 No. 5 (March 1942).

British Homefront: Proving that no economy is too trivial in wartime, the government removes pencil sharpeners from government officials' offices in order to conserve pencils.

American Homefront: The Civil Air Patrol (CAP), formed on 1 December 1941 by Director of the Office of Civilian Defense Fiorello H. LaGuardia, begins flying regular antisubmarine patrols off the east coast of the United States. During the war, the CAP claims to have flown 24 million miles and sighted 173 enemy submarines.

Around this date, an 11-year-old named Warren Buffet of Omaha, Nebraska resolves to make his first stock purchase. However, he finds that he will have to place the trade through his father's broker. This will not stop him.

Dr. Seuss, 5 March 1942, worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Dr. Seuss cartoon of 5 March 1942 (Mandeville Special Collections Library, UC San Diego).

Saturday, May 26, 2018

August 6, 1941: U-Boats in the Arctic

Wednesday 6 August 1941

Hitler and Antonescu, 6 August 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Hitler and Antonescu at the afternoon Fuehrer conference at Army Group South headquarters, 6 August 1941. Note that Antonescu is sporting his new Knight's Cross.

Eastern Front: The German high command as of 6 August 1941 has been compiling statistics on losses on the Eastern Front, and today divulges some of its findings. According to reports from the front, the Wehrmacht has taken 266,352 casualties on the Eastern Front since the beginning of Operation Barbarossa. This is compared to 895,000 prisoners taken and an unknown number of Soviet casualties. While it is generally accepted that the Red Army takes higher casualties than the Wehrmacht throughout the war, the number of German casualties dwarfs those in earlier campaigns and is making a noticeable impact on the strength of front-line units.

Adolf Hitler, who is visiting the front, has his noon Fuhrer Conference at the headquarters of Army Group South. At the instigation of General Franz Halder, OKH Chief of Staff, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, commander of Army Group South, advocates orienting the entire Eastern Front attack toward capturing Moscow. Halder (who does not attend the meeting) writes in his war diary:

The Fuehrer again showed himself absolutely deaf to these arguments. He still harps on his old themes: 1) Leningrad... and 2) Eastern Ukraine... 3) Moscow comes last.

Hitler makes clear his priorities at the conference when he praises the advance of Panzer Group 1 on Kryvyi Rih, which has "high-grade iron-ore deposits and the large blast furnaces." The difference between Hitler and the generals comes down Hitler's planning for a long war which will require economic exploitation, while the generals seek a quick knockout of the Soviet Union. Neither solution necessarily is right or wrong, but the Wehrmacht is built more for short, sharp campaigns than a lengthy war of economic production and attrition.

In the Far North sector, the Finnish 7th Division of the VII Corps continues its advance from Sortavala to the shore of Lake Ladoga at Lahdenpohja. Further north, Group J of Finnish III Corps advances rapidly toward Kestenga despite bitter Soviet opposition. The Soviets are trying to rush reinforcements to both areas, but they are remote and there are few available troops nearby. The Stavka calls down 600 headquarters troops of the 14th Army along with a replacement battalion from Murmansk, which does not appear in jeopardy at the moment.

Army of Norway has been calling for help in getting its stalled offensive toward Murmansk rolling again, so OKW sends some reinforcements. The German 6th Destroyer Flotilla and the 12th Antisubmarine Flotilla escort transports carrying the 6th Mountain Division from Stettin, Germany to Kirkenes, Norway.

Hitler and Halder, 6 August 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Hitler and General Halder, 1940.

In the Army Group North sector, the German 16th Army takes Staraya Russa (south of Lake Ilmen) and Kholm after a bitter struggle. General Halder at OKH headquarters writes about this, "signs of enemy demoralization (tanks desert to us!)." These stories about enemy desertions crop up throughout the war and never lead to much.

In the Army Group Center sector, the Wehrmacht is juggling units to give some front-line formations a chance to rebuild themselves behind the front. At the lightning-rod position at Yelnya, infantry moves forward to take over positions held by a battered panzer and SS formation. Halder writes in the war diary:

Enemy elements thought to be trapped at Roslavl have escaped. The Russians have an uncanny ability for moving on roads impassable for our troops and build concealed river crossings.

He adds, "Elsewhere, minor attacks."

In the Army Group South sector, the Romanian 4th Army and German 11th Army continue putting pressure on the Soviet defenders of Odesa. Hitler has promised overlordship of the region to Romania if Ion Antonescu can secure it, while the Soviet defenders of the city have been told to defend it to the end. Meanwhile, at Uman, the Germans continue tightening their envelopment of the 100,000 Soviet soldiers trapped there, though the Soviets continue to resist. German 6th Army is almost at the Dniepr River south of Kyiv, while the Soviets score some local successes near Kyiv.

That Soviet morale remains high is demonstrated during an unusual incident over Moscow. The Luftwaffe continues to send raids over the Soviet capital, but they have become small nuisance raids. Red Army pilot Viktor Talalikhin, after running out of ammunition, rams a Heinkel He-111 bomber with his Polikarpov I-16 fighter. Both planes crash, but Talalikhin parachutes safely to the ground.

Pilots of 5,/JG54 in Russia, 6 August 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Pilots of 5,/JG54 in Russia on 6 August 1941. Shown are Hubert Mutherich, Hans Philipp, Hauptmann Dietrich Hrabak and Lieutenant Josef Puhs. They are standing in front of Hrabak's Bf-109F, which shows 24 victories. Hrabak winds up with 109 victories on the Eastern Front and an additional 16 on the Western Front.

European Air Operations: During the day, the RAF sends 25 Blenheim bombers on sweeps along the French coast and north of there. The planes all return to base after attacking a few ships.

After a maximum effort on the night of August 5th, the RAF returns to the same three cities - Frankfurt, Mannheim, and Karlsruhe - with smaller follow-up raids after dark. All of the raids target railway yards.

The RAF sends 34 Whitleys and 19 Wellingtons against Frankfurt. The RAF loses 2 Whitleys and 2 Wellingtons.

The RAF sends 38 Welling against Mannheim. All of the planes return.

The RAF attacks Karlsruhe with 38 Hampdens. One aircraft fails to return.

RAF Bomber Command also sends 38 bombers (21 Hampdens, 11 Wellingtons, and 6 Whitleys) against the Calais docks. The bombers have difficulty finding the docks and only 14 are able to drop their bombs over the target. One Hampden fails to return.

One Wellington also is lost on one of two separate Operational Training Units (OTU) sorties over France.

Luftwaffe Leutnant Hans Thurner, commander of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing, receives the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Hubert Mütherich, squadron commander of the 5th Squadron of Jagdgeschwader 54, also receives the Ritterkreuz.

Hans Thurner, Kommandeur I./Kampfgeschwader 6, 6 August 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Hans Thurner, Kommandeur I./Kampfgeschwader 6, Ritterkreuz 06.08.1941, KIA 11.06/1944.

East African Campaign: The South African Air Force completes three consecutive days of bombing Italian positions at their last stronghold of Gondar.

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet destroyers Statny and Surovy park offshore in Moon Sound and shell German coastal battery Hainasch.

U-652, a Type VIIC U-boat.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-652 (Oblt.z.S. Georg-Werner Fraatz), on its first patrol out of Bökfjord, is operating about 7 miles off Cape Teriberka (50 km east of Murmansk) on the Kola Peninsula when it spots a Soviet ship. At 19:00, U-652 launches one torpedo and sinks 558-ton Soviet anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship PS-70/Kapitan Voronin (this ship is sometimes identified as Dispatch Vessel PS-70). There are 12 survivors and 45 perish. This is the first U-boat success in the Arctic Sea and the first for U-652. After this, U-652 makes port in Kirkenes on the 7th, then heads south to Trondheim.

Also in the Arctic, armed Soviet motorboat Polyarnik claims to attack U-451 and damage it. While U-451 indeed is in the Arctic on a patrol, there is no confirmation of this incident or of being damaged.

Seas are rough in the North Sea and Channel, and several ships of Convoy FS-559 run aground and are lost. Royal Navy 627-ton anti-submarine trawler HMS Agate of Convoy FS-559 runs aground and is lost off Cromer, Norfolk in poor weather. Everyone on board perishes. British freighters Aberhill, Afon Towy, Deerwood, and Oxshott, and colliers Betty Hindley, Gallois (all crew saved) and Taara also run aground and are wrecked at Haisborough Sands.

Norwegian ferry Florvåg sinks off Gravdal, Hordaland.

The German B-Dienst intelligence service locates the position of Convoy HG-68 in the Atlantic and sets up a reception party. Spanish agents also report the likely sailing date of Convoy HG-69 from Cadiz, Spain, and a wolfpack assembles offshore.

Convoys ON-4 and ON-5 depart from Liverpool, Convoy HG-34F departs from Gibraltar bound for Liverpool and New York (the convoy splits on the way north).

U-404 (Kapitänleutnant Otto von Bülow) is commissioned, U-589 and U-590 are launched, and U-187 is laid down.

Oberleutnant Hubert Mütherich, 6 August 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Oberleutnant Hubert Mütherich, Staffelkapitän, 5. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz." KIA 09.09.1941. He is standing in front of his Bf 109F2 5.JG54 (B1+). Mütherich winds up with 43 victories.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Dutch submarine O-24 (Lt.Cdr. Otto de Booy) is operating six miles (10 km) off Fregene (near Rome) when it torpedoes and sinks 613-ton Italian freighter Bombardiere.

An Axis convoy of five large freighters and a tanker from Naples bound for Tripoli comes under attack by 7 Swordfish of RAF No. 830 Squadron based on Malta. While they have a heavy escort of four destroyers and a torpedo boat, that doesn't protect the ships. During the run across the Strait of Sicily, the RAF bombs and sinks 6813-ton freighter Nita about 20 miles southwest of Lampedusa. The RAF pilots also claim to leave another freighter badly damaged and another torpedoed but in an uncertain state, but there is no confirmation that any ship other than the Nita is hit.

Royal Navy destroyers Decoy and Havock perform the nightly supply run to Tobruk. Later on, destroyers Jaguar and Nizam also make a run to Tobruk.

Italian submarines Atropo, Corridoni, and Zoea are used to transport supplies and fuel to Axis forces at the advanced position of Bardia, Libya today and through the 20th.

Australian destroyer HMAS Nestor spots a surfaced submarine off Gibraltar. Neither side scores any hits, but a torpedo fired by the U-boat narrowly passes alongside Nestor.

The Luftwaffe attacks Suez and Alexandria during the night.

Spy Stuff: The British execute Werner Heinrich Walti and Karle Theo Drucke at Wandsworth Prison. They were part of German Operation Hummer Nord I to infiltrate agents into Britain and had flown into Gollachy, between Buckie and Port Gordon, on the night of 29/30 September 1940. They had been caught very quickly without achieving any results.

Generalleutnant Erwin Rauch, August 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Generalleutnant Erwin Rauch, Kommandeur der Division 6, August 1941.

Propaganda: The German OKW issues a communique that summarizes operations to date. It announces that the Wehrmacht has inflicted "annihilating blows unique in history." These include taking 895,000 prisoners and destroying or capturing 10,388 guns, 13,146 tanks, and 9,082 aircraft. These figures may be overstated, but, even if taken at face value, they have not seriously impaired the Soviet Union's ability and willingness to resist.

German/Romanian Relations: Romanian dictator (his title is "Conducator") Ion Antonescu attends the noon briefing at Army Group South headquarters along with Adolf Hitler. The latter confers upon Antonescu the Knight's Cross for his troops' performance to date.

US/Japanese Relations: Negotiations continue in deep secrecy between the two countries as Ambassador Nomura submits a new proposal from Tokyo to Secretary Hull. After the Americans turn down some offers of concessions in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, the Japanese propose a meeting between President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Konoye. The Americans do not immediately reject this, but President Roosevelt secretly is otherwise engaged at the moment in Canada.

Echoing similar statements today across the Atlantic by British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, Secretary Cordell Hill also says that any Japanese intrusion into Thailand would create a crisis in US/Japanese relations.

Anglo/Iranian/Thai Relations: In the House of Commons, British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden announces that he has made a diplomatic protest with the Iranian government concerning German "tourists" in the country. He also openly warns Japan from invading or otherwise taking over Thailand, which he says would be "of immediate concern" to the British government. In fact, the Japanese have recently made a secret deal with the Thai government to fund continued trade relations between the two countries in order to evade the Anglo/US/Dutch banking sanctions. Thus, Japan at this time benefits from Thailand remaining a sovereign nation with access to international markets.

HMAS Perth's ship's company in Fremantle, 6 August 1941.

Polish Military: Polish General Władysław Anders, recently released from the Lubyanka prison in Moscow, is appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army being re-formed from Soviet POWs in the USSR. This is pursuant to the Sikorski-Maisky agreement signed in London on 30 July 1941.

Soviet Military: The Red Army hands out the first two "Hero of the Soviet Union" awards to detachment commanders Pavlovskiy and Bumazhkov.

British Military: The first Bell P-39 Aircobra arrives in the United Kingdom. While destined for RAF No. 601 Squadron, trials of this new plane are begun by the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford. The British quickly find the plane inadequate for combat.

USS Alamac being unloaded at Reykjavik, 6 August 1941.

US Military: President Roosevelt signs an executive order transferring the US Coast Guard's Honolulu District from the Treasury Department to the US Navy.

USN Task Force 16 (Rear Admiral William R. Monroe), led by the aircraft carrier USS Wasp and the battleship USS Mississippi, arrives at Reykjavik, Iceland. The flotilla brings 30 P-40Cs and three Stearman PT-13 Kaydets of the 33rd Pursuit Squadron to be based ashore for local defense. It also brings Catalina flying boats for patrol duties with VP-73 and VP-74. Transport American Legion, stores ship Mizar, and freighter Alamac bring troops and supplies.

Heavy cruisers USS Northampton (CA-26) and Salt Lake City (CA-25) continue their goodwill visit at Brisbane, Australia.

Forest land is cleared in North Carolina that will become Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.

Japanese Military: The Imperial Navy requisitions 8360-ton freighter Sanyo Maru. The IJN begins converting it to a seaplane carrier/tender. Among its modifications are the addition of a catapult, two 150-mm/45 cal single-mount guns, and two Type 93 13-mm single-mount machine guns. The IJN also requisitions 6795-ton salvage ship Yamabiko Maru.

Following up on recent decisions taken to not attack the Soviet Union, Tokyo instructs the Kwantung Army to avoid any border incidents with the Red Army.

Home of Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä,.6 August 1941 worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Home of Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä. The Soviets had built bunkers and underground tunnel on the property. Rautjärvi, August 6, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

British Government: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit Hull.

Holocaust: The Croatian Ustaše under Ivan Jovanović (known as "Blacky") perpetrate the Prebilovci massacre. The Croatian paramilitary group takes around women and children from the village of Prebilovci, Herzegovina and throws them into the Golubinka pit, near Šurmanci, to their deaths. This is just the beginning of killings at Prebilovici, as 820 of 1000 inhabitants ultimately are killed during the summer. The killings also extend into nearby communities with additional thousands killed. Those killing the villagers are their fellow villagers, with the victims tending to be Serbs.

Belgian Homefront: The Legion Vlaandern (Flanders Legion) is established. It is a collaborationist unit.

American Homefront: Pitcher Al Benton of the Detroit Tigers becomes the only player to have two sacrifice bunts in the same inning, against the Cleveland Indians - something that has not been equaled as of 2018. Benton serves in the US Navy in 1943 and 1944, then resumes his career with the Tigers.

Future History: Lyle Arnold Berman is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He becomes a top executive at companies such as the Rainforest Cafe but is better known as a world-class poker player. Berman has won 3 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets in 1989, 1992, and 1994, and is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

Spectators watch from the bridge over spillway as Boulder Dam (Hoover Dam) overflows for the first time, August 6, 1941, and pours 15,000 cubic feet per minute from record-level of Lake Mead into Colorado River behind the dam. Spillway leads into tunnel 50 feet in diameter and then 2200 feet to river level below where water bursts out in a great jet. At the Dam, Lake Mead had reached a level of 590 feet and contained more than 10,000,000,000,000 gallons of water. (AP Photo).

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

World War Two Daily

Pages