Sunday 20 July 1941

In a very unusual incident, Wehrmacht soldier Josef Schulz (or Schultz, shown with an arrow at left) refuses an order to execute 16 suspected partisans at the Serbian village of Smederevska-Palanca on 20 July 1941 (some sources say 19 July). Schultz drops his rifle and says, "Ich schieße nicht! Diese Männer sind unschuldig! (I will not shoot! These people are innocent!). Schultz' commanding officer shoots him on the spot and buries him with the partisans.

Eastern Front: In the Far North sector on 20 July 1941, Finnish VI Corp (General Talvela) continues pressing southward along the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga and east of there. His forces are approaching Salmi, about a quarter of the way down the length of the lake. Soviet 452nd Motorized Infantry Regiment arrives at Salmi and sets up a defensive perimeter. Just beyond Salmi is the 1939 border, and the Germans would like the Finns to cross it - but that is up to Finnish commander Marshal Mannerheim.

There is heavy and confused fighting along the Litsa River outside Murmansk. However, the lines do not change, and both sides are slowly beginning to accept a stalemate.

At Polarnoye (Polyamy) in Kolafjord, at the entrance to the inlet to Murmansk, Junkers Ju 87 Stukas of the Luftwaffe bomb and sinks Soviet destroyer Stremitel'ny (Stremitenlnyi).

The Soviets prepare a counterattack at Smolensk with Soviet 24th Army, 28th Army, 29th Army, and 30th Army. The Germans beat off the blows, but it is a sign of things to come. General Zhukov orders four reserve armies forward for the Smolensk operation. The objective is to rescue three trapped Soviet armies - 16th, 19th, and 20th - in the Smolensk suburbs. These armies attempt a breakout at the Nevel-Gorodok road but are stopped by the 19th Panzer Division.

In the Army Group South sector, Soviet Marshal Budenny (Budonny) commands a large group of forces at Southwestern and Southern Fronts. In total, Budenny has about 1.5 million soldiers at his disposal - one of the largest commands of all time, behind only national leaders such as Hitler or British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Budenny is one of the most maligned generals of World War II, and his most distinguishing credentials are his stunning handlebar mustache and the fact that he is one of Stalin's favorite comrades at drunken orgies. It is easy to see how Budenny could handle the brewing cauldron of trouble better, which would have ramifications across the entire Eastern Front.

Budenny, however, is hamstrung by Stavka orders to defend Kyiv and Vinnytsia (Vinnitsa)/Uman without retreating. Stalin essentially has given Budenny unheard-of hordes of men as a sort of test - to see whether that is sufficient to stop the Wehrmacht. With all sorts of opportunities to retreat and form a solid defensive line behind the Dneipr, Budenny instead keeps his troops in an exposed position west of the river. German 17th Army (General Karl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel) continues advancing to the south of Uman while the German 11th Field Army (General Karl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel) advances to the north. German Panzer Group 1 also heads toward Uman. It is an obvious trap, but Budenny and the Stavka do nothing to avoid it.

A German Bf 109E from Jagdgeschwader 27 strafing Australian front lines in North Africa, 1941 (Australian War Memorial 010852).

European Air Operations: The RAF's continuing "Channel Stop" operation today sees 12 Blenheim bombers of Nos. 18 and 139 Squadrons attack shipping between Berck and Le Touquet. The RAF loses two aircraft, but the planes hit a tanker, whose master is forced to beach it at Berck-sur-Mer. The RAF planes also down a defending Bf-109 fighter. Another raid by three Stirlings on Hazebrouck is aborted due to the weather.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 113 bombers (46 Wellingtons, 39 Hampdens, 25 Whitleys, 3 Stirlings) to attack the marshaling yards at Cologne. The bombers complete the run, but poor, cloudy weather leads to inaccurate bombing and little damage. Three people are killed on the ground. There is a secondary attack on Rotterdam by 15 Wellingtons and 9 Whitleys that starts some fires in the dockyard. All planes return from both missions.

Lieutenant Walter Nowotny remains adrift in the Baltic after being shot down on the 19th. He prepares for death, writing a goodbye note and observing German shore batteries firing at Soviet destroyers.

Werner Mölders is promoted to the rank of Oberst and banned from further combat flying. As a propaganda hero, Mölders is considered too valuable now to risk in the air war. He is transferred to the Reich Air Ministry in Berlin, where he effectively is placed in reserve pending reassignment.

Battle of the Baltic: The Finns reinforce their small force on the Finnish island of Bengtskär, which houses a 52-meter lighthouse that is a good observation post at the entry of the Gulf of Finland. The 2nd Rannikkoiskukompania (Coastal Shock Company), led by Lt. Fred Luther, can use the island to spot Soviet ships operating near the Soviet-held port of Hanko, Finland.

"Members of the South African Division of the Royal Naval Volunteers Reserve on board HMS NELSON posing for the camera between two of the enormous 16-inch guns of A turret," July 1941 (© IWM (A 4608)).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-126 (Kptlt. Ernst Bauer), on its first patrol out of Kiel, is operating about 1200 km (750 miles) west of Land's end when it spots 8293-ton British freighter Canadian Star. Bauer attacks with torpedoes but misses. He then orders the U-boat to the surfaces and uses the deck guns, scoring a few hits during a 10-minute attack. The Canadian Star, however, also has deck guns and returns fire, which drives U-126 off. Bauer manages to damage the freighter, but it gets away (ultimately to Curacao) and he barely avoids getting sunk himself. So, U-126 must wait further for its first sinking. Some sources say that U-126 fired torpedoes that missed, but that it was U-203 (Kptlt. Rolf Mützelburg) lurking nearby that surfaced and used its deck guns against Canadian Star.

U-95 (Kptlt. Gerd Schreiber), on its fifth patrol out of Lorient, is operating southwest of Bantry Bay, Ireland when it spots 5419-ton British freighter Palma. Schreiber fires torpedoes and misses. He then decides to use his deck gun. The U-boat scores some hits, but the freighter gets away.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 4419-ton British freighter Umvuma (named after a small mining town in Zimbabwe) off the Humber. The damage shuts down the engines, but the crew improvises and still manages to get the damaged freighter to Humber.

Norwegian 3916-ton freighter Brynje hits a mine and sinks in Skagerrak off Kalundborg, Denmark. The entire crew survives. The ship is later salvaged for scrap in July 1944.

Convoy OG-69 departs from Liverpool bound for Gibraltar, Convoy WS 9C (Winston Special) arrives at Gibraltar. It includes ships destined to sail directly from Gibraltar to Malta as part of Operation Substance.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Lively is commissioned.

HMS Lively, shown here on 20 November 1941 in Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta, is commissioned on 20 July 1941 (© IWM (GM 165)).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy submarine HMS Union (Lt R.M. Galloway), on its fourth patrol out of Malta, spots a small Axis convoy departing from Tripoli. It represents a tempting target, as two tugs (German Max Berendt and Italian Ciclope) are towing disabled German freighter Menes. Union attacks 25 miles southwest of the fortified Italian island of Pantelleria, but misses. Italian torpedo boat Circe responds by dropping depth charges that sink the Union. There are 31 deaths, everybody on board the submarine.

The dangerous nightly Tobruk Express run is made by Australian destroyer HMAS Stuart and minelaying cruiser HMS Latona. The ships operate on an extremely tight schedule which is intended to get them well away from the port by daylight to avoid Luftwaffe attack. However, the ships arrive late and things go disastrously wrong during the unloading process, so the Australians in the port can only unload about 50 tons of Latona's much-larger cargo before it must button up and depart. Both ships arrive back at Alexandria safely.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Utmost is operating near the island of Ustica north of Palermo, Sicily and attacks a freighter, but misses.

Royal Navy submarine HSM Tetrarch is operating in the Aegean when it unsuccessfully attacks an unidentified freighter.

In Operation Guillotine, New Zealand light cruiser Leander, destroyer Kingston, and destroyer Jervis (Jervis goes directly to Cyprus) depart Haifa on the 20th for Port Said. There, they embark on troops for transport to Famagusta, Cyprus. The ships all make it safely to Cyprus during the night.

As part of Operation Substance, a supply mission to Malta, Royal Navy submarines HMS Upright and Unique depart from Malta. They take up stations off the Italian coast in order to waylay any Italian ships departing to attack the Operation Substance convoy.

Nine RAF Wellington bombers based at Malta attack railway yards at Naples, causing extensive damage.

Partisans: In the continuing uprising of 13 July in Montenegro, insurgents capture Bijelo Polje. Reflecting the growing power of the rebels, the 180 soldiers and officers in the town are taken prisoner or killed. Italian troops not only are not counterattacking, but they are also retreating to fortified strongholds at Pljevlja, Nikšić, Cetinje, and Podgorica.

"The Home Guard: During an exercise involving the local Home Guard, ARP personnel and the Police in Northen Command, 'enemy' forces succeeded in taking a town after a bitter struggle but were later overpowered. The photograph shows the Home Guard firing at the 'enemy' in the street behind the cover of a post-box. 20 July 1941." © IWM (H 11852).

Propaganda: Many people across Europe take up the "Colonel Britton" BBC radio demand broadcast at midnight on the 19th for people to scribble "V for Victory" as a sign of resentment against German rule. There are reports of incidents in Holland, Belgium, France, and even some areas of the Reich itself (the provinces of Bohemia and Morava, formerly Czechoslovakia).

Anglo/Soviet Relations: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gives Soviet ambassador Maisky his reply (not received until 21 July) to Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin's written request for a second front in northwest Europe:

To attempt a landing in force would be to encounter a bloody repulse, and petty raids would only lead to fiascos doing far more harm than good to both of us. You must remember that we have been fighting alone for more than a year, and that, though our resources are growing, and will grow fast from now on, we are at the utmost strain both at home and in the Middle East by land and air, and also that the Battle of the Atlantic, on which our life depends, and the movement of all our convoys in the teeth of the U-boat and Fokke-Wulf blockade, strains our naval resources, great though they may be, to the utmost limit.

Churchill only promises to continue RAF and Royal Navy attacks for the time being.

Nurse Bernice Simmet selects a pair of rubber gloves for use during an appendectomy. Fort Benning, Georgia, 20 July 1941.

Soviet Military: Stalin takes over as People's Commissar of Defense from Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, who is demoted to command of the Western Front. Stalin is careful throughout the war to buttress his unchallenged control of the Soviet government with top military posts and ranks normally not taken by civilian leaders.

Stalin makes Lavrentiy Beria the new commander of the NKVD, which is formed out of the Commissariats of Home Affairs and National Security. This forces Vsevolod Merkulov to step down as the People's Commissar of State Security (NKGB, which now becomes the GUGB) of the Soviet Union and become Deputy People's Commissar of the NKVD.

Stalin marks his "appointment" by issuing an order to "purge all unreliable elements" in the military. In practice, this means having state security (now the NKVD) detain and interrogate any soldiers who escape German encirclement. These interrogations are not gentle, and the soldiers remain under suspicion of being spies henceforth.

Josef Schulz (or Schultz).

German Military: A Wehrmacht soldier of the 714th infantry division, identified as Josef Schulz (or Schultz), refuses to participate in executing 16 suspected "partisans" in Serbia. The executions take place anyway within the barracks of Smederevska Palanka, southeast of Belgrade. Schultz's commanding officer immediately orders Schulz into the line with the partisans, shoots Schulz dead, and buries him with the partisans. The incident is completely forgotten until the early 1960s when two German weeklies publish some photographs of the incident that lead a West German Bundestag member, Wilderich Freiherr Ostman von der Leye, to identify the person on the photographs as Josef Schulz. There is serious disagreement as to whether the person in question was Schultz, but that the incident happened with some Wehrmacht soldier is accepted.

British Government: Brendan Bracken becomes the new Minister of Information (MOI). Bracken is a close crony of Winston Churchill, having previously been his Parliamentary Private Secretary, and his appointment is a clear indication that Churchill intends to exercise an ever-tighter rein over BBC propaganda efforts. The idea of a "free press" is fast becoming but a memory in Great Britain due to rigid censorship and carefully managed official announcements intended to service the war effort and not any airy "right to know" by the public.

Heinrich Himmler at Lipowa Camp, a Lublin sports field converted into a transit camp for Jewish forced laborers selected from Polish Army POWs, 20 July 1941. Note the presence of Himmler's top aides, Wolff and Peiper, and Hans Kammler.

Holocaust: Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler orders Odilo Globocnik, the local SS- und Polizeiführer at Lublin, to prepare to cleanse the district of Jews and Poles. The goal is to make it purely Germanic.

American Homefront: Republican 1936 Presidential nominee Alf Landon gives a speech broadcast over the CBS radio network. He accuses President Roosevelt of giving only "mere campaign oratory" during his re-election campaign in 1940. He notes:

Lack of confidence in the word of its chief executive is a real disintegrating force in any nation and any army.

Landon does, however, offer support for continuing the draft, which is due to expire soon without congressional action. He does so grudgingly, however, concluding that "The President has the country out on the limb now, and we have got to strengthen the tree at the base."

Children at play, Dalwood Homes, Balgowlah, New South Wales, 20 July 1941 (Sam Hood, State Library of New South Wales).

July 1941

July 1, 1941: US TV Broadcasting Starts
July 2, 1941: MAUD Report
July 3, 1941: Stalin Speaks
July 4, 1941: Pogroms in Eastern Europe
July 5, 1941: Germans on Schedule
July 6, 1941: Australians Attack Damour
July 7, 1941: US Marines in Iceland
July 8, 1941: Flying Fortresses In Action
July 9, 1941: British Take Damour
July 10, 1941: Sword and Scabbard Order
July 11, 1941: Cease-fire in Syria and Lebanon
July 12, 1941: Anglo/Russian Assistance Pact
July 13, 1941: Uprising in Montenegro
July 14, 1941: Katyusha Rocket Launchers in Action
July 15, 1941: Smolensk Falls
July 16, 1941: Stalin's Son Captured
July 17, 1941: Heydrich Orders Mass Executions
July 18, 1941: Twin Pimples Raid
July 19, 1941: V for Victory
July 20, 1941: The Man Who Wouldn't Shoot
July 21, 1941: Moscow in Flames
July 22, 1941: Soviet Generals Executed
July 23, 1941: Secret Plan JB 355
July 24, 1941: Operation Sunrise
July 25, 1941: US Naval Alert
July 26, 1941: Italian E-Boat Attack on Malta
July 27, 1941: MacArthur Returns
July 28, 1941: Auschwitz Exterminations
July 29, 1941: Rescue From Crete
July 30, 1941: Raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes
July 31, 1941: Final Solution Order

2020

Saturday 19 July 1941

Exercise Brock, 19 July 1941. This is an exercise carried out with snowflake and Type 26E flares to demonstrate the effects of illuminants at sea. © IWM (A 4633).

Eastern Front: Adolf Hitler, who by and large allowed his generals to run matter during the victorious campaigns in western Europe, is taking an increasing interest in daily troop operations on 19 July 1941. This process is still just beginning, but already commanders such as OKH operations boss General Franz Halder are growing weary of orders that they consider to be amateurish. However, at this stage, many of Hitler's orders contribute to successful operations.

In the Far North sector, Finnish Group F (part of 3rd Division) completes a successful 64 km (40 miles) advance over rugged terrain by wiping out several Soviet units on the Vyonitsa River. It now can continue advancing toward its objective of Ukhta (aka Kalevala, on Yeldanka Lake aka Ozero Verkhnyaya Yeldanka). General Dietl's Army of Norway (AOK Norwegen) now decides to shift troops (units of SS Nord Division) south from the stalled offensive near Salla and have them support the Finnish advance. The Soviets also decide to send reinforcements to the area.

In the Army Group North sector, the panzers of Panzer Group 4 continue blasting through Soviet lines towards Leningrad. The Luftwaffe attacks rail lines in an attempt to isolate Leningrad from Moscow.

In the Army Group Center sector, Hitler orders General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 south. Hitler wants to ensure the brewing victory at Kiev, where hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops appear vulnerable to being surrounded, and open the way forward to Field Marshal Rundstedt's army group. General Guderian, reflecting a broad consensus within the upper levels of the Wehrmacht, protests that it makes more sense to continue east towards Moscow. OKW confirms Hitler's order and Guderian grudgingly heads south. Hitler also orders General Hoth's Panzer Group 3 to head north to help with the attack on Leningrad (it captures Velikiye Luki during the day). This leaves Field Marshal von Bock's Army Group Center without its spearhead. Hitler never has considered Moscow to be a priority target and this decision conclusively proves that.

In the Army Group South sector, Soviet General Eremenko takes over at Soviet Western Front.

Luftwaffe Lieutenant Walter Nowotny of III./JG 54 shoots down his first enemy planes, three Polikarpov I-153 biplanes. His own aircraft is damaged and he bails out over the Gulf of Riga.

Luftwaffe losses are mounting. Total planes lost now stand at 1284.

"FLIGHT LIEUTENANT E S LOCK, DSO, DFC, AND BAR: 41 SQUADRON, RAF," 19 July 1941 (Orde, Cuthbert Julian, © IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 2363).

European Air Operations: In continuing Operation Channel Stop, RAF Bomber Command sends 21 Blenheims of RAF No. 105 Squadron attack shipping off the Dutch coast. The Germans, however, have parked six Flak ships to guard the shipping, and while the bombers damage four ships, two of the planes fail to return.

In another RAF Circus raid, three Stirling bombers attack the Lille power station. One of the bombers fails to return.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 49 bombers (20 Whitleys, 17 Wellingtons, 12 Hampdens) to attack the main railway station in Hannover. The RAF loses a Wellington and a Whitley. Another 35 Hampdens go on a minelaying operation at the mouth of the Elbe and Weser Rivers.

Oberst Werner Mölders of JG 51, the top ace in the war and of all-time at this point, is appointed to the newly created position of General der Jägdflieger (General of Fighters). Oblt. Friedrich Beckh replaces him in charge of JG 51.

HMS Malvernian (F 102), a tough ship that finally sinks, after being bombed on 1 July, on 19 July 1941.

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet destroyers Serdity and Steregushchi attempt to intercept a German convoy off Daugavgrīva (German: Dünamünde; Polish: Dynemunt; Russian: Усть-Двинск or Ust`-Dvinsk). They fail to make contact, but the Luftwaffe spots them and attacks. The German planes badly damage Serdity, which its crew scuttles on the 22nd.

Soviet submarine L-3 torpedoes and sinks Finnish vessel Cisil.

U-553 returns to St. Nazaire from a successful patrol on 19 July 1941. Note the damaged periscope and victory pennants.

Battle of the Atlantic: During the night, Royal Navy 266-ton anti-submarine trawler Peter Hendriks accidentally rams Royal Navy submarine HMS Umpire, sinking it. There are 16 survivors and 22 deaths, with two of the survivors managing to get out of the flooded submarine after it sinks via the conning tower.

U-66 (Kptlt. Richard Zapp), on its second patrol, torpedoes and sinks 3433-ton British freighter Holmside northeast of the Cape Verde Islands. Holmside is a straggler from Convoy OG-67, making it an independent. There are 21 deaths and 16 survivors, picked up by Portuguese freighter Sete Citades. This is U-66's last sinking on this patrol.

The RAF (No. 42 Squadron) torpedoes and sinks German escort vessel NK-08 Kanonier off Sirevåg, Norway. There are 13 deaths and 16 survivors.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Beverly, escorting Convoy HG-68, intercepts Vichy French freighter Isac west of Gibraltar. The Isac is taken to Gibraltar for detention.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tuna makes an attack on German ships off the Gironde in the Bay of Biscay but misses despite claiming hits.

After a lengthy journey, Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob, which was captured by German raider Atlantis on 10 November 1940, arrives at Bordeaux, France. The tanker brings aviation fuel and the crews captured on the Ole Jacob and the Teddy.

Attacked and badly damaged by the Luftwaffe on 1 July 1941 off the coast of Spain, Royal Navy armed boarding vessel HMS Malvernian is finally sunk by the Royal Navy as a hazard to navigation. Its crew, however, is still at sea - one lifeboat with 32 aboard only makes it to Corunna on 21 July, and another with 25 aboard to Vigo on 22 July. 107 other survivors have been taken POW.

US destroyer USS Baldwin and minesweeper Swallow are laid down.

U-153 (Korvettenkapitän Wilfried Reichmann) and U-375 (Kapitänleutnant Jürgen Könenkamp) are commissioned.

"An American M3 Stuart tank being hoisted from a ship onto the quayside at Alexandria, 19 July 1941." © IWM (E 4310).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Operation Substance, a supply convoy to Malta, effectively begins when Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder departs Malta. The ships of Convoy WS 9C (Winston Special), which left the British Isles on 13 July, are still at sea approaching Gibraltar. The Royal Navy begins feigning an operation in the eastern Mediterranean by engaging in heavy radio traffic in that area. The Royal Navy intends to deploy eight submarines off Italian naval bases to attack any Italian ships that leave port to intercept the convoy, one of which is Upholder. The Substance operation is bringing everything from ammunition and vehicles to mail and food, and its success is critical to Malta's ability to hold out.

During the night, the Luftwaffe raids Alexandria and Malta while the RAF raids Tripoli and Benghazi.

Minelaying cruiser Abdiel and destroyer Abdiel make the increasingly hazardous nightly run to Tobruk from Alexandria without incident.

Battle of the Pacific: A group of 37 New Zealand coastwatchers departs from Fiji aboard ship Viti for assignments in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. Their job is to watch for German raiders which have been seen in the area.

Natalia Bessmertnova, born on 19 July 1941 in Moscow.

Spy Stuff: A supposed German plot to overthrow the Bolivian government is exposed and suppressed. On 18 July 1941, Douglas Jenkins, the U.S. minister in La Paz, gave Bolivian Ostria Gutierrez a photocopy of a letter from the Bolivian military attache in Berlin, Major Elias Belmonte, to the German Minister in La Paz, Ernst Wendler. The letter states in part:

the time is approaching to carry out our coup to liberate my poor country from a weak government of completely capitalist inclinations.

The letter is damning, proposing that a pro-German coup take place in mid-July. Today, after taking a day to review the letter, the government of General Penaranda declares a state of siege and decides to expel Wendler from the country. Within a week, the army dismisses Belmonte for "treason." The Bolivian government also uses the letter as a pretext to jail the leaders of, and to otherwise suppress the opposition Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (MNR) party.

There is some scholarly debate about the Belmonte/Wendler letter. There is a very good likelihood that the letter was a complete fabrication by British military intelligence at Station M, a clever instance of Black Ops using the clueless U.S. government as the middleman. This is similar to the supposed letters from Mahatma Gandhi to Adolf Hitler that some historians propose are clever British forgeries (though there is no proof of that). There is no other evidence, aside from the letter, that the Germans had any intentions to launch a coup in Bolivia.

In London, Winston Churchill decides to share his Bletchley Park Ultra decrypts with the Soviets - something that he doesn't even do with the Americans. However, the source of the information will be described as Berlin spies rather than intelligence intercepts.

In Afghanistan, two German Abwehr agents are identified as attempting to enter India. Afghan police arrest one and kill the other.

Partisans: The uprising in Montenegro that began on 13 July continues. The partisans remain on the offensive and are planning to take over several more Montenegran towns.

Winston Churchill flashes the "V for Victory" sign.

Propaganda: A "Colonel Britton" broadcasts at midnight to the peoples of Occupied Europe. This broadcast begins the "V for Victory" propaganda campaign that is one of the most successful propaganda efforts ever:

Events are taking place that are of great significance in this war. The importance of these events will probably not be realized for a long time, and, in fact, the events themselves are not likely to be noticed. But it's in connection with them that I asked you a week ago to start a "V" campaign - V's in sight and sound - which would work up to a climax tomorrow, July 20. Now I want to tell you what should be your contribution to making July 20 one of the milestones in the war. 

July 20 is the date of Europe's mobilization against the Germans. Tomorrow the V Army - Europe's invisible army of many millions - will come into being. You're listening to me now in your home. Thousands and thousands of others are listening too. 

The mobilization will begin at midnight 24 hours from now, and it will continue throughout the day. You are eligible to join the V Army, and I ask you to join.

He concludes that "In a few minutes there will be millions of new ‘Vs’ on walls and doors and pavements all over Europe."

Colonel Britton is the pseudonym of Douglas Ritchie, a 36-year-old Assistant News Editor at the BBC. The BBC has foreshadowed this campaign by prefacing its programs with the Morse Code for "V" (...- - -) for some time. To give proper credit, the instigator for the "V" campaign was a Belgian refugee named Victor de Laveleye, who made short-wave broadcasts from London to his native Belgium in early 1941 asking Belgians to chalk the letter V (for victoire) in public places as a sign of confidence in eventual Allied victory. Ritchie's broadcasts expand the idea to all of Occupied Europe.

Five Royal Canadian Air Force Cessna Cranes overfly a sixth on the opening day of No. 12 Service Flying Training School on July 19, 1941, at Brandon, Manitoba. PHOTO: DND Archives, PL-5747.

German/Swiss  Relations: The two countries sign a new trade agreement. Trade relations with neutral countries such as Switzerland and Turkey are a key way that the Reich attempts to circumvent the Allied blockade.

German/Swedish Relations: In Sweden, which has pursued a policy of neutrality through two World Wars, has a significant faction that believes the country should help Germany defeat the Soviet Union. General Olof Thörnell, commander of Swedish forces, proposes that Sweden contribute some troops to the effort like Spain and its Blue Division. This proposal is not acted upon.

Japanese/US Relations: The Japanese have been considering what to do about American Presbyterian missionaries in Korea. Up to this date, the Japanese have demanded that the missionaries leave Korea, who are accused of distributing dangerous literature. Having now concluded from discussions with the church representatives that they are not going to leave Korea, Ambassador Nomura recommends that a conference be held with the missionaries and otherwise dropped as a gesture of goodwill.

Japanese/Vichy French Relations: The Japanese demand more access to bases in southern Indochina.

US/Chinese Relations: Owen Lattimore arrives in Chungking as a military advisor.

Sportsmen in Amsterdam give the NSB greeting in competitions organized by the WA.

Soviet Military: Semyon Timoshenko officially relinquishes his position as People's Commissar of Defense and becomes Stalin's Deputy in the hierarchy.

US Military: USS Wasp (CV 7) flies a cargo of P-40 fighters to Iceland.

Task Force 1 is formed within the Atlantic Fleet for protection of US forces in Iceland and convoys heading there.

The first 13 pilots join the segregated Civilian Pilot Training Program at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. These are the initial Tuskegee Airmen.

British Government: Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes some appointments: Brendan Bracken, Minister of Information; R. A. Butler, President of Board of Education; Lord Hankey, Paymaster-General; Duncan Sandys, Financial Secretary to War Office.

Clay Hotel, Washington Ave., Miami Beach. July 1941. ORIGINAL CAPTION: "Washington Boulevard, a shopping district in Miami Beach, Florida." (Library of Congress).

Holocaust: The Germans complete mass executions at Ponar, outside Vilnius. In total, about 5000 people have been shot, hundreds daily for the past couple of weeks.

Einsatzcommando 3 of Einsatzgruppe A execute 27 people at Kaunas Seventh Fort: 17 Jewish men, 2 Jewish women, and 7 non-Jews.

American Homefront: United States Senator from North Dakota Gerald P. Nye gives a speech over the NBC Red Network in which he expresses his isolationist sentiments. Nye says that there is no reason to "go hunting" for a war. He begins his speech:

It may seem ages ago that America was quite unanimous, and vociferous, in its cry of "Never Again," meaning there would be no toleration of effort to move our country into another European.  But it was really only two years ago when memories of our last experience in Europe were still sufficiently clear to let us see what folly it would be to let ourselves be taken again into the wringer across the Atlantic.

He warns against allowing the military and President Roosevelt to "ignore the restrictions written by Congress as to where our boys shall and shall not be sent, without a declaration of war by Congress."

"Arizona Bound" is released. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Buck Jones and Tim McCoy, it follows the adventures of a retired Federal Marshal who takes a job driving a stagecoach full of gold and is accused of stealing it after it is robbed.

Future History: Florencia Bisenta de Casillas-Martinez Cardona is born in El Paso, Texas. In the early 1960s, she adopts the stage name "Vicki Carr." As Carr, she signs with Liberty Records in 1962 and has a minor hit single with "He's A Rebel." She goes on to a very successful run during the 1960s that includes ten singles and 13 albums on the pop charts. In the 1980s onward, Carr focuses more on recording Latin music. Carr continues to record as of 2018.

Natalia Bessmertnova is born in Moscow. In 1963, Bessmertnova joins the Bolshoi Ballet. She becomes the Soviet prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet for three decades and a People's Artist of the USSR. She later becomes famous across the world in 1995 for leading a strike of the Ballet that leads to the cancellation of scheduled performances following the firing of Yury Grigorovich. Natalia passes away in 2008.

Presentation of a trophy at a sports competition of the WA in Amsterdam, perhaps the Olympiaplein. The recipient is a member of the boxing/football team of Amsterdam. WA Heerban leader Feenstra and acting WA commander Van 't Hof make the presentation. 19 July 1941.

July 1941

July 1, 1941: US TV Broadcasting Starts
July 2, 1941: MAUD Report
July 3, 1941: Stalin Speaks
July 4, 1941: Pogroms in Eastern Europe
July 5, 1941: Germans on Schedule
July 6, 1941: Australians Attack Damour
July 7, 1941: US Marines in Iceland
July 8, 1941: Flying Fortresses In Action
July 9, 1941: British Take Damour
July 10, 1941: Sword and Scabbard Order
July 11, 1941: Cease-fire in Syria and Lebanon
July 12, 1941: Anglo/Russian Assistance Pact
July 13, 1941: Uprising in Montenegro
July 14, 1941: Katyusha Rocket Launchers in Action
July 15, 1941: Smolensk Falls
July 16, 1941: Stalin's Son Captured
July 17, 1941: Heydrich Orders Mass Executions
July 18, 1941: Twin Pimples Raid
July 19, 1941: V for Victory
July 20, 1941: The Man Who Wouldn't Shoot
July 21, 1941: Moscow in Flames
July 22, 1941: Soviet Generals Executed
July 23, 1941: Secret Plan JB 355
July 24, 1941: Operation Sunrise
July 25, 1941: US Naval Alert
July 26, 1941: Italian E-Boat Attack on Malta
July 27, 1941: MacArthur Returns
July 28, 1941: Auschwitz Exterminations
July 29, 1941: Rescue From Crete
July 30, 1941: Raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes
July 31, 1941: Final Solution Order

2020

Tuesday 14 January 1941

"Free French sailors help salvage belongings and clear up amid the wreckage of a blitzed building in Portsmouth on 14 January 1941." © IWM (HU 55590).

Italian/Greek Campaign: The Greeks continue to consolidate their hold on Klisura Pass on 14 January 1941. The Italian Toscana Division is partially surrounded and the remainder scattered.

General Archibald Wavell, British Middle East Commander, is in Athens to visit with Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas and Commander-in-chief Papagos. The Greeks tell Wavell that they only have four divisions on the Bulgarian front (Yugoslavia is not on anyone's mind at this time) versus 13 in Albania. Already, the Greeks are heavily outnumbered by the German forces assembling in Romania and Bulgaria. Papagos and Metaxas request 9 British divisions for the defense of Greece, along with air support. Wavell hesitantly promises two or three divisions, though it would take time to transfer them. Papagos says that is not enough troops to make a difference and basically tells Wavell to not even bother then, since posting insufficient British troops would only invite a German invasion.

Mussolini, meanwhile, continues his visit to Albania to confer with his generals about stopping the Greeks. After it is over, he will head to Berchtesgaden to confer with Hitler.

European Air Operations: There is very little activity during the day or night. Electrical power is restored in Plymouth, bombed heavily in recent days, but gas remains off and will for some time.

"Polish pilots serving with No. 607 Squadron RAF studying maps on the back wing of a Hurricane as part of their training at RAF Usworth, 14 January 1941. One of the identified airmen is Pilot Officer Mirosław Orzechowski (fourth from the left)." © IWM (HU 92830).

Battle of the Atlantic: German raider Pinguin has been stalking the Norwegian whaling fleet (under British charter) in the South Atlantic (near Antarctica) since mid-December 1940. The whaling ships have been gaily chatting over the radio with each other, completely oblivious to any need for security or the dangers lurking so far from home. Captain Ernst-Felix Krüder has the luxury of timing his approach for a moment of maximum vulnerability, and today is such a day: the whaling ships are tied together transferring oil. Pinguin simply sails alongside them and sends over a couple of prize crews - no muss, no fuss.

The whole event is over within 45 minutes without a shot fired or a single radio signal sent. Krüder tells the Norwegian crew that nothing, really, has changed; they should continue with their work, only, instead of the British paying them for their wares, the Reich will. Pinguin then sails off to find capture a factory ship nearby and associated vessels. All told, Pinguin rounds up 36,000 tons of shipping, 20,000 tons of whale oil, and 10,000 tons of fuel oil. The ships seized include:

• 12,201-ton oil refinery Ole Wegger
• 12,246-ton oil refinery Solglimt
• 298-ton whaling boat Pol VIII
• 354-ton whaling boat Pol IX
• 247-ton whaling boat Torlyn
• 297-ton whaling boat Globe VIII
• 338-ton whaling boat Pol VII
• 249-ton whaling boat Thorarinn

With the Norwegian ships secured, Captain Krüder then runs hard for five days halfway to the Sandwich Islands, at the end of which he has his radio operator send a long message which Krüder knows will fix his location through triangulation. He then returns to the Norwegian fleet, having succeeded in misleading any pursuers. Compare this with a different decision made by Admiral Günther Lütjens in May 1941 aboard the Bismarck and you see the difference between a clever man... and a dead one.

Royal Navy auxiliary cruiser Eumaeus, sunk on 14 January 1941.

Elsewhere, Italian submarine Cappellini engages in a two-hour gun duel with 7472-ton British auxiliary cruiser and freighter/passenger ship Eumaeus off Freetown, finally sinking it. Responding to distress calls, seaplane carrier HMS Albatross launches a Supermarine Walrus, which drops life rafts and attacks the Cappellini. The Cappellini survives but is damaged. There are 27 deaths and 63 survivors on the Eumaeus.

German 280-ton pilot ship Borkum runs aground and is lost at Hubert Gat in the North Sea (near Emden).

Danish Emilie Mærsk runs aground and is lost off Borkum in the North Sea. The crew survives. This is one of a series of sinkings of Mærsk ships during the war.

Buitenzorg, lost on 14 January 1941.

Dutch 7073-ton freighter Buitenzorg runs aground at the Sound of Mull, Inner Hebrides and is wrecked.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Fitzroy hits a mine and is damaged in the North Sea. It makes it back to Harwich, where it is beached, and then Sheerness for repairs.

Royal Navy cruiser HMS Adventure lays minefield ZME 15 in St. Georges Channel.

Convoy FN 383 departs from Southend, Convoy FN 384 is held back, Convoy AN 12 departs from Port Said for Piraeus, Convoy AS 11 departs from Piraeus.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay (Lt. Commander Anthony Cecil C. Miers) and minesweeping trawler HMS MacBeth (Lt. Reginald M. Thorne) are commissioned.

Corvette HMS Jasmine and destroyer HMS Oribi are launched, while destroyer HMS Onslaught is laid down.

A British soldier and a Canadian sailor exchange pleasantries, 14 January 1941 (AP Photo).

Battle of the Mediterranean: The British continue to reinforce Malta. Light cruisers HMS Orion and HMAS Perth land troops there. Perth is laid up at Grand Harbor for a few days with machinery issues.

The RAF attacks Benghazi and Assab in Italian Eritrea.

German/Soviet Relations: The Soviet Union and Germany sign new trade agreements covering items such as grain.

German/Romanian Relations: Having met with King Boris of Bulgaria yesterday, Hitler today meets with Romanian Conducător Ion Antonescu in Berchtesgaden. Hitler backs Antonescu against the Iron Guard, which is fascist but unsupportive of Antonescu. Antonescu indicates that he would be supportive of Operation Barbarossa if he can eliminate the Iron Guard, which thus becomes a sort of quid pro quo, and together they discuss how to do that.

British Military: Sub-Lt John Bryan Peter Duppa-Miller and Stephen John Tuckwell receive George Crosses for disposing of a mine which fell into a stream feeding Barling Creek.

Danish steamship Emilie Maersk (German controlled), lost on 14 January 1941.

German Military: According to press reports (United Press News Agency), the Germans are in the process of dismantling the Maginot Line and turning the recovered ground into farmland.

Soviet Military: Army General, Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Commissar of Defense Kirill Meretskov - a Hero of the Soviet Union - is abruptly dismissed from his posts without explanation. Stalin later sees him at the Bolshoi, and, in front of others, has this to say to Meretskov:

You are courageous, capable, but without principles, spineless. You want to be nice, but you should have a plan instead and adhere to it strictly, despite the fact that someone or other is going to be resentful.

Stalin will give Meretskov an object lesson on what it means to be "strict" in the Lubyanka after Operation Barbarossa starts. This is another step on a very tortuous and even torturous journey for Meretskov within the upper echelons of the Red Army. His career is by no means over, but Stalin will have his way with him before he restores Meretskov to any commands.

The disagreement appears to be personal (at least at this point), but Stalin has a reputation within the Red Army for acting ruthlessly toward his generals, dismissing them, practically killing them (and sometimes killing them) and then - when all seems lost for them - suddenly re-appointing the survivors to significant posts again. Without over-simplifying it or diminishing matters, Stalin's relationships with his generals at times resembles that of an abusive spouse. Firing them and even torturing them on very flimsy grounds is a challenging managerial technique - at least for subordinates - by which Stalin asserts his dominance and expresses his displeasure with certain characteristics of his generals.

Look Magazine, 14 January 1941.

Propaganda: Former Belgian Justice Minister Victor de Laveleye makes a BBC radio broadcast aimed at occupied Belgium. He proposes that Belgians (and others) use the letter "V" as a symbol of resistance. This letter begins both the French and Flemish words for "Victory." This is the beginning of the use of "V" throughout Occupied Europe as an anti-German code, with "V for Victory" being the intended meaning. This will lead to many covert uses of "V" in occupied areas throughout the war.

China: The Nationalist Chinese 3rd War Area completes the destruction of the encircled portions of the Chinese Communist New 4th Army near Maolin along the Yangtze River.

Holocaust: A deep frost has set in across Europe, which is particularly harmful to inmates at German concentration camps and ghettos such as those at Lodz and Auschwitz. Death tolls spike rapidly during chills due to insufficient food and heat.

German Homefront: With people spending more time in air raid shelters, Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels proposes that conduct there be regulated. He requests that a list of "Ten Commandments of the Air Raid Shelter" be posted in every shelter.

British Homefront: Minister of Food Lord Woolton imposes price controls on 21 food items, including chicken, coffee, cocoa, honey, tinned food, meat paste, rice and pasta, pickles and sauces, jellies and custard, biscuits, nuts, and processed cheese. Speculators have been gouging customers, and chicken prices have risen 50% recently. All prices are pegged to those at the beginning of December 1940. Other price controls are expected.

"Pilot Officer Mirosław Orzechowski, one of the Polish pilots serving with No. 607 Squadron RAF, standing on a wing of a Hurricane at RAF Usworth, 14 January 1941. He was known as "Shrimp" on account of his diminutive stature and treated as the Squadron's mascot." © IWM (HU 128318).

American Homefront: On or about this date, Nicholas B. Schenck, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's parent company, approaches RKO Pictures studio head George J. Schaefer with a proposed offer: drop "Citizen Kane" for cash. Schenck, acting on behalf of Louis B. Mayer and other Hollywood executives, offers Schaefer $805,000 to completely eliminate the film (which roughly is what it has cost to make). The Hollywood bosses are worried about the effect that alienating William Randolph Hearst might have on their own businesses - Hearst lackey Louella Parsons has been threatening them with exposés of their own business practices if they don't lean on Schaefer to drop "Kane." Schaefer does not want to take the deal but tells Schenck that he will talk to his lawyers and figure out what to do then.

Meanwhile, in New York City shortly after noon, two brothers, Anthony and William Esposito, kill a man during a robbery near the Empire State Building and then lead police on a violent chase. During their attempted escape, the brothers also murder a police officer (Edward Maher) and wound a taxi driver (Leonard Weisberg). The Esposito case will become famous for its expansion of the insanity defense (it doesn't work for the Esposito brothers but will for many others in decades to come).

Future History: Dorothy Faye Dunaway is born in Bascom, Florida. She studies acting in college, then begins appearing on Broadway. This leads to film roles, such as Otto Preminger's "Hurry Sundown," for which she is nominated for a Golden Globe. She quickly snags prime acting roles based in part upon this success, including "Bonnie and Clyde," which leads to "The Thomas Crown Affair," and "Little Big Man." Faye Dunaway goes on to win numerous acting awards and remains active in the film business.

Civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph proposes a march on Washington, D.C. to demand jobs in the defense industries for African Americans, which apparently is the first time this has been done.

January 1941

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

2020