Friday 11 July 1941

A Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun that crashed within the Reich province of Bohemia and Moravia (Czechoslovakia) on 11 July 1941.

Eastern Front: On 11 July 1941, the Soviets mount counterattacks against the advancing panzer spearheads of the Wehrmacht. The attack fails, as have all the others, and it is easy to forget about these bloody battles. However, there is a cumulative effect on the Germans that may not be apparent now - but will tell in the end.

Despite the spectacular successes of the past few weeks, Hitler, who has too much free time on his hands at Rastenburg, is worried. Field Marshal Keitel telephones General Halder, operations boss at OKH, at noon and lists Hitler's concerns:

1. Some following units are closing up too slowly on the most advanced units;
2. The south flank of Army Group North and north flank of Army Group Center are not cooperating together properly, as Hitler thinks that von Bock's troops to the south are not sufficiently helping von Leeb's troops to the north;
3. General Hoepner's 4th Panzer Group is "losing contact" with following infantry because it is moving too quickly.

Halder does not take these concerns very seriously. However, they reflect concerns that Hitler will return to repeatedly and, in some cases (such as the lack of cooperation between Army Groups), will pose real problems down the road as German forces get more stretched.

In the Far North, the Finnish offensive in Karelia toward the Svir River that began on 10 July continues. The Finns are pounding against strong Soviet defenses on the eastern shore of the Jänisjärvi Lake north of Lake Ladoga. Aggressive offensive operations are not a Finnish strength, they are better suited to defensive operations, but they continue attacking in order to open the way south.

Further north in the Salla area, the Finnish 3rd Division of III Corps continues beating against Soviet positions on the Vyonitsa River. Elsewhere, the front is stable today, and the Germans ask the Finns to send reinforcements to get their offensives rolling again. The Finns agree to send Infantry Regiment 14.

In the Army Group North sector, the Soviets launch counterattacks against General Hoepner's 4th Panzer Group, but without much effect. The German Army Group is preparing for an advance to the southeast of Leningrad to isolate it. The Soviets are using Nevel as a "straggler collection point" that is setting up divisions to be sent back to the front.

In the Army Group Center, General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 is across the Dnepr and attacking along two axes. General Hoth's Panzer Group 3 is hit by Soviet counterattacks from the southeast and stopped. Hoth's advance units on the south are on the Orsha-Vitebsk highway.

German troops of Panzer Group 1 secure the road from Kyiv to Odesa, 11 July 1941.

In the Army Group South sector, German Panzer Group 1 is within ten miles of Kyiv. XIV Panzer Corps (General Gustav von Wietersheim and 48 Panzer Corps (General Eberhard von Mackensen) advance to the south of Kyiv and reach the Dnepr River at Kremenchuk. The Germans are at the inner ring of Kiev's defenses but choose not to attack frontally at this time. The Romanian forces on the right flank of the advance have been weakened by Soviet counterattacks and the Germans now feel that they are no longer capable of offensive operations. During the day, the Soviets launch counterattacks at Panzer Group 1 at Berdichev in the south and Zhytomyr in the north.

The Germans are keeping a close eye on the Soviet commanders. General Halder notes in his war diary that the commander of Soviet Northwest Front (opposing Army Group North) is Voroshilov, that of Western Front is Marshal Timoshenko, and of Southwest Front, Budenny (Budyonny). Overall, Halder is pleased with the day's fighting, noting that "The bulk of the enemy forces apparently is being taken back to the east."

Inverted and destroyed heavy tank KV-2, belonging to the Soviet 14th Tank Division of the 7th Mechanized Corps of the Red Army. The city of Vitebsk, July 11, 1941.

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: The Commonwealth troops continue converging on Beirut from all directions. The situation is hopeless, and the Vichy French navy has evacuated Beirut and headed to Tripoli.

Overhead, a Vichy French Dewoitine D.520 fighter shoots down a Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk - the only Tomahawk shot down during the entire campaign. Offshore, during the early morning hours, the Royal Navy sends a squadron from Haifa led by light cruisers HMS Ajax and Phoebe on a sweep along the coast looking for Vichy French shipping, but find none.

At his headquarters in Beirut, General Dentz is busy trying to arrange a ceasefire, followed by an armistice. He reaches an agreement for a ceasefire against the wishes of the Petain regime in France. The terms officially are to go into effect at one minute past midnight on 12 July, but in reality, the fighting is over around 21:00.

The Bf-109F of II/JG 51 Luftwaffe Gruppenkommandeur Josef Fözö, 11 July 1941.

European Air Operations: During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 6 Stirling bombers of RAF No. 7 Squadron to attack the Le Trait shipyard and Hazebrouck. All of the planes return.

The RAF conducts Circus missions to Lille and Yainville, and a Rhubarb mission to Norrent-Fontes.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 36 Hampdens to attack Wilhelmshaven. The bombs damage a fishing boat and destroy a barrack hut, killing two people.

Josef “Joschko” Fözö, Gruppenkommandeur of II/JG 51 in Russia, claims his 24th victory today. However, later in the day, he crashes on take-off at Stava Bychow and is hospitalized. Fözö is out of action until 3 May 1942.

Josef “Joschko” Fözö, injured on 11 July 1941.

Battle of the Baltic: German minesweeper M-23 hits a mine and sinks in shallow water off Parnava, Estonia. It is later raised, repaired and returned to service.

Finnish submarine Iko-Tursu lays mines.

Battle of the Atlantic: British 215-ton fishing trawler FV Suzette runs aground in thick fog and is wrecked on Girdle Reef, Peterhead.

The RAF bombs and sinks German 2575-ton transport SS Delos/Donau of the Hamburg America Line off Tobruk.

British 246-ton freighter River Trent hits a mine and is damaged north of Sheringham. It is taken under tow to Great Yarmouth.

Convoy OB-345 departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Convoy HX-138 departs from Halifax bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Felixstowe is commissioned.

Canadian corvette HMCS Algoma (Lt. John Harding) is commissioned.

German S-Boat DKM S-49 is commissioned.

HMS Defender sinking in the Mediterranean, 11 July 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Right before dawn, the Luftwaffe (Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of Lehrgeschwader 1, piloted by Gerhard Stamp) catches one of the nightly Royal Navy supply missions to Tobruk as it is withdrawing to Alexandria. At 05:20, the German planes damage destroyer HMS Defender about 60 miles east of Tobruk. Fellow destroyer Vendetta tows Defender for a while, but eventually, Defender settles too low in the water and has to be scuttled. It sinks about seven miles north of Sidi Barrani. There are no deaths and five wounded.

After dark, the Luftwaffe raids Port Said and Ismailia with 52 bombers.

In Malta, the Italians conduct a fierce fighter attack that begins at 13:21. The Macchi 200 fighters strafe Luqa Airfield and destroy a Wellington bomber, damage four Wellingtons, and damage two Marylands. Hawker Hurricanes of RAF No. 185 Squadron intercept the Italian planes and while chasing them north, shooting down three Italian fighters and damaging four others.

Battle of the Black Sea: Soviet gunboats BKA-111 and BKA-134 advance into the Danube Estuary. Romanian coastal artillery opens fire and sinks them. Soviet gunboats No. 103 and No. 501 also are lost today, perhaps in this same action.

Under the supervision of German troops, women are inducted into the Labor Service in Riga, 11 July 1941 (Stupid, Federal Archives, Bild 146-1994-090-06A).

US Military: William J. "Wild Bill" Donovan becomes "Co-ordinator of Defense Information." Donovan is in the early stages of forming the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which is the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Both of those are based upon Donovan's observations in Great Britain early in 1941 of the British intelligence service, MI6. The Presidential statement on the appointment states in part:

In his capacity as Coordinator, Mr. Donovan will collect and assemble information and data bearing on national security from the various departments and agencies of the Government and will analyze and collate such materials for the use of the President and such other officials as the President may designate.

President Roosevelt adds to his appropriations request of 10 July for $4.7 billion with an additional request for $3.3 billion for the US Navy. These are all unheard-of sums, particularly stacked one upon the other, but Congress is firmly behind the war effort (with some notable isolationist exceptions).

CA-34 USS Astoria at Mare Island Navy Yard on July 11, 1941.

German Military: Adolf Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 32, "Preparations for the Time After Barbarossa." Reflecting utter confidence in the outcome of the war in the East, the directive begins:

After destruction of the Soviet Armed Forces, Germany and Italy will be military masters of the European Continent, with the temporary exception of the Iberian Peninsula. No serious threat to Europe by land will then remain.

The lengthy directive instructs the Commanders-in-Chief of the different services to "begin the planning and organization" of a list of things to be done once the Soviet Union is defeated. The most salient point in the directive and the only one that comes close to having any impact is Hitler's order that:

The main efforts of the armaments industry can be diverted to the Navy and Air Force.

The directive contemplates a renewed prosecution of the "peripheral strategy" against Great Britain in the Mediterranean. Hitler only gives passing reference to England, noting only that tighter ties with France will further isolate London and that:

In addition to these contemplated operations against the British position in the Mediterranean, the 'Siege of England' must be resumed with the utmost intensity by the Navy and Air Force after the conclusion of the campaign in the East.

Preparations for an invasion of England will continue in the hopes of tying down English forces at home (and thus not in the vital Mediterranean battleground) and "and of bringing about a final English collapse through a landing in England."

The directive also offhandedly contemplates "a German operation from Bulgaria through Turkey" to advance toward the Suez Canal, and "Exploitation of the Arab Freedom Movement." Hitler also has plans for Iran, Afghanistan, and India, which he previously offered to Stalin in exchange for joining his war.

Finnish Military: Julius Johannes Björklund is appointed the first Field Bishop (kenttäpiispa) for the Finnish Army. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Church of Finland.

British Military: General Archibald Wavell takes up his new command in India.

17-year-old Jeanne Cline won the Women's Western Golf Association junior championship at St. Charles (IL) Country Club on July 11, 1941.

German Government: Hitler talks late into the night with his cronies, expounding as usual on his philosophical theories. He notes that "Russian atheists know how to die." However, Hitler has no use for atheism, concluding, "We don't want to educate anyone in atheism."

US Government: Robert Jackson is sworn in as a new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Holocaust: The Germans, who took Vitebsk on 10 July, begin creating the Vitebsk Ghetto. The Germans will incarcerate 16,000 Jews in the ghetto, which will be notorious for its poor conditions.

It is the first day of executions at Ponary, Lithuania. A resident, Kazimierz Sakowicz, writes in his diary that he hears shots from a nearby forest where Jews have been taken, and that "the shots last an hour or two." He puts the number of Jews at 200.

Autographed promotional shot from Three Stooges comedy "I'll Never Heil Again," released on 11 July 1941.

American Homefront: Paramount Pictures releases "Forced Landing." Starring Richard Arlen, Eva Gabor, J. Carrol Naish, Nils Asther and Evelyn Brent, "Forced Landing" follows the travails of a pilot in fictional, tropical "Mosaque" who must thwart plans by a treacherous foreigner to steal US military secrets. This is Eva Gabor's film debut.

Columbia Pictures releases "I'll Never Heil Again," starring the Three Stooges. A short, "I'll Never Heil Again" follows the trio as they attempt to take over Europe along with their "Axel" partners. The film is notable because it is the first sequel to another film in the Three Stooges canon, and also because the Stooges break the fourth wall and directly address the audience.

A flier from the continuing strike at Disney Studios, 11 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

Saturday 28 June 1941

A Soviet 32nd Division T-34 tank destroyed near Suhovolja west of Lviv, Ukraine, 28 or 29 June 1941.

Eastern Front: The big news of 28 June 1941 is the German capture of Minsk. This is the most famous Soviet city taken to date and a key stop on the high road to Moscow. Italian puppet state Albania declares war on the Soviet Union.

In the Army Group North sector, the Wehrmacht advances across the Dvina River on a railway bridge at Riga. The Red Army is in full retreat and the Dvina River line essentially lost already. Soviet Marshal Timoshenko virtually takes over the Northwestern Front from General Kuznetsov (who technically remains in command) and orders a stand on the Velikaya River. Soviet 21st Mechanized Corps unsuccessfully attacks the German 4th Panzer Group at the Daugavpils bridgehead.

Far behind the front, the fortress of Brest still holds out at Brest-Litovsk. The German 45th Infantry Division (Generalmajor Fritz Schlieper) makes slow progress, but the defenders are resisting every step and the Germans have lost literally hundreds of men. The German infantry units assigned to the task of reducing the east fort and citadel, the only points still in the hands of the Soviets, use captured Soviet and French tanks to blast the defenders. Included among the Soviets is at least one commissar, Yefirm Fomin, would be shot on sight, and about 300 families of Soviet servicemen. Rather than continue pressing forward solely using costly ground attacks or sit through an extended siege, the Wehrmacht finally calls for the Luftwaffe to prepare to soften up the trapped Soviet soldiers on the 29th. The fortress is important because it stands along the main German supply line on the road to Moscow.

A Soviet T-28 with extra armor abandoned after mechanical issues. Ukraine. Summer of 1941. Tanks breaking down is a major problem for the Red Army during this period of time.

In the Army Group Center front, the 2nd (Guderian) and 3rd (Hoth) Panzer Groups, having closed a pincer movement west of Minsk on the 27th, advance east and take the city. The Soviet Western Front under General of the Army Dimitri Pavlov is virtually completely encircled, with the trapped armies including all or large parts of Soviet 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, and 13th Armies. In addition, the German Fourth and Ninth Armies link east of Bialystok, splitting the Soviet pocket.

A mass panic develops among Soviet troops and civilians alike as they flee eastward in the direction of Moscow. The OKH (German Army headquarters) and Army Group Center commander General Fedor von Bock are unanimously in agreement that the panzers need to head toward the Soviet capital at full speed. However, at his new Wolfschanze headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia, Adolf Hitler is getting nervous about the panzers outrunning the infantry. As at Dunkirk a year earlier, Hitler considers halting the panzers so the infantry can catch up.

Soviet General Pavlov.

Stalin had had enough with General Pavlov. He decides to recall the entire Western Front staff to Moscow and accuse them of intentional disorganization of defense and retreat without a battle. The sentence of death is a mere formality, they are all shot within weeks. The new Acting Western Front commander (not yet chosen at this time) will be Colonel General Andrey Ivanovich Yeryomenko (aka Eremenko and Yeremenko). Eremenko, recalled to Moscow on 30 June, cannot make it to the Front headquarters at Mogilev until 1 July.

In the Army Group South sector, the Battle of Brody continues. It is not going well for the Soviets, who are losing tanks in a series of disjointed attacks. The Germans are most alarmed at an advance by General Nikolai Popel's powerful force of 300 tanks which has cut 11th Panzer Division's lines of communications at Dubno. The Germans quickly reshuffle their forces and attack Popel with elements of the 16th Motorized, 75th Infantry Division, two other infantry divisions, and General Hans-Valentin Hube's 16th Panzer Division. The Wehrmacht quickly surrounds Dubno, stopping Popel's advance and forcing him onto the defensive.

A photo of demolished buildings in Tauroggen, Lithuania that was taken on 28 June 1941. (Dumm, Federal Archives, Bild 146-1974-171-14).

Soviet troops attempting to follow Popel to Dubno have little success. General Ryabyshev sends his 300 tanks (49 T-34 and 46 KV) against the German 57th Infantry and 75th Infantry Divisions, as well as elements of 16th Panzer Division. The attack fails and Ryabyshev retreats, isolating Popel. Soviet General Andrey Vlasov orders his 4th Mechanized Corps (313 T-34 and 101 KV tanks) to protect the rear of the retreating General I.I. Karpezo's 15th Mechanized Corps, which has seen little action because Karpezo keeps changing his mind and issuing contrary orders. Soviet 19th Mechanized Corps (General Feklenko) comes within a few miles of Dubno but then is pushed back.

Elsewhere, German forces take Rivne. The Germans intend to make Rivne the administrative center of Reichskommissariat Ukraine. However, first, Rivne must be "cleansed" to German standards. Half of Rivne's population is Jewish and the SS Einsatzgruppen move into the town quickly to begin liquidations.

A major problem for the Soviets is that their tanks are breaking down in large numbers. Their formidable numerical superiority over the Germans masks the fact that the roads are littered with broken-down tanks, including the most advanced models.

A photo that was taken on 28 June 1941 somewhere in the Soviet Union. "Two Bolshevik soldiers, disguised as peaceful civilians, were tracked down in a cornfield. These snipers and saboteurs will be ruthlessly [dealt with]." (Leßmann, Federal Archives Bild 146-1989-038-36).

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: The British Habforce in Iraq continues pressing its attack toward the Vichy French airbase at Palmyra. Today, Habforce ally Glubb Pasha takes his Arab Legion to capture the French fort of Seba' Biyar (Seba Biya, about 60 miles south-west of Palmyra) when the French garrison simply surrenders. Habforce unit 21st Indian Brigade of the 10th Indian Division advances across the Iraq/Syrian border along the Euphrates, but are slowed by French air attacks and supply issues.

Further west, the Vichy French and Australians battle over mountain peaks east of Beirut. The Australian 2/3 Battalion is dislodged from the top of Jebel Mazar, a key position because it controls the road from British-occupied Damascus and French-occupied Beirut. Elsewhere, though, the Australians occupy other peaks abandoned by the French (and Senegalese).

In the air, the battle the Vichy French and RAAF continues with great ferocity. The Australian P-40 Tomahawks claim six victories over the French. Flight Officer Lt. A.C. Rawlinson files three claims.

Off the coast, Australian light cruiser Perth and accompanying destroyers bombard Damur during the afternoon.

Mickey Sprick with his JG 26 (note the Schlageter logo) BF 109.

European Air Operations: RAF Fighter Command sends Circus missions against Comines. During the night, RAF Bomber Command has 34 aircraft lay mines.

Luftwaffe ace Oblt. Gustav “Mickey” Sprick, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26, perishes in an accident when his wing sheers off during a turn over St. Omer. He has 31 victories.

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet submarine M-99 of the Baltic Fleet hits a mine off Hiiumaa Island and sinks.

A German motor torpedo boat torpedo and sinks Soviet submarine S-10 in Danzig Bay.

The Soviets scuttle destroyer Lenin at Libau (Liepāja), Latvia.

Finnish ship Vetehinen lays mines off the Estonian coast.

A photo was taken on 28 June 1941. Original caption: "Too good for a bullet: these Jews betrayed 5 German soldiers and some national Poles to the Russians; the betrayed were captured and martyred to death by the Red Army. The Jews shown here were shot immediately." (Herrmann, Federal Archives, Bild 146-1995-063-34).

Battle of the Atlantic: U-146 (Oblt. Otto Ites), on its first patrol out of Kiel, gets its only victory of the war about 100 nautical miles (190 km, 120 miles) northwest of the Butt of Lewis, Scotland. It is 3496-ton Finnish freighter Pluto. There are 36 survivors, including ten marines, rescued by HMS Northern Duke. There are 12 deaths.

U-146 goes on a second patrol from 26 July - 11 August 1941, but scores no more victories. After that, it remains in Wilhelmshaven as a training boat in the 22nd U-boat Flotilla. It is scuttled on 2 May 1945 and later scrapped.

Italian submarine Da Vinci torpedoes and sinks 8030-ton British tanker Auris several hundred miles off Casablanca. There are 32 deaths and 27 survivors, picked up by HMS Farndale.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Tatar intercepts and sinks German weather ship Lauenburg with gunfire off Jan Mayen.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 4972-ton British freighter Barrhill north of Great Yarmouth. There are five deaths and 35 survivors.

US destroyer USS Madison runs aground at the southeast tip of Moratties Shoal, Placentia Harbor, Argentia, Newfoundland. It sustains some damage but remains in service, heading as scheduled for Boston on the 29th.

Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Euryalus is commissioned, escort carrier Chaser is laid down.

The US Navy lays down submarines USS Wahoo and Whale, both at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California.

Nurses aboard TSS Oranje II. This is a hospital ship that is handed over by the Dutch Netherlands Indies Government on 28 June 1941 to Australia and New Zealand for use as a hospital ship (Sam Hood, Australian National Maritime Museum No. 00021317).

Battle of the Mediterranean: Royal Navy submarine HMS Severn torpedoes and sinks 2900-ton Italian freighter Ugo Bassi about five miles off Capo Monte Santu in the Gulf of Orosei (off Orosei, Sardinia).

Force H at Gibraltar executes a quick turnaround at Gibraltar after completing Operation Railway 1. It quickly departs on Operation Railway 2, another supply mission to Malta. Aircraft carrier HMS Furious carries 8 Hurricanes and Ark Royal carries 26 Hurricanes. Following standard practice, the ships first head west from Gibraltar to throw off any shore-based spies.

Italian light cruisers Attendolo and Duca D'Aosta lay mines in the Sicilian Channel.

On Malta, the RAF forms new fighter squadron No. 126 at Ta Qali. Its commander is Wing Commander Alexander C Rabagliati.

A photo that was taken on 28 June 1941 in Prienai, Lithuania. Original title in German: "Where Germans are - the Jew has to work. As in Poland, as now in Lithuania. And there is so much to do on the streets alone...." (Trautvetter, Federal Archives, Bild 146-1974-170-23).

Battle of the Black Sea: Soviet gunboat No. 204 is hit by Romanian shore artillery and badly damaged. The Soviet master runs the ship aground to avoid sinking. The Romanians later refloat and repair the ship for their own use, designating it V12 of the Romanian Navy.

Spy Stuff: During the Royal Navy encounter with German weather ship Lauenburg north of Iceland, the British of HMS Tartar board the ship. They find codes and equipment useful for cracking German codes, then Tartar sinks the ship.

Propaganda: Well-known British author P.G. Wodehouse ("My Man Jeeves") begins the first of five broadcasts from Berlin entitled "How to be an Internee Without Previous Training." They are not political except in the broadest sense and include humorous anecdotes and personal experiences. Wodehouse tells how he was trapped at Le Touquet during the Battle of France, then taken to prisons at Loos (Lille) and then Tost, Upper Silesia before being allowed to return home to Le Touquet. The Gestapo recently has forced Wodehouse to move to the expensive Hotel Adlon in Berlin - at his own expense - through a mixture of coercion and persuasion (they allow him access to his frozen assets in exchange for cooperation). All the British public knows, though, is that he is living in "luxury" while helping the Germans.

The broadcasts over CBS are aimed at the United States but recorded for later rebroadcast to England in August. The original broadcasts continue on 9, 23 and 30 July, and 6 August 1941. They lead to hostility toward Wodehouse throughout Britain (but not in the United States, partly due to the fact that he is not as well known there). The broadcasts also create enduring post-war problems for Wodehouse with the British authorities, though no charges are ever brought against him.

Special Ops: The Italians cancel the mission of Italian submarine Scirè to launch midget submarines against Grand Harbour, Malta.

Vannevar Bush and Arthur Compton, 1940.

Applied Science: President Franklin Roosevelt signs Executive Order 8807 creating the Office of Scientific Research and Development. This umbrella organization includes the National Defense Research Committee and the newly established Committee on Medical Research. Dr. Vannevar Bush, president of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, is appointed the head of the new organization. Dr. James B. Conant replaces Bush on the National Defense Research Committee.

German/Soviet Relations: German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop sends a diplomatic request to the Berlin Japanese Embassy. It requests that Japan join Operation Barbarossa from the east. The suggested target for the Japanese attack is Vladivostok, which the Soviets can use at this time as a port of supply from the United States. This would violate the recent Japanese/Soviet Neutrality Pact.

At some point during this week - details are very sketchy - Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin attempts to broker a peace deal with Hitler through a Bulgarian diplomat, Ivan Stamenov. Foreign Minister Molotov has Lavrentiy Beria arrange this by using one of Beria's subordinates, NKVD officer Pavel Sudoplatov, who has a "casual" lunch at a Moscow restaurant with the diplomat. Sudoplatov explains to Stamenov what to say to Hitler. Stalin is willing to offer huge concessions for peace, including Ukraine and all of the areas granted to him in the "secret protocol" to the 23 August 1939 Molotov/Ribbentrop Pact in the Baltic States. Stalin does, though, demand to know why Hitler invaded the USSR.

Hitler turns Stalin down flat and will not even consider the offer. This is one of Hitler's biggest mistakes. These revelations were hidden for many years but came to light during the period after Stalin died from natural causes in the 1950s. There are few other details of this little-known incident, but there is no reason to doubt that it happened. This peace offer was classified as treason and was one of the charges used to condemn Beria to death. The others involved - including the Bulgarian Stamenov diplomat used as the go-between - submitted affidavits confirming the incident. Sudoplatov confessed to it under interrogation and also was convicted of treason, serving 15 full years in prison (yes, there are many questions about the validity of such "proof," but there was a lot of corroboration). Molotov was never tried for treason despite his deep role in the incident, but gradually fell out of favor, lost his positions one by one, and by 1962 was a "non-person" in the Soviet bureaucracy.
Japanese Military: After consideration, the government decides not to join the German invasion of the Soviet Union. While this is not required under the Tripartite Pact, which is defensive in nature, the German government has harbored hopes that Japan would "join the party." The Japanese, however, remember the lesson taught to them in Manchuria by Soviet General Zhukov.

Finnish Military: While Finland is at war with Germany, very little fighting has occurred to date. Today, the Finnish General Staff finalizes plans for an offensive into Ladoga Karelia. It is planned for 10 July. In the Salla/Kandalasksha region, Finnish troops prepare for an offensive against the Murmansk railway in conjunction with German forces. At this time, the Finns are ready to invade the historically Soviet territory near Finland and not just recover Finnish territory recently lost during the Winter War.

Spanish Military: General Agustin Munoz Grandes is appointed to command the new volunteer Blue Division. It is being formed to support Operation Barbarossa in the Soviet Union.

A restored 1941 Plymouth P12 Special Deluxe 4 Door Sedan Staff Car.

British Military: Whitehall asks Australia to send a division to reinforce Malaya.

British Government: Oliver Lyttelton becomes British minister in the Middle East.

US Government: The US Senate confirms Harlan F. Stone to be the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Soviet Government: The Soviet NKVD, NKGB, and the Chief Prosecutor Office sign a secret order regarding the investigation of subversives. This will be used quickly to liquidate many Ukrainian nationalists.

Philippines: Admiral Thomas C. Hart transfers his headquarters ashore from USS Houston.

A victim of the Jassy pogrom (the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum).

Holocaust: The pogrom against Jews in Kaunas/Kovno continues. It is largely carried out by local citizens, though the Germans stand by idly, allowing it to proceed. The extent of German participation is disputed, but there is little question that the German troops at least silently condone and encourage the pogrom. An estimated 3800 Jews are massacred in the city during this period.

In newly captured Minsk, the Gestapo quickly immediately all men 15-45 years of age to register at a central collection point. The Germans immediately apprehend the registrants and march them to the Drozdy concentration camp.

The Soviet NKVD begins killing an unknown number of Ukrainian nationalists in Lviv. Those not liquidated are transported to the east.

The Croatian Ustaše are committing so many atrocities against Serbs that the German representative there signals the OKW that it may cause problems.

A pogrom begins in Jassy (Iassy, Iasi, Yassy), Romania.

A 1941 Ford Super Deluxe two-door convertible.

American Homefront: New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio goes 2-5 with a double against the Philadelphia Athletics in Shibe Park. This is the 40th straight game in which he has hit, extending his club record of consecutive games with a hit.

Colonel Bill "Wild Bill" Donovan, founder of the OSS/CIA, makes a speech broadcast over the CBS radio network. Framing the war as a religious crusade, he concludes:

We must reassert our belief in a Christian democracy—a democracy whose chief concern is not for human life but for human liberty; not for peace but for the dignity of man in the image of his Master.

He also states that "we must assume that Germany will defeat Russia," which is a common view at this time.

Future History: David Johnston is born in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He later becomes the 28th Governor General of Canada from 2010-2017.

Alphonso Downing is born in Trenton, New Jersey. He becomes a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees on 19 July 1961 and plays on various teams until 13 July 1977. Al Downing is most famous for giving up Hank Aaron's 715th home run (one more than Babe Ruth) as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers on 8 April 1974. After retiring, Downing becomes a Dodgers broadcaster and still attends Yankees Old-Timers Day festivities.

Three (of twelve) contestants for the title of "America's Dairy Queen" for 1942, a contest held in Chenango County, New York. Barbara Tingley, right, wins.

June 1941

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

2020

Wednesday 18 June 1941

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

London Docks, 18 June 1941.

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

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

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

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

Convoy SL-78 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filmwoche Magazine, 18 June 1941.

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

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

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

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

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

The Kriegsmarine lays mines in the Baltic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 1941

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

2020