Friday 1 August 1941

A Finnish soldier with a Carcano rifle on August 1, 1941 (SA-Kuva).

Eastern Front: In the Far North sector on 1 August 1941, Finnish II Corps continues its new offensive toward Lake Ladoga. The defending Soviet 198th Motorized Division is in full retreat. The Finns have benefited from having captured a copy of Soviet plans for a counteroffensive. The first Finnish objective is the town of Lahdenpohja on the extreme northern shore of Lake Ladoga. Capturing it will cut the preferred retreat route for Soviet forces still holding out to the northwest and force them to fall back on Leningrad - if that route is not also cut by then.

The Germans are still determined to cut the Murmansk railway in the "waist" of the country despite the fact that its offensive has stalled east of Salla. The goal is Kandalaksha (Belomorje), which does not appear very far away on the map but requires crossing rough terrain full of positions favoring the defense. General von Falkenhorst is pressuring XXXVI Corps commander, General Hans Feige, to get moving. Feige takes a calculated risk and thins his front in order to make a flanking thrust east with the Finnish 6th Division in the south. As the Soviets withdraw, Feige plans to take all of the German 169th Division and create a pincer from the north. The plan depends upon the Soviets being caught by surprise and being leveraged out of their prepared defenses by the threatening Finnish flanking move.

In the Army Group North sector, the German 16th Army (Colonel-General Ernst Busch) continues attacking toward Staraya Russa south of Lake Ilmen.

In the Army Group Center sector, fierce fighting continues in the vicinity of the Smolensk pocket of trapped Soviet troops. The trapped Soviets bitterly defend Orsha and Vitebsk, while also continuing fierce counterattacks against the advanced Panzer Group 2 position at Yelnya. Soviet attacks along the northern edge of the Pripet Marshes are beaten off. German XXIV Armeekorps (General Geyr von Schweppenburg) advances from a bridgehead on the Sozh River and against the eastern flank of the trapped 28th Army and Group Kachalov. General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 is attacking toward Roslavl.

In the Army Group South sector, the Germans are getting closer to encircling the massive Soviet troop concentration at Uman. Panzer Group 1 (General von Kleist) is advancing to meet advance elements of the 17th Field Army. A secondary meeting between the German 16th Panzer Division and Hungarian Mechanized Corps (Gyorshadtest) also is nearing completion. The Soviets are forbidden to retreat, and at least are buying time for the Stavka to form a defensive line on the far side of the Dnieper River.

Soviet General Kirponos launches a counterattack by the 5th Army against the flank of the German Sixth Army (General von Reichenau). The attack is centered around Malin south of the Pripet Marsh. The German line bends but does not break, while advances to the east continue at Dubossary on the far side of the Dniester and elsewhere.

German fighter squadron JG 54 gets its 1000th victory when Lt. Max-Hellmuth of 7./JG 54 downs a Russian DB-3 near Luga.

F-32 Armed KV-1 Model 1940 knocked out and ready for a tow in Korkino in the Tosnensky District, Leningrad Oblast in August 1941. Note the numerous shell hits.

European Air Operations: Operations continue to be light after an extended period of poor flying weather. The RAF resumes Operation Channel Stop with a Circus attack by three Blenheim bombers with heavy fighter escort on shipping off Nieuport. The attack is unsuccessful and the RAF loses two bombers.

RAF No. 133 Squadron becomes active. It is to be composed of volunteer American pilots and is one of the "Eagle" squadrons (the first two being Nos. 71 and 121 Squadrons). 133 Squadron actually is an old World War I squadron that was disbanded on 4 July 1918. The squadron becomes the third of the Eagle Squadrons. At first, it is based at RAF Coltishall but quickly moves to RAF Duxford.

Uffz. Hugo Dahmer, of 1./JG 77 based in Norway, is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet motor torpedo boats attack the German 1st torpedo boat flotilla off Cape Domesnes, Latvia. The Germans sink Soviet MTB TK-122. Soviet torpedo boat TK-74 sinks German minesweepers RA-53 and 55, though it is unclear if this is during the same engagement. The Soviets also lose torpedo boat No. 123 on this date.

Before dawn, Luftwaffe KG4 lays 38 LMB imines in the mouth of the Triigi River, while later the German 2nd S-Boat Flotilla lays 24 TMB mines off Dago Island and Muhu (Moon) Island.

German coastal guards at Dieppe, 1 August 1941.

Battle of the Atlantic: Operation FB, a Royal Navy attack on Spitsbergen, continues as oiler HMS Oligarch refuels the ships at Spitsbergen.

Operation EF, the Royal Navy raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes, is largely concluded. Aircraft carrier Furious and its support vessels depart the area for Scapa Flow, while carrier Victorious remains in the area roughly 40 miles northeast of Bear Island. Minelayer Adventure, detached from the force, arrives safely in Archangel carrying a cargo of parachute mines.

The Luftwaffe bombs and badly damages 4317-ton Royal Navy submarine HMS Trident in the Tyne. The entire crew has time to abandon ship and be rescued before Trident sinks on 2 August.
U-331 (Kptlt. Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen) joins the list of U-boats refueling from "interned" German supply ship Thalia in Cadiz.

US Task Group TG 2.5 is on patrol out of Hampton Roads, Virginia. It is led by aircraft carrier Yorktown (CV-5).

US transport USS West Point (AP-23) arrives safely in New York from Lisbon carrying American and Chinese consular personnel who have been ordered to leave Germany, Italy and occupied Europe.

The German B-Dienst naval intelligence service identifies the location of Convoy SL-81 and sends the information to the U-boat command in Paris. The Germans set up a U-boat picket line to intercept the convoy.

Convoy HX-142 departs from Halifax bound for Liverpool, Convoy SC-39 departs from Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada bound for Liverpool.

Canadian armed yacht HMCS Vencedor is commissioned (formerly Exmouth II).

US Navy submarine USS Marlin (Lt. George A. Sharp, Jr.) is commissioned, anti-aircraft cruiser Reno is laid down.

U-154 (K.Kapt. Walther Kölle) is commissioned, U-198, U-226, and U-266 are laid down.

Cruiser Mk V Covenanter III tanks of British 9th Queen's Royal Lancers on exercise, Tidworth, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom, 1 August 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: Italian submarine Delfino shoots down an RAF Short Sunderland flying boat of No.230 Squadron boat north of Bardia while the plane is dropping six depth charges at it. The Royal Navy sends out destroyers HMS Jackal, Jervis, Kingston, and Nizam to search for the submarine, but it escapes. This is the first time a submarine shoots down a flying boat. The Delfino picks up four survivors of the downed flying boat.

Operation Style, a Royal Navy convoy mission to Malta, continues. Before dawn, aircraft carrier Ark Royal launches nine Swordfish against Alghero airfield on Sardinia as a diversion. One of the Swordfish crashes while returning to the carrier, killing the 3-man crew and two men on the flight deck. The main body of the convoy continues toward Malta unmolested.

The RAF sends nine Blenheim bombers to attack German army vehicles at Sidi Omar. The RAF continues night attacks against the harbors at Benghazi and Derna.

Operation Guillotine, the British reinforcement of Cyprus, continues with corvette HMS Hyacinth escorting transport Salamaua from Port Said to Famagusta.

Royal Navy troopship Glenearn, damaged in the Luftwaffe raid of 14 July 1941 on Suez, Egypt, is taken in tow by 6169-ton freighter City of Kimberley for repairs at Bombay, India.

The nightly supply run to Tobruk is by destroyers Decoy and Hero.

Royal Navy submarine Thunderbolt departs from Gibraltar carrying a load of aviation fuel for Malta.

At Malta, three RAF No. 82 Squadron Blenheim bombers attack Lampedusa. One is hit by anti-aircraft fire and crash-lands in the sea. Everyone survives.

Battle of the Black Sea: The Red Air Force attacks Constanza, Romania, causing damage to harbor and oil facilities. This is the first use during the war of airplanes - where bombers are modified to carry fighters and launch them near a target to extend their range. Tupolev TB-3 bombers are used to carry modified Polikarpov I-16 fighters. In this mission, two Zveno-SPB (a variant of the TB-3 aircraft), each carrying two I-16 fighter-bombers, destroy an Axis oil depot in Constanta County, Romania. All Soviet aircraft return to base safely.

This is the culmination of a decade-long Soviet preparation of such forces. While the operation concludes successfully, the use of such parasitic aircraft in an offensive role is never repeated by the Soviets, perhaps because it makes more sense just to have the bombers themselves bomb the targets.

A P-40 formation over Oahu, 1 August 1941 (Hawaii Aviation).

War Crimes: German General Alexander Andrae, the new commander-in-chief on Crete, approves of further repressive measures against the population of Crete in retaliation for its opposition to Operation Mercury in May. Accordingly, today the Germans conduct the second wave of executions at Alikianos, which previously saw dozens of civilians executed in June. The Germans gather 118 civilians at a bridge over the Keritis River near Alikianos, force them to dig their own graves, and then shoot them.

The dead are from Aliaknos (12) and nearby villages Fournes (Greek: Φουρνές), Skines (Σκηνές), Vatolakos (Βατόλακκος), Koufo (Κουφό), Prases (Πρασές), Karanou (Καράνου), Lakkoi (Λάκκοι), Orthouni (Ορθούνι), Nea Roumata (Νέα Ρούματα) and Hosti (Χωστή).

A monument commemorating this execution stands near the Keritis bridge.

Spy Stuff: The Japanese Imperial Navy changes its operating code from B.6 to B.7 of JN.25. This requires US Navy cryptographers to seek ways to break this new code, which they have difficulty doing.

The Japanese continue keeping a close eye on US military activities throughout the Pacific. Today, the Manila embassy reports the arrival of US liner President Coolidge.

Experimental Lockheed XJO-3 in 1938.

Applied Science: United States researchers begin testing a specially modified Lockheed Electra XJO-3 that has been equipped with an AI-10 microwave radar installed for airborne testing. The radar has been developed by Radiation Laboratory from MIT. The flight tests are made out of Boston Airport. The radar includes a PPI (Plan Position Indicator) for display. During testing, which continues until 16 October 1941, the microwave radar detects aircraft at a range of 3.5 miles and ships at 40 miles (64 km). Among the advantages of this radar is that it enables pilots to plan approaches on aircraft from miles away in all weather conditions.

Anglo/Finnish Relations: Following the British raid on Petsamo and Kirkenes on 31 July, Finland completely severs relations with the UK and closes the British legation in Helsinki. The British do likewise. Finland previously had "paused" relations, but with some prospect of restoring them. The raid, however, ends that possibility despite the fact that the British achieved very little by it. From the Finnish perspective, the raid was completely unjustified, as it views the Continuation War as separate and apart from Operation Barbarossa. The West, however, views the Finnish Army as nothing but an arm of the Wehrmacht seeking world domination. The move pleases the Germans, who have been pressuring Finland to terminate relations with the UK.

Anglo/Soviet Relations: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill sends a message to Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin that is received today. This is one in a long line of such messages to which Stalin does not respond. This one states that "Following my personal intervention," the UK is sending 10,000 tons of rubber by sea. This, Churchill adds, is in addition to 10,000 tons already on its way.

US/Soviet Relations: Having completed his talks with Stalin to set up lend-lease deliveries, President Roosevelt's personal emissary, Harry Hopkins, departs from Moscow and heads back to the United Kingdom by air.

German crew sighting the 20mm cannon on a Bf 109F fighter of JG 54 'Grünherz' fighter wing, near Leningrad, Russia, Aug 1941 (Federal Archive, Bild 101I-390-1220-19).

US/Japanese Relations: The Japanese Foreign Office opens discussions with the US State Department on ways to resume passenger service between the US and Japan.

The Japanese Board of Information publishes an article in the Tokyo Gazette that justifies the recent Japanese advance into French Indochina. It calls the situation in the country "complicated and chaotic" and claims that the Nationalist government in Chungking had its own designs on Indochina. The French simply have come to recognize the "ring of hostile nations" surrounding Indochina which is "jeopardizing its self-preservation and defense." The Japanese "reinforcement" of Indochina thus was "no more than an action calculated to remove the menace" posed by China and its allies Great Britain, the United States, and the Netherlands.

The US imposes an oil embargo against Japan for being an aggressor state in Asia.

Japanese/Thai Relations: Japanese Foreign Minister Toyoda is negotiating with the Thai government to set up a funding mechanism for Japanese purchases of Thai goods despite the recent British fund-freezing of Japanese accounts. The two sides reach a tentative agreement today by which Thai currency laws would be revised to permit a large loan by Thailand to finance Japanese purchases. All that remains to be settled are the rate of interest and time limit on such a loan, and that is soon overcome. The 10,000,000 baht loan is finalized on 2 August.

Thailand officially recognizes the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.

German/Japanese Relations: Japanese Ambassador to Germany Oshima cables to Tokyo that a "reliable German source" has told him that Soviet casualties had reached 2.5 million men. The Germans also tell Oshima that the Wehrmacht already has reached Leningrad, but that can't be revealed publicly until the city actually is taken. Furthermore, the Germans claim to have destroyed 10,000 Red Air Force planes. The Germans claim that negative reports about fighting in the USSR are due to Allied attempts to woo neutrals such as Turkey. The Hess flight to Scotland is explained away as a failed attempt to gain British assistance in the fight against communism in the Soviet Union.

The Germans clearly are feeding Oshima lies or at least exaggerations in an attempt to create the impression that the Soviet Union is closer to defeat than it actually is. For instance, the Wehrmacht is still far away from Leningrad and is not in the practice of "withholding" news of military achievements.

Danish/Japanese Relations: Denmark establishes diplomatic relations with the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.

P-40s over Oahu (Hawaii Aviation).

US Military: Naval Air Station Midway is established on Midway Island. While geographically a part of the Hawaiian chain, Midway heretofore has been used primarily as a way-station for commercial flying boats crossing the Pacific. NAS Midway run by Commander Cyril T. Simard.

The first mass-produced military jeep is completed at Willy's Overland factory in Toledo, Ohio. This is generally considered the jeep's "birthday," though it has been in development for some time.

Major General Jacob L. Devers is named by General Marshall as Chief of the Armored Force. Devers' new headquarters is at For Knox, Kentucky. He replaces Major General Adna R. Chaffee, Jr., who is terminally ill with cancer. General Devers has the 1st Armored Division at Fort Polk, Louisiana, the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Knox, and an independent tank battalion at Fort George Meade, Maryland, the 70th Tank Battalion. Devers quickly takes up planning for a large-scale wargame called the Louisiana Maneuvers to begin later in August 1941.

Japanese Military: Imperial Japanese Navy 6863-ton seaplane tender Kimikawa Maru completes her conversion at Kure, Japan. It embarks six "Jake" reconnaissance floatplanes with two in reserve and is assigned to the Sasebo Naval District.

Soviet Military: Stalin, impressed by tests of rocket-powered fighters, issues an order dated today that calls for a prototype to be developed within a month.

Stalin appoints General Vasilevsky Head of the Operations Directorate for the General Staff General Pavel Batov is appointed Deputy Commanding Officer of the 51st Army.

Sheet music for "Too Many Blondes," released 1 August 1941 and starring Rudy Vallee and Helen Parrish. Vallee will enlist in the United States Coast Guard and become a Lieutenant in charge of a 40-piece band.

German Military: The 5th Light Division, serving with the Afrika Korps, is redesignated 21st Panzer Division.

Walter Grabmann becomes commanding officer of the prestigious Zerstörerschule 2 training unit based in Memmingen, Germany.

Around this time, Joachim Peiper returns from Heinrich Himmler's personal staff to an informal position within the SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). Peiper previously served with the LSSAH as a platoon leader during the Battle of France but returned to Himmler's staff as his first adjutant thereafter. Throughout the war, Peiper alternates between the LSSAH and Himmler's staff, often working on both at the same time. Officially, Peiper does not formally transfer to the LSSAH until October, but he appears to "free-lance" as an observer there with Himmler's approval. Thus, he likely is lurking around the LSSAH during this time though not officially within the chain of command there.

New Zealand Military: Lieutenant General Edward Puttick, commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division serving in Egypt, is chosen as the new Chief of the General Staff by Prime Minister Peter Fraser, who is visiting Puttick's headquarters in Cairo. He cannot take up the position until he returns to New Zealand in September 1941.

Australian Military: The RAAF No. 20 Squadron forms at Port Moresby, New Guinea. It is equipped with Catalina and Empire flying boats.

Cecilia Parker and Gale Storm in "Gambling Daughters," released on 1 August 1941 (Producers Releasing Corporation).

China: The Japanese launch the "Three All" campaign ("Loot all, Kill all, Burn all") against Communist Chinese troops in the Shansi-Chahar-Hopeh border area. This is a controversial campaign in the sense that widely varying estimates of the number of people killed have been put forth, from one million killed up to many multiples of that. It is undeniable that the Japanese kill large numbers of civilians while engaging in a "scorched earth" policy.

The Japanese also are attacking in Yunnan Province and further south.

Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Nationalist government at Chungking, issues an order establishing the American Volunteer Group ("Flying Tigers"). It provides in part:

Col. Chennault will organize this group with the American Volunteers now arriving in China to participate in the War.

Claire L. Chennault, the AVG leader, reports directly to Chiang Kai-shek. He cooperates with the Chinese Air Force and takes support from it but does not take operational orders from anyone but Chiang. Since Chiang does not speak English and Chennault does not speak Chinese, all communications flow through Madame Chiang. Incidentally, the "Colonel" in the Chiang order appears to be an honorific, as Chennault is not a member of the Chinese Air Force (at least according to any known documentation) and at this time is a retired Captain of the USAAF (cashiered out in 1937 due to deafness). Chennault himself simply calls himself a civilian advisor or contractor operating under a contract for pay, a forerunner of such arrangements that become widely used decades later. He is an old "China hand" who has been there since leading the USAAC in order to train Chinese pilots.

Holocaust: The Germans establish ghettos at Lviv and Bialystok. The Bialystok Ghetto, which is divided by the Biala River, quickly has a population of 50,000 people, and has two gates, with a third added later.

At Kishinev, Romania, executions proceed of at least 1000 Jews.

Shmuel Verble, chairman of the Jewish Council (Judenrat) in the Ukrainian village of Kamien Koszyrski (Kamen-Koshirsk), volunteers for death after discovering an execution list with the names of 80 ghetto residents. Joining the 80 Jews being executed, he instructs his children: "Children, be good Jews. If you can, take revenge!"

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable and a Vermont State Police trooper before the official ceremony commemorating the joining of the Portland–Montreal Pipe Line. August 1, 1941 (Credit: National Film Board of Canada. Photothèque / Library and Archives Canada).

American Homefront: New York Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez beats the St. Louis Browns 9-0. He sets a mark for most walks given in a shutout with 11. He gets the shutout by stranding 15 Browns baserunners.

Senator Gerald P. Nye of North Dakota gives a radio address from St. Louis in which he decries the "madness" of current US policy toward the current conflicts around the world. He argues that "any emergency confronting our country is immeasurably less than it was a year ago" due to increased US preparedness and "potential enemies growing weaker with every hour of war abroad." He concludes that it is time for "freedom from foreign influence" and that the United States should not be "waiting for the cue that Churchill gives."

Paramount releases "Kiss the Boys Goodbye," a comedy directed by Victor Schertzinger based on a play by Clare Boothe Luce. While this sounds like a service film, in fact, it is loosely based on the search for the lead role in "Gone With The Wind" in 1939. Mary Martin stars as Cindy Lou Bethany, while Don Ameche and Oscar Levant play supporting roles.

Monogram Pictures releases "Bowery Blitzkrieg," the latest (sixth) in the East Side Kids film franchise. As with the others in the series, it stars Leo Gorcey. This is Huntz Hall's first East Side Kids film ("Introducing Huntz Hall"). Hall is a veteran of Universal's Dead End Kids and Little Tough Guys series, which also feature former Dead End Kids, so he is a familiar face in this type of film even though technically this is his first film in the series. He appears as "Limpy," though that changes to "Gimpy" in subsequent films in the series. Keye Luke also makes an appearance.

Universal releases "Too Many Blondes" starring Rudy Vallee, Helen Parrish, and Lon Chaney, Jr.

Producers Releasing Corporation releases "Gambling Daughters." Starring Cecilia Parker, "Gambling Daughters" revolves around college girls forced to steal from their parents to feed their gambling addiction - until they take revenge upon the gamblers.

Future History: Ronald Harmon Brown is born in Washington, D.C. He goes on to become US Secretary of Commerce under President Bill Clinton in January 1993. Brown perishes on 3 April 1996 a few kilometers north of Dubrovnik Airport when his US Air Force CT-43 (a modified Boeing 737) crashes into a mountainside in Croatia.

Francine Canovas is born in Oujda, Morocco. Francine becomes a top French model and actress and marries actor Alain Delon. She is better known as Nathalie Delon and is retired as of this writing in 2018.

Braunschweig.- Alley in the old town with half-timbered houses (suitcase and leather goods business Habermann). In the background is the Church of St. Katharine (Proietti, Ugo, Federal Archive, Bild 212-268).

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

August 1941
August 1, 1941: More Executions on Crete
August 2, 1941: Uman Encirclement Closes
August 3, 1941: Bishop von Galen Denounces Euthanasia
August 4, 1941: Hitler at the Front
August 5, 1941: Soviets Surrender at Smolensk 
August 6, 1941: U-Boats in the Arctic
August 7, 1941: Soviets Bomb Berlin
August 8, 1941: Uman Pocket Captured
August 9, 1941: Atlantic Conference at Placentia Bay
August 10, 1941: Soviet Bombers Mauled Over Berlin
August 11, 1941: Rita Hayworth in Life
August 12, 1941: Atlantic Charter Announced
August 13, 1941: The Soybean Car
August 14, 1941: The Anders Army Formed
August 15, 1941: Himmler at Minsk
August 16, 1941: Stalin's Order No. 270
August 17, 1941: Germans in Novgorod
August 18, 1941: Lili Marleen
August 19, 1941: Convoy OG-71 Destruction
August 20, 1941: Siege of Leningrad Begins
August 21, 1941: Stalin Enraged
August 22, 1941: Germans Take Cherkassy
August 23, 1941: Go to Kiev
August 24, 1941: Finns Surround Viipuri
August 25, 1941: Iran Invaded
August 26, 1941: The Bridge Over the Desna
August 27, 1941: Soviets Evacuate Tallinn
August 28, 1941: Evacuating Soviets Savaged
August 29, 1941: Finns take Viipuri
August 30, 1941: Operation Acid
August 31, 1941: Mannerheim Says No

2020

Tuesday 1 July 1941

German tankers salute inspecting Finnish General Hjalmar Siilasvuo, who is leading a Finnish officer delegation on an inspection tour. 1 July 1941.

Eastern Front: The Eastern Front on 1 July 1941 already is descending into savagery. According to the diary of Marie Vassiltchikov in Berlin, a returning soldier from the front, Burchard of Prussia, describes the fighting as "absolutely beastly." Burchard reports that neither side is taking many prisoners and fighting is heavy everywhere.

In the Far North, German troops taking part in Operation Platinum Fox (part of Operation Silver Fox) experience their first real failure of the campaign, though it is a minor one. The 2nd Mountain Division fails to break through Soviet defenses on the Rybachy Peninsula and face such determined resistance that they have to go onto the defensive themselves. Army of Norway commander General Dietl decides to switch some units from 2nd Mountain Division down to support the 3rd Mountain Division, which is struggling against strong Soviet defenders to reach the Litsa River.

The Germans and Finns launch Operation Arctic Fox (Unternehmen Polarfuchs) at midnight. Finnish 6th Division opens the offensive, crossing the border in the direction of Salla. The German 6th SS Mountain Division (Nord) soon follows. The defending Soviet forces of Soviet 14th Army (General Valerian A. Frolov) put up a fierce defense and the offensive gets nowhere.

Romanian bridge over the Pruth River, 1 July 1941 (Federal Archives, B 145 Bild-F016198-0033).

In the Army Group North Sector, the Soviet troops are in full retreat from the Dvina River. They plan to make a stand on the Stalin Line in Estonia. The German panzers, however, have been ordered to consolidate their position and await the infantry before making any further advances. Once the Germans are able to resume their forward movement, the next objective is Leningrad. German troops do make some ground and take Riga, Latvia.

In the Army Group Center sector, Soviet Western Front commander General Eremenko begins forming a defensive line on the Berezina River. He orders the 13th Army to fall back between Borisov, Brodets, and Kholkolnitza, and the 4th Army to cover the river line from Brodets to Svisloch and Bobruisk. The Stavka rushes the 1st Moscow Motor Rifle Division west from Moscow to Borisov to anchor the line. The problem, though, is that - contrary to Hitler's 29 June stop order - General Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group already is in Bobruisk and across the river, and today seizes Berezina. In addition, the 4th Panzer Division has seized a railway bridge at Svisloch.

In the Army Group South Sector, the Soviets are in full retreat again after making a brief stand during the Battle of Brody. General Popel, who only a few days ago excited the entire Red Army with the recapture of Dubno, is forced to break out to the east after a halfhearted attempt to relieve him by a regiment of 22nd Mechanized Corps fails. Panzer Group 1 continues on the offensive, but the Soviet counterattacks have decimated its strength and its remaining panzers have lost much of their initial striking power.

The Axis attack in this sector expands when the German 11th Army, Romanian 3rd Army, and Romanian 4th Army cross the Prut River into the Bessarabia and Bukovina regions of Moldova.

British Commonwealth Troops enter Palmyra, 1 July 1941.

Syrian/Lebanon Campaign: British Habforce, marching west from Iraq, has been banging at the gates of the Vichy French base at Palmyra for the past week. The French position at Palmyra has been well-defended, but British forces are multiplying while the Vichy French are running low on supplies. Today, the 10th Indian Division (Major-General Slim) crosses the border from Iraq with the objective of advancing toward the coast and joining the advance on Beirut.

Defending Vichy 2nd Light Desert Company tries to retake Sukhna from the Arab Legion, but the French are soundly defeated and forced to surrender themselves (80 men and 6 armored cars). This imperils the French flank of Palmyra and causes them to begin rethinking their ability to hold the important base there. British troops essentially capture Palmyra, though the official surrender is not made today.

Off the coast, the Vichy French have a small supply convoy approaching heading for Beirut. The RAF attack with Albacore torpedo bombers and sink 2778-ton French freighter St. Didier in the Gulf of Adalia. This causes the accompanying freighter, 2536-ton Chateau Yqem, to head back to France.

Romanian officers at the bridge over the Pruth River, 1 July 1941 (Federal Archives, B 145 Bild-F016198-38).

European Air Operations: The RAF scores a success during one of its many raids over Brest against the large German warships there. A force of 52 bombers scores a hit on heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen during the night with an armor-piercing bomb that destroys the control center in the heart of the ship. There are 60 men killed and 40 others wounded. This puts the Prinz Eugen out of action for the rest of 1941.

RAF Fighter Command conducts Circus missions over France and points north. The RAF loses several planes, including two British Stirling bombers making their first operational sortie.

Battle of the Baltic: Soviet freighter Imanta runs aground in the eastern Gulf of Finland and is a total loss.

Soviet minesweeper T-299 Imanta hits a mine and sinks off Saaremaa, Estonia.

Soviet submarine M-81 hits a mine and sinks on the Laine Bank, off Vormsi, Estonia.

Soviet auxiliary minesweeper M-3134 hits a mine and sinks off Libau.

Kapitänleutnant Klaus Scholtz of U-108.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-108 (Kptlt. Klaus Scholtz), on its third patrol out of Lorient and operating south of Greenland and about 500 nautical miles (930 km, 580 miles) north of the Azores, torpedoes and sinks 2486-ton weather ship Toronto City. There are no survivors. After this, U-108 responds to orders from the U-boat command, which has received a report on the location of Convoy OG-66 from a Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condor of I,/KG.40, and sails to intercept the convoy.

The Focke-Wulf 200 Condor which reports the presence of Convoy OG-66 bombs 3133-ton Royal Navy armed boarding vessel HMS Malvernian. The Malvernian's crew abandons ship and it later sinks after being bombed by Luftwaffe aircraft on 11 July. There are 57 survivors and 107 deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 1262-ton British freighter Homefire northeast of Cromer. There are two deaths.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 1177-ton British freighter Highwood and 4098-ton freighter Jamaica Planter at Barry. The two ships are in drydock, so they can't sink. There is one death on the Highwood.

British 211-ton fishing trawler Strathgairn hits a mine and sinks about 20 miles southwest of Barra Head. There are five deaths and six survivors.

British 86-ton drifter Devon County hits a mine in the Thames Estuary and sinks. There are three deaths.

Royal Norwegian Torpedo Boat HNoMS MTB 5 suffers an engine explosion in port in the UK and is a total loss. There are four deaths.

The Venezuelan government seizes interned 1153-ton German freighter Durazzo and renames it Pampero.

The Soviet Navy orders six submarines to patrol off of northern Norway.

German raiders Atlantis and Orion meet in the South Atlantic north of the island of Tristan da Cunha and refuel from supply ship Anneliese Essberger. Atlantis then departs for the Indian Ocean and thence the Pacific.

Convoy SC-36 departs from Sidney bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy tug HMS Canute is commissioned and submarine Sportsman and minesweeping trawler Liscomb are laid down.

US submarine USS Blackfish and minesweeper Starling are laid down.

U-131 (Korvettenkapitän Arend Baumann) is commissioned, U-159 is launched, U-185, U-447, U-448, U-468, U-520, U-621 and U-622 are laid down.

Sir Claude Auchinleck (1884-1981) (Cecil Beaton), new British Middle East Commander on 1 July 1941.

Battle of the Mediterranean: General Claude Auchinleck arrives from India and takes command of the British Middle East Command. General Archibald Wavell, having fallen from grace following the failure of Operation Battleaxe in June, replaces Auchinleck in India. Winston Churchill makes his displeasure clear to Wavell by appointing Oliver Lyttelton as Minister of State resident in the Middle East, removing some of Wavell's new authority.

Following his successful occupation of Libya and defensive victories over the British Army, German General Erwin Rommel receives a promotion to General of Tank Forces (General der Panzertruppe).

Royal Navy corvette HMS Hyacinth runs aground four miles south of Famagusta. Going to its aid, corvette Erica also suffers damage. The Hyacinth eventually is refloated (on 5 July) and makes it to Alexandria for repairs.

Operation Substance, a Royal Navy convoy of six freighters, makes it to Malta with 65,000 tons of supplies.

Some RAF Bristol Blenheims based at Malta bomb the Spanish Port Mole at Tripoli and others attack Homs, North Africa. At Homs, the bombers cause some damage along the coast road such as knocking out a truck.

The Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria during the night with 16 bombers.

Battle of the Black Sea: Soviet destroyer Bystry hits a mine off Sevastopol. The captain beaches the ship to avoid sinking.

Battle of the Pacific: German raider Komet has been sailing in company with minelayer Adjutant (the renamed Norwegian whaler POL IX captured on 14 January 1941 by German raider Pinguin). Near the Chatham Islands, Adjutant experiences engine trouble and is scuttled.

A Soviet AF Mig 3 destroyed on the ground during Operation Barbarossa, 1941.

Propaganda: The OKW issues a communique about recent air battles:

In the course of June 30 the Luftwaffe once again inflicted annihilating blows on the Soviet-Russian bomber and fighter formations. On June 30, the enemy lost 280 aircraft in all, 216 of them in aerial combats. German fighter wings led by [air ace] Lt. Col. Molders and by Major Trautloff particularly distinguished themselves during the fighting by shooting down 110 and 65 planes respectively. At Dunaburg [Daugavpils in Latvia] the Trautloff Fighter Wing succeeded in destroying all 40 planes of a Soviet attack group. The Molders Fighter Wing gave equally impressive proof of the superiority of the German Luftwaffe in the region east of Minsk and Bobruisk, where large numbers fo enemy formations sought to disrupt the movements of the advancing German troops. Of the approximately 100 attacking fighters and bombers, the Molders Fighter Wing destroyed 80. In the battle Lt. Col. Molders won his 82nd aerial victory, Captain Joppien his 52nd.

Molders now is not only the leading air ace of World War II but of all time, having topped the victory total of Baron von Richthofen during World War I.

While the Germans are outwardly confident about the Luftwaffe's successes, in reality, the size of the Red Army's air fleet has come as a shock. The Luftwaffe literally has destroyed thousands of Soviet planes, but this does not seem to have cut very far into their supply. It now is becoming clear that the Soviet Red Air Force had a magnitude of planes greater than was thought before the start of Operation Barbarossa. Today, the Soviet Naval Air Unit 401 IAP begins using new MiG-3 fighters and down four Bf 109 fighters - a very rare success by the Red Air Force over the Luftwaffe at this stage of the war.

This continuing numerical challenge, in fact, is a realization setting in with the Germany Army as well, as they have destroyed thousands of tanks, but the Soviet defense is stiffening, not deteriorating. The Germans comfort themselves with the truth that their tactics at this stage of the war are superior to those of the Soviets.

German/Croatian Relations: Germany accepts an offer by Croatia to supply a division of troops under German command for service in the Soviet Union.

Vichy French/Soviet Relations: The Petain government freezes all Soviet assets in France.

A pre-war USAAF B-24A in flight. Note the prominent neutrality markings on the nose, wings, and fuselage).

Anglo/US Relations: The fledgling North Atlantic air ferry route takes a major step forward. A Consolidated B-24A bomber of the USAAF Air Corps Ferrying Command flies from Bolling Field at Washington D.C. to Montreal and Newfoundland and then to Prestwick, Scotland.

Anglo/Canadian Relations: Canadian leader Mackenzie King, in London, presents British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with the Canadian "Torch of Victory."

US/Icelandic Relations: The US and Iceland reach an agreement whereby US troops will replace British troops which are "occupying" Iceland - with the Icelandic government's tacit support.

Chiang Kai-shek, Madame Chiang, and Claire Lee Chennault.

US/Chinese Relations: The American Volunteer Group (AVG), more familiarly known as the Flying Tigers, is officially formed under Claire Chennault. In actual fact, pilots flying with the AVG are employed with a shell corporation, the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO). Their mission is to defend Burma, China, and Burma Road.

Chinese/German/Italian Relations: Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang government in Chungking breaks relations with Germany and Italy. The reason is their recognition of those countries of the Japanese puppet government of General Wang Chingwei in Nanking. Kai-shek recalls his ambassador in Berlin and charge d'Affaires in Rome.

The Axis powers are still trying to cajole the Japanese into striking north into the Soviet Union, but the Japanese high command has decided its future lies to the south. However, many Germans in the theater of operations feel that the Axis should ally with the Nationalist government because they are both fighting against communism.

Soviet/Chinese Relations: The Soviets, no doubt hearing of China's sudden issues with the Axis, propose an alliance.

German Military: Field Marshal List, with little to do in the Balkans, is made Southeast Commander.

Soviet Military: General of the Army Dmitry Pavlov, recently relieved of command of Western Front, is arrested. The charges run the gamut from cowardice to willful abandonment of positions - basically, everything that he can be charged with under Articles 58-1b, 58-11 RSFSR Criminal Code. Pavlov's entire staff is charged, too. The penalty is death, and while no trial has been held, everyone knows the outcome.

Vnukovo Airport opens southwest of Moscow.

British Military: The British Special Air Service forms under Colonel David Stirling.

Colonel Dwight Eisenhower, right, in 1941 during the Louisiana Maneuvers. (Robertson Collection).

US Military: The US Navy establishes Naval Coast Frontiers in the North Atlantic, Southern, Caribbean, Panama, Pacific Southern, Pacific Northern, Hawaiian, and Philippine. The US Army Air Force establishes Patrol Wing 7 at Argentia, Newfoundland. The US Coast Guard sets up the Northeast Greenland Patrol, which begins patrols for U-boats.

US Navy escort carrier USS Long Island executes the first landing, takeoff, and catapult launching from an escort aircraft carrier.

All men aged 21 (those born on or before July 1, 1920) and over must register for the draft.

Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes chief of staff to General Walter Krueger, Commander of the Third Army, at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. His first major duty will be to oversee the Louisiana Maneuvers, a series of U.S. Army exercises held around Northern and Western-Central Louisiana, including Fort Polk, Camp Claiborne, and Camp Livingston. These maneuvers also will feature the talents of Omar Bradley, Mark Clark, Lesley J. McNair, Joseph Stilwell and George Patton, Jr.

Holocaust: The massacre of 25 Polish professors in the city of Lwów (modern-day Lviv, Ukraine) begins. The professors apparently are those who actively cooperated with the Soviet authorities during the Soviet occupation of late 1939-June 1941. However, there is no indication that the professors acted in a political fashion during the occupation.

Pervitin, manufactured at the Temmler factory. It became quite popular in the Reich among all classes of people as a pick-me-up.

German Homefront: The German government classifies Pervitin (aka Methamphetamine) as a restricted substance under the Opium Law. The OKW, though, is so impressed by the substance's properties that it already has ordered 10 million capsules for distribution to the Wehrmacht. The Pervitin pills have been shown to keep troops alert and energized under trying circumstances. The pills are to be distributed first to Luftwaffe pilots who need to stay alert during long missions, but ultimately will spread throughout the Army, too. Unlike some phony "Vitamin pills" being given to the troops (so that Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering can get kickbacks), these pills pack a punch.

British Homefront: The government announces that coal deliveries will be restricted to once per month. In practice, this only affects businesses.

American Homefront: The National Broadcasting Company (NBC), which has been broadcasting off-and-on since 1939, broadcasts a Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies baseball game, followed by 1935 drama "Death from a Distance" starring Lola Lane and Russell Hopton, over NBC station WNBT in New York City. This is considered the start of full commercial television service in the United States. The broadcast includes the first paid television advertisement over the new medium, a spot for the Bulova watch company (which costs the company $9). There are still very few television sets in New York, so very few people see the broadcast.

Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees extends his club-record hitting streak. He gets hits in both ends of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. The second game is shortened by rain, and DiMaggio needs the benefit of a questionable call by official scorer Dan Daniel (Red Sox third baseman makes a bad throw to first on a grounder) to extend his hitting streak to 44 games. This ties the major league consecutive game hitting streak set by right fielder Willie Keeler of the Baltimore Orioles in 1897.

Future History: Rodrigue Gabriel Gilbert is born in Montreal, Canada. He plays in the National Hockey League from 1960-1978 and is inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982. Gilbert plays for the New York Rangers throughout his career and eventually has his number 7 retired by the team. During the time of this writing, Rod Gilbert remains active with his Garden of Dreams Foundation.

Washington National Airport (later Reagan National), 1 July 1941 (Library of Congress LC-USF33-021029-M1).

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

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

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