This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

Halder's Diary 5 September 1941

September 6 Saturday
ASIA: An Imperial Conference decides that war preparations should be complete by the middle of October. And further that if agreement is not reached by then with the US the decision to go to war should be taken. Further conciliatory proposals to the US are not taken seriously. Emperor Showa of Japan agreed with the proposal that, unless peace could be achieved by 10 Oct 1941, Japan was to prepare for war. In conference with his military and civilian subjects, Emperor Hirohito concludes that the defeat of America is impossible but shifting the American public opinion by inflicting as much damage on their military as possible, might force a settlement more favorable to Japan." This was a grave misjudgment. Prime Minister Konoye bows to military pressure to agree to prepare for war by mid-October, if no agreement is reached with the Americans over the oil-embargo.

U.S. Ambassador Joseph Grew meets with Japanese Prime Minister Prince Konoye. Prince Konoye states that Japan subscribes to the four principles of President Roosevelt and presents proposals for a basis of discussion. Grew goes on to say that,

"The Prime Minister hopes that as a result of the commitments which the Japanese Government is prepared to assume . . . a rational basis has been established for a meeting between the President and himself."

Click to expand...

The American Ambassador Grew cautions the United States that if Konoye's conciliatory proposals are not considered, the Japanese Prime Minister could well be replaced by a Military Dictatorship.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Troop convoy WS 10B detaches from WS 10 off South Africa and sails for Bombay.

The Grumman Martlet fighter makes its first carrier deployment aboard Royal Navy aircraft carriers on convoy protection duties. It is the first carrier-based combat use of any variant of the F4F Wildcat.

EASTERN FRONT: Hitler issued Directive 35 for Operation Typhoon, which he intended should destroy in a swift blow any remaining Soviet resistance. Army Group South is to make a surprise movement north-west, and Army Group Centre is to launch an attack against the Russian Army east of Smolensk at the end of the month. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/35.html

Armeegruppe Nord: Supported by strong air attacks, German 4.Panzergruppe is assaulting the Schlusselberg sector.

Armeegruppe Mitte: After weeks of bloody fighting, the Soviets recapture Yel'nia on the Moscow axis. The defeat for the Germans forces Hitler to accelerate his plans for the "final" attack against Moscow.

Armeegruppe Sud: German 2.Panzergruppe is pushing south toward Konotop.

In the air over Russia another two kills go to Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54. But another Eastern Front Geschwader, JG 52, loses August-Wilhelm Schumann, a thirty victory Experte, in a flying accident. The crews of III./JG 27 led by Hptm. Max Dobislav, move from their base at Spaskaja-Polist and transfer to a new airfield at Ljuban.

The Red Army newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda ("Red Star") noted that it was a shame to become captured by the enemy.

The Vilna Ghetto was established in Lithuania, containing 40,000 Jews.

"I know that the 108th Tank Division has fallen into encirclement and has lost many tanks and crews. This could have occurred only because of you bad management. It is not permissible to launch a division into the attack alone, neither covering its flanks nor protecting it with aviation. If aviation could not fly due to bad weather conditions, you should have postponed the tank division attack until the moment the weather improved and aviation was capable of supporting the tank division. Henceforth, I oblige you to not tolerate such rash actions. I also oblige you to find means to rescue the tankists and, in so far as possible, the tanks from encirclement. Also consider that the reference to pilots in bad weather is not always correct. Shturmoviki [assault aircraft] can fly even during bad weather, if the visibility is not less than 100-150 meters. Tell Comrade Petrov that I oblige him to refer to bad weather less and that it is a little better to employ Shturmovki for flights in bad weather." - Joseph Stalin

Click to expand...

In Hungary General Szombathelyi is appointed Chief of General Staff.

GERMANY: Heydrich, head of German Security Services and the Security Police orders that all Jewish persons over the age of six are to wear a yellow badge, "Star of David" to distinguish them as Jews.

RAF Bomber Command sends 86 aircraft to attack Huls overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: In the Gulf of Suez, the unarmed U.S. freighter SS "Steel Seafarer" (carrying cargo earmarked for the British Army in Egypt) is bombed and sunk by a Luftwaffe Ju 88 off the Shadwan Islands; her 36-man crew is rescued unharmed.

NORTH AFRICA: Luftwaffe bombers attack Ismailia and other targets in the Delta overnight. The hospital ship, RFA "Maine", was badly damaged during an air raid on Alexandria, Egypt. Four of her crew, including a Medical Officer, were killed, but fortunately none of the patients sustained injury.

General W. H. E. 'Strafer' Gott takes command of British 7th Armored Division.

NORTH AMERICA: In Washington, the Japanese Ambassador Nomura hands Secretary of State Cordell Hull a draft proposal outlining what the U.S. and Japan will do to establish peace in the Pacific. Two of the items that the Japanese purpose to undertake are (1) that Japan will not make any military advancement from French Indo-China against any of its adjoining areas, and likewise will not, without any justifiable reason, resort to military action against any regions lying south of Japan and (2) that Japan will endeavor to bring about the rehabilitation of general and normal relationship between Japan and China, upon the realization of which Japan is ready to withdraw its armed forces from China as soon as possible in accordance with the agreements between Japan and China.

NORTHERN FRONT: German Chief of Staff General Jodl visits Helsinki to ask the Finns to continue their offensive into Leningrad. However, Finnish commander Mannerheim and President Ryti have previously agreed only to restore the 1939 borders. Despite this, Ryti will spend 5 years in prison as a War Criminal after the war.

RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight off Norway.

UNITED KINGDOM: Winston Churchill visited the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. Alan Touring met British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during Churchill's visit at the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park.

British minesweeping trawler HMT "Brora" becomes grounded on the island of South Harris, Outer Hebrides, Scotland, while acting as escort to SS "Northern Star". She rolls over at low tide and sinks. Another minesweeping trawler HMT "Strathborve" sinks on a mine in the Humber Estuary (15 killed or missing).

A Luftwaffe raider followed returning RAF aircraft over the coast and dropped two HE bombs at 03.30 hours at South Shields. One landed in a back lane between Charlotte Street and Franklin Street, another on vacant land at the west end of Mount Terrace. Both bombs failed to explode but damage was done to walls, water and gas mains etc. No casualties resulted but a large number of people had to be evacuated, pending the removal of the unexploded bombs.

WESTERN FRONT: In Paris a German non-commissioned officer, Hoffman, is shot in the Gare de l'Est.

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6 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
S-boat DKM S-53
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Elco 77' class PT USS PT-46

Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS BURLINGTON (J-250)


Flower Class Corvette HMCS MORDEN (K-170)


Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS SHAPINSAY (T-176)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 302
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U-141 sank trawler KING ERIK (UK 228 grt) between the UK and Iceland, whilst she was on passage from Fleetwood to Icelandic fishing banks. She was empty when lost, with a crew of 15, all of whom were lost in the attack. At 2330 hrs, U-141 fired one torpedo at the KING ERIK, which was hit and sank immediately after a heavy explosion about 120 miles WSWt of the Faroe Islands.


U-95 sank MV TRINIDAD (Pan 434 grt) in the SW Approaches whilst the vessel was on passage from Lisbon to Dublin with a cargo of cork and port wine. She had a crew of 10, all of would survive the attack. At 2350 hrs on 5 Sep 1941 the unescorted and neutral TRINIDAD was ordered to stop by U-95 and to bring her papers for contraband control about 380 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre. After ten minutes, some rounds were fired over the ship with a machine gun when her crew did not comply. Shortly afterwards a boat was launched and the master came aboard the U-boat. The papers revealed that they were obviously trading for British interests because the cargo was bought in London and the owner of the vessel was a Spaniard living in Cardiff. The crew were ordered to abandon ship. The TRINIDAD was sunk with 37 rounds from the deck gun at 0123 hours on 6 September. The survivors were picked up after 22 days in a lifeboat by the Spanish trawler MODERNO AGUJOS and landed at Oporto.


MSW trawler STRATHBORVE (RN 216 grt) was sunk on a mine in the Humber. 15 of the crew including the skipper were killed or missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler BRORA (UK 530 grt) was lost in a grounding in the Hebrides.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

steamer EMPIRE GUNNER (UK 4492 grt) was badly damaged by the LW off the UK west coast. The steamer sank early on the 7th in 52-09N, 5-16W. The entire crew were rescued.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Kiel: U-36
Swinemünde: U-14
Wilhelmshaven: U-13
(these boats were all at sea on training exercises and aren't included in the "at sea" running total)

At Sea 6 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

46 boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer STANMOUNT was damaged by the LW off 54D Buoy off Great Yarmouth. The steamer arrived at Immingham the next day

Med/Biscay
In a German air raid on Alexandria Harbour, DD KANDAHAR and depot ship WOOLWICH were damaged by near misses.

Hospital ship MAINE was near missed. Surgeon Cdr R. W. Nesbitt, MB, FRCPI, and four ratings were killed. Fifteen ratings were wounded.

DD GRIFFIN departed Alexandria to relieve DD KINGSTON at Haifa. DD KINGSTON in turn arrived back at Alexandria on the 7th.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Alexandria to reinforce sloop FLAMINGO operating in the Gulf of Suez. The sloop passed through the Canal on the 7th.

RNeN sub O.24 attacked AA barque CARLA (RM 347 grt) off La Spezia. The barque was forced aground by gunfire.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked an AMC in the Tyrrhenian Sea

Nth Atlantic
DDs CHESTERFIELD and BURNHAM collided in St John's Harbour (Newfoundland).There was no serious damage to CHESTERFIELD. The DD departed St Johns with convoys HX.149/SC 44 to Iceland. The DD arrived at Portsmouth on 6 October for refitting. DD BURNHAM was sent to Boston for refit and repairs. She arrived on the 17th and repairs were completed on 23 October. The DD departed Boston on 1 November, when she sailed for Halifax.

Central Atlantic
Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar on patrol. The submarine arrived back from the Atlantic patrol on the 9th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 7 SEPTEMBER 1941
Weather Fine and fresh.

0010-0050 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the north at 14000 feet and drops bombs in the sea six miles off the coast before turning away. Two Hurricanes were scrambled but as searchlights could not illuminate the raiders at such distance there was no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Wellington. Departures 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. Striking force patrols Ionian Sea and east Tunisian coast by two Marylands, one Blenheim and one Beaufort. 69 Squadron Maryland patrol east Sicilian and east Calabrian coasts. 2 Fulmar sent to patrol Catania and Gerbini developed engine trouble so went to Comiso and dropped incendiaries. The crew returned to Malta, change aircraft and took off again at 0001 hrs for Catania where they dived and machine-gunned the airfield, damaging three aircraft. At 0115 hrs they dived on Gerbini airfield, dropping incendiaries and machine-gunning three more aircraft on the ground. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 7 Swordfish attacked a northbound convoy of three merchant ships and three destroyers south of Pantelleria. One merchant ship was claimed as sunk, and one damaged. 5 torpedoes were released.

Halder's Diary 6 September 1941

September 7 Sunday
ASIA: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese forces attack Chinese positions near Yuezhou at the beginning of the Second Battle of Changsha. The Battle of Changsha was Japan's second attempt at taking the city of Changsha, China, the capital of Hunan Province, as part of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The offensive was carried out by more than 120,000 Japanese troops including supporting naval and air forces. The Chinese forces under the command of General Xue Yue—the 9th Army Group—gathered more than 300,000 with help from the 5th, 6th, and 7th Army Groups, but due to poor intelligence on the Japanese invading forces plus its telegraphic messages having been code-broken by the Japanese army, the defense was on the passive end of the battles. The battle started when a small Chinese guerrilla force clashed with the Japanese 6th Division in the mountains southeast of Yueyang.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German motor torpedo boats S.48, S.49, S.50, S.52, and S.107 attacked an Allied convoy off the coast of Norfolk, England, sinking British ship "Duncarron" (9 killed) and Norwegian ship "Eikhaug" (15 killed, 4 survived).

EASTERN FRONT: An upcoming Experte of JG 3, Heinz Brenner with twelve victories, is shot down and killed during combat against the Soviets. Another pilot with JG 54, Hans-Leopold Henkemeier, is also shot down and killed. He had seven victories. And JG 77 loses Armin Stumpf with seven kills to his credit when he is shot down and killed in combat.
Armeegruppe Nord: The 20.Infanterie-Divisionen (mot.) (Major General H. Zom) supported by the 12.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General J. Harpe) capture Siniavino and take Schlusselberg on the south shore of Lake Ladoga. Finnish Army of Karelia captures Olonets and Nurmoyla northeast of Lake Ladoga. Soviet battleship "Marat" and cruiser "Maksim Gorki" shell German 18.Armee outside Leningrad.

Armeegruppe Mitte: After a week of heavy combat, Hitler permitted Army Group Center's commander Fedor von Bock to evacuate the Yel'nia bridgehead. The Soviets retook Yel'nia itself.

Armeegruppe Sud: The German 6.Armee broke through near Konotop, Ukraine. 262.Infanterie-Divisionen (GL Edgar Theissen) crosses the Desna River at Oster, about 100 miles west of Konotop. 2.Panzergruppe units move south making a breakthrough at Konotop. Specifically, 3.Panzer-Divisionen (GL Walter Model) of XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Leo Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenberg) crosses the Seim River north of Konotop. Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe driving south, behind the Soviet forces defending Kiev, reaches Lokhvista. Nearly 600,000 Russians face encirclement in the Kiev area.

German XIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry H. Felber), XLIII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry G. Heinrici) and XXXV.Armeekorps captured Chernihiv. Soviet warships bombard Rumanian positions around Odessa.

The autonomous Volga German Republic was formally abolished; all German males were formed into construction brigades working as forced labourers wherever the regime directed them in conditions littler different from the Gulag camps.

HMS "Argus" delivered Hurricane fighters of No. 81 Squadron RAF and No. 134 Squadron RAF to Vaenga near Murmansk, Russia.

GERMANY: Overnight, 200 RAF bombers attack Berlin for 4 hours. Flight Lieutenant Peter Stevens (a German Jew born Georg Franz Hein, flying in the RAF) crash-lands his damaged Handley Page Hampden bomber near Amsterdam. He is captured next day and spends the rest of the war in POW camps.

RAF Bomber Command sends 51 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

Kriegsmarine orders first group of U-boats readied for transfer to Mediterranean.

MEDITERRANEAN: British submarine HMS "Thunderbolt" attacked an Axis convoy and sank Italian ship "Sirena" 50 miles west of Benghazi, Libya.

MIDDLE EAST: Seventh Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 4472 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

NORTH AFRICA: Italian aircraft attack airfields around Sidi Barrani. Afterwards RAF aircraft withdraw from airfields around Sidi Barrani.

NORTH AMERICA: 360 refugees disembarked the Spanish freighter "Navemar" at Havana, Cuba. Four died in the overcrowded conditions during the voyage across the Atlantic.

NORTHERN FRONT: British cruisers HMS "Nigeria" and HMS "Aurora" attacked a German convoy in Hammerfjord in northern Norway at 0130 hours. The German training ship "Bremse" was rammed and sunk with the loss of over half the crew by the British cruiser HMS "Nigeria". HMS "Nigeria" was damaged in the bow and was sent back to Britain for repairs. Elsewhere, British Albacore aircraft from HMS "Victorious" searched for German shipping off Tromsø, Norway.

UNITED KINGDOM: United States Major James Doolittle arrives on fact-finding tour for US aircraft production.

At Northumberland, England twenty to thirty APBs, were dropped near Gallowgate Farm, Birchill House and near RAF Winfield. A German plane passed over the village and machine-gunned the roofs of council houses. Three council houses were damaged by anti-personnel bombs - one on Birchill House caused damage to roof and windows. Whilst approaching one of the small UXAPBs at Norham to render it harmless, a corporal in the Royal Engineers, and a member of No 1 Bomb Disposal Company, attached to Company HQ, Mayfield, was killed outright when it exploded. Another UXAPB dropped in this raid, was found in February 1942 at Castle Bank Dene, Norham by children gathering firewood in a plantation. Seven HEs were dropped in fields at Springwell causing damage to an electric grid wire. Two horses were killed and two seriously injured, both of which were later destroyed. A Dornier 217 of 4./KG 40 failed to return from this raid.

WESTERN FRONT: The Germans execute Pierre Roche, a member of the Resistance who sabotaged German military telephone lines.

RAF Fighter Command flew Roadstead operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on sweeps along Dutch coast and 38 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

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7 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Disguised Raider DKM MICHEL


Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS DEVELIN AMc 45)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
DKM S Boats S.48, S.49, S.50, S.52, and S.107 of the 4th S Boat Flotilla attacked a Convoy off the Norfolk coast. Steamer DUNCARRON (UK 478 grt) was sunk three miles east of Sheringham. Six crew and three gunners were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer EIKHAUG (Nor 1436 grt) was also sunk. 15 crew were lost. Four survivors were picked up.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The LW sank Steamer MARCREST (UK 4224 grt) in the vicinity of 54D Buoy, two miles 90° from Yarmouth. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

The LW sank steamer TRSAT (UK 1369 grt) seven miles ENE of Kinnaird Head. Two crew and a gunner were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

FV OPHIR II (UK 213 grt) was sunk by a mine four miles NE of Humber Light Vessel.
Five crew were missing.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-71, U-73

Departures
Trondheim: U-132

At Sea 7 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-652, U-751, U-752

46 boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic
CVE ARGUS flew two Squadrons with 12 Hurricanes each to an airfield at Vaegna (near Murmansk in Operation STRENGTH. Forces L of CA SHROPSHIRE and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI and Force M.of CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK, CV VICTORIOUS, and DDs INGLEFIELD, ECLIPSE, and ESCAPADE operated nearby.

Black Sea/Caspian
VMF DD SPOSOBNY was damaged by the near misses by the LW in the Black Sea

North Sea
DD ASHANTI departed Rosyth after repairs developed on passage to Scapa Flow. The DD arrived at Scapa Flow on the 7th to work up after long repairs.

Northern Waters
CL PENELOPE departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to escort BB DUKE OF YORK.
The cruiser arrived on the 8th.

ML AGAMEMNON, escorted by DD CASTLETON, laid minefield SN.61. After the operation, CASTLETON departed Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow on the 8th. The DD arrived on the 9th to dock and effect repairs to her ASW gear.

DDs ANTELOPE and ANTHONY departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for boiler cleaning. The DDs arrived on the 8th.

British steam trawler NAIRANA was damaged by the LW 7 miles off Myggenaes, Faroes.

West Coast
ON.14 departed Liverpool. It was joined on the 8th by corvettes LOBELIA, NARCISSUS, and RENONCULE and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYSHIRE, and LADY MADELEINE. DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, and SALISBURY and corvette HEATHER joined on the 9th. On the 11th, SALISBURY and trawlers AYRSHIRE and LADY MADELEINE were detached and on the 12th BEAGLE and BOADICEA were detached. The remaining escorts were with the convoy until dispersal on the 14th.

Med/Biscay
A German convoy of German steamers LIVORNO and SPEZIA, escorted by TB FABRIZI, departed Naples for Benghazi. At Messina, FABRIZI was relieved by TBs POLLUCE and CENTAURO. On the 11th, Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank steamer LIVORNO (Ger 1829 grt) off Bougie. The convoy arrived at Benghazi on the 11th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLA NAIAD and DDs HAVOCK and HOTSPUR were at sea during the night of 6/7 September to control night fighters operating against enemy aircraft which might attack Alexandria or the Canal area.

Submarine TORBAY reported an enemy submarine offshore of Palestine. DDs GRIFFIN and HASTY departed Haifa, RAN DD VENDETTA departed Port Said, and DDs HERO, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, and KINGSTON departed Alexandria to carry out ASW searched in the area. The search ended unsuccessfully, and the DDs returned to their respective ports of departure on the 10th.

Dutch submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked an aux ML in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

CVL FURIOUS with DDs COSSACK, LEGION, ZULU, and LIVELY arrived from England. DD WIVERN departed Gibraltar for refitting in the UK.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 8 SEPTEMBER 1941
Weather Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 1941

AIR HQ Departures 3 Blenheim. Reconnaissance of western Ionian Sea by 1 Maryland, 1 Beaufort and 1 Hurricane. 69 Squadron 2 patrols east Tunisian coast. 38 Squadron 9 Wellingtons attacked Palermo Harbour in three waves caused a series of explosions. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 4 Swordfish attacked shipping off Augusta

Halder's Diary 7 September 1941

Halder's Diary 8 September 1941

September 8 Monday
ASIA: Second Battle of Changsha: Japanese 11th Army skirmishes with 4th Army and 58th Army of Chinese 9th War Area around Chungfang and Hsitang.

"Shokaku" arrived at Yokosuka, Japan and disembarked Commander First Air Fleet.

Ho Chi Minh forms the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh).

Wavell arrives from India by air via Baghdad, Cairo, Malta, and Gibraltar.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: British destroyer HMS "Croome" forced Italian submarine "Maggiore Baracca" to surface 275 miles northeast of the Azores islands, then proceeded to ram the submarine, resulting in her sinking. 23 Italian sailors were killed; 34 survived. HMS "Croome" was damaged in the stern and was ordered to Gibraltar for repairs.

The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: British Admiralty diverts Atlantic convoy SC-42 north to hug the eastern coast of Greenland to avoid German submarines.

EASTERN FRONT: Major Friedrich Beckh of the Stab./JG 51 shoots down a Russian aircraft for the Geschwader's 2000th kill.
Armeegruppe Nord: German forces from Army Group North capture Schlusselberg on the banks of Lake Ladoga. All land communications with Leningrad are now cut. The city of Leningrad is now completely encircled by German and Finnish troops. The Finns have cut the Stalin canal, completing the encirclement trapping 2,950,000 civilians and 450,000 soldiers and sailors. Hitler has decided "to wipe the city of Petersburg (Leningrad) from the face of the earth" by artillery bombardment and aerial bombing. Field Marshal von Leeb's Panzers are within ten miles of the city, which is being pounded by long-range artillery and the Luftwaffe. German bombers begin raids against civilian targets in Leningrad, dropping nearly 6000 incendiary bombs on food warehouses in the city. Hundreds of tons of food were destroyed along with four acres of warehouses in the Badayev district. Continuing Finnish attacks between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega advance across the Svir and capture Lodenoye Pole. This cuts the railway line from Murmansk to Leningrad. Arkangel is still available to use now, but the winter ice will close this. This would force the Russians to build hundreds of miles of new lines to reach the important supply link to the west. The land attack on the city is being mounted by 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) thrusting along the left bank of the Neva and the 6.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General Franz Landgraf) following the Moscow-Leningrad railway line. It is not going to be a walkover for them. They have been held up for three weeks by suicidal Russian counter-attacks. Their men and machines are worn out by fighting both the Russians and the mud caused by incessant rain. If they had made their assault a month ago they would be in the Romanov's palaces today. Instead, they are caught up in hastily-built defences manned by Opolchenye - militia units armed with rifles, Molotov cocktails and grenades. This is not the sort of fighting the Panzers enjoy. In fact, von Leeb's attempt to capture the city may not last. Hitler wants to switch his tanks to the forthcoming attack on Moscow, leaving Leningrad to "wither on the vine". He would rather subject the city to a long siege by gun and bomber and so relieve the German army of the necessity of feeding the population during the winter. Von Leeb however, can almost taste the glory of capturing the old Tsarist capital and will carry on his assault until told to stop.

The Russians are heavily out-numbered in the air, but their pilots are fighting ferociously against the swarms of Stukas which are attacking the heavy Russian ships in the harbours of Kronstadt and Leningrad. They are carrying specially-developed 2,000 pound bombs. Their particular targets are the battleships "October Revolution" and "Marat", whose 12-inch guns are pounding the German rear echelons.

German XIX.Gebirgskorps opens new attack across the Litsa River. German forces land on Vormsi Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia and begin attacking Soviet 8th Army positions. Voroshilov orders all warships of the Soviet Baltic Fleet to prepare to scuttle.

Armeegruppe Mitte: The Soviets deport 600,000 ethnic Germans who had lived on the upper Volga for nearly 200 years. Hundreds of villages in the area were emptied. The ethnic German community is exiled to Siberia because of Kremlin fears that it might become a fifth column of Nazi sympathizers.

Armeegruppe Sud: The Germans captured Kremenchuk. Rakutin's forces cross the Desna river and reach the German defenses along the Ustrom and Striana rivers. Shaposhnikov, the Chief of the General Staff orders the Western Front to go over to the defensive.

The entire Jewish community of Meretsch is exterminated.

Hungarian Regent Miklós Horthy and other Hungarian leaders began a three-day visit to Hitler at his Wolfsschanze [Wolf's Lair].

Zhukov meets with Stalin overnight and is ordered to take command of the Leningrad Front.

GERMANY: RAF bombers inflicted heavy damage on Berlin last night in the heaviest raid yet on the German capital. RAF Bomber Command sends 95 aircraft to attack Kassel overnight.

MEDITERANNEAN: The bombers of II./KG 51 leave their base at Balti in the Balkans.

German aircraft attacked and damaged British destroyers HMS "Kipling", HMS "Kimberley", and HMS "Decoy" as the ships carried supplies from Alexandria, Egypt for besieged Tobruk, Libya.

RN task force with aircraft carrier "Ark Royal" departs eastward with air reinforcements for Western Desert via Malta. 69 more British Hurricane fighters are being shipped to Malta with the help of British navy's Force H using the "Ark Royal" and the "Furious".

NORTHERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 4 Fortress aircraft to attack the Kriegsmarine heavy cruiser "Admiral Scheer" at Oslofjord, Norway in daylight, but they are intercepted and unsuccessful, with two lost and one crashed on landing.

UNITED KINGDOM: The first prototype de Havilland Mosquito IV Bomber variant (W 4072) makes its maiden flight. The new bomber has a level speed of 400 mph and fighter-agility.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team detected increased radio traffic between carriers and land bases, and interpreted it as the Japanese Navy conducting fitting out operations of carriers with new air groups.

Nine B-17's of the 14th Bombardment Squadron arrive at Clark AAF, Philippines.

WESTERN FRONT: In Paris the German authorities arrest 120 leaders of the city's Jewish community as hostages for the murder last week of a German officer.

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September 9 Tuesday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Dutch submarine O.24 sank Italian ship "Italo Balbo" 2 miles east of Corsica, France.

The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: At 2137 hours, Convoy SC-42, moving across the Atlantic along the Greenland coast, is attacked by German submarines for the first time. U-432 torpedoes and sinks SS "Muneric". Two more merchant ships are torpedoed before midnight.

EASTERN FRONT: The Siege of Leningrad begins and one of the first raids by the Luftwaffe against the city is launched. A flight of Ju 87 Stukas from StG 2 escorted by fighters from JG 54 attack the Soviet Baltic fleet near the city. But the day ends tragically for JG 54 when Oblt. Hubert Mütherich, Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 54, is killed when his badly damaged Messerschmitt somersaults while trying to land outside Leningrad. His final tally is forty-three kills with thirty-three of them gained since the beginning of the Russian campaign.
Armeegruppe Nord: Guns from the battleships "October Revolution" and "Marat" are fired in defense of Leningrad. Most of the sailors of the Red Banner Fleet have been taken off their ships and given rifles to defend the city, but the ships act as floating batteries.

The Finnish advance in Karelian Isthmus is stopped. The troops have reached the outermost defenses of Leningrad and dig into defense. Three years of trench warfare follows here, until the Soviet attack in June 1944. The Karelian Army advances into eastern Karelia north of Lake Ladoga. The first signs of war weariness are already showing in the men. There have been instances of men declining to follow orders to cross the pre-1939 border; the common opinion is that the war is fought to reconquer the territory lost in the Winter War, not to annex new 'living space' from east. However, the majority of men are content with grumbling, and the serious cases of insubordination are few. The official explanation for crossing the old border is to get as short lines of defense as possible. Tactically this is true, but the Finnish leadership is already discussing what shape the post-war 'Greater Finland' shall take. The most favored option is the so-called 'border of three isthmuses': Karelian Isthmus (between Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga), Onega Isthmus (between Lakes Ladoga and Onega) and the isthmus between Lake Onega and White Sea, of which English name I don't have a clue ("Maaseln Kannas" is the Finnish name). The status of Kola Peninsula is still unclear; whether it will be claimed by Finland or Germany has not been decided yet.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Marshal Budyenny, commanding an Army in the Kiev area, makes his first request to abandon Kiev. Stalin denies the request.

Armeegruppe Sud: Soviet 5th Army and 37th Army trapped between German 2.Armee and 6.Armee. Recon elements of Generalleutnant Walter Model's 3.Panzer-Divisionen (XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.)(General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) discovered a gap in Soviet defenses between Konotop and Baturin.

Marshall Ion Antonescu fires the commander of the 4th Army, General Cuiperca. It comes after the first two rounds of bloody fighting, in which the Romanians failed to completely breach the Russian defenses (backed up by prodigious quantities of artillery and mortar fire) at Odessa. Cuiperca frankly reported to Antonescu that his troops lacked the strength, both physically and in terms of morale, to successfully resume the assault. Antonescu, known for his frank speaking himself in a command culture where direct talk was often perceived as impolite and insulting, did not respond well to this analysis. Antonescu claims that Cuiperca lacks "faith in the battle capacity of the Romanian Army." Antonescu has brought in his own defense Minister, Iacobici, to replace Cuiperca at 4th Army - a man considered one of the great academic brains of the Romanian staff.

Vojtech Tuka, with the guidance of German SS-Hauptstrumführer Dieter Wisliceny, enacted the Ordinance Judenkodex which required Slovakian Jews to wear the yellow Stars of David, annulled all debts owed to Jews, confiscated Jewish property, and deported all Jews from the capital Bratislava.

The Wehrmacht is getting help from a group of allies in its assault on Russia. Mussolini has sent an expeditionary corps, the Romanian army is engaged in the drive on Odessa, the Hungarians are supporting the thrust through the Ukraine and Franco has sent a contingent of Spanish "volunteers". The Spanish Volunteer Division, "Blue Division" arrives to serve with the German Army on the Leningrad Front. The "Blue Division," listed as the 250th Infantry Division in the Wehrmacht order of battle, will get a reputation for not retreating and also of having its way with the local ladies. The Slovaks too, have soldiers fighting for the Germans, and volunteers from Holland, Denmark, Belgium and Norway have been formed into legions of the Wehrmacht. The Finns are a disappointment to the Germans, doing no more than holding the northern line round besieged Leningrad.

MEDITERANNEAN: British carrier HMS "Ark Royal" launched 14 Hurricane fighters to reinforce Malta.

RAF bombers attack Reggio Calabria and Messina.

MIDDLE EAST: The Iranian Government accepted the Soviet and British terms, which included the closure of Axis legations and the surrender of German nationals. All Axis-aligned consulates would be closed and German nationals would be turned over to the British or Russians. The Allies would control Iranian roads, airports and communication. Iran expels German and Italian "tourists" and diplomats.

NORTH AFRICA: Hans-Joachim Marseille shot down a Hurricane fighter over the Bay of Sollum in the morning, his 15th kill. In the afternoon, on another mission, he shot down another Hurricane fighter, the 16th kill, while escorting Stuka dive bombers toward Bardia, Libya.

Luftwaffe bombers attack Ismailia overnight.

NORTH AMERICA: The USN's Bureau of Aeronautics requests that the National defense Research Committee and the Naval Research Laboratory to develop an interceptor radar suitable for installation in a single-engined, single-seat fighter, e.g., the F4U Corsair.

Congressional hearings opened in Washington investigating allegations of propaganda in American films. North Dakota Senator Gerald Nye set the tone of the hearings on the first day by suggesting that propaganda was being injected into films by a cabal of foreign-born Jews who owned or operated the major movie studios.

Formation of Naval Coastal Frontier Forces.

NORTHERN FRONT: German cruiser "Admiral Scheer" was ordered to sail from Oslo, Norway for Swinemünde, Germany (now Swinoujscie, Poland).

PACIFIC OCEAN: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team in US Territory of Hawaii noticed carrier "Akagi" was using new call signs in her radio communications.

MacArthur complains to Grunert that the training of the mobilized Philippine troops is not going well. Marshall advises MacArthur that he had "the highest priority" for supplies and for the filling of the "authorized defense reserve" of 50,000 men.

UNITED KINGDOM: In the British House of Commons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill insists that Article 3 of the Atlantic Charter could not apply to the British Empire.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew operations over the Netherlands and a Rhubarb operation over France.

.

8 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-51
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS SWEETBRIAR (K-209)


HDML 1058

starboard side view of HMA harbour defence motor launch ml1129 during power trials off Sydney Heads NSW.

Higgins Class 70' type HMS MGB 71

British MGB 476 (Motor Gun Boat) 1943

Losses
Mine destructor ship CORFIELD (RN 3000 grt) was sunk on a mine two miles south of the Humber Light Vessel. There were no casualties on the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-751

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-74
Trondheim: U-575

At Sea 8 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

47 boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD VIVACIOUS departed Scapa Flow to join DDs LIGHTNING and ICARUS at the Clyde to escort BB DUKE OF YORK from the Clyde to Rosyth on the 9th. VIVACIOUS arrived in the Clyde on the 9th. At 0600 on the 9th, BB DUKE OF YORK, CL PENELOPE, and DDs LIGHTNING, ICARUS, and VIVACIOUS departed the Clyde for Rosyth to complete her pre-acceptance trials and work up. DDs LIGHTNING and ICARUS were released from the escort on the 10th. DD LIGHTNING returned to Scapa Flow and ICARUS proceeded to the Humber to commence a refitting at Immingham, arriving on the 11th. DUKE OF YORK and DD VIVACIOUS arrived at Rosyth on the 10th. VIVACIOUS departed Rosyth to return to Scapa Flow that same day, arriving on the 11th.

West Coast
Sloop ROSEMARY was damaged in a collision with ORP DD BURZA inside Milford Haven Harbour. The sloop was repaired at Milford Haven completing on the 15th. The DD was repaired at Glasgow completing on the 20th.


Med/Biscay
CVL FURIOUS arrived at Gibraltar on the 7th. 26 Hurricanes were transferred to CV ARK ROYAL. ARK ROYAL and DDs GURKHA, FORESTER, LIVELY, and LANCE departed Gibraltar on Operation STATUS. They joined CLA HERMOINE which had departed to the westward the evening before. One flight of Hurricanes were flown off on the 9th. Force H returned to Gibraltar on the 10th.

During the evening of the 10th, CVL FURIOUS with DDs LEGION, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar. At 2100on the 10th, CV ARK ROYAL, BB NELSON, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs ZULU, GURKHA, LANCE, and LIVELY departed Gibraltar. On the 13th, ARK ROYAL flew off 26 Hurricanes and FURIOUS flew off 19 Hurricanes.

DDs KIPLING, JAGUAR, and DECOY departed Alexandria to carry supplies to Tobruk.
DDs DECOY and KIPLING were lightly damaged by near misses from the LW near Tobruk. DD KIMBERLEY at sea covering this operation was also near missed by bombing and slightly damaged. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 9th.

CLA CARLISLE departed Suez to relieve CLA COVENTRY at Anchorage F at 27-49N, 33-57E.

CLA NAIAD with DDs NAPIER and NIZAM were at sea from Alexandria controlling night fighters during the night of 8/9 September.

RNeN submarine O.21 unsuccessfully attacked a convoy in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Nth Atlantic
An American convoy departed Argentia for Reykjavik. The convoy was escorted by BBs IDAHO and NEW MEXICO, CA VINCENNES, and DDs MORRIS, SIMS, HUGHES, HAMMANN, MUSTIN, and O'BRIEN of Desron 2, NIBLACK, HILARY P. JONES, GLEAVES, CHARLES F. HUGHES, MADISON, and LANSDALE of the Desron 7, and SIMPSON, MACLEISH, TRUXTON, OVERTON, REUBEN JAMES, and BAINBRIDGE. The convoy and escort arrived on the 16th.

Central Atlantic
Marconi class Submarine MAGGIORE BARACCA (RM 1140 grt) was sunk by DD CROOME by gunfire and ramming east of the Azores. The Captain, five officers, and twenty eight ratings were rescued, but 28 men were also lost. The DD sustained damage to her stern. CROOME arrived at Gibralta on the 10th and was under repair from 12 September to 4 October at Gibraltar.

Marconi class RM DA VINCI, the top scoring Italian submarine in WWII with120,243 grt of shipping to her credit

Pacific/Australia
Vichy CL LAMOTTE PICQUETT departed Saigon for Osaka, where she arrived on the 15th for urgent repairs. She departed on the 27th escorting Vichy steamer KINDIA to Saigon, where they both arrived on 9 October.


Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 9 SEPTEMBER 1941
Weather Fine and warm.

2138-2228 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. Three drop high explosive bombs and incendiaries on various parts of the Island including Rabat, Ta Qali and Hal Far. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and no engagements.

2313-0017 hrs Air raid alerts for 12 enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly at intervals. Only two of the raiders cross the coast, dropping high explosive bombs and incendiaries, killing one civilian and seriously injuring three more. High explosive bombs are dropped between Mosta and Imtarfa, on Ta Qali and Luqa, and on the Bingemma area. Incendiaries are dropped over Marsa. Six high explosives fall close to the headquarters of 1st Bn Hampshire Regiment; there are no casualties. Bombs also land on the road behind the Royal Army Service Corps depot at Rabat used by 4th Bn The Buffs as a billet. Two Hurricanes of Malta Night Fighter Unit are scrambled to intercept. Following a formation, one Hurricane spots a light three miles astern and 4000 feet above him. Climbing at full throttle, he comes into range of the Cant 1007 just after it has passed out of searchlight range. The Hurricane hits the Cant with several accurate bursts of machine-gun fire, setting light to its port and starboard engines. The Cant descends quickly to the sea. A motor launch and a Swordfish rescue aircraft find five survivors who are taken prisoner and brought ashore at dawn.

0442-0454 hrs Air raid alert for a single approaching enemy aircraft which may have been triggered by a Wellington coming in to land..

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 8 SEPTEMBER 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Bombay, 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. Departures 1 Wellington. 69 Squadron 2 Maryland patrols of east Tunisian coast. In the second, F/O Warburton drops bombs on Pantelleria. 2 Maryland patrols western Ionian Sea. Two Fulmars on offensive patrols between Gerbini and Catania, dropped bombs on Gerbini and machine-gunned the aerodrome. One Fulmar went on to Augusta and machine-gunned the aerodrome. The second dropped incendiaries on the southern boundary of Catania. 38 Squadron 9 Wellingtons attacked shipping in Palermo Harbour, dropping 33750lb of high explosives, damaging vessels and harbour facilities.

9 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXC U-162


Neutral
Elco 77' class PT USS PT-47
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS DUNVEGAN (K-177)


Fairmile C MGB 325
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Convoy SC-42
U-81 sank MV EMPIRE SPRINGBUCK (UK 5591 grt) from convoy SC-42. This ex-American ship transferred in 1940 to the British Ministry of War Transport (MOWT). At the time of her loss she was on passage from Sydney CB to leith then London, having previously travelled from Cuba. She hadf a crew of 39, all of whom were lost and was transporting steel and phosphates when lost. At 0655 hrs the EMPIRE SPRINGBUCK, an unescorted straggler from convoy SC-42, was hit on port side by two G7e torpedoes from U-81, while steaming in good weather about 150 miles NE of Cape Farewell. The ship was seen to quickly burn from stem to stern after the second torpedo hit and to sink immediately after several heavy explosions that shook the submerged U-boat in a distance of 1200 meters. The Germans assumed that the ship carried ammunition but instead the cargo of phosphates had been ignited.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U.85 attacked British steamer JEDMOOR in convoy SC.42, but did not damage her.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-83

At Sea 9 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-77, U-81, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-206, U-207, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-501, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

46 boats

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
Force M of CA DEVONSHIRE, CV VICTORIOUS, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI refuelled at Bell Sound. Force L had been detached, accompanied for a time by CA SUFFOLK, and was proceeding to Seidisfjord. Force M departed Bell Sound for Operation EGV.2 on the 10th. Before sailing, the Commander of the Force transferred from CA DEVONSHIRE to CV VICTORIOUS.

CA SUFFOLK rejoined Force M on the 10th.

CVE ARGUS, CA SHROPSHIRE, and DDs INGLEFIELD, IMPULSIVE, and ECLIPSE arrived Seidisfjord for refuel on the 12th. The ships departed at 2000 that day for Scapa Flow. Force L arrived at Scapa Flow on the 14th.

Northern Waters
BB PRINCE OF WALES and DDs LAFOREY, PUCKERIDGE, ASHANTI, CASTLETON, LAMERTON, and BADSWORTH were brought to 30 minutes notice and BB KING GEORGE V to 60 mins notice on the report that DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER had departed Oslo. It was later found that she was returning to Swinemunde after two unsuccessful bombing raids on her while at Oslo on the 5th and 8th.

Channel
Steamer TRIFELS (Ger 6198 grt), (former Fr SAINTE LOUISE recaptured at the fall of France, former German TRIFELS captured on 14 November 1939) was sunk by MTB.54 off Boulogne, which was part of a force of MTB.35 (SO), MTB.218 and MTB.54. MGB.43 and MGB.52 were also at sea in the Varne area. DKM escorting PVs Vp.202 (trawler HERMANN BOSCH, 470grt) and Vp.208 (trawler WALTER DARRE, 391grt) rescued the crew.


Med/Biscay
Steamer ERNA OLDENDORFF (Ger 2095 grt) was sunk in a collision with a tanker off St Nazaire.


BBB BARHAM, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DDs NAPIER and NIZAM were at sea from Alexandria for exercises. A Swordfish of 815 Squadron from Dekheila ditched offshore. ML ABDIEL picked up the pilot, Sub Lt D. W. Phillips and his crew after five and a half hours in the water. The CLs AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART of the CruSqn 7 were also at sea exercising.

British gunboat GNAT departed Mersa Matruh for Tobruk, but returned when her engines broke down. The gunboat later proceeded to Alexandria for repairs.

Dutch submarine O.24 sank steamer ITALO BALBO (FI 5114 grt) ten miles west of Elba in 42-47N, 9-57E.


Nth Atlantic
Corvette CANDYTUFT, escorting convoy HX.148 with DD RICHMOND and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL, was damaged in 51-20N, 39-08W. Lt D. M. Hall RNR, and T/Sub Lt H. F. T. Davies RNVR, and nine ratings were killed when the ship's starboard boiler exploded. The corvette was taken in tow by corvette BITTERSWEET and arrived at St Johns on the 14th. She was later taken from St Johns on 2 October for Halifax arriving on 6 October. Beyond the capacity of the Halifax repair facilities, the corvette was towed from Halifax on 8 October for New York where she arrived on 11 October. The corvette was repaired from 11 October 1941 to February 1942 at New York Navy Yard.


Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 10 SEPTEMBER 1941
Weather Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Operation Status Phase I completed, but only the first Flight arrived. The second Flight did not start, owing to the failure of guiding Blenheim to appear.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Beaufighter, 14 Hurricane, 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Bombay, 1 Sunderland, 3 Wellington. 69 Squadron Reconnaissance Striking Force patrols Ionian Sea and east Tunisian coast carried out by 3 Marylands and 1 Beaufort. Hurricane photoreconnaissance patrol of Sicilian and Calabrian coasts. Fleet Air Arm Fulmar patrol of Trapani aerodrome unable to locate target due to poor visibility dropped bombs on Castelvetrano aerodrome causing a large fire. 38 Squadron 8 Wellingtons attacked Messina.

TA QALI 5 officers and 9 sergeant pilots arrived by Hurricane from HMS Ark Royal.

Halder's Diary 9 September 1941

September 10 Wednesday
ASIA: Vice Admiral Nishizo Tsukahara was named the commanding officer of the Japanese Navy 11th Air Fleet. Koichi Shiozawa stepped down as the commanding officer of the Yokosuka Naval District, Japan.

"Shokaku" became the flagship of Carrier Division 5. She would remain at Yokosuka, Japan for the rest of the month.

Japanese Combined Fleet training exercise begins in the North Pacific.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: Allied convoy SC-42 was tracked near Cape Farewell, Greenland by the German submarine U-85. A running battle between sixteen U-boats and the convoy of 65 merchants under Canadian escort occurred as submarines U-81, U-82, U-85, U-432, and U-652 attacked the Allied convoy. Over the next three nights a total of 16 ships from the convoy were sunk by the German Wolfpack. U-111 sank SS "Marken". U-432 sank SS "Muneric", SS "Winterswijk" and SS "Stargard" in Convoy SC-42. U-652 damaged SS "Baron Pentland" and SS "Tahchee" in Convoy SC-42. U-81 sank SS "Sally Maersk" in Convoy SC-42. U-82 sank SS "Empire Hudson" in Convoy SC-42. U-85 sank SS "Thistleglen" in Convoy SC-42. In the end, 15 merchant ships and one escort were sunk. Two submarines, U-207 and U-501, were lost.

The German submarine U-501 (KptLt Hugo Förster CO) is sunk at 2330 hours in the Straits of Denmark south of Angmagsalik, Greenland, by depth charges and ramming from the RCN corvettes HMCS "Chambly" (Cdr. James Douglas "Chummy" Prentice RCN Commanding Officer) and HMCS "Moosejaw" (Lt. Frederick Ernest Grubb RCN, CO). The Canadian ships had been proceeding to the assistance of escort of convoy SC-42 when they made an ASDIC contact and "Chambly" immediately depth charged. After the first depth charge run U-501 surfaced right next to HMCS "Moosejaw" during her turn. The commander of U-501 leaped about 9 feet (2.7 meters) from his boat and onto the bridge of the corvette without even getting his feet wet! Fearing another boarding attempt the corvette opened the range and, as the U-boat passed her bows, rammed the U-boat and then straddled her with gunfire preventing the German crew from manning their deck armament and causing enough damage to cause her to start sinking. A boarding party from "Chambly", led by Lt Edward Theodore Simmons, then boarded the U-boat and once inside found the lighting system and instrumentation wrecked and heard the tell tale sound of rushing water, all of the boarding party except one were able to clear U-501 before she sank. Stoker William Irvin Brown of "Chambly" and 11 members of U-501's crew were lost as she sank. Of the sub crew, 37 of the 48 men aboard survived.

German submarine U-111 sank Dutch merchant ship "Marken" 300 miles north of Brazil; all 37 aboard survived and were given food by U-111's crew. The survivors would later be rescued by a Spanish ship on 21 Sep 1941.

EASTERN FRONT: Before noon, Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 shoots down a Russian I-26 aircraft.
Armeegruppe Nord: The Luftwaffe raided Leningrad hitting the cities dairy and starting dozens of fires. 200 citizens were killed in the night's raid. Zhukov arrives in Leningrad by air from Moscow and assumes command from Voroshilov. German 4.Panzergruppe reaches Duderhof Heights outside Leningrad.

Under German attack, Soviet defenders on Vormsi Island withdraw to Hiiumaa (Dago) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Sud: German General Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe attacks southward on Soviet forces east of Kiev reaches Konotop. General Kleist's 1.Panzergruppe begins a breakout from their bridgehead over the Dniepr near Kremenchug. German 1.Panzergruppe and 2.Panzergruppe completed the crossing of the Dnieper River in southern and northern Ukraine, respectively, and were both heading toward Kiev. Both Army Groups Centre and South are aimed at Kiev. Generalleutnant Walter Model's 3.Panzer-Divisionen (XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.)) captures Romny. Soviet 38th Army counterattacks in the Kremenchug sector.

"The enemy tank group has penetrated to Romny and Gaivoron. The 21st and 40th Armies are not able to liquidate this group. They request that forces be immediately transferred from the Kiev Fortified Region to the path of the enemy advance and a general withdrawal of front forces" - Colonel-General M.P. Kirponos

Click to expand...

GERMANY: Generalleutnant August Krakau succeeded Robert Martinek as the commanding officer of the German 7th Mountain Division.

MEDITERANNEAN: "Scirè" departed La Spezia, Italy for Gibraltar with three manned torpedoes on board. Axis Convoy departed Naples for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Oriani" and "Fulmine" and five torpedo boats.

RAF Bomber Command sends 76 aircraft to attack Turin, Italy overnight. They do little damage to military targets.

RN aircraft carrier "Ark Royal" launches fourteen Hurricane fighters for Egypt via Malta.

NORTH AFRICA: General Cunningham takes command of Western Desert Force.

NORTH AMERICA: The first B-24 Liberator bombers were en route for Britain.

The US 88th Infantry Battalion commenced training to convert to an air-landed role, following in the footsteps of the 550th Battalion which had successfully converted in late 1940.

At the Congressional hearings in Washington, Charlie Chaplin was accused of using the cinema to "poison the minds of the American people to go to war". Senator Bennett Champ Clark, a leading isolationist, told a Senate sub-committee investigating propaganda charges against Hollywood that United Artists was dominated by Chaplin and Alexander Korda, two British subjects, who were using it to make pro-war propaganda. United Artists made The Great Dictator. Chaplin, he said, had made his fortune in America, but never thought well enough of it to become a US citizen. He claimed that British propaganda had dragged America into the last war.

NORTHERN FRONT: German authorities in Oslo, Norway, declare martial law in their efforts to thwart a trade union plan for a general strike. Scores of trade union officials were arrested by the puppet government of Josef Terboven, Hitler's commissioner for Norway. Guards with Tommy guns are patrolling the streets of Oslo. Two trade union leaders have been executed after a summary court martial and four others have been sent to gaol. An 8pm to 5am curfew is in force. Dance halls are closed and the sale of alcohol is forbidden. Newspaper editors have been sacked and all meetings, indoors and outdoors have been banned. Terboven declared martial law after reports that the Norwegian unions were calling a general strike in opposition to the Nazi regime. Terboven accused "communist elements" in the unions of "disturbing the industrial peace in a criminal manner." The underground anti-Nazi newspaper Fri Ragbevegelse has called on the people to remain calm, but to fight "with all secret means for their rights."

PACIFIC OCEAN: German raider "Atlantis" captures Norwegian vessel "Silvaplana" west of Society Islands, subsequently departs for France with prize crew.

UNITED KINGDOM: A proposal to send two Canadian battalions to Hong Kong reaches British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's desk for approval. He accepts the recommendation.

WESTERN FRONT: The collaborationist newspaper, L'Oeuvre describes the burgeoning black market for food.;

"Nothing has been settled about how to feed Paris. .... indispensable vegetables are swept off the board and only the minority who can pay through the nose enjoy them. People of average means are .. deprived, ...and have not the wherewithal to take the time to go and eat in Normandy or Brittany. Potatoes are .. unfindable. But the Black Market manages to infiltrate enormous quantities for restaurants or customers willing to pay 8 or 9 francs a kilo."

Click to expand...

German blockade-runner "Anneliese Essberger" arrives at Bordeaux.

.

September 11 Thursday
ASIA: Emperor Hirohito assumes personal command of the Japanese Army, a move misread by American intelligence analysts as indicating a personal commitment to peace by the Japanese sovereign. A United Press dispatch from Tokyo gives the following information:

"Emperor Hirohito today took direct command of Japanese Army Headquarters and moved to assure close Army collaboration with Premier Fumimaro Konoye's Government, which appeared to be trying to keep Japan out of war even if that meant drifting away from her Axis ties."

Click to expand...

Japanese Combined Fleet conducts a training exercise in the North Pacific. Yamamoto meets IJN General Staff for ten days of map exercises, including two days devoted to operations against US fleet in Hawaiian Islands.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: Attack on convoy SC-42 continues. German submarines U-82, U-202, U-207, U-432, and U-433 attacked and sank seven merchant ships 100 miles east of Greenland. U-105 sank SS "Montana". U-207 sank SS "Berury" and SS "Stonepool" in Convoy SC-42. U-432 sank SS "Garm" in Convoy SC-42. U-433 sank SS "Bestum" in Convoy SC-42. U-82 sank SS "Bulysses", SS "Empire Crossbill", SS "Gypsum Queen" and damaged SS "Scania" in Convoy SC-42. U-202 sank SS "Scania". British destroyers HMS "Leamington" and HMS "Veteran" sank German submarine U-207, killing all 41 aboard. USS "Twiggs" (DD-127) was commissioned as HMS "Leamington" (G-19) on 23 Oct. 1940, part of the destroyers-for-bases deal.

Soviet warships unsuccessfully attack German convoy near Petsamo.

EASTERN FRONT: Near Jamjedrowo before noon, Lt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 claims two more Russian kills. But the "Green Hearts' Geschwader loses another pilot when Peter von Malapert with five victories is shot down and captured, becoming a prisoner of war to the Russians.
Armeegruppe Nord: The 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) captures Dudergov. German artillery batters the city of Leningrad daily at 0800 hours-0900 hours, 1100 hours -1200 hours, 1700 hours -1800 hours and from 2000 hours -2200 hours, to disrupt the schedule of normal life, but starvation and the coming winter are the main problems facing the population. Leningrad has livestock, grain, flour and fats for 30-40 days and sugar for 60 days. There is little firewood already cut and stored for heating. Some food, supplies and ammunition arrives across Lake Ladoga by boat until the lake freezes over in November. The Leningrad Front's strength sits at 452,000 men with about 2/3 of them deployed south of Leningrad. They faced about an equal number of Germans.

Finnish 14th Infantry Division captures Rukajarvi en route to Murmansk railroad. German artillery begins preparatory bombardment of Soviet positions on Muhu (Moon) Island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Estonia.

Armeegruppe Mitte: General Semyon Budyenny Commander-in-Chief of the Southwest Direction makes his second appeal to Stalin to withdraw from the Kiev area. This time the request was co-signed by the ranking commissar, Nikita Krushchev. Budyenny was sacked within hours and replaced him with Semyon Timoshenko. Only 60 miles separated the jaws of the great German encirclement at Kiev.

"Do not abandon Kiev and do not blow up the bridges without Stavka permission" - Joseph Stalin in response to Kirponos' request to withdraw from Kiev to a better defensive position.

Click to expand...

Armeegruppe Sud: Soviet cruiser "Krasny Kavkaz" bombards Rumanian positions near Odessa.

Konstantin Rokossovsky was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. Rokossovsky takes command of Soviet 16th Army. Stavka disbands Western Theater headquarters. Voroshilov, relieved of command of Leningrad Front by Zhukov, departs for Moscow.

The Soviet Far East command begins moving forces facing the Japanese to Moscow.

The Soviet government warns Bulgaria against allowing its territory to be used as a basis of attack by Germany and Italy.

GERMANY: Hitler directs that all the armed forces, including the Luftwaffe, restrict development of new prototypes except those approved by the Führer himself. These restrictions severely hamper the creation of modern aircraft and force the Luftwaffe to redesign or upgrade old types. The outcome of this is that massive man-hours and material are wasted before a conclusion can be reached about what type should be produced at all.

Hitler meets with Spanish ambassador and Portuguese ambassador.

RAF Bomber Command sends 56 aircraft to attack Rostock, 55 aircraft to attack Kiel and 32 aircraft to attack Warnemunde overnight.

MEDITERANNEAN: British submarine HMS "Thunderbolt" sank German ship "Livorno" 65 miles southwest of Benghazi, Libya.

Luftwaffe bombers attack the Suez Canal overnight.

NORTH AFRICA: Hans-Joachim Marseille claimed shooting down a South African Maryland bomber over Libya, but the kill was not confirmed. But JG 27 lost an Experte when Hans Richter with twenty-two aerial kills is shot down and killed in combat against the Allies.

NORTH AMERICA: America takes one more step closer to war. US President Roosevelt gave a fireside chat on maintaining freedom of the seas and the "Greer" incident. In response to the attack on the USS "Greer", Roosevelt announced that United States Navy warships will attack German or Italian submarines on sight in American defense waters stating;

"It is clear to all Americans that the time has come when the Americas themselves must now be defended. A continuation of attacks in our own waters, or in waters which could be used for further and greater attacks on us, will inevitably weaken American ability to repel Hitlerism. . . ."

Click to expand...

In effect, an undeclared state of war now existed between German and America.

Charles Lindbergh made a speech on behalf of the America First Committee in Des Moines, Iowa which included remarks that would be instantly controversial. In the speech Lindbergh said;

"The three most important groups who have been pressing this country toward war are the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration."

Click to expand...

Lindbergh said he admired the British and Jewish races, but claimed that the Jews' "greatest danger to this country lies in their large ownership and influence in our motion pictures, our press, our radio and our government." Lindbergh's pro-fascist stands were still embraced by a sizable portion of the American public.

Ground breaking ceremonies for the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. take place. The 38-acre Pentagon was built in Arlington, Va., over the next 2 years. Construction was ordered by Brig. Gen. Brehon B. Sommervell to consolidate the 17 War Dept. buildings. It cost $83 million and was located on a plot known as Arlington Farms, that was bordered by 5 roads.

PACIFIC OCEAN: US Marine Corps 6th Defense Battalion relieved the 3rd Defense Battalion as the garrison force at Midway.

George advises MacArthur that the total end strength of the FEAF ought to be 27 pursuit squadrons, eighteen light or medium bomber squadrons, and thirty heavy bomber squadrons.

UNITED KINGDOM: RAF No. 56 Squadron at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, becomes the first RAF squadron to receive the Hawker Typhoon Mk. IA.

Of the twenty long-range German bombers and five fighters sent into action, about thirteen operated over eastern England between Tynemouth and Brighton. Bombs were dropped at a dozen points including Durham and the North Riding. An incident occurred at Saltburn in Yorkshire, where some damage was caused to an ironworks (Skinningrove Iron Works), production was delayed for no more than three hours, however. One person was killed in this attack.

WESTERN FRONT: King Leopold III of Belgium, whilst a prisoner of the Germans, secretly married London-born Lilian Baels. As this had no validity under Belgian law a second ceremony was conducted on 6 Dec 1941.

RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Le Havre and Boulogne overnight. During the day RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on coastal sweeps and 43 aircraft on assorted anti-shipping and minelaying operations.

.

10 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Type X Bis (Schuka) Class VMF SHCH 407 and 408

SHCH 408

Fairmile B ML 293, ML 297

Fairmile B of the RAN

Losses
U-111 sank Steamer MARKEN (Ne 5719 grt) whilst she was on passage from Cardiff to Calcutta via Trinidad and Capetown. She was mostly empty when lost, withy just 5 training aircraft aboard. All of the 37 crew survived the attack. At 1953 the unescorted MARKEN was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-111 while steaming on a zigzag course at 12 knots about 335 miles NNW of Fortaleza, Brazil. The explosion blew the hatch covers off and lifted one of the aircraft carried as deck cargo into the air. The crew stopped the engines and began to abandon ship in two lifeboats after it was reported that the wireless gear and the 4in gun at the stern (the ship was also armed with four machine guns) were out of action, all hands having left about 15 minutes after the hit. Shortly afterwards a second torpedo struck on starboard side, falling the main mast and causing the ship to sink quickly. The U-boat then surfaced and approached the lifeboats to question the survivors. Initially the conversion was in English but soon carried on in German, asking for the name of the ship and nature of cargo. The commander asked if any of the boats needed food, brandy or a compass, offering to supply them if necessary, but no assistance was required so he only gave them the course to the nearest land. The survivors were picked up after 54 hours by the Panamanian steam tanker STANVAC NANILA which was attracted by the use of a flashing lamp and landed at Santos on 19 September.


Drifter CHRISTINE ROSE (RN 250 grt (est)) was lost when she grounded on Knap Rock, Argyll. The skipper was lost in the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy SC-42
65 ships departed Sydney Nova Scotia on 30 August 1941 under local escort, bound for Liverpool.. A week later, they were met by the Canadian 24th Escort Group with RCN DD SKEENA, Flower class corvettes ALBERNI, KENOGAMI, and ORILLIA Corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSE were also with the convoy undertaking operational training. Escort command were expecting trouble and had units on standby to reinforce the escort if the need arose as the convoy entered an area where U-boats were known to be waiting. Ranged against them was the Markgraf wolf pack of 14 boats in a patrol line SE of Greenland.

Early on 9 September U-85 sighted the convoy near Cape Farewell made an immediate sighting report, and then moved to attack immediately which was unsuccessful. She then commenced shadowing, while other Markgraf boats moved into position. The moon rose on the southern side on the convoy that night, and U-432 torpedoed the silhouetted freighter MUNERIC (UK 5229-GRT), which was carrying iron ore. The ship sank almost immediately and took all 63 of her crew.


Steamer KENOGAMIcommenced firing on a surfaced U-boat without any starshells or flashless powder, and quickly lost contact as the crew lost their night-vision in the flash of gunfire.

The convoy made two emergency turns over the next 30 mins as ships in convoy reported sighting three more surfaced U-boats. Another emergency convoy turn 90 minutes later caught SKEENA pursuing a contact at speed. While maneuvering to avoid collision, SKEENA passed a surfaced U-boat on a reciprocal course, being fired upon by ships in convoy so closely that SKEENA's guns could not be depressed to bear.

U-652 torpedoed Steamer BARON PENTLAND (UK 3410 grt) whilst carrying timber. Two of the crew were lost. The vessel remained afloat due her load of timber despite of a broken back and the wreck was eventually torpedoed and sunk by U-372 on 19 September.


The attack by U-652 also damaged tanker TAHCHEE. Tanker TAHCHEE was towed back to port by ORILLIA

Another emergency turn by the convoy brought 2 hrs of suspenseful quiet while ORILLIA aided TAHCHEE and searched for survivors astern of the convoy. Then U-432 managed to torpedo the freighter WINTERSWIJK (Ne3205-GRT). Between 0707 and 0709 hrs, U-432 fired three bow torpedoes and one stern torpedo and observed one ship sinking in two minutes and a hit on another ship. The ships hit were WINTERSWIJK and STARGARD. The survivors from WINTERSWIJK were picked up by a corvette and landed at Gourock.


Steamer STARGARD (Nor 1113-GRT) carrying lumber and a crew of 17 (2 were die in the attack) was hit amidships in the engine room by one torpedo. The explosion tore open the bridge deck and destroyed both port lifeboats and caused a heavy starboard list when the ship settled by the stern with the entire midships section enveloped in steam. Two men on watch below were killed and the master and two crewmen were thrown overboard, but were rescued by a starboard lifeboat, which had been launched by three men. The remaining survivors stayed on board and were soon thereafter taken off by the Norwegian steam merchant REGIN. The men in the boat were picked up after 30 minutes by a corvette and landed in Reykjavik on 13 September, where the master and two crewmen were taken to a hospital. The ship was last seen about two hours after being torpedoed, lying on her starboard side.


Whilst carrying out the rescue work REGIN opened fire on a surfaced U-boat. While SKEENA and and KENOGAMI searched for U-boats around stricken WINTERSWIJK and STARGARD, U-81 torpedoed and sank Steamer SALLY MAERSK (UK 3252-GRT), and the convoy made another emergency turn to avoid a surfaced U-boat. All 34 crew were rescued, but the cargo of wheat was of course lost. The details of the attack are that at 0728 hrs, U-81 fired two torpedoes at the SC-42 and observed a ship sinking after two hits. At 0729 hours, another spread of two torpedoes was fired and two detonations were heard, but at the time visibility was bad. At 0753 hours, the stern torpedo was fired that hit but was probably a dud. The U-Boat skipper reported one ship certain and two others probably sunk, but from Allied reports only the sinking of SALLY MAERSK is confirmed. The master, 28 crew members and five gunners were picked up by HMCS KENOGAMI (K-125) and landed at Reykjavik.


U-82 torpedoed the CAM Ship EMPIRE HUDSON (UK 7465-GRT) British less than two hours after SKEENA regained station ahead of the convoy. At 0957 hrs the EMPIRE HUDSON in convoy SC-42 was torpedoed and sunk by U-82. Four crew members were lost. The master, 47 crew members, six gunners and nine RAF personnel were picked up by the British merchant BARON RAMSAY and the Norwegian merchant REGIN and landed at Loch Ewe.

The similar EMPIRE DARWIN

Daylight on 10 September brought several periscope sightings and emergency turns by the convoy before U-85 torpedoed the freighter THISTLEGLEN (UK 4748-GRT). SKEENA and ALBERNI counterattacked and damaged U-85 after she had attacked and mortally hit THGISTLEGLEN. They attacked with depth charges. THISTLEGLEN sank with the loss of 3 crew. She was carrying both iron and steel when lost. At 1642 hrs, U-85 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a ship in the convoy and reported one ship sunk and another probably damaged after observing one hit and hearing a second detonation. However, only THGISTLEGLEN, the ship of the vice-commodore, was hit by one torpedo and sank later. Three crew members were lost. The master, 39 crew members and six gunners abandoned ship in three lifeboats and two rafts and were picked up after about one hour by the LORIENT, a straggler from the same convoy and landed at Belfast.

10 SEPTEMBER 1941 [CONT'D]
Losses (cont'd)
Convoy SC-42 (cont'd)
RCN corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSEJAW, en route to join convoy SC.42, sank Type IXC U.501 (DKM 1120 grt) in the Denmark Strait, south of Angmagsalik, Greenland. The boat was sunk at 2330hrs. after sustained depth charge attacks and finally by ramming. 37 of the crew were rescued, but 11 of the German crew were lost. One Canadian rating was lost after boarding the submarine prior to sinking.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-563
St Nazaire: U-77, U-206, U-568

Departures
Brest: U-372
Lorient: U-103

At Sea 10 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-74, U-81, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-106, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-207, U-372, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

46 boats

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer JULIUS HUGH STINNES 27 (Ger 2530 grt) was lost on a mine near Kolberg.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

North Sea
Aux MSW M.1102 (DKM 460 grt) (ex-trawler H. A. W. MULLER,) was sunk by an RAF aerial torpedo in 58-08N, 6-38E.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Patrol
CA LONDON was ordered to patrol the western approaches to Denmark Strait. That evening on the 12th, CA LONDON was ordered to return to Hvalfjord and return to normal notice. LONDON arrived back at Hvalfjord on the 12th.

Northern Waters
BB PRINCE OF WALES departed Scapa Flow with DDs LAMERTON, BADSWORTH, and PUCKERIDGE to exercise west of Hoy. Somewhat later, ML cruiser WELSHMAN and DDs LAFOREY and ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow to relieve the HUNT DDs in the BB PRINCE OF WALES' screen. The BB and screen would then proceed to Havlfjord to prepare for operations against DKM CS ADMIRAL SCHEER which was expected to attempt a break through into the Atlantic. Mid afternoon, BB PRINCE OF WALES was ordered to remain in her practice area and that afternoon to return to Scapa Flow. The ships were ordered to revert to normal notice on the 11th. All ships arrived back at Scapa Flow on the 11th when the operation was canceled.

ML cruiser MANXMAN departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh. CL SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde in her return to Gibraltar. The cruiser arrived at the Clyde on the 11th.

DD LIGHTNING, en route to Scapa Flow from escorting BB DUKE OF YORK, was in a collision with MSW trawler STRATHGELDIE. The DD was damaged and the trawler was badly damaged. DD LIGHTNING escorted the trawler to Wick before continuing on to Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 11th. LIGHTNING departed Scapa Flow on the 15th for the Clyde for repairs.

SW Approaches
Submarine PROTEUS arrived at Gibraltar from refitting at Portsmouth from December 1940 to 17 August. The submarine had departed Holy Loch on the 3rd.

Med/Biscay
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DDs JACKAL and NIZAM were exercising from Alexandria.

CLA NAIAD with DDs JACKAL and HOTSPUR were at sea that night to direct night fighters. JACKAL rescued a party of two Army officers, three soldiers, and nine Greeks which had escaped from Greece in a caique and were making for Alexandria.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT sank steamer SVAM I (FI 388 grt) in the Gulf of Sirte.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Panamanian steamer HONDURAS was damaged by the LW off Suez.. The steamer was able to arrive under her own power at Zafarana.

RM submarine TOPAZIO sank Ferry MUREFTE (UK 691 grt) off Alexandria. One crewman was lost on the ferry. The survivors were picked up by Egyptian steamer TALODI. DDs KIPLING, JACKAL, HASTY, and HOTSPUR departed Alexandria and destroyers HERO and GRIFFIN departed Haifa to hunt for this submarine. DDs KIPLING and HASTY returned to Alexandria on the 13th. DDs HERO, GRIFFIN, JACKAL, and HOTSPUR arrived at Haifa on the 14th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TORBAY damaged German steamer NORBURG in Candia Harbour (Greece).

RAF bombers from Malta damaged RM CA BOLZANO at Messina. 12 crew were killed and 30 wounded.

Nth Atlantic
HX.149 departed Halifax, escorted by DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON and AMC ASCANIA. DD CHURCHILL joined on the 12th. DDs ANNAPOLIS and HAMILTON were relieved on the 13th by corvettes ARROWHEAD, CAMELLIA, CELANDINE, and EYEBRIGHT. DD CHURCHILL and the four corvettes were relieved on the 20th by DDs MALCOLM and WATCHMAN, corvettes ARABIS and PETUNIA, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM, NORTHERN PRIDE, and NORTHERN SPRAY. Corvette MONKSHOOD joined on the 22nd. The AMC and corvette PETUNIA were detached on the 24th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 25th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 11 SEPTEMBER 1941
Weather Fine and warm.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 1941

AIR HQ 38 Squadron 8 Wellingtons attacked power station, train and ferries at Messina. 69 SquadronReconnaissance Tripoli, plus special search and patrol.

TA QALI 4 officers and 9 sergeants left for Luqa by Hurricane to proceed to the Middle East.

Halder's Diary 10 September 1941

11 SEPTEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc U-587
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS ACME (AMc-61)


Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS CHACHALACA (AMc-41)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS SUMMERSIDE (K-141)


Bangor Class MSW HMS PETERHEAD (J-59)


Losses
Steamer SILVAPLANA (Nor 4793 grt) was captured by DKM raider ATLANTIS at 26-16S, 164-25W.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy SC-42
U-82 torpedoed tkr BULYSSES (UK 7519 GRT) during the early hours of of the 11th. 4 of the 61 man crew were lost in the attack. The ship was transporting gas and oil when lost, from New York to Stanlow via Sydney CB. At 0151 hrs on 11 September 1941 U-82 fired four torpedoes at SC-42 and then a stern shot south of Cape Farewell. The first three torpedoes of the forward tubes missed and the fourth hit the BULYSSES, which exploded. The stern shot at 0212 hours hit the GYPSUM QUEEN which sank within one minute. The master, 50 crew members and six gunners were picked up by the Polish steam merchant WISLA from the same convoy and landed at Liverpool


As indicated above U-82 torpedoed the freighter GYPSUM QUEEN (UK 3915 GRT) with her stern launched torpedo, shortly after the convoy ordered an emergency turn. GYPSUM QUEEN sank quickly with 5500 tons of sulfur and 10 of her 36 man crew. Other ships in convoy rescued the survivors.


Some accounts place the loss of U-501 (see previous day's entry). According to these accounts corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSE JAW observed the fireworks of these attacks and surprised U-501 while steaming to reinforce the escort. It is reported that after being rammed and disabled, the captain of U-501 jumped from the conning tower to MOOSE JAW's deck; and MOOSE JAW sent a boarding party to enter the submarine. 11 Germans and one of the Canadian boarding party (Stoker William Brown) were lost when U-501 sank. U-501 was the first U-boat sunk by Canadian escorts.

U-207, just after midnight 10/11 September sank and the freighter STONEPOOL (UK 4815 GRT) while CHAMBLY and MOOSE JAW were attacking U-501. She was on passage from Montreal to Avonmouth via Sydney CB with a crew of 49, 42 of whom would perish in the attack. The master, 33 crew members and eight gunners from STONEPOOL were lost. Six crew members and one gunner were picked up by HMCS KENOGAMI and landed at Loch Ewe.


Just after this attack U-207 torpedoed the freighter BERURY(UK 4924 GRT). The after action reports state that at 0245 hrs on 11 Sep 1941 the STONEPOOL at station #111 and five minutes later the BERURY at station #112 in convoy SC-42 were torpedoed and sunk east of Cape Farewell. There are no attack reports for this time from the German side, so the attacker must have been U-207, which herself was sunk a few hours later by the escorts. The BERURYwas sunk with gunfire by an escort ship. One crew member was lost. The master, 36 crew members and four gunners were picked up by HMCS KENOGAMIand landed at Reykjavik and HMCS MOOSEJAW and landed at Loch Ewe
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Then U-432 torpedoed the freighter GARM (SD 1231 GRT). The vessel was on passage Sydney CB ro Kings Lynn with half a cargo of timber. A crew of 20 were embarked, 6 of whom would perish in the attack. At 0406 hrs U-432 fired two torpedoes at two overlapping ships in the convoy and observed one hit after 3 minutes 15 seconds. The ship hit was the GARM in station #24. The survivors were shortly thereafter rescued from their lifeboats by the DESTRUM and were landed at Reykjavik three days later.


U-82 torpedoed the freighter EMPIRE CROSSBILL (UK 5463 GRT), with the loss of all of the 49 crew. The ship was fully loaded with steel and was on passage from Philadelphia to Hull. At 0705 hrs, U-82 fired three torpedoes at three ships into the convoy east of Cape Farewell and observed two hits. One of the ships hit was the the EMPIRE CROSSBILL, which sank within 30 seconds and the second ship (the SCANIA, see below) was hit and later finished off by U-202. The EMPIRE CROSSBILL sank with all hands: the master, 38 crew members, nine gunners and one passenger were lost.


The other ship hit by U-82 was the freighter SCANIA (Sd 1980 GRT). U-82 hit her and caused her to stop, but did not sink her. Two hours after being hit by U-82, the now helpless ship was hit again by U-202, while escorts ALBERNI, KENOGAMI and MOOSE JAW were rescuing survivors of BERURY and STONEPOOL. The ship was transporting timber from the Canada to the UK. She had a crew of 24, all of whom would survive the attack. The SCANIA was abandoned after the first hit and fell behind the convoy where she was sunk by two torpedoes from U-202 at 13.32 and 13.47 hrs that afternoon.


U-43 launched torpedoes, but fail to hit anything. U-433 scored a hit on Norwegian Bestum, but did not sink this ship

U-105 sank the straggling steamer MONTANA (Pan 1549 GRT). This ship had a complement of 26, all of whom would perish in the attack. She was transporting lumber from Wilmington NC to Reykjavik. At 1650 hrs the unescorted and neutral MONTANA was hit on port side by one of four G7e torpedoes fired by U-105 in very bad visibility about 330 miles NE of Cape Farewell. The torpedo struck just ahead of the bridge and caused the ship to sink slowly by the bow with a heavy list to port. The survivors were observed to abandon ship in two lifeboats by an Allied aircraft, but they were never found.


Corvettes CHAMBLY and MOOSEJAW joined the convoy on the 11th. Later in the morning, the convoy was joined by Canadian corvette WETASKIWIN, Corvettes MIMOSA and GLADIOLUS, and anti-submarine whaler BUTTERMERE. During the afternoon of 11 September, the 2nd Escort Gp joined the convoy with DDs DOUGLAS, VETERAN, SALADIN, SKATE, and LEAMINGTON.

Also on the 11th, DDs LEAMINGTON and VETERAN sank Type VIIc U.207 (DKM 769 grt) in the Denmark Strait. The entire crew of forty one were lost. A total of 21 DCs were dropped by LEAMINGTON and VETERAN, with assistance also provided by S Class DDs SKATE and SALADIN. Sighting information was also passed by a patrolling CC a/c searching in front of the convoy.
[NO NEW IMAGES]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-106

Departures
Brest: U-562
Lorient: U-68

At Sea 11 September 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-74, U-81, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-94, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-103, U-105, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-125, U-132, U-141, U-143, U-202, U-372, U-373, U-432, U-433, U-451, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-566, U-567, U-569, U-572, U-575, U-652, U-752

43 Boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
British steamer CORMEAD was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea. The steamer anchored at Great Yarmouth Roads on the 12th.

British trawler WAR GREY was damaged by the LW off Sunderland.

Northern Waters
CL KENYA departed Scapa Flow for repairs in the Clyde. These repairs were to complete repairs to damage from her collision with DD BRIGHTONon 25 June. The CL arrived in the Clyde on the 12th.

West Coast
ON.15 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs KEPPEL, SABRE, SHIKARI, and VENOMOUS, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA, MAN O.WAR, and NORTHERN DAWN. DD VENOMOUS and corvette SUNFLOWER were detached on the 13th, DD SABRE on the 14th, and DD KEPPEL on the 15th. The remainder of the escorts remained with the convoy until it was dispersed on the 16th.

11 SEPTEMBER 1941 [CONT'D]
OPERATIONS [CONT'D]
Med/Biscay
DDs NAPIER, KINGSTON, and HAVOCK departed Alexandria for Tobruk with supplies. On their return, Senior Naval Officer, Inshore Squadron, Captain A. L. Poland DSO DSC, took passage to Mersa Matruh in DD NAPIER. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 12th.

Steamer ALFREDO ORIANI (FI 3059 grt) was sunk by British Blenheim bombers outside Benghazi. The steamer which had departed Petrasso on the 11th was escorted by RM TB CANTORE.


Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC.44 departed Sydney, CB, escorted by AMC WOLFE and corvettes LETHBRIDGE, NAPANEE, and SHEDIAC. Corvette AGASSIZ joined on the 12th. The escort which left with the convoy on the 11th were detached on the 14th when relieved by DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes ALYSSE, HONEYSUCKLE, LEVIS, and MAYFLOWER. Corvette LEVIS was lost on the 20th. Corvettes ARROWHEAD and EYEBRIGHT joined on the 20th. Corvette HONEYSUCKLE was detached on the 21st and DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes AGASSIZ, ALYSSE, ARROWHEAD, EYEBRIGHT, and MAYFLOWER were detached on the 22nd. DDs AMAZON, BELMONT, BULLDOG, and GEORGETOWN and corvettes ACONIT and HEARTSEASE, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, CAPE WARWICK, DANEMAN, NOTTS COUNTY, and ST APOLLO joined on the 22nd. DDs AMAZON and BULLDOG and corvettes ACONIT and HEARTSEASE were detached on the 27th. DDs BELMONT and GEORGETOWN and the trawlers were detached on the 28th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 30th.

Central Atlantic
RAN DD NESTOR was damaged by the premature explosion of a depth charge off Bathurst. NESTOR arrived at Freetown on the 12th. After temporary repairs at Freetown, the DD proceeded to Gibraltar, arriving on the 25th. The DD departed Gibraltar on the 26th and proceeded to Devonport for permanent repairs, completing on 5 December.

Sth Atlantic
CL EDINBURGH departed Simonstown after escorting convoy WS.10 to Capetown.
The cruiser arrived at Freetown on the 17th and Gibraltar on the 21st for Operation HALBERD.

Pacific/Australia
British steamer ELLENGA departed Singapore for Penang. The steamer departed Penang on the 13th, escorted by CL DAUNTLESS to 10N, 84E. Steamer ELLENGA arrived at Madras on the 20th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 SEPTEMBER TO DAWN 12 SEPTEMBER 1941

Weather Fine and warm.

1135-1145 hrs Air raid alert for a report of nine enemy aircraft which approach to within eight miles north of Grand Harbour at 23000 feet. Ten Hurricane fighters are scrambled. Eight of 249 Squadron are unable to attain sufficient altitude to attack. The two Hurricanes of 185 Squadron follow the raiders to within 10-15 miles of Sicily but cannot reach them and return to base.

2047-2210 hrs Air raid alert for five enemy aircraft approaching the Island. One turns back well before reaching Malta but the remaining four cross the coast and drop bombs on land around Kalafrana and Ta Qali. Ant-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Wellington. 38 Squadron 9 Wellingtons attacked Palermo. 69 Squadron 5 Blenheims on sweep of Ionian sea; attacked shipping. 105 Squadron 1 Blenheim special patrol. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 7 Swordfish attacked a convoy of 6 merchant ships and 7 destroyers off the Tunisian coast. 5 torpedoes were fired, sinking one merchant ship and damaging a second. 2 Fulmar offensive patrols over Sicilian aerodromes unable to attack due to thick cloud; they dropped high explosives and incendiaries on chemical works at Licata and machine-gunned harbour installations, then dropped high explosives and incendiaries on the railway at Sciata starting a fire.


Halder's Diary 11 September 1941

September 12 Friday
ASIA: Japanese Combined Fleet continues training exercise in the North Pacific.

In a secret meeting with Prime Minister Konoe in effort to avoid war, Yamamoto promises the Navy will win many victories in the first year, but can't guarantee ultimate success.

Japanese air offensive against Chungking, Tzeliutzsing, and other targets were halted in order to withdraw air units in preparation for operations in the Pacific. The 3rd Kokutai reorganized from a bomber unit to a pure fighter group (as the first Kokutai to do so). The attack daitai of the 1st Kokutai returned to Kanoya, Japan, while the fighter daitai at the same time was abolished. The majority of its pilots were absorbed into the newly created 3rd Kokutai or into the Tainan Kokutai. The Genzan Kokutai returned to Genzan.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The Ordeal of Convoy SC-42: After the loss of 13 ships in 2 days, convoy SC-42 is reinforced. Three Allied corvettes (British HMS "Gladiolus", Canadian HCMS "Wetaskiwin", and Free French "Mimosa") and eight destroyers (British HMS "Douglas", British HMS "Veteran", British HMS "Leamington", British HMS "Saladin", British HMS "Skate", American USS "Sims", American USS "Russell", and American USS "Charles F. Hughes') are added to Allied convoy SC-42's escort force. In the air, British Catalina aircraft of RAF No. 209 Squadron also appeared to provide protection during the day. The escorts prevent the U-boats from sinking any ships for the next 5 days.

United States Coast Guard cutters USCGC "Northland" (WPG-49) and USCGC "North Star" (WPG-59) seize the Norwegian trawler "Buskoe" in MacKenzie Bay. The crew of the "Buskoe" is attempting to establish and service German weather stations in Greenland. This the first capture of a belligerent ship by the U.S. in WWII. Her capture led to the discovery of a German radio station about five hundred miles up the Greenland coast from Mackenzie Bay. A night raiding party from "Northland" captured three Nazis at Peter Bregt, with equipment and code, as well as German plans for other radio stations in the far north.

EASTERN FRONT: In the Leningrad sector, Stavka disbands 48th Army and creates 4th Army. Konev replaces Timoshenko in command of Soviet Western Front.
Armeegruppe Nord: The 1.Panzer-Divisionen (Lieutenant General Friedrich Kirchner) captures Krasnoe Selo but are halted at Pulkovo in Leningrad's southwestern suburbs. Hitler halts the advance in the Leningrad area and orders the bulk of the armored and mechanized forces in Army Group North, to move south and prepare for the attack on Moscow. Hitler proclaims, "Leningrad will be starved into submission." The daily bread ration in Leningrad, Russia was cut to 500 grams for manual workers and 300 grams for office workers and children under 12.

Finnish 14th Infantry Division halts advance toward Murmansk railroad and assumes defensive positions east of Rukajarvi. Finnish Army of Karelia crosses the Svir and captures Podporogye.

Armeegruppe Mitte: North of Kiev, the city of Chernigov, on the Desna River is evacuated in the face of the advancing German 2.Armee. Kleist moves 1.Panzergruppe from Kremenchug to form part of a pincer ring around Soviets protecting Kiev. As Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe drives south to encircle the Soviet forces around Kiev, an early snowfall hits most of the front in Russia turning the landscape into mud. The Germans, completely unprepared for the poor weather are completely incapable of dealing with the situation, call a temporary halt to the attacks by their mechanized forces.

Armeegruppe Sud: Axis troops launched a renewed offensive against Odessa, Ukraine. German 1.Panzergruppe attacks from the Kremenchug bridgehead.

Royal Air Force planes went into action against the Germans in the Murmansk area for the first time. JG 77 encounters for the Hurricanes of 151 Wing, an RAF fighter squadron flying out of Murmansk that was sent to demonstrate to the Russians how to operate the Hurricane. In the action, the British pilots shot down three enemy planes at a loss of one to themselves. The Russians were so pleased with the action that three of the pilots involved were awarded "Order of Lenin", the only non-Russians given the award.

Nadejda Russo was awarded the Gold Cross of the Order of Aeronautical Virtue with Swords.

A SS Einsatzkommando murders 3,434 Jews at Ponary, outside Vilna.

GERMANY: Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, the Chief of Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, the Armed Forces High Command [OKW], issued an explicit directive to his troops on how they should treat Jews in the USSR. "Jews in the newly occupied eastern territories", Keitel's directive says: "The struggle against Bolshevism demands ruthless and energetic measures, above all against the Jews, the main carriers of Bolshevism."

An authorized Nazi spokesperson said that President Roosevelt "wants war" and that Germany would take "appropriate measures". That same day, an editorial by the prominent Italian journalist and unofficial Axis spokesman Virginio Gayda was published in the Giornale d'Italia, in which he declared that the "act of unprovoked aggression" by Roosevelt had left the Axis warships no alternative "but to attack United States naval ships on sight."

RAF Bomber Command sends 120 aircraft to attack Frankfurt overnight.

MEDITERANNEAN: Flying from bases in Britain and North Africa, British bombers struck at Italy's industrial north and at targets in Sicily, in the south, tonight. The British based Stirlings took advantage of the longer nights to fly 1,200 miles across France and the Alps and bomb the royal arsenal at Turin, where at least nine large fires were started. More fires were started at Messina and Palermo - both major supply ports for the Italian army in Libya - with crews reporting hits on merchant ships, oil tanks and a power station.

MIDDLE EAST: Eighth Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 2842 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant. In the Red Sea, British vessel "Tai Koo" was sunk by mine.

NORTH AFRICA: In North Africa the relief operations begin for Tobruk. Approximately 6300 soldiers, from Scobie's 70th British Division, and supplies for them are transported into the city. 6000 of the Australian garrison are taken out.

NORTH AMERICA:
White House Press Secretary Stephen Early said there was "striking similarity" between Nazi propaganda and Charles Lindbergh's comments in Des Moines. Lindbergh's remarks were widely criticized in the American press, even among pro-isolationist newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and the Hearst media empire. The public standing of the America First Committee was severely damaged as a result.

"Germany and Russia are fighting for world domination, which ever wins will be a long way on the road to domination; England cannot win, the best its empire can gain is a respite; Japan fights for domination in order to keep from being destroyed later; the United States does not look out for its own interests, is not united internally, has no objective except the restoration of the status quo, is shot through with elements of weakness and therefore stands to lose regardless of the victor in the present war; finally, if any one power dominates Asia, Europe, and Africa, our country will ultimately become a second class power even if we gain South America and the whole of North America." - Colonel Paul Robinett of the General Staff.

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Stimson protests to the Cabinet that Roosevelt's gift to the USSR of 5 B-17's were needed for the Philippines. Roosevelt apologizes but the gift stands.

The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) authorizes the creation of the USNs first photo interpretation (PI) school.

The Spanish freighter "Navemar" arrived in New York with 787 refugees.

Chuck Yeager enlists in US Army Air Forces.

NORTHERN FRONT: In Operation EGV2, British Fairey Albacore aircraft from British carrier HMS "Victorious" (escorted by cruisers HMS "Devonshire" and "Suffolk" and HMS destroyers "Somali", "Matabele" and "Punjabi") damage the Glomfjord hydroelectric power plant, Norway. They also attack ships at Bodö (20 miles away) with torpedoes.

The Norwegian Government under the pro-German leadership of Quisling bans the Boys Scouts and other youth clubs. Boys are required to join youth sections of the Nasjonal Samling Party.

PACIFIC OCEAN: In the Philippine Islands, the first nine USAAF B-17 bombers arrive via air reinforcement route from Hawaii.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Air Vice-Marshal G. R. Bromet was appointed Air Officer Commanding, No. 19 Group RAF with the primary task of attacking surfaced German submarines in the Bay of Biscay.

The prototype Airspeed A.S. 51 Horsa troop-carrying glider (DG 597) is flown. It has a crew of two pilots and can carry 20-25 troops.

One of the three Luftwaffe aircraft overland dropped bombs in fields near Seaham Harbour. There was slight window damage. During a raid on Durham, damage was reported to the railway and at Flamborough, damage was done to some houses. Seven HEs dropped and one of these fell on the LNER's Lanchester Valley line between Blackhill and Knitsley. A railway engine and ten wagons were derailed. Other bombs fell harmlessly in open fields.

WESTERN FRONT: The Germans shoot 12 of the Jewish hostages taken on 8 September.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead operation and a Rhubarb operation over the Netherlands. RAF Bomber Command sends 11 aircraft on coastal sweeps off the Dutch coast. RAF Bomber Command sends 21 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight and 10 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

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