This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[Njaco]

October 6 Monday
EASTERN FRONT: The first snow of the Russian winter fell during the night of 6/7 October. The cold weather set in unusually early. There was no anti-freeze for trucks or tanks. No chains were available for the wheeled vehicles, many of which were soon immobilized. It was still snowing on 12 October. On the Moscow axis, the Soviet position near Vyazma and Bryansk is deteriorating. Rokossovsky made it to Vyazma but only found the local police. Rokossovsky's 16th Army takes command of forces in the Vyazma sector, but 10.Panzer-Division (Fischer) was already nearby. With fuel and ammunition running low Fischer made a quick strike at the city during the evening. The Germans took the airport at 1915 hours. Two hours later the Germans were in the suburbs of the city. Heavy fighting was reported as the Germans clear the city. Rokossovski fled Vyazma just in front of the German panzers. He collected some medium tanks and armoured cars, a squadron of NKVD cavalry, and elements of the 18th (Leningrad) Volunteer Division that had escaped encirclement. This force was strong enough to push through the occasional German units they encountered. They reached the headquarters of the Western Front on 9 Oct. The threat of encirclement of the Bryansk Front has become even more serious as 17.Panzer Divisionen (Lieutenant General H-J von Arnim) reaches Bryansk. Russian 5th Army (Leliushenko) counter-attacked at Mtensk on the Orel-Tula highway. The relatively new T-34s, under a competent tank commander, caused Guderian's panzer troops some consternation. Colonel Katukov concealed his T-34s in a wood and ambushed 4.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General W. von Langermann) as it passed. At the end of the day many or most of the German tanks had been destroyed. 17.Panzer Divisionen rolls in unexpectedly from the East, surprising the HQ of Soviet General Yeremenko who is wounded but escapes. 2.Panzerarmee links up with German 2.Armee, encircling 2 large pockets of Soviet troops (23 Divisions of 3rd, 13th and 50th Armies). A large pocket of about 100,000 Soviet forces surrender near Kharkov and the Donets river. Eight Soviet Armies are about to be encircled at Bryansk and Vyazma by the surprise maneuver conducted by German 17.Panzer Divisionen. In less than two weeks, the Germans have taken nearly 700,000 prisoners and destroyed or captured 1,200 tanks and 5,000 heavy guns.

The 1.Panzerarmee and 11.Armee succeed in surrounding the Soviet 9th and parts of the 18th Armies north of the Sea Azov. German General Kleist's right wing reaches Berdyansk, on the Sea of Azoz trapping more than 100,000 Soviet soldiers. The German 11.Armee is attempting to link with Kleist by attacking along the coast.

Georgy Zhukov departed Leningrad for Moscow to take command of Soviet Western Front. General Ivan Fedyuninsky assumed command at Leningrad.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 213 adult male, 359 adult female, and 390 children, all Jews, were killed in Semiliski, Lithuania for a total of 962 people.

Romanian forces claim to have killed 70,000 Soviet soldiers on the eastern front and taken 60,000 prisoners, at a loss to themselves of 20,000 dead.

MEDITERRANEAN: German bombers attacked shipping in the Gulf of Suez east of Egypt, sinking British ship "Thistlegorm", which carry aboard, among other items, two steam locomotives; 9 were killed. Australian ship "Salamaua", Norwegian tanker "Norfold", and British ship "Scalaria" were also damaged during this attack.

RAF bombers attacked Piraeus.

UNITED KINGDOM: An official German statement on Bremen radio by "Lord Haw-Haw" tonight led to the cancellation of plans for the exchange of badly wounded PoWs. Two hospital ships were about to leave Newhaven for Dieppe when the war office telephoned to cancel. No immediate explanation was forthcoming, but the Haw-Haw broadcast spoke of an exchange of 100 Britons for a corresponding number of Germans. Such a man-for-man exchange is barred by the Geneva Convention of 1929, which provides for the exchange of all seriously wounded, irrespective of numbers.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF No. 601 Squadron flying from Duxford in Cambridgeshire, makes its first operation in the Bell P-400 Airacobra, a shoot-up of the French coast.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead operation to Ostend. 4 Hurricane IIb from RAF No. 615 Sqn. flew the Anti-shipping mission off Ostend and encountered flak. There were no casualties.

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[parsifal]

06 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS DAWSON (K-104)

Losses

UBOATS
Arrivals
St. Nazaire:U-10

Departures
Kirkenes: U-576

At Sea 06 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575, U-576

34 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic
The first victory for VMF MTBs in the Arctic was achieved by D-3 Class TK-12. She managed to sink with torpedo the coaster BJORNUNGEN (Ex Nor165 grt). The ship was carrying materials for heer, in the construction of rail lines supporting the advance on Murmansk

Painting of TK-12

Northern Patrol
On the 6th, BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CL PENELOPE, and DDs ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MATABELE, PUNJABI, and SOMALI departed Seidisfjord for operation EJ.

Sub Lt (A) P. G. F. Dumas and Leading Airman M. S. Eastment in a Fulmar of 809 Sqn were lost in a practice flight on the 6th.

DDs ANTELOPE departed Scapa Flow for Scrabser where she embarked the Trade Mission Congress group for Archangel. The DD departed for Seidisfjord to refuel en route. On the passage, the DD developed a defect to her main dynamo. DD NORMAN departed Scapa Flow before midnight on the 6th for Seidisfjord. Both DDs arrived at Seidisfjord just before midnight on the 7th. At Seidisfjord, the group was transferred to DD NORMAN. NORMAN departed Seidisfjord just after dawn on the 8th and arrived at Archangel at on the 12th. DD ANTELOPE departed Seidisfjord for Scapa Flow on the 8th and arrived on the 9th.

SW Approaches
BB PRINCE OF WALES with DDs LAFOREY, LIGHTNING, and ORIBI arrived at Scapa Flow from Gibraltar. CLs KENYA and SHEFFIELD arrived in the Clyde from Gibraltar.

Med/Biscay
CLA NAIAD and DDs AVONVALE and ERIDGE passed through the Suez Canal en route to Alexandria to operate with the Med Flt.

Submarine URSULA arrived at Malta from patrol south of Messina.

Central Atlantic
Convoy ST.5 departed Freetown, escottd by sloop MILFORD and corvettes BURDOCK, CROCUS, and MARUERITE. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 11th.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Steamer THISTLEGORM (UK 4898 grt), carrying munitions, was sunk by the LW in Anchorage F, inner channel Strait of Jubal. Four crew and five gunners were lost on the steamer. Australian steamer SALAMAUA was damaged by German bombing in the same attack. Norwegian tanker NORFOLD was damaged by German bombing at Ras Gharib. British steamer SCALARIA was attacked in the same attack, but was not damaged.

Some of the cargo aboard the THISTLEGORM when she was sunk. The vessel is a popular diving wreck.


Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 6 OCTOBER TO DAWN 7 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Fine and cool.

1946-1957 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island but turns away before reaching the coast.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 6 OCTOBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Ursula returned from patrol south of Messina. Trento and seven

destroyers passed north through the Straits out of range, but an enemy report broadcast was never received. Sokol returned having failed to locate a missing Blenheim crew.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Beaufighter, 13 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 2 Wellington. Departures 1 Wellington. 38 Squadron 8 Wellingtons attacked shipping in Tripoli Harbour. 69 Squadron 4 Maryland special patrols. 107 Squadron 1 Blenheim searched for the dinghy of Sgt Hamlyn and crew. 4 Blenheims shipping sweep over Gulf of Syria.

Fleet Air Arm 2 Fulmars on offensive patrol over aerodromes in Sicily dropped high explosive bombs on hangars and a slipway at Marsala and incendiaries on Licata, plus high explosive bombs and incendiaries on Gerbini dispersal area.

 

[parsifal]

Halder's Diary 6 October 1941

 

[Njaco]

October 7 Tuesday
ASIA: First Lieutenant Sukeichiro Ito (NCO49) of the 59th Sentai was killed in an accident in the Hankou area.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-575 is attacked in the North Atlantic by an aircraft and suffers slight damage from two bombs.

A straggler from Convoy HX-152, the British whale factory ship "Svend Foyn" was torpedoed and damaged by the U-502, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Jürgen von Rosenstiel, south of Iceland in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Of the ship's complement, 30 died and 298 survived. The 14,795 ton "Svend Foyn" was carrying oil fuel and aircraft and tanks as deck cargo and was bound for Liverpool, England.

U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.1, under command of Captain Marion Y. Cohen, assumed escort duty for convoy ON 22 at the Mid-Ocean Meeting Point. Although there were no U-boat attacks on the convoy, ships of TU 4.1.1 carried out depth charges attacks on suspicious contacts on October 8 and 9.

EASTERN FRONT: The weather on the eastern front turns cold and wet transforming the poor Russian roads into quagmires. A day after encircling 3 Soviet Armies around Bryansk, German Panzers close the Vyasma pocket and trap an even larger number of Soviet troops. The most advanced parts of General Fischer's 10.Panzer-Divisionen penetrated through the slush into the suburbs of Vyazma at 1030 hours and finished off Soviet resistance inside the burning town. 10.Panzer-Divisionen (Panzergruppe 4 advancing from the South) links up with 7.Panzer-Divisionen (Panzergruppe 3) north of the city. Four armies (16th, 19th, 20th, 24th and part of the 32nd Army) are caught in the trap. The weather turns cold, thwarting the attempts by the Soviets to break out. General Lukin of 16th Army took command of the Vyazma pocket and his men fought desperately. Five of the volunteer divisions that survived the October fighting went on to become Guards Divisions – 18th (Leningrad) was the first – but another five were disbanded due to losses. The disbanded divisions were 2nd (Stalin), 7th (Bauman), 8th (Krasnaya Presnya), 9th (Kirov), 13th (Rostokino). Beyond the northern edge of town the men of the German 2nd Battalion, 69th Rifle Regiment, crawled into the abandoned Russian fox-holes. The spearheads of General Stumme's XL.Armeekorps (mot.), followed by 2.Panzer-Divisionen (Generalleutnant Rudolf Veiel) and 58.Infanterie-Divisionen (Major General W. Hellmich), had thus reached the objective of the first phase of Typhoon. Meanwhile the 6.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General Franz Landgraf) and 7.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General H. von Funck) reached the undamaged Dnieper bridges at Kholm, and likewise wheeled round towards Vyazma. Hoth's tanks linked up with Hoepner's in Vyazma. Hitler now ordered that Moscow must be wiped out by fire and bombardment. General Georgy Zhukov arrived in Moscow from Leningrad in the evening, and conferred with Shaposhnikov, and drove to Western Front HQ, reaching it at 0230 hours the next morning. At Ivan Konev's headquarters in Moscow, Zhukov discovered that there was no information concerning the Vyasma encirclement. He was forced to report to Joseph Stalin that there was no longer a continuous front in the west, and the large gaps could not be closed because the command had run out of reserves. With the creation of the Vyazma pocket the approach to Moscow was open. The military colleges at Podesk produced a scratch force which, together with two or three regiments of artillery and some air defense units held the Germans at a river crossing on the Warsaw Highway. Petrov of 50th Army took 'temporary' command of the troops of the Bryansk Front.

German 11.Armee prepares to attack into the Crimea. Major-General F.M. Kharitonov's 9th and Lieutenant-General A.K. Smirnov's 18th Army are encircled near Mariupol. The two armies manage to break out by the 10th of October, but not before Smirnov is killed in action.

Rumanian and Bulgarian warships begin laying defensive minefields off the Bulgarian coast.

Shortly after 1500 hours, Oblt. Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 shoots down a Russian I-16. Five minutes later he destroys a Russian I-18. Gustav-Adolf Langanke of JG 27 with eight victories, is listed as missing in action against the Russians.

In an effort to boost morale in the Soviet Union, Stalin lifted the ban on religion.

In Rovno, Poland, SS men take 17,000 Jews to pits outside the town, ordering them to strip before shooting them dead. Those who refuse to undress have their eyes gouged out.

NORTHERN FRONT: The United Kingdom demanded Finland to stop fighting the Soviet Union. Finland, responding to the diplomatic queries from Britain and the US indicates that it is fighting a defensive war to regain territories lost to the Soviets in the 1940 and, although it may seem they are fighting at the side of the Germans, they are fighting for Finland against the aggression of Russia. The Finns stated that;

"Finland wages her defensive war free from all political obligations, but grateful that she need not fight alone this time … Finland cannot understand how Great Britain, with whom Finland wished and wishes to retain peaceful relations, could regard herself, merely because Finland on this occasion is not alone in fighting the Soviet Union, as forced to treat her as an open enemy."

NORTH AMERICA: The Report on Japanese on the West Coast of the United States, often called the Munson Report, was submitted to the administration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt had designated Munson as a special representative and gave him the task of gauging the loyalty of Japanese Americans of Japanese Americans living in California and the West Coast of the United States, many of whom lived on military bases and important manufacturing facilities. Munson found that "There is some Japanese problems on the West Coast, but it has not yet reached a state in which we should fear them as a country" concluding that there was "a remarkable, even extraordinary degree of loyalty among some of this generally suspect ethnic group, but there were some Issei that remained loyal to their home country, Japan, and its Emperor." Roosevelt would receive the report on November 7, 1941.

PACIFIC OCEAN: John Curtin is duly sworn in as the prime minister of Australia. N. J. O. Makin became Minister for the Navy, succeeding W. M. Hughes.

HMAS "Norman", (destroyer), sailed for Sevdhisfjord, Iceland from Australia to transport a British Trade Union Congress Delegation to Archangel, Russia.

UNITED KINGDOM: Medal citations were awarded for crew members of SS "Tewkesbury". The ship was bombed by a German aircraft. Her defense was so good that the enemy was last seen flying low, with smoke streaming from him. The air crew were picked up later, and the ship is credited with the kill. After the attack, a large bomb of about 250 kilos was found unexploded on the second engine room grating. The vessel was rolling in a North-Easterly wind and sea, and Second Engineer Turner, who was on watch, sat on the bomb to prevent it being rolled off the grating. Second Officer de Neumann at once went to his help. The Master, leaving the Commodore of the convoy on the bridge to attend to navigation, took charge of the disposal squad. The Second Officer and Second Engineer slung the bomb in a rope sling and guided it clear of obstructions, at one point standing on the cylinders to do so. Owing to the darkness and the deep and awkward position into which the bomb had lodged, the whole operation performed with ingenuity and skill without mishap, took over an hour to complete. A second sling was made by the Master and the two Officers and the bomb was dropped over the side. Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire was awarded to Captain Theo Pryse. George Medal was awarded to Second Engineer Gerard Llewellyn Turner and Second Officer Bernard Peter de Neumann. Both George Medallists were also awarded Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea.

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[Njaco]

October 8 Wednesday
ASIA: "Shokaku" arrived at Kure, Japan and joined new sister ship "Zuikaku" for the first time. She moved around in Kure, Oita, Saeki area in the remainder of the month.

Second Battle of Changsha: Chinese 9th War Area crosses Hsinchiang River as Japanese 11th Army withdraws to the north. Chinese troops arrive outside Yuezhou, ending the second battle of Changsha.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Corvette HMCS "Camrose" departed St. John's for Iceland for Convoy SC-48.

U-83 fired three torpedoes at a convoy escort, but all three missed. U-573 fired three torpedoes at a freighter, but all three missed.

EASTERN FRONT: Rain slows the German onslaught. German advances in the northeast are now towards Rzhev and Kalinin and in the south toward Tula and Kaluga. German 16.Armee is attacking into Valdai Hills. The autumn rains begin and the heavy rainfall begins to slow the rapid German mobile advance. The heavy rain created mud that crippled the German Panzers' mobility and held up supplies.

Soviet Army suffers another disaster, this time in the Ukraine. Soviet forces on the Sea of Azov (Northern part of the Black Sea) are on the brink of forcing German 11.Armee off the Perekop Isthmus which links the Crimean peninsula to the mainland. German 1.Panzergruppe reached Berdyansk and Mariupol in Ukraine in an attempt to reinforce the German 11.Armee against Soviet 9th and 18th Armies. 1.Panzergruppe captures Mariupol on the Sea of Azoz, surrounding the 9th and 18th Soviet Armies. Soviet 9th and 18th Armies (100,000 soldiers) are trapped between 1.Panzergruppe, 11.Armee and the sea. The evacuation by sea of the Soviet garrison from Odessa to Sevastopol continues.

In Army Group Center, the battles to close the pincers on Vyazma and Bryansk continue. Elements of 2.Panzerarmee (Generaloberst Heinz Guderian) capture Orel as heavy rain slows the attacks around Moscow. 17.Panzer-Divisionen captures Bryansk. 18.Panzer-Divisionen (Major General W. Nehring) meets elements of the 112.Infanterie-Divisionen (General der Infanterie Friedrich Mieth) (2.Armee), completing the encirclement of the Soviet 3rd, 13th and 50th Armies. The German XLIII.Armeekorps (Heinrici) split Petrov's 50th Army from the other two encircled Soviet armies. The encirclement is not strong and the Soviets order a withdraw. Soviet 3rd and 50th Army move back in good order while 13th Army fights its way east. 600,000 Soviet troops will eventually be captured along with their equipment. The GKO orders that 1,119 industrial, administrative, and educational institutions in Moscow be prepared for destruction. Zhukov reports by phone to Stalin that Konev's Western Front needs reinforcements at once, then meets with Budenny, commanding Reserve Front.

The Luftwaffe loses another promising fighter pilot when Kurt Lasse, of JG 77 is killed in action. During the war he had thirty-nine kills.

British RAF airmen in Murmansk and Archangel areas in northern Russia began to hand over their aircraft and related equipment to their Soviet counterparts. Stalin authorizes formation of three women's aviation regiments.

"The chief danger is that almost all routes to Moscow are open and the weak protection along the Mozhaisk Line cannot guarantee against the surprise appearance of the enemy armoured forces before Moscow. We must quickly assemble forces from wherever we can at the Mozhaisk Defense Line." - Zhukov message to the Stavka

MEDITERRANEAN: Mussolini calls on the Japanese to pull their weight in the Axis by waging war on Britain.

Just after midnight, German Heinkel He111 bombers from Crete attack shipping at anchor at Safe Anchorage H in the Gulf of Suez. They sink British steamer "Rosalie Moller" (carrying 4680 tons of Welsh coal to Alexandria, Egypt, via the Cape of Good Hope) which is awaiting passage through the Suez Canal (2 crew killed, survivors rescued by Australian sloop HMAS "Parramatta").

British bombers from Malta (830 Squadron) sink Italian steamer "Paolo Z. Podesta" in a small convoy with a schooner, and two trawlers just leaving Trapani, Sicily, for Tripoli, Libya.

NORTH AMERICA: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent Stalin a short message stating that he was;

"...confident that ways will be found to provide the material and supplies necessary to fight Hitler on all fronts, including your own. I want particularly to take this occasion to express my great confidence that your armies will ultimately prevail over Hitler and to assure you of our great determination to be of every possible material assistance."

NORTHERN FRONT: Aircraft from RN carrier "Victorious" attacked shipping at Vestfjord.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Colonel John J. Scanlan arrives at Rabaul to take command of all ground forces in the New Guinea Area. Lt. Colonel Howard Carr retained command on the 2/22nd Battalion based at Rabaul.

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[Old Wizard]

 

[parsifal]

07 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Barnegat Class AVP USS BARNEGAT (AVP-21)

Allied
Fairmile B ML 278
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient UA
St Nazaire: U-553

At Sea 07 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-132, U-204, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-553, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-573, U-575, U-576, UA

35 Boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
DD LIGHTNING departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth to carry out boiler cleaning and repairs. She arrived on the 8th. ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by surveying ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.24 A.

Northern Patrol
DD ACTIVE, in the escort of convoy QP.1, took ASW trawler OPHELIA in tow when she developed a defect to her boilers. The DD was ordered to take the trawler directly to Seidisfjord. However, due to bad weather, the ships were diverted to Akureyri where they arrived on the 10th. The DD departed that day at 1230 for Scapa Flow, where she arrived on the 12th.

Northern Waters
CL AURORA, carrying the CinC, Home Fleet, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 7th from Seidisfjord. The CinC transferred his flag to BB PRINCE OF WALES.

Med/Biscay
Sloops SHOREHAM and FALMOUTH arrived at Suez from the East Indies to join the Suez Escort Force.

On a patrol over Sicily, a Fulmar of 800 Sqn force landed off Syracuse. Petty Officer A. Jopling and Lt J. S. Manning were rescued and made prisoners of war.

Egyptian lighthouse tender AIDA was damaged by the LW at Zafarana, in the Gulf of Suez. The tender was beached at Zafarana to avoid sinking. There were no casualties aboard the tender.

A convoy of German steamers SALZBURG and TRAPANI, escorted by RM DD SELLA and TB CASTELFIDARDO, departed Suda for Piraeus. On the 7th, submarine TALISMAN unsuccessfully attacked this convoy.

Nth Atlantic
At 1617 hrs the Norwegian Whale Factory ship SVEN FOYN, used as a general transport, carrying oil fuel, and a/c and tanks as deck cargo was hit and damaged by U-502. She had a complement of 328, with 30 crew killed or lost in the attack. She was a straggler from convoy HX-152. After being hit ny a torpedo on the starboard side she managed to escape and reached Reykjavik in tow on 11 October, assisted by Corvette HMS SUNFLOWER. On 6 Dec 1941 she was towed for seven days to Liverpool for permanent repairs at Birkenhead, returning to service in May 1942.

CVL FURIOUS arrived at Philadelphia to refit. She returned to England in April 1942

Central Atlantic
U-575 was damaged when she was hit by two air launched bombs

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 OCTOBER TO DAWN 8 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Fine.

1050-1200 hrs Air raid alert for some nine enemy aircraft in two formations which cross the coast. 16 Hurricanes are scrambled but there are no interceptions. It is thought the enemy is trying decoy tactics again.

2051-2135 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach the Island from various directions and drop bombs in the sea without crossing the coast. Two Malta Night Fighters are scrambled but there are no searchlight illuminations and interception is not possible.

2100 hrs Surface craft are detected 30000 yards off the coast of Malta and the alert is raised for a possible E-boat attack on Grand Harbour. Coastal searchlights are exposed every 15 minutes and the Royal Navy drop depth charges. Central Infantry Brigade immediately mans all infantry beach and harbour posts in the Grand Harbour area in preparation for an attack. Double sentries are posted on positions. No further incidents take place.

2200 hrs A third formation of seaborne craft is reported.

2300 hrs All seaborne craft have left the area. Double sentries are maintained at beach posts throughout the night. Troops are ordered to sleep at their posts.

0500 hrs Beach and harbour posts stand down; status returns to normal.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 7 OCTOBER 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Catalina, 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Wellington. 38 Squadron 1 Wellington on shipping search. 7 Wellingtons attacked shipping at Tripoli. 69 Squadron Marylands patrol east Sicilian coast and east Tunisian coast; 2 Marylands on special patrols; photoreconnaissance of Tripoli. 107 Squadron 1 Blenheim searched for the dinghy of Sgt Hamlyn and crew; nothing found. 1 Blenheim attacked a merchant ship off Zuara. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Swordfish attacked a merchant vessel off Lampedusa and also Lampedusa Harbour. One Fulmar despatched to attack Comiso and Gerbini aerodromes; the aircraft failed to return to base. Pilot A/PO Arthur Jopling and observer Lt Manning are missing. One Fulmar carried out a search to within four miles of the Sicilian coast without success.

 

[parsifal]

Halder's Diary 7 October 1941

 

[parsifal]

08 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-507

Type VIIc DKM U-657
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
O Class DD HMS ONSLOW (G-17)

HDML1080, MGB 332, Fairmile B ML 296,, Fairmile B ML 304
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-129

At Sea 08 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-559, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-573, U-575, U-576

34 Boats

U-83 fired three torpedoes at a convoy escort, but all three missed. U-573 fired three torpedoes at a freighter, but all three missed

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CV VICTORIOUS, escorted by BB KING GEORGE V, CL PENELOPE, and DDs SOMALI, ESKIMO, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, MATABELE, and PUNJABI, launched aircraft to strike at Bodo on the 8th. Two steamers were reported damaged in the air attack. Norwegian steamer HAAKON ADALSTEIN (710grt) was damaged in the attack.

The only casualty in the operation was a slight wounding of one of the air gunners. DD BEDOUIN lost two ratings overboard in heavy weather. A sweep in Vestfjord by DDs SOMALI and MATABELE in Operation EJ was cancelled due to the lack of available DDs and poor weather. An inshore patrol north and south of Alesund by DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, ASHANTI, and ESKIMO was also cancelled.

Northern Waters
DD ONSLOW departed Greenock for Scapa Flow to work up. The DD arrived that evening. DD ORIBI departed Scapa Flow at 0900 carrying the CinC Home Fleet to Scrabster, returning to Scapa Flow that afternoon.

RNorN DD DRAUG and motor torpedo boat MTB.56 departed Scapa Flow. The DD proceeded to Grimsby and the motor torpedo boat proceeded to Dover.

West Coast
Convoy ON.24 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs AMAZON and BULLDOG, corvettes ACONIT, DIANTHUS, and HEARTSEASE, and ASW trawler NOTTS COUNTY. DD GEORGETOWN joined on the 10th. The DDs, corvette HEARTSEASE, and the trawler were detached on the 13th when the convoy was joined by USN DDs DECATUR, GREER, KEARNEY, LIVERMORE, and PLUNKETT. DD KEARNEY was detached on the 14th. The other USN DDs and RN corvettes ACONIT and DIANTHUS were detached on the 15th when the convoy was dispersed.

SW Approaches
CVE ARGUS, detached from convoy WS.12, arrived at Gibraltar from the Clyde, escorted by DDs COSSACK, ZULU, and SIKH.

Med/Biscay
BB QUEEN ELIZABETH and DDs were at sea exercising from Alexandria.

Submarine PORPOISE arrived at Gibraltar. On the 11th, the submarine departed Gibraltar with supplies for Malta.

Corvette PEONY attacked a submarine contact in 34-08N, 35-21E. RAN DD VENDETTA, corvettes DELPHINIUM, SALVIA, and HYACINTH, and two ASW aircraft joined, but no further contact was made. The corvettes were recalled to Beirut on the 10th.

Steamer ROSALIE MOLLER (UK 3963 grt) was sunk by the LW in Anchorage H, Suez Canal. Two crew were missing on the steamer. Australian sloop PARRAMATTA rescued the survivors.

A compositie 3d image derived from dive survey material

Steamer PAOLO Z. PODESTA (FI 863 grt) was sunk by British 830 Squadron attack southwest of Favignana. The steamer was in a small convoy of PAOLO Z. PODESTA, a schooner, and two trawlers en route from Trapani to Tripoli, via Pantelleria.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine RORQUAL laid fifty mines in the Gulf of Athens. RM TBs ALTAIR and ALDEBARAN were lost on this minefield on the 20th.

Submarine PERSEUS arrived at Malta from patrol off Benghazi. Submarine P.34 arrived at Malta from Gibraltar. Submarine THORN unsuccessfully attacked a steamer and a DD in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Dutch submarine O.21 arrived at Gibraltar after patrol in the Mediterranean

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CLA COVENTRY departed Alexandria for Port Said. COVENTRY and RHN DD VASILLISA OLGA passed through the Suez Canal on the 9th en route to India. The CLA provided AA support for steamers NEA HELLAS and INDRAPOERA. After calling at Aden to fuel on the 11th, the cruiser then sailed and rejoined the ships.

Steamers NEA HELLAS and INDRAPOERA joined steamers VOLENDAM and DUNERA at Aden and departed on the 13th as convoy SW 10, escorted by AMC CARTHAGE. CLA COVENTRY departed Aden on the 13th and escorted a Norwegian tanker back to Aden, arriving on the 14th.

COVENTRY departed Aden on the 15th with the VASILISSA OLGA. The CLA proceeded to Bombay for a refit, including fitting a new bow, replacing a temporary bow from her December 1940 torpedoing. The British cruiser and Greek destroyer both arrived at Bombay on the 20th. The Greek destroyer departed on the 23rd for Calcutta for fitting of asdics.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 8 OCTOBER TO DAWN 9 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Heavy rain in the afternoon.

Dawn Enemy aircraft carry out air reconnaissance in the area where surface vessels were detected overnight.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 8 OCTOBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Perseus arrived from patrol off Benghazi for docking and repairs. Two small supply ships sunk. P34 arrived from the United Kingdom via Gibraltar.

AIR HQ Departures 1 Beaufighter, 8 Blenheim. 69 Squadron Maryland patrols east Tunisian coast and 3 special patrols. 107 Squadron 6 Blenheims attacked transport on the Misurata-Sirte road. 221 Squadron 2 Wellingtons on special patrols. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 4 Swordfish attacked a northbound enemy convoy of one merchant ship, a schooner and two trawlers. Two torpedoes were dropped hitting a merchant ship which sank.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 8 October 1941

 

[Njaco]

October 9 Thursday
ASIA: Yamamoto addresses assembled skippers of the Combined Fleet and warns them to be prepared for war against the Allies. Yamamoto then conducts five days of map exercises in order to study plans for attacking Pearl Harbor.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: By chance U-71 met U-204, U-83 and U-372 some 500 miles off Spain.

EASTERN FRONT: There were massive encirclements of Soviet troops from Leningrad in the North to the Sea of Azov on the Black Sea, with the largest pockets in the middle around Bryansk and Vyasma. Coupled with the destruction of Soviet Southwestern Front around Kiev, these cauldron battles (Kesselschlacht) will result in 2 million unrecoverable Soviet losses. However, Stalin knows from his spy in Tokyo (Richard Sorge) that the Japanese have no plans to attack USSR and instead intend to expand South by moving on British and American interests. Stalin transfers troops from the Far East to protect Moscow. Stalin orders twelve divisions (1700 tanks, 1500 planes, 2,500,000 men) from eastern Siberia and Outer Mongolia to come to the defense of Moscow. Soviet reserves move into defensive positions on the direct approaches to Moscow. The Mozhaisk Defensive Line was still incomplete but Zhukov rushed troops into the line to block the gaps. Six rifle divisions, six armoured brigades, ten artillery regiments and machine-gun battalions. Rokossovsky and his men escaped the Vyazma pocket reached the headquarters of the Western Front. Zhukov ordered Rokossovsky to defend 100 odd km at the northern part of the Mozhaisk Defensive Line. There he began to form a new 16th Army from the remnants of Lukin's old 16th Army, Lev Dovator's Cossacks, the 316th Rifle Division, a regiment of cadets from the School of the Supreme Soviet, the remnants of the 18th (Leningrad) Volunteer Division, and some artillery and other supporting units. The 316th Rifle Division, under General Panfilov, was up to establishment, was well trained, and fully equipped. As soon as it entered the line it earned the respect of the Germans. 316th Rifle Division deployed on the left flank of 16th Army to the west and southwest of the small city of Volokolamsk. A howitzer battalion of cadets from the Krasin Artillery School in Moscow supported 16th Army's Cossacks, 316th Rifle Division, and the cadet infantry. Although well trained the artillery cadets had never fired their weapons before they entered combat. They had artillery tractors for their guns but the tractors could go at most 8 km / hour. A detachment of Soviet NKVD troops prevented a company of German Brandenburg 800 Division saboteurs from destroying the Istra Water Reservoir near Moscow. General Artemev assumed command of a newly formed Moscow Reserve Front. Despite the reinforcements the Germans continued to advance. Kaluga, Borodino, Kalinin, Maloyaroslavers, and Mozhaisk fell. Elements of German 2.Panzerarmee began attacking toward Kursk. The 1st Guard Rifle Corp was committed at Mtsensk and temporarily stopped Guderian's tanks from moving closer to Moscow. The Germans contained Russian attempts to breakout south of Bryansk.

On this dateThe Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 1,169 adult male, 1,840 adult female, and 717 children, all Jews, were killed in Svenciany, Lithuania for a total of 3,726 people.

GERMANY: Hitler publicly announced that the war against the Soviet Union is all but over.

Georg von Bismarck was named the commanding officer of the 20.Panzer-Divisionen.

Berlin and Ankara sign a trade agreement.

MEDITERRANEAN: Germany and Turkey conclude a trade agreement worth 200 million marks. Turkey signs a trade treaty with Germany to supply raw materials in exchange for manufactured goods.

NORTH AFRICA: The RAF Desert Air Force was formed.

NORTH AMERICA: Dr. Vannevar Bush, head of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, took the British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee Report to US President Franklin Roosevelt. Bush briefs Roosevelt and Vice President Henry A. Wallace on the state of atomic bomb research. Roosevelt instructs Bush to find out if a bomb can be built and at what cost. Bush receives permission to explore construction needs with the Army.

Roosevelt requests Congress to amend the Neutrality act to allow US flag merchants to be armed for self defense stating,

"We cannot permit the affirmative defense of our rights to be annulled and diluted by sections of the Neutrality Act which have no realism in the light of unscrupulous ambition of madmen. We will not let Hitler prescribe the waters of the world which our ships may travel…The American flag is not going to be driven from the seas either by his submarines, his airplanes or his threats."

PACIFIC OCEAN: German raider "Atlantis" reaches Vanavana in the Pomotu Islands (Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia).

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew a Roadstead and Rhubarb operations. 12 Hurricane IIb from RAF No. 615 Sqn. flew a Roadstead operation over Ostend-Nieuport and claimed two He 59 aircraft destroyed.

RAF No. 601 Squadron mounted a mission with four P-39 Airacobra aircraft, strafing German barges near Dunkerque, France. This was to be the final Airacobra mission with the RAF.

The Vichy Supreme Court indicted Léon Blum, Édouard Daladier, Guy La Chambre, Maurice Gamelin and Robert Jacomet for treason against their duties to the state during the years leading up to France's defeat in 1940. The defendants would go on trial beginning in February 1942 in proceedings that would be known as the Riom Trial.

.

 

[Njaco]

October 10 Friday
ASIA: American Military Mission to China, headed by Brigadier General John Magruder, arrives in Chungking to oversee Lend-Lease and military aid. Madam Chiang makes a radio broadcast to America:

"We are the senior nation in the stand against aggression."

ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-126 sank SS "Nailsea Manor" in Convoy OS-7. U-331 damaged HM LCT-18. U-331 was then attacked by 3 fighter aircraft and one of its gunners died.

U.S. Navy Task Group 14.3, under command of Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, comprised of the aircraft carrier USS "Yorktown" (CV 5), battleship USS "New Mexico" (BB 40), heavy cruiser USS "Quincy" (CA 39), light cruiser USS "Savannah" (CL 42), and Destroyer Divisions 3 and 16, set sail from Argentia, Newfoundland, for Casco Bay, Maine. Encountering heavy weather en route, the USS "Yorktown", USS "New Mexico", USS "Quincy", USS "Savannah", and destroyers USS "Rhind" (DD 404), USS "Hammann" (DD 412), USS "Anderson" (DD 411), USS "Sims" (DD 409), USS "Mayrant" (DD 402), USS "Rowan" (DD 405), USS "Hughes" (DD 410), and USS "Trippe" (DD 403) would all suffer damage before the force reaches Casco Bay on October 13.

EASTERN FRONT: German Heeresgruppe Süd (GFM Gerd von Rundstedt) ends the battle of encirclement along the Sea of Azov and takes 100,000 prisoners. The German 1.Panzerarmee reached the Sea of Azov. 1. SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot.) of 1.Panzerarmee is attacking toward Taganrog. German 6.Armee captures Sumy. Soviet 9th and 18th Armies begin to fight their way out of the German encirclement and take up defensive positions around Stalino.

Despite the withdrawal, Soviet 3rd and 50th Armies are once again surrounded in the Bryansk area. This time the encirclement would hold. The trapped soldiers would fight on for two more weeks, but in the end, only 30,000 of the 600,000 would escape. At Gzhatsk (now known as Gagarin, 32 miles East of Vyasma and 40 miles from the main defensive line at Mozhaysk), Soviet 18th and 19th tank Brigades hold up the German spearhead, SS Reich Division which suffers about 500 casualties. The German 4.Armee, straddling the Minsk-Moscow highway, begins its advance on Moscow after a week of regrouping. German 4.Panzer-Divisionen reached Mtsensk, Russia in Oryol Oblast, but it would be held there for many days by stubborn Soviet resistance. Elements of German 2.Panzerarmee capture Mzensk on the road to Tula. All of Army Group Center is now moving in on Moscow. General Zhukov takes command of Western Front with Konev as his deputy, although Stalin originally wanted the latter tried before military tribunal. A new Soviet Western Front was made up of the remnants of the former Western Front, the Southwestern Front, and the Reserve Front. Budenny's Soviet Reserve Front, which was mostly destroyed, is disbanded. Zhukov immediately called for the formation of a new defensive Mozhaysk Line to protect Moscow, Russia, stretching from Tula south of the city to Volokolamsk to the northwest. Defensive fortifications will be hastily built, mainly by civilians. In addition, Soviet 32nd Rifle Division (full-strength Division with 15,000 fresh, well-trained troops) begins arriving at Mozhaysk by train from Siberia.

The German 250.Infanterie Division, also known as the Blue Division, entered service on the Eastern Front. This division was notable as being made up of Spanish volunteers.

Soviet bombers and fighters attack Orel airfield and claim 75 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed on the ground.

German Field Marshal Walther von Reichenau issued the "Severity Order" in which he ordered the annihilation of Bolshevism and the extermination of Jews. Reichenau, the C-in-C of the German 6.Armee today told his men:

"In the east, the soldier is not merely a fighter according to the rules of war, but also the bearer of an inexorable national idea and the Avenger of all bestialities inflicted upon the German people and its racial kin. Therefore the soldier must always have a full understanding for the necessity of a severe but just atonement on Jewish subhumanity."

Hitler likes the wording so much that he is going to have it issued as a model for other generals on the eastern front.

"The situation of the encircled forces has worsened sharply. There are few shells, bullets are running out, and there is no food. They eat that which the population can provide and horseflesh. Medicines and dressing materials are used up. All tents and dwellings are overflowing with wounded." - Lieutenant-General Lukin

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler issues Directive No. 37. The Army is to go on the defensive in Finland, and prepare to capture Murmansk next year. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/37.html He also orders that the following list should prioritize all armament programmes on the home front:
a. Production of aircraft
b. The Flak programme (Luftwaffe and Army)
c. The Flak munitions programme (Luftwaffe and Army)

Adolf Hitler ordered a stop to night intruder operations over RAF airfields in eastern England. 1./NJG 2 who have been conducting successful harrying of returning RAF bombers were consequently transferred to the Mediterranean.

Reinhard Heydrich established a camp-ghetto in Sudetenland in southern Germany (occupied Czechoslovakia) that would later be known as the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp. He recommended the site to be used to house deported German, Austrian, and Czechoslovakian Jews. He placed Adolf Eichmann and Rolf Günther in charge of establishing this camp-ghetto.

RAF Bomber Command sends 78 aircraft to attack the Krupp works in Essen and 69 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian submarines "Saint Bon", "Cagni", and "Atropo" engaged in transport operations from Taranto to Bardia.

NORTH AMERICA: Tank production in Detroit, Michigan, is hampered by an inter-union struggle as CIO members refuse to handle parts made by AFL workers.

The USN decrees that all fleet aircraft are painted flat light grey with all surfaces viewed from above to be painted flat blue grey.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Captain Lester J. Hudson relieved Captain Richard E. Cassidy as Commander, South China Patrol, on board river gunboat USS "Mindanao" (PR 8) at Hong Kong, British Crown Colony.

UNITED KINGDOM: Allied convoy QP-1, which was consisted of 14 British and Soviet merchant ships escorted by British cruiser HMS "London" and four minesweepers, from Arkhangelsk, Russia arrived at Scapa Flow, Scotland.

Winston Churchill appoints Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten as Director of Combined Operations, and instructs him to prepare for the invasion of Europe.

The aircraft carrier HMS "Indomitable" (92) was commissioned. Her first commander was Captain Harold E. Morse.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft to attack Rotterdam overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft to attack Bordeaux overnight.

.

 

[parsifal]

09 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-334

Type VIIc DKM U-591
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class net tender USS EUCALYPTUS (AN-16)

Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS TURACO (AMc-55)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS SOUTHWOLD (L-10)

Bathurst Class MSW/Corvette HMAS TOOWOOMBA (J-157)

Fairmile C Class HMS MGB 334
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: UA
St. Nazaire: U-575

Departures
St Nazaire; U-568

At Sea 09 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-553, U-559, , U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-576

33 Boats

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Fishing vessel GUNTHER (Ger 252 grt) was lost near Gotland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Waters
CA LONDON arrived at Scapa Flow from Archangel. DD OFFA embarked the party carried on the heavy cruiser at 1000 and sailed with them for Scrabster. The DD returned to Scapa Flow that same day.

DD CHARLESTOWN departed Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow to carry out repairs to her oil tanks, arriving on the morning of the 10th.

SW Approaches
Submarine PORPOISE departed Troon after refitting on the 2nd arrived at Gibraltar on the 9th.

Med/Biscay
Cl GALATEA departed Anchorage H (Towila) for Suez with the survivors of ships sunk. After landing the survivors, the CL passed through the Canal on the 10th for Alexandria.

Sloop FLAMINGO passed through the Suez Canal to return to Alexandria to rejoin the Med Flt.

Submarines UNIQUE, UPHOLDER and Polish SOKOL departed Malta on short notice to intercept a convoy between Pantelleria and Lampedusa. UPHOLDER returned with generator problems.

Nth Atlantic
Canadian troop convoy TC.14 departed Halifax with steamers ANDES, AORANGI, CAPETOWN CASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, REINA DEL PACIFICO, and WARWICK CASTLE. The convoy was initially escorted by DD ST FRANCIS from 9 to 12 October, followed by DD RESTIGOUCHE from 9 to 15 October, DDs HARVESTER and HAVELOCK from 9 to 17 October, DD SKEENA from 11 to 15 October, DD BUXTON from 11 to 17 October, DDs HIGHLANDER and BROADWATER from 14 to 16 October, DD SHERWOOD from 14 to 17 October, CLA \ CAIRO and DD MONT from 15 to 17 October. The convoy arrived on the 17th.

Central Atlantic
EX-US Coast Guard cutters/escorts TOTLAND and SENNEN arrived at Gibraltar from Freetown escorting Norwegian tankers VANJA and SANDAR.

Corvettes AZALEA and SPIRAEA departed Gibraltar for Bathurst, escorting the 26th Motor Launch Flotilla. Tanker LA CARRIERE departed in company and proceeded to the West Indies. Motor Launch ML.244 later broke down and returned to Gibraltar.


Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 9 OCTOBER TO DAWN 10 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Heavy rainstorms.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 9 OCTOBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Unique, Sokol and Upholder sailed at short notice to intercept a convoy between Pantellaria and Lampedusa. Upholder returned with generator problems.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Beaufighter. Departures 1 Bombay, 1 Catalina, 2 Sunderland, 4 Wellington. 69 Squadron 1 Blenheim and 1 Maryland patrols east Sicilian coast. 107 Squadron 2 Blenheims attacked motor transport on the Homs-Tripoli road. 2 Blenheims on shipping sweep of south coast of Italy. Both failed to return (W/Cdr Harte and F/O Whitford-Walders). 221 Squadron 1 Wellington on special patrol; 1 Wellington in shipping search. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 7 Swordfish attacked a southbound convoy of 4 merchant ships and 5 destroyers. 6 torpedoes were dropped and three hits claimed, stopping two merchant ships. The same 7 Swordfish carried out a second attack on two other merchant ships and four destroyers of same convoy. Five torpedoes were released and one hit stopped a merchant ship.

 

[parsifal]

Halder's Diary 09 October 1941

 

[parsifal]

10 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Accentor Class Coastal MSW USS ADVANCE (AMc-63)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Indomitable Class CV HMS INDOMITABLE (CV-92)

"Typical day at the office" - 12 August 1942: INDOMITABLE on fire after being bombed. CLA CHARYBDIS is screening the carrier

Fairmile B ML 342
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class coastal MSW MMS-53 (J-553)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Project 7 Class DD VMF RETIVIY

This is an Anshan class DD, one of the Project 7 or 7U DDs passed to the PRC after the war. The torpedo tubes have been replaced with antiship missiles. The ship next to it where you can see the bow is a Luda class, which is heavily based on the Kotlin and Neustrashimmy class

Losses
Steamer NAILSEA MANOR (UK 4926 grt) was sunk after being torpedoed by U-126. The ship was loaded with a cargo military stores, including mail, ammunition and an LCT as deck cargo. She was a straggler from Convoy OS-7 on passage from Newport to Suez, via Belfast and Freetown. She had a crew of 42, all were to survive the attack. The details of the attack are that at 0543 hrs the vessel was was hit on the port side by one torpedo from U-126 and started to list to starboard. The deck cargo was hanging over the port side and a fire broke out in the shelter deck, where the mail was stowed. The crew, aware of the cargo of ammunition abandoned ship quickly before she sank northeast of the Cape Verde Islands. The master, 35 crew members, five gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in and one 12pdr gun and two Hotchkiss and four Lewis machine guns) and one passenger (a Petty Officer in charge of the landing craft) were picked up by Corvette VIOLET, transferred to the British MV CITY OF HONG KONG when they rejoined the convoy later that day and landed at Freetown on 14 October.

The NAILSEA MANOR had been a straggler since 1 October together with the GERRY BRYN and HAZELSIDE when they had encountered bad weather west of Cape Blanco and started to have troubles with their deck cargoes. After the cargo was secured and the weather became better, the ships continued at 10 knots, accompanied by the corvette, which stayed with the ships since they dropped out of the convoy.

The landing craft LCT 102 (RN 450 grt) stored in four sections on deck was lost with the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


Steamer KYMA (Gk 3959 grt) was sunk after striking a mine. On the 11/10/1941 the Greek cargo steamer KYMA was on passage from Montreal to Hull, with a cargo of Grain, 6000 tons & Vehicles, (lorries & trucks) 90 tons, when she struck a mine and sank 1.5 miles, 60 degrees from Humber Light Float in 7 fathoms. The entire crew was rescued.

UBOATS
At Sea 10 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-75, U-79, U-83, U-94, U-97, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-502, U-553, U-559, , U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-576

33 Boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Sloop LOWESTOFT departed Harwich for Scapa Flow at noon to work up after repairs. The sloop arrived at Scapa Flow just past midday on the 12th.

Northern Patrol
The Forces that had participated in Operation EJ returned to Scapa Flow on the 10th, with DD PUNJABI arriving independently.

CA SHROPSHIRE was detached from convoy QP.1 for Scapa Flow, where she arrived at just after midnight on the 11th.

Faroes auxiliary fishing vessel FUGLOYGJIN was damaged by the LW at Klaksvig (Faeroes). The ship sank, but was later salved and returned to service.

Northern Waters
CLs KENYA and SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde where they arrived on the 11th.

West Coast
Convoy ON.25 departed Liverpool, escorted by DD DOUGLAS. The convoy was joined on the 11th by DDs SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA, and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ZENO and VIZALMA. The trawlers were detached on the 13th and the corvettes on the 15th. The DDs were detached on the 16th when relieved by corvettes ALGOMA, CHAMBLY, MATAPEDIA, NAPANEE, ORILLIA, and PICTOU. Corvette PICTOU was detached later that day. On the 19th, RCN DD OTTAWA joined. The convoy was dispersed on the 24th.

Med/Biscay
BBs BARHAM and VALIANT, CLs AJAX and HOBART, and DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, JUPITER, KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, HASTY, HOTSPUR, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE departed Alexandria to sweep westward. At 1800, the fleet turned back to the eastward. DD JERVIS attacked a submarine contact at 0730 in 31-14N, 29-14E. The DD remained searching for 3 hrs before continuing. The Battle Fleet returned to Alexandria on the 11th.

Landing craft tanks A.2 (Sub Lt E. L. Clark RNVR), A 7 (Sub Lt A. C. Bromley RNVR), and A.18 (Sub Lt L. D. Peters RNVR), en route to Tobruk from Mersa Matruh, encountered U.331 at 0520 near Ashaila Rocks off Sidi Barrani.

U.331 slightly damaged Lighter A.18 in 31-10N, 26-42E. The lighter returned to Mersa Matruh, while the other two lighters continued to Tobruk. Sub Lt G. S. Sinclair RNR, the group navigator in A.18 was wounded.

The lighters registered some hits on the submarine with their pom poms, wounding two men in the forward gun crew, one later died of wounds, and damaging the conning tower.

DDs HERO, NIZAM, and KIPLING departed Alexandria to join the battle fleet. DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, JUPITER, DECOY, AVONVALE, and ERIDGE were detached from the battle fleet at 1800 to sweep towards Bardia. The DDrs returned to Alexandria at midafternoon on the 11th after an unsuccessful search.

Steamer CITTA DI SIMI (FI 250 grt) was sunk by submarine THUNDERBOLT twelve miles from Cape Sidero, Crete.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TRUANT departed Gibraltar for Malta, arriving on the 16th

Nth Atlantic
Convoy HX.154 departed Halifax escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and corvette AMHERST. The corvette was detached the next day. USN DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, GLEAVES, LANSDALE, MADISON, and SIMPSON joined on the 12th. DD ANNAPOLIS was detached on the 13th. The USN group was relieved on the 19th by DDs DOUGLAS, SALADIN, SKATE, and VETERAN, corvettes ABELIA and VERONICA, and ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST ZENO. DDs DOUGLAS and SKATE and the corvettes were detached on the 22nd. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 23rd.

USN CV YORKTOWN, BB NEW MEXICO, CA QUINCY, CL SAVANNAH, and DesDivs 3 and 16 departed Argentia for Casco Bay. Encountering heavy weather, YORKTOWN, NEW MEXICO, QUINCY, SAVANNAH, RHIND, HAMMANN, ANDERSON, SIMS, MAYRANT, ROWAN, HUGHES, and TRIPPE arrived at Casco Bay on the 13th. All ships suffered varying degrees of weather damage.

Central Atlantic
Ocean boarding vessel MARON departed Gibraltar for Western Patrol.


Malta
BRITISH PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN

The following communications have been approved today by the British Underground Propaganda Committee for transmission via rumour networks, in a bid to undermine morale among Axis troops and civilians:

Italy for general Mediterranean distribution
A ship with 500 Italian soldiers on board sailed into Malta and surrendered. They have mutinied and killed their officers.

• During the last ten days seven [Axis] supply ships have put into Malta and surrendered. The British show special ignal lights for deserters, who are given the choice of going to India or England.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 10 OCTOBER TO DAWN 11 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Cooler with some rain.

1033-1052 hrs Air raid alert for two formations of six enemy fighters which cross the Island. 13 Hurricane fighters are scrambled but there are no engagements. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 10 OCTOBER 1941

AIR HQ Departures 2 Blenheim. 38 Squadron 6 Wellingtons attacked convoy. 69

Squadron 2 Marylands on special patrol. 1 Maryland on convoy search. Photoreconnaissance of Tripoli. 107 Squadron 2 Blenheims searched for missing Blenheim crews. 221 Squadron 2 Wellingtons searched for convoy. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 7 Swordfish carried out two attacks on a convoy of 3 merchant ships, 1 tanker and 5 destroyers. The first lasted from 2208 to 2230 hrs during which the 3 merchant vessels were damaged, 2 seriously. The Swordfish returned to base and refuelled, then attacked the convoy again at 0440 hrs, at the end of which two merchant ships were sunk.

 

[parsifal]

Halder's Diary 10 October 1941

 

[Njaco]

October 11 Saturday
EASTERN FRONT: The remnants of the old West Front and the Reserve Front are combined to form the new West Front under General Zhukov's command. Thousands fled Moscow, based on rumors of an imminent German capture of the Soviet capital. To the west, the enveloped Soviet troops at Vyasma suffered a heavy artillery and air bombardment that caused heavy casualties. Soviet troops encircled at Vyasma are ordered to break out at all costs, after having been refused permission to retreat before being surrounded. Instead, they are decimated by German artillery and air bombardment, particularly Stukas. Germans have reduced the Vyasma pocket from 75 x 35 km to 20 x 20 km. Only the 91st Rifle division is successful at escaping. At Bryansk, enveloped Soviet 3rd and 13th Armies counterattacked and break through the weak cordon held by Guderian's 2.Panzerarmee which is exhausted after months of fighting. In the south, German 1.Panzerarmee prepares to advance toward Rostov while 17.Armee prepares to advance toward Voroshilovgrad.

Soviet Air Force aircraft strike Luftwaffe staging airfields along the northwestern, western, and southwestern approaches to Moscow. After Soviet intelligence detects Luftwaffe plans for a major air attack on October 12 targeting industrial complexes, airfields, railroad terminals, and logistical facilities in the Soviet Western Front area, Soviet Air Force aircraft mount a major preemptive strike against German airfields at Vitebsk, Smolensk, Orel, Orsha, Siversk, and elsewhere overnight on October 11–12, followed by another large raid on the morning of October 12. The Soviets claim 500 German aircraft destroyed, although German sources do not confirm that number.

Allied convoy PQ-1, consisting of 11 merchant ships escorted by 7 British warships, arrived in Arkhangelsk, Russia. The first large convoy from England brought 20 heavy tanks and 193 aircraft to the beleaguered Russians. It sailed from Hvalfjord in Iceland on 28 September escorted by the cruiser HMS "Suffolk", two destroyers and an anti-submarine group. Depending on the ice conditions, convoys using this route may have to travel up to 2,000 miles, frequently on stormy seas and in freezing temperatures. Convoys on this route have to take an oil tanker along with them to fuel the escorts. Efforts were made to establish a refuelling base for the route on the Norwegian island of Spitzbergen. Rear-Admiral Philip Vian took two cruisers and two destroyers there on 27 July, but he found it too exposed to German air attack to be safe as a port of call. The second PQ convoy is due to leave next week. By the time it arrives here the winter freeze will have begun. The Russians are hoping to keep the port open throughout the winter, but the Allies are nervous of risking valuable ships sailing hazardously through the narrow channels in the ice. They may have to divert to Murmansk.

The personnel of JG 77 lose another pilot when seven victory Experte Hans Schmeidler, is killed in action. Victorious on the Russian front is 9./JG 52, whose total of kills for the Staffel reaches fifty-nine on this date, making them the most successful of III./JG 52's three Staffeln despite the harsh letter from Reichsmarschall Göring in July. One of 9./JG 52's most triumphant pilots is Lt. Hermann Graf.

Major Günther Lützow, Kommodore of JG 3, is awarded the Schwerten for achieving ninety-two kills over the Russian battlefield.

GERMANY: 'Don't listen to foreign broadcasts' the German people are warned today by Goebbels. He is reported by Berlin Radio to have said: "It is not a question of being afraid to hear what they say. It is simply a preventative measure. Germs are treacherous enemies, even of a healthy people." One result, he adds, is too much grumbling.

RAF Bomber Command sends 27 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Malta-based British bombers of RAF No. 830 Squadron attacked an Italian convoy (escorted by Italian destroyers "Granatiere", "Bersagliere", "Fucliere" and "Alpino") 100 miles north of Tripoli, sinking ships "Zena" and "Casaregis".

Traveling in disguise with false passport, the Grand Mufti arrives Rome from Iran via Turkey.

NORTH AMERICA: Corvettes HMS "Nanaimo" and "Lethbridge" departed Canada as close escort for the Sydney, Nova Scotia to Liverpool 31-ship convoy SC-49 as far as Iceland. Both ships were Flower-class corvettes. SC-49 arrived safely in Liverpool, on 27 Oct 41.

President Roosevelt wrote to Winston Churchill requesting a gentleman's agreement to share information on atomic research. Churchill would write back in December accepting the request.

UNITED KINGDOM: While attacking a RAF Oxford twin-engined trainer over Grantham, England, Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 and his Ju 88 collide with the British aircraft and he and his crew are killed. Lt. Hahn had twelve victories at this time, all night intruder victories over the British Isles.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 12 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

October 12 Sunday
ASIA: The American and Japanese Press announced that "Tatsuta Maru" would depart Yokohama, Japan for San Francisco, California, United States via Honolulu on 15 Oct 1941.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German motor torpedo boats S41, S47, S53, S62, S104, and S105 attacked Allied convoy FN531 just off the coast of East Anglia, England, sinking British ship "Chevington" (9 killed) and Norwegian ship "Roy" (3 killed).

The neutral Portuguese steam merchant "Corte Real" was stopped for inspection by the U-83, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Hans-Werner Kraus, 80 miles west of Lisbon in the eastern Atlantic Ocean at 1400 hours. It was established that they were carrying contraband because most of the cargo was en route to Canada and Australia, so the Germans removed the 42 crew members onto 3 lifeboats and then sunk "Corte Real". U-83 towed the lifeboats for 3 hours toward Lisbon, Portugal before cutting the tow lines. The 2,044 ton "Corte Real" was carrying cork, dyes, watches, wine, and canned food and was bound for New York.

EASTERN FRONT: Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock received an order from German Supreme Command: "The Führer has reaffirmed his decision that the surrender of Moscow will not be accepted, even if it is offered by the enemy." Generalfeldmarschall von Bock then ordered an all-out push for Moscow. Germans move toward Moscow on a broad front despite the heavy rains. Many German formations have advanced over 70km in 5 days. On the northern flank of Army Group Center, 1.Panzer-Divisionen takes Rhzev and Staritsa on the Volga north of Zubtov. They were then ordered to take the vital communications hub of Kalinn. On the southern flank, Kaluga, less than 100 miles southwest of Moscow is captured by the Germans. The GKO set up the Moscow Defence Zone and ordered the construction of another defensive line around Moscow itself. Remnants of the Soviet forces still encircled at Vyazma continue to attack east in feeble attempts to escape the German encirclement. Two rifle divisions broke out of the Vyazma pocket in the night through a swampy sector where the panzers could not operate. Lukin then destroyed his heavy equipment and ordered the men in the pocket to escape in small groups. Some reached the Russian lines and others joined the partisans. Lukin was wounded and captured but survived the war. SS Obergruppenfuhrer Paul Hausser's SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) 'Reich' from XLVI.Armeekorps (mot.) was the only major German Motorized unit that was not involved in the Vyazma fighting and it was ordered to push eastward down the Minsk-Moscow Highway. Since 'Reich' was relatively weak in anti-tank capability a Kampfgruppe from 10. Panzer Division was duly dispatched to assist him. The SS-Infanterie-Division (mot.) captured Gzhatsk. Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that snow continued to fall amidst the campaign in the Soviet Union. Heavy rain and the subsequent mud forces the Army Group South to call a temporary halt in their advance.

440,000 Moscow citizens, mostly women, children and old men, are mobilized to build defenses in and around Moscow. In four days they would dig 60 miles of anti-tank ditches, 5000 miles of troop trenches and lay 177 miles of barbed wire.

German forces launched an attack against the Soviet garrison on the island of Hiiumaa in the Baltic Sea. Despite being outnumbered and lacking in ammunition, the garrison would hold out for six days.

German 250th Infantry Division of Spanish volunteers was deployed on the River Volkhov near Leningrad, Russia.

11,000 Jews of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine were massacred.

The Bloody Sunday massacre took place in Stanisławów Ghetto. The Bloody Sunday massacre was the single largest massacre of Polish Jews perpetrated by the uniformed police in the General Government prior to genocidal Aktion Reinhardt of 1942. On the orders of Hans Krueger thousands of Jews gathered at the Ringplatz market square for a selection. The Nazi forces (augmented by the Orpo Reserve Police Battalion 133 brought in from Lemberg, and the Ukrainian police) escorted them to the Jewish cemetery, where the mass graves had already been prepared. At the cemetery the Jews were forced to give away their valuables, and show their papers. The shooters ordered the Jews gathered in groups to strip naked and then proceed to the graves. The men of the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo) were the first to open fire, augmented by members of the Nürnberg Order Police, and the Bahnschutz railroad police. The victims either fell into the graves or were ordered to jump in before being killed. Between 10,000 and 12,000 Jews were murdered: men, women and children.

Peter L. Kapitza, one of the leaders of Soviet physics, remarked at an international "anti-Fascist" meeting of scientists in Moscow that the recent discovery of nuclear energy could be useful in the war against Germany and that the theoretical prospects of a uranium bomb seemed promising. The Soviet Union would later launch its own atomic program.

GERMANY: 373 RAF aircraft (a new highest total) were involved in operations over Germany – 152 bombers to Nürnberg, 118 bombers, mainly Avro Manchesters from Bomber Command No.5 Group to Bremen (99), and Hüls (90), with 32 on minor operations such as minelaying.. The Nuremberg raid highlights the problems of navigating by dead reckoning with a changeable wind as bombs were reported from Stuttgart, 95 miles west of the target and Lauingen 65 miles away. The crews sent to the other main targets were only marginally more successful.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation CULTIVATE, the relief of the Tobruk garrison, began. With the moon waning, the final phase to replace Australian 9th Division at Tobruk, Libya begins. British cruiser HMS "Abdiel" and destroyers HMS "Hero", HMS "Kipling", and HMS "Nizam" departed Alexandria, Egypt bringing British 14th Infantry Brigade and 23rd Infantry Brigade into Tobruk and evacuating Australian 20th Infantry Brigade and 26th Infantry Brigade to Egypt. German submarine U-75 discovered them and attacked 35 miles west of Tobruk. The 372 ton landing craft HMS TLC-2 (A 2) was sunk by gunfire by the U-75, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Helmuth Ringelmann. All of the ship's complement of 16 died. The 372 ton landing craft HMS TLC-7 (A 7) was sunk by gunfire by U-75. Of the ship's complement, 21 died and 1 survivor was picked up by the U-boat and taken prisoner, whom would be delivered to Germany for interrogations.

Axis Convoy departs Trapani for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Da Recco" and "Sebenico" and a torpedo boat.

NORTH AFRICA: A series of relief efforts for Tobruk begin today. During the next 14 days over 7000 troops of the British 70th Infantry Division will be transferred in and almost 8000 Australians will be pulled out. The minelayer "Latona" is sunk by a Stuka attack and one destroyer is damaged in the operations.

Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 scored his 24th and 25th kills as he shot down P-40 fighters piloted by Flying Officer H. G. Roberts and Sergeant Derek Scott over Bir Sheferzan, Libya. He also damaged another P-40 fighter on this day.

British breweries sent 35 tons of beer to Tobruk for distribution on Christmas Day. Troops should be able to drink to the longest siege in British history.

NORTHERN FRONT: Kriegsmarine destroyer "Friedrich Eckoldt" rammed, apparently intentionally, by Norwegian vessel "Vaagen" and heavily damaged. British vessel "Glynn" is heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft and subsequently sinks.

UNITED KINGDOM: A Dornier Do 217 of 5./KG 2 on an evening reconnaissance flight over the eastern Atlantic, confuses the English Channel with the Bristol Channel. Crossing the north coast of Devon, thinking it to be France, the pilot, Lt. Dolenga uses the two German radio beacons in France to direct him home. What he gets instead are two beacons from "Meacon" spoof transmitters at Newbury and Templecombe. Flying across the length of southern England in the darkness, the crew finally realizes the mistake. But it's too late. Running out of fuel, the Dornier eventually crash lands in an open field at Jury's Gut, near Lydd in Kent. The Royal Air Force secures its first intact example of the Do 217.

After dark, German bombers attacked Manchester, Clayton, Denton, and Oldham in England, causing generally light damage. 23 were killed at Oldham.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Boulogne during the day and another 24 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

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[parsifal]

11 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM M-255
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIc DKM U-209

Neutral
Accentor Class MSW USS COURIER (AMc-72)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Accentor Class MSW USS ENDURANCE (AMc-77)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net Tender USS HOLLY (AN-19)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
LCT 132, MA/SB-34
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Motor launch ML.288 (RN 76 grt) was lost in heavy weather off Hartlepool.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Salamis (Greece): U-331

Departures
Brest, France: U-432, U-558
St. Nazaire: U-73, U-77, U-85, U-101, U-751

At Sea 11 October 1941
U-66, U-67, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-83, U-85, U-94, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-125, U-126, U-132, U-204, U-206, U-208, U-371, U-372, U-374, U-431, U-432, U-502, U-553, U-559, U-558, U-562, U-563, U-564, U-565, U-568, U-573, U-576, U-751

38 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic
Submarine TIGRIS unsuccessfully attacked a German eastbound convoy off North Cape.

Baltic
Estonian steamers (in Soviet Service) EESTIRAND and KAISSAAR, carrying deportees from Tallinn to Leningrad, were damaged by the LW off Wrangel Island.

North Sea
British steamer ICEMAID was damaged by a mine off Orfordness near Shipwash Light Vessel off Harwich. The steamer arrived at Harwich in tow on the 12th

Northern Patrol
Norwegian motor vessel SILVA was damaged by the LW at Klaksvig (Faeroes).

Northern Waters
CA SHROPSHIRE departed Scapa Flow for Sheerness for refitting. The CA arrived at Sheerness, escorted by DDs QUORN and VIVACIOUS, on the 12th, and was refitting at Chatham from 17 October to 16 February 1942. DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth for boiler cleaning. The destroyer arrived midmorning on the 12th.

Destroyer ORIBI departed Scapa Flow escorting British steamer LANSTEPHAN CASTLE to the Clyde. Both ships arrived in the Clyde on the 13th. The DD departed the Clyde that day to return to Scapa Flow.

SW Approaches
Submarine P.31 arrived at Gibraltar after having departing Dundee on 30 September.


Med/Biscay
RAN DD VENDETTA departed Haifa for Alexandria with a convoy.

An Italian convoy of steamers GIULIA, CASAREGIS, NIRVO, BAINSIZZA, ZENA, and PROSPERINA (ex-French BEAUCE ) departed Naples on the 8th escorted by DDs GRANATIERE, BERSAGLIERE, FUCLIERE, and ALPINO. TB CASCINO joined from Trapani. Steamer BAINSIZZA with defects returned to Trapani.

On the 11th, steamer ZENA (FI 5219grt) was sunk by FAA Swordfish of 830 Sqn after being struck by an air launched torpedo south of Lampedusa.

On the 11th, steamer CASAREGIS (FI 6485 grt) was sunk by British 830 Squadron aerial torpedo in 34-10N, 12-38E.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine PORPOISE departed Gibraltar with stores for Malta, arriving on the 17th.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC.49 departed Sydney CB, escorted by corvette LETHBRIDGE. On the 13th, corvettes AMHURST, EYEBRIGHT, MAYFLOWER, NANAIMO, and PRESCOTT joined and DD ST FRANCIS and corvette KENOGAMI joined on the 14th. DD ST FRANCIS and corvettes EYEBRIGHT and KENOGAMI were detached on the 21st. Corvettes AMHURST, LETHBRIDGE, MAYFLOWER, NANAIMO, and PRESCOTT were detached on the 22nd and corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS joined. On the 23rd, DDs BEAGLE, ROXBOROUGH, SALISBURY, and SHERWOOD and ASW trawler NOTTS COUNTY joined. DD SALISBURY was detached on the 24th. The remainder of the escorts arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on the 27th.

Central Atlantic
CVL EAGLE with DDs CROOME and WILD SWAN and sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC arrived at Gibraltar.

ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH and STELLA CARINA departed Gibraltar escorting Norwegian tkr VANJA westwards. The trawlers then joined arriving tkr INVERLEE.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 11 OCTOBER TO DAWN 12 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Fine and cool.

0935-1029 hrs Air raid alert for enemy aircraft approaching from the north. First a single raider crosses the coast over St Julian's Bay, then turns northwards. Then six raiders split into two formations and circle 15 miles off the east of Grand Harbour before retiring northwards. 11 Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not gain sufficient height to intercept before the formation returns towards Sicily.

1636-1655 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy fighters which fly over Grand Harbour and retire northwards. 9 Hurricanes area scrambled but cannot gain sufficient height to intercept. Anti-aircraft guns engage; no claims.

0251-0319 hrs Air raid alert triggered by the return of friendly aircraft.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 11 OCTOBER 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron 1 Maryland shipping search; 3 Marylands on special patrol. Photoreconnaissance Tripoli town and harbour, Trapani and Castel Vetrano. 107 Squadron 6 Blenheims attacked shipping in the Gulf of Sirte. F/O Greenhill and Sgt Routh failed to return. Fleet Air Arm One Fulmar attacked barracks at Passero, dropping incendiaries and machine-gunning buildings. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Swordfish were sent to attack 2 merchant ships and 1 destroyer southbound off Marittimo. The leader lost contact with the torpedo aircraft, who returned to base with torpedoes. The leader alone located the convoy and attacked the leading merchant vessel; results not observed.

TA QALI New airmen's barrack block taken over.