This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[parsifal]

26 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
None

Losses
Convoy HG-75
U.84 damaged CAM ship ARIGUANI from convoy HG.75 on the 26th. The submarine claimed sinking two other steamers. DD VIDETTE attempted to take ARIGUANI in tow, but was unsuccessful. The vessel was however able to be taken in the tow of tug THAMES and escorted by corvettes JONQUIL, HELIOTROPE, and CAMPION, the ship arrived at Gibraltar on 2 November.

U.563 attacked Corvette HELIOTROPE on the 26th, but did not damage her. The submarine claimed damaging two steamers like U-84.

U-71 attacked an escort with a four-torpedo spread, which missed. The U-Boat was then depth charged the for seven hours, severely damaging U-71 and forcing her to return to base.

UBOATS
Departures
Kiel: U-402, U-434

At Sea 26 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-97, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

44 Boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Steamer HERTA ENGELINE FRITZEN (Ger 5100 grt) was lost in a stranding near Hook of Holland.

West Coast
CL TRINIDAD departed Devonport, escorted by DD KUJAWIAK, for the Clyde where they arrived on the 27th. The CL began her pre-acceptance trials.

Convoy ON-20
Convoy ON.30 departed Liverpool, escorted corvettes ARABIS, DAHLIA and MONKSHOOD and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN SPRAY.

Western Approaches
Convoy OS-10
On the 26th, sloop BIDEFORD, corvettes FREESIA and VERBENA, and escort vessels CULVER, LANDGUARD, and LULWORTH joined convoy OS10.
.
Med/Biscay
CLA HERMIONE was under repair at Gibraltar from 26 October to 7 November.

Submarine RORQUAL arrived at Gibraltar from Malta. On the 28th, the submarine departed for Holy Loch, arriving 4 November.

Central Atlantic
Convoy SL-91
Convoy SL.91 departed Freetown escorted by DD WRESTLER to 31 October, sloop SANDWICH to 12 November and corvettes ANCHUSA to 12 November, BURDOCK to 31 October, CALENDULA to 12 November, CLOVER to 31 October, MIGNONETTE to 12 November, and NIGELLA to 31 October.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 OCTOBER TO DAWN 27 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Heavy rain in the evening.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Force K returned to harbour having seen nothing after yesterday's search for destroyers. Submarine Tetrarch sailed for Gibraltar and the UK.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Wellington. Departures 1 Maryland. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands special patrols; 1 Maryland and 1 Blenheim patrols eastern Sicily. Photoreconnaissances eastern Sicily.

 

[parsifal]

27 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS HAZEL (AN-29)

Allied
Roberts Class monitor HMS ROBERTS (F-40)

BPB 63' type MA/SB-35
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 341
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMS I Class Coastal MSW MMS-87
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Steamer ANTIOPE (UK 4545 grt) was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. One crewman was lost on the steamer.

Steamer FRIESLAND (Ne 2662 grt) was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. 11 crew and two gunners were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

T Class Submarine TETRARCH (RN 1090 grt), which had departed Alexandria on the 17th and Malta on the 26th en route to a refit in England, was lost on a mine in the Sicilian Channel. Hger entire crew of 59, plus some passengers hitching a ride back toi England was lost. She failed to arrive in Gibraltar on 2 November and was declared overdue. Her route passed through a known minefield. On Monday 27 she communicated with submarine P-34, , which was in the same area. This was the last contact with the submarine. She is presumed lost to Italian mines off Capo Granditola, Sicily.

Convoy HG-75

Corvette CAMPION was detached on the 26th and destroyers LAMERTON and LEGION and corvettes BLUEBELL, CARNATION, and HELIOTROPE on the 27th.

DDs LAMERTON and LEGION proceeded to Ponta Delgada to refuel. LAMERTON then sailed to rejoin the convoy whilst LEGION sailed to join BB PRINCE OF WALES and escort her while DDs ELECTRA and EXPRESS refuelled at Ponta Delgada.

On 27 October, U.564 claimed sinking a steamer in convoy HG.75. Allied sources have no record of such a loss

UBOATS
Arrivals
Salamis: U-97

Departures
St. Nazaire: U-96

At Sea 27 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-202, U-203, U-206, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

44 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Black Sea/Caspian
MV LOLA (Ger 4500 grt) sunk by VMF Sub "M-35" near Sulina.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Waters
DD NORMAN departed Archangel bound for the UK with the Trade Union Congress delegation and members of the Russian Labour Delegation.

North Sea
Steamer GUNLOG (SD 1424 grt), whilst working in German waters, was sunk by the RAF off Den Helder.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Waters
Submarine SEALION arrived at Scapa Flow from Portsmouth.

Med/Biscay
Submarine UNBEATEN unsuccessfully attacked a German submarine off Augusta.

MTB.68 and MTB.215 laid mines in BardiaHarbour during the night of 26\27 October.

The MTBs returned to Mersa Matruh after the operation.

Central Atlantic
BB MALAYA and DDs LIGHTNING, SIKH, and ZULU arrived at Gibraltar. On entering harbour, the BB rammed steamers HOEGH HOOD, which broke adrift, and CLAN MACDONALD. The BB sustained small holes in her forecastle and lost her sheet anchor. Damage to CLAN MACDONALD was minor, but HOEGH HOOD required six weeks repair.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 OCTOBER TO DAWN 28 OCTOBER 1941

Weather Wet and windy.

0758-0810 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft approaching the Island. Six Hurricanes are scrambled but the raiders retreat before crossing the coast and there is no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 27 OCTOBER 1941

AIR HQ 18 Squadron 4 Blenheims attacked a railway line north of Crotone. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands special patrols. Photoreconnaissances Augusta and Castel Benito.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

October 28 Tuesday
ASIA: Zang Shiyi signed a document in Nanjing, China that formally recognized Manchukuo's recognition of fellow Japanese-sponsored puppet state in the formal Chinese capital.

IJN aircraft carrier "Shokaku" arrived at Sasebo.

During the day the Japanese again flew a reconnaissance sortie over Kyedaw. The AVG again made a fruitless effort to intercept them, even as one of the intercepting pilots, Eriksen Shilling of the 2nd Sq. got close enough to count five aircraft.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Battle of convoy HG-75: At 0500 hours 320 miles Northeast of the Azores, U-432 finishes the attack on convoy HG-75 sinking British SS "Ulea" (19 killed, 9 survivors picked up by British corvettes HMS "La Malouine" and HMS "Bluebell").

EASTERN FRONT: General Winter begins to assist the Soviet defence of Moscow. The German attacks suffer their own weakness, but the soft muddy ground and severe frosts at night damage machinery and weaken the soldiers further. They are not equipped with proper clothing for fighting in these conditions. German 1.Panzerarmee is attacking toward Rostov. Guderian's forces near Tula make the major effort during this time. These movements make little headway. Volokolamsk further north falls to the Germans. 316th Rifle Division (Panfilov) had been furiously fighting the Germans in front of Volokolamsk since 15 Oct but on 28 Oct, against Stalin's orders, they abandoned Volokolamsk in disorder. Rokossovski and Panfilov were both criticized for their handling of this battle. 316th Rifle Division then rallied to defend Volokolamsk highway. German 11.Armee pursues retreating Soviet forces into the Crimea.

Six high-ranking Soviet generals and commissars -- Smuschkevich, Shtern, Rychagov, Loktionov, Savchenko, and Proskurov – were executed by Beria's NKVD for treason. Soviet General Grigoriy Savchenko was executed without trial. Nikolai Rychagov, Rychagov's wife, and other accused conspirators were executed by the Soviets near Kuibyshev (now Samara), Russia. General Yakov Smushkevich, commander of the Soviet Air Force from 1939 to 1940 who had overseen its poor performance during the Winter War with Finland, is executed.

34,000 Jews were massacred in Kiev, Ukraine. More elderly Jews from a convalescent home in Kalisz, Poland, are taken away in gassing vans.

By order of the Nazis, the entire population of the Kovno ghetto, some 27,000 Jews, assembled in the main square at daybreak this morning. The SS commander, Rauca, stood on a hillock, his dog by his feet. Eating sandwiches and drinking coffee, he pointed the way for each one with his finger. He sent the younger and healthier people to the left. Young children, the old and the sick went to the right. To the left meant life, albeit in slavery; to the right, death. It is thought that some 10,000 Jews were thus condemned to die.

MEDITERRANEAN: Mussolini declares that the "coalition of Bolshevism and its European and American Allies" will be destroyed.

NORTH AFRICA: Axis forces rehearsed for the planned assault on the besieged city of Tobruk, Libya. Rommel is preparing an all-out assault on the besieged Allied garrison at Tobruk, which is frustrating his plans to move on British interests in Egypt. He cannot afford to leave this threat to his rear and he needs the port as a forward supply base. German and Italian infantry rehearse storming bunkers, engineers plan routes through minefields and artillerymen range targets among the Allied defenses. Meanwhile Rommel plans a 2 week vacation in Italy with his wife Lucie, to celebrate his 50th birthday.

NORTH AMERICA: In a meeting between Cochran and General Arnold, Cochran resubmits her proposal. Arnold agrees that Cochran should develop a plan for training women to fly military aircraft. After Gen. Arnold confers with Air Marshall Harris (in Washington to seek American help) Arnold telephones Cochran and tells her that this is a chance to show what American women pilots can do. He requests she direct a group of women to England to fly with the British Air Transport Command.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight.

.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

October 29 Wednesday
ASIA: IJN aircraft carrier "Shokaku" departed Sasebo for Oita Bay, stopping at Ariake Bay.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-106 torpedoed and damaged American tanker "Salinas" off Iceland.

U-577 was attacked by a Blenheim bomber in the North Atlantic, suffering slight damage. British vessel "Sarastone" was sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft.

The Atlantic Amphibious Force, consisted of both US Army and US Marine Corps units and commanded by Major General Holland M. Smith, was redesignated Amphibious Force of the US Navy Atlantic Fleet.

Convoy SC 52 departs Sydney, Nova Scotia for Liverpool, but turns back to Sydney.

The German commerce raider "Atlantis" rounded Cape Horn and entered the South Atlantic. The "Atlantis" had returned from the Indian and South Pacific Oceans having spent several fairly fruitless months spent searching for targets having captured only one ship. The "Atlantis" was now scheduled to return to Germany.

EASTERN FRONT: Kampfgruppe Eberbach of German 4.Panzer-Division reached Tula, Russia, which was about 110 kilometers south of Moscow. The group dug in near Tula to organize an offensive in the next day. Reconnaissance of the Southern outskirts is turned back by Soviet anti-aircraft guns firing over open sights, so Eberbach decides to wait until dawn to attack. Due to Colonel Katukov's action on 6 Oct it took Guderian's tanks until 29 Oct to approach Tula. A few regular units and a local volunteer battalion were the only defenders but they managed to hold Guderian and Tula never fell. The first of the Soviet reserves from Siberia take position in the defensive lines west of Moscow. General Vasilevsky was wounded by Luftwaffe attack on Moscow.

In the north, Soviet forces call off unsuccessful counterattacks in the Leningrad sector.

Further South, Manstein's German 11.Armee has overrun most of the Crimean peninsula and is approaching the regional capital Simferopol and the massive port of Sevastopol, home of Soviet Black Sea Fleet. Soviet government declares all of the Crimea under state of siege, with emergency measures for defense and suppression of unrest. Germans want the Crimea as a base for operations further east into the Caucasus and need to eliminate the Soviet threat to their advance around the Black Sea. Moreover, Hitler wants the Crimean peninsula as a sun-drenched "German Gibraltar" for vacationers after the war. Italian forces defending Stalino, throw back several Russian counterattacks. The official Stefani agency reported today that Italian troops on the Eastern front had been halted and put on the defensive for the past eight days by Russian counter-attacks ...The dispatch said Russian attacks and aerial bombardments were "furious" but added that the Italian troops "never ceded a millimeter of ground."

15,000 Jews were massacred in Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania. Their remains were buried in mass graves at the Ninth Fort.

Oblt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 claims a Russian fighter near Tikhvin while Oblt. Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 claims an IL-2 Sturmovik, his first of the heavily armoured Russian fighter.

General Walter Kuntze was named the commanding officer of the German 12.Armee.

MEDITERRANEAN: Transport "Capo Arma" departs Brindisi for Benghazi escorted by Italian torpedo boat "Pegaso".

NORTH AFRICA: RAF attacks Tripoli overnight with 17 Wellington bombers flying from Malta.

NORTH AMERICA: William Stephenson, alias Intrepid, establishes Special Training School 103 near Oshawa, Canada, for training Canadians and Americans for intelligence work. It becomes known as "Camp X".

PACIFIC OCEAN: Colonel H. George, A-4 (supply) under Major General Lewis H. Brereton, submits a request to Hugh Casey (MacArthur's engineer) to devise plans as soon as possible for the construction of housing for 339 officers and 2,743 enlisted men at Del Monte airfield, Mindanao.

UNITED KINGDOM: Winston Churchill visited the Harrow School in London, England, United Kingdom, which he attended in his younger days. In a speech there, he gave the advice;

"Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

General Miles Dempsey takes command of 42nd Infantry Division.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 45 aircraft to attack Schiphol airfield overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack Brest overnight.

.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

October 30 Thursday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-106 damaged oiler USS "Salinas" 700 miles east of Newfoundland at 0900 hours. The destroyer USS "Lea" (DD 118) escorted the USS "Salinas" which would reach port under her own power. The two ships would be joined en route by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCG "Campbell" and tug USS "Cherokee" (AT-66). While USS "Salinas" limped to Argentia, Newfoundland for repairs, U-106 was chased by escort vessels for nine hours, surviving but sustaining serious damage. U-81 was attacked and severely damaged by the Catalina aircraft Z from RAF No. 209 Sqn.

EASTERN FRONT: Operation Typhoon halts until the colder winter weather arrives. Kampfgruppe Eberbach of German 4.Panzer-Division began to advance north from Tula toward Moscow at 0530 hours; it was soon turned back by heavy anti-tank fire. Another attempt was made at 1000 hours, again at 1300 hours, and a final time at 1600 hours, inflicting heavy casualties on the Soviets but failing to break through. Tula's Soviet defenders (Workers Militia and NKVD 156th Regiment) suffer severe losses, mainly to German artillery, but just manage to hold their ground. Army Group Center reports heavy fighting in the Volkolamsk, Mozhaisk and Kaluga areas. Although successful in these battles, the Germans call a temporary halt in their advance on Moscow as Soviet counter attacks, depleted supply levels, and the worsening weather conditions make attack difficult. The deep mud from autumn rains has immobilized the German vehicles. Until winter fully sets in, the soft muddy ground will not allow them sufficient mobility to continue. During the night, Soviet 32nd Tank Brigade arrived to reinforce Tula, and Tula is safe. While fighting will continue at Tula and elsewhere on the Mozhaysk line for the next few weeks, the German advance on Moscow grinds to a halt until the Russian mud freezes over.

German 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) (part of 11.Armee) reached the outskirts of Sevastopol, beginning a siege, which would last for 9 months. After sundown, Soviet cruiser "Krasnyi Kavkaz" brought in the Soviet 8th Naval Infantry Brigade from Novorossiysk to beef up the defenses at Sevastopol. Black Sea Fleet moves WWI-era battleship "Parizhskaya Kommuna", cruiser "Molotov" and smaller warships out of Sevastopol to safety in Caucasian ports while 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers are left to aid in the defense of the city as floating gun batteries.

Siegfried Freytag of JG 77 scores his twentieth victory. Oblt. Ostermann of 7./JG 54 shoots down a Russian ground attack aircraft.

Reinhard Heydrich appointed Siegfried Seidl the commandant of the camp-ghetto soon to be known as the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in occupied Czechoslovakia.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 382 adult male, 789 adult female, and 362 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,553 people.

Allied convoy PQ-2 arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia.

Marshal Rydz-Smigly secretly arrives in Warsaw to serve in Polish underground forces.

GERMANY: German workers are being forced to "volunteer" as much as 25 Reichmark (about £2/1/8d) a week from their wages to pay for Hitler's war. Those who resist payment are likely to be approached by Nazi Party members in their factories. An illegal underground newspaper, the Suddeutsche Volkstimme, is claiming that this "iron savings" scheme means that Hitler is "extorting nearly six billion marks from the people to pay for armaments."

MIDDLE EAST: First bus convoy of evicted Axis nationals -- total of 180 Germans and 8 Italians -- departs Kabul.

NORTH AFRICA: RAF aircraft attack Gambut and Bardia.

NORTH AMERICA: "Tatsuta Maru" arrived at San Francisco, California, United States and disembarked non-Japanese passengers who departed due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations, including El Savadorian Consul General Leon Siguenza and Commander P. D. Perkins of the American Foreign Office in Japan. She then embarked Japanese nationals who wished to leave the US for similar reasons, and departed San Francisco.

President Roosevelt extends $1,000,000,000 in credits and interest free loans to the Soviet Union so they can "purchase" Lend Lease supplies and equipment.

Charles Lindbergh spoke to 20,000 people at an America First rally in Madison Square Garden. Lindbergh accused President Roosevelt of using "dictatorship and subterfuge" to draw the United States into the war.

NORTHERN FRONT: RAF Hudson bombers have struck a body blow at the German Navy's supply system in the northern seas. A raid on the Norwegian port of Aalesund is thought to have left six supply ships irreparably damaged. The Hudsons flew through driving snow over the North Sea to find a target lit by moonlight. One pilot described how he hit his target from 30 feet before flying across the town at rooftop height, firing machine guns. He then put incendiary bombs through a factory roof. Norwegians resent occupation more than the raids.

PACIFIC OCEAN: MacArthur requests recall of Grunert and was appointed Department commander in his stead.

General Gordon Bennett, GOC Australian 8th Infantry Division, formally appointed GOC Australian Imperial Force, Malaya.

In Australia, RAAF selected Woodstock area near Townsville as a suitable site for an airfield.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British cabinet received the report that, in the week ending 29 Oct 1941, 886 ships (including 24 ships flying flags of neutral nations) were convoyed; 113 destroyers (including 24 American destroyers), 117 smaller ships, and 9 anti-aircraft ships were deployed as convoy escorts. During the war thus far, a total of 86,687 ships had been convoyed, of which 451 were lost by enemy action. In terms of goods transported, the report indicated that, in the week ending 25 Oct 1941, 1,435,869 tons of supplies were imported into Britain, which was an increase from 789,286 tons from the previous seven-day period. 262 civilians have been killed and 361 injured in air raids this month.

No. 607 Squadron RAF goes into action with the Hawker Hurricane fighter-bomber known as the Hurribomber. They will take over the 'Channel Stop' anti-shipping operations from No. 2 Group.

The first production Avro Lancaster heavy bomber makes its first flight today. It has four 1,280 h-p Merlin XX engines and with its dorsal and ventral gun turrets weighs in at 60,000 lb.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb operations.

.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[parsifal]

28 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Aloe Class Bet tender USS HACKBERRY (AN-25)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML-057
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
Convoy HG-75
U.432 sank steamer ULEA (UK 1574 grt) from convoy HG.75 in 41-17N, 21-40W. The submarine claimed sinking another steamer. Thirteen crew, three gunners, and three passengers were lost on the steamer. Nine survivors were rescued by corvette BLUEBELL.

U-106 sank Steamer KING MALCOLM (UK 5120 grt) in the nth Atlantic with the loss of her entire crew of 38. She was on passage from Haifa to Garston via the Cape and Sydney CB, transporting a load of Potash. At 0719 hrs U-106 fired a spread of two G7a torpedoes at an unescorted eastbound freighter of an estimated 5000 grt about 630 miles west of Ireland and reported that the ship sank within three minutes after being struck on starboard side by the first one. The second torpedo missed astern as it was fired unaimed by mistake.

The target was the KING MALCOLM which had been in convoy SC-50 but straggled and was reported missing after being last seen on 21 October east of St. John's, Newfoundland

U-68 sank Steamer HAZELSIDE (UK 5397 grt) as she travelled independently, in the Sth Atlantic. 2 men from the crew of 42 were lost in the attack. The ship was outward bound, from Cardiff to Alexandria via Durban, carrying mostly military stores. At 0343 hrs the unescorted HAZELSIDE was torpedoed by U-68 about 600 miles SE of St.Helena. At 0401 hours, the vessel was sunk by a coup de grace. Two crew members were lost. The master, 37 crew members and six gunners were picked up by the MALAYAN PRINCE and landed at Capetown. The master, Charles Knight Evans, was awarded the Lloyds War Medal for bravery at sea.

UBOATS
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-206
Kiel: U-578

Departures
Kiel: U-578

At Sea 28 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, , U-202, U-203, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

45 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front

Baltic
PV Vp-309 (DKM 350 grt) sank on a Mine laid by VMF ML TSZCZ 204 during the opening days of the BARBAROSSA campaign
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Waters
MSWs HARRIER and BRITOMART departed Scapa Flow for Grimsby and Hartlepool, respectively, for refitting. HARRIER arrived in the Humber on the 29th, whilst BRITOMART arrived at Hartlepool on the 30th, having put into the Tyne to shelter from bad weather en route.

Submarine SEALION departed Scapa Flow for Murmansk, whilst Submarine P.35 departed Scapa Flow for Dundee.

West Coast
Convoy 0N-31
Convoy ON.31 departed Liverpool, escorted by corvettes CELANDINE and HEARTSEASE and ASW trawlers ANGLE and ST APOLLO.

Convoy 0G-76
Convoy OG.76 departed Liverpool on the 28th, escorted by DD BRADFORD, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes CONVOLVULUS, COWSLIP, MARIGOLD, PENTSTEMON, SAMPHIRE, and VETCH.

Western Approaches
Convoy ON-20
DDs SARDONYX and WATCHMAN joined on the 29th.

SW Approaches
Convoy HG-75
Sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC and corvettes LA MALOUINE and MALLOW were detached on the 29th.

Med/Biscay
Polish submarine SOKOL unsuccessfully attacked Italian steamer CITTA DI PALERMO.

Submarine THRASHER sank steamer ESPERIA (FI 384 grt) by gunfire northeast off Benghazi.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Midshipman P. A. Brown RNVR, and Sub Lt F. A. J. Smith RNVR, were killed when their Albacore of 828 Sqn failed to return to Hal Far after an attack on Comiso airfield by seven Albacores of 828 Sqn.

Submarine URGE arrived at Malta from patrol off Kuriat. Submarine URSULA arrived at Malta from patrol off Calabria

Nth Atlantic
CL CARADOC was refitting at the New York Navy Yard from 28 October to 26 February 1942.

Ex US cargo ships transferred to the United Kingdom EMPIRE PINTAIL, EMPIRE EGRET, EMPIRE FULMAR, EMPIRE WIDGEON, EMPIRE PEREGRINE, and EMPIRE ORIOLE departed Halifax. The convoy was escorted by USN BB NEW MEXICO, CV YORKTOWN, CLs PHILADELPHIA and SAVANNAH, and DDs MORRIS, HUGHES, SIMS, HAMMANN, ANDERSON, MUSTIN, and RUSSELL of DESRON 2. On 2 November, the convoy met convoy CT.5 with steamers DUCHESS OF ATHOLL, SOBIESKI, ORCADES, WARWICK CASTLE, ANDES, DURBAN CASTLE, ORONSAY, and REINA DEL PACIFICO, escorted by CLA CAIRO and DDs NEWARK, CHARLESTON, CALDWELL, BEVERLEY, BADSWORTH, and CROOME.

The escorts traded convoys and the US escort took convoy CT.5 towards Halifax. The British escort took the convoy, designated TANGO, and proceeded to North Channel.

On 3 November, DD WAINWRIGHT, MAYRANT, TRIPPE, RHIND, ROWAN, MCDOUGAL, MOFFETT, and WINSLOW relieved the US destroyer escort for refuelling. The convoy arrived at Halifax on 7 November and the troops carried in convoy CT.5 were transferred to US transports for convoy WS.12X.

Convoy HX.157
Convoy HX.157 departed Halifax escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and corvettes BUCTOUCHE and GALT.

Central Atlantic
DD GURKHA and RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS departed Gibraltar to meet arriving convoy OS.9G.

Submarine RORQUAL departed Gibraltar for Holy Loch, where she arrived on 4 November.

Convoy SL-91
On the 28th, sloops BLACK SWAN, FLEETWOOD, and SCARBOROUGH to 12 November joined the convoy

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 OCTOBER TO DAWN 29 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Much colder.

0856-0932 hrs Air raid alert for two Macchi 200 fighters which approach from the north. One crosses the coast, flies over Valletta at 23000 feet and is engaged by three Navy anti-aircraft guns firing on 'height control', without result. The second comes within six miles of Grand Harbour then circles, eventually flying over Mellieha Bay. Four Hurricanes are scrambled and the lead fighter sees a Macchi ahead but too far away to intercept.

2103-2110 hrs; 2130-2150 hrs Air raid alerts for four and then two enemy aircraft which turn away before reaching the Island.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 28 OCTOBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Urge returned from patrol off Kuriat having sunk one merchant ship and broken the back of another anchored off Kuriat. Ursula returned from patrol off Calabrian coast. No ships were sighted, but a spirited bombardment of a railway bridge was carried out in the face of opposition from two machine guns and two riflemen. The appearance of an armoured car from the local garage, a flying boat and the fact that the gun jammed caused Ursula to withdraw.

AIR HQ Arrivals 4 Fortress, 1 Maryland. Departures 3 Fortress, 1 Maryland, 1 Sunderland, 4 Wellington.S/D Flight Special patrol. 18 Squadron 5 Blenheims attacked Buerat el Esun. 40 Squadron 6 Wellingtons carried out a nuisance raid on Sicily. 69 Squadron 2 Marylands special patrol. Photoreconnaissances Tripoli, Catania-Avola and Sicily. 107 Squadron 4 Blenheims attacked Buerat el Esun. 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 7 Albacores sent to carry out a bombing raid on Comiso aerodrome scored hits on hangars and the officers' mess causing fires visible 20 miles away. Very intense fire light anti-aircraft fire from all directions of the aerodrome; one Albacore failed to return (crew Midshipman Brown and S/Lt Scott).

 

[parsifal]

29 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-355

Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS CHINQUAPIN (AN 17)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
ASW trawler FLOTTA (RN 530 grt) ran aground off Buchanness. The trawler foundered on 6 November.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer SARASTONE (UK 2473 grt) was sunk by the LW in the western approaches. One crewman was lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ROSLEA (UK 642 grt) was captured when she ran aground on the 28th during a storm on the Belgian coast. The crew were taken prisoner and this ship was salved.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Brest: U-81, U-201
Frederikshavn: U-434
St. Nazaire: U-98

At Sea 29 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

45 Boats

U-577 was attacked by a Blenheim bomber in the North Atlantic, suffering slight damage.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer BARCELONA (Ger 3101 grt) was lost near Aalesund to RAF bombing attack.

North Sea
DD TARTAR departed London for Sheerness on completion of a long refit. The DD arrived that day to embark ammunition and fuel and carry out a tilt test at Chatham before proceeding to Scapa Flow. TARTAR departed Sheerness on 1 November for Scapa Flow.

Northern Patrol
FFL submarine MINERVE made an unsuccessful attack on a Norwegian steamer off the Norwegian coast.

Northern Waters
DDs OFFA and ORIBI departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to act under the orders of Rear Admiral Minelaying. Both DDs arrived later that day.

MSWs SALAMANDER and HALCYON departed Scapa Flow for Aberdeen to carry out boiler cleaning and fit out for Arctic service. Both MSWs arrived early on the 30th.

Western Approaches
Convoy ON-20
DDs SARDONYX and WATCHMAN joined on the 29th.

SW Approaches
Convoy HG-75
Sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC and corvettes LA MALOUINE and MALLOW were detached on the 29th.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC-52
Convoy SC.52 departed Sydney CB, escorted by corvettes BATTLEFORD, DUNVEGAN, and SOREL. Destroyer BROADWAY.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 OCTOBER TO DAWN 30 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Fair.

0152-0230 hrs Air raid alert for two unidentified enemy bombers approaching from the north. One aircraft turns back 15 miles from the Island. The second approaches Kalafrana, crosses the coast and turns south, turns again and recedes north-eastwards without dropping any bombs. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but there is no interception.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 29 OCTOBER 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 9 Blenheim, 1 Cathay, 1 Flamingo, 1 Heinkel, 4 Wellington. 18 Squadron 6 Blenheims attacked targets along the Calabrian coast. 40 Squadron 6 Wellingtons attacked marshalling yards in Tripoli. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands special patrols. Photoreconnaissance Catania. 104 Squadron 12 Wellingtons attacked marshalling yards in Tripoli. 107 Squadron 4 Blenheims attacked targets at Soverato. 2 Blenheims attacked targets along the Calabrian coast

 

[parsifal]

30 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-378

Type VIIc DKM U-594
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class USS NUTMEG (AN 33)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS DRUMMONDVILLE (J-253)

Fairmile C MGB 335
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML-292
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
None

UBOATS
Arrivals
Kristiansand: U-434
Trondheim: U-132

Departures
Kiel: U-332
Lorient: U-124, U-572
St. Nazaire: U-69

At Sea 30 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-83, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-332, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

49 Boats

U-81 was attacked by a British Catalina flying boat (RAF Sqdn 209/Z, pilot Denis E. Ryan) SW of Brest while enroute to cross the Straits of Gibraltar. A Hudson bomber (Sqdn 53, F/O Henry) also appeared and dropped a depth charge. The boat was severely damaged and had to return to Brest. After hurried repairs the boat once more sailed for the Mediterranean.

After torpedoing the large American tanker SALINAS, U-106 was hunted for nine hours by escorts from convoy ON-28 and suffered severe damage.

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT departed Murmansk on patrol, then to return to the United Kingdom.

Northern Patrol
MLs MENETHEUS, PORT QUEBEC, and WELSHMAN, escorted by DDs BRIGHTON, OFFA, and ORIBI, departed Loch Alsh to carry out minelaying operation SN.83 A. DD ONSLOW departed Scapa Flow later in the day to join the force. CL SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow on the 31st to cover the minelaying force.

DD ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to embark a party of military officers taking passage in CL KENYA to Archangel. The DD arrived back at Scapa Flow in the early afternoon.

West Coast
Submarine P.35 departed Dundee for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 31st.


Western Approaches
Convoy HG-75
The convoy was joined on the 30th by sloop LONDONDERRY from convoy SL.90 and sloop ABERDEEN and destroyer HESPERUS on the 31st from the UK.

Med/Biscay
On the 30th, steamer MARIGOLA (which had been disabled on the 22nd by HMS URGE) was further damaged by submarine UTMOST gunfire, 2.3 miles 165° from KuriatIsland.

Corvette SNAPDRAGON arrived at Suez from the United Kingdom to join the Med Fleet. The corvette arrived at Alexandria on the 31st.

Submarine OLYMPUS departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Gulf of Lyons.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy HX.157
USN DDs DALLAS, EBERLE, ELLIS, ERICSSON, and UPSHUR joined on the 30th

Convoy ON-28
At 0707 hrs on 30 October 1941 the fleet oiler USS SALINAS (AO 19) in station #14 of the convoy was hit on port side by two torpedoes from U-106 about 610 miles east of Newfoundland. Her circumstances leading to the incident were that She arrived at Reykjavik early in October and departed that port on 23 October, in ballast, for the mid-ocean meeting point where she rendezvoused with convoy ON 28 on 25 October. From there, the tanker moved west to return to the United States. At 0700 (GCT) on the 30th, her position was about 700 miles east of Newfoundland.. Visibility was about 1,000 yards. 7 minutes later SALINAS took a torpedo from U-106. A second torpedo followed, hitting portside at tanks 2 and 3. Salinas settled to near her loaded waterline and remained there.

A submarine was sighted on the surface at 0730, close aboard on the starboard quarter. The U-boat fired three torpedoes, all of which missed — two ahead, one astern of the damaged oiler — then submerged. SALINAS' stern gun opened fire on the disappearing U-boat. DD USS DUPONT then moved in and dropped a string of DCs on the U-boats estimated position, but no sonar contact was mage.

SALINAS' crew, having suffered no serious injuries (one man was lightly wounded), began to clear the wreckage. DUPONT and DD USS LEARY stood by. At 1150, the oiler's engineering department signaled "ready to proceed", and, at 1155, SALINAS began to move westward with LEARY as escort. USCG CAMPBELL (WPG – 32) rendezvoused with the damaged oiler and her escort on 31 October . Tug USS CHEROKEE joined them on 2 November, but her services as a tug were not needed; on the evening of 3 November SALINAS reached ST JOHNS. The damaged tanker was repaired at Brooklyn and returned to service in April 1942.

Central Atlantic
DD WISHART arrived at Gibraltar after refitting in the UK.

Convoy ST.7 departed Freetown, escorted by DD VANSITTART and corvettes ARMERIA and CYCLAMEN. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on 4 November.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 OCTOBER TO DAWN 31 OCTOBER 1941
Weather Cloudy and overcast.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 3 Blenheim, 1 Catalina, 5 Wellington. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands special patrols; 1 Maryland special search. Photoreconnaissance Reggio Calabria aerodrome and Tripoli. 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 3 Albacores attacked the railway junction at Conicalli, with bombs. One failed to locate the target and dropped a bomb on main road east of Palermo. 4 Albacores dropped bombs on the sulphur factory at Licata with good results.

 

[Njaco]

October 31 Friday
ASIA: IJN aircraft carrier "Kaga" departed Hososhima and arrives at Kagoshima. IJN "Shokaku" arrived at Oita.

Japanese High Command approves Yamamoto's plan for surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-552 attacked Allied convoy HX-156 725 miles west of Iceland at 0834 hours, sinking American destroyer USS "Reuben James" (115 killed, 45 survived); USS "Reuben James" was the first American warship lost in the Atlantic Ocean in WW2. German submarine U-96 sank Dutch ship "Bennekom" 400 miles west of Iceland at 1047 hours; 8 were killed, 46 survived. British sloop HMS "Lulworth" counterattacked with 27 depth charges in failure.

German submarine U-374 sank British ship "Rose Schiaffino" 120 miles east of St. John's, Newfoundland at 0903 hours; all 41 aboard were killed.

EASTERN FRONT: Soviet destroyer "Bodry" and other warships shelled German tank concentrations 25 miles north of Sevastopol, Russia. Meanwhile, German dive bombers attacked Soviet warships in the harbor, causing 50 casualties but failing to cause damage to the ships. German 11.Armee captures Alma as Soviet forces withdraw in disarray.

In Leningrad, the air evacuation of 17,614 factory specialists and 8,590 wounded Red Army soldiers is completed.

Solomon Milshtein reported to Lavrentiy Beria that, from the start of the Russo-German war and 10 Oct 1941, 657,364 troops were arrested for falling back without authorization, 249,969 of whom by agents of UOO and 407,395 by agents of NKVD. The majority of them were returned to the front, while 10,201 were executed, 3,321 of whom were executed in front of their units to set an example.

The Luftwaffe launches 45 separate attacks on Moscow.

In the Baltic States, SS General von dem Bach Zelewski reports that "Today, there are no more Jews in Estonia."

The Poltova Lunatic Asylum was officially handed over to the Wehrmacht to be used as a military hospital. Two-hundred of the inmates were placed in agricultural forced labor groups. They were the lucky ones as the other 600 (along with 137 Jews) were killed.

GERMANY: To ease labour shortages, Hitler agreed that Soviet prisoners of war could be used in the Reich, as long as they were isolated from the Home population.

Germany announced heavy taxation increases for tobacco, spirits and champagne effective Monday. State Secretary of the Finance Ministry Fritz Reinhardt claimed that the primary aim of the new taxes was to reduce consumption.

RAF Bomber Command sends 123 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 48 aircraft to attack Bremen overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: It was announced that RAF aircraft operating out of Malta had destroyed 76,500 tons of enemy shipping in the Mediterranean Sea.

MIDDLE EAST: Second bus convoy of evicted Axis nationals -- total of 180 Germans and 8 Italians -- departs Kabul.

NORTH AMERICA: The US Army established the Umatilla Munitions Depot on 20,000 acres of desert and sagebrush in Oregon.

NORTHERN FRONT: German XIX.Gebirgskorps makes another attack toward Murmansk. Soviet destroyers and the first evacuation convoy depart Kronstadt to bring troops back from Hango.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Troop convoy WS 11X arrives Colombo en route to Singapore from the UK.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British 1st Airborne division was formed on under the command of Major General Frederick "Boy" Browning.

The third Tornado prototype aircraft took flight with a 2,210-horsepower Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder engine.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Fighter Command flew a Ramrod operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 32 aircraft to attack Dunkirk and Boulogne overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

.

 

[parsifal]

31 OCTOBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Bangor Class MSW HMCS CHIGNECTO (J-160)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B HMCS ML 052
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS KERRERA (T-200)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Leninec (L Class ) Submarine VMF L-23

Sister ship L-4

Losses
Tanker BRITISH FORTUNE (UK 4696 grt) was sunk by the LW one mile 265° from Aldeburgh Light Buoy. Seven crew and a gunner were missing.

Steamer NICOLAOS PIANGOS (Gk 4499 grt) was sunk by the LW in the Nth Sea. Eight crew were lost.

U-374 sank Steamer ROSE SCHIAFINO (UK 3349 grt) off the coast of Newfoundland, well within the Pan American Neutrality zone. She was carrying iron ore at the time of her loss, on passage from Waban to Cardiff via St Johns. The entire crew of 41 was lost I the attack. At 0903 hrs the unescorted ROSE SCHIAFINO was hit on port side by one of two G7e torpedoes fired by U-374 and sank by the stern within 30 seconds about 90 miles ENE of St. John's, Newfoundland. The master, 36 crew members and four gunners were lost. ROSE SCHIAFINO had originally joined the convoy SC-51 after leaving Wabana and returned to St. John's when she became a straggler on 27 October. The ship then sailed again independently, presumably to join another convoy at sea, but was sunk shortly after leaving port.

Convoy OS-10
U-96 sank Steamer BENNEKOM (Ne 5998 grt) in the Nth Atlantic. The ship was outward bound from Liverpool to Madras via Table Bay with mixed cargo. 59 passengers and crew were aboard, 9 of whom would perish in the attack. At 2247 hrs, U-96 fired four single torpedoes at the convoy from a long range during a full moon night and claimed the sinking of two ships with 13,000 grt. In fact, only the BENNEKOM was hit on the port side amidships i by one torpedo, which had been spotted too late to be evaded by putting the wheel hard to port. The fuel oil in the tank immediately caught fire and was blown over the ship, setting the saloon and accommodation on fire. The men on the bridge were cut off from the boat deck by the flames and all means of communications were disabled as the explosion had wrecked the fore side of the bridge, including the machine gun nest there. However, the men on watch below stopped the intact engines according to orders previously arranged and the crew of 46 men, seven gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in and eight machine guns) and three passengers (British Army personnel) began to abandon ship in fine weather and calm sea. Unfortunately the deck officers were all on the forward deck after escaping from the bridge by sliding down the signal halyards, so the port aft boat and both starboard boats were launched by inexperienced engineers and stewards. The boats pulled away from the burning ship without attempting to rescue the survivors on the fore deck, as the occupants were frightened of the ship sinking and dragging the boats under. Only the port raft capable of accommodating 18 persons was available for these 25 men, because the port forward lifeboat had been destroyed and the raft on starboard drifted away just after being launched. Six men volunteered to swim, so a hatch cover was thrown overboard and they jumped after it. About 2330 hrs, the BENNEKOM began to sag in the middle until the shelter deck was under water and the raft was then launched with 18 men and the master hung on to the grab lines of it. After drifting for one hour they were picked up by HMS CULVER, while the survivors in the lifeboats were rescued by HMS LULWORTH. The BENNEKOMwas seen to sink by the stern about 530 miles west of Cape Clear. Six crew members and three gunners were lost. The 25 survivors aboard HMS CULVER were later transferred to HMS LULWORTH and all men eventually landed at Bathurst on 20 November.

Convoy HX 156
Clemson Class DD REUBEN JAMES (USN 1215 grt) was lost on the 31st to attacks from U-552. 115 of the 160 man crew wewre lost in the attack. DDrs VERITY and WOLVERINE and corvettes CAMELLIA, LARKSPUR, and MONTBRETIA joined on the 31st. The American group was detached on 1 November when relieved by DDs BROKE and BUXTON, corvette BEGONIA and EGLANTINE, and ASW trawler KING SOL. The DDs and corvettes BEGONIA and CAMELLIA were detached on 4 November. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 5 November. At 0834 hrs, U-552 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a DD and hit it with both torpedoes. The ship hit was the REUBEN JAMES which was escorting the convoy in the US Escort Group 4.1.3 together with with USN DDs BENSON, HILARY P JONES, NIBLACK, and TARBELL. The explosions broke the ship in two, the forward section sank immediately with all hands while the stern remained afloat for five minutes. When the stern sank the unsecured depth charges exploded killing some survivors in the water. USS NIBLACK picked up 36 men (one of them died of wounds on 2 November) and USS HILARY P JONES picked up ten more, but all officers were lost. REUBEN JAMES was the first warship of the US Navy lost in the Second World War.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-81, U-83
St. Nazaire: U-71

Departures
Brest: U-373

At Sea 31 October 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-552, U-563, U-564, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-751, UA

48 Boats

While attacking convoy OS-10 on the surface during a full moon, U-96 fired into the convoy at long range, sinking one ship. The British escort sloop LULWORTH gave chase, and after driving U-96 under with gunfire, dropped 27 depth charges. None fell close, and the boat evaded the attack and continued the patrol.

OPERATIONS
East Front
Baltic
MSW M1708 (DKM 750 grt) sank on a Mine laid by VMF ML TSZCZ 204 during the opening days of the BARBAROSSA campaign
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Patrol
DD NORMAN (with the Trade Union Congress delegation and members of the Russian Labour Delegation embarked) called at Seidisfjord on the 31st to refuel and departed on 1 November.

MLs MENETHEUS, PORT QUEBEC, and WELSHMAN, escorted by DDs BRIGHTON, OFFA, ORIBI, and ONSLOW, laid minefield SN.83A. CL SHEFFIELD covered the operation until being detached on the 31st and arriving at Scapa Flow on 1 November. ONSLOW, OFFA, and ORIBI arrived back at Scapa Flow on 1 November.

The MLs, escorted by destroyer BRIGHTON, arrived at Loch Alsh on 1 November.

Northern Waters
DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster to embark a Russian General for passage to Archangel in CL KENYA. The DD arrived back at 1300. CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID departed Scapa Flow that evening for Seidisfjord to refuel prior to escorting convoy PQ.3.

SW Approaches
Convoy 0G-76
The convoy was joined on the 31st by corvette RHODODENDRON

Channel
DD MAORI departed London for Sheerness to embark ammunition and fuel after a long refit. The DD arrived in the early afternoon that day. MAORI departed Sheerness on 2 November for Scapa Flow where she arrived on the 3 November to work up.

Submarine SEAWOLF arrived at Scapa Flow from Portsmouth. The submarine departed that day for Murmansk.

Med/Biscay
DDs ERIDGE and AVONVALE departed Alexandria, escorting ocean boarding vessel CHANTALA to Port Said. There they sailed to join the Suez Escort Force. The DDs passed through the Suez Canal on 1 November and joined the Suez Escort Force.

Submarine TRUANT sank tanker METEOR (FI 1685 grt) south of Ortona.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Nth Atlantic
Convoy OS-10
The convoy was escorted by escort ships LANDGUARD (SO 40th Escort Group), GORLESTON, CULVER, and LULWORTH, destroyer STANLEY, sloop BIDEFORD, and corvettes VERBENA and FREESIA.

On 1 November, escort ship GORLESTON and corvette VERBENA attacked a submarine contact in 48-25N, 25-00W

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 31 OCTOBER TO DAWN 1 NOVEMBER 1941
Weather Fair.

0132-0229 hrs Air raid alert for four enemy bombers, three of which cross the coast and drop 250kg and 500kg high explosives and hundreds of small bombs on Manoel Island, Pieta Creek and Valletta. Two Hurricanes are airborne at 14000 feet. One raider is spotted at 11000 feet and illuminated by searchlights. Hurricane pilot Sgt Mackie dives onto it and delivers two attacks from 50 yards' range: one from astern, the second from astern and below. One of the bomber's crew bales out, possibly the rear gunner as there is no return fire. The bomber bursts into flames. The second Hurricane pursues the other two raiders back towards Sicily but is unable to intercept.

0304-0427 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy BR 20 bombers, one of which crosses the coast and drops hundreds of small bombs in the area of the Castille in Valletta. Two Hurricanes are scrambled but do not intercept.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER 1941

AIR HQ Departures 1 Catalina, 1 Cathay, 5 Wellington. S/D Flight 1 Wellington search for convoy. 18 Squadron 5 Blenheims attacked a factory at Licata. 40 Squadron 5 Wellingtons attacked Naples and Palermo. 104 Squadron 4 Wellingtons attacked a convoy. 9 Wellingtons attacked Naples and Palermo.107 Squadron 4 Blenheims attacked a factory at Licata. 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 7 Albacores attacked a railway junction at Canicatti and sulphur factories at Licata, starting fires in both locations.

TA QALI 15 officers and 247 airmen of 40 Squadron arrived from Luqa. Officers accommodated at Xara Palace, Rabat. 7 Marylands and 3 Hurricanes arrived with 69 Squadron.

During October fourteen patrols were carried out by submarines of the Tenth Flotilla and seven by submarines of the First Flotilla sailing from Malta. During these patrols, twelve ships were sunk and a further four damaged. Of these, the five sunk by the Tenth Flotilla totalled approximately 12,000 tons and the two damaged 10,800 tons. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm made fifteen sorties as a result of which eight merchant ships totalling 48,000 tons are claimed as sunk and five merchant ships totalling 34,000 tons are claimed as damaged.

828 Squadron, consisting of eleven Albacores, was sent from England to reinforce 830 Squadron. Unfortunately, owing to their lack of training in night flying and particularly night torpedo dropping, they are as yet of no value in this respect. 828 Squadron carried out two bombing raids which were in the nature of night flying training.

 

[parsifal]

Summary Of Losses October 1941 (Unfinished)

Allied
Allied Warships




XXXXX(RN)), (Total XXXXX grt Naval Tonnage)


Allied Shipping




XXXXXXX (UK), XXXXX (Gk), XXXX (Be), XXXXX (Nor), XXXXX (NL), XXXX (NZ)
XXXX grt (Mercantile)


Total Mercantile and Military losses: XXXXX grt



Prizes captured




Neutral shipping




( grt Mercantile)



Neutral warships



Total Neutral Mercantile + Military: 1215 grt
Total Allied + Neutral: XXXXX grt



Prizes taken
None



Cumulative Losses since 9/39
XXXXXX grt Allied and Neutral Mercantile and Naval tonnage losses


Axis Warships
DKM
XXXXX(DKM XXX grt),



(XXX grt)


RM


XXXX (RM XXXX grt),



(XXXXX grt)



Axis Shipping
GER


(XXXXX grt)


(FI)




Vichy


(XXXXX grt)


Total Axis Mercantile (XXXXX grt)
Total Axis Mercantile and Naval Tonnage losses: ( XXXXXX grt)



Captured ships




XXX (UK XXXX grt), (XXX Gk)
(+) (XXXXX grt)

 

[Njaco]

November 1 Saturday
ASIA: The Japanese Cabinet conference reaffirms that diplomacy has failed and Japan must go to war. The Japanese Combined Fleet Order No. 1 - the plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Malaya and the Dutch East Indies is issued. It also called for additional radio communications to be generated to make US cryptanalytic efforts more difficult. The Japanese Navy changes all their call signs for its ships and shore installations.

Zhao Chengshou, a Nationalist Party of China general from Wutai County, Shanxi, began to distance himself from the Japanese and the Chinese collaborators.

IJN aircraft carrier "Akagi" departed Ariake Bay, but returned the same day.

Japanese Navy Captain Gihachi Takayanagi (former commanding officer of battleship "Ise") relieved Rear Admiral Shutoku Miyazato as the Chief Equipping Officer of Battleship No. 1, as Miyazato was being transferred to become the Chief of Personnel for Kure Naval District.

The "North China Political Affairs Committee" enforced the 3rd Public Security Enforcement Movement.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: American PBY Catalina aircraft provided air cover for Atlantic convoy ON 30.

Three US destroyers, screening Atlantic convoy HX 157, carried out depth charge attacks on sound contacts off St. John's, Newfoundland.

German submarine U-68 sank British ship "Bradford City" 300 miles off German South-West Africa at 0654 hours; all 45 aboard survived in 2 lifeboats. U-68 accidentally collided with the sinking ship but did not suffer serious damage.

EASTERN FRONT: Moscow was becoming a fortress. By November three new defensive lines were taking shape: along the Outer Railway Ring, and along the lines of the ancient concentric fortifications of Moscow, the Garden Ring and the Boulevard Ring in the very centre of the city. The buildings at each street corner were turned into fortified machine-gun nests. Machine guns and anti-tank detachments were positioned behind bricked-up windows and on balconies. Although the city transport was working again, many of the vehicles had been commandeered for military purposes. The buses on line No. 21 were taking reinforcements out along the Volokolamsk Highway as far as Krasnogorsk, only ten miles from the front itself. Other buses were being used as ambulances. Trams travelled, nose to tail, carrying volunteers, with guns, boxes of ammunition and field kitchens on their platforms. The back of each tram carried a white stripe, so that the driver of the following tram could see it in the dark; but the blackout was broken anyway by the flashes from the overhead lines. Zhukov confers with Stalin about situation in front of Moscow and likely German intentions. Stalin appoints Marshal Shaposhnikov Chief of Staff of the Soviet forces. By the end of November, 65,000 men defend Moscow with the bulk of that force consisting of people's militia and destroyer detachments.

Troops of the German 11.Armee captured Simferopol, Russia. Von Manstein's 11.Armee lacks enough tanks and air support to take Sevastopol by storm, so they fan out to surround and besiege the city. To the southwest in Sevastopol, Soviet 30th coastal battery (called Fort Maxim Gorky I by the Germans) bombarded the German 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) as they assemble at 1230 hours between Alma railway station and Bazarchik village. Planned German attack on Soviet 8th Naval Brigade is broken up by 68 rounds from the 305mm guns. The 1.Panzerarmee opens a major offensive against Rostov. The plan calls for the attack to take the Germans into the Caucasus Mountains.

The Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front has accumulated 686,000 casualties and is now fielding 2.7 million men on the front. Though German intelligence had the Red Army at a strength of 160 divisions and 40 brigades below 50%, in reality they were fielding 269 divisions and 65 brigades, plus the Stavka reserves totaling 2.2 million men.

Lt. Friedrich-Karl Müller is appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 53.

"Modern war is a war of motors. The war will be won by the one who produces the most motors. The combined motor production of the USA, Britain and USSR is at least three times that of Germany" - Joseph Stalin

GERMANY: A formal statement from Adolf Hitler claimed that the United States "has attacked Germany" and that Roosevelt had been placed before the "tribunal" for world judgment. Germany disputed the American account of the sinking of the "Reuben James" and claimed that a German submarine only attacked after American destroyers attacked German submarines first.

General der Gebirgstruppe Rudolf Konrad was named the commanding officer of the German 7th Mountain Division. Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was made the commanding officer of the 9th Staffel in the German Nachtjagdgeschwader 2.

Reinhard Heydrich sends out invitations for a meeting to be held to organize "a comprehensive solution for the Jewish question". This conference was originally scheduled to be held on December 9th, 1941 at 16 Am Kleinen Wannsee but was changed on December 4th to an SD guest house at 56-58 Am Grossen Wannsee.

RAF Bomber Command sends 134 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italy begins the conversion of the passenger liner SS "Roma" into the first Italian aircraft carrier, later named "Aquila" ("Eagle"). The conversion will halt in an incomplete state when Italy surrenders to the Allies in September 1943 and will never be finished.

By November 1941, the garrison at Malta now boasted 30,000 men with first class equipment, 80 Hurricanes and 105 assorted bombers (Wellingtons, Blenheims, Marylands, Swordfish and Albacores). Ack Ack defences consisted of 1400 guns. The Island also had a sufficient food supplies for the next five months. Malta had endured 350 bombing raids. Over 2500 houses had been destroyed or seriously damaged. 340 people had been killed and another 680 injured – only the Island's rock shelters had prevented greater casualties. Throughout the summer of 1941, the Italian air force had employed every type of bomb in their attempt to conquer Malta. At 0132 hours four Axis bombers approached the island. Three crossed the coast and dropped bombs on Lazaretto Creek, Manoel and Valletta. One Cant 1007 was engaged by a Hurricane just before being illuminated by searchlights, burst into flames and was destroyed. A direct hit was made on the Manoel Island AA position killing five members of 7th Heavy AA Regiment, Royal Artillery. During the raids a large number of anti-personnel bombs were dropped. Civilian casualties 2 wounded, 4 killed.

MIDDLE EAST: British 9th Army formed under General Wilson in Palestine, Transjordan, Syria, and Lebanon.

NORTH AMERICA: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8929 which placed the U.S. Coast Guard under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy for the duration of the national emergency.

US Marine Corps established the 2nd Joint Training Force at Camp Elliot, California, United States under Major General Clayton B. Vogel. It was composed of the US Marine Corps 2nd Marine Division and the US Army 3rd Infantry Division.

War Department reluctantly opens a secret language school at Crissey Field under the 4th Army at the Presidio of San Francisco, with four Nisei instructors and 60 students, 58 of which are Nisei. This was the first class of the Military Intelligence Language School. Military Intelligence Service (MIS). On May 1, 1942, the 4th Army Language School held a small graduation ceremony for about 40 Nisei and two Caucasian reserve officers. Ten students were held back to serve as instructors. The rest were on their way within days to serve in overseas assignments. Before the end of the war, the school, which was renamed the Military Intelligence Service Language School, would train over 4,800 Japanese linguists.

Arthur Compton sends draft copies of the National Academy of Sciences report to Vannevar Bush and Frank Jewett which clearly defines the possibility of creating a bomb out of U-235. Dunning and Booth have made considerable progress in developing a gaseous diffusion process by using brass barriers with the zinc etched out making the material porous. With this process they were able to enrich a considerable amount of uranium. Compton issues the final NAS report, highlighting the importance of conducting further research on the feasibility of a U-235 bomb. The report is delivered to FDR by Vannevar Bush on November 27.

Robert Shivers of the FBI discovers that there is a line from the cooks quarters in the Japanese Council General's office that is not being tapped. The Navy had been tapping all other lines for the last two years. Shivers taps this one missed phone line. The Army determines that the leak in the White House has been plugged and agrees to begin giving the White House Magic information again, but by this time Roosevelt is agitated with the Army to the point that he insists that the Navy be the only service that provides him with intelligence debriefings.

The US extends a lend-lease loan of US$1 billion to the Soviet Union.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The Finnish conquest of East Karelia was completed when the last Finnish offensive commences in the Kestenga sector. The Finns encircle two Soviet regiments and destroy them. Finnish forces had taken Kiestinki (Kestenga) in August 1941, but late in the month the Finnish Infantry Regiment 53 had been encircled by the Soviet forces. The regiment finally managed to break out in early September, taking heavy losses. Finns fought together with the Germans of SS Division 'Nord', which performance had been less than stellar. The division was subordinated to Maj. Gen. Hjalmar Siilasvuo's Finnish III Army Corps (which in turn was subordinated to Gen. Falkenhorst's German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen) — apparently the only time during the whole war when an SS division fought under non-German command. In September Hitler ordered Falkenhorst to stop attempts to advance and assume defensive stance all along his army's front. However, Falkenhorst and Siilasvuo both wanted to have another go. Finnish-German forces broke into the Soviet defenses, but 88th Rifle Division (Maj. Gen. Vladimir Solovev) fought back with skill, and Soviets sent reinforcements. After initial difficulties the attack began to make good progress and the defending Red Army forces were encircled.

After sundown, the Red Army evacuated the first group, 4,230 men, of the 28,000 men from the Hanko Peninsula, Finland to Leningrad, Russia via naval vessels. Overnight, Soviet destroyers "Slavny" and "Stoiki" sail from island of Suursaari in the Gulf of Finland (escorted by minelayer "Marti", 4 T-class minesweepers and 5 MO-class submarine hunters) and embark 4230 troops at Hango. On the return journey, "Marti" and T-210 are damaged by mines while submarine "Kalev" (captured from the Estonian Navy on August 19, 1940) does not return from covering the evacuation, presumably lost on a mine.

Six victory Experte, Albert Wessel of JG 77 is killed in an accident.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team of the US Navy in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii reported that all Japanese Navy call signs had changed.

US Navy formed the Pacific Escort Force at Pearl Harbor to protect transports and certain merchant vessels carrying troops and valuable military cargoes between Hawaii and the Far East.

HMAS "Australia", (cruiser), arrived at Desolation Island to search for a German raider. The cruiser laid a minefield before departing. Post-war records showed the island had been used by the raider "Orion" for a refit, some time before "Australia's" visit.

Japanese marine staff officers Suzuki and Maejima arrived in Pearl Harbor.

UNITED KINGDOM: A newly issued Typhoon fighter of British No. 56 Squadron plunged into the ground near East Harling, Norfolk, England, , killing Pilot Officer J. F. Deck. Subsequent investigations revealed that he had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning leading to the entire Typhoon fleet being grounded for modifications to cockpit sealing and the fitting of improved extended exhausts, although the problem was never satisfactorily resolved.

CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, RAN, was awarded the DSO for outstanding gallantry while commanding HMAS "Nestor", (destroyer), during Operation Substance, the passing of a convoy from the west to Malta, on 15 December. CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, RAN, was also awarded a Bar to the DSO for the sinking of a German submarine in the Atlantic.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew a Ramrod operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack airfields in Brittany. RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft to attack Brest and Le Havre overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

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[parsifal]

01 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIId DKM U-214

Allied
Gato Class USS DRUM (SS-228)

Aloe Class Net tender USS MULBERRY (AN-27)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aloe Class Net tender USS PALM (AN-28)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS COLTSFOOT (K-140)

Flower Class Corvette HMS FRITILLARY (K-199)

Fairmile B RCN ML-060
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BPB 63' type RN MA/SB 37
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U.68 sank Steamer BRADFORD CITY (UK 4953 grt) in the Sth Atlantic off the coast of Namibia. The entire crew of 45 were rescued when they rowed ashore. The ship was on passage from Mauritius to the UK via Capetown and Freetown, carrying a load of sugar and rum. South African ASW trawlers BLOMVLEI and MOOIVLEI stood by the steamer.

At 0654 hrs the unescorted BRADFORD CITY was hit by one of three torpedoes from U-68 about 300 miles west of Walvis Bay, South West Africa. Shortly afterwards the submerged U-boat collided slightly with its target because they had problems in keeping the depth and came to the surface only 10 metres from the ship. Luckily for the Germans the crew was already abandoning ship in two lifeboats and did not fire at the U-boat, which immediately dived again and only had a bent bow from this encounter. The ship developed a list to port and sank quickly. The crew were then questioned by the Germans and later made landfall near Walvis Bay and were rescued by South African troops.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-563
Lorient: U-564

Departures
Lorient: U-551, U-652

At Sea 1 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-75, U-77, U-82, U-84, U-85, U-93, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-106, U-107, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-432, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

48 Boats

U.552 and U.567 made unsuccessful attacks on convoy HX.156, both claiming damaging steamers.

U.75 was attacked by British aircraft in 33-44N, 24-48E. The submarine received light damage.

OPERATIONS
East Front
Black Sea
VMF cruiser VOROSHILOV was mined and badly damaged off Fidonissi Island in the Black Sea. The cruiser was repaired at Poti, completing in February 1942.

North Sea
British steamer KINGSLAND was damaged by the LW in the Nth Sea.

Swedish steamer BRAHEHOLM was damaged by the RAF off the Dutch coast whilst in German waters. One crewman was killed.

Steamer SIGRID (SD 1093 grt) whilst in German service was sunk on a mine near Kiel.
Ten crewmen were lost on the steamer. The vessel was bringing in iron ore from the Swedish mines at Lulea . The vessels entry into harbour was delayed by bad weather. Whilst awaiting the arrival of a german Pilot to enter harbour in the rough seas, at around 4 pm, there was a fierce; explosion in the stern at the 3rd door on the starboard side. The vessel; broke in two and sank within 30 seconds with the stern. 10 men; were killed while six men, who managed to cling to the wreckage were rescued by a pilot boat about an hour later. The commander died in; May 1944 of the injuries..

Northern Patrol
CLs EDINBURGH and SHEFFIELD departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord, where they arrived on the 3rd.

Northern Waters
CA BERWICK with DDs PUNJABI and ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, arriving after midday on that day. CL ARETHUSA, escorted by DD VALOROUS and torpedo school ship LAIRDS ISLE, departed the Tyne to complete refit at Rosyth, where they arrived later that day.

West Coast
DD BEAUFORT departed Liverpool for the Clyde, carrying out speed trials en route. The DD arrived just before midnight that day.

DD CHELSEA was damaged in a collision with British trawler CANNING at Liverpool. The DD sustained minor damage.

Convoy ON-32
Convoy ON.32 departed Liverpool, escorted by RNZN ASW trawler MOA, en route to the Pacific.

Western Approaches
The Admiralty directed that DDs ARROW, ANTELOPE, ACTIVE, ANTHONY, and ACHATES should join Western Approaches Cmd when former Force H DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FORESIGHT, and FURY become available to the Home Fleet.

SW Approaches
CVE ARGUS and aircraft transport ATHENE departed the Clyde ferrying aircraft to Gibraltar, escorted by LAFOREY, HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER. On the 2nd, a Swordfish of ARGUS' 818 Sqn ditched and its pilot, Lt A. S. Campbell, and crew were picked up by DD LAFOREY

Med/Biscay
Rear Admiral Philip Vian assumed command of CruSqn 15 with his flag on light cruiser NAIAD. The Med Flt cruisers at that time were CruSqn 7 (Rawlings) with AJAX, NEPTUNE, and RAN CL HOBART; CruSqn 15 (Vian) with NAIAD, GALATEA, EURYALUS, and later by DIDO on 31 December.

CLs AJAX and NEPTUNE of CruSqn 7 were transferred to Malta as Force B and arrived there on the 29th.

Force K of CLs AURORA and PENELOPE and DDs LANCE and LIVELY departed Malta and were at sea during the night of 1/2 November. No contact was made and the ships returned to Malta on the 2nd.

The hulk of Steamer MARIGOLA (FI 5996 grt), was sunk 2.3 miles 165° from Kuriat Island. The ship had been disabled on the 22nd October by HMS URGE and further damaged on the 30th by gunfire by HMS UTMOST was finally sunk on 1 November, when submarine UTMOST returned and torpedoed the hulk.

Wellington bombers attacked Italian steamer CAPO ARMA, escorted by TB PROCIONE, en route to Benghazi from Brindisi. The steamer was damaged by the bombing, but was able to reach Benghasi on the 1st.

A Swordfish of 830 Squadron failed to return from an operation in which six Swordfish unsuccessfully searched for a convoy. Sub Lt W. E. Cotton, Sub Lt D. H. Stokes RNVR, and Leading Airman E. A. Robson were picked up by an Italian ship after seven days adrift.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC-52
Corvettes ACONIT, BUCTOUCHE, GALT, and WINDFLOWER joined on 1 November when corvettes BATTLEFORD, DUNVEGAN, and SOREL were detached.

Lt A. C. Wilkinson with Leading Airman A.G. Gilbert and Leading Airman N. C. Moulden of CL NEWCASTLE were killed when their Walrus of 700 Sqn crashed three and a half miles west of Bermuda on a dive bombing exercise.

Central Atlantic
When German raiders were reported as moving into the Atlantic, DDs DUNCAN and SIKH returned to Gibraltar to escort Force H. BB RODNEY, at sea with DDs ZULU, GURKHA, LIGHTNING, and ISAAC SWEERS to meet CVE ARGUS, was ordered to join DDs HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER. Oiler DINGLEDALE, escorted by corvettes JONQUIL and COREOPSIS and submarine CLYDE, departed Gibraltar on the 7th to patrol in position 34N, 30W.

Convoy OS-10
On 1 November, DD STANLEY and escort vessel GORLESTON joined the convoy and were detached on 14 November.

Convoy OS.9G
Convoy OS.9G, escorted by RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS, sloops FOWEY and LEITH, and corvette STONECROP, joined off Gibraltar by DD WILD SWAN, arrived at Gibraltar.

Convoy SL-91G
Convoy SL.91G departed Gibraltar to join SL.91, escorted by corvette CARNATION and with DDs SIKH and VIDETTE, corvette AZALEA, and ASW trawlers STELLA CARINA and LADY HOGARTH. DD VIDETTE and the trawlers were detached on the 6th and the rest on the 8th. On the 2nd, sloop FOWEY and corvette STONECROP departed Gibraltar to overtake the convoy and proceed to England.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 2 NOVEMBER 1941
No air raids.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

November 2 Sunday
ASIA: Hugh Woods and William L. Boyd of the China National Air Corporation (CNAC) made the first flight over the Hump, the China-Burma air supply route.

Prime Minister Tojo and his military chiefs report to Emperor Hirohito that there is no alternative to war.

IJN aircraft carrier "Kagi" arrives at Ariake Bay. IJN aircraft carriers "Shokaku" and "Zuikaku" depart Oita for training cruise.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: A Vichy French convoy of freighters and passenger ships was captured north of Madagascar by British cruisers.

U.S. Navy Task Force 14, under command of Rear Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, reached the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Meeting Point and exchanged convoy "Cargo" for CT-5, eight British transports carrying 20,000 British troops earmarked for the Middle East. Convoy CT-5's first destination was Halifax, Nova Scotia.

EASTERN FRONT: 11.Armee pushes Soviet troops to the perimeter of the Crimean peninsula, effectively encircling Sevastopol. German 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) attacks Sevastopol perimeter but is held near the town of Bakhchisaray by Soviet 8th Naval Brigade and shellfire from the 305mm guns at 30th coastal battery (Germans lose 428 casualties, 40 trucks and several armored vehicles). Manstein halts the attack on Sevastopol to consolidate his hold on the Crimean. Nearby, ships of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet evacuated troops from Yalta, Yevpatoria, and Feodosiya, transporting them to Sevastopol. Light cruiser "Voroshilov" was damaged by two 250-kilogram bombs from 3 Junkers Ju88s, during this effort flooding a magazine, causing a fire in turret No. 3, and jamming the rudder. Despite this, Black Sea Fleet will continue to operate in and around Sevastopol knowing that the Luftwaffe is fairly weak in the region (most aircraft diverted to attack Moscow).

German troops cut the rail connection between Vologda and Tikhvin. This would close the railhead to Leningrad and extend the cordon 100 miles.

Italians capture Gorlovka on the Eastern Front. Together with the XLIX.Gebirgskorps (General of the Mountain Troops L. Kuebler), the CSIR captured the industrial centre of Stalino on 20 October, whereas 'Pasubio' Division units took the iron and steel works of Gorlovka in the Donets province.

Over 2,000 enslaved Jews from Zagare, Poland attacked their Lithuanian guards, wounding seven. As reprisal, 150 of them were shot on the spot, and the rest were executed later.


Outside Uzice Yugoslavia, elements of Tito's partisan force and Chetnik forces, both anti-Nazi forces, attack one another.

"We are now operating in the West [the Western Front] - on the approaches to Moscow. The main thing is that Konev and Budenny are missing all of their armed forces. I received from them only a trace - a headquarters and 98 men from Budenny and a headquarters and two reserve regiments from Konev." - message from Zhukov to Zhdanov, Commissar of the Leningrad Front

GERMANY: Hitler, now confident of his victory over Russia, shares with Admiral Canaris his plans to "Germanize" Slav cities and site names.

MEDITERRANEAN: British submarine HMS "Proteus" made the first successful radar attack by a submarine as she damaged Italian tanker "Tampico" off Andros 50 miles southeast of Athens, Greece. Italian torpedo boats "Monzambano" and "Castelfidardo" counterattacked and chased off the British submarine. Italian vessel "Balilla" sunk by RN submarine "Utmost" and Polish submarine "Sokol". RN submarine "Tetrarch" lost to unknown cause.

Wellingtons of RAF No. 40 Squadron attacked Castel Benito aerodrome in company with Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron. Four Royal Navy Albacores sent to attack sulphur factory at Licata with good results.

Malta experienced 3 day raids from the Regia Aeronautica Italiana. No damage was done. Two Italian pilots killed in yesterday's raids were named as Francesco Toscano, Tenente pilot of the aircraft which caught fire during the night raid and Felice Bussolin, Sottotenente, pilot of a Macchi MC202 fighter.

NORTH AFRICA: General Blamey departs Cairo for Australia for consultations.

RAF attacks Castel Benito overnight with Wellington bombers flying from Malta.

NORTHERN EUROPE: First evacuation of Soviet troops from Hanko.

PACIFIC OCEAN: "Tatsuta Maru" arrived at Honolulu, US Territory of Hawaii, embarked Japanese nationals who wished to return to Japan due to the rapidly deteriorating US-Japan relations, and then departed for Japan. She would become the last passenger ship to leave the US before the start of the Pacific War.

Wake Island received reinforcement from the US Marine Corps 1st Defense Battalion in Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. The island's defense now consisted of 15 officers and 373 enlisted Marines.

Canadian C Force infantry brigade reaches Honolulu en route to Hong Kong from Vancouver.

UNITED KINGDOM: In Britain the Minister of Food announced an extension of food rationing to include canned meat, canned fish and canned beans to become effective from 17 Nov 1941.

Aircraftsman Charles Leonard Wheatley received the George Medal for gallantry while putting out a fire threatening to detonate high explosive bombs on a crash-landed Manchester bomber.

WESTERN FRONT: The RAF flies the last in a long series of sweeps against German shipping.

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[Old Wizard]