This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[Njaco]

November 3 Monday
ASIA: Emperor Hirohito attends discussion of war plans with Prime Minister Tojo and top military commanders. The Japanese plan to occupy Rabaul, Bismarck Islands and to transform it into a forward base was presented to Emperor Showa. Chief of the Japanese Naval General Staff Admiral Osami Nagano approved Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku's draft plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, US Territory of Hawaii. At 1330 hours Nagumo summoned to "Akagi" his commanders at each level and their staffs. Nagumo had decided that the time had come to inform them of the purpose of their long training. And so Tokyo delivered the order to all pertinent Fleet commanders that not only the United States— and its protectorate the Philippines— but British and Dutch colonies in the Pacific were to be attacked. Japan has one good reason for expansion in the Far East: oil. The country has been starved of oil since the USA decided in July, following the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, to extend the licensing of exports to Japan. It was not intended to ban oil exports to Japan, but US officials refused all applications to export oil and gas. With virtually no oil supplies of its own, Japan's eyes are now firmly set on the oil-rich Dutch East Indies. War was going to be declared on the West.

IJN aircraft carrier "Shokaku" arrives at Ariake Bay.

The US Ambassador to Japan, in the first official warning, informs the Roosevelt administration that Japan; "… might resort with dangerous and dramatic suddenness to measures which might make inevitable war with the United States…it would be shortsighted for American policy to be based on the belief that Japanese preparations are no more than saber rattling."

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Convoy SC-52 was attacked by several U-boats. German submarine U-202 sank British ships "Flynderborg" (3 were killed, 21 survived) and "Gretavale" (38 were killed, 6 survived) of Allied convoy SC-52 200 miles northeast of Newfoundland at 0500 hours. At 1828 hours, U-203 attacked the same convoy, sinking British ships "Everoja" (all 41 aboard survived) and "Empire Gemsbuck" (all 43 aboard survived).

EASTERN FRONT: In the Leningrad area, German forces of Army Group North continue to attempt to isolate the city by attacking Tikhvin a railway center 100 miles east of the city. Fighting is fierce and the Soviet counterattacks are ineffective. The Soviet counterattacks will be aimed at some of the strongest German positions. Further south, Kursk falls to German units at the junction of Army Group Center and Army Group South. German 2.Panzerarmee attacked Tula while other German units captured Kursk 180 miles to the southwest to protect the southern flank of the assault toward Moscow. Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that the first cold wave had hit Russia, bringing temperatures to the freezing point.

Allied convoy QP-2 departed Arkhangelsk, Russia.

GERMANY: Hans-Joachim Marseille of JG 27 was awarded the silver Honor Cup (Ehrenpokal) in Germany.

MEDITERRANEAN: RAF bombers attack targets near Syracuse and Licata, Sicily. Two Hurricanes from RAF No. 185 squadron made an offensive sweep over southern Sicily and machine gunned two moving goods trains, one at Noto, the other at Rosolini.

British submarine "Utmost" returned to Malta from special service in Gulf of Hammamet and patrol off Kuriat, where the only target was an MV aground after "Urge's" attack. As unloading was going on, a torpedo was fired (which hit the bottom) and 50 rounds of high explosive were fired accidently. Polish submarine "Sokol" returned from patrol of Naples, having obtained hit on "Citto de Palermo" and destroyed a 4,000 ton MV off Vito by gunfire.

MIDDLE EAST: HMA Ships "Napier" and "Nizam", (destroyers), landed troops of the British 50th Division at Famagusta, Cyprus.

NORTH AMERICA: A Joint Board meeting is held in Washington. Marshall stated that there would only be enough B-17's in the Philippines to "have a deterrent effect on Japanese operations." The Joint Board concurred in opposing the State Department's hard line towards Japan and advocated the US making minor concessions to buy time.

U.S. Secretary of State Hull released to the press the correspondence of June and September detailing the German refusal to pay reparations for sinking U.S. freighter "Robin Moor" on May 21, 1941.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Elements of Finnish Army of Karelia capture Kontupohja north of Lake Onega.

Kriegsmarine ASW vessel UJ-1213 sunk by RN submarine "Trident".

In the Baltic Sea, the Kriegsmarine conducted minelaying operations. Kriegsmarine minesweeper M-511 sunk by mine.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team of the US Navy in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii was realizing that the Japanese were inflating the amount of radio traffic.

The evacuation of women and children from the Pacific islands of Guam, Midway and Wake begins.

HMS "Indomitable" is accidentally damaged while training. This carrier was scheduled to join HMS "Prince of Wales" and HMS "Repulse" as the British Far East Fleet.

Lt. Ashley-Brown, while commanding a boat from HMAS "Australia", (cruiser), found the abandoned French sealing vessel "L'Esperance", grounded on Cat Island in the Kerguelen Group. The ship had been abandoned in a hurry, and a large hole had been blown in her bottom by a German demolition charge. Three graves were found on the beach nearby.

In Australia, RAAF selected Antil Plains area near Townsville as a suitable site for an airfield. Urgent upgrading and sealing of Garbutt aerodrome commenced with Main Roads Commission (MRC) teams working around the clock. Work began on upgrading Cooktown civil aerodrome for completion by end of December.

UNITED KINGDOM: General Frederick Browning takes command of British 1st Airborne Division.

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[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

November 4 Tuesday
ASIA: IJN Combined Fleet and Admiral Yamamoto, Combined Fleet's CINC, begin conducting special exercises. The Combined Fleet moved from its regular base off Sakurajima into Bungo Strait, where it posed as the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Nagumo's carriers moved to within 200 miles of the "Americans" and launched dive bombers and their fighter escort, followed by low-level and torpedo bombers. The planes assembled without an intercom system by means of signals chalked on slates and held up in the cockpits. Later that same day, IJN aircraft carrier "Akagi" arrives at Ariake Bay. At 2145 hours, Yamamoto holds a conference onboard. Date of commencing military operations - 8 December (Tokyo time) - is confirmed; also discussed are recent training and issue of too deep runs of torpedoes after they are dropped, which could lead them to hit the bottom in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor. The problem was finally solved by Capt. Fumio Aiko, a torpedo expert at Yokosuka. He made wooden fins from aerial stabilizers and fitted them on the torpedoes. After scores of tests in Kagoshima Bay, 80% of the torpedoes ran shallow enough for the Pearl Harbor waters. Now the problem was to manufacture the improvised fins in time for the attack.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: American cruisers "Omaha" and "Memphis", accompanied by three destroyers, sortied to hunt for German surface raiders.

U-81 left Brest, but headed back some hours later after discovering they did not have charts for their operational area.

British and South African naval ships intercepted a Vichy French convoy carrying tin and rubber from Indochina to Germany. The convoy of five ships, escorted by a sloop, the "D'Iberville", was captured by four cruisers. The ships tried to scuttle, but boarding parties took them over and prevented the holds from flooding. The convoy was carrying "supplies for the natives of French West Africa, and for French people in the unoccupied zone", according to a statement from Vichy. "There was no contraband or material that could be used for war."

The British RFA oiler "Olwen" reported a German surface raider attack in the central Atlantic Ocean. Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic, Vice Admiral Algernon U. Willis, RN, ordered the heavy cruiser HMS "Dorsetshire" and the armed merchant cruiser HMS "Canton" to investigate. The light cruiser HMS "Dunedin" and special service vessels HMS "Queen Emma" and "Princess Beatrix" were ordered to depart Freetown, Sierra Leone to join in the search. The HMS "Dorsetshire" and HMS "Canton" parted company, with the former heading southeast and the latter steaming toward a position to the northwest, to be supported by U.S. Navy Task Group 3.6, composed of the light cruiser USS "Omaha" (CL-4) and destroyer USS "Somers" (DD-381), which are at that time well to the northwest of the reported enemy position. The light cruiser USS "Memphis" (CL-4) and destroyers USS "Davis" (DD-395) and USS "Jouett" (DD-396), near to the "Olwen's" position, searched the area without result. The USS "Omaha" and USS "Somers" searched unsuccessfully for survivors through November 6.

EASTERN FRONT: Fighting continues on the Crimean peninsula, as German 11.Armee cleans out the remaining Soviet troops. 170th Division captures the port of Feodosiya on the East side, at the base of the Kerch peninsula, opening the Crimea for the Germans.

Field Marshall von Rundstedt asks for Army Group South to be allowed to halt and rebuild for offensive operations in 1942.

Hans-Werner Paulisch having achieved five victories flying with JG 54 goes missing in action over the front.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Essen overnight.

NORTH AMERICA: The British ambassador in America, Viscount Halifax was pelted with eggs and tomatoes by isolationist women demonstrators in Detroit as he was leaving City Hall. Halifax was afterwards quoted as saying,

"How fortunate you Americans are, in Britain we get only one egg a week and we are glad of those."

The quote was actually fabricated by someone in the British Press Service, but it was widely disseminated in the media and created a burst of sympathy and goodwill towards the British and Halifax in particular.

Lockheed test pilot Ralph B. Virden was conducting high speed dive tests in the first Lockheed YP-38 Lightning, Air Corps serial number 39-689 (Lockheed's serial number 122-2202). As the airplane's speed increased, it approached what is now known as its Critical Mach Number. Air flowing across the wings accelerated to transonic speeds and began to form shock waves. This interrupted lift and caused a portion of the wing to stall. Air no longer flowed smoothly along the airplane and the tail surfaces became ineffective. The YP-38 pitched down into an even steeper dive and speed increased even more. As Virden pulled out of the dive, the tail came off. The YP-38 crashed into the kitchen of Jack Jensen's home at 1147 Elm Street, Glendale, California. Fire erupted. Ralph Virden was killed. The airplane's tail section was located several blocks away. 39-689 was the first of thirteen YP-38 service test aircraft that had been ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corps shortly after the XP-38 prototype, 37-457, had crashed on a transcontinental speed record attempt, 11 February 1939. It made its first flight 16 September 1940 with test pilot Marshall Headle at the controls. After Virden's death, Lockheed, the Air Corps and the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) undertook an extensive test program of the P-38.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Second evacuation of Soviet troops from Hanko. Before dawn, Soviet destroyers "Smetlivy" and "Surovy" evacuated troops from the naval base at Hanko in southern Finland. "Smetlivy" was damaged by coastal artillery during the process and would sink en route to Leningrad, Russia, killing several hundred passengers. At the end of the day, Finnish forces occupy the Baltic naval base of Hango, a base Finland was forced to lease to the Soviets as part of the peace accords ending the Winter War in 1940.

Fritz Schmidt, of JG 77, is killed in a flying crash. He had six victories during the war.

PACIFIC OCEAN: General McArthur, US commander in the Philippines receives a letter from General Marshall indicating that the Congress would "… give us everything we asked for." However, the tanks, guns and men requested would not be arriving until April 1942.

Major General Brereton arrives on Pan American Clipper to take up his appointment as Commander, FEAF, bringing with him a draft of revised Rainbow-5 calling for defense of entire Philippine Commonwealth. He immediately meets with MacArthur to deliver plans for increased forces and more aggressive response in event of Japanese provocation.

UNITED KINGDOM: In Leicester, a woman who refused to sign up for war work with the army ordnance department is fined £2.

The British battleship HMS "Duke of York" was commissioned.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew Rhubarb and Ramrod operations. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 37 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

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[Njaco]

November 5 Wednesday
ASIA: In Tokyo the Japanese government decides to attempt to negotiate a settlement with the United States, setting a deadline of the end of November. The Japanese government sends Saburo Kurusu to Washington to help with negotiations with the Americans on a settlement to the question of Japan's role in South-east Asia. The US rejects the offer because the Japanese will not repudiate the Tripartite Agreement with Italy and Germany and because the Japanese wish to maintain bases in China. The US code breaking service continues to intercept all Japanese diplomatic communication.

Japanese troops currently occupy parts of China and French Indo-China. To prevent further Japanese expansion, the Netherlands, USA and Britain block exports to Japan, particularly oil. The new Prime Minister of Japan (General Hideki Tōjō), Chief of the Imperial Japanese Naval General Staff (Admiral Osami Nagano) and Emperor Hirohito agree on war if final diplomatic initiatives fail. Japanese leaders will go to war with the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands in early Dec 1941 should diplomatic relations with the US did not improve by 1 Dec. The Japanese Navy are issued secret orders to prepare for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The secret move follows the Japanese decision to carry out a simultaneous attack on Malaya and Philippines to get to the oilfields of the Dutch East Indies. Some commanders were reluctant to attack the Philippines, which are US territory, and bring the USA into the war, and a pre-emptive strike was seen as essential to hamper US defence efforts. However, Japan's leaders agree that before any attack there should be one last attempt at a negotiated deal on Japan's role in Far East. If this fails, Japan and the USA will be at war before Christmas.

In the Sea of Japan 200 miles South of Vladivostok, USSR, Japanese passenger ship "Kehi Maru" sinks on a Soviet mine 75 miles off the coast of Korea (131 killed from 80 crew and 430 passengers). The incident strains relations between USSR and Japan.

IJN aircraft carrier "Shokaku" departs Ariake Bay.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The search for the German raider reported by the British RFA oiler "Olwen" the previous day continued. Vice Admiral Algernon U. Willis, the Commander in Chief South Atlantic, informed British ships of the unsuccessful efforts by two light cruisers and three destroyers involved in the search the previous day.

EASTERN FRONT: German Army Group North is attacking toward Tikhvin as German 1.Panzerarmee is pushing toward Rostov. A choice had to be made about whether to continue the drive of the Ostheer – the Army in the East – into the depths of Russia. German soldiers had won a great victory in front of Moscow in October, but the need to round up prisoners, stretched supply lines, and the beginning of the autumn mud season – the rasputitsa – had prevented the anticipated fall of Stalin's capital. One choice was to go into winter quarters, consolidating the military position, refitting units, and putting supply lines in order. The Ostheer had virtually no reserves left, and many of the front-line commanders saw that their troops were exhausted. The men in overall command of the German forces, however, favored a continued offensive. This was based on the assumption that the Red Army was incapable of further resistance.

MEDITERRANEAN: Four U-boats -- U-81, U-205, U-433, U-565 -- begin moving from France through Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean.

NORTH AFRICA: RAF attacks Benghazi overnight with 24 Wellington bombers.

NORTH AMERICA: Cordell Hull had learned, via Magic intercepts of Japanese messages to Kichisaburo Nomura, that 25 Nov 1941 was Japan's final deadline for the decision on war. The US Congress votes to stay in session indefinitely because of the serious situation with Japan.

Marshall and Stark send a six-point memorandum to FDR outlining the position taken by the Joint Board on November 3. FDR is specifically informed that there would be insufficient B-17's in the Philippines to serve as a "positive threat" to the Japanese until mid-December and that it would be February or March before air power in the Commonwealth was sufficient to be a "deciding factor in deterring Japan". This memorandum further sets out that a Japanese attack on British or Dutch possessions or a threatening Japanese assault on Siam would lead to an American declaration of war.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Soviet submarine ShCh-324 was lost in the Baltic Sea off Tallinn, Estonia. She had presumably hit a mine. All 38 aboard were killed.

Arndt Pekurinen, the founder and chairman of the Finnish Anti-militarist League, is executed near the front-line in Uhtua after he has for three times refused to wear a uniform and carry a rifle. Pekurinen was a principled pacifist, and it was largely thanks to him that in 1930s there became available a non-military alternative for the conscription. Back then Pekurinen had refused to perform military service, and was sentenced for jail. His case attracted international interest, and because of this pressure a law was made to accommodate conscientious objectors. But this law applied only for peace time. When the Winter War began, Pekurinen went again to jail. In 1941 Pekurinen was ordered from jail to front, where he rather chose to die before a firing squad than carry a rifle.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team in US Territory of Hawaii detected improvements in security of Japanese naval communications and the recall of some of the merchant ships back to home waters.

General Short rewrites the SOP for alerts at Hawaii in the following format:

Alert No. 1: This alert is a defense against acts of sabotage and uprising within the islands, with no threat from without.

Alert No. 2: this alert is applicable to a condition more serious than Alert No. 1. Security against attacks from hostile sub-surface, surface, and air-craft, in addition to defense against acts of sabotage and uprising, is provided.

Alert No. 3: This alert requires the occupation of all field positions by all units, preparing for maximum defense of OAHU and the Army installations on the outlying islands.

General Short names Colonel Walter C. Philips as his new Chief of Staff.

Japanese marine staff officers Suzuki and Maejima left Pearl Harbor.

RN battleship "Prince of Wales" arrives at Freetown en route to Singapore.

Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell relieved Captain Herbert J. Ray as Commandant, Sixteenth Naval District and Commander, Philippine Naval Coastal Frontier. Ray had been acting in that capacity due to the illness of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command flew a Rhubarb operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 35 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

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[parsifal]

02 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMS SNOWFLAKE (K-211)

Losses
Steamer BRYNMILL (UK 9743 grt) was sunk by the LW four miles 210° from 59A Buoy, East Dudgeon. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MARIE DAWN (UK 2157 grt) was badly damaged by German bombing twenty miles from Spurn Point. The steamer sank on the 3rd four miles 210° from 59A Buoy, Humber. The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fishing trawler CALIPH (UK 226 grt) was sunk by the LW 11 miles south of Old Head of Kinsale. One crewman died of wounds.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Hopper barge FOREMOST 45 (UK 824 grt) was sunk by a mine. She was lost near Barry Road in the britol Channel with the loss of one crew, 8 saved and 1 injured.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy ON-27
U-208 sank the Steamer LARPOOL (UK 3872 grt) in the Nth Atlantic, off the coast of Newfoundland. A crew of 43 was embarked, 26 of whom would lose their lives. The ship was outward bound from London to British Guiana carrying general cargo. At 0526 hrs U-208 engaged at long range, firing a spread of two G7e torpedoes at the unescorted LARPOOL. The target was steaming at 8 knots in rough sea and strong wind about 150 miles ESE of Cape Race. The ship had fallen out of station of the convoy and was by now straggling after she experienced difficulties in the rough weather. She eventually lost contact with the convoy during the night of 28/29 October. One of the torpedoes hit her on port side forward after a running time of 5 minutes and 38 seconds, but had not much effect. Nevertheless, the crew members immediately began to abandon ship, first releasing the rafts and then launching both lifeboats. The master had just put his personal papers in the port lifeboat in charge of the second officer when it drifted away as the painter had parted. He went to the other side and discovered that the starboard boat in charge of the chief officer had already pulled clear, shouting to them to bring it back alongside, but was surprised when the chief officer answered from the after deck. His lifeboat had been filled with water from the engine room discharge, so he and four other crewmen went aft to launch one of the small boats there and eventually abandoned ship together with the master, who ordered all boats to remain nearby in order to reboard her at daylight as he did not believe that she would sink. In the meantime, the U-boat moved closer and fired two more torpedoes as a coup de grace from only 300 meters at 0717 hrs, that struck the drifting LARPOOL on port side again, this time amidships and at the bow, causing her to break in two and sink within 40 seconds.

As the master and chief officer were in the small boat, the starboard lifeboat with 15 occupants was left in charge of the third officer, while the remaining survivors were in the port lifeboat. All boats set sail and soon lost sight of each other, experiencing a very heavy westerly gale with strong wind, very rough sea and extremely cold temperatures. This probably led to the loss of the 19 crew members and three gunners in the second officer's boat that was reported missing after being last seen by the boatswain on the day of the sinking. The small boat with six men only made little headway, in fact one day there were blown back about 50 miles, but they kept heading for the south of Newfoundland and eventually made landfall near Burin on 10 November. Four crew members died of exposure in the third officer's boat before ten crew members and one gunner were rescued by RCN Corvette BITTERSWEET after 13 days at sea and landed at Halifax. All survivors suffered severely from exposure, thirst and swollen feet from the icy water in the half-filled boats.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Salamis U-75
St. Nazaire: U-432
Trondheim: U-578

Departures
Kristiansand: U-434

At Sea 02 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, 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-434, 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

47 Boats

After shadowing convoy SC-42 for a day, U-374 was discovered by the Canadian escort corvette BUCTOUCHE, which dropped six DCs, damaging the U-Boat.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Swedish steamer INGEREN was damaged by British bombing west of Borkum. The steamer arrived at Emden for repairs.

East Front
Arctic
Convoy OP-2
CA NORFOLK, with DDs ECLIPSE and ICARU departed Archangel on the 2nd.

Black Sea/Caspian
Auxiliary ship KAYNAKDERE (Tu 145 grt) (also identified as KARALTEPE) was sunk bySoviet submarine SHCH 214 off Cape Midia. The crew of eight were all rescued.

North Sea
British tanker AGILITY and British steamer THYRA III were damaged by German bombing in Great Yarmouth Roads. The tanker arrived at Great Yarmouth on the 3rd.

The steamer was towed to Great Yarmouth arriving on the 3rd.

Northern Waters
DD NORMAN (with the Trade Union Congress delegation and members of the Russian Labour Delegation), on passage from Archangel, arrived at Scrabster on 2 November. She then proceed to Scapa Flow arriving later that day.

BB DUKE OF YORK departed Rosyth in company with CA BERWICK and DDs PUNJABI and ESCAPADE for Scapa Flow, carrying out practices en route. DD TARTAR, en route from Sheerness to Scapa Flow, joined this force off May Island. BERWICK returned to Scapa Flow the same day. DD IMPULSIVE departed Scapa Flow 3 November to relieve DD PUNJABI on the screen which was carrying out trials to the west of the Orkneys. PUNJABI returned to Scapa Flow on the 3rd. later on the 3rd, the BB and her destroyers arrived at Scapa Flow.

DD SOUTHWOLD departed Scapa Flow at midday for the Clyde on completion of a reduced work up. The DD was to carry out boiler cleaning at Greenock before proceeding with convoy WS.12 Z for service in the Mediterranean. The DD arrived on the 3rd and began boiler cleaning as planned.

Submarine P.35 departed Scapa Flow to patrol off Norway.

Western Approaches
Convoy ON-20
DD SARDONYX and WATCHMAN were detached on 2 November when USN DDs CHARLES F. HUGHES, GLEAVES, LANSDALE, MADINSON, and SIMPSON joined.

Convoy 0N-31
Trawlers CAPE WARWICK and INCHKEITH were detached on 2 November. The remainder of the escort was detached on 4 November when USN DDs BAINBRIGE, OVERTON, ROE, STURTEVANT, and TRUXTON joined.

Convoy ON-32
The convoy was joined on the 2nd by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and SKTA and corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE

Med/Biscay
ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs carried troops to Famagusta to relieve the troops garrisoned there in Operation GLENCOE. About 250 troops were embarked in each destroyer and three hundred troops and seventy tons of stores were embarked in ABDIEL. The operations called for 11,000 Indian and 3400 British troops to be transport from Alexandria to Famagusta and 15,000 British troops to be transported from Famagusta to Palestine. Forces were divided into three groups for the Operation.

Group A was ML cruiser ABDIEL and DDs JAGUAR and HASTY departing Alexandria at 1500 for Famagusta. GroupB was DDs JERVIS, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, and KINGSTON departing Alexandria at 1700. Group C was DD NAPIER, NIZAM, KIPLING, and JACKAL departing Alexandria at 1900.

En route KIPLING broke down on the 2nd. Her troops were transferred to DD JACKAL which took the DD in tow for Alexandria. DD DECOY from Alexandria took over the tow at daylight on the 3rd. DD JUPITER departed Alexandria and took DD KIPLING's place.

Groups A,B, and C arrived at Famagusta at 0730, 1230, and 1630, respectively. The destroyers disembarked the troops and embarked equilavent contingents of troops. The ships departed for Haifa.

The ships of Group A and B arrived at Haifa during the night of 3/4 November. Group C arrived at 1400. All ships disembarked their troops, embarked Indian troops, and sailed for Cyprus at 0730, 1230, and 1630, respectively.

The groups arrived at Famagusta during the night of 4/5 November and sailed again at four hour intervals. They arrived at Haifa at 0400, 0830, and 1200, respectively. They departed again with Indian troops at 0700, noon, and 1630, respectively, on the 5th for Famagusta.

The Groups arrived at Famagusta on the 5th and sailed again with further contingents, arriving at Haifa at 0300, 0800, and 1200/6th. They departed Famagusta after embarking more troops and refuelling.

The destroyers departed Famagusta during the night of 6/7 November and arrived at Haifa on the 7th. They sailed again during the day with the final contingent forFamagusta. Rear Admiral Destroyers re-embarked on cruiser minelayer ABDIEL. Destroyer KINGSTON remained at Haifa with defects and her troops were spread among the other ships of GroupB.

The ships arrived at Haifa at 0300, 0500, and noon on the 8th, respectively. At 1400/8th, the entire force departed for Haifa with minelaying cruiser ABDIEL and destroyers JERVIS, KANDAHAR, KIMBERLEY, KINGSTON, JAGUAR, HASTY, NAPIER, NIZAM, JACKAL, and JUPITER. The ships carried out an anti-submarine sweep as they returned to Alexandria, where they all arrived on the 9th.

Minesweeper BAGSHOT sighted a submarine periscope 22 miles 282° from Ras el Tin. DD DECOY and a motor anti-submarine boat were sent from Alexandria to assist. ASW whalers THORGRIM and KOS 19 were sent from patrol.

ORP submarine SOKOL damaged steamer BALILLA (FI 2469 grt) northwest of Trapani with torpedoes and gunfire. Submarine UTMOST sank the damaged BALILLA later in the day with gunfire.

Submarine THRASHER unsuccessfully attacked a minelayer off Benghazi.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC-52
DD BURWELL and corvette COBALT joined on 2 November.

Central Atlantic
BB RODNEY, escorted by DDs GURKHA, ZULU, LIGHTNING, and ISAAC SWEERS, departed Gibraltar to meet CVE ARGUS and aircraft transport ATHENE, escorted by DDs LAFOREY, HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER. RODNEY with DDs HIGHLANDER, HAVELOCK, and HARVESTER proceeded to Scapa Flow to return to the Home Fleet. CVE ARGUS, transport ATHENE, and DDs LAFOREY, ZULU, GURKHA, LIGHTNING, and ISAAC SWEERS proceeded to Gibraltar, arriving on the 8th.
Central Atlantic

Sth Atlantic
Vichy sloop D'IBERVILLE was escorting an unnumbered convoy of steamers CAP PADARAN (VICHY 8009 grt), BANGKOK (VICHY 8056 grt), COMPIEGNE (VICHY 9986 grt), CAP TOURAINE (VICHY 8009 grt), and COMMANDANT DORISE (VICHY 5529 grt) intercepted by six South African minesweeping whalers, supported by CA DEVONSHIRE and CL COLOMBO and AMCs CARTHAGE and CARNARVON CASTLE south of the Cape of Good Hope in Operation BELLRINGER. The ships, which departed Madagascar on 25 October, carried 900 tons of graphite and 30,000 tons of rice were taken by the British. Sloop D'IBERVILLE withdrew unmolested.

Steamer CAP PADARAN was immobilised by her crew. She was taken in tow by cruiser armed merchant cruiser CARTHAGE, escorted by minesweeping whaler STELLENBERG and taken to Port Elizabeth.

Steamer BANGKOK was set on fire by her crew and abandoned, with light cruiser COLOMBO and whaler NIGEL taking off the crew.

The other three steamers were brought into South African ports. CAP TOURAINE was escorted by DEVONSHIRE and MSW whaler STEENBERG to Port Elizabeth. COMMANDANT DORISE was escorted by AMC CARNARVON CASTLE and MSW whaler GUN 9 to East London. COMPIEGNE was escorted by CL COLOMBO and MSW whaler NIGEL to East London. The other two South African MSW whalers involved were SOUTHERN BARRIER and TERJE.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 2 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 3 NOVEMBER 1941
0855 hrs Air raid alarm. No engagement.

1201 hrs Air raid alarm. Three plus Macchi fighters approached Island from NE split formation and crossed coast just S of Grand Harbour. Heavy Ack Ack engaged by means of barrage and height control fire.

2216 hrs Air raid alarm. Two enemy aircraft approached Island from N and dropped bombs in sea off Tal Qroqq.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Four Albacores sent to attack sulphur factory at Licata with good results. Submarine HMS Tetrarch under command of Lt.Cdr. George H Greenway, RN has failed to arrive in Gibraltar, having sailed from Malta on 26 October 1941 for refit in the USA. She is presumed lost while passing over Italian mines off Capo Granditola, Sicily.

HAL FAR Two Hurricanes 185 Squadron on enemy ferry service patrol off Panteleria. Two Fulmars, Fleet Air Arm also on patrol off Pantelleria. Nothing sighted.

LUQA Wellingtons of 40 Squadron attacked Castel Benito aerodrome in company with Wellingtons of 104 Squadron

 

[parsifal]

03 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-755

Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS BEAUFORT (L-14)

Type II Hunt Class DD HMS WHEATLAND (L-122)

Bangor Class MSW HMCS QUATSINO (J-152)

Thornycroft 55' Class MTBS HMS MTB 327, 329, 331
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
PV OUZEL (RN 76 grt) was sunk on a mine one half mile east of Mablethorpe. The entire crew of the vessel were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Convoy SC-52
The battle for convoy SC-52 began 2 november 1941when U-374 attempted to get into the convoy from astern. The Uboat was repulsed by HMCS BUSTOUCHE. The Uboat was fortcede to dive and dived to over 40m as six DCs followed her down. These attacks caused some minor failures on the Uboat. U-374 continued to dive, until she touched bottom at 93m. By now there were two vessels attacking her. U-374 then utilized a new tactic of remaining on the bottom, with all non-essential gear switched off. This was the first recorded use of the bottoming tactic recorded in the BDU war diary.

The attack was one of the best results for some months in which U-569 claimed she sank one ship, U-202 claimed she sank three ships and U-203 claimed two ships. The allies were lucky that fog radio jamming disrupted the attacks on the convoy cutting the german attack short

Steamer FLYNDERBORG (UK 2022 grt) was sunk by U-202 with the loss of 3 crew from a complement of 24. Oon a voyage from Parrsboro, N.S. for London (via Sydney) with a cargo of lumber, was sunk by U-202 that morning between 0450 and 0505 hrs.

Steamer GRETAVALE (UK 4506 grt) was sunk by U-202, after the Uboat had fired a spread of torpedoes into the convoy. 38 of the 44 man crew were lost in the attack. On a voyage from Baltimore for Loch Ewe (via Sydney, C.B.) with a cargo of steel and 17 trucks, GRETAVALE was sunk early in the morning hours by U-202.

U-203 sank Steamer EMPIRE GEMSBUCK (UK 5626 grt) as she transported general caro and some machinery, with a crew of 43. The entire crew would survive the attack.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-203 also sank the Steamer EVEROJE (UK 4830 grt), whilst she was part of the convoy. The ship was heavily laden with wheat, and a crew of 43, all of whom would survive the attack. The EVEROJE was struck by a torpedo on the starboard side in #2 hold, blowing off its hatches and beams and destroying the starboard side of the bridge and boat deck. No distress signals could be sent as the wireless set was disabled by the explosion. The master, 35 crew members and five gunners abandoned ship in two lifeboats within five minutes when she developed a list of 15° to starboard. After about 20 minutes, Corvette NASTURTIUM arrived and took the survivors aboard. At 2000 hours, a boarding party led by the chief officer went back aboard, but found the vessel beyond salvage as the boiler and engine rooms were flooded. They recovered the confidential papers, all MGs (the ship was armed), the chronometer and the Aldis lamp and returned to the corvette, which stood by the ship waiting for a salvage tug until the EVEROJE foundered at 1530 hrs on 4 November. The survivors were landed the next day at St. John's, Newfoundland.

UBOATS
Departures
Lorient: U-205, U-565

At Sea 03 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, 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-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

49 Boats

OPERATIONS
Baltic
German minelayer KAISER laid mines in the Baltic.

Steamer ANNELIESE (Ger 726 grt) was lost on a mine off Dievenow (off the coast of Pomerania.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

East Front
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT sank aux PV UJ.1213 (DKM 354 grt) (whaler RAU IV) in Honningsvaag in the Far North of Norwegian waters. German steamer ALTKIRCH was missed in the same attack.

Near sister M1205

Convoy OP-2
Convoy QP.2 departed Archangel with steamers ATLANTIC , Panamanian CAPIRA, GEMSTONE, Soviet IJORA, Panamanian NORTH KING, BLAIRLEVIS, Soviet CHEYNYSHEVSKI, HARMONIC, LORCA, RIVER AFTON, and VILLE D' ANVERS (7462grt). CA NORFOLK escorted the convoy from 3 to 11 November. DDs ECLIPSE and ICARUS escorted the convoy from 3 to 16 November. MSWs BRAMBLE, LEDA, and SEAGULL were local escorts from Archangel and escorted the convoy from 3 to 5 November.

Black Sea/Caspian
Coastal vessel KAYNAKDERE (Tu 85 grt) was sunk by VMF Sub SC-214 in the Sth Black Sea
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Northern Patrol
BB KING GEORGE V, CV VICTORIOUS, CAs KENT, BERWICK, and SUFFOLK, and DDs SOMALI, ASHANTI, MATABELE, PUNJABI, OFFA, and ORIBI departed Scapa Flow for Iceland. KING GEORGE V, cruisers BERWICK, KENT, and SUFFOLK, and DDs SOMALI, MATABELE, and PUNJABI arrived at Hvalfjord on the 5th. VICTORIOUS and DDs ASHANTI, OFFA, and ORIBI arrived independently at Hvalfjord after exercises.

Northern Waters
DD ESCAPADE departed Scapa Flow to boiler clean at Rosyth.

West Coast
Convoy ON-33
Convoy ON.33 departed Liverpool.

Convoy HG-75
The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 3 November.

SW Approaches
Convoy SL-91G
Sloop LEITH with corvettes HELIOTROPE and CAMPION departed Gibraltar on the 3rd escorting Dutch steamer TYSA to join convoy SL.91G. DD WILD SWAN was local escort for this movement.

Channel
In an attack on a German convoy in the Channel, MGB's claimed torpedoing and badly damaging a DKM MOWE class TB and sinking a 5000 ton ship. There is no confirmation from German sources of these losses.

Med/Biscay
Submarine PROTEUS damaged Italian tanker TAMPICO in the Gulf of Athens three miles south of Mandili Island. The submarine was counterattacked by rm tb s MONZAMBANO and CASTELFIDARDO.

Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked a steamer north of Kuriat.

Submarine UTMOST arrived at Malta after a special operation in the Gulf of Hammammet and patrol off Kuriat.

Polish submarine SOKOL arrived at Malta after patrol off Naples.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy HX.157
On 3 November, the original escort was detached.

Convoy HX 158
Convoy HX.158 departed Halifax escorted by DD ANNAPOLIS and corvettes ALGOMA, CHAMBLY, ORILLIA, and PICTOU.

Convoy SC-52
The escorts, less corvette ACONIT, were detached on 3 November.

Central Atlantic
CV INDOMITABLE was damaged in grounding off Kingston, Jamaica. Corvette CLARKIA, escorting the carrier, also ran aground. The carrier arrived at Norfolk on the 12th. INDOMITABLE departed on 12 December. She probablky avoided being sunk in the same action as BB PRINCE OF WALES and BC REPULSE after she had run aground as she was scheduled to transfer to the Far East to support them in that TO The opposing view is that the presence of the carrier may have prevented the loss of the PRINCE OF WALES and REPULSE


Malta
Thanks to reinforcements that had been received recent weeks Malta is now well supplied. The garrison now stood at over 30,000 well armed and fully trained men with first class equipment, 80 Hurricanes and 105 assorted bombers (Wellingtons, Blenheims, Marylands, Swordfish and Albacores). The heaviest AA defences consisted of 1400 guns. The Island also has a sufficient food supplies for the next five months.

AIR RAIDS DAWN 3 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 4 NOVEMBER 1941

0607-0646 hrs Air raid alarm. Four enemy bomber aircraft approached from N. Bombs dropped in sea off Madliena.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 3 NOVEMBER 1941

ROYAL NAVYUtmost returned from special service in Gulf of Hammamet and patrol off Kuriat, where the only target was an MV aground after Urge's attack. As work of unloading seemed to be going, on a torpedo was fired (which hit the bottom) and 50 rounds of high explosive were fired. Sokolreturned from patrol of Naples, having obtained hit on Citto de Palermo and destroyed a 4,000 ton MV off Vito by gunfire.

LUQA Four Blenheims 107 Squadron search for aircraft lost in yesterday's raid. Six Blenheims 18 Squadron search for convoy; nothing sighted.

HAL FAR Two Fulmars on an offensive patrol Linosa area turned back owing to engine trouble. Two Hurricanes 185 squadron made an offensive sweep over southern Sicily and machine gunned two moving goods trains, one at Noto, the other at Rosolini.

 

[parsifal]

04 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXc DKM U-509

Allied
KG V Class BB HMS DUKE OF YORK

R-1 class HMS P-511

Flower Class corvette HMS ROCKROSE (K-51)

Isles Class ASW Trawler HMNZS SANDA (T-160)

HDML 1086

Losses
Sailing vessel BRITISHER (UK 95 grt) was sunk on a mine just north of West Mouse Buoy, off Maplin (Essex). Both crewmen were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV MADJOE (Ne 249 grt) was sunk on a mine in the Nth Sea. The crew of four, two gunners, and the pilot were all lost on the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Brest: U-81

At Sea 04 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, 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-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-576, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

50 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Baltic
Baltic
VMF DD SMETLIVY was mined off Hango.

North Sea
FFL submarine MINERVE arrived at Dundee after patrol off Norway.

Northern Patrol
CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID departed Seidisfjord to cover the trawler patrol line west of the Iceland-Faroes minefield.

On the 4th, DDs TARTAR and ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord to join the Commander in Chief. The DDs arrived at 6th.

Convoy PQ.3, which these ships were to have escorted, were ordered to remain at Hvalfjord until further notice.

Northern Waters
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth, arriving after sunrise on the 5th.

West Coast
ML cruisers MANXMAN and WELSHMAN departed Loch Alsh for Scapa Flow, where they arrived on the 5th.

DD WHEATLAND departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow to work up. The DD arrived after sunrise on the 5th.

Convoy SC-53
Convoy SC.53 departed Sydney, CB escorted by corvettes BATTLEFORD, DUNVEGAN, and SOREL.

Western Approaches
Convoy ON-33
The convoy was joined on the 4th by destroyers BEAGLE and ROXBOROUGH, sloop COMMANDANT DETROYAT, corvettes HEATHER, LOBELIA, and NARCISSUS, and anti-submarine trawlers ARAB, LADY MADELEINE, NORWICH CITY, and STELLA CARINA.

SW Approaches
Convoy SL-91G
DD DUNCAN and FFL sloop COMMANDANT DUBOC sailed on the 4th to join the convoy. The DD was en route to Chatham for refit.

Med/Biscay
RM submarine DANDOLO damaged French (Vichy?) tanker TARN off Algiers.

An Italian convoy of steamers BOSFORO and German SAVONA, escorted by TB PEGASO departed Brindisi for Benghazi on the 4th. The Benghazi convoy was sighted by British aircraft on the 8th as it left the Adriatic. The convoy was heavily attacked by Malta based aircraft. Steamer SAVONA was damaged in the attack and returned to Brindisi. Steamer BOSFORO and torpedo boat PEGASO put into Navarino. The ships later departed and arrived at Benghazi on the 12th.

RHN DD KONDOURIOTIS departed Alexandria for docking at Suez.

Submarine TRUSTY arrived at Malta after off patrol off Cephalonia.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC-52
Corvette ACONIT was detached on 4 November before the convoy arrived back at Sydney CB on 5 November.

Central Atlantic
Convoy OS-10
Corvette VERBENA was detached on 4 November and the rest on 14 November to Bathurst.

Pacific/Australia
RNZN CL ACHILLES arrived at Auckland

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 4 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 5 NOVEMBER 1941

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 4 NOVEMBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Trusty returned from patrol off Cephalonia, having sunk one ship and gathered much useful information.

AIR HQ 107 Squadron Six Blenheims Luqa carried out search for convoy. 185 Squadron 2 Hurricanes on offensive patrol over Sicily. A train was successfully attacked and put out of action. Many signal boxes on the railway line between Noto and Cape Passero were shot up. A factory west of Pazzallo was also attacked with no visible results. Weather 10/10 cloud at 6000/8000 feet. 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Albacores attacked the submarine base at Augusta. Owing to bad weather only two of the five reached the target. Military barracks were bombed causing a fire. All aircraft returned safely.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 4 November 1941

Having recovered from his injury in a horse riding accident, Halder returned to active duty on this day

 

[parsifal]

05 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type M-35 MSW DKM M-205
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type IXc DKM U-172

Type VIIc DKM U-457

Type VIIc DKM U-658
NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
U Class submarine HMS UNBENDING (P-37)

Sister ship HMS UNITED

UBOATS
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-576
Lorient: U-125

Departures
Trondheim: U-578

At Sea 05 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, 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-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

48 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Black Sea/Caspian
MV TORCELLO (FI 3336 grt) was sunk by VMF Sub SC-214 Sth of Karaburun Cape.

Northern Patrol
CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID were ordered to return to Seidisfjord from Iceland - Faroes patrol. After refuelling, the ships would proceed to cover minelaying operation SN.83B, sailing on the 8th. However, in heavy weather, the destroyers were forced to return to Seidisfjord.

Northern Waters
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow with Rear Admiral Destroyers Home Fleet for passage to Scrabster, returning to Scapa in the early afternoon

West Coast
CL TRINIDAD departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 7th. DD BEAUFORT departed the Clyde at 1630 for Scapa Flow. The DD arrived on the 7th for work up.

Submarine SEALION arrived at Murmansk from Scapa Flow.

Med/Biscay
CruSqn 15 was at sea from Alexandria for gunnery exercises.

ASW whaler KOS 19 sighted a periscope thirty two miles west of Alexandria. The whaler was joined by ASW whaler FALK, corvette SNAPDRAGON, and ASW boat MA/SB 2. DD ENCOUNTER was also sent from Alexandria to assist. DDs DECOY and HOTSPUR joined at daylight on the 6th. The DDs were recalled to harbour after no success was obtained.

Oil patches were sighted in this area on the 7th and destroyers KIPLING and HOTSPUR were sent to hunt in the area. The search continued during the night of 7/8 November. DD ENCOUNTER joined the DDs at daylight and the three DDs were then involved in screening CL NEPTUNE during a practice bombardment at Aboukir. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 9th.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy HX 158
The escorts that had been with the convoy when she were detached when relieved on the 5th by USN DDs BUCK, COLE, LUDLOW, MCCORMICK, and SWANSON.

Central Atlantic
On 5 November, BB PRINCE OF WALES and escort, enroute to the Far East at Freetown from home waters. The BB and destroyers EXPRESS and ELECTRA arrived at Simonstown on 16 November and Colombo on 28 November.

Convoy SL.92
Convoy SL.92 departed Freetown escorted by DDs VANSITTART and VELOX to 11 November and corvettes BURDOCK and MARGUERITE to 11 November and corvette STARWORT to 12 November.

Sth Atlantic
USN CL OMAHA and DD SOMERS captured blockade runner ODENWALD (Ger 5098 grt), which had departed Yokohama on 21 August carrying Japanese rubber to Germany, off Recife in the South Atlantic.

ODENWALD (left) and USS CL OMAHA, South Atlantic, November 1941

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
Armed boarding vessel ARPHA fractured her propeller shaft while laying beacons at AnchorageG (Ginsah) in the SuezGulf. The vessel was beached at Towila. Indian sloop SUTLEJ was sent to assist her. On the 9th, the vessel was refloated and towed by tug CONFEDERATE, screened by sloop SUTLEJ, to Gimsah. ARPHA, in tow of tug CONFEDERATE and escorted by sloop SUTLEJ, arrived at Suez on the 14th.

CL MAURITIUS arrived at Singapore with convoy WS.11X from Colombo.


Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 5 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 6 NOVEMBER 1941

1049-1106 hrs Air raid alarm. Six Macchi 200's approached from N. and carried out recce of area, GrandHarbour, Delimara and Luqa. Two Heavy Ack Ack positions engaged by barrage, others by Pointers.

1900 hrs Air raid alarm. Several enemy aircraft approached Island, only one crossing coast. Searchlights effected illumination, Ack Ack fired barrages. Bombs dropped in sea.

2132 hrs Air raid alarm. Only one of several aircraft reported in vicinity came over island. Ack Ack fired barrages. Enemy aircraft, a German JU87 piloted by Italians, was hit and crashed on coast East of Dowdall's Hotel, Marsa Scirocco. Two occupants of machine killed.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY Five Albacores bombed Augusta and Licata – dropping 6,000 lbs of bombs and 80 lbs incendiaries.

HAL FAR Two Fulmars carried out patrols of the Pantelleria and Lampedusa region against enemy air ferry service. Nothing was sighted.

LUQA 18 Squadron 8 Blenheims attacked convoy. Sgt Vickers & Sgt Morris failed to return. 1 Wellington attacked convoy. 104 Squadron 10 Wellingtons attacked Castel Benito and Mellaha aerodromes. 40 Squadron 8 Wellingtons attacked Castel Benito aerodrome.

 

[parsifal]

Halder's Diary 05 November 1941

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

November 6 Thursday
ASIA: The Japanese military mobilized for war. Yamamoto flies to Tokyo for discussions. General Count Hisaichi Terauchi took command of Japanese Southern Army, which was made up of 4 armies. The Japanese Southern Army was ordered to prepare detailed operational plans for offensive action to secure Southeast Asia. They were to seize all American, Dutch and British possessions in the 'southern area' as soon as possible. After simultaneous attacks on Malaya and the Philippines, Lt. General Tomoyuli Yamashita would take Malaya and Singapore with the 25th Army. Lt. General Masaharu Homma was to conquer the Philippines with the 14th Army. General Tsukada was made Terauchi's Chief of Staff. The South Seas Detachment is formed for operations by the Japanese against Guam and the Bismarck Archipelago. Imperial General Headquarters orders China Expeditionary Army to prepare for attack against Hong Kong with 23rd Army. The Imperial Headquarters commanded the Expeditionary Army to China to divert 4 divisions to the south.

The Japanese Navy practices their second dress rehearsal for Operation Hawaii in mock operations at Kagoshima Bay. It followed very much the lines of its predecessor, but this time a variation occurred. About 80 miles north of the target area the attackers ran into a group of fighter interceptors and an air battle took place at 0900 hours. If Fuchida and his airmen did not achieve surprise in Hawaii, this was what they could expect. They were pleased with the results.

General Rikichi Ando was named the commanding officer of the Taiwan Army.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The unsuccessful search for the German raider reported by British RFA oiler "Olwen" on November 4 was not entirely fruitless. U.S. Navy Task Group 3.6, composed of the light cruiser USS "Omaha" (CL-4), under command of Captain Theodore E. Chandler, and the destroyer USS "Somers" (DD-381), en route to Recife, Brazil, returning from a 3,023-mile patrol, captured German blockade runner "Odenwald", disguised as U.S. freighter "Willmoto", in Atlantic equatorial waters. A boarding party from the USS "Omaha" (Lieutenant George K. Carmichael) reached the "Odenwald" as the Germans exploded charges to scuttle the ship. The USS "Omaha's" sailors, however, joined by a diesel engine specialist from the USS "Somers", prevented the "Odenwald's" loss while the cruiser's SOC Curtiss scout-observation planes and her accompanying destroyer screened the operation. The three ships then proceeded to Trinidad because of possible complications with the Brazilian government. In view of the precarious fuel state in the American ships, the USS "Somers's" crew ingeniously rigged a sail that cut fuel consumption and allowed her to reach her destination with fuel to spare. This was the first successful action by the U.S. patrols in the Atlantic.

American destroyer "Madison", escorting convoy ON 39, depth charged contacts.

EASTERN FRONT: Frostbite began to make its appearance among German troops fighting in the Soviet Union. Although stationary, most are technically still on the offensive and have not dug trenches. The exception is Feldmarschall von Kluge's 4.Armee in the middle of the Mozhaysk line, which has already gone on the defensive and into winter quarters. In Leningrad, as the temperature drops, shattered underground steam pipes (due to German bombing and shelling) and lack of firewood prevent heating of buildings. Bitter cold compounded by reduced rations will lead to death of thousands of Leningraders.

On this date The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 340 adult male, 749 adult female, and 252 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,341 people.

Soviet hospital ship "Armenia" (a converted liner) evacuates the main naval hospital in Sevastopol with 5498 wounded troops and medics, leaving at 1900 hours for an overnight voyage to safety of the Caucasus ports. The ship is suddenly diverted to Yalta and Balaklava to pick up more wounded as well as military families and well-connected civilians.

Joseph Stalin made a radio address broadcast worldwide declaring that Hitler's "crazy plan" to draw Britain and the United States into a coalition to destroy the Soviet Union had failed. Stalin said that a coalition of the United States, Britain and the USSR was "now a reality" and expressed his hopes that a "second front" would be established "in the near future."

Between 15,000 and 18,000 Jews were taken to the Sosenki forest outside of Rovno and massacred over the next two days.

GERMANY: The Grand Mufti arrives in Berlin from Italy.

MEDITERRANEAN: A small number of Wellington bombers based in Malta conducted an attack on Naples, Italy after dark.

NORTH AFRICA: RAF attacks Derna overnight with 20 Wellington bombers.

NORTH AMERICA: Clarence Tinker was named the commanding officer of the US 3rd Fighter Command.

In a speech at the International Labor Organization, Roosevelt discussed his vision for the post war world, saying;

"We have learned too well that social problems and economic problems are not separate watertight compartments in the international any more than in the national sphere. In international as in national affairs, economic policy can no longer be an end in itself. It is merely a means for achieving social objectives. There must be no place in the post-war world for special privilege for either individuals or nations."

A committee from the US Academy of Sciences recommends the immediate construction of an atomic bomb.

NORTHERN EUROPE: The Finnish advance into Russia was halted.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team in US Territory of Hawaii continued to encounter a great deal of dummy radio traffic being sent by the Japanese Navy.

In the Philippines, Brereton issues training order directing that all units were to work "maximum hours" and specifying that 40% of all training flights were to be at night. All but one aircraft of Eubank's B-17 flight had reached the Philippines, the long hold-out being one with a bad engine dead-lined in Darwin.

General Blamey, en route to Australia, arrives in Singapore for conferences with Percival, Bennett, and others.

WESTERN FRONT: The Luftwaffe loses one its brightest pilots who commits a rookie blunder and loses his life. While on a patrol with III./JG 26 over the Channel, the Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26, Hptm. Johannes Schmid - who was leading the Gruppe in place of Gerhard Schöpfel who was on leave - takes the flight on a bounce of twenty-four British Spitfires. Shooting down one the British fighters on the first pass, Hptm. Schmid begins to circle the spot where the Spitfire crashed. His wing clips the water and Hptm. Schmid and his Bf 109F crash and sink into the Channel waters. Hptm. Schmid had forty-five victories and is replaced as Staffelkapitän by Karl Borris.

RAF Fighter Command flew Ramrod and escort operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 9 aircraft to attack Le Havre overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 21 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Njaco]

November 7 Friday
ASIA: Japanese Navy conducted a carrier exercise. Yamamoto issued his second secret order setting the tentative date to start hostilities as December 8. Two factors had determined the choice: there would be a full moon, which would facilitate launching from carriers, and it would be Sunday [December 7] in Hawaii. From Yoshikawa's reports, it had been established that the Pacific Fleet usually entered Pearl Harbor on a Friday and left the following Monday. IJN aircraft carrier "Akagi" arrives at Kagoshima Bay. IJN aircraft carrier "Shokaku" arrives at Oita Bay.

The Japanese government communicates a proposal to the US for negotiations for a full settlement of all issues, with deadline of 30 November.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The destroyers USS "Lansdale" (DD-426), USS "Charles F. Hughes" (DD-428), and USS "Gleaves" (DD-423), while in U.S. Navy Task Unit 4.1.2 escorting Convoy ON-30, made depth charge attacks on a sound contact. The destroyer USS "Madison" (DD-425) sighted a bleeding whale soon thereafter, leading to the conclusion that the warships had attacked a large marine mammal.

British merchant ship "Nottingham", on her maiden voyage, spotted German submarine U-74 in the North Atlantic and attempted to ram her. At 2234 hours U-74 counterattacked, sinking "Nottingham". All 62 aboard escaped in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

EASTERN FRONT: In Moscow, Stalin pulls off a public relations masterpiece. 7 November was the Anniversary of the October Revolution. To commemorate this, there would be a parade on Red Square. Stalin had withdrawn the equivalent of two divisions from Moscow's defensive line to conduct the parade. At 0700 hours a special train drew up on the platform. The first person to step out was Stalin, followed by members of the Politburo, the Government, and the Moscow city authorities. The applause went on for nearly ten minutes. Kolosova thought Stalin looked thinner and greyer than when she had last seen him at the May Day Parade: the strain of the war was beginning to tell. Despite the risk of German air attack, the annual October revolution parade begins at 0800 hours. Troops, artillery and tanks (mainly new T-34 and KV tanks) rumble through Red Square past Lenin's Mausoleum (empty) and St. Basil's Cathedral. They then turn west towards the front lines, going straight into action against the Germans. Then it was Stalin's turn. The audience in the station sat in complete silence as Stalin spoke simply, deliberately, and with his habitual Georgian accent. He spoke with his usual relentless logic – crude, forceful, and difficult to resist. He began by claiming that in four months of war the Germans had lost four and a half million people, against Soviet losses of 350,000 dead, 378,000 missing and just over one million wounded. These figures were of course wildly misleading, and even among his listeners there were skeptics who found them hard to believe. But he went on to analyze – objectively enough – why the German blitzkrieg was doomed to eventual defeat in Russia. The Germans, Stalin went on, had grossly overestimated their own strength and underestimated that of the Red Army.

The German Army High Command (OKH) was determined to continue the advance on Moscow in spite of up to 80 Soviet Army divisions in front of them and the weather. Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that his troops were beginning to suffer severe frostbite. German 3.Panzergruppe redeploys between 9.Armee and 4.Panzergruppe. There was heavy fighting around Tikhvin and repeated Luftwaffe attacks against targets in Leningrad.

In one of the great maritime tragedies of the war, Soviet hospital ship "Armenia" sinks with over 7000 civilians and wounded soldiers on board. "Armenia" leaves Yalta at 0800 hours, against orders forbidding daylight sailing from the Crimea. At 1129 hours, a single Heinkel He111 from KG 26 torpedoes "Armenia" (despite Red Cross insignia painted on the deck and sides) which rolls over and sinks in 4 minutes. There are 8 survivors.

In Minsk, about thirteen thousand Jews were taken into Tuchinki and brutally killed there. Thousands of bodies were laid out in trenches that had been prepared in advance. The Jews themselves dug the trenches as part of their forced labor.

GERMANY: British Bomber Command conducts nighttime raids on Berlin, Cologne and Mannheim with a total of 380 bombers in the heaviest bombing so far in a single night. The Germans reported minimal damage. 160 British RAF bombers attacked Berlin, Germany. Poor weather contributes to the number of aircraft losses. The Berlin raid suffered not only from cloud obscuring the target, but also at the hands of flak and fighters. 21 aircraft (12.4%) were lost (10 Wellingtons, 9 Whitleys and 2 Stirlings). 55 British planes are sent to attack Mannheim. Seven planes do not return. 43 British planes are sent to attack the Ruhr and to mine waterways. Nine planes do not return. RAF Bomber Command sent 75 aircraft to attack Cologne. RAF Bomber Command also sent 30 aircraft on Rover patrols. Overall, 37 aircraft failed to return, a rate of 9.4%. These losses were rapidly swinging the balance against Bomber Command - indeed, no air force could sustain this amount of losses for any length of time and, in an attempt to rebuild the Command's confidence, less well-defended targets were chosen for future attacks. The RAF is radically reviewing its bombing strategy after German air defenses took a heavy toll of RAF bombers and aircrew. In four months, Bomber Command had lost the equivalent of its entire frontline strength, 526 aircraft, and morale on the squadrons was low. The Kammhüber Line, as it is known to the RAF, is responsible. This is a series of ground-controlled interception "boxes" along the most frequently-used routes; in each "box" a night-fighter waits to pounce, so far with great effect. As a result of the ineffectiveness of raids like this, Sir Richard Peirse will be replaced as head of RAF Bomber Command by Sir Arthur Harris in January 1942.

Popular German film star Joachim Gottschalk kills his family and himself rather than submit to the deportation and probable deaths of his Jewish wife and child.

MEDITERRANEAN: Attack on Convoy Beta : Convoy "Beta" departs Naples for Tripoli with seven vessels (German freighters "Duisburg" and "San Marco"; Italian freighters "Maria", "Sagitta", and "Rina Corrado"; and Italian tankers "Conte di Misurata" and "Minatitlan") escorted by the Regia Marina 3rd Division commanded by Bruno Brivonesi comprising heavy cruisers "Trieste" and "Trento" and Italian destroyers "Maestrale", "Fulmine", "Euro", "Gracale", "Libeccio", and "Oriani" supported by two cruisers and four more destroyers.

NORTH AFRICA: RAF bombers attack Brindisi.

NORTH AMERICA: After a month of debate, the US Congress amends the Neutrality act to allow the arming of merchants. The United States Senate voted 50 to 37 to amend the Act to allow merchantmen to be armed and permit U.S. ships to enter combat zones.

Dr. Henry Field was summoned to the office of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's secretary, Grace Tully, who "told Field that the President was ordering him to produce, in the shortest time possible the full names and addresses of each American-born and foreign-born Japanese listed by locality within each state" and that "it was to be done by using the 1930 and 1940 censuses."

NORTHERN EUROPE: RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight off Norway.

PACIFIC OCEAN: In the Philippines MacArthur informs Hart that he will not accept Navy control of patrol flights. Hart requests guidance from Navy Department on mobilization and deployment plans. No answer was received.

UNITED KINGDOM: A moderate Luftwaffe force of long-range bombers with a small number of reconnaissance and dive-bomber aircraft, operated on Fri/Sat night over England. More attention was paid to land targets than of late, the Tyne-Tees area receiving the main weight of attack. Many incidents were reported from coastal districts of Northumberland and Durham, but there was some concentration on Sunderland. In Sunderland there was slight damage to the railway and a quay in the dock area, and a temporary suspension of local traffic on the LNER line owing to a UXB. Houses were demolished at Horden, where five people lost their lives, and at Newbiggin by the Sea, where five people were killed. For the first time since the war began, mixed teams of men and women manned anti-aircraft batteries this night.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command Rodeo and Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 28 aircraft to attack Ostend overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 22 aircraft to attack Boulogne overnight.

German vessel "Kulmerland" arrives in Bordeaux from Japan.

.

 

[parsifal]

06 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIc DKM U-595
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Fairmile B ML-055
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

HDML1054
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


UBOATS
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-433

At Sea 06 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, 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-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-568, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-577, U-652, U-751, UA

48 Boats

OPERATIONS
Baltic

East Front
Arctic
Submarine SEALION arrived at Murmansk from Scapa Flow.

Northern Patrol
CL KENYA and DDs BEDOUIN and INTREPID were ordered to return to Seidisfjord from Iceland - Faroes patrol. After refuelling, the ships would proceed to cover minelaying operation SN.83B, sailing on the 8th. However, in heavy weather, the DDs were forced to return to Seidisfjord.

CL TRINIDAD departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, arriving on the 7th.

Northern Waters
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow with Rear Admiral Destroyers Home Fleet for passage to Scrabster, returning to Scapa that afternoon.

West Coast
DD BEAUFORT departed the Clyde for Scapa Flow, arriving late on the 7th, where she immediately began work up .

Western Approaches
Convoy ON-32
On the 6th, the 2 November reinforcements were detached when joined by DDs RESTIGOUCHE and ST CROIX and corvettes AGASSIZ, ALBERNIE, ALYSSE, AMHERST, and BITTERSWEET.

Med/Biscay
CruSqn 15 was at sea from Alexandria for gunnery exercises. ASW whaler KOS 19 sighted a periscope thirty two miles west of Alexandria on the 5th. The whaler was joined by ASW whaler FALK, corvette SNAPDRAGON, and ASW boat MA/SB 2. DD ENCOUNTER was also sent from Alexandria to assist. DDs DECOY and HOTSPUR joined at daylight on the 6th. The DDs were recalled to harbour that evening and no success was obtained. However oil patches that were sighted in this area on the 7th caused DDs KIPLING and HOTSPUR to be sent again in this area for another sweep. The search continued during the night of 7/8 November. DD ENCOUNTER joined the other DDs at daylight and the three DDs were then involved in screening CL NEPTUNE during a practice bombardment at Aboukir. The DDs returned to Alexandria on the 9th.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy HX.157
DD AMAZON joined 6 November.

Convoy HX 158
On the 6th USN DD COLE was detached from the escort.

Convoy SC-53
Corvettes DUNVEGAN and SOREL were detached on the 6th when relieved by DD BURNHAM and corvettes ALGOMA, ARVIDA, CHAMBLY, DAUPHIN, and MATAPEDIA.

Central Atlantic
Convoy SL.92

Convoy SL.92 departed Freetown escorted bydestroyers VANSITTART and VELOX to 11 November and corvettes BURDOCK and MARGUERITE to 11 November and corvette STARWORT to 12 November.

Pacific/Australia
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Singapore with convoy WS.11X from Colombo

Malta
OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 6 NOVEMBER 1941

HAL FAR 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Albacores attacked naval installations at Augusta and Licata. All aircraft returned safely. 185 Squadron 2 Hurricanes carried out a patrol over the SE corner of Sicily, with four more of the Squadron's Hurricanes acting as cover. A factory east of Pozzallo was attacked. No opposition encountered.

LUQA 107 Squadron 5 Blenheims were despatched to attack Mellana aerodrome but were unable to locate target. They attacked barracks and M/T depots near Tripoli. 40 Squadron 2 Wellingtons carried out a nuisance raid on Naples; another Wellington carried out a nuisance raid on Tripoli.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 06 November 1941

 

[parsifal]

07 NOVEMBER 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMNZS KILLEGRAY (T-174)

Assurance Class Salvage Tug HMS JAUNTY (W-30)

Fairmile B ML 307
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

M (Malyutka) class Submarine VMF M-116

Project 7 (Gnevny) Class DD VMF RAZUMNIY

Losses
U-74 sank the steamer NOTTINGHAM (UK 8532 grt) in the nth Atlantic, with the loss of the entire crew of 62. She was carrying a mixed cargo outbound, including fine malt whiskey from Glasgow to New York. She was a brand new ship, only completed in October 1941. At 2234 hrs the unescorted NOTTINGHAM, on her maiden voyage, was hit in the stern by a stern torpedo from bout 550 miles SE of Cape Farewell after she tried to ram the U-boat. At 2250 hrs, the ship was missed by a spread of two torpedoes because she stopped, but sank after being hit by a coup de grace at 2259 hrs. The crew was seen to abandon ship in lifeboats, but they were never seen again.

UBOATS
Arrivals
St. Nazaire: U-568

Departures
Kirkenes: U-752

At Sea 07 November 1941
U-38, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-73, U-74, U-77, U-81, 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-126, U-129, U-133, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-205, U-208, U-332, U-373, U-374, U-402, U-434, U-502, U-551, U-552, U-565, U-567, U-569, U-571, U-572, U-573, U-577, U-652, U-751, U-752, UA

48 Boats

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer FRAUENBURG (Ger 2111 grt) was sunk on a mine off Windau.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

East Front
Arctic
Submarine TRIDENT made an unsuccessful attack on DKM MSW MRS 3 (Ex-steamer BALI)

North Sea
DD ECHO departed London at 0800 for Sheerness on completion of a long refit, arriving later in the afternoon to embark ammunition and fuel.

MSW ALBURY was damaged by a near miss by the LW off the east coast of Scotland. The damage required five weeks to repair.

Northern Patrol
CA BERWICK departed Hvalfjord on Denmark Strait patrol.

Northern Waters
DD MONTROSE departed Scapa Flow for Loch Alsh to act under Rear Admiral Minelaying, arriving later in the afternoon.

DD NORMAN departed Scapa Flow for Wick to embark Crown Prince Olaf of Norway and his staff for passage to Scapa Flow. The DD arrived back at Scapa Flow later that day.

Sloop LOWESTOFT departed Scapa Flow to join convoy WN 2 for onward passage to Rosyth. LOWESTOFT had completed work up and was being assigned to Commander in Chief, Rosyth.

West Coast
Convoy ON.34
Convoy ON.34 departed Liverpool, escorted by destroyers CALDWELL, VANOC, and VOLUNTEER and corvettes ACANTHUS, GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, HONEYSUCKLE, MYOSOTIS, and SWEETBRIAR.

Convoy OS.11
Convoy OS.11 departed Liverpool.

Central Atlantic
In operations from CVE AUDACITY, supporting convoy OG.76, the Martlet piloted by Sub Lt (A) N. H. Patterson while landing in heavy seas went over the side. Patterson was picked up by an escort ship.


Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 7 NOVEMBER TO DAWN 8 NOVEMBER 1941

0540 hrs Air raid alarm. Four enemy aircraft approached from N only two crossing coast. First aircraft flew over Mellieha and dropped bombs in sea W of Dingli. A second aircraft came over Zonkor Point and dropped bombs on CorrodinoHeights, was barraged by Ack Ack and damaged.

2036 hrs Air raid alarm. Seven enemy aircraft approached but only two crossed coast. Bombs dropped in sea four miles east of Island and in Msida area. Ack Ack fired two barrages

OPERATIONS REPORT FRIDAY 7 NOVEMBER 1941

ROYAL NAVY "Upholder" sailed to patrol off Cephalonia, and sank a U boat on the way. Four Swordfish attempted to attack one MV east of Malta but failed to find target.

HAL FAR Two Fulmars, FAA, patrolled the Lampedusa area for enemy air ferry service. They returned to base owing to bad weather. 828 Squadron Fleet Air Arm Four Albacores were despatched to attack various targets in Sicily. Two aircraft dropped their bombs on Ragusa Railway Station causing a large explosion and a small fire. One aircraft dropped his load on the Bitumin factory near the railway station. The fourth aircraft dropped his load on factory east of Biscari causing several explosions. Weather clear over target.

LUQA 18 Squadron Five Blenheims attacked a convoy. 107 Squadron Six Blenheims failed to find the convoy. 40 Squadron Eleven Wellingtons attacked Brindisi; ten attacked the railway station. S/D Flight Two Wellingtons sent on ASV shipping search.

 

[parsifal]

Halders diary 07 November 1941

 

[Njaco]

November 8 Saturday
ASIA: Per the Great Army Instruction No. 992, the Japanese Army and Navy were ordered to coordinate their plans for the opening phases of the Pacific War. The Combined Fleet staff worked hard preparing the Army-Navy agreement and Combined Fleet Operational Order No. 1. The Naval General Staff would issue Navy Order No. 1 with implementing Navy Directive No. 1 the same day. Navy Order No. 1 was brief and to the point:

"By Imperial Order, the Chief of the Naval General Staff orders Yamamoto Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet as follows:

1. Expecting to go to war with the United States, Britain and The Netherlands early in December for self-preservation and self-defense, the Empire has decided to complete war preparations.

2. The Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet will carry out the necessary operational preparations.

3. Its details will be directed by the Chief of the Naval General Staff."

Navy Directive No. 1 from the Naval General Staff was more detailed and ordered Yamamoto to take various measures prepatory to combat. He did. While every branch of the Naval Ministry were working hard and aggressively on the Orders, Yamamoto issued his "Combined Fleet Top Secret Operation Order No. 1", a bulky 151-page document. It outlined naval strategy for the first phase of hostilities covering not only Pearl Harbor but more or less simultaneous assaults on Malaya, the Philippines, Guam, Wake, Hong Kong and the South Seas. Combined Fleet Operational Order No. 1 was more than a directive for tactical employment of Japan's naval forces; it presented a long-range strategic plan. The 151-page order also covered thousands of details. In brief, Japan's territorial ambitions demanded simultaneous action in virtually every corner of the Pacific, including the USSR's Maritime Provinces. The Combined Fleet document astonished the Operations Section in Tokyo. It went far beyond anything that group had anticipated in case Japan went to war. The Combined Fleet Staff had virtually completed the order before the First Bureau found out how greatly it differed in scope from the Naval General staff's initial instructions. Nevertheless, the Operations Section did not object strenuously to Yamamoto's Combined Fleet Order. The conference between the Operations Section and Yamamoto's staff officers lasted only one day and publication of the order began immediately thereafter. The Naval General Staff printed it, running off 700 copies – an astounding number for a top secret document – with yeomen from the Combined Fleet doing the job.

IJN aircraft carrier "Akagi" departs Kagoshima Bay.

Japanese Army Air Force 1st Air Brigade (the 1st Hikodan) was ordered to prepare for operations against Hong Kong. PO1c Masayuki Mitsumasa (Otsu 5) and PO1c Ei-ichi Nakasawa (Pilot 48) from the 3rd Kokutai were killed in an accident over China.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: USAAF 12th Bombardment Squadron began anti-submarine operations from St. Croix Airfield in the US Virgin Islands.

US Naval Operating Base established in Iceland. Rear Admiral James L. Kauffman was the first commandant.

Martlet airplanes from HMS "Audacity" shoot down two Focke-Wulf FW200s during an attack on Convoy ON-76.

The German commerce raider "Atlantis" was given orders to rendezvous first with the submarines U-68 and later with the U-126. These orders would prove to be the undoing of the "Atlantis" as the British Intelligence services had begun to reap the benefits of the equipment and code-books from the captured U-110, plus the fact that with their detailed knowledge of the characteristics of the South Atlantic, they had a fairly good idea where supply-ships were most likely to rendezvous with the U-boats.

EASTERN FRONT: German Army Group North finally captures Tikhvin south of Finnish positions along Svir, taking 10,032 casualties in the offensive since October 16. At Tikhvin, Soviet 4th Army was on the verge of collapse. With the last reserves of its supplies, XXXIX.Panzerkorps (Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt) battles into and captures the city. Tikhvin is the road and rail junction thru which flows the meager supply of food and ammunition for Leningrad (then carried 50 miles North by road to the small town of Syas'stroy on Lake Ladoga and by barge across the Lake to the besieged city, a hazardous journey under Luftwaffe attack). Leningrad Military District orders a 'corduroy' road of logs to be cut through the forest for 200 miles, around Tikhvin to a railhead further East at Zabor'ye. Finns make no attempt to achieve contact with Germans since it would have meant surrender of Leningrad. Winter suddenly arrives during the day and overnight temperatures hit –40F.

The Soviet 49th and 50th Armies launch counter-attacks against Guderian's forces north and south of Tula.

In order to have a clearer picture of the situation in the Crimea, General der Jägdflieger Werner Mölders borrows a Bf 109 from III./JG 77 and unofficially shoots down a Russian aircraft. Of the Russian Front Geschwaders, JG 53 loses Fritz Muschter, who is shot down and killed. He had five victories.

GERMANY: At the annual Beer Hall Putsch speech, Adolf Hitler claimed that the war with Soviet Union was effectively won, citing 3.6 million prisoners taken, and by conjecture the Soviet forces must had suffered eight to ten million casualties thus far. In regards to the United States, Hitler noted that the aggressive US President Franklin Roosevelt had ordered American ships to deliberately attack any German submarines they crossed, while Hitler continued to order restraint for German submarine captains; nevertheless, he noted that the submarines would fight back fiercely should they be fired upon.

The Gestapo arrested Bernhard Lichtenberg, the dean of St Hedwig's Roman Catholic Cathedral. Renowned for his opposition to the Nazis, he used to close all his services with a prayer for the Jews and prisoners in the concentration camps. Most recently, he wrote to the Reich chief physician, Leonardo Conti, to protest against the authorities "euthanasia" campaign of killing mentally defective and incurably ill patients.

"As a human being, a Christian, a priest and a German," he wrote, "I demand ... that you answer for the crimes that have been perpetrated with your consent, which will bring the vengeance of the Lord on the heads of the German people."

Blessed Bernhard Lichtenberg was killed Nov. 5, 1943 on the way to Dachau at the age of 67. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996. In 2004 Yad Vashem recognized Bernhard Lichtenberg as a Righteous Among the Nations.

RAF Bomber Command sends 54 aircraft to attack Essen overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Attack on Convoy Beta : British cruisers HMS "Aurora" and HMS "Penelope" and destroyers HMS "Lance" and HMS "Lively" (Task Force 'K'), were dispatched from Malta to intercept the Axis convoy 'Beta' that had just departed from Italy. This convoy , known as the "Duisburg" convoy to the Germans (because the German merchant ship of that name was included in it) and the "Beta" convoy to the Italians, carried 145 Italian and 78 German troops, 389 vehicles, 34,473 tons of supplies, and 17,281 tons of fuel. Regia Marina provides an escort by the 3rd Division commanded by Bruno Brivonesi comprising heavy cruisers "Trieste" and "Trento" and 7 Italian destroyers. In addition, 64 Italian aircraft (including six seaplanes) plus eight German planes allowed an escort of eight aircraft overhead from dawn to dusk. The British though, attacked at night with the advantages of radar (which the Italians didn't have) and prior intelligence from Ultra (the British code breaking efforts had cracked the Italian C38m code, which was used for communications between Italian forces at sea and their land-based HQ). Ultra had provided the British with the position and route of the convoy. 200 miles East of Malta, RAF Martin Maryland (RAF No. 69 Squadron), on reconnaissance from Malta, deliberately locates Beta as a cover for Ultra.

Delegates from Communist-led resistance groups form unified Communist Party of Albania, with Enver Hoxha elected Secretary of the Provisional Central Committee.

Malta is subjected to several attacks during the day. At 1155 hours four Italian Cant 1007s escorted by approximately eighteen Macchi's dropped bombs from Rinella in a long line to just short of Luqa village. No damage or casualties. RAF Hurricanes engaged the Macchi's with results as follows: 3 Macchi's destroyed, 1 probably destroyed, 1 damaged. During the attack Macchi 202 fighter pilot Captain Mario Pluda, in command of 73a Squadriglia, 9o Gruppo, 4o Stormo, and fighter pilot Sergeant Major Luigi Taroni were shot down and killed. The RAF lost 1 Hurricane destroyed and one damaged. At 1941 hours three alerts were sounded when a total of sixteen enemy aircraft approached the Island. Practically all bombs were dropped in the sea. One enemy aircraft dropped anti-personnel bombs in the Rabat area.

From Luqa airfield one Blenheim of RAF No. 18 Squadron and one from RAF No. 107 Squadron flew a recce over Kerkennah, Zuara, and Tripoli. Six Blenheims of RAF No. 107 Squadron and six of RAF No. 18 Squadron attacked a convoy off Cape Spartivento. Sgt Hopkinson of RAF No. 18 Squadron and F/Lt Pryor of RAF No. 107 Squadron failed to return. Eleven Wellingtons of RAF No. 40 Squadron and six Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron attacked Naples, Palermo, Catania, Syracuse and other targets.

MIDDLE EAST: Axis nationals evicted from Afghanistan depart Karachi by ship for Iraq.

NORTH AFRICA: Four Wellingtons of RAF No. 104 Squadron attacked Brindisi and Messina.

NORTH AMERICA: At the Kaiser Corporation shipyard, the hull for the liberty ship "Robert E. Peary" is laid. The ship would be launched in just four days, the record for construction time for one of these vessels.

NORTHERN EUROPE: 2nd Battle of Munakukkula: Finnish 8./JR 1 defending Munakukkula (Egg hill) base in Lempaala, Karelian Isthmus is assaulted by Soviet forces at 2330 hours. "Muna"-base defended by kers.

Paasonen is overrun in less than five minutes.

PACIFIC OCEAN: In the Philippines USAAF 3rd Pursuit Squadron receives 25 P-40E's.

WESTERN FRONT: Admiral Darlan threatens to resign unless Petain dismisses Weygand.

Several operations are flown by RAF Fighter Command including a Ramrod operation, a Circus operation (RAF 11 Group Circus 110) and a Roadstead operation. RAF Fighter Command suffers loss of eighteen fighters. Circus 110 was an attack on the Atéliers d'Hellemes works at Lille with 13 squadrons of Fighters taking part escorting 12 Blenheim IVs from RAF 2 Group. The Luftwaffe claimed 24 Spitfires shot down by the Bf 109s of JG 2 and JG 26. Despite the over-claiming, Obstlt. Adolf Galland from Stab/JG 26 reached 95 kills, Hptm. Joachim Müncheberg of Stab II./JG 26 reached 58 kills as did Hptm. Josef Priller of 1./JG 26. It appears no pilot of JG 2 was awarded a kill.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight.

.

 

[Old Wizard]