This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[Njaco]

June 26 Thursday
ASIA: IJN aircraft carrier "Junyo" launched after conversion from passenger liner.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Zhukov returns from Southwestern Front to Moscow and meets with Stalin, Timoshenko, and Vatutin about critical situation of the Western Front. Konev takes command of Soviet 19th Army. Meretskov recalled from Leningrad, arrested and tortured, but subsequently released and rehabilitated after implicating other Soviet generals in anti-Stalin plot.

Armeegruppe Nord: German forces of Armeegruppe Nord capture Dünaburg in Latvia and 4.Panzergruppe forces begin working to take bridgeheads over the Dvina River. Tanks of von Manstein's 4.Panzergruppe capture the Dvina River bridges at Daugavipils intact German. 18.Armee was engaged in heavy fighting around Liepaja while 4.Panzergruppe shattered Soviet 3rd and 11th Mechanized Corps. German 56.Panzerkorps reached Daugava River (Western Dvina) as 8.Panzerdivision and 3.Motorisierte Abteilung established bridgehead near Daugavpils, Latvia. German forces captured Daugavpils. Hitler orders these forces to stop, consolidate, gather supplies and wait for the infantry forces, far to the rear, to catch up. Luftwaffe bombers attack Leningrad.

Siege of Hango: The Russian garrison at Hango holds out in the naval base, west of Helsinki, until evacuated, in December 1941. Finnish ground troops quickly isolated Hanko and its 25,300-man Soviet garrison. Though Mannerheim initially declared that liberating Hanko would be a primary goal of the war, Finnish troops in the area did not receive authorization to attack the base. Instead, as the Finns had built the Harparskog line on the border of the leased area during the Interim Peace, they moved to occupy these positions. The front remained mostly static, with action consisting mainly of artillery strikes and some limited probing or patrol activities on both sides. Small scale naval and amphibious actions took place in the surrounding archipelago. Finnish forces surrounding the base initially consisted of the 17th Division, the 4th Coastal Brigade, and supporting units.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German Panzer units closed the Bialystok pocket in Poland as German 3.Panzergruppe reaches the edge of Minsk. The 7.Panzerdivision (Rommel's old unit from France) driving north of Minsk, cuts the Minsk-Moscow highway, the main supply route for the Soviet West Front. Soviet Western Front becomes isolated by German Armeegruppe Mitte. General Boldin, deputy commanding officer of Soviet Western Front, was trapped in encirclement west of Minsk. German 2.Panzergruppe continued its push toward Bobruisk. Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe is driving hard to complete the encirclement of the Soviet forces around Minsk.

In Belarus Soviet NKVD mass-executed prisoners from Minsk in the nearby Tsagelnya forest. The wooden statue Mourning Ange, by sculptor Gennady Matusevich, was later erected at the location. Commemorative events are held every year in June.

Armeegruppe Sud: The Soviets launch fresh and very strong counterattacks against the German spearheads. These attacks fall particularly hard on the 16.Panzerdivision in the area around Ostrov. Soviet 9th, 15th, and 19th Mechanized Corps counterattacked German 6.Armee and 1.Panzergruppe. Further to the north, 11.Panzerdivision is blocked in it's advance at Dubno. The advance of this army group is temporarily stopped. By the evening of June 26, 1941, at Brest Fortress most of the northern Kobrin fortification, except the East Fort, was captured. Small Soviet forces tried to break out from the siege but were unsuccessful and sustained heavy casualties.

In the northeastern city of Iasi, Romania, up to 12,000 people are believed to have died as Romanian and German soldiers swept from house to house to killing Jews. Those who did not die were systematically beaten, put in cattle wagons in stifling heat and taken to a small town, where what happened to them would be concealed. Of the 120 people on the train, just 24 survived. In 2010 a mass grave was found containing the bodies of an estimated 100 Jews killed by Romanian troops in a forest near the town of Popricani, about 350 km northeast of Bucharest. It contained the bodies of men, women and children who were shot in 1941.

Aircraft of the German Luftwaffe began to bomb Leningrad, Russia. Hptm. Lothar Keller of II./JG 3 is killed in an accident flying a Fiesler Storch. He had four Russian victories to bring his total to twenty victories overall. His place as Gruppenkommandeur is taken by Hptm. Gordon Gollob. Near Daugavpils Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 destroys a Soviet DB-3. JG 51's Kommodore, Obstlt. Mölders destroys a Russian Pe-2 and an I-16 to reach seventy-seven kills. Joachim Brendel of JG 51 destroys a Soviet DB-3 for his first victory in the air.

In the Soviet capital of Moscow, Joseph Stalin visited the General Staff headquarters twice, voicing frustration at the heavy losses that the Red Army was suffering against the invading German forces.

Bombing of Kassa: Two aircraft bombed the Hungarian border town of Kassa, killing 20 and injuring 41. Hungary blamed USSR, but the raid was probably fabricated by Luftwaffe. This attack became the pretext for Hungary to declare war on the Soviet Union the following day.

Soviet task force led by cruiser "Voroshilov" bombards Constanza. Soviet flotilla leader "Moskva" was sunk by a mine during Constanza operation. Soviet aircraft suffered heavy losses during the attack on Constanza, trying to support the naval operation.

GERMANY: Adolf Hitler officially named Hermann Göring his successor.

RAF Bomber Command sends 51 aircraft to attack Cologne, 44 aircraft to attack Dusseldorf and 41 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Railway I: Twenty two aircraft were transferred to "Ark Royal" which sailed from Gibraltar escorted by "Renown", "Hermione" and "Faulknor", "Forester", "Fury", "Lance" and "Legion" to reinforce Malta.

MIDDLE EAST: Tomahawk fighters of No. 3 Squadron RAAF destroyed 5 French D.520 fighters and damaged a further six on the ground at Homs Airfield in Syria.

NORTH AMERICA: The mixed Marine-Army I Corps (Provisional), which was attached to the US Navy Atlantic Fleet, was redesignated Task Force 18 of the Atlantic Fleet.

NORTH AFRICA: Allied aircraft attack airfields at Gazala.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Finland issued declaration of war against the Soviet Union.

In the Baltic Sea, Soviet warships conducted minelaying operations while Kriegsmarine S-boats conducted minelaying operations. After running into each other while both groups were minelaying, Kriegsmarine S-boats engaged the Soviet warships. Estonian vessel "Lidaza" was sunk by Kriegsmarine S-boats.

In Norway an adviser to collaborationist leader Vidkun Quisling suggested in a letter, four days after Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, that northern Russia would be better used by Germanic peoples because Slavic peoples "don't know how to make use of the land." The document was not made public until 2010.

WESTERN FRONT: Spain officially began to organize a unit of volunteers to fight in Russia on the side of the Axis.

RAF Fighter Command conducts major sweep along French coast. RAF 11 Group Circus 24 was an attack on the power station at Comines. 23 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group were escorted by fighters from 19 squadrons. Bombers abandoned mission because of thick haze.

.

 

[parsifal]

24 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Elco 77' PT USS PT-22

Allied
Fairmile B MLs 178, 203

Losses
U-203 sank MV KINROSS (UK 4956 grt) in the Nth Atlantic whilst on passage from Dunbdee, Scotland to Sydney (CB) travelling empty with a crew 37, all of whom would survive. The ship was part of convoy OB-336. At 1200 and 1205 hrs,U-203 attacked the convoy OB-336 SE of Cape Farewell and reported two ships sunk. In fact, only the KINROSS was hit and sunk. The master and 36 crew members were picked up by RCN ORILLIA and landed at Reykjavik.

U-203 also attacked ships in HX-133, sinking MV SOLOY (NOR 4402 grt) in the Nth Atlantic. This ship was on passage from Buenos Aires to Hull via Bermuda, transporting wheat. The ship had a crew of 32 embarked, all of whom would survive the attack. At 0331 hrs, U-203 fired a spread of two torpedoes at a ship of 15.000 grt in HX-133 during a surface attack by night, but the first did not detonate and the second missed the intended target and struck another ship in the convoy. Two minutes later, a second spread of two torpedoes was fired and one detonation was heard, but no observations could be made because the U-boat had to crash dive. The only ship hit during the attack was the SOLOY.

The SOLOY was struck on the port side in the after part of #4 hold and received a leak in the tunnel. It was not possible for the first engineer to close the tunnel door, so the ship started to sink and was gone after 15 minutes. While the crew successfully launched the port lifeboat, the other boat on starboard had to be cut loose because a seaman got his hand jammed during the lowering. The boat broke apart after the fall into the sea and its occupants were thrown into the water. However, all men survived and were later picked up by TRAVELLER and landed at Liverpool on 3 July.

U-371 as part of the attack on HX-133 sank the straggler MV VIGRID (NOR 4765 grt) in the Nth Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from New Orleans to Manchester via Bermuda and Belfast, with a mixed cargo. A crew of 47 was embarked, 26 of whom were to be lost in the attack. At 1132 and 1133 hrs, U-371 fired two torpedoes at the VIGRID about 400 miles SE of Cape Farewell and, causing her to sink rapidly after the second hit. The ship straggled about 40 miles behind the convoy after engine troubles in the evening of 23 June. The master, 33 crew members, three gunners and ten passengers (American Red Cross nurses) abandoned ship in four lifeboats of which two set sail to Greenland while the others set course for Iceland. One of the latter boats was never heard of again, while the other was located by DD HMS KEPPEL on 13 July and the surviving two officers, three crewmen and two passengers were brought to a hospital in Londonderry on 17 July. Meanwhile, the two boats sailing for Greenland stayed together but came into storms and heavy seas and one boat disappeared one night, while the other was found by DD USS CHARLES F HUGHES (DD428) on 5 July and the master, two officers, six crewmen, one gunner and four passengers were landed at Reykjavik on 8 July after a fruitless search for the other lifeboat.

U-651, as part of the attack on HX-133, sank Steamer BROCKLEY HILL (UK 5297 grt) whilst the ship was on passage from Montreal to London with a load of grain. A crew of 42 was embarked, all of whom were to survive. At 2106 hrs the BROCKLEY HILL in convoy HX-133 was torpedoed and sunk by U-651 SE of Cape Farewell. The master, 37 crew members and four gunners were picked up by the SAUGOR and landed at Loch Ewe.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Horten: U-451
St Nazaire: U-73

At Sea 24 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

42 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic

East Front
Baltic
Serie IX Submarine S.3 (VMF 840 grt) was scuttled to avoid capture off Stienort.
Initially ignoring the order to scuttle the submarine S-3 in Libau harbor, the commander tried to sail away from Libau, carrying also 100 people (the crew of the submarine and many workers of the harbor). The submarine sailed slowly and could not dive, and was attacked by two DKM S Boats (S-60 and S-35). The attacking S-Boats missed the VMF Submarine with torpedoes. A gun battle erupted and the S-Boats quickly established the advantage of being small and fast targets for the submarine, with higher rate of fire of fire for their 20mm cannon that outmatched the slower, less accurate Soviet return fire of 100mm and 45mm. The two S-60 and S-35 however were affected by near misses, (with a total of 4 wia on S-35 ), but the damage on Sub S-3 was heavier and was also hit with hand grenades and finally S-60 launched a depth charge directly in front of the submarine, sinking it. The germans then proceeded to commit their first atrocity in the East by machine gunning the survivors in the water (only 3, 9 or 20 according different sources, were later captured).

M Class Sub M-74 (VMF 206 grt) was scuttled in Libau by the retreating Soviet Army to prevent capture
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

M Class Sub M-80 (VMF 206 grt) was scuttled in Libau by the retreating Soviet Army to prevent capture
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Icebreaker SILACH (SU 3200 grt) Ship was destroyed by retreating Soviet Army during retreat from Port of Liepaya.

North Sea
British steamer LEVENWOOD was damaged by the LW in the Nth sea off TeesBay. The steamer arrived at Hartlepool in tow on the 25th.

Northern Patrol
CA SUFFOLK and DD ECHO arrived at Iceland from Denmark Straits patrol

Northern Waters
Fast minelayer MANXMAN arrived at Scapa Flow to work up. AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and met convoy WN.44 in Pentland Firth. At noon on the 25th, the ship transferred to convoy EC.37 off Buchan Ness. Sloop BLACK SWAN departed Scapa Flow on the 25th to provide additional protection for the convoy. In Nth Channel, the sloop was detached and proceeded to Belfast to join the Escort Cmd following work up at Scapa Flow. The AA ship transferred to convoy WN.45 at 0500/26th and provided cover to Methil where they arrived at noon on the 27th.

SW Approaches
Convoy OG.66 departed Liverpool, escort DDs BATH and WALKER, sloop SCARBOROUGH, and ocean boarding vessel MALVERNIAN. On the 25th, DD VANOC and ASW trawlers CORDELLA, FANDANGO, MORRIS DANCE, NORSE, and SARABANDE joined the convoy. Corvette HYDRANGEA joined the convoy on the 26th. The DDs and the corvette were detached on the 29th. The ocean boarding vessel left the convoy on the 30th. On 3 July, DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, LANCE, and LEGION joined the convoy. On 4 July, corvette COREOPSIS and ASW trawlers LADY HOGARTH and LADY SHIRLEY joined the convoy. DDs ERIDGE and FARNDALE joined on 6 July. DDs LEGION and LANCE were detached on 3 July, DD FAULKNOR on 5 July, DDs FEARLESS and FORESTER on 6 July, and arrived at Gibraltar on 8 July with sloop SCARBOROUGH and ASW trawlers FANDANGO, MORRIS DANCE, SARABANDE, CODRELIS, NORSE, and local escorts.

Convoy HG.66 departed Gibraltar escort DDs FARNDALE and WISHART, sloop FOLKESTONE, corvette AZALEA, Dutch submarine O.21, ASW trawler STELLA CARINA, and three MLs as additional local escort. The trawler was detached later that day. DD WISHART was detached on the 27th. DD FARNDALE was detached on the 30th. Submarine O.21 was detached on 1 July. On 4 July, the convoy was met by DDs GARLAND, MAORI, SARDONYX, and WESTCOTT and on 5 July by DD ST ALBANS and corvettes FREESIA and MYOSITIS. Sloop FOLKESTONE was detached on 8 July. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 9 July.

Med/Biscay
NZ manned CL LEANDER and DDs HASTY and JAGUAR shelled the Syrian coast Nth of Beirut at dawn on the 24th. MSW HARROW swept the coast off Sidon.

Corvettes PEONY was sailed to Haifa and HYACINTH to Famagusta from Alexandria.

The British Tobruk convoy was attacked by Axis a/c. Tanker PASS OF BALMAHA was damaged by bombing and abandoned. The escort consisted of HMS AUCKLAND and HMAS PARRAMATTA. After the attack that led to the tkr being abandoned and the loss of Corvette AUCKLAND the tanker was re-boarded by the crew, the fires extinguished and the ship taken in tow to Tobruk by RAN DD WATERHEN from dusk that day, escorted by RAN DD VENDETTA. Some repairs were made in Tobruk and the tanker returned under escort by HMAS PARRAMATA having delivered the vital fuel. She arrived back at Alexandria on 30 June.

"The Tobruk Ferry Service", HMA Ships PARRAMATTA, WATERHEN and VENDETTA, June 1941. Painting by Phil Belbin of the Naval Heritage Collection

Egret Class Sloop AUCKLAND (RN 1200 grt) was sunk after repeated air attacks. 20 miles NE of Tobruk, the convoy AUCKLAND was escorting into the harbour was hit by 48 Ju-87s (some from the RA). There were 3 formations, each of 16 Junkers 87 (Stuka) dive bombers that attacked her and the Australian sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA as well as the ships in the convoy itself. The battle was bitterly contested, with no less than 4 German and Italian a/c lost and many others driven off. AUCKLAND was hit, she emerged from a cloud of smoke, out of control and heading for PARRAMATTA, who had to turn to avoid her, as she passed the Australian ship, she was a wreck abaft the mainmast, with no stern visible, she was on fire aft, but her forward guns were still firing. After about 15 minutes there was a brief respite, Auckland stopped, and her crew abandoned ship, and Parramatta closed in on her and dropped whalers and skiffs, life belts and floats, to rescue the survivors who were being machined gunned in the water by the attacking aircraft. At this time Auckland blew up with an explosion that lifted her slowly and steadily about six or seven feet into the air. Her back broke with a pronounced fold down the starboard side, and she rolled over and sank about 30 nautical miles east-north-east of Tobruk, Libya in position 32º15'N, 24º30'E.

LT (E) C.L. Meadley, 32 ratings and the NAAFI manager were killed on the sloop. Three ratings died of wounds. Surgeon Lt C.J. Robarts and seven ratings were wounded.

Sloop PARRAMATTA picked up 162 survivors, including Cdr Thomas, Lt D.G.D. Hall-Wright, Lt A.P. Culmer, Lt J.F. House, Surgeon Lt C.J. Robarts, and T/A/Sub Lt P. Whitehead RNVR and proceeded to Alexandria, arriving on the 25th. RAN DDs VENDETTA and WATERHEN arrived to assist. They picked up the survivors from AUCKLAND. Destroyer WATERHEN took the PASS OF BALMAHA in tow and proceeded to Tobruk, screened by DD VENDETTA. The tanker was unloaded on the 28th and escorted from Tobruk by sloop PARRAMATTA and ASW whaler SOUTHERN MAID.

Nth Atlantic
After being sighted by U-203, HX-133 and OB-336 were attacked by a wolfpacks, led by U-203.

Central Atlantic

Sth Atlantic
CL NEPTUNE arrived at Simonstown. British CVS ALBATROSS was docked for refitting at Simonstown. The refitting was completed on 4 August.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
DKM raider KORMORAN, approaching Madris to lay mines, encountered AMC CANTON. The German ship escaped undetected, but the minelaying was cancelled.

Pacific/Australia
NZ manned CL ACHILLES departed Wellington escorting British liner AQUITANIA to Bass Strait. On the 30th, the CL joined liners QUEEN MARY, and QUEEN ELIZABETH to form convoy US.11A.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 JUNE TO DAWN 25 JUNE 1941
Weather Hot and sunny.

1018-1035 hrs; 1135-1152 hrs Air raid alerts for several enemy formations heading towards the Island. 20 Hurricanes in total are scrambled but the raiders remain far to the north of Malta and do not come close enough for the Hurricanes to engage. Several interceptions are attempted but the enemy aircraft recede out of reach in every case.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 24 JUNE 1941

ROYAL NAVY All available submarines including Urge, Unbeaten, Upholder sailed to patrol positions to intercept an important convoy believed proceeding through Straits of Messina to Tripoli.

AIR HQ Arrivals 4 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 4 Wellington 148 Squadron. Departures 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron7 Maryland missions on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.

KALAFRANA A Heinkel Float Plane arrived from UK to undertake special operational work for the Government Intelligence Section, manned by civilian personnel.

 

[parsifal]

25 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
RM Acciaio class Sub RM ASTERIA

Type VIIC U-403

2 ships sunk, total tonnage 12,946 GRT. sunk on 18 August 1943 in the Central Atlantic sth of Dakar, by DCs from a FNFL Wellington a/c (344 Sqn). 49 dead (all hands lost).

Neutral
Acceptor Class MSWS USS FULMAR (AMc-46) and USS JACAMAR (AM-c-47)
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Elco 77" PT-23

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS LETHBRIDGE (K-160)

HDML 1068, Fairmile B ML 256,
[NO IMAGES FOUND]

Losses
U-108 sank MV NICOLAS PATARAS (Gk 4362 grt) from dispersed convoy OB-336 well out in the Nth Atlantic. She was travelling empty when lost. Her entire crew went down with the ship. At 1614 hrs the NICOLAS PATARAS, dispersed from convoy OB-336, whilst on passage from Liverpool to Father Point, was hit amidships by one torpedo fired by U-108, sth of Greenland. The U-boat then surfaced, began shelling the ship at 1713 hrs and fired 97 shells until she sank by the bow at 1755 hours. The gun crew had some problems with the heavy seas and strong wind during firing.

U-108 sank Steamer ELLINICO (Gk 3059 grt) from dispersed convoy OG-65 well out into the Nth Atlantic. She was empty at the time of her loss. All of her crew were lost in the attack. At 0620 hrs the ELLINICO, dispersed from convoy OG-65, was hit amidships by one torpedo fired by U-108 and sank by the stern within three minutes. The ship had been spotted at 2037 hrs the day before and missed with two torpedoes just after midnight.

U-75 sank Steamer SCHIE (NL 1967 grt) from dispersed convoy OB-336 whilst the vessel was on passage from Aberdeen to Curacao via Loch Ewe , travelling empty. There was a crew of 29, all of whom were to lose their lives in the attack. At 1135 hrs, U-75 fired a stern torpedo on a steamer of estimated 4000 tons, which had been pursued for the last 3 hours in a SSW direction. The torpedo hit and caused the ship to sink by the stern within four minutes. There were no survivors and no distress signal was sent. A long time it was thought that SCHIE was sunk in by U-203 on 24 June 1941, but the ship was straggling from the convoy, so it is not possible that she was sunk in that attack.

U-77 sank Steamer ANNA BULGARIS (Gk 4603 grt) in the nth Atlantic in the Nth Atlantic gap whilst she was sailing independently, empty and with a crew of 35 (all of whom were to lose their lives). At 0436 hrs the unescorted ANNA BULGARIS was hit aft by a stern torpedo fired by U-77 about 600 miles south of Cape Farewell. The U-boat had spotted the ship at 2136 hrs the day before and hit her with a dud at 0030 hrs. The Germans observed how the survivors abandoned ship in lifeboats before she sank, but they were never seen again.

Steamer DASHWOOD (UK 2154 grt) was sunk by the LW in the NthSea The entire crew were rescued.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]


UBOATS
Arrivals
Trondheim: U-372

Departures
Horten: U-431

At Sea 25 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-141, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

42 boats at sea

The RN corvette HMS GLADIOLUS sighted U-71 on the surface as she was attempting to penetrate a convoy and forced her to dive. GLADIOLUS then dropped 30 DCs over five runs before the arrival of the corvette HMS NASTURTIUM, which dropped six DCs. U-71 managed to make her escape on the surface, in a damaged condition. She is known to have suffered at least one hit on the conning tower.

OPERATIONS
Baltic
East Front
Baltic
Steamer ESTONIA (Ex-Est 1181 grt) is known to have been seized by German forces. (Note: This might be the vessel LISSA)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

North Sea
DD LIDDESDALE was damaged by the LW in the North Sea. ML TEVIOTBANK, escort DD WALPOLE, laid minefield BS.65 off the east coast of England. Trawler ISLE OF WIGHT was damaged by German bombing off Scarborough.

Northern Patrol
CL NIGERIA and DDs BEDOUIN, TARTAR, and JUPITER departed Scapa Flow on Operation EC to locate weather ship LAUENBERG (DKM 344 grt). The ships proceeded to Skaalefjord to first refuel. The ships departed on the 26th. On the 28th, weather ship LAUENBURG was captured off Jan Mayen Island. After a thorough search of the LAUENBURG was sunk by DD TARTAR.

Halfway through June 1941 the Germans had decided to replaced the bigram tables used in Enigma. This would have resulted in a codebreaking blackout unless further settings could be captured. Hinsley and the Admiralty were concerned that capturing another weather ship might alert the Germans to their vulnerability and cause them to immediately alter them again. It was eventually decided to take the risk and on 25 June 1941 the above four warships were despatched to capture the codebooks from the LAUENBURG, another weather ship operating north of Iceland, which Hinsley had selected.

At around 7pm on 28 June, a lookout aboard DD TARTAR sighted the LAUENBURGoff Jan Mayen, and TARTAR began firing. The LAUENBURG crew quickly abandoned the ship in two lifeboats. Minutes later, TARTAR steamed alongside and a boarding party seized the LAUENBURG. Once again the crew of a German warship had failed to destroy vital code information. A large amount of material was collected and transferred to the TARTAR. The Allied warships then fired on and sank the LAUENBURG.

The recovered material allowed further understanding of the Enigma codes and resulted in faster decoding of encrypted messages, as well as providing an up-to-date set of codes. The ships arrived at Scapa Flow after the operation on the 30th. DDs BEDOUIN and TARTAR at 1630 and DD JUPITER at 2200.

Minefield SN.70B was laid by MLs AGAMEMNON and MENESTHEUS, escorted by DDs BRIGHTON, CASTLETON, and WELLS. The operation was covered by CLs KENYA and ARETHUSA which departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd. CL AURORA relieved ARETHUSA on the 25th. ARETHUSA went to Iceland Faroes patrol.

On the 25th, DD BRIGHTON came out of a dense fog and hit KENYA starboard side abreast B turret. No deaths were reported and there is no reference to any injuries.

KENYA proceeded to Scapa Flow, arriving on the 27th, and later to the Tyne for repairs.

BRIGHTON, whose bow was severely damaged, was escorted to Reydarfjord by AURORA and WELLS. DD ECLIPSE sailed from Reykjavik to provide additional ASW protection for the MLs. DD ECHO departed Hvalfjord to assist on the 25th and arrived on the 26th at Reydarfjord where the damaged DD and AURORA had arrived. ECLIPSE arrived at Loch Alsh on the 27th after assisting the escort.

KENYA departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth on the 28th, arriving on the 29th. On the 28th, BRIGHTON departed for the Clyde in tow of tugs MARAUDER and THAMES escorted by AURORA and ECHO. The escort ships were reinforced en route by DD LIGHTNING, which departed Scapa Flow on the 29th. BRIGHTON, still under tow, detached in the North Minches. AURORA, LIGHTNING and ECHO arrived at Scapa Flow on 1 July. She sailed to the Clyde later on 1 July without her bow, which had broken away en route.

Med/Biscay
NZ manned CL LEANDER and DDs DECOY, HAVOCK, and NIZAM swept north of Beirut during the night of 25/26 June. At dawn on the 26th, the force bombarded the Damur area.

Submarine PARTHIAN sank Requin Class submarine SOUFFLEUR (Vichy 974 grt) about 2.5 miles outside of Beirut, at 1242. PARTHIAN reportedly caught the Vichy submarine on the surface as she attempted to recharge her batteries. 52 men were killed immediately, of the 5 men on the bridge, 5 got out of the boat and attempted to swim to shore, but one drowned. The boat broke in two, taking 52 of the crew with her.

RAN CL PERTH and CLA CARLISLE departed Alexandria on the 25th to relieve cruisers LEANDER and COVENTRY off Syria. CLA CARLISLE had been in the floating dock at Alexandria from 21 to 25 June. PERTH at that time was only partially repaired from the Crete bombing damage. Cruisers LEANDER and COVENTRY departed Haifa and joined the Battle Fleet at sea. They returned to Alexandria on the 27th. DDs HASTY and JAGUAR departed Haifa to return to Alexandria.

Sub RORQUAL departed Alexandria on a supply run to Malta.

An Italian convoy of troopships ESPERIA, MARCO POLO, OCEANIA, and NEPTUNIA departed Naples for Tripoli, calling at Taranto on the 27th.

The convoy was escorted by RM DDs AVIERE, GENIERE, GIOBERTI, and DA NOLI and was given cover by CAs TRIESTE and GORIZIA and DDs CORAZZIERE and CARABINIERE. DD ASCARI departed Messina on the 25th and joined the covering force.

Submarine URGE, already on patrol off Messina, and submarines UNBEATEN and UPHOLDER, at Malta, were ordered to intercept the convoy. When no contact was made, subs UNBEATEN and UPHOLDER returned to Malta on the 27th. In British air attacks on the convoy on the 25th, Sub Lt (A) D.A.R. Holmes and Leading Airman J.R. Smith were lost when their Swordfish of the 830 Sqn hit the side of the ship being attacked. Liner ESPERIA received light damage from the air attacks. DD ASCARI arrived at Messina on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 29th.

Submarine OSIRIS departed Gibraltar for Malta with seventy tons of petrol. RNeN sub O.23 departed Gibraltar for patrol in the Gulf of Genoa.

Nth Atlantic
USN CLs PHILADELPHIA and SAVANNHA with DDs LANG and WILSON departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol ending at Bermuda on 8 July.

Central Atlantic
CVL FURIOUS, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs LEGION, LANCE FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, and FURY, which joined on the 24th, arrived at Gibraltar.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 JUNE TO DAWN 26 JUNE 1941

Weather Hot and sunny.

0856-0927 hrs Air raid alert for an Italian SM 79 bomber escorted by 15 Macchi 200 fighters which crosses the Island, apparently on reconnaissance, at 21000 feet. Nine Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the raiders at great height, 20 miles south of Delimara. The bomber is hit and damaged, its undercarriage drops and a stream of oil is seen from the aircraft. Three Macchi 200s are shot down. The rest of the raiders are chased out almost to CapePassero. An SOS is picked up, stating "Macchi 200 fallen into the sea 11 miles south of CapeReligione; go immediately." Wreckage is seen in the sea 20 miles north-east of St Paul's Bay. One heavy anti-aircraft gun fires a pointer round; no claims.

1345-1349 hrs Air raid alert for six enemy aircraft which approach to within 3 miles of GrandHarbour before turning away to the north. Eight Hurricanes are scrambled but unable to intercept because the leader cannot reach the altitude of the enemy in his aircraft.

2210-2310 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island from the north, unobserved by early warning systems. Bombs are dropped on San Pietru and in the sea north east of St Paul's Bay. The air raid alert then sounds. During the raid several Malta aircraft depart on offensive operations, their navigation lights on and landing lights on the aerodrome exposed. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage the raider; no claims.

2321-2338 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which drops bombs in the sea off St Thomas' Bay before receding northwards.

0141-0158 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which crosses the coast to the south east of GrandHarbour and drops 500lb high explosive bombs on Zeitun.

0238-0349 hrs Air raid alert for five enemy aircraft which approach singly from the north, on the same course as Wellington bombers of 148 Squadron flying in from the Middle East, two hours ahead of schedule. 100lb and 500lb high explosive bombs are dropped between Safi, on the road between Zurrieq and Qrendi, on Zabbar, and the sea 15 miles east of GrandHarbour, off Filfla and in St Thomas' Bay. The night Hurricanes are scrambled and engage on two occuasions; no claims.

NAVY Important transport convoy of four large liners departed Naples; sighted south of Messina and attacked at dusk by 4 Maryland aircraft with bombs and 2 Swordfish of 830 Squadron with torpedoes. 2 hits claimed; one merchant vessel was seen burning amidships, and the convoy turned towards Taranto. 1 Swordfish (crew S/Lt Holmes and L/A Smith) and 1 Maryland failed to return.

AIR HQ Departures 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. Photos of Castel Benito show 45 bombers, 22 fighters and 8 transport aircraft; at Mallaha 6 fighters and 2 bombers; at Palermo 14 fighters, 2 transport aircraft; at Trapani 18 fighters.

TA QALI Hurricane caught fire during refuelling (fire extinguished); cause so far unknown.

 

[parsifal]

26 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
1936 class ("Narvik") DD DKM Z-29

1937 class TB DKM T-15

Type VIIC U-453
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

9 ships sunk, total tonnage 23,289 grt; sunk on 21 May 1944 in the Ionian Sea NE of CapeSpartivento, , by DCs from the RN DDs TERMAGENT, TENACIOUS and Escort DD HMS LIDDESDALE. 1 dead and 51 survivors.

Type VIIC U-576
[NO IMAGE FOUND]
4 ships sunk, total tonnage 15,450 grt. Sunk on 15 July 1942 in the Nth Atlantic off CapeHatteras, by DCs from two US Kingfisher a/c (VS-9) and gunfire from the US MV UNICOI.

Neutral
Elco 77' PT USS PT-27

Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS EURYALUS

Flower Class Corvette HMCS PRESCOTT (K-161)

M1 Class ML HMS M-5 (M-74)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MA/SB-27, Fairmile B ML ML 270, 275
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
MSW trawler TRANIO (RN 275 grt) whilst in tow, was sunk by the LW near No. 57 Buoy (Smith's Knoll). There were no casualties on the trawler.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RN Sub HMS SEVERN sank steamer POLINNIA (FI 1292 grt) SE of Ischia..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RN Sub HMS UTMOST sank steamer ENRICO COSTA (FI 4080 grt) four miles from CapeTodaro..

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient: U-141

At Sea 26 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-556, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

41 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic

East Front
Baltic
U-149 was lightly damaged by VMF SCs with DCs. Her operational readiness was unaffected.

The VMF inflicted its first losses at sea in the Baltic. At heavy cost they had managed to lay minefields close to the CourlandCoast. Mines laid by DDs SERDITYI, STOIKYI and STOROZHEVOYI in Irben straits between 24 and 25 June sank on night of 26/27 June S-Boat S-43 (DKM 100 grt)Mines laid by DDs SERDITYI, STOIKYI, STOROZHEVOYI, SILNYI, STRASHNYI, SMETLIVYI and GROZYASHCHYI between 26 and 27 June sank the S boat S-106 (DKM 105 grt) on the same night.

Black Sea/Caspian
The Battle Of Constanta
Leningrad Class DDs MOSKVA (VMF 2150 grt) and KHARKOV bombarded the Romanian Naval Port of Constanta, firing over 350 rounds of 5" ammunition into the port and setting ablaze the oil storage farm and destroying a munitions train in the attack. The bombardment was covered by VMF CA VOROSHILOV and DDs SMYSHLENY and SOOBRAZITELNY. The Romanians returned fire with all caliber of coastal guns, including two batteries of 280cm guns. DD KHARKOV was damaged by splinters from the return fire of the Romanians. DD MOSKVA was sunk by a mine (there is some doubt about the stated course of loss) as the DDs retired. Romanian sources also state that the retreat occurred after a raging combat in which there was an intense exchange of gunfire between the VMF DDs and NMS DDs REGINA MARINA and MARASTI, later supported by the NMS MTBs VIFORUL and VIJELIA which were at sea at the time of the attack. The Romanian DDs, together with defending harbour CA batteries, succeeded in turning around the Soviet vessels. The wreck of the MOSKVA was located in post war dives between MidiaCape and Tuzla. Although the precise cause is not precisely known, it is known that the MOSKVA suffered a huge explosion and sank in less than 5 mins. There were 268 persons declared missing, while 69 survivors were rescued by the Romanians. Romanians did not again risk their larger warships in pitched battles with the Black sea Fleet.

+

DD KHARKOV was damaged by near misses from counterattacking a/c. DDs SMYSHLENY and SOOBRAZITELNY escorted KHARKOV. CA VOROSHILOV was also damaged by a hit from a mine. DDs BESPOSCHADNY and BODNY departed Sevastapool to join the cruiser and escort it back to port.

"The Battle of Constanta" Post war dramatizing painting

Northern Waters
DD WINCHESTER departed Scapa Flow for the Clyde to form part of the escort for CV VICTORIOUS to Scapa Flow. DD HAMBLEDON arrived at Scapa Flow from Chatham after fitting of SA equipment. RIN sloop JUMNA departed Scapa Flow escorting tkr WAR BHARATA to the Faroes. The sloop returned to Scapa Flow on the 27th after problems with the tanker's machinery were encountered. The sloop sailed again at 1400 escorting tkr WAR PINDARI, which had taken the place of the original tkr. After delivering the tkr, the sloop departed on the 28th escorting tkr WAR DIWAN and QUENTIN ROOSEVELT to Scapa Flow arriving at noon on the 30th.

West Coast
OB.339 departed Liverpool, escort DD BROADWATER, sloop LEITH, and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. On 2 July, DDs RAMSEY and RICHMOND and corvettes COBALT and POLYANTHUS joined. DD RAMSEY was detached on 3 July. AMC WOLFE joined on 6 July. On 9 July, DDs BURWELL and RICHMOND and sloop LEITHwere detached. On 10 July, DD BROADWATER and corvette COBALT were detached. The convoy arrived at Halifax on 12 July.

SW Approaches
Submarine P.33 arrived at Gibraltar from the Clyde. On the 28th, the submarine departed for Malta.

Med/Biscay
BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs FAULKNOR, FORESTER, FURY, FEARLESS, and FOXHOUND departed Gibraltar. FEARLESS and FOXHOUND were relieved before the operation by DDs LANCE and LEGION. On the 27th, CV ARK ROYAL flew a/c off to Malta in Operation RAILWAY. Force H. returned to Gibraltar on the 28th.

BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH, WARSPITE, and VALIANT, CL AJAX, ML Cruiser ABDIEL, and DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, HERO, JAGUAR, DEFENDER, KIMBERLEY, and HASTY departed Alexandria for gunnery and other exercises between Alexandria and Port Said. BB WARSPITE was detached that afternoon for Port Said, escorted by DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, and KIMBERLEY arriving on late on the 26th. The BB transited the Canal and began the passage to the USA, via Colombo and Singapore. KANDAHAR and GRIFFIN then proceeded to Haifa to operate off Syria.

DD KIMBERLEY rejoined the Battle Fleet. On the 26th, CLA PHOEBE and ML Cruiser LATONA joined the Fleet exercises.

Nth Atlantic
HX.135 departed Halifax, escort RCN DD ST CROIX, sloop LONDONDERRY, corvettes BARRIE and MATAPEDIA, and aux PV REINDEER. The corvettes and the PV were detached that day. The DD was detached on the 29th. BHX.135 departed Bermuda on the 24th escort AMC PRINCE DAVID (the AMCs were detached to return some time later). The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.135/29th and the armed merchant cruiser was detached. On 1 July, escort ships CULVER and HARTLAND joined the convoy and BANFF and FISHGUARD joined on 4 July. MSW HUSSAR and corvettes ABELIA and ANEMONE joined on 6 July. DDs BROKE, DOUGLAS, SALADIN, and SKATE, corvette VERONICA, and anti-submarine trawlers ST ELSTAN, ST KENAN, and ST ZENO. DDs SALADIN and SKTA were detached on 10 July and the remainder of the escort on 11 July. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 12 July.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
British troopship NIEUW AMSTERDAM departed Suez with the King of Greece, members of the Royal Family, the Greek Prime Minister, other ministers and their families, British, Dutch, and Polish Ministers and families, 151 other passengers, five naval personnel, 1000 pows of war, and 75 armed soldiers as escort. The troopship was met by CA CORNWALL on 3 July. They arrived at Durban on 7 July.

Steamer MAREEBA (UK 3472 grt) was sunk by DKM Raider KORMORAN The MAREEBA left Singapore on June 1st, 1941, for Colombo. On the 26th June 1941 she was intercepted and scuttled by the KORMORAN about 350 miles N.W. of the Nicobar Islands. 26 crewmen were lost and 25 were rescued and made pows.

Steamer VELEBIT (Yug 4153 grt) whilst on passage from Colombo to Moulmein was sunk by DKM raider KORMORAN in the Bay of Bengal. Six crewmen were rescued; of which two died. Twelve crewmen were made pows. 7 were killed by the gunfire which sank the ship and 7 crewmen were listed as simply missing.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 JUNE TO DAWN 27 JUNE 1941
Weather Hot and sunny.
No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 26 JUNE 1941

ROYAL NAVY Reconnaissance of Taranto Harbour AM showed two liners in harbour, but PM reconnaissance showed a convoy of four large ships steering south off Taranto. Utmost successful attack, sank 6000 ton ship. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Swordfish bombed shipping and port facilities in Tripoli Harbour.

AIR HQ Arrivals 4 Wellington 148 Squadron. 69 Squadron 3 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. 4 Marylands made a high-level bombing attack on Tripoli Harbour in daylight, dropping 3000 lbs of high explosive, damaging Spanish Wharf and causing fires. 148 Squadron 4 Wellingtons made a successful night bombing attack on Tripoli Harbour.

 

[parsifal]

27 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
LCT Mk 2 Class LCT 110
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
MSW trawler FORCE (RN 324 grt) was sunk by the LW off Great Yarmouth.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer MONTFERLAND (NL 6790 grt) was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. The entire crew were rescued. She was on passage from Mackay (Australia to Humber) with as load of sugar and some minerals when lost.

Attacks on SL-78
U-123 attacked Convoy SL-78 and sank MV OBERON (NL 1996 grt) in the Central Atlantic off the coast of Spanish Sahara. The ship was on passage from Duala to Hull, with a cargo of Palm Kernels and some general cargo. A crew of 34 was embarked, 6 of whom would perish in the attack At 2357, 2358 and 24.00 hrs on 27 June 1941, U-123 fired one torpedoes each at three ships in SL-78 from between the columns WSW of the Canary Islands. The first torpedo sank FNFL P.L.M. 22 (see below) the second the OBERON and the third missed the intended target, but was thought to have hit another ship in the convoy. The OBERON was struck by a torpedo in the engine room, killing four men on watch below and a purser. The survivors were picked up by a British corvette, but one man later died of wounds.

U-123 attacked Convoy SL-78 and sank MV P.L.M. 22 (FNFL 5646 grt) in the Central Atlantic off the coast of Spanish Sahara. The ship was on passage from Pepel to Middlesborough transporting a cargo of Iron Ore with a crew of 44 (33 of whom would perish in the attack) when sunk. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner were lost. Nine crew members, one gunner and one passenger were picked up by Corvette HMS ARMENIA, transferred to Corvette HMS ASPHODEL and landed at Freetown on 4 July.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-69 sank Steamer RIVER LUGAR (UK 5423 grt) whilst she was on passage from Pepel to Barry Roads via Freetown with a cargo of iron ore and a crew of 46, 40 of whom were to perish in the attack. The ship sank in seconds, with the the master, 34 crew members, four gunners and one passenger from the RIVER LUGAR lost. Six crew members were picked up by Corvette HMS BURDOCK and landed at Milford Haven.

U-69 sank Steamer EMPIRE ABILITY (UK 7603 grt) whilst she was on passage from Mauritius to Liverpool via Freetown with a cargo of sugar and a crew of 109, 2 of whom would perish. At 0119 hrs, U-69 fired a spread of two torpedoes at two overlapping steamers in SL-78 about 200 miles SE of the Azores and heard one detonation, but no hit can be confirmed from Allied sources. At 0149 hrs, another torpedo was fired that hit the RIVER LUGAR amidships, which broke in two and sank within seconds. In a third attack at 0237 hrs, the EMPIRE ABILITY was hit by a torpedo, caught fire and sank after 21 minutes. The master, 60 crew members, two gunners, 17 military personnel and 27 passengers were picked up by the AMERIKA, transferred to Corvette HMS BURDOCK and landed at Milford Haven.

After sinking two ships in the convoy, U-69 was fired on by escorts, but in the in the confusion following the attack, She escaped unharmed. U-123, having torpedoed two ships from the convoy was depth charged for 11 hrs, but escaped by diving to 654 feet, below the range of British DCs at that time.

Attacks on HX.133.
U.564 damaged Norwegian tkr KONGSGAARD during the wolfpack attack on HX-133. The tanker arrived at Belfast Lough on 2 July.

U.564 sank steamer MAASDAM (NL 8812 grt). She was on passage from Halifax to Liverpool, with unkown cargo and a crew of 80 of whom 2 would lose their lives. At 0155 hrs U-564 fired three single torpedoes in one minute intervals at the convoy HX-133 about 300 miles sth of Iceland and observed three hits. The MAASDAM, MALAYA II and KONGSGAARD were all hit. The MAASDAM was hit by one torpedo on the port side. Several lifeboats were destroyed, but the most of the 48 crew members and 32 passengers (17 American Red Cross nurses and US Marines under Maj Walter L. Jordan, the advance detail for the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in London) safely abandoned ship before she sank. Two passengers were lost. 44 survivors, among them nine of 17 American Red Cross nurses, were rescued by the Norwegian tkr HAVPRINS and landed at Barry. The remaining survivors were picked up by another Norwegian vessel.

U.564 sank steamer MALAYA II (UK 8651 grt) in attacks on HX-133. The ship was on passage from Montral to Cardiff, with a cargo of metals and some TNT and a crew of 49, 43 of whom would perish in the attack. The MALAYA II was hit by one torpedo in hold #2 and disintegrated when the cargo of dynamite exploded. The master, 38 crew members and four gunners were lost. Six crew members were picked up by RCN Corvette COLLINGWOOD and landed at Reykjavik.

U.70 damaged Dutch tanker TIBIA from convoy in the Nth Atlantic. The tanker was repaired in the Tyne.

Type VIIC U.556 (DKM 769 grt) was sunk by Corvettes NASTURTIUM, CELANDINE, and GLADIOLUS SW of Iceland in thye latter part of the battle. There were 5 dead and 41 survivors taken prisoner
[NO IMAGE FOIUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-204

At Sea 27 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

39 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic

East Front
Baltic
Captures
MV MOLE (SU 117 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co. / She was seized by the wehrmacht in Elgava

FERRY NEPTUNAS (SU 191 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co. Seized German Army in Elgava.

MV RIGA (SU 1207 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co. Seized German Army in Riga.

U-149 sank M Class sub M-99 (VMF 206 grt) At 0427 hrs on 27 June 1941. M-99 (Sr Lt Boris M. Popov) was hit by two torpedoes from U-149, which the day previously had beer slightly damaged by Soviet escorts . M-99 and sank immediately east of DagöIsland.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

M Class Sub M-83 (VMF 206 grt) was scuttled off Libau while returning to port on 27 June 1941. It is thought she had been damaged on the 25th by a/c.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM S-Boats attacked a group of VMF DDs while they were carrying out ML missions. DD STOROZHEVOYI was hit by S-31 or S-59 and damaged by a torpedo but didn't sink (84 kia). It was assumed at the time that the attacker was a submarine. That night was also lost the G-5 Class (series 11) MTB TK-47(VMF 19 grt), (ex-TK-163). DKM S-35. was fired upon by VMF DD STOIKYI reported to have fired at MTBs previously on the 26th, while on the 27th was subjected to another attack but could not fire against the attacking MTBs. STOROZHEVOYI was the largest Soviet warships ever hit by German MTB. She survived this attack, and was towed back to Leningrad, where she was rebuilt and repaired, returning to service at the end of 1942.

MV MARIAMPOL (SU 1565 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co. The Ship was destroyed by Soviet Army during the retreat from the port of Riga.

FERRY VIENIBA (SU 288 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co. She departed Liepaja in convoy with MSWs VIENIBA and TKA-27 having on board several hundreds wounded and civilian passengers. Vieniba as well as both MSWs were sunk by the LW. 25 crew and passengers were rescued, others were lost

Ships captured by the wehrmacht in Port of Liepaia

MV AUSEKLIS (SU 1700 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co

MV VELTA (SU 3100 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co.

MV VENTA (SU 2830 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co.

MV KAIA (SU 244 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co.

MV OGRE (SU 416 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co.

MV RAUNA (SU 3100 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co.

MV SPIDOLA (SU 4650 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co.

Northern Patrol
DD ICARUS, with damaged propellers, departed Reykjavik at 1200 to meet convoy HX.133 and then proceed to Ardrossan to repair.

Northern Waters
CA CUMBERLAND, escorted by HAMBLEDON and WINDSOR, departed Scapa Flow to refit at Chatham. The CA arrived at Sheerness on the 28th. DDs LIGHTNING, ESKIMO, RAN NESTOR, and ORP KRAKOWIAK departed Scapa Flow to search for a submarine reported by air in the area. The DDs returned the next day.

West Coast
Ships for WS.9B departed Avonmouth on the 27th, Liverpool on the 28th, and the Clyde on the 29th. The three sections rendezvoused at sea on the 30th. Steamers TAMAROA, PULASKI, ANSELM (which returned with defects), ORONSAY, ATHLONECASTLE , MONARCH OF BERMUDA, CERAMIC, CLAN FORBES, ARUNDELCASTLE , MATAROA, PAMPAS , RANGITATA, and ELISABETH BAKKE composed the convoy. DD WELLS escorted the convoy from 29 June to 1 July. CLA CAIRO and DDs ST FRANCIS, GARLAND, READING, ORP PIORUN, VANQUISHER, WINCHELSEA, MAORI, and CASTLETON escorted the convoy from 29 June to 2 July. CL EDINBURGH, departed Scapa Flow on the 25th for the Clyde and arrived on the 26th, and DD WOLVERINE escorted the convoy from 28 June to 3 July. AMC CATHAY was with the convoy from 29 June to 4 July. AMC CHITRAL was with the convoy from 29 June to 7 July. CL GALATEA and AMCMORETONBAY were with the convoy for the entire voyage to Freetown. DDs WIVERN, WILD SWAN, and BRILLIANT and corvette ASPHODEL joined the convoy on 10 July and escorted it to Freetown, and arrived at Freetown on 13 July.

On 16 July, the convoy sailed escort DDs BRILLIANT, VELOX, VANSITTART, and BOREAS from 16 to 18 July. CL GALATEA escorted the convoy through to Capetown.

Steamers CERAMIC, CLAN FORBES, PAMPAS, ELISABETH BAKKE, PULASKI, and RANGITATA arrived at Capetown on 27 July. Steamers ORONSAY, ATHLONECASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, ARUNDELCASTLE, TAMAROA, and MATAROA arrived at Durban on 30 July. Steamers CLAN FORBES, PULASKI, PAMPAS, and ELISABETH BAKKE departed Capetown on 30 July escorted by AMC QUEEN OF BERMUDA. They rendezvoused with ORONSAY, ARUNDELCASTLE, MONARCH OF BERMUDA, and ATHLONECASTLE which sailed from Durban on 3 August escorted by CL GALATEA, and arrived at Aden on 14 August. The ships travelled independently to Suez.

OB.340 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ASSINIBOINE and BULLDOG, corvettes AUBRETIA, CARNATION, HOLLYHOCK, and NIGELLA, MSWs BRITOMART and SALAMANDER, and ASW trawlers ANGLE, KING SOL, NOTTSCOUNTY, and ST APOLLO. This section was detached on 3 July when DD HAVELOCK, sloop FLEETWOOD, and corvettes ALBERNI, CHAMBLY, COLLINGWOOD, and ORILLIA joined. The convoy was dispersed on 13 July.

Submarine L 26 grounded on the west coast of Mull. The submarine was refloated on the 28th. Submarine L 26 was repaired at Ardrossan from 8 July to 26 July.She was permanently repaired at Plymouth from 19 September to 5 February 1942.

SW Approaches
DD FIREDRAKE departed Chatham after repairs to return to Gibraltar and duty with Force H.

Med/Biscay
Submarine OSIRIS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

RN Sub TRIUMPH sank Argonauta Class Sub SALPA (RM 650 grt) off Mersa Matruh

RM submarine JANTINA unsuccessfully attacked HMA ship PARRAMATTA near Tobruk. The sloop counterattacked and was joined by RAN DD STUART, but the submarine was not damaged.

CLA NAIAD and DDs KINGSTON, JERVIS, and HOTSPUR bombarded Damur at dawn on the 27th.

Central Atlantic
Submarine GLAUCO (RM 1054 grt) was sunk by destroyer WISHART, which just left convoy HG.66, west of Gibraltar.. Seven officers and forty four ratings were rescued from the submarine. The DD arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th.

Submarine CLYDE departed Gibraltar westward for Operation VIGOROUS. Due to mistaken identity, she was attacked by DD AVONVALE in the Straits and sustained some damage. However, the submarine was able to continue on her mission.

The operation was a patrol in the area of the Canary Islands for a German supply ship, reportedly due to supply a German submarine on the 30th. Nothing was found and the submarine returned to Gibraltar on 5 July.

SL.79 departed Freetown escort AMC DUNOTTAR CASTLE to 10 July and corvettes COLUMBINE, CROCUS, and CYCLAMEN to 5 July. Ocean boarding vessel MARSDALE departed Gibraltar on 11 July and joined the convoy for passage to England. On 14 July, the convoy joined convoy HG.67 for the passage to England, and arrived at Liverpool on 24 July.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CL MAURITIUS arrived at Mombasa after escorting convoy CM 11 to Aden. Observer Sub Lt (A) M.S.T. Broadwood of 700 Sqdn, PO Airman H.D. Millington, PO Airman W.A.H. Peters, and Air Artificer 4/c T.G. Finan were killed in an air accident in CA EXETER in Mozambique Channel.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 JUNE TO DAWN 28 JUNE 1941
Weather Hot and sunny.
1010 hrs Hurricanes begin landing at Luqa from Operation Railway.

1146-1220 hrs Air raid alert for a SM 79 bomber escorted by 25 Macchi 200 fighters which approach Grand Harbour from the north. Heavy anti-aircraft guns engage. Hurricane fighters are scrambled and engage, destroying six Macchis confirmed, plus two probable, and damaging the SM 79 and other fighters. Two Macchis are seen to crash; one near Birzebbuga is completely burned out and scattered over four fields. The pilot bales out but the parachute fails to open; his body is found near Ta Karach and an ambulance attends the scene. The second Macchi crashes into the sea; its pilot is rescued and taken prisoner. P/O Barnes, who shot him down, visits the Italian pilot for afternoon tea.

2152-2220 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching from the north. Seven heavy anti-aircraft guns launch a barrage and one aircraft recedes north. The other crosses the coast north of Grand Harbour and drops 50kg bombs between Valletta and Sliema, including Pieta Creek. One bomb demolishes a house in Pieta, where a crater in the road causes a traffic diversion. One gunner is killed and three injured. 50kg bombs are also dropped in the sea off Salina Bay and St Thomas' Bay. Anti-aircraft guns launch a barrage; no claims. Hurricane night fighters are scrambled but searchlights do not illuminate raiders and there are no interceptions.

0305-0350 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches from the north and drops 50kg high explosive bombs on Zabbar and Marsa, as well as Ta Qali and in the sea off the north coast. One stick of bombs start a fire at Salvatore Gate which is soon under control. Several unexploded bombs are reported on land. Anti-aircraft guns open fire; no claims. Malta night fighters do not intercept due to lack of searchlight illuminations.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 27 JUNE 1941

ROYAL NAVY A convoy of four liners (same as departed Naples 25 June) arrived in Taranto, but not known whether these were original four. The ships were later attacked in harbour by Blenheim aircraft which claim to have damaged Esperia (causing slight damage) and Neptunia.

AIR HQ Arrivals 21 Hurricane, 4 Wellington. 69 Squadron 6 Maryland reconnaissance missions. 82 Squadron 3 Blenheims made a surprise low-level bombing attack on Tamet aerodrome, setting fire to three aircraft and machine-gunning others, as well as personnel on the ground. 148 Squadron 6 Wellingtons night bombing raid on Tripoli Harbour, especially Spanish Wharf and the main unloading facilities.

TA QALI 10 Hurricanes arrived ex Ark Royal. One overshot aerodrome on landing; pilot uninjured

 

[parsifal]

28 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Isles Class ASW Trawler HMS CAVA (T-145)

Higgins 70' type MGB 100

Fairmile B ML-205
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U-146 sank MV PLUTO (FN 3496 grt) in waters off the Nth of the UK. The vessel was enroute from Sth America to Petsamo via New York with a cargo of grain, coal and oil. A crew of 39 was embarked, of whom 3 would perish in the attack. She effectively became a blockade runner after Finland joined the Axis. This did not save her from attentions of the U-Boats as she travelled these dangerous waters

At 0207 hrs the unescorted and unarmed PLUTO was hit in the engine room by one torpedo fired by U-146 and sank after 30 minutes about 75 miles NW of Butt of Lewis. Eight days earlier, the ship had been stopped by HMS SUFFOLK in the Denmark Strait and was first sent to Iceland with ten Royal Marines on board and then to Kirkwall for contraband control. The master, 25 crew members and the prize crew were rescued by HMS NORTHERN DUKE and landed at Kirkwall on 29 June.

RM submarine DA VINCI sank tanker AURIS (UK 8030 grt) in the central Atlantic whilst she was on passage from Trinidad to Gibraltar carrying crude oil. 32 crewmen were lost on the steamer. DD FARNDALE departed convoy HG.66 to assist and picked up 27 crewmen.

Steamer BARRHILL (UK 4972 grt) was sunk by the LW off Great Yarmouth Roads on passage New York for London with grain. Five crewmen were lost on the steamer.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Trondheim: U-431

Konigsberg: U-401
Lorient: U-109

At Sea 28 June 1941
U-38, U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-143, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-203, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-651, U-751, UA

40 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
East Front
Baltic
Novik Class DD LENIN (VMF 1260 grt) was scuttled by the retreating Soviet Army at Libau.

Serie IX Bis Submarine S.10 (VMF 856 grt)mined and sunk in the Irben strait on or around 28 June 1941. All hands (40) lost.

North Sea
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Methil and joined convoy EC.38 off MayIsland. The convoy was escorted to Pentland Firth and the ship arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

West Coast
CV VICTORIOUS departed the Clyde escort DDs CHARLESTOWN, ST MARYS, and WINCHESTER for Scapa Flow. DD ECLIPSE departed Loch Alsh at 2330/28th to join the escort. DD ESKIMO departed Scapa Flow on the 29th to meet the CV and bolster the escort. The carrier, escorted by DDs ESKIMO, ECLIPSE, and WINCHESTER, arrived at Scapa Flow on the 29th.

Med/Biscay
RAN CL PERTH and DDs KANDAHAR, GRIFFIN, HAVOCK, and JERVIS carried out a sweep of Damur during the night of 27/28 June. The cruiser, supported by CLA CARLISLE and DDs JERVIS, DECOY, HAVOCK, HOTSPUR, and RAN NIZAM, bombarded Damur during the afternoon of 28 June.

Sub SEVERN sank steamer UGO BASSI (FI 2900 grt) whilst the steamer was on passage from Civitavecchia to Cagliari. The vessel sank five miles 24° from Capo Monte Santi in the Gulf of Orosei.

RN Sub OSIRIS unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
RM CL s ATTENDOLO and DUCA D'AOSTA escorted by DDs PIGAFETTA, PESSAGNO, DA MOSTO, DA VERAZZANO, and DA RECCO laid mines in the Sicilian Channel.

For Operation RAILWAY 2, CVL FURIOUS, CLA HERMIONE, and DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, LANCE, and LEGION cleared port at dusk on the 28th to feint to the west as Force A. DD LANCE was later moved to the BC RENOWN group. As Force B, BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESTER, WISHART, and AVONVALE departed at 0130 hrs on the 29th. DDs WISHART and AVONVALE were detached after local escort duties. The two groups proceeded to Malta in company.

On the 30th June ARK ROYAL flew 26 Hurricanes whilst FURIOUS flew 8 Hurricanes. All a/c were transferred to Malta. The operation suffered a mishap when one of the aircraft crashed into the bridge structure and started a fire on the flight deck. Two officers and one rating were killed. One other officer and two ratings died of injuries on the 30th.Two officers and four ratings later died of wounds. Ten ratings were seriously injured. The mishap prevented the last six aircraft from being flown off FURIOUS.

The force returned to Gibraltar after the operation on 1 July.

Subs UNIQUE, UPRIGHT, UNIQUE, and UPHOLDER departed Malta to intecept Vichy vessels expected to proceed to support Syria. All, less UPHOLDER, returned to Malta without contact on 3 July. UPHOLDER arrived at Malta on 8 July.

ASW trawlers LORD IRWIN and LAERTES and whaler GOS 7 departed Gibraltar for Freetown. Norwegian tanker SILDRA departed in company and set off for the west.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 JUNE TO DAWN 29 JUNE 1941
Weather Hot and sunny.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 28 JUNE 1941

ROYAL NAVY All available submarines (Union, Upright, Unique, Upholder) to patrol East of Messina to intercept Vichy French vessels thought likely to proceed to support Syria.

AIR HQ Arrivals 6 Wellington, 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron 5 Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance.

 

[Njaco]

June 27 Friday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Cargo ship "Empire Ability" from convoy SL 78 was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-69. Cargo ship "Empire Activity" was torpedoed off Newfoundland by German submarine U-96. Dutch cargo liner "Maasdam" was torpedoed and sunk off Greenland by German submarine U-564.

ASIA: After months of negotiations, Netherlands East Indies agrees to only minor concessions, and Japanese trade delegation departs.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hungary declared war on the Soviet Union. Denmark severs diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union.

Armeegruppe Nord: The Battle of Raseiniai ended in German victory. The Battle of Raseiniai was a tank battle fought between the elements of the 4.Panzergruppe commanded by Gen. Erich Hoepner and the 3.Motorisierte Abteilung commanded by Major General Kurkin and 12.Motorisierte Abteilung commanded by Major General Shestapolov in Lithuania 75 km northwest of Kaunas in the attempt by the commander of the Northwestern Front, Kuznetsov to contain and destroy German troops that had crossed the Neman River (Nemunas). The result of the battle was the almost complete destruction of Soviet armoured forces of the Northwestern Front, clearing the way for the continued German offensive towards the crossings of the Daugava River (Western Dvina).

Armeegruppe Mitte: Forces of the Soviet 13th Army (Filatov), recently assigned to West Front, are struck by the attacks of German 3.Panzergruppe, advancing southward, and 2.Panzergruppe, striking northward. Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe and Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe link up near Minsk, trapping another 3 Soviet rifle divisions in what is now the Bialystok-Nowogrodek pocket. There are about 20 Soviet divisions encircled with 200,000 men from the Russian 3rd, 10th and 13th Armies. German 9.Armee and 4.Armee began reducing Soviet pocket at Bialystok. German troops captured Bobruisk in Byelorussia and Przemysl in Poland.

Armeegruppe Sud: Soviet 9th, 15th, and 19th Mechanized Corps continue attacking German 1.Panzergruppe. The Soviet counter attacks north of Dubno begin to sputter as uncoordinated Soviet battle groups are destroyed by the more coordinated German efforts. However, the attacks approaching from south of Dubno are more successful and create some confusion in the German attacks. Meanwhile, 11.Panzerdivision drives east of Dubno, breaking through the Soviet defenses and capturing Ostrog, 30 kilometers in the Soviet's rear. Once the East Fort of Brest Fortress could not be taken by infantry, the Luftwaffe bombed it twice and forced its approximately 360 defenders to surrender. German 17.Armee began attacking Lvov.

Hptm. Heinz Bretnutz, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 53 dies of his wounds suffered on the opening day of Operation Barbarossa. Hptm. Bretnütz had thirty-five victories in the air. Hptm. Walter Spies is appointed Gruppenkommandeur in his place. Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld, Gruppenkommandeur of I(J)./LG 2 shoots down his fifteenth Russian aircraft and fortieth victory of the war and is immediately awarded the Eichenlaub. Hptm. Hannes Trautloft of JG 54 is awarded the Ritterkreuz for his twenty victories attained so far. But Adolf Kinzinger of JG 54 is killed in captivity. He has six victories flying with the 'Green Hearts' Geschwader. JG 27 loses Hans Umbach when he is killed in action. He has five victories.

Lietukis Garage Massacre: In Kaunas, Lithuania, a group of Lithuanian nationalists gathered more than 50 Jewish men in a horse stable and beat them violently with iron bars in public view. None of the victims survived.

Soviet submarine SC-206 mistakenly attacks Soviet flotilla leader "Kharkov" and is in turn sunk by Soviet destroyers.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia appointed Tito as Commander-in-Chief of the Yugoslavian Peoples Army.

Joseph Stalin gave permission to military tribunals to give out death sentences to members of the Red Army without his personal approval.

Sir Stafford Cripps arrives in Moscow at the head of British delegation.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 108 aircraft to attack Bremen and 28 aircraft to attack Vegesack overnight. Fourteen do not return.

MEDITERRANEAN: Axis Convoy from Naples, having been diverted, departs Taranto for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Aviere", "Geniere", "Gioberti", and "Da Noli" and supported by two cruisers and three more destroyers.

Axis air raids lead to heavy air-to-air combat over Malta. Hurricanes disperse a formation of Italian Macchi fighters off Malta, shooting down 6.

Operation Railway I: 22 RAF Hurricane fighters launched from RN carrier "Ark Royal" of Force H escorted by Blenheims to reinforce Malta. Only one Hurricane failed to complete the delivery flight, while "Ark Royal" and her escort returned to Gibraltar.

NORTH AMERICA: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the offices of the Socialist Workers Party in Minneapolis and St. Paul in Minnesota, United States, seizing large quantities of Communist literature.

First flight of Douglas B-19 world's largest bomber at Santa Monica. The XB-19 project was intended to test flight characteristics and design techniques for giant bombers. Douglas Aircraft wanted to cancel the expensive project. Despite advances in technology that made the XB-19 obsolete before it was completed, the Army Air Corps felt that the prototype would be useful for testing. Its construction took so long that competition for the contracts to make the XB-35 and XB-36 occurred two months before its first flight.

NORTH AFRICA: De Gaulle names Catroux commander-in-chief of Levant with all powers of the French High Commissioner.

East African 22nd Infantry Brigade captures Dembi in Galla-Sidamo. RAF aircraft attack isolated Italian positions at Debra Tabor.

SOUTH PACIFIC: After minelaying operation in New Zealand waters, captured whaler "Adjutant" scuttled by prize crew in company with German raider "Komet".

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command conducts two major sweeps along the French coast. The first was a RAF 11 Group Roadstead against MVs off Calais. Then RAF Bomber Command sends 23 aircraft on RAF 11 Group Circus 25 to Lille heavily escorted by Fighter Command. 21 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group where escorted by fighters from 19 squadrons.

Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, one of Adolf Galland's younger brothers, is posted to II./JG 26. All three brothers are now flying within the same combat unit.

German blockade runner "Regensburg" reaches Bordeaux from Manchukuo.

One battalion of Vichy French troops and trainloads of supplies and ammunition depart for the Levant.

.

 

[Njaco]

June 28 Saturday
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The German weather ship "Lauenburg" was intercepted by British warships north of Iceland. A boarding party from the destroyer HMS "Tartar" seized a large amount of material that would be useful in cracking German codes, and then the "Lauenburg" was sunk by gunfire.

ASIA: Japanese Government decides not to join Germany in invading Soviet Union.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Italian-controlled Albanian government declares war on Soviet Union.

Armeegruppe Nord: Soviet 21st Mechanized Corps makes unsuccessful attack against German 4.Panzergruppe at Daugavipils.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe and 3.Panzergruppe attacked around Minsk and finally captured the city, encircling 27 Soviet Army divisions in the process. The Gestapo also enters the city, ordering all men from 15 to 45 years of age to appear at the registration point. Thousands obey and are marched off to Drozdy camp. 3.Panzerdivision of German 2.Panzergruppe captures Bobruisk. German 9.Armee (Strauss) and 4.Armee (Kluge) continue reducing Soviet pocket at Bialystok by linking up east of Bialystok by nightfall, cutting off the Soviet forces concentrated in the Bialystok pocket from the larger Nowogrodek pock. General Heinz Guderian's advancing 2.Panzergruppe is held up by the fortress of Brest-Litovsk managed by a commissar school of the Red Army. The fortress blocks the only supply route to the German front and after a week of attacks by Ju 87 Stukas the walls are still not breached. The Ju 88s of KG 3 are then called upon to attack using 3,500 lb bombs. Heavy fire disrupts the bombing runs but at 1800 hours two 3,500 lb bombs – or 'block busters' - do manage to hit the walls of the fortress and force the Russians to surrender.

Armeegruppe Sud: Armeegruppe Sud meets tougher than expected resistance in its drive through the southern Ukraine. German forces captured Rovno in Ukraine but Soviet mechanized counterattacked ending German 2.Panzergruppe's push around Rovno. Soviet counter-attacks in the Dubno region collapse. Russian forces are now withdrawing on all fronts.

The Soviet NKVD, NKGB, and the Chief Prosecutor Office signed a top secret joint order to coordinate the investigation of traitors. Meanwhile NKVD began murdering thousands of Ukrainian nationalist prisoners in Lvov and deporting many others to the east.

Rioting breaks out in the newly "liberated" city of Kaunas. The German military authorities stand by as 3800 Jews are killed by the angry mobs.

GERMANY: Joachim von Ribbentrop sent a message to the Japanese embassy in Berlin, Germany, asking the Japanese to jointly invade the Soviet Union by tearing up the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and attack Vladivostok, Russia.

MEDITERRANEAN: "Scirè's" mission to attack Grand Harbour, Malta was canceled.

MIDDLE EAST: Indian 21st Infantry Brigade crosses into northeastern Syria from Iraq, advancing toward Palmyra.

UNITED KINGDOM: London requests a division from Australia to reinforce Malaya. Oliver Lyttelton appointed to serve as British minister in the Middle East.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 24 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group on RAF 11 Group Circus 26 to Comines heavily escorted by 19 squadrons from Fighter Command. RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft on minelaying operations overnight.

While battling Spitfires over St. Omer, Oblt. Gustav "Mickey" Sprick, Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 26 performs a turn and has the wing of his Bf 109F collapse and break away. He has no chance to escape and dies when the plane crashes. He has thirty-one victories at the time of his death.

In Spain, General Agustin Munoz Grandes appointed to command new Blue Division for service on the Russian Front. Government soon begins recruiting for Blue Division.

.

 

[Njaco]

June 29 Sunday
ASIA: Japanese bombers attacked Chongqing, China. Among the property damaged were the British Embassy in the city and American gunboat USS "Tutuila" at Lungmenhao lagoon.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: The German armies are maintaining their advances and the Soviet positions are further stretched by the start of joint German-Finnish attacks in the Karelian Isthmus and farther north near Petsamo. Meanwhile, the last Soviet resistance in the Citadel area of Brest-Litovsk is eliminated. The past week shows that the Luftwaffe is having incredible success against the Soviets. Reichsmarschall Göring announces "In the first week of the campaign the Luftwaffe has destroyed 4,990 Russian enemy aircraft for the loss of 175 of its own." Moscow orders a policy of unrelenting scorched earth in the face of German advances. The Soviet government tells the people to leave nothing for the Germans, ordering the removal of all rolling stock, leaving not a single locomotive, not a truck, not a kilogram of bread, not a liter of fuel. Collective farms must drive away their cattle. All property of value, any, including ferrous metals, bread and fuel which cannot be taken away, must, without exceptions be destroyed. This was the famous "Scorched Earth" policy.

Armeegruppe Nord: Unternehmen 'Silber Fuchs': The German 20.Gebirgsarmee Armee launches Operation 'Silver Fox', an offensive to capture the Soviet port of Murmansk, while the Finnish Karelian Army activates its offensive towards Leningrad. Soviet warships land reinforcements for Murmansk on the Fisherman's Peninsula. Three successive German attacks all fail and Dietl's troops dig in along river Litsa in September. German troops attempted to take Riga by storming the railroad bridge over the Dvina River. They were successful in establishing a foothold on the eastern bank, but counter-attacking Russian forces destroyed the invaders. Colonel General Vasily Kuznetsov was ordered by Semyon Timoshenko to maintain pressure on the German bridgehead on the Daugava River (Western Dvina) near Daugavpils, Latvia. Kuznetsov would use all his reserves to mount a counterattack that would be repulsed by the Germans. On snow-covered tundra under the midnight sun, Dietl's German BergkorpsNorwegen crosses the Russian border, breaks through Russian border fortifications, and fords the Titovka River. The German advance out of Norway, directed at the vital northern port of Murmansk is stopped by determined Soviet defenses. German 18.Armee captures Liepaja, Jelgava, and Riga. German 4.Panzergruppe renews its offensive from Daugavpils. Soviet marines and elements of the 67th Rifle Division defending the Libau naval base far to the rear of the Germans run out of ammunition and time. The city and base are surrendered after inflicting heavy losses on the Germans.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Armies of Soviet Western Front encircled and destroyed.

Armeegruppe Sud: The Defense of Brest Fortress ended in German victory. After eight days of fierce fighting the Germans had captured the whole fortress. But the strategic objectives - control over the Panzerrollbahn I, i.e. the road to Moscow, the important railway line, and the bridges over the Bug river - were accomplished the very first day of the war. The Germans took 7,000 prisoners, including 100 officers. German losses were 1,000 killed, including 32 officers, and 700 wounded. The magnitude of these losses can be weighed by the fact that total German losses on the Eastern Front up to 30 June 1941 amounted to 8,886 killed. The fighting at Brest therefore accounted for over 5 percent of all German fatalities. Forces of Armeegruppe Sud eliminate pockets of resistance, consolidate their forces, and regroup for the continued advance toward Kiev.

A haggard and tense Stalin set up a Soviet Defence Committee consisted of Molotov, Voroshilov, Malenkov, Beria, and himself, and then retired to his dacha on the outskirts of Moscow, Russia, staying there until the following day writing a speech to the Soviet people and drafting two important directives on the Soviet war effort.

Romanian troops conducted a pogrom against Jews in the town of Jassy, killing 10,000.

GERMANY: Hitler formally declares Goering will be his successor.

RAF Bomber Command sends 106 aircraft to attack Bremen and 28 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight. Six do not return.

MEDITERRANEAN: In the name of Greater Albania, Italy announces annexation of districts of Yugoslavia along Albanian borders.

Operation RAILWAY II: RN Force H departs Gibraltar for central Mediterranean with aircraft to reinforce Malta. On the return of "Ark Royal" to Gibraltar, "Furious" transferred a further 26 aircraft retaining 16 and both carriers then sailed for a further flying off, being escorted by the battlecruiser "Renown", cruiser "Hermione" and destroyers "Faulknor", "Fearless", "Forester", "Foxhound", "Fury", "Lance" and "Legion".

RN destroyer "Waterhen" sunk by Italian Stukas from 239th Squadriglia off Bardia while on supply mission to Tobruk.

NORTH AMERICA: Former US President Herbert Hoover warned against aiding the Soviet Union.

"If we go further and join the war and we win, then we have won for Stalin the grip of communism on Russia.... If we join the war and Stalin wins, we have aided him to impose more communism on Europe and the world."

King Carol II arrives in Mexico where in exile he attempts unsuccessfully for the remainder of the war to build a Free Rumania movement and government-in-exile.

.

 

[parsifal]

As I recall Minsk was as far as OKH pre-invasion logistics planning had anticipated was needed to bring about the collapse of the Soviet Army and the surrender of the regime. The Germans reached Minsk, on time, and having achieved nearly all the military objectives they had set themselves. It was the military manifestation of Hitlers assertion of "all we need to do is kick in the door and they will come crashing down " dogmas that underpinned this lunatic campaign. The failure to secure soviet surrender passed almost un-noticed at the time and the Soviets showed no signs of capitulation and further began the first of many military rallies. The Germans, for their part began a series of extemporised campaigns, each one considered the "final push" needed to force the Soviets to their knees. these series of "final pushes" would drag the heer to the gates of Moscow and final defeat in this climactic campaign.

Halders diary on this day outlined a number of the fuhrers concerned, of which halder was generally dismissive of. however his diary does include the following

"Russians are fighting to the last man. Sometimes treacherous methods are used, especially where Mongolians are among the troops (Sixth Army, ninth Army). A singular note is, that as a rule only very few soldiers are taken with captured Battrys, etc. Some let themselves be killed, while others run away, get rid of their uniforms and. try to make their way back as "peasants « Morale of our troops everywhere is described as very good, also where they had to go through hard fighting. Horses very tired.

G-en. Ott (inf.) reports in particular on his impressions on the battlefield of Grodno, how, for once, our troops are compelled, by the stubborn Russian resistance, to fight according to their combat manuals. In. Poland and in the" West they could take liberties, but here they cannot get away -with it. Enemy air effort against our troops appears to be on a very minor scale".

http://militera.lib.ru/db/0/pdf/halder_eng6.pdf

 

[Njaco]

June 30 Monday
ASIA: The Netherlands Purchasing Commission placed an order with North American Aviation to purchase 162 B-25C bombers for the Dutch government-in-exile. These aircraft were intended for the Dutch East Indies to counter the growing Japanese threat.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Troops from Armeegruppe Sud take Lvov in the south while to their left other units make deeper advances toward Kiev. Bobruisk is taken by 2.Panzergruppe (part of Armeegruppe Mitte) and operations begin to cross the Berezina River. Hitler accepts Mussolini's offer to send an Italian expeditionary corps of three divisions to join German forces on the Russian Front.

Armeegruppe Nord: German 18.Armee, 4.Panzergruppe, and 16.Armee continue pushing toward Leningrad. With most of his armies destroyed, Kuznetsov was replaced by Sobennikov at Soviet Northwestern Front.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Armeegruppe Mitte continues to constrict the Bialystok pocket to the west of Minsk. Armies of Soviet Western Front were ordered to withdraw to the Berezina. General Pavlov was dismissed from command of Soviet Western Front and ordered to report to Moscow where he is tried for dereliction of duty. Eremenko takes command of Soviet Western Front. Bobruisk is taken by 2.Panzergruppe, and operations begin to cross the Berezina River.

Armeegruppe Sud: Edwald von Kleist's 1Panzergruppe troops captured Lvov, Ukraine. Elements of Bandera's faction of Ukrainian National Movement arrive at Lvov and proclaim renewal of independent Ukrainian state under leadership of Iaroslav Stetsko. German and Romanian troops threaten the Soviet town of Kishinev.

The Hungarian Army joins the war against the Soviets. The Hungarian Carpathian Group - which comprised the 1st Mountain and the 8th Border Guard Brigades as well as all of its corps troops (VIII. Corps) and the Gyorshadtest which comprised the 1st and 2nd Motorized Infantry Brigades as well as the 1st Cavalry Brigade and, the 15th Bicycle Battalion from 2nd Cavalry Brigade - began its attack on 30 June with attempts to clear the passes through the Carpathians. The defenders demolished many of the roads and bridges in the area which slowed down the advance considerably. The Soviets surprised the Hungarians with their skillful delaying tactics, but the Soviets made no real effort to hold on to the area between the Carpathians and the Dneiste

Over Lvov, Luftflotte 4's fighter units claim forty-one Russian aircraft shot from the sky and forty-five destroyed on the ground. The Russians fly hundreds of SB-2 and DB-3 bombers around Minsk to prevent the German Army from surrounding the city. The fighters of JG 51 intercept the bombers and destroy 113 of the bombers – sixty of the pilots returning to base with one or more victories to their scores. Three pilots claim five kills apiece including the Geschwader's 1,000th enemy aircraft destroyed since the beginning of the war. One is JG 51's Kommodore, Obstlt. Werner Mölders who claims five Russian planes destroyed to bring his total to eighty-two, surpassing the world record of eighty kills by the First World War I ace Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen. The other two pilots to record five kills are Hptm. Hermann-Friedrich Jöppien, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 51 and Lt. Heinz "Pritzl" Bär. The Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 51 Hptm. Josef Fözö brings his score to twenty kills as does the Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 51, Hptm. Richard Leppla. Oblt. Hermann Staiger of 7./JG 51 shoots down four Russian SB-2s for the day while Oblt. Hans Kolbow of 5./JG 51 also claims a Russian kill. But the Geschwader loses Helmut Jürgens, a pilot with thirteen victories, when he is killed in action against the Soviets.

In the north near Dunaberg waves of Russian bombers fly to attack the bridges over the Duna River that 4.Panzergruppe needs to continue advancing. Included in the group of Russian aircraft lost are sixty-four bombers shot down by anti-aircraft units protecting the bridge captured by the Germans. Uffz. Otto Kittel of 2./JG 54 manages to shoot down two Russian IL-2 Sturmoviks, the Soviet's heavily armoured aircraft used for ground support missions. Uffz. Kittel becomes so good at shooting down the Sturmoviks – known as 'butchers' to the German ground troops, - that he is known as the "Butcher-killer" to the German soldiers of Armeegruppe Nord. Other pilots of JG 54 have success as Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7 Staffel downs three Russian aircraft , Oblt. Hannes Trautloft claims two Russian DB-3s and Obstlt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of 9 Staffel claims four Soviet aircraft. The Geschwader claims sixty-five Soviet aircraft destroyed for the day.

The Soviet Union formed the State Defense Committee (GKO) to coordinate defense efforts; it consisted of Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Kliment Voroshilov, Georgy Malenkov, and Lavrentiy Beria.

Stalin begins executions of the commanders who failed to stop the invasion (conveniently forgetting that he was the one who kept on ignoring reports from the frontier and his own spies that the invasion was coming). Pavlov, commander of the Western Front was most notable among those who "lost their jobs".

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 34 aircraft to attack scattered targets during the day. The Handley Page Halifax bomber made its first daylight operation during a raid on Kiel, Germany but it did not take long to discover that its defensive armament was inadequate for daylight use and by the end of the year Halifax bombers were only used on night raids.

RAF Bomber Command sends 64 aircraft to attack the Ruhr overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: "Scirè" launched manned torpedoes into Grand Harbour, Malta. They failed to damage any enemy vessels.

Operation RAILWAY II: 35 RAF Hurricanes launched from RN carriers "Ark Royal" and "Furious" of Force H to reinforce Malta. During the flying off, "Furious" had a serious flight deck accident when the tenth aircraft to take off hit the island. Consequently when both ships returned to Gibraltar with 6 Hurricanes remained onboard, their pilots having become casualties in the accident, and were landed at Gibraltar. All the 35 aircraft that were successfully launched arrived at Malta, being led in by six Blenheim bombers.

RN gunboat "Cricket" was heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft off Matruh, towed to Alexandria, and written off.

NORTH AMERICA: The active duty strength of the US Marine Corps was reported to be 3,339 officers and 51,020 enlisted men for the total of 54,359.

USN aircraft carrier "Yorktown" leads task force departing Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol.

WESTERN FRONT: Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld's Bf 110 aircraft collided with another Bf 110, piloted by Rudolf Schoenert while in exercise over northern Netherlands.

RAF Bomber Command sends 18 Blenheim IVs of 2 Group on RAF 11 Group Circus 27 to attack the power stations at Pont-au-Vendin heavily escorted by 19 squadrons from Fighter Command.

Vichy France decides to break diplomatic ties with the USSR.

"The French Government had become convinced that diplomatic and consular agents of the Soviet in France were exercising influence affecting the security of the State."

.

 

[parsifal]

Halder's diary 30 June 1941

"Afternoon (1630) Visit by the Fuehrer to the camp. Report presented at OKH HQ . Report by me on progress, with estimate of the situation and the resulting operational possibilities.

The Fuehrer stresses the following points" (my note: and shows that hitlers decisions behind the kiev pocket diversion had little to do with the military situation. Further, there is no hint here of any opposition to the fuhrer's distractions from the main objective of Moscow by his professional staff, making the argument 'it was all hitler's fault' a spurious defence. Hitler is being distracted by economic issues already).

"a) Mastery of the Gulf of Finland must "be secured at the earliest. For only elimination of the Russian Navy will give us free communications through the Baltic (iron ore shipments from Lulea). After seizing the

Russian seaports from the landside we must allow three to four weeks for all enemy submarines to be positively out of action. Four weeks mean 2 million tons of iron ore.

2) Ukraine: Significance for food supply and industry.

He attaches great importance to reaching Leningrad as soon as possible with the Inf. Divs. of AGp North, but Armor need not wait for their advance. He does not see clear yet whether Leeb's strength, especially his Armor, is sufficient, for the purpose. He expects that after reaching Smolensk in the 'middle of July, we would not be able to take Moscow by Infantry assault before August; Armor alone cannot do it. The time it takes for the Inf. to get to Moscow, he believes could be utilized ''our Armor to. make a clean slate in the north. Then we could mass Armor east of Moscow. Speeding of gasoline supply to Hoepner and 6th is emphasized.

Evening Situation: Slow but steady developments in all Army Gps, In AGp. Center-, however, enemy forces have broken through Guderian's Armd. Gp. between Slonim and Minsk. This is awkward, but probably is of no major importance. In AGp. North, the Riga railroad bridge appears to have been blasted of enemy elements, who penetrated into our lines in the confused fighting.

Hoepner thinks he will be ready to advance on 2 July., Coming behind him,. AGp. North will "be ready to cross the Dvlna on 4 July. Hoth reports that he likewise will be ready to continue advance on 2 July. But Guderian is still lagging "behind., south of Minsk,, where his forces are partaking in the encirclement of the Novogrodsk pocket. He so will take several days longer then the others to get ready for new operations. Irrespective of these plans, Guderian's right wing could secure the Dniepr crossings at Mogilev and to the south.

Air Force is "being reinforced in the sector of AGp. South and on the Romanian front. In AGp. South, very effective action "by our Air Force against enemy Air Force and enemy columns retreating "before our troops ( as many as three columns abreast are reported) . A total "bag of over 200 aircraft shot down during this day. Enemy reported to "be already reduced to sending very: old four-engine models into the battle."

 

[parsifal]

29 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Type II Hunt Class Escort DD HMS CROOME (L-62)

+

Flower Class Corvette HMCS KENOGAMI (K-125)

Losses
U-103 accidentally sank Blockade Runner ERNANI (FI 6619 grt) in the central Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Las Palmas, Azores, to Bordeaux, carrying scrap iron with a crew of 34 aboard, 2 crew were to be lost in the attack At 0051 hrs, U-103fired its last torpedo at an unescorted steamer of 6600 GRT, observed a hit in the engine room and the subsequent sinking of the ship about 450 miles west of the Canary Islands. The steamer had been spotted at 1642 hours the day before and was missed with a stern torpedo at 2328 hrs. After the sinking, the U-boat approached the lifeboats and Schütze questioned some survivors but he did not believe them when they told him that they were from the Italian steamer ERNANI en route from Las Palmas to Horta, because the course of the ship didn't correspond with the mentioned destination. In fact, the U-boat had sunk the Italian blockade runner ERNANI, disguised as the Dutch steam merchant ENGGANO. She was the ninth and last Italian merchant ship that left the Canary Islands to run the blockade in an attempt to reach a French port (only five managed to reach their destination) and planned to arrive at Bordeaux between 9 and 11 August. Her crew began to disguise the ship only after leaving Las Palmas and they built a fake crow's nest on a mast and additional bulwarks, removed the other mast and painted the hull and funnel black, but the work was not yet completed when the ship was torpedoed. The torpedo struck on the starboard side and opened a large hole, causing the ship to sink by the stern within four minutes. Two crew members on watch below were killed, while the remaining crew members had barely time to abandon ship in both port lifeboats because both boats on the starboard side had been destroyed. As the Germans questioned the Italians in English, the master thought that they had been sunk by a British submarine, lied about the port of destination and asked for help. He was told that they couldn't help them in any way but promised to send a radio message after leaving the area as no distress signal had been sent. The lifeboats unsuccessfully searched the area for the two missing men until midnight and then began to row and sail towards the nearest land. On 10 July, the weather deteriorated and the boats were tossed around violently by strong wind and heavy seas. The lifeboat in charge of the first officer began leaking during the storm and had to be abandoned eventually. Its occupants were taken aboard the other lifeboat which was in charge of the master. Around noon on 12 July, the exhausted survivors made landfall near Fuencaliente Lighthouse on La Palma, Canary Islands. The sinking of ERNANI was investigated by the BdU after the RM protested, but no action was ever taken against any member of the U-Boat. Schütze the Uboat commander had not been informed about the presence of a friendly ship in the area and could not recognize the ship correctly as her appearance had been altered.

+

Convoy SL-78
Steamer CUSHENDALL (UK 626 grt) was sunk by the LW in the Western Approaches. Two crewmen were killed on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

U-66 sank Steamer GEORGE J. GOULANDRIS (Gk 4345 grt) off the coast of West Africa. The ship was transporting a cargo of sugar from Mauritius to leith via Freetown, with a crew of 28 aboard. 8 members of the crew would be lost in the attack. At 1146 hrs the unescorted GEORGE J. GOULANDRIS, a straggler from convoy SL-78, was hit on the starboard side by two G7e torpedoes from U-66 about 380 miles west of the Canary Islands. The first torpedo struck in #2 hold and the second in #4 holds, blowing off the hatches and sugar from the cargo over the decks. The crew could not send a distress signal as the wireless had been wrecked and abandoned ship in two lifeboats within three minutes when the ship began to settle quickly, sinking 15 minutes after being hit. The U-boat surfaced shortly afterwards and the Germans questioned the master, asking the usual questions about the name and nationality of the ship, its cargo and destination. They then gave provisions and cigarettes to the occupants of both boats before leaving the area. The survivors were picked up two hours after the sinking by BATNA from the same convoy and were landed at Oban on 12 July.

U-123 sank the STEAMER RIO AZUL (UK 4088 grt) from SL-78 in the Central Atlantic. The steamer had a crew of 42, 33 of whom were to perish in the attack. She was transporting iron ore from Pepel to Middlesborough via Freetown. At 1936 hrs the RIO AZUL was hit near the bridge by one stern torpedo from U-123 about 200 miles SE of the Azores. Y-Boat skipper Hardegen assumed that the ship was a Q-ship but this was not the case. She broke in two and sank in a short time. The master, 31 crew members and one gunner were lost. Six crew members and three gunners were picked up by HMS ESPERANCE BAY and landed at Scapa Flow, Orkneys.

Convoy HX.133.
DDs MALCOLM and SCIMITAR, corvettes ARABIS and VIOLET, CAM ship MAPLIN, MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL, and three ASW trawlers joined the convoy.

U-564 sank the Steamer HEKLA (Iceland 1215 grt) sth of greeneland as she was on passage empty from Reykjavik to New York. A crew of 20 were embarked, 14 of whom were to be lost.
At 1958 hrs the unescorted HEKLA was torpedoed byU-564 and sank within two minutes. Seven men survived the sinking and spent 10 days on a life raft before they were picked up by Corvette HMS CANDYTUFT escorting the convoy OB-341, but one man died the next night onboard the corvette. The surviving 6 men were taken to St. Johns, Newfoundland. One of the men spent over 6 months in a hospital before going back to Iceland.

U-651 sank Steamer GRAYBURN (UK 6342 grt) of HX-133 in the western approaches sth of Iceland, whilst the vessel was on passage from Baltimore to Swansea via Halifax, with a cargo of steel, scrap and truck as deck cargo. 52 crew were aboard, of whom 35 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0030 hrs, U-651 fired two G7e torpedoes at HX-133 sth of Iceland and sank the GRAYBURN.

The ship had changed to station #93 after some ships straggled from the convoy in heavy fog. She was hit on port side amidships by a torpedo, immediately settled on an even keel and sank within 5 minutes. Because the port lifeboat had been destroyed, most survivors tried to abandon ship in the starboard lifeboat which was pulled down and turned over by the suction from the sinking ship, throwing the 30 occupants into the water and drowning all but two of them. Five men managed to launch a small jolly boat and others rescued themselves on rafts or cling to debris. 16 survivors, two of them slightly injured, were picked up by Corvette HMS VIOLET and Armed Yacht HMS NORTHERN WAVE, later transferred to the British rescue ship ZAAFARAN and landed at Gourock on 2 July. Another survivor was rescued by Corvette HMS ARABIS and landed at Londonderry. The master, 26 crew members and all eight gunners (the ship was armed with one 4in, one 40mm and four machine guns) were lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIC U-651 (DKM 769 grt) was sunk by the escort vessels of the convoy later that day.

All of the crew were rescued. The U-boat was sunk south of Iceland, after DC attacks forced her to the surface. She was hunted by RN DDs MALCOLM, and Scimitar, also Corvettes HM Ships ARABIS and VIOLET and MSW HMS SPEEDWELL
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Departures
Horton: U-652

At Sea 29 June 1941
U-43, U-66, U-69, U-71, U-77, U-79, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-140, U-142, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

36 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
East Front
Baltic
On 29 June 1941, Ju-88's from KG 806 seriously damaged the Pre-WWI DD KARL MARX (a Ukraiyna class destroyer built in Tallinn in 1904) in Tallinn. The Soviet vessel MO-229, moored next to the Karl Marx, was also pulverized.

MV MARTA (SU 1414 grt) Estonian State Shipping Co. was sunk by LW a/c; No information about crew is available.

North Sea
CA CUMBERLAND arrived at Sheerness for refitting at Chatham completed on 11 October. CL KENYA began repairs for her collision and refitting in the Tyne. British steamer SILVERLAUREL was damaged by the LW in King George Dock, Hull.

British steamer EMPIRE METEOR was damaged by the LW in the NthSea.

The steamer arrived in the Humber on the 30th in tow. British tug EMPIRE LARCH was damaged by the LW off Great Yarmouth. The steamer arrived at Great Yarmouth on the 30th Norwegian tkr LEIESTEN (6118grt) was damaged on a mine off B 3 Buoy, Barrow Deep. The tanker arrived at Gravesend on the 30th in tow.

Northern Waters
CA NORFOLK arrived at Scapa Flow after escorting convoy SL.77. ML cruiser ADVENTURE arrived at Scapa Flow to work up after repairs for her January mine damage.

West Coast

Western Approaches

SW Approaches

Channel

Med/Biscay
CLA NAIAD and two DDs operated off Damur during the night of 29/30 June and carried out minor bombardments. DD JERVIS was detached from operations off Syria to Alexandria.

DD DEFENDER and RAN DD WATERHEN, carrying supplies to Tobruk, were attacked by the 5 LW and 7 RA Ju-87s. DD WATERHEN was badly damaged at 2005.As DD DEFENDER approached to tow, a submarine was sighted close ahead of the DD. ASW attacks were conducted on RM sub TEMBIEN, but no damage was done. The Australian destroyer was taken in tow by destroyer DEFENDER. However V&W Class DD HMAS WATERHEN (RAN 1100 grt) capsized and was lost in 32-15N, 25-20E at 0150/30th. There were no casualties on the destroyer.

Troop laden HMAS WATERHEN stopped and sinking off Tobruk

DD JACKAL departed Alexandria to assist destroyer WATERHEN, but when it was found she had been lost, she returned with destroyer DEFENDER.

Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked an Italian GORIZIA class CA (the BOLZANO). RM CA BOLZANO was in the company of a second CA and four DDs.

The submarine was heavily counterattacked, but did not sustain damage. Submarine UTMOST unsuccessfully attacked an Italian heavy cruiser in the same force on that day

Nth Atlantic
USN CV YORKTOWN, CAs QUINCY and VINCENNES, and DDs WAINWRIGHT, HAMMANN, MUSTIN, and STACK departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol. YORKTOWN and DDs WAINWRIGHT and STACK were detached on 10 July and arrived back at Hampton Roads on 12 July. CAs QUINCY and VINCENNES and DDs HAMMANN and MUSTIN continued patrol and arrived at Bermuda on 15 July.

Central Atlantic
DD WISHART and AVONVALE departed Gibraltar to meet arriving AMC CILICIA escorting troopship CAMERONIA from Freetown. The DDs relieved the cruiser and took the troopship to Gibraltar, arriving on 4 July.

Pacific/Australia
CL DANAE arrived at Penang. CL DAUNTLESS arrived at Singapore

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 JUNE TO DAWN 30 JUNE 1941
Weather Cloudy; humid.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 29 JUNE 1941

ROYAL NAVY Urge successful attack on cruiser (believed to be Gorizia); two hits claimed, followed by a large explosion. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 6 Swordfish sent to attack Tripoli encountered severe weather and turned back.

AIR HQ Arrivals 6 Wellington. Departures 2 Wellington. 69 Squadron Marylands on reconnaissance; 1 Hurricane on photo-reconnaissance. 3 Marylands made a high level (15-21000 ft) bombing raid on TripoliHarbour in daylight; results not observed. 82 Squadron 9 Blenheims despatched to attack convoy approaching Tripoli. One Blenheim received a direct hit by a bomb from another aircraft. 6 Blenheims went out again to attack merchant ships in TripoliHarbour; one returned with engine trouble. The remainder crossed the coast wide of the target and bombed Sorman aerodrome nearby, starting several fires among aircraft on the ground. 148 Squadron 7 Wellingtons sent to attack Spanish Quay and shipping in TripoliHarbour encountered severe weather. 4 aircraft reached target and attacked, damaging quay and ships.

 

[parsifal]

30 JUNE 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Gar Class Sub USS GRAYBACK (SS-208)

+

Elco 77' type USS PT-28

+
USS HORNET (CV-8) arrives at Pearl Harbor after the Doolittle Raid on Japan, 30 April 1942. PTs-28 & 29 are speeding by in the foreground

Allied
Dido Class CLA HMS EURYALUS (42)

Flower Class Corvette HMCS CAMROSE (K-154)

Flower Class Corvette HMS SAMPHIRE (K-128)

Bangor Class MSW HMCS WASAGA (J-162)

HDML 1104, LCT 116,

Losses
U-66 sank MV SAINT ANSELM (UK 5614 grt) in the Central Atlantic. The vessel was on passage from Calcutta to Hull, via Freetown with a cargo of pig iron, linseed and ground nuts. A crew of 61 was aboard, 34 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. She was a straggler from the convoy when lost. She required 7 torpedoes to sink, and her skipper had shown great skill in avoiding the torpedoes fired at his ship. SAINT ANSELM was missed by a first torpedo at 0110 hrs after which the master was alerted and avoided skillfully several attacks. The second torpedo fired at 0146 hrs from a distance of only 400 meters was avoided, also the next at 0328 hrs from 1000 meters. Two minutes later a torpedo hit but proved to be a dud while the fifth torpedo at 0332 hrs missed again. The U-boat then reloaded the tubes and fired another torpedo at 0558 hrs which was also a dud before the seventh torpedo hit one minute later.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Gotenhaven: U-140
Stormelo: U-144

Departures
Kiel: U-68
St Nazaire: U-95

At Sea 30 June 1941
U-43, U-66, U-68, U-69, U-77, U-79, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-371, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

36 boats at sea

U-371 was attacked at 1230 hrs in the Bay Of Biscay, whilst inbound: Blenheim Z5959 (surprised U-371 after being misidentified as a German Ju88 and dropped two 250lb A/S bombs and one 250lb GP bomb in a dive bomb attack from astern, the bombs detonating 30 yds off the starboard bow. After U-371 dived, another GP bomb was dropped off the port beam, which detonated over the bows, but she escaped.

U-371 was attacked again that day by RAF a/c with the time of attack recorded as 1705 hrs. A Beaufort (RAF 217 Sqn ) on A/S sweep (misidentified as a Sunderland in the KTB report) attempted to surprise U-371 with a dive bomb attack out of the sun, but the boat managed to dive in time and the two 250lb A/S bombs released detonated about 40ft (12m) ahead of the bows. The aircraft turned and dropped four depth charges ahead of the dive point, but U-371 had already dived below 130ft and again escaped without damage.

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic

Baltic
MV KRIMULDA SU 1970 grt) Latvian State Shipping Co., Mined; 5 crew were lost;

MO-4 ClassSC MO-143 (VMF 51 grt) The MO-4-class patrol boat struck a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea off Mhni.

Black Sea/Caspian
Ships, which were destroyed by Soviet Army during retirement from Odessa:

MV PSKOV (SU 3549 grt) Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa: The cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

MV OREL (SU 5152 grt) Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

MV PLEKHANOV (SU 3344 grt) Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

MV VOIKOV (SU 2052 grt) Black Sea State Shipping Co. During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.

MV PETER THE GREAT (SU 7200 grt). During the Soviet evacuation of Odessa, the cargo ship was scuttled at Odessa by the Red Army.


North Sea
CA NORFOLK departed Scapa Flow and arrived in the Tyne at 2200 for refitting.

Northern Patrol
CA SUFFOLK departed Iceland to relieve CL MANCHESTER on Denmark Straits patrol. CL ARETHUSA arrived at Scapa Flow after Faroes Iceland patrol.

Northern Waters
DD CROOME departed Greenock at 1630 to work up at Scapa Flow, where she arrived at 1400 on 1 July.

West Coast
BC REPULSE, RNeN CL HEEMSKERK, and DDs COSSACK, SIKH, INGLEFIELD, ACHATES, ACTIVE, ANTELOPE, and INTREPID arrived in the Clyde after escorting convoy TC.11.

OB.341 departed Liverpool, escort DDs ST ALBANS and WESTCOTT and corvettes AURICULA, FREESIA, HIBISCUS, MARIGOLD, MYOSOTIS, and PERIWINKLE. Corvette PERIWINKLE was detached on 4 July. The DDs and corvettes FREESIA and MYOSOTIS were detached on 5 July. The convoy was dispersed on 6 July.

Med/Biscay
RNeN sub O.23 sank steamer CAPACITAS (FI 5371 grt) sth of Livorna, seven miles off San Vincenzo. The submarine unsuccessfully attacked a second steamer in the LigurianSea.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Submarine TORBAY sank an unnamed CAIQUE (FI (Ex-Gk) 250 grt(est)) off CapeMalea with artillery.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

LW a/c carried out air attacks on a Tobruk bound convoy composed of Greek steamers MIRANDA (279grt) and Greek ANTIKLIA (951grt), which departed Mersa Matruh on the 29th escorted by sloop FLAMINGO, trawler SOUTHERN ISLE, and gunboat CRICKET. The convoy was taken under attack by a large German bombing force from 1340 on the 30th. Sloop FLAMINGO was damaged by a near miss. Insect Class Gunboat HMS CRICKET (RN 625 grt) was severely damaged.She was towed back to Alexandria by sloop FLAMINGO and later tug ST ISSEY. On 2 July, gunboat CRICKET arrived at Alexandria in the tow of tug ST ISSEY. Sloop FLAMINGO also arrived at Alexandria on 2 July. The gunboat was judged to be a total loss.

RHN cruiser GEORGIOS AVEROFF, DD PANTHER, TB SPHENDONI, submarine KATSONIS, and depot ship HIPHAISTOS departed Alexandria, escorted by RHN DDs IERAX and AETOS, for the transit of the Canal. These Greek ships were temporarily stationed at Suez.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy HX.136 departed Halifax, escort AMC s ASCANIA and CALIFORNIA, corvettes ARROWHEAD, CAMELLIA, EYEBRIGHT, and MAYFLOWER, ASW yacht PHILANTE, and ASW trawler KOS XX. Convoy BHX.136 departed Bermuda on the 28th escorted by AMC ASCANIA. The convoy rendezvoused with convoy HX.136 on 3 July and the ASCANIA was detached. On 4 July, DDs BURNHAM and CHESTERFIELD, corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN joined. DD CHURCHILL joined on 6 July. On 13 July, the original escorts and those joining on 4, less trawler KOS XX, and 6 July were detached. DDs KEPPEL, SABRE, and SHIKARI, corvettes DIANELLA and KINGCUP, MSW HEBE, and ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and WELLARD joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 18 July.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CL DUNEDIN captured steamer VILLEDE TAMATAVE (Vichy 4993 grt) east of tiny Island of St Paul in the far south of the Indian ocean. (Note there are counter reports thast this ship foundered in January 1941).

CL ENTERPRISE departed Colombo on patrol.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 JUNE TO DAWN 1 JULY 1941

Weather Very windy.

1200-1219 hrs Air raid alert for 11 Macchi 200s which approach to within 25 miles north east of Malta in two formations. Hurricanes 46 Squadron are scrambled and intercept just below cloud at 17000 feet, shooting down two Macchis. A third is chased by a Hurricane to within 15-20 miles of Sicily, attacked and damaged.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 30 JUNE 1941

GENERAL STAFF Improvement in mail deliveries and weekly broadcasts are much appreciated by all ranks.

ROYAL NAVY Good progress was made in the month in clearing the corners of the harbours and the dangerous area of the North East Coast of enemy mines.

AIR HQ Arrivals 35 Hurricane, 6 Blenheim. Departures 3 Blenheim. 69 Squadron 6 Marylands sorties on reconnaissance. 82 Squadron 6 Blenheims made a low level attack on ships in TripoliHarbour. Six direct hits were made on a merchant vessel, probably the Erperia and two on the Oceania or Neptunia. Seaplanes on the water and disembarked troops were machine-gunned.

KALAFRANA June saw a considerable increase in the use of Kalafrana by flying boats on communication flights between the UK, Gibraltar and Middle East. There were 31 arrivals and departures during the month. The increase in operations from the Island increased demand for services of the Marine Craft Section for search and rescue work. 15 patrols rescued 8 British personnel (1 dead) and 2 Italian (1 dead). 3 patrols by Swordfish resulted in the rescue of one Italian pilot.

TA QALI 46 Squadron arrived from Hal Far. 9 Hurricanes arrived ex HMS Furious, 12 ex Ark Royal.

 

[parsifal]

Summary Of Losses XXXXXX 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)

 

[parsifal]

01 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXC U-131

Neutral
Aloe Class Net Tender USS ASH (AN-7)

Acceptor Class MSW USS COURLAN (AMc-44)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Allied
Naval Tug HMS CANUTE
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U-108 sank Steamer TORONTOCITY (UK 2486 grt), employed as a meteorological vessel in the nth Atlantic. There were no survivors.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer DURAZZO (Ger 1153 grt) at Maracaibo was seized by the Venezuelan govt and renamed PAMPERO.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-371
Lorient: U-43

At Sea 01 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-69, U-71, U-75, U-77, U-79, U-95, U-96, U-98, U-101, U-103, U-107, U-108, U-109, U-111, U-123, U-137, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-149, U-201, U-202, U-552, U-553, U-557, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-751, UA

34 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic

East Front
Baltic
M Class Sub M-81 (VMF 206 grt) Mined and sunk off Vormsi, Estonia
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Black Sea/Caspian
Gnevnyi Class DD BYSTRY (VMF 1855 grt) was mined off Sevastapol and beached. She became a total loss

North Sea
Drifter DEVONCOUNTY (UK 86 grt) was sunk by a mine in 51-28-51N, 0-59-14E in the Thames Estuary. There were three ratings killed in the drifter.

Steamer HOMEFIRE (UK 1262 grt) was sunk by the LW in the NthSea. Two crew were lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

FV STRATHGAIRN (UK 211 grt) was sunk on a mine about twenty miles southwest of Barra Head. Five of the crew were missing. Six crew were landed at Stornoway.

[NO IMAGE FOUND]

British steamers HIGHWOOD and JAMAICA PLANTER were damaged by the LW at Barry while in drydock. One crewman was killed on steamer HIGHWOOD.

Northern Patrol
CL MANCHESTER arrived at Hvalfjord from Denmark Strait patrol

Northern Waters
DD PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow for Scrabster, and returned to Scapa Flow later that evening. DD CROOME arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock at 1400 to carry out working up exercises. RIN sloop JUMNA departed Scapa Flow with convoy EC.39 at 1800 to join the Western Approaches following her working up exercises. The sloop arrived at Greenock at 0100 on the 4th escorting depot ship GREENWICH. CLA CURACOA arrived at Scapa Flow, following refitting at Rosyth, having escorting convoy EC.39 from MayIsland to Pentland Firth.

Med/Biscay
DKM CA PRINZ EUGEN was bombed and damaged at Brest

Armed boarding vessel MALVERNIAN (RN 3133 grt) was abandoned after being bombed, North Atlantic. Of a crew of 164, fifty seven survivors were landed. Not included in this total are those that landed in occupied France and taken prisoner.

Sloop SCARBOROUGH proceeding to the scene picked up a boatload of survivors, but could not locate the damaged vessel. She abandoned vessel was again hit by LW a/c 11/7/1941 but remained afloat; sighted drifting on 19/7 and finally sunk on that day.

The Captain and 31 others made it in boats to Corunna on 21/7.Another boat of 21 survivors arrived at Vigo on 22/7. Finally, a last boat was picked up by SKM MSWs.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Vichy DDs GUEPARD, VALMY, and VAUQUELIN departed Beirut to escort a troopships into Beirut. However this vessel, Steamer ST DIDIER (Vichy 2778 grt) was sunk by British Albacore a/c in the Gulf of Adalia on the 4th. Steamer CHATEAU YQUEM was recalled in view of steamer ST DIDIER's fate.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

CLA NAIAD and DDs KANDAHAR, DECOY, and HAVOCK departed Haifa for a night sweep off Syria. Corvette HYACINTH ran aground four miles south of Famagusta. She could not be readily refloated and corvette ERICA was damaged in the attempt.

On the 3rd, corvette PEONY departed Haifa and tug ST ISSEY departed Alexandria to refloat the grounded corvette. Corvette HYACINTH was unsuccessfully attacked by enemy bombers, without success, during the evening of 4 July. The corvette was refloated on the 5th by corvette PEONY. Corvette PEONY and tug ST ISSEY returned to Alexandria. Corvette HYACINTH proceeded to Alexandria, via Haifa, for repairs, completed on the 15th.

British trawler VULCAN and MTB.68 and MTB.215 were sailed from Famagusta to Haifa.

Nth Atlantic
Convoy SC.36 departed Sidney, CB, escort corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE and ASW yacht PHILANTE. The corvettes were detached on the 4th. DD CHESTERFIELD joined on the 3rd, corvettes AGASSIZ and WETASKIWIN joined on the 4th, and DD CHURCHILL on the 8th. On the 13th, the escort was detached when it was relieved by DDs SABRE, SCIMITAR, and SHIKARI, sloop SANDWICH, corvettes ARABIS, DIANELLA, HELIOTROPE, KINGCUP, MALLOW, VERBENA, and VIOLET, MSWs NIGER and SPEEDWELL, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN GEM and NORTHERN SPRAY. The sloop, MSWs, and trawlers were detached on the 17th. The remainder of the escort, less corvette ARABIS, were detached on the 18th.With corvette ARABIS, the convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

Central Atlantic
DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FORESTER, LANCE, and LEGION departed Gibraltar to meet arriving convoy OG.66 and escort it to Gibraltar. CLA HERMIONE departed Gibraltar to patrol in the area of 40N, 15W for enemy raider or supply ships.

Dutch submarine O.21, escorting convoy HG.66, was recalled and ordered to establish a patrol in the vicinity of 43N, 11W to attack any enemy raiders making for Biscay ports.

Sth Atlantic
Norwegian whaler POL IX, captured on 14 January 1941 by German raider PINGUIN and renamed ADJUTANT, was scuttled on this date by the German cruiser.

Malta
RAID SUMMARY JUNE 1941

No of air raid alerts 67 (including 25 night raids)

• Days without air raid alerts 7
• Total time under alert 32 hours 2 mins
• Average length of alert 28.7 mins
• Civilians killed by enemy action 5

AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 JULY TO DAWN 2 JULY 1941

Weather Hot and humid.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 1 JULY 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 3 Wellington. Departures 6 Blenheim, 1 Wellington. 69 Squadron Marylands special patrol western Sicilian coast and east Tunisian coast. Patrols Cape Bon to western Sicily and Pantelleria-Lampedusa area. At 1730 hrs six merchant vessels were seen north east of Pantelleria heading south. 82 Squadron 4 Blenheims despatched Homs bombed the coast road causing several craters; one lorry destroyed, reservoir received direct hit. Six more Blenheims were despatched tonight to attack a staging post at Homs and Beurat; they are not yet due back in Malta. 148 Squadron 5 Wellingtons attacked Spanish Port Mole, Tripoli. Bombs were dropped from 10000 feet, achieving six direct hits on the Spanish Mole and others on the base of Karamanli Mole. A fire was started on the edge of the town. One medium merchant vessel probably two direct hits, believed set on fire but hidden by heavy smoke screen. Anti-aircraft fire experienced. One Wellington made a second attack on Tripoli, the others could not be turned round in time to do so due to poor visibility. All Wellingtons returned safely.


LUQA Four Wellingtons arrive, one of which fires the recognition signal and sets alight a small cornfield near the airfield.

 

[parsifal]

Halder's Diary

1 July 1941

The Air Force has greatly underestimated the numerical strength of the enemy. Itis quite evident that the Russians initially had far more than 8,000 planes (as originally estimated). Half of this number probably have already been shot down or destroyed on the ground,-so that numerically we should now be about equal ( in point of fact, the VVS still had in excess of 15000 a/c, including reserves, but were running dangerously low on aircrew. Their tactical handling of their air assets continued to be abysmal).

But Russian flying efficiency cannot nearly compare with ours, owing to their poor training of their pilots and crews, and that is why entire enemy squadrons, or large parts of them, get shot down so often in combat, as, for instance, happened yesterday over-Dvinsk and Bobruisk.


At present, Air Force estimates Russian air strength opposite AGp, South, at 800 to 1,000 operational first line craft; in AGp. Center, at 400 500; and in sector of AGp. North, at 400 500. In the battles of the last few days, the Russians have been using obsolete planes side by side with latest models.


(Soviets have increased) transport movements from the east, perhaps also from the west into the level area, apparently intended for the buildup of a defense line in the corner between the Dvina and the old Russo—Estonian border. Russians have large reserves.

(Report from )Gen. Wagner (Quarter master general)

a) The supply situation in AGN. is -satisfactory (due to the early capture of ports) Armd. Gp. 4 will start operations on 2 July with a full issue of ammunition and fuel for 400. km. By 7 July, the bulk of Army Gp.,, will have on hand in the Dvinsk supply base, in addition to complete issues to the troops: one additional full issue of ammunition, three fuel quotas and two days' rations. (Start of operations by this AGp. scheduled for 5 July.)


In AGC Sector (only) 17,000 tons of supplies, in addition to the hand supplies of AGC will have been accumulated in dumps, representing a total of 25,000 tons (note that a ton is roughly equal to cubic metre of fuel). An advance detachment of Krumpel's staff goes to Minsk to prepare everything. The stockpile is to "be increased to 73,000 tons -one issue of ammunition, (there are margin notes with concerns about these supply levels. AGC was short of supply already. By this stage the AG was down to 5 fuel quotas and 5 days fodder and rations).

AGS reports considerable booty found at Lvov including fuel in surface and underground dumps. 1 July, several large Forward Supply Points will be moved closer to front, including one to Rovno.

Fuel situations is estimated daily consumption 9,000 m3, or, 250,000 m3, per month, i.e., 22 trains daily. Actual consumption has been 11,500 m3.per day, or, 330,600 m3 per month, quite a lot more than expected. About one-third of this comes out of "booty. Daily re

Requirements until 6 July, 7 trains "beginning (expected) 6 July. We shall again need 14 trains, daily.

c) Pacification of the Rear Areas is a matter of serious concern. Owing to our method of advance, our communication lines are liable to serious disruption by isolated enemy elements. 'The Security Divs. alone cannot do the job in this vast territory. It will be necessary to detach combat Divs. for these suppression operations (the heer was never able to secure its LOCs).

So the situation was that the northern and southern army groups were relatively okay for supply, but despite being hopeful the centre was short of supply. It was the centre where the next big battle was to be fought, leaving the Infantry in particular exhausted.

 

[Njaco]

Sorry everyone. My wife has been in the hospital the last 4 days and I haven't gotten to the thread. Will soon.

 

[Njaco]

July 1 Tuesday
ASIA: The American Volunteer Group, also known as the Flying Tigers, was officially formed. The Chinese Air Force 5th PG was disbanded.

German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop encourages Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka to convince his government to attack the Soviet Union.

Crown Prince Yi Un was made the commanding officer of the Japanese 51st Division.

The Axis nations of Japan, Germany and Italy recognize the pro-Japanese government of Henry P'u Yi. They would be the only ones who would. Germany and Italy officially recognize the Japanese puppet government of Wang Chingwei. The Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang government has broken off diplomatic relations with Germany and Italy in retaliation for the decision by the Axis powers to recognize its new rival, the Reformed Kuomintang, the puppet regime set up the Japanese in Nanking under General Chingwei. The Kuomintang leader, General Chiang Kai-shek, has reluctantly ordered the recall of the Kuomintang's ambassador in Berlin and its charge d'Affaires in Rome. The Axis decision to support the Nanking regime is the result of diplomatic pressure from Tokyo, overriding the views of German officials in China who oppose recognition for Nanking. They argue that, following the outbreak of war with the Soviet Union, Germany and China - the latter at war with the Communists in the north - should unite against Communism.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Soviet Navy dispatches six submarines to operate off coast of northern Norway.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Soviet Union government declares it would apply the international law of war, especially the Fourth Hague Convention of 1907 and the 1929 Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War.

Heeresgruppe Nord: Panzer spearheads of Heeresgruppe Nord cross the Dvina and advance on Pskov. The German 4.Panzergruppe and 18.Armee captured Riga, Latvia. The overwhelming majority of Latvians greeted the Germans as liberators since only a week before the Soviet NKVD carried out despicable killings and mass deportation of tens of thousands of innocent Latvians to Siberia.

German XXXVI Korps attacked in the Salla sector as the Finnish 14th Infantry Division began crossing the border and advancing toward Rukajarvi en route to Murmansk railroad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German began 3.Panzergruppe fighting in the vicinity of Minsk. In the centre, Heinz Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe panzers crossed the Berezina.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Operaţiunea München: Operaţiunea München was the Romanian codename of a joint German-Romanian offensive during the German invasion of the Soviet Union with the primary objective of recapturing Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, ceded by Romania to the Soviet Union a year before (Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina). German 11.Armee, Romanian 3rd Army, and Romanian 4th Army crossed Prut River into the Bessarabia and Bukovina regions of Moldova. After spending the latter part of June mobilizing, the Rumanians launched their first serious attacks across the Prut River, although several more minor exchanges had occurred prior to this date. The Rumanian forces (Army Group Antonescu) on the Rumanian border launched their offensive against the Soviet's Southern Front, supported by the German 11.Armee, (Schobert, with seven German divisions). Although the German 11.Armee, was technically subordinate to Army Group Antonescu, in reality it received (and acted on) direction from von Rundstedt in Heeresgruppe Sud.

German 6.Armee and 1.Panzergruppe advanced around Rovno, Dubno, and Kremenets as the remnants of the Russian 8th Mechanized Corps manages to break out from its encirclement around Dubno and escape to the east.

The Broniki Massacre: Around 180 German soldiers of the 2nd and 6th Infantry Regiments and the 5th Artillery Regiment were taken prisoner by the Red Army in the town of Broniki, Ukraine. Most were suffering from battle wounds.

Field Marshal List appointed to command German forces in the Balkans.

Soviet Naval Air Unit 401 IAP went into action with its new MiG-3 fighters and destroyed four German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters on its first operation. This unit was commanded by a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, Lieutenant-Colonel Stepan Suprun (who was already an ace with fifteen Civil War victories), Hero of the Soviet Union. Many of Suprun's pilots were pre-war test pilots and therefore highly experienced airmen. During the next two days the 401st IAP destroyed eight enemy aircraft for no loss.

The pilots and staff of II./JG 27 leave the fighting on the Eastern front and return to Germany to re-equip with new Bf 109Fs. The Gruppe has thirty-nine victories after only ten days on the Eastern Front.

Joseph Stalin returned to the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia as Chairman of the new State Defence Committee, set up by law the day before.

Vnukovo Airport opens southwest of Moscow in the Soviet Union's Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic.

GERMANY: Under the provisions of a German Law on the use of Prisoner Labour, Russian prisoners of war were permitted to be sent to work camps for employment in agriculture, construction or heavy industry. The death rate on these camps would be extremely high.

Hitler accepts offer of Croatian troops to serve under German command against Soviet Union.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Substance: Convoy from Gibraltar comprising six merchantmen with Naval escort delivers 65,000 tons of supplies to island of Malta. RN Force H returns to Gibraltar.

MIDDLE EAST: The Battle of Palmyra: The Battle of Palmyra was fought in Syria, resulting in Allied victory. On the morning of 1 July Sukhna was attacked by the Vichy 2nd Light Desert Company northeast of Palmyra, Syria. The Arab Legion occupiers had been reinforced by a squadron from 4th Cavalry Brigade's Household Cavalry Regiment and after a sharp battle, the French retreated before an enthusiastic charge by Arab Legion troopers and ended up trapped in a box valley before surrendering. British mechanized cavalry and an Arab Legion desert patrol broke up the Vichy French mobile column, capturing four officers and 60 men. This freed Habforce to move 40 miles west along the pipeline to Homs and threaten the communications of the Vichy forces fighting the Australian 7th Division on the Lebanon coast.

Leading elements of 10th Indian Division (Maj-Gen W. Slim) enter eastern Syria from Iraq. 2/25 Bn commence operations to clear enemy from flanks of 21st Australian Brigade at Beit ed Dine in the Damour valley. Four Hurricanes of 127 Sqn RAF catch two De520's over Deir ez Zor and damage one. The Arab Legion destroys a French "light company" (raiding party) at Sukhna, capturing 80 prisoners and six armoured cars.

NORTH AFRICA: Erwin Rommel was promoted to the rank of General der Panzertruppe.

General Sir Claude Auchinleck officially takes over as C-in-C Middle East from General Wavell, who has been appointed C-in-C India. Oliver Lyttelton is appointed Minister of State, and is resident in the Middle East. This removes some of the political responsibilities from CiC India. Churchill has tired of Wavell and with the failure of the latest North African offensive has been able to make changes.

Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria overnight with 16 bombers.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Unternehmen Polarfuchs: Unternehmen Polarfuchs was the codename given to a campaign by German and Finnish forces during World War II against Soviet Northern Front defenses at Salla, Finland. The operation was conducted parallel to Operation Platinum Fox (Platinfuchs) in the far north of Lappland. The principal goal of Operation Arctic Fox was to capture the town of Salla and then to advance in the direction of Kandalaksha (Finnish: Kantalahti) to block the route to Murmansk. The offensive commenced with the Finnish 6th Division crossing the border at midnight. Several hours later the 6th SS-Gebirgs-Division Nord started its frontal assault against the Soviet line, but was not able to make any gains.

NORTH AMERICA: The first landing, takeoff and catapult launching form an escort aircraft carrier were made aboard USS "Long Island" (AVG-1), by Lieutenant Commander William D. Anderson, commanding officer of Scouting Squadron Two Hundred One (VS-201).

Eisenhower becomes Kreuger's 3rd Army chief of staff.

USN organizes Naval Coastal Frontiers: North Atlantic, Southern, Caribbean, Panama, Pacific Southern, Pacific Northern, Hawaiian, and Philippine. USN organizes Task Force 1 through Task Force 10 for operations in the Atlantic Ocean.

US Coast Guard establishes Northeast Greenland Patrol.

Icelandic-American exchange of letter respecting defense of Iceland.

Aircraft from the United States Navy start antisubmarine patrols from bases in Newfoundland. USN begins basing Patrol Wing 7 at Argentia. USN Task Force 19 escorts and transports carrying 1st Marine Brigade (Provisional) depart Argentia for Iceland.

UNITED KINGDOM: It was announced today that coal deliveries are to be limited to one ton per month, maximum, for all establishments. This did not bother householders too much, because most households didn't use that much anyway!

The British Special Air Service (initially titled "L" Detachment, Special Air Service Brigade) was formed by Colonel David Stirling.

Bruce Fraser was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. At Downing Street the visiting Canadian leader, Mackenzie King, presents Churchill with the Canadian "Torch of Victory".

A Consolidated B-24 flies from Washington via Montreal and Newfoundland, thus completing the types first transatlantic delivery. The RAF took 26 B-24s in exchange for a similar number of LB-30s. The first six were YB-24s (designated LB-30As) and they went into the North Atlantic Return Ferry Service. Today's flight used a modified B-24A of the USAAF's Air Corps Ferrying Command on this, the North Atlantic Transport Service for the aerial transport of passengers and cargo. The flight originated at Bolling Field, Washington D.C.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Bomber Command sends 45 aircraft to attack various targets during the day. RAF Bomber Command sends 52 aircraft to attack Brest, scoring one hit on cruiser "Prinz Eugen" overnight. In the early morning hours, Hptm. Werner Streib of the Stab flight of I./NJG 1 shoots down a British Whitley bomber.

RAF began daylight bombing raids in France and the Low Countries. Beginning at 1400 hours, the RAF sends several flights of bombers to attack targets in Occupied Europe. One of the first Geschwaders to intercept the bombers are the fighters of JG 52. At 1400 hours, Uffz. Summerer of 3./JG 52 claims a B-17 Fortress over Borkum. Five Minutes later Uffz. Buy destroys a RAF Stirling bomber. A second flight of British bombers at 1500 hours is met by fighters from ZG 76. At 1516 hours Uffz. Einar Arngrim of 6./ZG 76 downs a British Stirling and at 1520 hours Lt. Oskar Hautt, also of 6th Staffel, brings down one of the British four-engined bombers who are making their first appearance on the battlefront.

.

 

[Njaco]

July 2 Wednesday
ASIA: The Japanese Army ordered a conscription of one million men.

Japan is preparing for war against Britain and the US over Indochina by conscripting one million men and recalling all its merchant ships from the Atlantic. While 400,000 conscripts will reinforce the Kwantung army in China, the rest will be committed to south-east Asia. The decision to open up the southern front - known as the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere - has been spurred by the speed of the German successes in Europe. An Imperial Conference (a meeting of Japanese government and military leaders and the Emperor to explain policy to the Emperor and nominally to take important decisions — in practice these are already taken at the Liaison Conferences between the politicians and the military leaders) records the decision that attempts should be made to take bases in Indochina even at the risk of war. At another imperial conference at which the emperor made rare appearance the war minister, Hideki Tojo, urged the cabinet that now is the time to secure more empire or risk missing the bus. The US authorities very soon know of this determination through their code-breaking service which has managed to work out the key to the major Japanese diplomatic code and some other minor operational codes. The information gained from the diplomatic code is circulated under the code name Magic.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Marshal Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko is appointed western front commander with 19th Army, 20th Army, 21st Army, and 22nd Army, replacing Eremenko. Timoshenko realized clearly that unless the Germans, who had now crossed the Berezina, were held on the Dnieper and on the lower Western Dvina they would drive on from Borisov and Vitebsk to Smolensk.

Heeresgruppe Nord: After a rapid concentration and regrouping Hoeppner's 4.Panzergruppe attacks with renewed vigor toward Ostrov. German forces break through the Russian border defences on the Dvina River.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heavy rains affect to roads, the armoured reconnaissance detachment of the German 7.Panzerdivision under General Baron von Funck reported that it had been forced to halt its drive "because the prescribed roads have been reduced by heavy rainfall to an untrafficable swamp." 3.Panzerdivision of German 2.Panzergruppe reaches the Dniepr River.

Headquarters of German 2.Armee, arriving from the Balkans, activated under control of Armeegruppe Mitte.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Operaţiunea München: German 11.Armee, Romanian 3rd Army, and Romanian 4th Army attacked out of Moldavia towards Vinnitsa and Odessa, Ukraine. German 1.Panzergruppe began attacking toward Zhitomir and Berdichev.

The Broniki Massacre: Advancing Wehrmacht troops discovered 153 bodies in a clover field near the town of Broniki. All had been brutally murdered. According to the twelve survivors of the massacre, they were taken to the field just off the main road and forced to undress. All valuables such as money, rings, watches as well as their uniforms, shirts and shoes were stolen. Standing there naked, the prisoners were then fired upon by machine guns and automatic rifles. A few managed to escape by fleeing to the nearby woods. Similar reports from other regiments gave rise to the suspicion that the Soviets, in the early stages of the war, were not taking any prisoners.

The Ponary Massacre: The Ponary Massacre was the mass murder of up to 100,000 people by German SD, SS and Lithuanian Nazi collaborators, such as the Ypatingasis būrys units, in Reichskommissariat Ostland. The executions took place between July 1941 and August 1944 near the railway station of Ponary, now known as Paneriai, a suburb of what is today Vilnius, Lithuania. Some 70,000 Jews were murdered in Ponary, along with between 2,000 and 20,000 Poles and 8,000 Russian POWs, many from nearby Vilnius. Soviet POWs dug fuel tank pits near the Ponariai suburb of Vilnius, where they were shot or buried alive. The mass deportations and shooting of Jews continued until 1943.

Oblt. Gerhard Barkhorn of 6./JG 52 scores his first kill on the Eastern front. Another rising Experte, Heinz Bär of JG 51, is awarded the Ritterkreuz and promoted to Lieutenant. He has twenty-seven victories at this time.

The local police in Riga, Latvia was organized by a German commander to murder 400 Jews and burn down all Riga's synagogues.

GERMANY: RAF bombed the German cities of Bremen and Köln overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 67 aircraft to attack Bremen, 42 aircraft to attack Cologne and 39 aircraft to attack Duisburg.

French Lieutenant Pierre Mairesse Lebrun, a prisoner of war at Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle, Germany, escaped the camp by leaping the wire fence and scaling outer brick wall. He would eventually successfully make it to Switzerland.

MIDDLE EAST: Vichy French aircraft from Lebanon bomb Haifa.

NORTH AFRICA: A force of 4,500 Italians and levies besieged by Ethiopian patriots surrender to a British force of one squadron and one company.

RAF attacks Tripoli overnight with Wellington bombers and Swordfish bombers flying from Malta.

NORTH AMERICA: The Canadian Women's Auxiliary Air Force is set up.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Unternehmen Polarfuchs: The 6th SS-Gebirgs-Division tried repeatedly to break through the Soviet lines, but all attempts failed. While the German advance stalled, the Finnish 3rd Division in the south was making good progress. The Division's first opponent was the Soviet 54th Division.

UNITED KINGDOM: The British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee assigned the responsibility of writing its final draft of the report of its findings on the development of atomic weapons to James Chadwick.

Douglas Bader was awarded the Bar to his Distinguished Service Order. Later on the same day, he claimed one Bf 109 fighter destroyed and another damaged.

WESTERN FRONT: The British conduct Circus No. 29 from RAF No. 2 Group, a raid against Lille. Shortly after 1200 hours, a formation of twelve Blenheim bombers escorted by Spitfire fighters from 12 fighter squadrons including the American Eagle Squadron of the RAF crossed the coast. The American escorts encountered stiff resistance from about 60 Bf 109 fighters. The two Kanalfront Geschwaders, JG 26 and elements of JG 2, were scrambled to intercept the formations and numerous air battles ensued. In a confused close-quarter dog-fight two RAF fighters were destroyed in a mid-air collision. One or both are thought to be Eagles. But the RAF fighters in turn shot down three Messerschmitts. Two were shot down by young US pilot officers. A third fell to the British flight leader. In the same action a British sergeant pilot shot down two planes with a single fusillade. Violating an order from Hitler and Reichsmarschall Göring to be grounded, Obstlt. Adolf Galland instead led a flight against the British bombers over St. Omer. After downing a RAF Blenheim over Merville at 1230 hours he was jumped by Spitfires and badly damaged. Just barely arriving back at the airfield with injuries, he learns he was only alive due to some extra armour placed in his cockpit by his ground crew. Four British bombers were shot down with credit going to Obstlt. Galland for his seventieth, Hptm. Rudolf Bieber of Stab I./JG 26 for his first kill and Fw. Günther Seeger of the Stab./JG 2. Eight British fighters were shot down with credit going to Oblt. Josef Priller of 1./JG 26 for his twenty-ninth, Hptm. Gerhard Schöpfel of III./JG 26 for his twenty-seventh, Hptm. Rolf Pingel of I./JG 26 for his twenty-second, Oblt. Walter Schneider of 6./JG 26 for his fourteenth, Ofw. Rudolf Täschner of 1./JG 2 for his thirteenth, Lt. Horst Ulenberg of 2./JG 26 for his tenth, Lt. Bruno Stolle of 8./JG 2, Fw. Heinz Jahner of 9./JG 2 and Oblt. Hans-Jürgen Hepe of 4./JG 2. Only four Messerschmitts were lost from combat and no pilots were killed. But the Kanalfront Geschwaders do suffer a loss. While trying to reach the combat area, the Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 26, Oblt. Martin Rysavy is hit by German anti-aircraft fire and killed.

While in the dock at Brest, France, "Prinz Eugen" was hit by a bomb during an Allied air raid.

.