This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

Halders Diary 19 July 1941

20 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
L Class DD HMS LIVELY (G-40)


Losses
None

UBOATS
Departures
Horten: U-82

At Sea 20 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-81, U-82, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-373, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic

Gnevnyi Class DD STREMITELNY (VMF 1855 grt) was sunk by German bombing off Polarnoye (which I think is a base in the Arctic). Another article by Chris Chant states "SOKRUSHITELNYI and STREMITELNYI were also transferred to the Arctic, in 1939 and 1940 respectively, and while the former foundered during a storm in the Barents Sea on 20 November 1942, the latter sank after being struck by German bombers in Ekaterinski Gavan on 20 July 1941"



Baltic
DDs YAKOV SVERDLOV, VOLODORSKYI and MSW TSZCZ-207 heavily engage against German units, the SVERDLOV fired against S-boats but they believed it was coastal artillery fire. Then other VMF ships rushed to the scene including MO and TK, but the only ongoing engagement was still the YAKOV SVERDLOV that chased the s-boats and fired against a group of r-boats. There was no report of damage from either side.

North Sea
CVL FURIOUS, escorted by DDs GARLAND, CASTLETON, and CHARLESTOWN and arrived at Scapa Flow on the 21st from Greenock after flying practices in the Pentland Firth. CLA EURYALUS, escorted by DD WORCESTER, arrived at Rosyth to complete fitting out.

British steamer UMVUMA was damaged by the LW off Number 57 Buoy, off the Humber. The vessel was able to proceed disabled to Humber.

Northern Waters
AA ship POZARICA departed Scapa Flow to join the Western Approaches after completion of her fit out.

West Coast

Western Approaches
U.95 damaged British steamer PALMA with gunfire in 50-14N, 17-53W after an unsuccessful torpedo attack.

SW Approaches
OG.69 departed Liverpool escorted by corvettes BEGONIA, JASMINE, LARKSPUR, PIMPERNEL, and RHODODENDRON and ASW trawler ST NECTAN. Corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, KINGCUP, and SUNFLOWER joined on the 21st. On the 26th, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, and KINGCUP were detached. On the 27th, corvette SUNFLOWER was detached. Corvette BEGONIA on the 28th, and corvette RHODODENDRON on the 30th. Corvette FLEUR DE LYS and anti-submarine trawlers LADY HOGARTH and LADY SHIRLEY joined the convoy on the 27th. DDs FAULKNOR, FURY, and FORESTER departed Gibraltar on the 28th to escort this convoy, but they were later recalled for Operation STYLE. Steamer ADJUTANT of the convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 1 August with corvettes JASMINE, PIMPERNEL, and LARKSPUR and ASW trawler ST NECTAN. The corvettes went back out and arrived with the convoy on 2 August.

Med/Biscay
ML cruiser LATONA and RAN DD STUART departed Alexandria carrying supplies to Tobruk. At Tobruk, the cruiser was able to unload only 50 tons of her cargo due to a delay in arrival and difficulties in unloading. The ships arrived back at Alexandria on the 21st.

An Italian convoy composed of damaged German steamer MENES in tow of Italian tug CICLOPE and German tug MAX BERENDT departed Tripoli on the 17th escorted by RM TB CIRCE. On the 20th, U Class Sub UNION (RN 540 grt) attacked the convoy SSW of Pantelleria and was sunk in return by the torpedo boat. Galloway (the skipper), Lt D.L. Carr, Lt R.D.C.G. Simmons, Lt D.A. Tarrant RNR, and 28 ratings were lost on the submarine.


Submarine UTMOST unsuccessfully attacked a steamer off Ustica. Subamrine TETRARCH unsuccessfully attacked a steamer in the Aegean.

In Operation GUILLOTINE, NZ manned CL LEANDER and RN DD KINGSTON departed Haifa on the 20th for Port Said, where they arrived that day to embark troops and supplies in serial S.2 A of the Operation. The supplies were unloaded at Famagusta during the night of 20/21 July. DD JERVIS with troops from Haifa also disembarked at Famagusta during the night of 20/21 July in Serial S.2B of the Operation.

Cruiser LEANDER and destroyer KINGSTON arrived back at Haifa on the 21st.

Central Atlantic
U.203 damaged British steamer CANADIAN STAR (8293grt) with gunfire in 49-15N, 21W, after the steamer evaded torpedoes from submarine U.126. The steamer arrived at Curacoa on the 30th.

CL EDINBURGH, ML cruiser MANXMAN, and DDs NESTOR, LIGHTNING, FARNDALE, AVON VALE, and ERIDGE departed Gibraltar at 0145 to meet arriving convoy WS.9C.

CLs MANCHESTER and ARETHUSA and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, and SIKH arrived at Gibraltar escorting troopship LEINSTER. DDs FEARLESS, FOXHOUND, FIREDRAKE, BEVERLEY, FURY, FORESIGHT, and FORESTER arrived at Gibraltar to refuel.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 20 JULY TO DAWN 21 JULY 1941
Weather Fine and sunny.

0118—0233 hrs; 0250-0320 hrs Air raid alerts for three enemy bombers which approach at intervals among returning Wellingtons. The first aircraft drops bombs on fields near Luqa, the other two drop bombs in the sea off GrandHarbour. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

0245-0355 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft which approaches the Island and is illuminated off GrandHarbour and attacked with a barrage from heavy anti-aircraft guns. Bombs are dropped in the sea. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 20 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY Otus arrived from Gibraltar and discharged petrol and RAF Stores at Marsaxlokk. Submarines UPRIGHT and UNIQUE departed Malta to take position in preparation for Operation SUBSTANCE..

AIR HQ Arrivals 6 Beaufighter, 1 Maryland, 1 Sunderland, 3 Wellington. 69 Squadron Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli and eastwards. 148 Squadron 9 Wellingtons attacked railway sidings near the harbour at Naples causing large fires and explosions.

Halders Diary 20 July 1941

21 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Elco 77' PT USS PT 39

Allied
Fairmile B ML FNFL ST IVES

HDML 1050

White 73' MTB HMS MTB 48

Losses
Steamers HANS CHRISTOPHERSON (Ger 1599 grt) was sunk on a mine off Terschelling.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM sub TORELLI sank tanker IDA KNUDSEN (Nor 8913 grt) in the Central Atlantic. Five crew were missing on the tanker, whilst 14 survivors were picked up by Portuguese trawler ALTAIR and landed at Las Palmas.


UBOATS
Arrivals
Kiel: U-143

Departures
Lorient: U-79

At Sea 21 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

29 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Baltic
M Class Sub M-94 (VMF 206 grt) was sunk by U-140 who in turn was damaged by DCs dropped by VMF SCs. U-140 sank M-Class Submarine M-94 (VMF 206 grt) in an area designated "Patrol Area Uto" off the coast of Tallinin. At 0655 hrs, M-94 was hit by one torpedo from U-140 and sank, while the U-boat attacked a second submarine at 0706 hrs with another torpedo, but missed. The second submarine was M-98 which rescued the commander and two survivors with a rubber dinghy shortly afterwards. They had been on the conning tower when the torpedo hit and thought that the men inside were dead, but the submarine sank in shallow waters lying on its stern at an angle of 60°. This made it possible for 8 men (M-Class had a nominal crew of 20, so the net losses from this attack were about 9 men). to leave through the main hatch and were brought ashore by a launch. They reportedly made it back to friendly controlled territory.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

North Sea
DD ASHANTI was recommissioned on the Tyne after a long period of repair. She was unable to depart the Tyne for Scapa Flow until 30 August, as further defects continued to prevent her departure. The DD finally arrived at Scapa Flow to work up on 7 September.

Northern Waters
ML cruiser ADVENTURE arrived at Scapa Flow, en route to Archangel. AA ship PALOMARES arrived at Scapa Flow at 1300 to work up.

West Coast
OB.349 departed Liverpool, escort DDs KEPPEL and SHIKARI, corvettes ALISMA, ALYSSE, DIANELLA, FREESIA, and SUNFLOWER, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN DAWN and WELLARD. DD VENOMOUS joined on the 22nd. On the 26th, this group was detached. On the 26th, DDs BROADWATER and RCN ST LAURENT, AMC CIRCASSIA, and corvettes RIMOUSKI and SKIKENARD joined. The convoy was dispersed on 1 August. This was the last of the OB.series. Beginning on the 26th, the "ON" series began with ON.1 departing Liverpool.

Med/Biscay
Corvette PEONY departed Port Said with Dutch steamer TRAJANUS (1712grt) in Operation GUILLOTINE. This movement, S.2C, of the Operation arrived at Famagusta on the 23rd. Sloop FLAMINGO departed Alexandria for Port Said for a GUILLOTINE escort in serial S.3. The sloop departed Port Said on the 22nd escorting motor transport ship KEVINBANK for Famagusta, arriving on the 24th.

Submarine PARTHIAN departed Alexandria for Malta and the United Kingdom for refitting.

A German-Italian convoy of steamers MADDALENA ODERO, NICOLO ODERO, CAFFARO, and PREUSSEN departed Naples for Tripoli escorted by DDs FOLGORE, EURO, SAETTA, and FULMINE. The convoy was later joined by DDs ALPINO and FUCLIERE. On the 22nd, steamer PREUSSEN (Ger 8203 grt) was sunk by Swordfish of 830 Sqn 30 miles SE of Pantelleria. TB PALLADE joined the convoy from Tripoli.

Tkr BRARENA (FI 6996 grt) departed Palermo on the 21st, escort DD FUCLIERE, to join the convoy. The tanker was sunk on the 22nd by Swordfish of 830 Sqn. DD FOLGORE from another convoy assisted FUCLIERE.

Submarine TAKU sent a landing party into Benghazi harbour and attached explosive charges to one of the ships in harbour.

Submarine OLYMPUS unsuccessfully attacked a convoy of two steamers and one escort off Naples.

RHN submarine GLAUKOS sank steamer SAN NICOLA (FI 210 grt) NW of Rhodes with gunfire.

Operation Substance
Operation SUBSTANCE was a British naval operation in July 1941 to escort convoy GM 1, the first of the series from Gibraltar to Malta. The convoy defended by Fce H which had been reinforced by units drawn from home waters commands. Fce H and the convoy were attacked by RM Subs, RA a/c and MAS light forces, but the main RM surface fleets remained in harbour

The RN observed throughout July decreasing intensity of the Sardinian based RA attacks as the torpedo inventory at Sardinia (torpedoes for aircraft being in short supply at this time for both the RA and the LW for much of 1941). The ships of convoy GM 1 sailed from Home waters on 13 July 1941 as part of convoy WS (Winston Specials) 9C, and arrived at Gibraltar on 20 July. Ships of the Med Flt began demonstrating loudly in the eastern basin making heavy radio traffic in the hope of diverting attention to possible preparations for a major operation in the eastern Med. Italian histories dispute the success of these measures, but the italains were still unready for the passage of the GM-1 convoy once it had started. The RM adduced the convoy was merely the ARK ROYAL TG flying-off replacement a/c to Malta, and chose to remain in port.

The convoy came under sustained low level attack by 9+ SM79s torpedo bombers and 6+ Z1007 level bombers on the 23rd. Four Fulmars met the torpedo planes head-on and shot one down before another SM.79 launched a torpedo which hit HMS MANCHESTER before also being shot down. ARK ROYAL launched another 7 Fulmars which were unable to engage the level bombers before they released bombs which failed to hit the convoyed ships. Three Fulmars were shot down in these battles which were heavily escorted by the RA fighters. A later attack by two SM.79s sank HMS FEARLESS killing 35 of her crew. Another bombing attack near-missed HMS FIREDRAKE causing damage requiring the DD to be towed back to Gibraltar. Bristol Beaufighters from Malta were now assisting the ARK ROYAL CAG defending the convoy from these attacks. HMS COSSACK detected MAS boats 532 and 533 approaching the convoy after dark with her radar, but was unable to prevent them from torpedoing SS SYDNEY STAR. HMAS NESTOR towed the damaged 11,000-ton cargo ship to Malta

7 empty ships sailed from Malta as convoy MG 1 on 23 July to be convoyed back to Gibraltar by Force H.One was damaged by an aircraft torpedo on the voyage west. ARK ROYAL lost a total of six Fulmars defending convoy MG 1 and the Malta bound ships from Gibraltar. At least 12 Axis a/c were shot down by ARK ROYAL's fighters alone, with total Axis losses exceeding 20 a/c

The six cargo ships of convoy GM 1 arrived in Malta on 24 July where they were observed by a Z-506 recon seaplane escorted by 42 MC200 fighters. Malta launched 22 Hurricanes which shot down three of the escort without loss. An audacious attack on GrandHarbour by other MAS boats and manned torpedoes (Maille) on the night of 25–26 July was thwarted due to the advance warning provided by ULTRA intelligence. The Italians had made the mistake of telling the germans of their intentions, which effectively passed the information via their leaky security to the british.

The Operation SUBSTANCE convoy (convoy GM 1) for Malta of steamers SYDNEY STAR, CITY OF PRETORIA, PORT CHALMERS, DEUCALION, DURHAM, and MELBOURNE STAR, escorted by BB NELSON, CL EDINBURGH, ML cruiser MANXMAN, and DDs NESTOR, LIGHTNING, FARNDALE, AVON VALE, and ERIDGE passed Gibraltar in the Mediterranean at 0145. BB NELSON and CLs ARETHUSA, EDINBURGH, and MANCHESTER were on temporary loan from the Home Flt. CLs MANCHESTER and ARETHUSA, troopship LEINSTER, and DDs COSSACK, SIKH, and MAORI departed Gibraltar at 0200. Troopship LEINSTER ran aground departing Gibraltar and was left behind. Troop reinforcements were not the main reason for the convoy.

Fleet oiler BROWN RANGER, escort DD BEVERLEY, proceeded at 0200 to sea to refuel DDs during the operation. The two ships returned to Gibraltar on the 23rd. They sailed again on the 25th on the same mission, but were recalled later that day.

At 0300, BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL, CLA HEMOINE, DDs FAULKNOR, FEARLESS, FIREDRAKE, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, FORESIGHT, FURY, and DUNCAN departed Gibraltar.

Eight British and Dutch submarines were at sea to intercept the Italian Fleet should it attempt to intervene with the passage of the convoy. Submarines OLYMPUS in the Tyrrhenian Sea and P.32 off Cagliari and Dutch submarine O.21 in the TyrrhenainSea operated from Gibraltar and UNIQUE off southern entrance to the Straits of Messina, UPHOLDER north of Marittimo, UPRIGHT off southern approaches to the Straits of Messina, URGE off Palermo, and UTMOST north of Messina operated from Malta.

On the 22nd, the Mediterranean Flt sortied from Alexandria under the cover of darkness.BBs QUEEN ELIZABETH and VALIANT, CLAs NAIAD and PHOEBE, CLs NEPTUNE, and RAN HOBART, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DDs JACKAL, RAN NIZAM, KIPLING, KIMBERLEY, GRIFFIN, HASTY, and HAVOCK operated to the west of Crete.

CLs AJAX and LEANDER with DDs JERVIS, JAGUAR, KANDAHAR, and KINGSTON departed Haifa and rendezvoused with the Main Fleet off Alexandria at dawn on the 23rd. CLA CARLISLE alsojoined the Fleet at daylight on the 23rd.

At sundown on the 23rd, the Fleet turned backed eastward and CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DD KIMBERLEY were detached on serial S.4 of the GUILLOTINE operation. They departed Port Said on the 24th. The troops were delivered on the 24th and the ships arrived back at Port Said on the 25th.

On the 24th, CL LEANDER and DD JAGUAR departed the Fleet for Port Said where they arrived on the 25th. The Main Body of the Med Flt returned to Alexandria on the 25th. CL LEANDER and DD JAGUAR embarked troops for Famagusta and departed on the 25th on Serial S.6 with ML cruiser LATONA, arriving during the night of 25/26July. LATONA was damaged in a collision with DD JAGUAR while berthing at Famagusta, but was able to depart with the DD on the 26th for Haifa. CL LEANDER arrived at Alexandria on the 26th.

CL NEPTUNE, ML cruiser ABDIEL, and DD KIMBERLEY departed Port Said for Famagusta on serial S.7 of the GUILLOTINE operation on the 26th. The troops were landed during the night of 26/27 July. On completion, the ships proceeded to Haifa.

Submarines REGENT and PERSEUS on the 24th created the impression by means of radio signals that the BB were still at sea and that the SUBSTANCE convoy was a through convoy.

RM sub DIASPRO attacked the SUBSTANCE convoy and narrowly missed RAN DD NESTOR, whilst she was engaged escorting CV ARK ROYAL, the western Med. near Bougie. The RA hit and damaged CL MANCHESTER. 26 of the cruisers crew were injured in the attack. The damaged forced the MANCHESTER to return to Gibraltar, escorted by DD AVON VALE, with three out of four engines inoperative. Before arriving at Gibraltar, DDs VIDETTE and VIMY joined the screen. DD WISHART later sailed and relieved DD AVON VALE. Tug ST DAY departed Gibraltar to assist. They arrived at Gibraltar shortly before midnight on the 25th.

Motor launches ML.130, ML.126, ML.168, ML.121, and ML.129 departed Gibraltar to sweep ahead of the cruiser and provide additional escort. Later, tugs ROLLICKER and ST OMAR with ML 173, and ML.169 departed to join the cruiser.

Cruiser MANCHESTER, after temporary repairs at Gibraltar, sailed on 17 September for the Philadephia Navy Yard where she was under repair from 23 September to 15 February 1942.

The RA also torpedoed F Class DD HMS FEARLESS (RN 1350 grt)was torpedoed by an aerial torpedo north of Bone and was later scuttled by DD FORESTER in the Sicilian narrows. The DD had 18 crewmembers missing and a further 20 injured, 9 of whom would die of their wounds.


DD FIREDRAKE was damaged by bombing on the 23rd and was under tow for 37 hrs back to Gibraltar by DD ERIDGE and escorted by DD AVON VALE, which was sent back to join after being relieved from the also crippled MANCHESTER escort. DD SIKH joined en route. DD FIREDRAKE was able to restore some power and arrived at Gibraltar, under her own power at the end, on the 27th, escorted by DDs AVON VALE and ERIDGE. The DD was under repair for 6 months, including four months at Boston Navy Yard from 23 September to 18 January 1942.

DD FOXHOUND was damaged by a near miss of bombing on the 23rd, but spent no time out of action.

On the 24th, RM MAS boats MAS.532 and MAS.533 attacked the SUBSTANCE convoy. These boats were undamaged, despite claims by CLs EDINBURGH, DD COSSACK, and ML MANXMAN that they each sank an MAS.boat.

MAS.533 torpedoed steamer SYDNEY STAR. The steamer fell out of the convoy and destroyer NESTOR and later light cruiser HERMIONE were detailed to protect the steamer and escort it to Malta, without further incident, arriving on the 24th. The steamer was drydocked at Malta on 18 August.

CLs EDINBURGH and ARETHUSA, ML MANXMAN, and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, SIKH, NESTOR, and FARNDALE escorted the convoy into Malta on the 24th. The remainder of Force H returned to Gibraltar.

Convoy MG 1 of steamers SETTLER, THERMOPLYLAE, AMERIKA, TALABOT, HOEGH HOOD, SVENNOR, and supply ship BRECONSHIRE with DD ENCOUNTER was brought out from Malta, departing at 0500 on the 23rd. Steamer SVENNOR hit the breakwater leaving harbour and had to be docked. She was able to depart the next day.

Corvette GLOXINIA assisted in the escort of the convoy during the first day, then returned to Malta. DD FARNDALE had to remain at Malta with condenser problems. Tanker HOEGH HOOD was damaged by bombing on the 24th, but was able to continue.

P/T/Sub Lt (A) K.G. Grant RNVR, and his gunner Leading Airman H. McLeod in a Fulmar of 807 Squadron and Lt A.J. Kindersley and his gunner Petty Officer (A) F.A. Barnes in a Fulmar of 808 Sqn were lost on the 25th when they were shot down 120 miles SW of Sardinia. T/A/Sub Lt (A) R.C. Cockburn RNVR, and Petty Officer Airman W./E. Cuttriss of 808 Sqn were also shot down but picked up by DD NESTOR. Supply ship BRECONSHIRE and steamer TALABOT, escorted by DD ENCOUNTER arrived at Gibraltar on the 26th. DD FORESTER with steamers AMERIKA and THERMOPYLAE arrived later in the day.

Steamer SETTLER and HOEGH HOOD arrived at Gibraltar on the 27th and Norwegian tanker SVENNOR arrived on the 28th. Force H and the supporting cruisers arrived back at Gibraltar on the 27th.

On 13 September, the damaged CL MANCHESTER and DD FIREDRAKE in company departed Gibraltar for repairs in the United States, via England. They were escorted by DD HEYTHROP as far as 25W.

The Italian Fleet did not sail. BBs LITTORIO, VENETO, and DUILO at Taranto, CAs TRIESTE, BOLZANO, and GORIZIA at Messina, and CLs GARIBALDI, MONTECUCCOLI, DI GIUSSANO, and DA BARBIANO at Palermo were brought to notice, but the intention of the British forces was discovered too late as the Italians believed the convoy was travelling all the way to Alexandria.

Nth Atlantic
Canadian troop convoy TC 12 departed Halifax with liners DUCHESS OF YORK, EMPRESS OF CANADA, ORION, STRATHMORE, and STRATHNAVER. DDs ASSINIBOINE and BUXTON were escorting the convoy from 21 to 23 July. DDs HAVELOCK, HESPERUS, COLUMBIA, and RESTIGOUCHE escorted the convoy from 21 to 26 July. BB MALAYA escorted the convoy from 21 to 27 July.DDs HARVESTER and RIPLEY escorted the convoy from 23 to 26 July. DD GURKHA, LANCE, LEGION, PIORUN, SALISBURY, VANQUISHER, and WINCHELSEA escorted the convoy from 26 to 29 July. DDs CROOME, HEYTHROP, and ISAAC SWEERS departed Scapa Flow on the 27th and were with the convoy on the 27th. The DDs took BB MALAYA to Scapa Flow, where they arrived at noon on the 28th. CLA CAIRO escorted the convoy from 27 to 29 July. The convoy safely arrived on the 29th.

Central Atlantic
Submarine THUNDERBOLT, which had departed St Johns on the 8th, arrived at Gibraltar for duty in the Mediterranean.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
DD ILEX, after temporary repairs at Port Said, passed through the Suez Canal for repairs at Durban. The DD arrived at Aden on the 24th. She remained there until 15 September when she departed for Durban. Engine problems required further temporary repairs at Mombasa and the DD did not arrive at Durban until November.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 21 JULY TO DAWN 22 JULY 1941
Weather Hot and sunny.

1010-1045 hrs Air raid alert for one a single enemy aircraft crossing the Island on reconnaissance at 23000 feet with an escort of 20 fighters. The fighters split up into three formations. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not engage as they do not gain sufficient height.

2130-2220 hrs Air raid alert for four enemy aircraft which approach the Island from the direction of Catania. Two cross the coast and drop bombs on Marsa and between Luqa and Safi. Searchlights do not illuminate the raiders and Hurricanes do not intercept.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 21 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 4 Swordfish left at 1910 to attack convoy but failed to intercept.

AIR HQ Arrivals 8 Beaufighter, 1 Sunderland. Departures 1 Sunderland, 5 Wellington 148 Squadron. 69 Squadron Marylands reconnaissance Sicily and Gulf of Taranto; shadowing of convoy.

KALAFRANA The Inspector General of the Royal Air Force, Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, visited the Station.

Halders Diary 21 July 1941

22 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Elco 77' PT USS PT 40

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS BRANDON (K-149)



Losses

UBOATS
Arrivals
BokFjord: U-652
Windau: U-139

Departures
Brest: U-204

At Sea 22 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

30 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic
DKM DDs KARL GALSTER, HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, and RICHARD BEITZEN departed the Kirkenes on an anti shipping sweep. The DDs sank Soviet surveying ship MERIDIAN between Iokanga and Teriberka. The DKM forces returned to Kirkenes on the 24th.

Baltic
G-5 Class MTB TK71 (VMF 15 grt) and Icebreaker LACHPLESIS (SU 580 grt) were sunk by DKM S-Boats.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

North Sea
DD CROOME departed Scapa Flow on passage to Rosyth where they arrived later that day.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and met convoy WN.55 in Pentland Firth. On meeting convoy EC.48 at 2200, the ship transferred to that convoy and provided cover northward. On the 23rd, after this escort duty, the ship returned to Scapa Flow.

Minelayer TEVIOTBANK, escorted by survey ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.21B of the Northern Barrage.

Northern Waters
At 1247 on the 22nd on reports that DKM BC SCHARNHORST had departed Brest were received, This prompted BB KGV, CA SHROPSHIRE, CLs NIGERIA and AURORA, and DDs TARTAR, PUNJABI, ICARUS, INTREPID, ESCAPADE, and ACHATES to be brought to one hour's notice. At 1616 CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK were brought to one hour's notice as well. At 1829 CV VICTORIOUS, CVL FURIOUS and DDs INGLEFIELD, ANTELOPE, ACTIVE, and ANTHONY were brought to one hour's notice.

FURIOUS reverted to normal notice at 1756 to allow urgent maintenance to be carried out. At 1720, CAs DEVONSHIRE and SUFFOLK and CL AURORA reverted to normal notice for the same reason. At 1226 on the 23rd, the ships returned to normal notice when the BC was found to be still at at La Pallice.

DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO departed Scapa Flow escorting tkr BLACK RANGER to Seidisfjord.

Med/Biscay
Yugoslavian TBs DURMITOR and KAJMAKLAN departed Haifa to return to Alexandria.

Submarine TETRARCH shelled Karlovassi and claimed damaging a number of caiques in harbour.

Submarine URGE unsuccessfully attacked a small convoy off Palermo.

Greek submarine GLAUKOS reported sinking a caique (FI 250 grt (est)) with artillery off Castelorizzo.

Nth Atlantic
HX.140 departed Halifax, escorted by AMC ASCANIA and corvettes BITTERSWEET and FENNEL. The convoy was joined on the 23rd by corvettes CHICOUTIMI and MATAPEDIA, which were detached later that day. On the 24th, escorted ship WALNEY and corvette BUCTOUCHE joined. Escort ship WALNEY was detached the next day. On the 25th, DDs RAMSEY and COLUMBIA, corvettes CANDYTUFT, GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and NASTURTIUM, MSW SPEEDWELL, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN SPRAY and NORTHERN WAVE joined the escort. Corvette BUCTOUCHE was detached on the 26th, corvette NASTURTIUM on the 27th, and MSW SPEEDWELL on the 28th. DD COLUMBIA was detached on 1 August, AMC ASCANIA and corvettes BITTERSWEET, CANDYTUFT, FENNEL, GLADIOLUS, and MIMOSA. DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, NIGELLA, VERBENA, and VIOLET joined on 2 August. DD AMAZON joined on 3 August. The DDs were detached on 5 August and the corvettes arrived with the convoy at Liverpool on 6 August.

SC.38 departed Sydney, CB, escort AMC CHITRAL and corvettes BARRIE, DAUPHIN, and NAPANEE. The corvettes were detached on the 25th. DD COLUMBIA and corvettes GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and NASTURTIUM joined on the 25th.Corvette NASTURTIUM was detached on the 27th, DD COLUMBIA on 1 August, and AMC CHITRAL and corvettes GLADIOLUS and MIMOSA on 2 August. ORP DD BURZA, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, and NIGELLA, and MSW BRITOMART joined on 2 August. DDs AMAZON and GEORGETOWN joined on 3 August. Corvettes AUBRETIA and NIGELLA were detached on the 8th, DDs AMAZON and GEORGETOWN and corvette HEARTSEASE on the 7th. On 7 August, ASW trawlers DANEMAN and NOTTSCOUNTY joined and escorted the convoy into Liverpool on 8 August.

Central Atlantic
ASW trawler STELLA CARINA departed Gibraltar escorting British tanker HORNSHELL to the west. The trawler would then join Panamanian tanker NORVINN arriving. Trawler COPINSAY departed Gibraltar later on the 22nd to join trawler STELLA CARINA. On the 26th, tanker NORVINN, arriving from Trinidad, escorted by trawlers STELLA CARINA and COPINSAY, arrived at Gibraltar.

Sth Atlantic
CL DUNEDIN captured steamer VILLEDEROUEN (Vichy 5383 grt) east of Natal in the Sth Atlantic. The ship was taken to East London, South Africa, arriving on 4 August.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 22 JULY TO DAWN 23 JULY 1941
Weather Hot and sunny.

1105-1130 hrs A formation of enemy aircraft is reported of Cape Passero, heading south. Hurricane aircraft are scrambled but the formation turns away. As the Hurricanes head back towards Malta, a second formation of 25 enemy aircraft is reported heading for Malta. Another flight of Hurricanes is scrambled. The raiders approach to within 15 miles of Grand Harbour, then turn back northwards. The Hurricanes set off in pursuit bur are unable to catch the enemy.

2117-2342 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft which approach from the north east individually, crossing the coast east of Salina Bay and Grand Harbour respectively. Bombs are dropped in the Marsa area.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 22 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Swordfish left to attack convoy of 1 tanker 7000 tons, 1 destroyer, and 1 small merchant vessel intercepted south west of Lampion. They hit the tanker with 2 torpedoes and claimed sunk, one hit with a torpedo on the stern of the destroyer was also secured. All aircraft returned.

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Beaufighter. Departures 1 Sunderland, 4 Wellington 148 Squadron. 69 Squadron Marylands reconnaissance Taranto shot down a Cant seaplane on return. Reconnaissance Naples, Messina, Palermo, Trapani; search patrol and night shadowing of convoy. 110 Squadron 4 Blenheim attacked a convoy and sank two ships; the Observer of one Blenheim was killed. After inspecting the Command the Inspector General, Air Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, and staff proceeded to the Middle East.

Halders Diary 22 July 1941

23 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
Elco 77' PT USS PT-41

Allied
Flower Class Corvette FNFL ACONIT (K-58)


Remote Control model of the ACONIT

Bathurst Class Corvette HMAS MILDURA (J202)



Losses
Auxiliary PV Vp.1508 (DKM 354 grt), ex whaler RAU III, was sunk by a MTB SW of Boulogne.

Barge OMFLEET (UK 130 grt) was sunk on a mine in Alexandra Dock, Hull. There were no casualties on the barge.

UBOATS
At Sea 23 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-98, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-140, U-141, U-145, U-202, U-203, U-204, U-331, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, UA

30 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Baltic
Fishing vessel NORDMARK (Ger 462 grt) was lost on a mine in the Irben Straits (at the entrance to the Gulf of Riga).

Black Sea/Caspian
MV ADZHARIA (SU 4727 grt) from the Black Sea State Shipping Co. / OdessaGulf; She was sunk in the Odessa Gulf by the LW. 4 crew were lost.

North Sea
DD GARTH was damaged by near misses from the LW in the NthSea. The DD spent no time out of action.

British sailing vessels ADAMANT and SOAVITA were damaged on mines at Alexandra Dock, Hull. Both vessels sank, but were salved.

Northern Patrol
For Operation EF, a British force departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd with CAs DEVONSHIRE (Flag Wake Walker) and SUFFOLK, CVs VICTORIOUS and FURIOUS, and DDs ESCAPADE, ACTIVE, ANTHONY, ACHATES, ANTELOPE, and INTREPID. The force arrived at Seidisfjord (a town and municipality in the Eastern Region of Iceland, settlement datng as far back as the 8th century used by the allies in WWII as a naval base and airstrip). on the 25th. ML cruiser ADVENTURE departed Scapa Flow on the 23rd for Seidisfjord and arrived on the 24th. DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO with oiler BLACK RANGER for this operation had departed for Seidisfjord on the 22nd and arrived on the 24th.

MSWs NIGER, SALAMANDER, and HALCYON arrived at Scapa Flow on the 23rd en route to Iceland.

DD ACHATES struck a British mine of minefield SN.69 at 0300 on the 25th and badly damaged in Seidisfjord. The DD lost 65 ratings. The DD was towed by DD ANTHONY into Seidisfjord. ACHATES was towed by tug ASSURANCE, escorted by DD ANTELOPE to the Faroes. DD TARTAR escorted the tow on to the Tyne. ACHATES was under repair in the Tyne from 3 September to 13 March 1942. DDs INGLEFIELD and ICARUS departed Scapa Flow on the 25th and relieved DDs ECLIPSE and ECHO which joined the Main Force to replace DDs ACHATES and ANTELOPE.

MSWs HALCYON and SALAMANDER departed Scapa Flow on the 28th and were sent to Seidisfjord to provide ASW protection. The MSWs arrived on the 31st. The British force departed Seidisfjord on the 26th for operation EF.


CV VICTORIOUS and her escorts had positioned themselves off the northern anchorage of Kirkenes, and launched an air strike of 20 Albacore torpedo bombers of 827 Sqn (Lt Cdr J.A. Stewart-Moore) and 828 Sqn (Lt Cdr D.E. Langmore) escorted by nine Fulmar fighters of 809 Sqn (Lt Cdr V.C. Grenfell) on Kirkenes on the 30th. Three additional Fulmars flew as protection for the carrier. DKM ML BREMSE and other German ships were at Kirkenes. Some damage was done to piers and oil tanks and steamer ROTTVER was damaged, but six Albacores of 827 Sqn and five Albacores of 828 Sqn and two Fulmar fighters of 809 Sqn were shot down by German gunners and a/c.

The raid on Kirkenes was an unmitigated disaster. The LW had been alerted and had Bf 109, and Bf110 fighters airborne and ready as well as some Ju87s used as stop gap fighters. The Fulmars were unable to rendezvous with the Albacore sqns, who were thus left without fighter protection. There are some reports of shipping losses, but these are not fully confirmed as German records are very incomplete. One Bf 109, two Bf 110s and one Ju87 were claimed shot down for the loss of 11 Albacores and two Fulmars, with a further eight Albacores damaged. Again, because of incomplete LW records it is impossible to confirm precisely german losses, but they did lose at least one Bf 110 to a Fulmar and one Ju 87 to an Albacore.

CVL FURIOUS launched an air strike of 9 Swordfish of 812 Sqn (Lt Cdr W.E. Waters), 9 Albacore torpedo bombers of 817 Sqn (Lt Cdr D. Sanderson), and 6 Fulmar fighters of 800 Sqn (Lt Cdr J.A.D. Wroughton DSC) on Petsamo on the 30th. Four of the new Sea Hurricanes of 880A Flight (Lt Cdr F.E.C. Judd) were flown off as protection for the carrier. Some damage was done to the piers by the torpedo bombers. One Albacore torpedo plane of 817 Sqn were shot down and came ashore at Murmansk and two Fulmar fighters of 800 Sqn with Sub Lt (A) F.J.G. Gallichan and Petty Officer Airman J.F. Black and P/T/Sub Lt (A) E.S. Burke RNVR, Leading Airman J. Beardsley were shot down and their crews lost.

On the 31st, FURIOUS was sent back to Scapa Flow because of a fuel shortage. Five Albacore aircraft of 817 Squadron were transferred to VICTORIOUS before her departure. During the air strikes, cruiser minelayer ADVENTURE, escorted by DD ANTHONY, which departed Seidisfjord on the 26th, was passed to Russia. The minelayer was detached at 0300 on the 30th and proceeded unescorted to Archangel with mines in Operation EF. It was the first direct assistance provided by the allies to the Soviets. DD ANTHONY, which returned to embark part of the crew of damaged DD ACHATES, departed Seidisfjord early on the 31st and arrived at Scapa Flow at 2300. The minelayer arrived at Archangel on 1 August.After unloading, minelayer ADVENTURE departed on 4 August for Loch Alsh, arriving on 11 August.

From 10 to 15 September, these mines were laid by VMF DD of their DesDiv1, including DDs GREMYASHSCHI, GROMKI, GOZNY, and SOKRUSHITELNY in the area of Fisherman's Peninsula.


On 4 August, CV VICTORIOUS launched 3 Fulmar fighter planes to recon Tromso. The fighters attacked two armed trawlers and one fighter was lost. Pilot Lt H.D. Mathew of the 809 Sqn was killed and observer T/Sub Lt (A) R.A. Burroughs RNVR, was captured

The first steps had been taken in the arctic. They were anything but a success in a tactical sense, but were a beginning of a long, and hard fought campaign in the North.

Northern Waters
ORP DD KUJAWIAK departed Scapa Flow at 2100 for Plymouth on completion of working up exercises.

SW Approaches
RM submarine BAGNOLINI made two attacks on convoy OG.68, claiming sinking one steamer and damaging another. However, No confirmation of damage is available.

Med/Biscay
DD HERO was damaged by bombing in Tobruk harbour during the night of 22/23 July. The DD received temporary repairs at Mersa Matruh.

Submarine P.33, on patrol near Pantelleria, was damaged by Italian DCs, but was able to continue patrol. Submarine OLYMPUS unsuccessfully attacked a liner off Naples.

Lt P.R.E. Woods was killed when his Martlet of 805 Sqn ditched in the sea one mile near Mersah Matruh.

Steamer TIRPITZ (Ger 7970 grt) was sunk on a mine near Cape del Arma near San Remo. Other versions state she was sunk by a torpedo fired by a british submarine, though none were in that area at the time. Yet another version states she was lost in 1943 The mine and lost in July 1941 is the most plausible version of her loss. She was lost while transporting mechanical parts and spare war material.


Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CV FORMIDABLE departed Alexandria for repairs in the USA. The carrier passed through the Suez Canal the next day. Arriving at Norfolk, Virginia on 26 August, FORMIDABLE was under repair until 12 December.

Pacific/Australia
British troopship ERINPURA departed Madras for Penang with personnel, escorted by CL MAURITIUS to 10N, 92-35E. The cruiser was then relieved by CL DANAE. The steamer arived at Penang on the 27th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 23 JULY TO DAWN 24 JULY 1941

Weather Sunny and hot.
.
OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 23 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY Convoy MG 1 escorted by Encounter and Gloxinia sailed at 0500. SS Svenor fouled the boom and rammed the breakwater. She returned to harbour and docked with damage to bow.

AIR HQ Arrivals 2 Maryland. Departures 1 Sunderland, 1 Wellington. 69 Squadron Marylands reconnaissance Taranto, Palermo, Trapani, Messina and Catania. 6 Marylands closing patrol MarittimoIsland to Carbonara from dawn to dusk. 110 Squadron 4 Blenheims attacked merchant shipping in TrapaniHarbour hitting two ships and bombing a nearby aerodrome. Sgt Cathles' aircraft was damaged as he approached the target and crashed into a hillside in Sicily; the crew are believed killed. 11 Beaufighters escorted a convoy from near Bizerta towards Malta; Sgt Deakin failed to return.

Halders Diary 23 July 1941

July 25 Friday

ASIA: Lieutenant Commander Otoji Nakamura became the commanding officer of I-68.

An executive order by President Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the United States. At Chiang Kai-shek's request, the order was extended to Chinese assets as well. Japanese Foreign Minister Toyoda informed Ambassador Grew that Japan felt that it was being surrounded by hostile forces and its occupation of Indochina was simply a defensive action similar to that of the British in the occupation of Syria.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: The Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 5, Oblt. Theodor Weissenberger, gains a five-in-one day score when he shoots down two Russian lend-lease Airacobras and three Pe-2 bombers.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 18. Armee (Colonel General Georg von Kuchler) opens new attack in Tartu-Parnu sector and defeats Soviet 8th Army.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Continued Soviet attacks on German 2.Panzergruppe at Yelnya.

Heeresgruppe Sud: General Paul von Kleist's 1.Panzergruppe clashed with no fewer than six Soviet mechanized corps under the capable General Mikhail Kirponos in Ukraine. A sprawling tank battle, the largest of the war up to that point, swayed backwards and forwards across the steppes for four days, before superior German tactical handling and communications, plus their use of 88-mm guns, won the day. Kiponos was forced to retreat eastward towards Kiev. Soviet Southwestern Front withdrawing toward Uman.

He 111 bombers of German II./KG 4 were briefed for a night bombing mission over Moscow, Russia, but at the last minute they were ordered to mine the waters off Saaremaa island (German: Ösel) off Gulf of Riga, Estonia. He 111 bombers of German I./KG 55 attacked Soviet anti-aircraft positions at Dorogobush, Smolensk Oblast, Russia. One bomber was shot down.

The Nazi occupation regime in the Baltic States called the Reichskommissariat Ostland was established.

The Spanish Volunteer Division of the Wehrmacht is designated the 250th ("Azul/Blue") Infantry Division. It is called the "Blue Division" because the original uniform includes the dark blue shirts of the Spanish Fascists (the Falange).

GERMANY: Werner Mölders traveled to the Wolf's Lair at Rastenburg, East Prussia, Germany and met with Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm Keitel, and Hermann Göring.

British bombers took off at 2230 hours on the previous day, reaching Kiel, Germany at about 0145 hours on this date. Bombs were dropped on the Deutsche Werke shipyard facilities. Surviving attackers landed at their bases in Britain at about 0600 hours. On the same day, Bombers of British No. 102 Squadron RAF attacked Hanover, Germany after sundown.

RAF Bomber Command sends 55 aircraft to attack Hannover and 43 aircraft to attack Hamburg overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: With the Grand Harbour unusually filled with merchant ships from the newly-arrived convoy - Operation Substance - the Italian Decima Flottiglia Mas is ordered to strike. Italian naval auxiliary ship "Diana", carrying 8 small EMB's (or MTLs , literally "tourist motor boats"), and 2 Torpedo Boats each towing a Maiale leave the port of Augusta, Sicily for the surprise attack. The attack had been planned for months. The plan was to attack the convoy ported in Grand Harbour, while one Maiale attacks any submarine ported in Fort Manoel and the other was to blast through the defenses of Grand Harbour, which would create a breech for the EMB's to sink the convoys. One group of "frogmen" would blow up a hindrance net suspended from a bridge to allow all the MTLs access to the harbour. The MTL pilots would race down the huge harbour and aim their exploding boats at ships before ejecting themselves over their sterns. This was all to occur with a simultaneous attack by the Regia Aeronautica to cause disorder. This plan was destined to fail from the start. The first thing to go wrong was that the Auxiliary ship "Diana" was spotted on radar 20 miles of the coast of Malta. The second problem was that the air attack by the Regia Aeronautica was concluded to early, much before the Maiale's were in position to strike. This early strike only caused the defenders of Malta to be more alert. Nevertheless, the plan continued. The "Diana" put her EMB's overboard, and they, along with the motorboats, navigated towards the Grand Harbour. Major Teseo Tesei and Chief Diver Pedretti manned the human torpedo Maiale's. The plan almost worked, except that Major Tesei, blew up the bridge and himself, blocking access for the MTLs, which found themselves helpless, floodlit by harbour searchlights as the Royal Malta Artillery opened fire. The viaduct to the Grand Harbour was then destroyed by another explosion by either Tesei's warhead or an EMB that managed to enter the Harbour after the first explosion. This inadvertently closed the entrance to the Harbour, but at this point, the Italian attack no longer had the element of surprise. The remaining EMB's raced to the Harbour to do as much damage as possible, but all were managed to be sunk by artillery from shore. Major Teseo Tesei and Chief Diver Pedretti were never seen again.

NORTH AMERICA: Joseph Stilwell was made the commanding officer of III Corps at Presidio of Monterey, California.

Reports come over the radio that "five bombing planes flying for England have crashed at different places in Ohio. All these accidents have taken place within 24 hours."

NORTHERN EUROPE: Finnish Army of Karelia begins taking up defensive positions along Tuloksa River east of Lake Ladoga. The advance of Finnish Karelian Army is stopped north of Lake Ladoga after Col. Lagus' 5th Division reaches Tuulos, about 20 miles east of pre-1939 border. After beating back Soviet counter-attacks the Finnish troops regroup into defence. More to north (in northern Karelia) the Finnish advance is slowed down by heavy Soviet resistance in well-prepared positions.

Seven Soviet MO boats, carrying 60 Border Guards under the command of Lt. P. Kurilov and Commissar A.I. Rumjantsev set out from the Soviet-held port of Hanko to seize the Finnish island of Bengtskär, which is held by less than 30 men.

WESTERN FRONT: In Paris, the German-controlled radio announced that the Vichy government had decided to deport all British subjects from its territory. Members of the sizeable British expatriate community on the Cote d'Azur were told to leave a month ago. Many of them are elderly and cut off from their incomes by the speed of the French collapse last year. The decision reflects the bitter anti-British resentment of Admiral Darlan, the Vichy vice-premier, over what the radio called "the numberless British aggression" against Dakar, Syria and the French fleet.

.

July 26 Saturday

ASIA: Chennault inspects Kyedaw airfield where his American Volunteer Group pilots will train.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0328 hours, U-141 attacked Convoy OS-1 and Schüler thought he scored one hit on each of three ships. The first vessel was seen being abandoned, the second exploded and the third, which had four masts, was seen to develop a heavy list. In fact, the "Botwey" was sunk and the damaged "Atlantic City" was abandoned, but later reboarded and salvaged.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: A notation in the German War Diary says, "The mass of the operationally effective Russian Army has been destroyed."

Heeresgruppe Nord: Stavka activates Soviet 34th Army south of Lake Ilmen.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Armee reduces the Mogilev pocket. Three Soviet armies are encircled and destroyed in the Mogilev area. Mogilev falls to the Germans after 5 days of heavy fighting. Upon entering the industrial area of the city, the Germans noted a brownish frothing liquid running down the streets and into the Dniepr River. Upon further examination it was found that the mean spirited Soviet defenders of the city had destroyed the vats at the local brewery and thousands of gallons of beer were destroyed. Now that is Scorched Earth.

Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe is renamed Panzergruppe Guderian in recognition of his successes and is removed from its subordination to von Kluge's 4.Armee and put directly under the control of Heeresgruppe Mitte. This is due to severe disagreements between the von Kluge and Guderian, which are disabling operations. He answers directly to Bock, Commander of Armeegruppe Mitte. Fierce battles rage 25 miles to the east of Smolensk.

"A state of absolute exhaustion is noticeable...among all men of the battalion. The reason is...far too great mental and nervous strain. The troops were under a powerful barrage of heavy artillery...That the men were promised a few days of rest...but instead found themselves in an even worse situation...had a particularly grave effects. The men are indifferent and apathetic, are partly suffering from crying fits, and are not to be cheered up by this or that phrase. Food is being taken only in disproportionately small quantities."

Click to expand...

- Divisional Diary, 18. Panzer Divisionen.

German aircraft bombed Moscow, Russia. Many bombs fell near the Kremlin, and the images were captured on film by journalist Margaret Bourke-White.

3,800 Lithuanian Jews were killed during a pogrom in Kovno. Three days of rioting begin in Lvov as locals murder 2000 Jews. In Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 120 civilians (mostly Jews), are rounded up and executed in retaliation for an attack on a military truck convoy. In Vilna this morning the Germans arrested members of the ghetto's Judenrat [Jewish council]. They demanded five million roubles for their release, of which two million must be found by tomorrow morning. Failure to pay will mean their execution. As the news spreads through the ghetto, the Jewish community is trying desperately to raise the money to save their lives. Men are donating watches and women jewelry.

GERMANY: Werner Mölders was presented Diamonds to his Knight's Cross by Adolf Hitler.

MEDITERRANEAN: Commander Ernesto Forza took over command of 10th MAS Flotilla at La Spezia, Italy, which was in actuality a special forces unit for the Italian Navy.

Six Italian E-boats escorted by MC.200 fighters attempted to attack shipping in Valletta's Grand Harbour at Malta. The Hurricane fighters of RAF Nos. 126 and 185 Squadrons were scrambled and set about the E-boats, sinking four and causing the other two to surrender.

Convoy MG 1 arrives at Gibraltar from Malta.

NORTH AFRICA: Luftwaffe bombers attack Alexandria overnight.

NORTH AMERICA: US President Franklin Roosevelt passed executive orders to freeze all Japanese and Chinese assets, forbade the export of oil, iron, and rubber to Japan, as well as marking the Panama Canal off-limits to Japanese shipping. Roosevelt seizes Japanese assets in the United States in retaliation for the Japanese strong arming the Vichy government to allow IJA forces to occupy formerly French military bases in Indochina. These actions are quickly followed up by Britain and the Netherlands. Suddenly, Canada ends its trade agreement with Japan. Japan has been denied 90% of their oil imports.

Frustrated by the need for provincial approval to deploy troops to end the Arvida strike, Canadian Munitions and Supply Minister C. D. Howe submitted his resignation to Prime Minister King. At a subsequent cabinet meeting Howe agreed to withdraw his resignation on the condition that he be granted powers to deal with such emergency situations.

AA cruiser USS "San Diego" launched. The "San Diego" was a light cruiser-one of four of the Atlanta class-and the only one of her sisters to survive the war unscathed. The "San Diego" steamed over 300,000 nautical miles, engaged the enemy on 34 different occasions, and never lost a man. She earned 18 battle stars for her World War 11 service, more than any other Navy ship except for the carrier "Enterprise". In recognition of her battle record, Admiral Halsey designated the "San Diego" to be the first allied warship to enter Tokyo Bay at the war's end.

NORTHERN FRONT: Finnish Army of Karelia reaches Lake Onega.

The Battle for Bengtskär: Soviet landing troops made a surprise attack on the skerry of Bengtskär with a goal to blow up the lighthouse situated on the skerry so that it would not disturb Soviet military operations. Finnish troops situated on the skerry managed to defend the lighthouse and eventually drove the Soviets back with the help of support troops.

SOUTH PACIFIC: US Army recalled Douglas MacArthur to active service as the commander of units in the Far East; Philippine troops already under MacArthur's command were integrated into the US Army.

US Navy Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered long range air patrols to be conducted from various Pacific Ocean bases in case Japan reacted aggressively against US President Franklin Roosevelt's executive order to freeze Japanese assets.

UNITED KINGDOM: Roderick Carr was named the commanding officer of No. 4 Group RAF.

WESTERN FRONT: In Lisbon the transport USS "West Point" (AP-23, ex SS "America"), embarks American and Chinese diplomatic personnel and their families from consulates in Germany, German-occupied countries and Italy and sets sails for the New York. Also on board are 21 US ambulance drivers who had been passengers on the Egyptian ship SS "Zamzam" which had been sunk the German auxiliary cruiser "Atlantis" on 17 April.

The British ships HMS "Cattistock", HMS "Mendip" and HMS "Quorn" bombard Dieppe.

Marx Dormoy, former French Minister of Interior and outspoken critic of Vichy Government, killed by terrorist bomb; aged 51.

.

July 27 Sunday

ASIA: The Japanese Imperial General Headquarters officially decided to pursue a southern advance, abandoning the previous ambitions against Russia. Masatsune Ogura, Japan's Finance Minister, declares that the urgent thing for Japan to do is to "forge ahead towards establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity sphere."

Japan will station troops within striking distance of Thailand when she lands at least 24,000 men in southern Indo-China. 8,000 troops will be garrisoned at Pnom-Penh, 4,000 will be garrisoned at the naval base of Cam Ranh Bay, the north-east of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Five British motor torpedo boats (MTB) sailed from Dover, England, United Kingdom to attack a German destroyer in the English Channel. Two of the boats narrowly escaped collision when crossing each other's bows at top speed by only ten feet. When the attack took place the torpedoes were fired at too great a range scoring no hits, in fact one torpedo actually just missed one of the friendly MTBs. On the way home one of the MTBs opened fire on a British aircraft which came down to investigate them.

The first section of the US Army 5th Infantry Division arrives at Iceland.

The ground echelon of the USAAF's 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) sails for Iceland in the transport "American Legion". The ship is part of Task Force 16 consisting of the battleship USS "Mississippi" (BB-41), the heavy cruisers USS "Quincy" (CA-39) and USS "Wichita" (CA-45), five destroyers, the miscellaneous auxiliary USS "Semmes" (AG-24), the store ship USS "Mizar" (AF-12), and the cargo ship USS "Almaack" (AK-27). Within a few days, TF 16 is joined by the aircraft carrier USS "Wasp" (CV-7), carrying the air echelon of the 33d Pursuit Squadron, the heavy cruisers USS "Vincennes" (CA-44), and the destroyers USS "Walke" (DD-416) and USS "O'Brien" (DD-415).

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Spain reciprocates the favor Germany gave during the Spanish Civil war by sending a volunteer aircraft fighter group, the Escuadra Azul, to the Eastern Front. On this date, the group joins with III./JG 27 becoming 15./JG 27 in Luftflotte 2. Equipped with Bf 109Es the unit is led by Spain's greatest ace, Captain Angel Salas Larrazabal.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 18.Armee pushes toward Tallinn. German 16.Armee is fighting around Velikiye Luki. Later, German troops captured Tallinn, Estonia.


Heeresgruppe Mitte: German forces completed the encirclement of the Red Army at Smolensk and took 100,000 prisoners. The German XXXIX. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops R. Schmidt) of Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe links up with XLVII. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops J. Lemelsen) of Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe east of Smolensk and surround large portions of the Soviet 16th, 19th and 20th Armies. Mogilev finally falls to the Germans when the defenders inside run out of ammunition and food. 35,000 Soviet prisoners are taken. Elements of Soviet forces in Mogilev pocket attack toward the east and escape.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Soviet 26th Army counterattacks German 1.Panzergruppe. German 17.Armee pushes toward Uman.

"It must be understood that without a rapid and plentiful supply of track rollers, track links and bolts for the Mark IV and track bolts for the Kpfw 38(t) the number of available panzers will sink further, so that the combat strength of the panzer regiments will be greatly weakened. Still especially urgent is the delivery of fully operational motors, gearboxes, oil and specialized panzer grease."

Click to expand...

- LVII. Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops A. Kuntzen).

Last remaining territory of Rumania's lost provinces liberated. Adolf Hitler requested Rumanian leader Ion Antonescu to conquer and occupy the Ukrainian territory between Dniester and Bug Rivers.

Wilhelm Keitel ordered all copies of the 13 May 1941 order, which effectively allowed German military personnel to murder Soviet civilians, destroyed. Several copies would remain, however, and surface during the Nuremberg Trials.

Four teenagers, son and nephews of Nestor Lakoba, political enemy of Lavrentiy Beria (already killed in Dec 1936), were executed in Moscow, Russia as sentenced by the Military Collegium of the Soviet NKVD. State Defense Committee passes death sentence on nine senior Soviet officers, to be executed by Beria's NKVD. In Vilna, the Germans murder two members of the Judenrat [Jewish council] when the community fails to pay an enormous bribe.

MEDITERRANEAN: Italian manned torpedoes and motor torpedo boats attacked Grand Harbour, Malta, causing minor damage to British vessels and installations but nearly all Italian vessels were lost in the attack. Commander Vittorio Moccagatta was among the Italian fatalities.

Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Freccia", "Dardo", "Strale", and "Turbine" supported by two cruisers and two more destroyers. Another Axis Convoy departs Taranto for Tripoli with three vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Aviere", "Geniere", "Camica Nera", and "Oriani".

Force H and empty transports from Malta arrive in Gibraltar without further loss.

NORTH AFRICA: Luftwaffe bombers attack Suez Canal overnight.

General Ettore Bastico replaces Gariboldi as Axis commander-in-chief in North Africa.

NORTH AMERICA: Japanese diplomats deliver a protest to the U.S. State Department regarding the shipment of U.S. supplies to Vladivostok, USSR, through Japanese waters.

SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuadorian-Peruvian War: Peruvian paratroopers capture Puerto Bolivar.

SOUTH PACIFIC: At No. 1, Calle Victoria in Manila, the headquarters of the newly created United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) was established. General Douglas MacArthur, military adviser to the Commonwealth of the Philippines, was recalled to active service as USAFFE commander. MacArthur, who had retired from the U.S. Army on December 31, 1937, was promoted to the position of lieutenant general. MacArthur had never previously held this rank, though his father had been one of the few Lieutenant Generals in the US Army from the Civil War until World War II. MacArthur would hold this rank until he was promoted to full General following the Japanese assault on the US and its possessions in December, 1941. MacArthur was subsequently promoted, over his protest, to temporary General of the Army and then to permanent General of the Army, the rank he held at his death in 1964.

UNITED KINGDOM: The United Kingdom nationalized railroads for the duration of the war.

After ten weeks of calm, German bombers started nightly raids against London again. Luftwaffe attacks London overnight with 50 aircraft. Four bombers were lost.

WESTERN FRONT: British Commandos carried out Operation Chess, an overnight raid on Ambleteuse, France. It was carried out by 17 men of No. 12 Commando commanded by a Second Lieutenant Pinckney. The target for the raid was Ambleteuse, Pas-de-Calais, France. The raiding party was towed across the English Channel in two Landing Craft by a Motor Launch. The Motor Launch cast them off two miles from the Slack River near Ambleteuse. They remained ashore for one hour, no prisoners were taken. Cdr. Sir Geoffrey Congreve Bt DSO died of his wounds received during the raid.

RAF Fighter Command Circus mission to Le Trait. RAF Bomber Command sends 14 aircraft to attack Dunkirk overnight and sends 36 aircraft on minelaying missions off Lorient and St Nazaire overnight.

.

July 28 Monday

ASIA: Japan froze American assets in retaliation of a similar action committed by the US on 26 Jul 1941. Japanese assets in the Dutch East Indies are frozen and the oil deals cancelled. Oil exports to Japan from Netherlands East Indies are effectively halted.

Japanese troops begin landing in Indochina. Units of Japanese 25th Army begin landing at Saigon and occupying bases in southern Indochina, including airfields within range of Singapore. The build-up includes elements of the Japanese navy, which have sailed into Camranh Bay, and aircraft which are flying into Saigon. Japanese troops have also begun disembarking in Cambodia where 8,000 men will be within striking range of Siam. It is clear that the main use for such bases would be in an invasion of Malyasia, the East Indies or the Philippines.

Advance party of first echelon of Chennault's American Volunteer Group arrives Rangoon by sea.

108 Japanese aircraft attacked into the Sichuan Province. Only seven aircraft of the Chinese 27th PS were able to oppose them. Lieutenant Gao Chunchou (I-153 no. P-7237) was shot down and only four of the seven scrambled aircraft returned.

"Tatsuta Maru" set a new trans-Pacific crossing record.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The joint US Army and US Marine Corps unit Task Force 18, attached to the US Atlantic Fleet under Major General Holland M. Smith, was redesignated the 1st Joint Training Force.

Between 2127 and 2128, U-203 fired four torpedoes at Convoy OG-69 NW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive after the attack. U-203 interpreted the heard detonations and sinking noises and reported three ships sunk and a destroyer probably damaged. In fact, only the "Norita" and "Lapland" were hit and sunk. The master, 22 crewmembers and three gunners from the "Lapland" were picked up by HMS "Rhododendron" and landed at Gibraltar.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Stavka Directive No. 00549, "Concerning Measures to Regulate the Employment of Artillery in the Defense" ordered the concentration of anti-tank assets in an integrated region along the Germans most likely avenue of advance.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 4.Panzergruppe captures Kingisepp as German Panzers drive in the Leningrad defenses west of the Luga River (which is still holding firm for the Russians).

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German troops begin to eliminate the Russian forces trapped in the pocket to the west of Smolensk.

Hptm. Walter Oesau leaves III./JG 3 to take the position of Kommodore of JG 2. Hptm. Werner Andres takes his place as Gruppenkommandeur of III Gruppe JG 3. Lt. Max-Hellmuth Ostermann of 7./JG 54 downs a Russian I-18.

Himmler issues order for annihilation of all Jews in occupied Soviet Union.

A special commission created on Heinrich Himmler's orders arrived at Auschwitz Concentration Camp to select prisoners within the framework of the "Euthanasia Program" for the incurably ill, extended in 1940 to Jews and in the middle of 1941 to prisoners of concentration camps. The 573 selected, most were sick Polish prisoners from Block 15, were told that they were to be transferred to other camps for easier work because of their conditions. At last moment, two German criminals Johann Siegruth and Ernst Krankemann were added to the list. The 575 were sent to Sonnenstein Castle under the supervision of Franz Hössler and were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning in a gas chamber disguised as a shower room.

RAF Bomber Command sends 42 aircraft on minelaying operations in the Baltic Sea overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: RAF attacks on Sicilian airfields destroy 36 aircraft. General Federigi, CO Italian Regia Aeronautica in Central Mediterranean, reported killed in action over Malta.

NORTH AFRICA: Luftwaffe bombers attack Suez Canal overnight.

NORTHERN FRONT: Finland ends diplomatic relations with Great Britain. Finnish Foreign Minister Witting informs the British Ambassador Sir Gordon Vereker that Finland has to 'interrupt' her diplomatic relations with United Kingdom.

UNITED KINGDOM: Dutch government-in-exile prohibits commercial and financial transactions with Japan.

Roosevelt's personal assistant, Harry Hopkins departs via aircraft for Archangel and Moscow.

WESTERN FRONT: The Vichy government agrees to build German aircraft in France.

.

July 29 Tuesday

ASIA: Japan and the Vichy French government sign an agreement which, in essence transfers responsibility for the defense of Indochina over to the Japanese. Japanese troops take ownership of the naval base at Camranh Bay.

The Chinese fighter daitai joined the 1st Kokutai, flying patrols over Hankou between 29 July and 31 August. The 3rd Kokutai advanced to Hanoi, French Indochina.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: "Orion" sank the ship "Chaucer" by gunfire in the South Atlantic. The entire crew of 48 was rescued by "Orion".

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: The pilots and crew of II./JG 77 are transferred from Norway to the Russian Front. Along with the Gruppe is Oblt. Anton "Toni" Hackl and Siegfried Freytag.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 18.Armee continues attacking in Estonia as German 16.Armee continues fighting in the Velikiye Luki sector. Hitler removes Richthofen's VIII Air Corps from Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 giving it to Luftflotte 1 supporting Leeb's drive towards Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Soviet 30th Army counterattacks against German 3.Panzergruppe north of Smolensk. Soviet 4th Army counterattacks against German 2.Panzergruppe south of Yelnya. Guderian's panzer group has shrunk down to 286 tanks from its initial strength of 953. Of these remaining tanks, 132 were outdated Mark I and IIs.

Heeresgruppe Sud: German 1.Panzergruppe resuming attacks after regrouping. Colonel General Ewald von Kleist orders Kempf's XVIII Motorized Corps to advance toward Pervomaisk. German 6.Armee made its first direct assault on the city of Kiev. Unable to take Kiev, forces of Heeresgruppe Sud, veer to the south. Resistance is stiff as the Soviet 6 and 12th Armies give ground toward Uman.

Stalin demotes General Georgi Zhukov from the position of chief for the General Staff, for advising a tactical surrender at Kiev, replacing him with Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov. Zhukov takes command of newly forming Reserve Front and prepares for counterattacks against German 2.Panzergruppe around Yelnya. Eremenko is relieved of command of Soviet Western Front.

Photographs of the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich as a firefighter were taken in Leningrad. The photographs were published around the world as a symbol of Soviet determination.

General Ludwig von Schroeder, the former head of civil defense and president of the 13,000,000 membership of the "Air Raid Protection League," dies of injuries received in a plane crash near Belgrade.

NORTH AFRICA: RN submarine "Thrasher" arrives in Egypt with 78 British troops rescued from Crete.

NORTH AMERICA: Washington denounces the occupation of Indochina saying the occupation of bases was;

"...for the purpose of further and more obvious movements of conquest in adjacent areas." and these actions "jeopardize the procurement by the United States of essential materials ... for the normal economy of this country ..."

Click to expand...

The Arvida strike ended when the Canadian government amended the Defence of Canada Regulations to allow the Minister of National Defence to call out troops to deal with labor disputes without requiring permission from municipal or provincial authorities. A subsequent royal commission concluded that while the strike was illegal, it was caused by workers' frustrations over salaries and working conditions rather than subversives as Munitions and Supply Minister C. D. Howe had claimed.

In Canada, Minister of Defence James Ralston proposes to the Cabinet War Committee that the army overseas force be extended from four divisions to six. The committee turns it down.

General Lewis Brereton takes command of US 3rd Air Force.

The US Secretary of the Navy approves the installation of a Radar Plot aboard aircraft carriers as "the brain of the organization" protecting the fleet from air attack. The first installation is planned for the island structure of USS "Wasp" (CV-7).

SOUTH AMERICA: Ecuadorian-Peruvian War: After tentative ceasefire, Peruvian forces renew advance into Ecuadorian territory.

SOUTH PACIFIC: Joseph Rochefort reported to US Navy Admiral Husband Kimmel that the Japanese fleet detected outside of Japanese home waters were heading back to Japan, thus there was no immediate threat of an aggressive Japanese response to Franklin Roosevelt's decision to freeze Japanese assets.

UNITED KINGDOM: British merchant seaman David Hay was awarded an Albert Medal for his daring rescue of a fellow sailor from shark infested waters during the journey between Liverpool, England, and Takoradi, British Gold Coast.

General Auchinleck and Air Marshal Tedder arrive London to discuss upcoming offensive in Western Desert.

WESTERN FRONT: Vichy signs final agreement to grant Japan air and naval bases in southern Indochina.

.

24 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
1937 class TB DKM T-16


Type VIIC U-454
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Type VIIC U-580


Neutral
Acceptor Class MSW USS ACCEPTOR (AMc-36)

Allied
Stalinec Class Sub VMF S-12


Losses
None

UBOATS
Departures
Bergen: U-137
Trondheim:U-205, U-451

At Sea 24 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-141, U-145, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-652, UA

30 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic
The small unarmed transport MERIDIAN (SU 840 grt) was sunk by the DKM DDs Z-4, Z-7, Z-16 and Z-20

North Sea
CLA EURYALUS, escorted by DD CROOME, departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow, where they arrived late in the evening.

AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.56 from the Pentland Firth until meeting convoy EC.49 at approximately midnight. After parting with convoy EC.49 in Pentland Firth, the ship arrived at Scapa Flow at sunset on on the 25th.

West Coast
OS.1 departed Liverpool, escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE and corvettes AZALEA and PENSTEMON. The corvettes were detached on the 26th and 25 July, respectively. The convoy was joined on the 25th by DDs BATH, VANOC, and WALKER. The DDs were detached on the 28th, 26 July, and 3 August, respectively.Also joining on the 25th were anti-aircraft ship ARIGUANI which was detached on the 28th, corvettes CARNATION, HELIOTROPE, LA MALOUINE, and MALLOW which were detached on the 28th, trawlers BALTA, KOS IX, and LORINDA which were detached on 3 August, boom defense vessels CONSBRO, LORD GAINSFORD, PANORAMA, and PHYLLISIA which were detached on the 26th.

Sloops LONDONDERRY and WESTON joined on the 26th and were detached on 9 August. Destroyer CHELSEA joined on the 28th and was detached on the 30th.Corvettes ANCHUSA, ASPODEL, and CALENDULA joined on 9 August and arrived with the convoy at Freetown on 10 August.

Channel
A British raid of 149 RAF bombers was launched against DKM heavy units at La Pallice and Brest. BC SCHARNHORST was badly damaged at La Pallice. BC GNEISENAU at Brest was not damaged.

Med/Biscay
Submarine UPHOLDER damaged Italian steamer DANDOLO, escorted by a DD, off the west coast of Sicily.

Submarine UPRIGHT unsuccessfully attacked floating dock G022 off Cape dell'Armi. The submarine was heavily counterattacked.

RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said escorting motor transport ship GUJARAT to Famagusta in Serial S.5 of the GUILLOTINE Operation. The sloop returned to Port Said on the 28th.

Italian submarine SQUALO claimed damaging a British tanker in 32-20N, 24-53E

Central Atlantic
Convoy SL.82 departed Freetown escorted by AMC DERBYSHIRE to 10 August, DD VANSITTART to and corvettes ARMERIA, ASTER, BURDOCK, and MARGUERITE to 31July.Corvette AMARANTHUS joined the convoy from 25 to 27 July.

On 10 August, DDs VICEROY and WOLLSTON joined the convoy and on 11 August, destroyers VANOC and WALKER joined. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 15 August.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CV FORMIDABLE, after temporary repairs at Alexandria, departed Alexandria for Port Said escorted by ML cruiser LATONA and DDs JERVIS, KANDAHAR, and JAGUAR.

RAN DD VOYAGER departed Alexandria to return to Australia. The destroyer passed through the Suez Canal on the 25th. The DD arrived at Port Darwin on 25 September

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 24 JULY TO DAWN 25 JULY 1941
Weather Sunny and hot.

1015 hrs Six JU 87 Stuka bombers attack a British convoy approaching Malta. Beaufighters are on patrol over the convoy; one chases the raiders half way to Sicily and shoots down one JU 87 in flames and another which crashes into the sea.

1400 hrs A convoy enters Grand Harbour.

1739-1754 hrs Air raid alert for two enemy aircraft heading towards Malta; they turn back before reaching the Island.

2154-2230 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft which approach the Island singly. The first heads towards Gozo and circles south west of the Island before dropping bombs in the sea west of Mellieha. The second crosses the coast near St Julians and drops bombs near Luqa. The third crosses over St Paul's Bay and recedes south east of Ghain Tuffieha, passes to the south of Filfla, turns and crosses the coast again and drops bombs near Nigret. Hurricane fighters are scrambled. Searchlights illuminate one raider but the Hurricanes are unable to close in time.

0015-0050 hrs Air raid alert for a single enemy aircraft approaching the coast. Searchlights illuminate the raider and a Hurricane engages the raider, firing short machine-gun bursts; no results are seen. The raider drops bombs in the sea and turns away.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 24 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY Operation Substance arrived safely, less Leinster, who had run ashore at Gibraltar. Sydney Star torpedoed, but arrived safely, drawing 40 feet forward. Farndale remained behind with condenser trouble. Captain Wright, Royal Navy, sailed for United Kingdom. 830 Squadron maintained continuous anti-submarine patrol over Operation Substance from daylight. 1 of 4 Swordfish on anti-submarine patrol force landed in the sea due to engine failure and was lost; the crew were rescued. HM Submarine Upright attacked a floating dock which was proceeding in tow around CapeSpartivent to the westward.

AIR HQ Departures 1 Wellington. 69 Squadron Maryland reconnaissance Taranto, Trapani, Palermo, Messina. 2 Fulmars patrolling Pantelleria to Sicily covering the convoy. 6 Marylands patrol MarittimoIsland to CapeCarbonara from dawn to 1630 hrs covering convoy. 9 Beaufighters escorting British convoy from the west to Malta.

Halders Diary 24 July 1941

25 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
S-Boat DKM S-50
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Neutral
Aloe Class Net tender USS BOXWOOD AN-8

Elco 77' PT USS PT 42

Allied
Fairmile "B" ML FNFL ML 267

63' type MA/SB HMS MA/SB29

Fairmile C MGB HMS MGB 330


Fairmile C MGB

Losses
RM submarine BARBARIGO sank steamer MACON (UK 5135 grt) in the Central Atlantic. 21 crew and one passenger were saved from the steamer.25 were missing from the steamer.Two crew died in the ship's boat and one was killed.



UBOATS
Departures
Oxhoft (Gydnia): U-142

At Sea 25 July 1941
U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-141, U-142, U-145, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-652, UA

31 Boats

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CA SHROPSHIRE departed Scapa Flow for Hvalfjord and Denmark Strait patrol. The cruiser arrived at Hvalfjord on the 27th.

Channel
DDs MENDIP, QUORN, and CATTISTOCK departed Portsmouth at 2100 to bombard Dieppe in operation GIDEON. A brief bombardment was carried out early on the 26th, but the rest of the operation was cancelled due to weather.

Med/Biscay
Submarine TETRARCH sank PV B 247 ( RM 350 grt(est)) (ex trawler MARIA IMMANCOLATA) off GaideroIsland. The submarine reported an unsuccessful attack on a German ship.

A Swordfish of 815 Sqn was lost 44 miles west of Cape Kormakiti, Cyprus, when the airframe and engine parted. Sub Lt D.A. Wise and Sub Lt A.H. Cann were killed.

Sth Atlantic
steamer ERLANGEN (Ger 6101 grt) scuttled herself when she was intercepted by CL NEWCASTLE SE of River Plate.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 25 JULY TO DAWN 26 JULY 1941
Weather Sunny and hot.

1059-1130 hrs Air raid alert for one SM 79 and one BR 20 bomber escorted by 40 Macchi fighters approaching the Island for reconnaissance at 22000 feet. 22 Hurricane fighters of 185 and 249 Squadrons are scrambled and engage the raiders over GrandHarbour. Hurricanes of 249 Squadron attack the BR 20 and it begins to emit smoke. Pilots of 185 Squadron give chase and attack, setting the port engine on fire and further damaging the fuselage. It is last seen on fire, breaking up and descending towards the sea 20 miles north east of Malta. Four pilots of 185 Squadron attack the SM 79. The undercarriage falls and one parachute is seen descending from the aircraft which crashes in to the sea in flames 20 miles east of the Island.

A pilot of 249 Squadron shoots down a Macchi; the pilot bales out but his parachute fails to open properly and he is killed. He is later identified as Sottotenente Francesco Liberti. The Macchi crashes into the cellar of a bomb-damaged shop in Strada Reale, Valletta. Two more Macchi 200s are shot down over the sea. A wounded Italian airman is picked up by the sea rescue services six miles north east of GrandHarbour and taken to hospital. The body of another is found on land, his parachute only half open. All Hurricanes return safely.

Italian sloop DIANA and motor torpedo boats MAS.451 and MAS.452 departed Augusta. Sloop DIANA carried one large motorboat leader, eight explosive boats, and towed another motorboat. The MASs each towed one explosive SLC boat each.

The next day, these forces attempted to attack the SUBSTANCE convoy in Malta, but British air attacks destroyed all but DIANA which was able to return to base.

The Italian boats blew up the harbour boom, but no other damage was done. Three officers and fifteen ratings were captured.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 25 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY At 2300 an enemy ship was detected and approached to within 14 miles of Malta.

AIR HQ Arrivals 6 Swordfish. 69 Squadron Marylands special patrols. Beaufighter searched area between Malta and Sicily for Motor Torpedo Boats but found none.

Halders Diary 25 July 1941

26 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type XB U-116


Type VIIC U-134


Neutral

Net tender USS CHESTNUT

Allied
AA ship ULSTER QUEEN



Losses
U-141 sank MV BOTWEY (UK 5106 grt) in the western approaches whilst travelling as part of convoy OS-1. The ship was empty at the time of her loss, with a crew of 53, all of whom survived the attack. At 0328 hrs, U-141 attacked the convoy OS-1 365 miles 270° from Bloody Foreland. The Uboat commander, Schuler, thought that he had scored one hit on each of three ships. The first vessel was seen being abandoned, the second exploded and the third, which had four masts, was seen to develop a heavy list. In fact, he had only managed to sink the BOTWEYand damage the ATLANTIC CITY. The master, 48 crew members and four gunners from BOTWEY were picked up by the British rescue ship COPELAND and landed at Greenock on 28 July
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

RM submarine BARBARIGO sank tanker HORN SHELL (UK 8272 grt) in the Central Atlantic. 17 crew were lost on the steamer. The survivors were picked up by Portuguese trawler MARIA LEONOR. On 19 August, the trawler was intercepted off CapeJuby by destroyer AVON VALE and the survivors were removed.



UBOATS
Departures
Kiel; U-83, U-146
St Nazaire: U-46. U-559
Trondheim: U-566

At Sea 26 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-125, U-126, U-141, U-142, U-145, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-564, U-565, U-652, UA

35 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Arctic

Baltic
Battle of Bengtskar
During the Soviet failed attempt to land on Bengskar the soviet submarine chaser MO-306 (VMF 51 grt) (previously known as PK-238) was sunk by the Finnish gunboat UUSIMAA. (other Soviet units involved were MO-238, MO-311 and MO-312, and on Finnish side the gunboats HAMENMAA and patrol boat VMV-13). The same Finnish gunboat UUSIMAA and the coastal BB ILMARINEN (that together the sister ship VAINAMOINEN had started to sail to the island, fearing the action of VMF DDs, that never occurred) were lightly damaged by a/c with 2 kia and 13 wia. Soviet crewmembers of MO-306 suffered 16 pow. Also MO-237 and MO-236 bombarded the island.



During a short engagement, Soviet MTBs atttempted to attack German R-boats, after that an air raid had sunk R-169 (DKM 160 grt) (11 kia, 12 wia) and damaged R-53 and R-63, but they were repelled by R-170 and R-168 with no damage inflicted on both sides.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

DKM TB T.3 claimed sinking a VMF DD in a surface action in the Baltic, but there are no corroborating records to support this claim .

North Sea
CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.57 from Pentland Firth until meeting convoy EC.50

West Coast
DDs BROKE and VERITY, escorting convoy SL.80, collided near Londonderry. BROKE sustained damage to her bow. temporary repairs were done at Liverpool. Permanent repairs were done at the Hebburn on Tyne yard from 11 August to 12 September. VERITY sustained extensive damage below the waterline. The DD was repaired at Belfast from 28 July to 21 September.

ON.1 departed Liverpool, escort sloop STORK. The sloop was detached the next day when the convoy was joined by DDs MALCOLM, SARDONYX, SCIMITAR, and WATCHMAN and corvettes VERBENA and VIOLET, and ASW trawlers NORTHERN PRIDE, NORTHERN SPRAY, and NORTHERN WAVE. DDs SARDONYX and SCIMITAR were detached on the 30th and the remainder of the escort on the 31st when relieved by DDs BURWELL and RICHMOND and corvettes COBALT and POLYANTHUS. BURWELL was detached on 1 August. The remainder of the escort remained until the convoy was dispersed on 9 August.

Med/Biscay
NZ manned CL LEANDER departed Alexandria for Port Said and New Zealand after being relieved by CL NEPTUNE. LEANDER departed Suez on the 31st to return to New Zealand.

Sloop FLAMINGO departed Port Said with MV SALAMAUA for Famagusta in serial S.8 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The sloop arrived at Famagusta on the 28th and departed the same day.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 26 JULY TO DAWN 27 JULY 1941
Weather Sunny and hot.

0415 hrs Air raid alert for three enemy aircraft approaching the Island. They turn away without dropping any bombs.

0445 hrs Five explosive motor torpedo boats (MTB) are reported off GrandHarbour.
+

Italian explosive MTBs

0446 hrs A large explosion is heard from the direction of GrandHarbour.

0450 hrs MTBs, one-man motor boats and two-man submarines are reported off GrandHarbour. The St Elmo alarm sounds again and sentries take up positions on all beach posts.

0500 hrs The vessels are engaged by the twin six-pounders of the Harbour Fire Command at a range between 3000 and 500 yards. Bofors gun positions at Dragut Point, Fort St Elmo and Ricasoli also engage. Defence posts of 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment engage the boats with machine-gunfire. Hurricane fighters join in the attack on the Italian MTBs.

Two MTBs are sunk and two disabled, along with the entire force of one-man speed boats and two-man submarines. One Bofors claims six hits on a MTB. 1st Bn Cheshire Regiment reports hitting one MTB with machine-gunfire at 1450 yards; the vessel then explodes.

Eight two-man submarines attempt to break through the boom defences of Marsamxetto and GrandHarbour. Seven are either sunk or destroyed before reaching their target; one reaches the viaduct of Elmo breakwater and explodes, blowing it up. Gas and water mains are broken by the impact; supplies are shut off by Royal Engineers personnel.

0525 hrs Air raid alert for a large formation of enemy aircraft approaching the Island 15 Hurricanes fighters are scrambled. Nine of the Hurricanes sight two enemy rescue boats 15 miles from Malta on a north-easterly course. Two fighters dive towards the boats and open fire from 500 yards, five of the remaining Hurricanes follow in to attack while one remains on lookout. One of the boats is halted and appears to be sinking, the other is pursued for five miles before bursting into flames. Hurricanes also attack MTBs off the coast of Grand Harbour and Marsamxetto.

A Macchi fighter approaches and attacks one of the Hurricanes. Another Hurricane launches a counter-attack on the Macchi and shoots it down into the sea. Hurricanes engage 15 Macchi fighters apparently on their way back to Sicily; two Macchis are shot down. One Hurricane is shot down in the engagement and P/O Winston is reported missing. Another pilot reports having seen him in the sea 25-30 miles north east of GrandHarbour.

0622 hrs Raiders passed signal is sounded. Heavy machine-gun fire is heard out to sea.

St Elmo Viaduct has been damaged but the Harbour defences have not been penetrated. Reports claim a mixture of ten vessels including MTBs and one-man submarines sunk by shore gun batteries and Hurricane fighters; numbers are difficult to confirm due to the half-light. However, excellent work by the twin six-pounders of the Harbour Fire Command undoubtedly accounted for the majority of the craft destroyed.

DAY Swordfish aircraft and rescue boats from Kalafrana carry out patrols to search for survivors, totalling five and a half hours. P/O Winston is picked up unhurt. Eighteen Italians are rescued alive and taken prisoner. One disabled MTB is brought into GrandHarbour. A one-man speed boat is also recovered intact and it is hoped to salvage other craft.

The enemy also carry out searches for the missing MTBs, small submarines and Macchi pilots throughout the day. Hurricanes make no further contact with enemy aircraft.

2152-2218 hrs; 2231-2348 hrs Air raid alerts for six Italian BR 20 bombers which approach the Island singly. Although there is little moon, the raiders manage more hits on the Island than usual. Bombs are dropped on fields between Mosta and St Paul's Bay, where they cause a fire among crops which acts as a beacon for a second raider to drop more bombs. 250kg high explosive bombs are also dropped between Naxxar and Mosta, on Zonqor Point and Maddalena, on Zabbar and near Marsascala, on fields behind Sliema, and in the sea. Hurricanes 249 Squadron are scrambled and anti-aircraft guns fire one barrage; no claims.

An enemy hospital ship searches through the night for survivors of this morning's engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SATURDAY 26 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY Dawn attack on GrandHarbour and Marsamxett by enemy E and smaller M boats. Attack decisively defeated, believed a total of 15 boats sunk by harbour defences and RAF. 18 prisoners collected. St Elmo Viaduct torpedoed – our only casualty. Cachalot sailed for Alexandria with stores and personnel.

AIR HQ Arrivals 2 Sunderland. Departures 1 Blenheim. 69 Squadron Marylands reconnaissance Sicily, Tripoli, Castel Benito and special patrols. 110 Squadron 3 Blenheims sent to attack ship reported by patrol but failed to locate it.

HAL FAR Wing Commander R H Harris took over command of Station.