This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[parsifal]

27 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
None

Losses
U-126 sank the Steamer ERATO (UK 1335 grt) from convoy OG-69 west of the coast of Portugal . The ship was on passage from Tyne to Gibraltar. She was transporting coal and coke with a crew of 19 embarked (3 of whom would be lost in the attack) At 2351 hrs, U-126 fired four bow torpedoes and then two stern torpedoes at the convoy OG-69 200 miles west of Cape Finisterre. U-Boat skipper Bauer reported that one ship exploded, another hit on a small ship beyond and hits by the stern torpedoes on two different ships aft and amidships. The last vessel was seen sinking after it broke in two. However, only two ships were reported sunk at this time, the ERATO (the first ship hit) and the INGA I (which broke in two). Eight crew members and one gunner from the ERATO, the ship of the convoy commodore, were lost. The master, the commodore, five naval staff members, 22 crew members and four gunners were picked up by Corvette HMS BEGONIA (K-66) and landed at Gibraltar.

U-126 sank the Steamer INGA I (UK 1304 grt) from convoy OG-69 west of the coast of Portugal . The ship was on passage from Liverpool to Gibraltar, via the Portuguese port of Oporto. She was transporting general stores as well military equipment with a crew of 42 embarked (9 of whom would be lost in the attack). The INGA I was hit on the starboard side between the engine room and boiler room by one torpedo and sank in two minutes. Three crew members were lost. The master and 15 crew members were rescued by an escort vessel and landed at Gibraltar on 30 July.

U-202 sank the steamer HAWKINGE (UK 2475 grt) from convoy OG-69 off the west coast of Portugal. The ship was on passage from Glasgow to Lisbon , carrying a load of coal, with a crew of 31 (15 of whom would be lost in the attack). At 0254 hrs, U-203 attacked the OG-69 about 800 miles SW of Fastnet and reported the sinking of two ships, totalling 14.000 grt. However, only the HAWKINGE was hit. 13 crew members and two gunners were lost. The master and five crew members were picked up by Corvette HMS SUNFLOWER (K-41) and landed at Londonderry. Seven crew members and three gunners were picked up by DD HMS VANOC (H-33) and landed at Liverpool.

U-79 sank steamer KELLWYN (UK 1459 grt) from convoy OG-69. The vessel was transporting
Coke from Tyne to Lisbon with a crew of 23 (14 of whom would perish in the attack). At 0022 hrs, U-79 fired a spread of four torpedoes and the stern torpedo at the OG-69 about 350 miles WNW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive because a DD was closing in, so Uboat skipper Kaufmann only saw a column of fire and heard several detonations. He reported three ships sunk and two others probably damaged. In fact, only the KELLWYN was hit and sunk, the later explosions almost certainly were DC from the escorts. The master, ten crew members and three gunners were lost. Nine crew members were picked up by the ASW trawler HMS St NECTAN and landed at Gibraltar on 1 August.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fishing trawler BEN STROME (UK 198 grt) was sunk by the LW 15 miles SE of Fuglo Island. The crew of ten were all lost.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-564

Departures
Helsingor (Denmark): U-563

At Sea 27 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-565, U-652, UA

34 Boats

U-68 as part of the wolf pack attacking OG-69 was kept down and held off a convoy by 24 depth charges from Flower Class corvette HMS RHODODENDRUM. Another U-boat was also held away from the convoy from HMS SUNFLOWER and HMS PIMPERNEL at roughly the same time. Both U-Boats failed to attack the convoy.

OPERATIONS
East Front
Baltic
DKM 3rd S-Boat Flotilla with S.54, S.55, S.57, and S.58 attacked Soviet ships in the Gulf of Riga.

STOROZHEVOI Class DD SMELYI (VMF 2192 grt), already disabled after striking a mine, was sunk by S.54, in company with S.55, in the Gulf of Riga. S 57 and S.58 unsuccessfully attacked two Soviet minesweepers at Oesel. Soviet sources claim the ship was scuttled by Soviet MTB TKA-27

Black Sea/Caspian
Liner LENIN (Sov 2717 grt) Black Sea State Shipping Co. In voyage from Sevastopol to Yalta the ship either hit a mine or was attacked by a submarine whilst transporting between 1250 5200) evacuees and a crew of 43 crew. About 600 were rescued. At least 900 passengers were lost (according to unofficial sources up to 4600 passengers were lost).

North Sea
CA DORSETSHIRE departed the Tyne for Scapa Flow, escorted by DDs WINDSOR and WORCESTER. The cruiser arrived on the 28th.

AMC ESPERANCEBAY arrived at Scapa Flow for onward passage to London

Northern Waters
Precursor to Operation Gauntlet
At the end of July 1941, an RN TG under the command of Vice Admiral Phillip Vian reconnoitered Spitsbergen to ascertain the situation not knowing whether or not a German military presence was on the islands. There was not, and both the Norwegian and Soviet settlers were cooperative. A Norwegian officer, Lt Ragnvald Tamber, was left at Longyearbyen to act as a representative and Force K returned to Britain with 70 volunteers for the Free Norwegian forces and a loaded collier. All this had been done without alerting the Germans, who remained in ignorance of Allied activity.

Lt. Tamber maintained normal radio contacts with the mainland and encouraged the despatch of additional colliers to collect coal, but detained them with the expectation that they would, in fact, sail to Britain. Eventually three ships were held at Longyearbyen.

En route to Britain, Vians Force visited Bear island, destroyed the weather station there and evacuated the Norwegian personnel on 1 August. This action finally alerted the Germans to Allied activity and, thereafter, Force K was shadowed by LW a/c.

Vian returned to London to discuss the possibilities with the CoS. His advice was that a military occupation would be possible but the location was unsuitable as a naval base, mainly due to seasonal ice. Churchill applied pressure for a plan to be devised quickly. The plan, agreed with Churchill, the Soviet ambassador and King Haakon, and proposed Force K to return to Spitsbergen, destroy the mining facilities and fuel stocks, repatriate the Russians, and bring the remaining Norwegians and any available ships back to Britain.

On the 27th CLs NIGERIA and AURORA with DDs TARTAR and PUNJABI departed Scapa Flow as Force A for Seidisfjord, arriving on the 29th. British oiler OLIGARCH, escort ORP DD GARLAND had departed Scapa Flow on the 24th for Seidisfjord, arriving on the 27th. They departed Seidisfjord later that day with trawlers SEALYHAM and WASTWATER to refuel Force A. Force A departed Seidisfjord on the 29th. They met the oiler OLIGARCH group on the 31st to refuel.

DD TARTAR was sent ahead to land a Norwegian officer at the W/T station at Kap Linne.
On the 31st, CL NIGERIA and DD TARTAR entered Advent Fjord, Spitsbergen.

CL AURORA and DD PUNJABI proceeded to Gronfjord. DD GARLAND was engaged on ASW patrol at the entrance to Isfjord. On 1 August, oiler OLIGARCH refuelled the ships at Spitsbergen. DD GARLAND and Norwegian steamer DAGNY I joined the OLIGARCH group. DD GARLAND, ASW trawlers SEALYHAM and WASTWATER, and oiler OLIGARCH proceeded to sea. A party was landed at BearIsland on 2 August to demolish the W/T station and embark four Norwegian operators. The ships refuelled again on 3 August.Oiler OLIGARCH was then sent with DD GARLAND and trawler SEALYHAM to Seidisfjord.

Steamer DAGNY I and whaler WASTWATER were detached on 3 August and proceeded to the Faroes.

West Coast
Convoy ON.2 departed Liverpool, escorted by sloop BLACK SWAN and corvette CONVOLVULUS. Both escorts were detached the next day. On the 28th, ORP DD BURZA, corvettes AUBRETIA, NIGELLA, and SNOWDROP, MSWs BIRTOMART, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN, NOTTS COUNTY, and ST APOLLO. Destroyers AMAZON and GEORGETOWN and corvette HEARTSEASE joined on the 30th. DD GEORGETOWN and MSW BRITOMART were detached on 1 August, DDs AMAZON and BURZA, corvettes AUBRETIA, HEARTSEASE, NIGELLA, and SNOWDROP, and ASW trawlers DANEMAN and ST APOLLO on 2 August. AMC RANPURA, DD BURWELL, and corvettes CHAMBLY and PICTOU joined on 2 August. The convoy was dispersed on 8 August.

Med/Biscay
Submarine TETRARCH sank caique NICITA (FI 250 grt (est)) five miles south of Kos

Nth Atlantic
HX.141 departed Halifax, escort AMC MONTCLARE and corvettes NANAIMO, ORILLIA, and TRAIL. Corvettes CHICOUTIMI and MATAPEDIA joined on the 28th.Corvettes CHICOUTIMI, NANAIMO, and TRAIL were detached on the 30th. On the 30th, DD SKEENA and corvettes ALBERNI and PRIMROSE joined the convoy. The escort was detached on 6 August when relieved by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and SKATE, corvette VERONIA, and MSW SPEEDY. The corvette and the MSW were detached on 8 August and DDs were detached on 9 August. ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and ST ZENO escorted the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 August.

Central Atlantic
Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN arrived at Gibraltar after Western Patrol.

Corvette GARDENIA intercepted Vichy auxiliary PV EDITH GERMAINE at 12-38N, 17-55W.Corvette AMARANTHUS was in company. The trawler was taken towards Freetown by the two corvettes. When it was determined the trawler was going to Dakar, it was allowed to continue.

Red Sea/Indian Ocean
CL CERES damaged her port screw when it contacted the pier during docking at Trincomalee.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 27 JULY TO DAWN 28 JULY 1941
Weather Hot and humid.

AM Two SM 79 bombers were intercepted 50 miles off Malta by Hurricanes of 185 Squadron. Both enemy aircraft were shot down into the sea.

2230-2314 hrs Air raid alert for a single Italian BR 20 bomber which crosses the Island from St Paul's Bay to Mtarfa, turns south and then north, crossing the Island again over the same course. Heavy anti-aircraft guns fire three barrages at 18000 feet; no claims. No Hurricanes are scrambled.

2334-0021 hrs Air raid alert for two BR 20 bombers which approach the Island a mile apart. The first drops bombs in the sea north of St Paul's Bay; the second drops 250kg high explosive bombs on St Julian's which puts a searchlight out of action wounding three men, two seriously. 250kg bombs are also dropped on Tal Qroqq. No Hurricanes are scrambled.

OPERATIONS REPORTS SUNDAY 27 JULY 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 7 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 5 Wellington. Departures 2 Sunderland. 69 Squadron Marylands special patrol Ionian Sea and search patrol. The Commander in Chief Middle East, General Auchinleck, and the Air Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Tedder with their staffs arrived today en route for the UK. They are expected to leave tomorrow.

HAL FAR AOCinC Air Marshal A W Tedder, CB, and AOC Mediterranean visited the station.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 27 July 1941

 

[parsifal]

28 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette FNFL RENONCULE (K-117)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Isles class ASW Trawler HMS INCHOLM (T-18)
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

BPB 70' type MGB 19
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Fairmile B ML 269
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MMSI class MSW MMS 41
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Thornycroft 75' type MTB RNorN MTB 56
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Losses
U-203 sank MV LAPLAND (UK 1330 grt) off the coast of Portugal whilst the vessel was on passage from London to Lisbon with a cargo of tinplate and general cargo. All of the crew of 26 survived the attack. At 2127 hrs, U-203 fired four torpedoes on merchants and a DD in convoy OG-69 NW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive after the attack. Uboat skipper Mutzelburg interpreted the heard detonations and sinking noises and reported three ships sunk and a DD probably damaged. In fact, only the NORITA and LAPLAND were hit and sunk. The master, 22 crew members and three gunners from the LAPLAND were picked up by Corvette HMS RHODODENDRON (K-78) and landed at Gibraltar.

U-203 sank Steamer NORITA (SD 1516 grt) off the coast of Portugal whilst the vessel was on passage from Hartlepool to Huelva with a cargo of coking coal and general cargo. A crew of 20 were embarked, 2 of whom would lose their lives in the attack. At 2127 hrs, U-203 fired four torpedoes on merchants and a DD in convoy OG-69 NW of Cape Finisterre and had to dive after the attack. Uboat skipper Mutzelburg interpreted the heard detonations and sinking noises and reported three ships sunk and a DD probably damaged. In fact, only the NORITA and LAPLAND were hit and sunk.

U-561 sank the Steamer WROTHAM (UK 1884 grt) from OG-69 off the coast of Portugal. The ship was on passage from Androssan to Huelva, Spain, in ballast. A crew of 26 were embarked, all of whom were to survive the attack. At 0424 hrs, U-561 fired three torpedoes at the convoy OG-69 west of Cape Finisterre and recorded in her war log a hit and flames on a large tkr, a hit on a freighter that sank in 30 seconds and thought that they hit a third ship in the convoy. However, only the WROTHAMwas hit and sunk. The master, 22 crew members and three gunners were picked up by Corvette HMS FLEUR DE LYS (K-122) and Corvette HMS RHODODENDRON (K-78) and landed at Gibraltar.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Bergen: U-563
Kirkenes: U-451
Lorient: U-125

Departures
Brest: U-558
Stormelo: U-144

At Sea 28 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-126, U-141, U-142, U-144, U-145, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-652, UA

35 Boats

OPERATIONS
East Front
Baltic
VMF submarine SHCH.307 sank Type IID U.144 (DKM 460 grt) in the Gulf of Finland, nth of Dago . The entire crew of twenty eight were lost in the submarine.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer ELBING III (Ger 315 grt) was sunk near Libau by Soviet bombing. Some sources say she was mined. Perhaps she was lost to mines laid by VVS a/c.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

North Sea
AA ship ALYNBANK departed Scapa Flow before noon and escorted convoy WN.58 from the Pentland Firth. On meeting convoy EC.51 during the morning of 29 July, the ship then transferred to that convoy. Detaching the convoy in Pentland Firth, ALYNBANK returned to Scapa Flow on the evening of the 29th.

Northern Patrol
CA SHROPSHIRE departed Hvalfjord for patrol duties on Denmark Strait patrol

Northern Waters
Trawler STRATHLOCHY (UK 212 grt) was sunk by the LW 180 miles NW of Rora Head, Orkneys.

SW Approaches
Convoy HG.69 departed Gibraltar escorted by sloop BIDEFORD and ASW trawler STELLA CARINA. The convoy was joined on the 29th by DDs BEVERLEY and DUNCAN, corvette COREOPSIS, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA, and submarine SEVERN. DD BEVERLY refuelled at Ponta Delgada on 3 August and then rejoined the convoy.

DD DUNCAN was detached on 2 August and returned to Gibraltar. On 5 August, submarine SEVERN and corvettes COREOPSIS, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA were detached; the corvettes transferring to convoy OG.70. On 6 August, trawler STELLA CARINA was detached to convoy OG.70 and ocean boarding vessel HILARY joined the convoy. DDs LEGION and ORP PIORUN joined the convoy on 7 August and DDs CHELSEA and WOLVERINE and corvettes GENTIAN, HIBISCUS, MYOSOTIS, and PERIWINKLE joined on 8 August. DDs BEVERLEY, LEGION, and PIORUN were detached on 9 August to Londonderry. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on 11 August.

Channel
In Operation CHESS, a patrol from an assault landing craft (LC) was landed near Fecamp (a coastal area between Dieppe and Le Havre) just after midnight. T/Lt (E) J. Templeton RNR, and one rating were killed. The LC was able to retire and met the covering force of motor launches 10 miles SE of Dover.

Med/Biscay
Lighter A.8 (RN 250 grt (est)) was sunk off Bardia by the LW. 8 of the crew were lost.

Lighter A.14 in company was able to escape.

Submarine OLYMPUS was damaged by RA bombing off Cavoli Light in the Tyrrhenian Sea.After emergency repairs, the submarine was able to return to Gibraltar.

DD JERVIS departed Haifa and joined CL NEPTUNE, ML cruisers ABDIEL and LATONA, and DD JAGUAR to return to Alexandria. These ships were relieved by RAN CL HOBART and DDs KANDAHAR and KIMBERLEY at Haifa. The NEPTUNE group arrived at Alexandria on the 29th.

Corvette HYACINTH was detached from the escort of damaged DD ISIS off Port Said. The corvette escorted MV KEVINBANK in serial S.9 of the GUILLOTINE Operation to Famagusta, arriving on the 30th, before she returned to Port Said on the 30th.

DD HOTSPUR and RAN DD VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Tobruk. The DDs loaded troops at Tobruk early on the 29th and proceeded to Mersa Matruh where they arrived at 0900 on the 29th. On the 30th, the destroyers departed for Alexandria. At 2215, a submarine contact was obtained. DD HOTSPUR attacked the contact and DD VENDETTA continued to Alexandria, arriving on the 31st.

A convoy of steamers ERNESTO, CASTELVERDE, AQUITANIA, NITA, and NIRVO and gunboat PALMAIOLA departed Tripoli on the 27th escort DDs FOLGORE, SAETTA, FUCLIERE, and ALPINO. Distant cover was provided by CLs GARIBALDI and MONTECUCCOLI and DDs GRANATIERE and BERSAGLIERE. DD FULMINE joined the convoy escort at 1815 on the 28th. CL GARIBALDI was torpedoed by Submarine UPHOLDER off Cape St Vito on the 28th. DDs FUCLIERE and ALPINO joined the damaged cruiser that evening. The CL arrived at Palermo at 0630 on the 29th. She was under repair for four months to repair the damage. TB SIRTORI joined the convoy escort on the 29th. The convoy arrived at Naples on the 30th.

Submarine UTMOST sank steamer FREDERICO (FI 1466 grt) off western Calabria. Records show she was escorted, who counterattacked immediately, but with no success.

Submarine OLYMPUS made an unsuccessful attack on a steamer in 40-40N, 9-50E.

RNeN submarine O.21 sank steamer MONTEPONI (FI 747 grt) ten miles north of CapeComino. Some sources say the target survived, but there are no other references to this ship for the remainder of the war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Dutch submarine O.24 departed Gibraltar to patrol in the Gulf of Genoa and Tyrrhenian Sea.

Submarine UPRIGHT arrived at Malta from patrol.

Submarine URGE arrived at Malta from patrol.

Central Atlantic
DD HIGHLANDER rescued Norwegian steamer LIDVARD at 12-35N, 17-52E at 0500 on the 28th. The steamer had escaped from Dakar during the night of 26/27 August. French auxiliary patrol vessel EDITH GERMAINE intercepted the steamer on the 27th. DD HIGHLANDER was soon joined by destroyer BOREAS. Vichy CLs GLOIRE and GEORGES LEYGUES, submarine ACTEON, and naval aircraft were at sea in an attempt to return the steamer to Dakar. The steamer was escorted to Freetown by DDs HIGHLANDER and BOREAS and arrived on the 29th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 28 JULY TO DAWN 29 JULY 1941
Weather Hot and humid.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS MONDAY 28 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY Upright returned from patrol, having obtained 2 hits on a 500' Floating Dock. HM submarineUpholder hit an Italian cruiser with two torpedoes. Urge returned from patrol (Commanding Officer sick). 5 Swordfish left to intercept convoy, but turned back owing to high oil temperatures of engines. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Swordfish despatched to attack a southbound convoy off Pantelleria had to return due to overheated engines.

AIR HQ Arrivals 13 Blenheim, 1 Sunderland, 3 Wellington. Departures 5 Blenheim, 2 Wellington. The Commander in Chief Middle East, General Auchinleck, and the Air Commander in Chief Air Chief Marshal Tedder with their staffs left for the UK. 69 Squadron Marylands reconnaissance Sicily, Tripoli and search patrols. 110 Squadron 3 Blenheims searched for two merchant ships, not found but bombed a converted sailing ship. 252 Squadron 8 Beaufighters attacked Catania, Syracuse, Marsala with success, 2 attacking each target. They destroyed a large number of aircraft and damaged many more, and killed 25 ground staff. One Beaufighter navigator Sgt T Armstrong was wounded. Hurricanes provided cover between Sicily and Malta.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 28 July 1941

 

[parsifal]

29 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Allied
LCT-43

MGB 322

U Class Sub HMS ULTIMATUM (P-34)

Losses
Steamer ADAM'S BECK (UK 2816 grt) was badly damaged by the LW one mile 235° from 20C Buoy, Tyne. One crew was missing on the steamer. The steamer sank on the 30th.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer CHAUCER (UK 5792 grt) was captured at 16-46N, 38-01W by DKM raider ORION. The entire crew were made prisoners of war.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Kirkenes: U-566
Stormelo: U-145

Departures
St Nazaire: U-73, U75
Windau: U-139

At Sea 29 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-141, U-142, U-144, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-562, U-565, U-652, UA

36 Boats

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Steamer BERNHARD (Ger 1890 grt) was lost in a collision with Swedish steamer FRODE (1535grt) near Norderney.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

East Front
Arctic
DKM DDs destroyers KARL GALSTER, HERMANN SCHOEMANN, FRIEDRICH ECKHOLDT, and RICHARD BEITZEN swept towards Yugor and Kara Straits (in the Barents Sea). However, the sweep was abandoned when the British carrier force was reported.

Baltic
Steamer LEONTES (Ger 338 grt) was lost on a VMF mine near Windau
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

West Coast
Sub Lt C. Wheatley, Midshipman L.E.W. Byam, and Leading Airman G. Curwen were lost when their Albacore of 832 Squadron crashed west of Kintyre.

Med/Biscay
Submarine TALISMAN departed Gibraltar for Malta with stores.

Submarine THRASHER arrived at Alexandria with seventy eight men from Crete which had been in hiding since the island fell.

Submarine OLYMPUS was damaged by near misses from an Italian bomber 3½ miles 107° Cavoli Light, The submarine sustained considerable damage to her battery and many fittings were damaged causing leaks. Submarine OLYMPUS arrived back at Gibraltar on 2 August.

Central Atlantic
British supply ship BRECONSHIRE, escorted by corvettes WALLFLOWER, ZINNIA, HYDRANGEA, CAMPANULA, and BLUEBELL departed Gibraltar for Liverpool.

Submarine CLYDE arrived at Gibraltar from patrol in the Atlantic.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 29 JULY TO DAWN 30 JULY 1941
Weather Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS TUESDAY 29 JULY 1941
AIR HQ Departures 1 Sunderland. 69 Squadron Marylands reconnaissance Sicily and Tripoli.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 29 July 1941

 

[parsifal]

30 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type IXC U-504

Neutral
Elco 77' PT USS PT-44

Allied
Type II Hunt Class DD HMS PUCKERIDGE (L-108)

T Class Submarine HMS TRUSTY (N-45)

Flower Class Corvette HMS SNOWDROP (K-67)

Flower Class Corvette HMS STONECROP (K-142)

Vosper 70' MTB HMS MTB 220,

Losses
U-371 sank steamer SHAHRISTAN (UK 6935 grt) in the Central Atlantic whilst the vessel was attached to convoy OS-1 (convoy was dispersed when attacked). The ship was on passage from London to Basra when sunk carrying 68 passengers, and general cargo. She had a total crew of 141 (including passengers). 65 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0138 hrs the unescorted SHAHRISTAN, dispersed from convoy OS-1, was torpedoed and sunk by U-331 SE of the Azores. The master, 38 crew members and 26 passengers were lost. 33 survivors were picked up by the Spanish tanker CAMPECHE and 37 survivors by Corvette HMS SUNFLOWER (K-41) and landed at Ponta Delgada, Azores. Six survivors were rescued by HMS DERBYSHIRE and landed at Gourock.

U-371 sank steamer SITOEBONDO (NL 7049 grt) in the Central Atlantic whilst the vessel was attached to convoy OS-1 (convoy was dispersed when attacked). The ship was on passage from London to Calcutta via various ports when sunk carrying and general cargo. 77 passengers and crew were embarked, of which 14 were to lose their lives in the attack. At 0246 hrs the unescorted SITOEBONDO , dispersed from OS-1 was hit by a torpedo from U-371 SE of the Azores, after they had witnessed the sinking of SHAHRISTAN about 1 hr earlier by the same U-boat. She sank after being hit by two more torpedoes at 0254 and 0337 hrs. The 71 crew members and six passengers had abandoned ship in three lifeboats after the first hit when the ship settled by the stern. The occupants of two boats were picked up by the Spanish tanker CAMPECHE next day. Two crew members on a raft were rescued by the Spanish tanker CAMPERO after about six days. The third boat with twelve crew members and two passengers was never found.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Lorient:U-562, UA

Departures
Horten: U-373
Kiel: U-432
Kirkenes: U-451, U-566

At Sea 30 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-95, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-141, U-142, U-144, U-146, U-203, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-373, U-401, U-431, U-432, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-565, U-566, U-652

38 Boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
FV PICKHUBEN (Ger 238 grt) was lost on a mine in the southern North Sea

Northern Waters
BB MALAYA, AMCESPERANCEBAY, and DDs CASTLETON, CHARLESTOWN, and CROOME departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth where they arrived on the 31st. The AMC later continued on to London. The screen returned to Scapa Flow arriving late on the 31st.

CLA CURACOA departed Scapa Flow and escorted convoy WN.59 from Pentland Firth. The ship and convoy arrived at Methil in the forenoon on the 31st.

ML PORT QUEBEC, escorted by survey ship SCOTT, laid minefield SN.21C of the Northern Barrage.

SW Approaches
OG.70 departed Liverpool, escort corvettes AURICULA, MARIGOLD, and SAMPHIRE.

On the 31st, CAM ship MAPLIN, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvette CONVOLVULUS joined the convoy. DDs ST ALBANS, CAMPBELTOWN, and WANDERER were with the convoy during the day and were detached that ight. MAPLIN was also detached on 1 August. Corvettes COREOPSIS, JONQUIL, and SPIRAEA and ASW trawler STELLA CARINA from convoy HG.69 joined on 6 August. DDs ENCOUNTER and NESTOR departed Gibraltar on 6 August and joined on 8 August. DD FORESIGHT from convoy HG.34 F also joined on 8 August. DD ENCOUNTER, sloop DEPTFORD, and corvettes AURICULA, CONVOLVULUS, JONQUIL, MARIGOLD, and SAMPHIRE were detached on 10 August and arrived at Gibraltar on 13 August. The convoy arrived at Gibraltar on 12 August with DDs FORESIGHT and NESTOR and corvettes COREOPSIS and SPIRAEA.

Med/Biscay
RAN sloop PARRAMATTA departed Port Said escorting MV GUJARAT to Famagusta in Serial S.10 of the GUILLOTINE Operation. The ships arrived at Famagusta on 1 August and sloop PARRAMATTA departed that day to return to Port Said.

Corvette DELPHINIUM departed Alexandria to relieve corvette PEONY, with defects, at Famagusta.

Motor torpedo boat MTB.104, which had been laid up with defects at Port Said, departed Port Said for Alexandria to be paid off.

Grampus Class Submarine CACHALOT (RN 1520 grt), which departed Malta on the 26th, was rammed and sunk by RM TB PAPA nth of Benghazi. Only one rating was lost. The remainder of the crew were rescued by the RM TB. The crew were taken prisoner.One officer managed to escaped captivity and get back to friendly territory .

In Operation STYLE, British Force X of CLA HERMIONE, CL ARETHUSA and ML cruiser MANXMAN with DDs SIKH and LIGHTNING departed Gibraltar on the 31st carrying the troops and supplies that had been on troopship LEINSTER and CL MANCHESTER which had not reached Malta during Operation SUBSTANCE.

BB NELSON, BC RENOWN, CV ARK ROYAL and DDs COSSACK, MAORI, NESTOR, FAULKNOR, FURY, FORESIGHT, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, ENCOUNTER, and ERIDGE departed Gibraltar on the 30th to create a diversion for this operation.

Force S.was oiler BROWN RANGER and DD AVON VALE which departed Gibraltar on the 30th. On the return to Gibraltar, DDs AVON VALE and ERIDGE were exchanged.

On the 31st/1 August, DDs COSSACK and MAORI were detached to bombard the harbour of Alghero, (Sardinia) and fire star shells for a night raid by aircraft from CV ARK ROYAL. On 1 August, a Swordfish of the 810 Sqn landing on the ARK ROYAL crashed injuring the pilot, Lt (A)C.M. Jewell, which died of wounds and killing observer, Sub Lt (A) L.A. Royall, and gunner of the aircraft and A/Lt D.G. Bowker, A/Lt (E) T.I. Gay, and two ratings of the deck party, Leading Airman H.F. Huxley and Stoker Hunt.

CLA HERMIONE rammed and sank Adua Class submarine TEMBIEN (RM 680 grt) off Tunis on 2 August. The CLA sustained light damage.

On 2 August, HERMIONE, ARETHUSA, MANXMAN, and DDs SIKH and LIGHTNING arrived at Malta. They unloaded the reinforcements and departed later that night with DD FARNDALE with her condenser problems repaired. However, DD FARNDALE with further problems had to return to Malta for additional repair.

ARK ROYAL flew off Hurricanes to Malta on 2 August. Force H and the Malta reinforcement group returned to Gibraltar on 4 August. BC RENOWN was docked for repairs to bulge plating on her return .

Nth Atlantic
USN CV YORKTOWN, CL BROOKLYN, and DDs ROE, GRAYSON, and EBERLE departed Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol ending at Bermuda on 10 August.

Central Atlantic
British steamers SETTLER and CLAN MACNAUGHTON, en route to Freetown, and ARDEOLA and BRITISH HONOR, en route to Las Palmas and Trinidad, respectively, departed Gibraltar, escort DDs VIDETTE and VIMY and trawlers ARRAN and COPINSAY. On the 31st, trawler ARRAN was forced to return to Gibraltar with defects. DD VIDETTE was detached on 2 August and VIMY on 3 August to return to Gibraltar.

Trawler COPINSAY continued with the Freetown ships.

Pacific/Australia
Australian troop convoy US.1B departed Melbourne with Dutch steamer JOHN VAN OLDENBARNEVELT, British steamer KATOOMBA, and Dutch steamers MARNIX VAN ST ALDEGONDE and SIBAJAK. Steamer KATOOMBA proceeded only to Fremantle. Steamer SIBAJAK proceeded to Singapore.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 30 JULY TO DAWN 31 JULY 1941
Weather Sunny with a cool breeze.

2332 hrs A mine guard loop indicates the presence of a vessel. The minefield is detonated but a subsequent search reveals no wreckage.

Night An enemy fighter patrol approached to within 25 miles of Malta then turn back. Hurricane fighters are scrambled but do not made contact as raiders retreat before engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS WEDNESDAY 30 JULY 1941

AIR HQ Arrivals 4 Blenheim, 5 Wellington.Departures 5 Blenheim, 4 Wellington. 69 SquadronMarylands reconnaissance Sicily. 6 Beaufighters successful ground-strafing operation Elmas aerodrome and seaplane base, southern Sardinia destroying eight aircraft and damaging many more and causing a large fire in a hangar. One Beaufighter attacked a large transport aircraft south of Pantelleria putting two engines out of action before running out of ammunition; the enemy aircraft was last seen descending towards the sea.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 30 July 1941

 

[Njaco]

July 30 Wednesday

ASIA: The Japanese bomb Chungking and manage to hit the US Navy Gunboat "Tutuila" (PR-4). Within hours of damaging the "Tutuila", Japan formally apologized to the USA. The Japanese aircraft dropped a bomb 8 yards astern. There is no damage to the ship nor are there any casualties, but the motor boats are badly damaged. It is unlikely, however, that the latter will be re-assured. The state department is certain now that Japan, having moved into Indochina, has its eyes on the Dutch East Indies and is testing United States resolve.

Troop convoy WS 9AX arrives Colombo en route to Singapore.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: USN task force departs Hampton Roads on neutrality patrol.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Hitler issued Directive No. 34, postponing for now the objectives of Directive 33 due to strong resistance in the center of the Russian front, where Guderian is involved in a delaying operation fighting for the town of Roslaul. The northern sector is to press on to surround Leningrad. The centre group is to go on the defensive. The south-east is to destroy forces west of the Dnieper River. http://der-fuehrer.org/reden/english/wardirectives/34.html

Heeresgruppe Nord: The I. Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Kuno-Hans von Both) captures Shimsk and forces Morozov's 11th and Berzarin's 27th Armies to withdraw to Staraia Russa.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Germans pocket a small group Soviet troops east of Smolensk. The encirclement was not tight and the troops inside were shattered remnants of formations ground up in the German advance. Many escaped. Soviet forces continue to counterattack German 3.Panzergruppe north of Smolensk. The OKH declares a virtual standstill for Heeresgruppe Mitte so they can rest and refit. XXXXVII Panzer Corps discusses merging the 17.Panzer Divisionen and 18.Panzer Divisionen to make up for personnel and material losses in the two divisions.

The Allies aid Russia for the first time in an attack from the air on Kirkenes and Petsamo. Twenty-eight aircraft from RN carrier "Furious" attack Petsamo at the cost of 2 planes. Twenty-nine aircraft from RN carrier "Victorious" attack Kirkenes sinking a small ship and setting fire to another and claiming three German fighters shot down in exchange for the loss of 13 planes. But the Germans have advanced knowledge of the attack and remove most of the ships from the ports. Sending up Bf 109Es, Bf 110s and Ju 87s to intercept, the Jagdflieger shoot down twelve Albacores and four Fulmars, with most of the remaining warplanes heavily damaged. The British attack came just after Finland had informed UK that the diplomatic ties will be 'interrupted'. The attack gave the Finnish Government the official reason for the severing of the diplomatic ties, and the fact was made public on 1 Aug.

Stavka activates Reserve Front, commanded by Zhukov with 24th Army, 28th Army, 29th Army, 30th Army, 31st Army, and 32nd Army.

Antonescu writes to Hitler that Rumania will fight beside Germany until the Soviet Union is destroyed.

Stalin summons Voroshilov and Zhdanov to Moscow to express his dissatisfaction with their "lack of toughness" in the Northwestern Theater.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 43 aircraft to attack Kiel Canal and conduct coastal sweeps during the day and 116 aircraft to attack Cologne overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with four vessels escorted by Italian destroyer "Malocello" and four torpedo boats.

Submarine HMS "Cachalot" mistakes an Italian torpedo boat for a tanker in poor visibility. The Torpedo boat suddenly appears out of fog and rams "Cachalot" holing Z tank, but not the pressure hull. The commander orders 'abandon ship' and opens the main vents, and the submarine gently sinks bows first into 200 feet of water. The Italian torpedo boat commander lowers boats and ensures the safety of all the submarine crew except a Maltese steward who has disappeared, before he requests permission of the submarine commander to discontinue the search. There is just the single casualty. This sinking takes place off Benghazi.

NORTH AMERICA: A committee consisted of US Treasury, State, and Justice Department officials granted an exception of the rule to freeze Japanese national assets so that "Tatsuta Maru's" owners could withdraw enough funds to pay for fuel for a return trip to Japan.

US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall informs the War Department Staff that it was now US policy to defend the Philippines but that European concerns took priority.

NORTHERN FRONT: Finnish 14th Infantry Division attacking around Rukajarvi en route to Murmansk railroad.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Seventeen Japanese fishing boats, each equipped with radio transmitters and cameras and carrying a reserve officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy, are seized off Hawaii for alleged spy activities.

UNITED KINGDOM: The Sikorski–Mayski agreement was signed between the Soviet Union and the Polish government-in-exile in which the government of the USSR recognizes that German-Soviet treaties of 1939 regarding Polish territories are now invalid. Diplomatic relations are restored. The first result of the treaty will be the formation of a Polish army from prisoners of war held in Russia. General Sikorski, the exiled Polish Prime Minister, said after the signing that, while not all questions had been settled between Russia and Poland, the treaty provided a basis for useful collaboration. Britain issues a Note to the Polish Government, saying it does not recognize changes to its territory by Germany or the Soviet Union since August 1939.

.

 

[Njaco]

July 31 Thursday

ASIA: Japanese aircraft conduct another major attack against Chungking.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Tallinn, the Estonian capital, has been surrounded by von Leeb's Army Group North as he strikes for Leningrad. "Fast Heinz" Guderian's tanks are approaching Moscow, Kiev is threatened by von Kleist and the Black Sea, the Romanian 4th Army is advancing on Odessa. The triumphal progress of the Wehrmacht is shown by the scale of Russian casualties - over a million in little more than a month of fighting, although the German casualties have been heavy too, over 100,000, more than in all its previous campaigns. Weaknesses are beginning to show in the German war machine. Some tanks are breaking down because their air filters cannot cope with the dust of the Russian steppes, and supply lines are stretched to breaking point. General Hopner, leading the Panzer thrust to Leningrad has been forced to delay his attempt to seize the city because he is short of shells. The scorched-earth policy is also denying the invaders the opportunity to live off the conquered lands. The three German army groups have suffered 213,301 casualties, but have only received 47,000 replacements.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 16.Armee, which is slowly advancing toward Leningrad, reaches Lake Ilmen, to the south of Novgorod. However, its troops are very fatigued due to the marshes and heavily wooded terrain. Field Marshall Leeb admits that he cannot defend his eastern flank in his drive towards Leningrad since it now is 360 kilometers in length.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Heeresgruppe Mitte continues its liquidation of the Smolensk pocket. Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe open their attacks south of Smolensk. Initially they met minimal resistance. Soviet troops put up fierce resistance near Orsha and Vitebsk west of Smolensk. A powerful counter-offensive is launched at Gomel south of Mogilev against German bridgeheads over the Dnieper River.

"I have almost no reserves left to meet the enemy massing of forces and the constant counterattacks. They took away my offensive air power and heavy artillery and diverted some of the reserves originally destined for my front, the painful consequences of which are beginning to show. With the present state of the railroads I can't receive any help from home or through the shifting of forces...Greiffenberg briefed the Army High Command and asked that any units from home - replacement formations or whatever - be moved up into the rear area, because I urgently need those of my divisions still there at the front." - Field Marshall Bock

Romanian leader Ion Antonescu formally accepted German leader Adolf Hitler's request for Romanian troops to conquer and occupy the Ukrainian territory between Dniester and Bug Rivers.

Soviet destroyer "Sokrushitelny" made rendezvous with British minelayer HMS "Adventure" near the Gorodetski lighthouse at the entrance to the White Sea in northern Russia.

At the end of 14 days of continuous slaughter, Einsatzkommando groups have killed 10,000 Jews at Kishinev and 2,500 at Zhitomir. Immediately after a region is occupied by German troops, the Einsatzgruppen move in, gather together the local Jews, strip them of clothing and valuables and shoot them dead in a remote part of the countryside. The corpses are thrown into a shallow ditch.

Harry Hopkins meets with Stalin regarding Lend-Lease.

Soldiers of the Spanish Blue Division swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler prior to deployment on Russian Front.

GERMANY: In written instructions to Reinhard Heydrich, Göring at the behest of Hitler orders the creation of;

"... a general plan showing the measures for and organization for action necessary to carry out the desired final solution of the Jewish question."

This was the first time the term endlösung or "final solution" was used as a written state policy of Nazi Germany.

MEDITERRANEAN: Operation Style: RN Force X departs with troops and supplies for Malta covered by Force H.

RAF bombers attack various targets on Sicily. Destroyers and aircraft from HMS "Ark Royal" attack Alghero in Sardinia.

NORTH AFRICA: The Axis forces are reorganized. General Crüwell now commands the German Afrika Korps (DAK) with Rommel in charge of the new Panzerarmee Afrika. The 5.Leichte-Division is renamed as 21.Panzer Divisionen and Rommel, therefore, has two panzer divisions and one German infantry division in his force. In addition there are seven Italian divisions.

NORTH AMERICA: Formation of Economic Defense Board headed by Vice-President Wallace.

The first Lockheed Ventura makes its maiden flight. It is the first of 675 ordered by the British Purchasing Commission and is designed to replace the Hudson.

NORTHERN FRONT: Reichskommissar Josef Terboven declared Norway under a state of emergency.

The Finnish reconquest of the Karelian Isthmus began. II Corps (Maj. Gen. Laatikainen) begins its attack on Karelian Isthmus. The Corps consists of 2nd, 15th and 18th Divisions (with the 10th Division waiting in Supreme HQ's reserve). The ultimate goal of the attack is to recapture Viipuri (Vyborg), the second largest city of Finland before 1939, lost to Soviet Union after the Winter War. The defending forces are Soviet 142nd and 115th Divisions in well-prepared positions. The Soviet fortification works had been concentrated near the river Vuoksi and along the roads, so the Finns concentrated their forces on narrow, deep breakthroughs over the roadless terrains which were supported by pioneers building temporary supply roads through the forests and over the swamps. The 18th Division (Col. Pajari) attacked through the forest against the northernmost section of the Soviet 115th Division and instead of following roads they secured a roadcrossing and advanced again over the forest to the next road where they did the same. The roadcrossings were occupied by stronger units, which had to defend against several armor supported Soviet counterattacks. During one of those counterattacks Private Vilho Rättö captured a Soviet AT gun and aiming through the barrel he managed to destroy four enemy tanks, earning him the first Mannerheim Cross granted to a private.

Germany requests transit of another division from Norway to Finland through Sweden, but government declines.

SOUTH AMERICA: The Ecuadorian–Peruvian War ended in a cease-fire. Ceasefire goes into effect, but Peruvian troops continue to operate against Ecuadorian posts in the Amazon jungle.

SOUTH PACIFIC: The US Asiatic Fleet and US Army Harbor defense Command close Manila harbor by mining. Henceforth, civilian shipping requires escort through the minefields by Asiatic Fleet vessels or by US Army Mine Planters assigned to the Harbor defence Command.

The first Australians were trained as instructors for the Special Forces (guerrilla warfare) school at Wilson's Promontory in Victoria, Australia.

A chartered Philippine Airlines Douglas DC-4 ferries 40 American servicemen to Oakland, California, from Nielson Airport in Makati City, Manila, in the Philippine Islands with stops at Guam, Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, and Honolulu in the Territory of Hawaii. The flight makes Philippine Airlines, Asia's first airline, the first Asian airline to cross the Pacific Ocean. Philippine Airlines will begin a scheduled transpacific service in December.

UNITED KINGDOM: Civilian air raid casualties this month were 900 people killed and 908 injured.

WESTERN FRONT: Lt. Hans Hahn of I./NJG 2 is slightly injured when his Ju 88 night-fighter crashes during take-off from the airfield at Gilze-Rijen.

RAF Fighter Command Roadstead missions to St Valery en Caux.

.

 

[parsifal]

31 JULY 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Type VIIC U-581

Image from Squadron modeling site

Neutral
Submarine Tender USS GRIFFIN (AS 13)

Allied
Flower Class Corvette HMCS BATTLEFORD (J-251)

Flower Class Corvette HMS MONKSHOOD (K-207)

Flower Class Corvette HMS PENTSTERMON (K-61)

Stalinec Class Sub VMF S-13

Losses
None

UBOATS
Arrivals
St Nazaire: U-85, U-203

Departures
Bergen: U-563
Horten: U-752

At Sea 31 July 1941
U-46, U-66, U-68, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-141, U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-561, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-652

35 Boats

OPERATIONS
North Sea
CLA CURACOA departed Methil during the afternoon and met convoy EC.52 off MayIsland. The convoy was escorted to Pentland Firth when the ship was detached at on the morning of 1 August and proceeded to Scapa Flow.

Northern Waters
CA LONDON and RNeN DD ISAAC SWEERS, following work up, departed Scapa Flow at 2200 for Greenock. The ships arrived on 1 August to escort convoy WS.10.

British steam trawler ONWARD was damaged by the LW and gunfire from a FW 200 twenty miles east of Nolso, Faroes.

West Coast
ON.3 departed Liverpool, escorted by DDs DOUGLAS, LEAMINGTON, and SKATE, corvette VERONICA and ASW trawler ST ELSTAN. and ST ZENO which joined on 1 August and corvettes MIMOSA and NASTURTIUM on 4 August. The DDs, corvette VERONICA, and the trawlers were detached on 5 August. DD COLUMBIA and corvette GLADIOLUS joined on 5 August. AMC ASCANIA joined on 5 August and was detached on 8 August. The convoy was dispersed on 14 August and DD COLUMBIA and corvettes GLADIOLUS, MIMOSA, and NASTURTIUM began their return.

Channel
FNFL DD TRIOMPHANT departed Plymouth after refitting for the Pacific, via Panama. The DD arrived at St Johns on 6 August, Panama on 16 August, San Diego on 25 August; departing on 5 September, Honolulu on 15 September, and Papeete on 23 September. In the Pacific, the DD was used for escort duties between Australia and New Caledonia. She spent most of 1942 in Sydney in overhaul.

Med/Biscay
Submarine REGENT reported Italian steamer IGEA (160grt) seven miles NW of Benghazi.

Central Atlantic
Ocean boarding vessel CORINTHIAN departed Gibraltar on Western Patrol.

DD VANSITTART intercepted steamer OUED GROU (Vichy 792 grt), which had departed Ziguinchor on the 31st for Dakar. DD HIGHLANDER was ordered to join VANSITTART. On 1 August, DD VELOX relieved HIGHLANDER and took the steamer into Freetown. HIGHLANDER proceeded to Bathurst to refuel en route to Gibraltar.On 3 August, VANSITTART was detached to proceed to Freetown. VELOX and the steamer arrived at Freetown on 4 August, despite an attempt by the crew to scuttle the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 31 JULY TO DAWN 1 AUGUST 1941
Weather Sunny and hot.

Day Nine enemy aircraft come to within 25 miles of GrandHarbour and then turned back. 23 Hurricanes are scrambled but make no contact with the enemy. S/Ldr Barton's Hurricane's engine fails and he has to make a forced landing but sustains no injuries.

2200-2248 hrs Air raid alert for a three enemy BR 20 bombers which approach singly from the north east and attack Grand Harbour, dropping 250kg bombs near the floating dock and on the Parade Ground of St Angelo destroying three mess rooms and injuring three people. Bombs are also dropped in the sea. Hurricanes of 126 Squadron are scrambled. Searchlights illuminate raiders three times but the Hurricanes are unable to make contact. P/O Stone chases a raider 30 miles out to sea but is unable to see it beyond the searchlights.

2350-0017 hrs Air raid alert for a single BR 20 which approaches from the north and drops 250kg bombs in the GrandHarbour area, as well as in the sea north east of Ricasoli. Hurricane fighters are scrambled; no engagement.

OPERATIONS REPORTS THURSDAY 31 JULY 1941

ROYAL NAVY P32 arrived from United Kingdom. Upholder arrived from patrol off Marittimo, having sunk a 6000 ton laden merchant vessel, and obtained 2 hits on a Condottiere D class cruiser. 830 Squadron Fleet Air Arm 5 Swordfish left to intercept a southbound convoy of 4 merchant ships and 5 destroyers 20 miles west of Lampion. Owing to poor visibility, convoy was located by ASV (radar). 2 torpedoes were fired and 1 hit obtained (unconfirmed).

AIR HQ Arrivals 1 Wellington. Departures 3 Wellington, 4 Blenheim (leader had engine failure and all returned).69 Squadron Marylands made 8 reconnaissance flights including Sicily, Elmas and Monserrato. Maryland reconnaissance Tripoli strafed enemy aircraft on the ground at Zuara. Marylands on special patrol. 105 Squadron 6 Blenheims sent to attack convoy but were intercepted by enemy fighters and returned without dropping bombs.

KALAFRANA During July Sunderland and Catalina flying boats made considerable use of the station for flights between the Middle East and UK, with 28 arrivals and departures of aircraft during the month. Passengers included Sir Edgar Ludlow-Hewitt, Inspector General of the Royal Air Force, and Rt Hon Captain Lyttleton, AOC, Middle East. The rescue Swordfish carried out 8 patrols and marine craft 6. Numbers rescued during the month were 3 Italians by marine craft, 1 British and 1 Italian by floatplanes. Total rescues since 11 June 1940 are 42 by marine craft (including 7 dead) and 3 by floatplane.

 

[parsifal]

Halders Diary 31 July 1941

 

[parsifal]

01 AUGUST 1941
Known Reinforcements
Axis
Acciaio Class Sub RM PLATINO

Neutral
Mackerel Class Sub USS MARLIN (SS 205)

Allied
HDML 1002, 1076, ML 192

Losses
Steamer TRIDENT (UK 4317 grt) was badly damaged by the LW four miles 208° from the Tyne harbour entrance. Theentire crew were rescued. TRIDENT sank on the 2nd. She was part of the southbound 41-ship convoy FS.557 (Methil-Southend) and had just arrived from Montreal, heading for London via the Tyne with 6000-ton cargo of bagged grain and beans.

UBOATS
Arrivals
Brest: U-561
Lorient: U-69, U-141
Trondheim: U-37

At Sea 01 August 1941
U-46, U-66, U-74, U-75, U-79, U-81, U-83, U-93, U-94, U-97, U-109, U-123, U-124, U-126, U-139 U-142, U-144, U-146, U-204, U-205, U-331, U-371, U-372, U-401, U-431, U-451, U-558, U-559, U-563, U-565, U-566, U-652

32 Boats

OPERATIONS
Northern Patrol
CA SHROPSHIRE arrived at Akureyri (Iceland) from Denmark Strait patrol. Later that day, she departed for Hvalfjord, arriving on the 2nd.

Northern Waters
Monitor EREBUS arrived at Scapa Flow, escorted by DD QUORN. DD LIVELY arrived at Scapa Flow from Greenock to work up. MSW HARRIER arrived at Scapa Flow to replace MSW NIGER, which had developed defects requiring yard time to repair.

Med/Biscay
Corvette HYACINTH departed Port Said with motor transport ship SALAMAUA for Famagusta in Serial S.11 of the GUILLOTINE operation. They arrived on the 3rd.

DDs JERVIS, KINGSTON, JACKAL, and NIZAM departed Alexandria to sweep north of Bardia for a reported submarine. A flying boat cooperating in the search was shot down by RM submarine DELFINO, but the DDs had no contact. The DDs arrived back at Alexandria on the 2nd.

DDs HERO and DECOY departed Alexandria on a supply run to Tobruk.

Submarine THUNDERBOLT departed Gibraltar with aviation spirits for Malta, arriving on the 8th. After delivering the aviation spirits at Malta, the submarine departed on the 10th and arrived at Alexandria on the 18th

Nth Atlantic
HX.142 departed Halifax, escort DD ANNAPOLIS, AMC AUSONIA, and corvettes COLLINGWOOD and ROSTHERN. Corvette ROSTHERN was detached later that day. Corvettes DAUPHIN and NAPANEE joined on the 2nd and were detached later that day. DD ANNAPOLIS was detached on the 3rd. DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes HEPATICA, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined on the 4th, DD CHURCHILL and corvettes ARROWHEAD and EYEBRIGHT joined on the 5th, and corvette CAMILLIA joined on the 6th. Corvette COLLINGWOOD was detached on the 5th and the remaining escorts were detached on the 12th when relieved by DDs BEAGLE, BOADICEA, KEPPEL, SABRE, SALISBURY, SHIKARI, and SKATE, corvettes HEATHER, ORCHIS, and SNOWDROP, MSWs HAZARD, HEBE, and SEAGULL, and ASW trawlers ARAB, AYRSHIRE, and NORWICHCITY. DDs KEPPEL, SHIKARI, and SKATE, the MSWs, and the trawlers were detached on the 13th. On the 14th, DD SALISBURY was detached, on the 15th, DD SABRE and corvette ORCHIS were detached, on the 16th, DD BEAGLE. On the 17th, corvette ARABIS joined and on the 18th, the convoy arrived at Liverpool with DD BOADICEA and corvette ARABIS.

SC.39 departed Sydney, CB , escort AMC MALOJA and corvettes BARRIE and CHICOUTIMI. These three escorts were detached on the 4th. On the 4th, DD CHESTERFIELD and corvettes BUCTOUCHE, HEPATICA, TRILLIUM, and WINDFLOWER joined the convoy. Corvettes HEPATICA and TRILLIUM were detached on the 8th and remainder of the escorts were detached on the 12th, when relieved by DDs KEPPEL, LINCOLN, and SHIKARI, corvettes ALISMA, DIANELLA, MATAPEDIA, and SUNFLOWER, MSWs HAZARD and HEBE, and ASW trawlers MAN O.WAR and NORTHERN DAWN. This escort group was detached on the 17th. DDs BOADICEA and SABRE joined on the 18th. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 19th.

Malta
AIR RAIDS DAWN 1 AUGUST TO DAWN 2 AUGUST 1941
Weather Sunny and hot.

No air raids.

OPERATIONS REPORTS FRIDAY 1 AUGUST 1941

AIR HQ Departures 1 Blenheim. 69 Squadron Five reconnaissance flights, including one by five Marylands, covering Sicily, Tripoli, Lampedusa, Marittimo and CapeCarbonara. One Swordfish Fleet Air Arm patrolled Ionian Sea. 105 Squadron 6 Blenheims sent to attack convoy failed to locate after a search. 82 Squadron 3 Blenheim successful attack on shipping in Lampedusa. One Blenheim was hit by anti-aircraft fire and force-landed in the sea ½ mile from shore. The air gunner of another is was injured.

 

[Njaco]

August 1 Friday

ASIA: Hiroaki Abe became the commanding officer of Japanese Navy Cruiser Division 8.

Denmark established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo while Bangkok recognizes sovereignty of Japanese puppet state Manchukuo.

The Japanese began an offensive in the south and strengthened their attacks on the Yunnan Province. The situation in Kunming became tense and in order to escape the bombing, the new aircraft factory was moved to a new location on the outskirts of Guiyang. Here three shops were organized, each of about 400 to 500 square meters. They all were dispersed among the mountain ravines. The director Zhu Jiaren and a small contingent of personnel and equipment remained in Kunming. Evidently the final assembly was completed there, while production of the components was dispersed in the mountains.

Chiang Kai-shek officially places Chennault in command of American Volunteer Group, and Chennault styles himself Colonel. Captain Claire L. Chennault, a 51-year-old Texan maverick, compulsorily retired from the US Army Air Corps in 1937 because of deafness. He came here shortly after to retrain Chinese pilots at the direct request of Madame Chiang Kai-Shek. American mercenary pilots hired to fly fighter and bomber missions for the Chinese Nationalists are to become official members of the Chinese armed forces on the orders of General Chiang Kai-shek. The 101 volunteers, nicknamed the Flying Tigers but officially designated the American Volunteer Group, are due here next month. All the pilots are retired officers of the US Army and Navy Air Forces or serving officers who have been granted leave on "inactive status" and guaranteed no loss of seniority after their one-year contracts expire. They are being paid $750 a month each, plus a $500 bonus for every Japanese plane they shoot down. The Tigers will fly P-40 fighters, rejected as obsolete by Britain, financed by the US under the recent $50 million lend-lease agreement between China and the USA. The AVG began training at Kyedaw airfield, near Toungoo. The 1st AVG was to have been joined by the 2nd AVG in the winter of 1941-42. This was to be a bomber group equipped with A-29s, but the group and its equipment had barely begun the journey across the Pacific when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Japanese air offensive launched against Chungking, Tzeliutzsing, and other targets. With the successful conclusion of the Chungyuan Operation in middle of June, the Fifth Air Operation (also known as Operation No. 102) was launched. During this operation the 1st Hikodan attacked Chungking, Tzeliutsing as well as important areas in north China using Ani airfield while the 3rd Hikodan on the Yangtze River attacked strategic areas in Central China from Kingmen, Hankou and Wuchang. Japan attacks Communist troops in the Shansi-Chahar-Hopeh border area, launching the "Three All" campaign.

As a consequence of the American restrictions on oil exports, Japan is left with only limited stocks of oil. The position is such that Japan must either change her foreign policy very radically or decide to go to war and try to secure access to oil from the East Indies.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa:

"The situation has become critical. The encirclement of the 6th and 12th Armies is complete. The direct threat of the breakup of the 6th and 12th Armies' combat formation into two isolated segments centered at Babanka and Teklievka regions is at hand. There are no reserves. Please clear the way by committing new forces in the Ternovka and Novo-Arkhangel'sk sectors. There is no ammunition. Fuel is running out." - Lieutenant General Ivan Muzychenko.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 16. Armee (Colonel General Ernst Busch) attacking toward Staraya Russa.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Armeegruppe Mitte continues its liquidation of the Smolensk pocket. Soviet troops put up fierce resistance near Orsha and Vitebsk west of Smolensk. German 2.Panzergruppe keeps attacking toward Roslavl. Guderian's attacks meet and defeat the Soviet 4 Airborne Corp, but those troops buy the Russians enough time to bring up reinforcements. A powerful counter-offensive is launched at Gomel south of Mogilev against German bridgeheads over the Dnieper River. The Soviets attack only the northern edge of the Pripet Marshes from west of Gomel with the aim of striking into the German rear areas. In most target areas the Germans can withstand the attacks. XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) broke out of its bridgehead on the Sozh River and hit the east flank of group Kachalov and 28th Army.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Perhaps sensing that the German forces would be focused on Uman, Kirponos ordered 5th Army to launch a surprise attack against the flank of German 6.Armee (General of the W. von Reichenau) - LV.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry E. Vierow) and XVII.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry Kienitz). The attack force was comprised of the 5th Army's 15th and 31st Rifle Corps, the remnants of the 9th and 22nd Mechanized Corps, and 1st Airborne Corps. The attack went in near Malin south of Pripet Marshes and continued for five days. Although the Soviets managed a five mile advance the German line remained unbroken. XXX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry von Salmuth) continued to advance eastwards. 11.Armee (Colonel General E. Ritter von Schobert) continued piling on the pressure however with LIV.Armeekorps (General of the Kavalry E. Hansen) also attempting to breakout of its bridgehead over the Dniester at Dubossary (to the south-west of Balta).

The Soviet Union makes the first operational use of parasite fighters, attacking Constanza, Rumania with modified Polikarpov I-16s carried into action by Tupolev TB-3s. Vladimir S. Vakhmistrov gained Soviet air force approval in 1931 to carry out some of the earliest experiments with parasite fighters to be carried by bomber aircraft following his proposal of the idea in mid-1930. The concept was not only to provide a defensive escort for bombers over distances normally beyond escort range, but also to enable offensive sorties by the parasite aircraft, and long-range supervision of air space. A squadron of six TB-3/AM34s and twelve SPBs was formed in the last months before Russia went to war with Germany. A Zveno group took off from an airfield on the Black Sea to attack the Negru Voda bridge across the Danube, in Constanza, Rumania. The SPBs separated near the target and attacked with their 250 lb. bombs, then escorted the parent aircraft home. This was the first and only offensive use of the parasite aircraft unit.

During the evening, Lt. Max-Hellmuth of 7./JG 54 downs a Russian DB-3 near Luqa, this being the 1,000th victory for JG 54.

Joseph Stalin, satisfied with the progress of the rocket-powered fighter development project, issued an ordered in late July (and dated for 1 Aug 1941) for a prototype aircraft to be completed in a little more than a month.

British minelayer HMS "Adventure" arrived at Arkhangelsk, Russia and delivered a supply of naval mines.

Luftwaffe minelaying operations near Muhu (Moon) Island in the Baltic Sea off coast of Estonia. Soviet motor torpedo boat TK A-122 sunk in engagement with Kriegsmarine 1st Minesweeping Flotilla.

Vasilevsky appointed Head of Operations Directorate, General Staff. General Pavel Batov appointed Deputy Commanding Officer 51st Army.

Ghettos are established in Bialystok and Lvov. Shmuel Verble, chairman of the Jewish Council in the Ukrainian village of Kamien Koszyrski, volunteers for death after discovering an execution list with the names of 80 ghetto residents.

GERMANY: Uffz. Hugo Dahmer, from 1./JG 77 based in Norway is awarded the Ritterkreuz.

German Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels fabricated a quote from US Secretary of War Henry Stimson suggesting that Stimson thought the British war situation was hopeless.

Walter Grabmann was named the commanding officer of the Zerstörerschule 2 training unit based in Memmingen, Germany.

Making even a short journey as a civilian in war-torn Germany is now fraught with every imaginable difficulty. Since the outbreak of war the entire transport system of the Reich has been geared towards the Wehrmacht and the armaments industry. Now shortages of spare parts and fuel have made cars a largely forgotten luxury, so that there are more commuters seeking fewer trains. In Breslau in June passenger demand is reported to have exceeded train capacity by 200 per cent.

Fritz Houtermans works out the basic ideas needed to make a atomic bomb in Germany, but the processes determined will depend solely on uranium and the use of heavy water.

MEDITERRANEAN: The second wave of Alikianos executions were carried out on Crete. The Alikianos executions (Greek: εκτελέσεις στον Αλικιανό) refer to the mass execution by firing squad of mostly male civilians from Alikianos and nearby villages in Crete, Greece by German paratroopers. The executions were ordered by Generaloberst Kurt Student, commander of the XI Air Corps, in reprisal for the active participation of Cretan civilians in the Battle of Crete.

Operation Style: RN Force H bombards Alghero. Nine Fleet Air Arm aircraft from RN carrier "Ark Royal" conduct attacks.

NORTH AFRICA: A Short Sunderland of No.230 Squadron becomes the first Royal Air Force (RAF) maritime reconnaissance aircraft to be shot down during an attack on an enemy submarine by the submarine under attack. While searching for a hostile submarine reported to be somewhere in the Gulf of Sollum, the crew of the Sunderland sight the Italian submarine "Delfino" on the surface and immediately proceed to attack. The Sunderland releases six depth charges, which do not permanently damage to the "Delfino", however, machine gun fire from the submarine damages the aircraft so severely that it subsequently crashes. Four survivors from the twelve-man crew of the Sunderland are rescued by the "Delfino".

Nine British Blenheim bombers escorted by Hurricane fighters attacked Axis vehicles at Sidi Omar, Libya.

In North Africa, fighting flares up around the perimeter of Tobruk.

NORTH AMERICA: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced an embargo on the export of oil and aviation fuel to anywhere outside the Western Hemisphere with the exception of the British Empire. This action was aimed at Japan.

Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber took flight for the first time. Grumman's TBF design was selected as the replacement for the TBD and in April 1940 two prototypes were ordered by the Navy. Designed by Leroy Grumman, the first prototype was called the XTBF-1. Although one of the first two prototypes crashed near Brentwood, New York, rapid production continued.

US transport "West Point" delivers American diplomatic personnel and families from Italy, Germany, and Axis-occupied nations to New York.

Microwave (AI-10) radar developed by the Radiation Laboratory and featuring a Plan Position Indicator (PPI) scope was given its initial airborne test in the Lockheed XJO-3 aircraft at the Boston, Massachusetts Airport. During the test flights, which continued through 16 October, scientists operated the radar and devised modifications. During the tests, surface vessels were detected at ranges up to 40 miles (64.4 km); radar-guided approaches against simulated enemy aircraft were achieved at ranges up to 3.5 miles (5.6 km).

"Parade" magazine devotes three full pages to a feature article describing the U.S. Army's new vehicle, the "Truck, 1/4-ton, 4x4." The magazine calls it "...the Army's most intriguing new gadget." The gadget is a "tiny truck which can do practically everything." The new "gadget" is more commonly known as the "Jeep."

General Chaffee, the first chief of the Armored Forces dies of cancer.

NORTHERN FRONT: Britain broke off diplomatic relations with Finland for invading Russia. Just over a year earlier, Britain had supported the Finns against the Russians.

PACIFIC OCEAN: The US Navy established the Naval Air Station at Midway under Commander Cyril T. Simard.

General Puttick appointed New Zealand Chief of General Staff.

RAAF No.20 Squadron formed at Port Moresby, New Guinea, utilizing Catalina and Empire flying boats.

UNITED KINGDOM: RAF Fighter Command sweep of the Channel.

RAF No. 133 Squadron Fighter Command is formed. It will be composed of American pilots.

.

 

[Njaco]

August 2 Saturday

ASIA: Croatia established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa ("Peregrine Falcon"), Allied reporting name "Oscar", entered service with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force with the 59th and 64th Groups. The second unit to re-equip with the Nakajima Ki-43 was the 64th Sentai. Pilots returned to the homeland in August, receiving their new aircraft at Fussa, near Tokyo. Major Tateo Kato, understood fully why the Ki-43 had been adopted, and at once stressed training in over-sea navigation and long distance flights. Consequently the 64th Sentai pilots were able to achieve ranges of 700 km, whilst those of the 59th Sentai, who had not trained in the same way, could manage only 600 km. However the 64th Sentai remained dissatisfied with the integrity of the wings, and subsequently flew to Tachikawa for to be properly strengthed, then flying back to Canton in November.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Italian Pasubio Infantry Division and Torino Infantry Division move to the front.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German 16. Armee (Colonel General Ernst Busch) begins to attack Staraya Russa just south of Lake Ilmen on the right of their drive toward Leningrad.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: German 2.Panzergruppe attacking toward Roslavl. Russian forces launch massive counter-attacks against German troops defending the "Yelna salient", east of Smolensk. Guderian, further to the south is stopped in his attacks and ordered to withdraw his panzer forces from the front in preparations for redeployment.

Heeresgruppe Sud: The XLVIII.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Panzer Troops Kempff)' 11.Panzer Division (Major General L. Crüwell) linked up with 17.Armee (General of the Infantry C-H von Stumpfnagel)'s 101.leichte Division (Major General Eric Marcks) (LII.Armeekorps (General of the Kavalrie von Briesen)) south-east of Uman. At around the same time the XIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry G. von Wietersheim)'s 16.Panzer Divisionen linked up with German and Hungarian troops at Pervomaisk. The 6th and 12th Armies, and a large part of 18th Army were sealed in a pocket between Uman and Pervomaisk.

The Soviet submarines M99 and S11 were sunk by German mines in the Baltic Sea.

Soviet NKVD operatives were ordered to arrest those who injure themselves on the front lines just as they would arrest deserters.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 80 aircraft to attack Hamburg, 53 aircraft to attack Berlin and 50 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: German dive bombers attacked Allied convoys off Libya, but they were driven away by British fighters; about 3 German aircraft were shot down at a loss of 3 British Hurricane fighters.

Operation Style: RN Force X arrives at Malta with troops and supplies.

MIDDLE EAST: Britain called on the governments of Iran and Afghanistan to expel all Germans immediately.

NORTH AFRICA: Two Australian companies attacked Italian positions near Tobruk, Libya with the support of over 60 field guns. The attacks were repulsed after suffering heavy casualties. This particular attack represented the last Australian attempt to regain positions lost in early May 1941. 7th Bersaglieri Regiment played a direct role in defeating the 2/43rd and 2/28th Battalions in the final Australian attempt to recover their lost strongpoints.

HMAS "Vendetta", (destroyer), sailed on her 39th run to besieged Tobruk. The destroyer made more runs to Tobruk than any other British or Australian ships.

NORTH AMERICA: The United States extended Lend-Lease to apply to the Soviet Union. Harry Hopkins, representing FDR in Moscow, announces that the US and the USSR have come to agreement on an aid package which will assist the Soviets in recouping some of their material losses to date.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and his cabinet have a long discussion in a cabinet meeting concerning "ways and means to sell directly or indirectly" 50 to 60 overage destroyers to the British. Everyone agrees "that the survival of the British Isles under German attack might very possibly depend on their (the British) getting these destroyers." Everyone also agrees that legislation to permit the sale of these ships is necessary.

The first Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin V-1650 aircraft engine is completed.

NORTHERN FRONT: The German authorities have imposed a state of emergency in Norway to try and clamp down on native resistance to the occupation. Strikes have virtually crippled some regions and acts of sabotage by partisans aimed at Wehrmacht (Heer) installations and railways have also had a devastating effect. The Germans regard British radio propaganda as responsible for the resistance and they have confiscated 90 per cent of the population's radios.

London extends naval blockade of Europe to include Finland.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Dutch patrol boat Bellatrix seizes Vichy French vessel Dupleix, which is transferred to Netherlands East Indies control.

USAAF Brigadier General Henry Clagett arrives Java to meet Dutch officers and survey airfields and facilities.

UNITED KINGDOM: London opens a mosque for soldiers serving in their armed forces.

RAF No.129 (Mysore) Squadron took over 'readiness' for the afternoon, for the first time, at Leconfield airfield, near Beverley, and at just 16.00 hours two Spitfire pilots of that squadron took off on a scramble. One hour later they had found and shot down a Junkers Ju 88 off Flamborough Head.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command conducted Rhubarb and Roadstead operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 24 aircraft on coastal sweep from Cherbourg to Texel.

.

 

[Njaco]

August 3 Sunday
ASIA: The Chinese 9th and 30th BS re-equipped with the Lockheed A-29 attack bomber.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: The German submarine U-401 is sunk southwest of Ireland, by depth charges from the RN's destroyer HMS "Wanderer" and corvette HMS "Hydrangea" and the Norwegian destroyer HMS "St. Albans" (I-15) (formerly USS THOMAS (DD-182)). All hands on the U-boat, 45 men, are lost.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa:

"At the beginning of the 7th week of battle the army group stands with partially worn out units, limited munitions supply and without meaningful reserves, in a difficult and costly struggle to achieve the victorious end of the encirclement at Smolensk. The enemy is in number and material greatly superior. On the outer defensive front the bridgehead at Yel'nya is a deeply endangered flashpoint." - Heeresgruppe Mitte diary.

Heeresgruppe Nord: Remnants of Soviet 325th Rifle Regiment evacuated from Litsa Bay by sea.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The battle at Roslavl in Russia ended with 38,000 encircled Soviet soldiers being taken prisoner. XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) had encircled Roslavl from the south and linked up with 4.Armee's IX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry H. Geyer) advancing south. The resulting Roslavl Pocket yielded around 38,000 POWs; this was most of Group Kachalov as well as 28th Army's offensive forces. The shattered 28th Army quickly withdrew behind the Desna River. In the meantime the German 4. Armee (General Feld Marshal Gunther Hans von Kluge) had eliminated the forces still in Mogilev (later designated a hero city by the Soviets for its tenacious defense, unlike Smolensk) and captured another 35 000 POWs.

Heeresgruppe Sud: General Nicolae Ciuperca's Romanian 4th Army crossed the Dniester River in Ukraine and begins advancing into territory not previously part of Rumania. Tanks from Panzergruppe 1 (Colonel General Ewald von Kleist) break through Russian defenses and surround a large body of Russian defenders in the Uman area. German 16.Panzer Divisionen and 1. Gebirgs-Division (Major General H. Lanz) linked up at Pervomaisk and closed the Uman pocket.

Luftwaffe bombers conduct night attack against Moscow.

Over Kiev, Oblt. Kurt Sochatzy of III./JG 3 shoots down an IL-2 for his thirty-eighth victory. But the Russian airplane hits Oblt. Sochatzy's Bf 109 and tears off a wing. He bales out for the third time in Russia and is taken prisoner by the Soviets.

German troops in Slobodka, Ukraine, fill the local synagogue with dead cats and force Jews to tear up the Torah scrolls and scatter the pieces atop the dead animals. The Nazi troops then set fire to the building. In Jelgavia, Latvia SS Einsatzkommandos under Lieutenant Hamann murder 1,550 Jews. Twelve hundred Jews are arrested by the local Einsatzgruppen at Chernovtsy, Romania; 682 are executed by German and Romanian police. Fifteen hundred Jews are murdered at Mitau, Latvia. Several hundred Jewish professionals are shot at Stanislawów, Ukraine.

GERMANY: The German Catholic Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen gave a sermon condemning the Nazi practice of euthanasia. Thousands of copies of the sermon were distributed throughout Germany, breaking the secrecy that surrounded the euthanasia programme known as Aktion T4. He said:

"It is a terrible doctrine which seeks to justify the murder of innocent people and which allows the violent killing of invalids, cripples, the incurably ill, the old and the weak who are no longer able to work ... once the principle that it is permissible to kill "unproductive" humans has been admitted and applied then we must all pity ourselves when we, too, grow old and weak."

Father Bernhard Lichtenberg, dean of St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin, also denounces the so-called euthanasia program. In late October he declares that he wants to share the Jews' fate of deportation to the East so that he can continue to pray for them there. He is subsequently denounced to the Gestapo and arrested.

RAF Bomber Command sends 39 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 34 aircraft to attack Hannover overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: Lieutenant Robert Everett RNVR of British No. 804 Squadron Fleet Air Arm became the first pilot launched from a CAM ship (HMS "Maplin") to shoot down a German FW 200 Condor aircraft which had sighted the Atlantic convoy SL81 en route from Sierre Leone, British West Africa.

NORTH AFRICA: 21 British Maryland bombers attacked Axis positions at Tobruk, Libya while fighters swept nearby airfields.

Luftwaffe bombers attack Suez and Port Said overnight. British vessel "Escaut" sunk by air attack off Suez.

NORTH AMERICA: US President Franklin D Roosevelt travels from Washington, DC to the Naval Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut by train. In the evening, he boards the presidential yacht USS "Potomac" (AG-25) and, accompanied by the tender USS "Calypso" (AG-35), sets sail to Point Judith, Rhode Island, where the ships anchor for the night.

NORTHERN FRONT: After three days' intense fighting the divisions of Maj. Gen. Laatikainen's II Corps break through Soviet defences in southern Karelia.

UNITED KINGDOM: Luftwaffe bombers conduct night attacks over England. There were a few minor incidents on the North and North-East Coasts, but only at Spittal near Berwick was any damage done. Four houses and a shop were destroyed and one hundred houses and a church damaged. In Northumberland, 5 houses demolished, twelve dwelling houses temporarily uninhabitable, one hundred dwelling houses damaged. Three Public Houses damaged (Red Lion severely damaged). Severe damage to Allan's Garage. Windows and doors of St Paul's Presbyterian Church blown in. Doors blown off mills of Johnson and Darling, East Street. The siren had not sounded, which was causing concern among a number of people. Six dead (two men, three women and one boy). Three seriously injured (one man, two women) (two severe shock and one compound fracture of the leg) to Berwick Infirmary. Eight others (four men, three women and one boy) attended Spittal First Aid Post.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb operations.

In Belgium, a collaborationist military organization, Legion Wallonie (Wallonian Legion), is established.

.

 

[Njaco]

August 4 Monday

ASIA: The Japanese government affirms its position not to get involved in the Soviet-German war.

"The Mongolian Border Allied Autonomous Government" was reorganized into "the Mongolian Autonomous Country."

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 2055 hours, the "Robert Max" was stopped by two shots across her bow by U-126 near the Azores and was sunk two hours later by 17 rounds from the deck gun and gunfire after the crew was allowed to leave their ship in a lifeboat. They were questioned by the Germans, who offered cigarettes, gave them the course to San Miguel and wished good luck before leaving the area. The survivors reached the Azores after three days and were repatriated from Oporto to Grand Bank by the British sailing vessels "James" and "Stanley".

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Polish General Anders released from Soviet prison.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: Adolf Hitler visited Fedor von Bock's Heeresgruppe Mitte headquarters in the Soviet Union. The anti-Nazi officer plotted to arrest Adolf Hitler upon arrival, but failed to do so as he had under-estimated Hitler's personal guards. Hitler met with von Bock, Heinz Guderian and Hermann Hoth. All three generals agreed that a drive on Moscow should be top priority and could commence as early as August 20, but Hitler favored other objectives such as the elimination of enemy pockets. Hitler ordered Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe to aid Wilhelm von Leeb in the north and Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe to assist Paul von Kleist in the south. Guderian tells Hitler that he believes the Soviet Army is scraping the bottom of its manpower barrel. Hitler was told that his armies had destroyed or captured 12,000 tanks since the start of the invasion (actually a fairly accurate number). He was stunned and said,

"Had I known they had as many tanks as that, I'd have thought twice before invading."

After meeting the front line generals, Hitler agrees to release one month production for the eastern front. This equated to 400 tank engines and only 35 newly produced tanks.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Kirovohrad fell to the Germans. On the south wing, the Southern Front's 9th Army and badly damaged 18th Army were ordered to fall back to the Bug as soon as it became obvious that the Uman pocket was irrecoverable. This was because they were now totally exposed to a continued German advance south and subsequent isolation. With great difficulty, Southern Front started to withdraw the bulk of 9th Army towards Nikolayev and 18th Army eastwards across the Bug towards Nikopol. These withdrawal orders were timely because XIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of the Infantry G. von Wietersheim) was already moving south along the east side of the Bug River.

GERMANY: Germany and Italy codify terms under which Italian expeditionary corps will operate on Russian Front.

MEDTERRANEAN: Axis Convoy departs Naples and Palermo for Tripoli with six vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Aviere", "Geniere", "Camicia Nera", "Gioberti", and "Oriani" and a torpedo boat.

HMA Ships "Bathurst" and "Lismore", (minesweepers), joined the Mediterranean Fleet. ADML A.B. Cunningham returned them to duty in the Red Sea, considering them unsuitable for service in the Mediterranean.

NORTH AFRICA: Luftwaffe attacks Ismailia with fifteen bombers overnight.

The Vichy government indicates that it will refuse military facilities to the Axis in North Africa.

South Africans bomb Gondar - last Italian stronghold in East Africa.

NORTH AMERICA: "Tatsuta Maru" departed San Francisco, California, United States with US$2,500,000 worth of raw silk and 85,589 gallons of oil, both which was only allowed after Captain Toichi Takahata fought hard for due to the recently passed executive order to freeze Japanese assets in the United States.

Mark Clark promoted to Brigadier General and appointed Assistant Chief of Staff (G-3) at US Army General Headquarters.

The US presidential yacht USS "Potomac" (AG-25), bearing President Franklin D Roosevelt, and the tender USS "Calypso" (AG-35) sail from Point Judith, Rhode Island to South Dartmouth, Massachusetts where Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her party board. After a day of fishing, the guests are put ashore and the two ships sail to Menemsha Bight, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts where they join the heavy cruisers USS "Augusta" (CA-31) and USS "Tuscaloosa" (CA-37) and 5 destroyers.

Amphibious maneuvers involving the US 1st Marine Division and the Army's 1st Division begin at New River, North Carolina. Also involved is the aircraft escort vessel USS "Long Island" (AVG-1); the aircraft from the ship provide close air support for the "invaders."

The first Ryan NR-1 trainer is delivered to NAS Jacksonville, Florida for primary flight training of the USN.

NORTHERN FRONT: Three aircraft from RN carrier "Victorious" attack Tromsø at the cost of one plane.

The Finns had reached Petrozavodsk on the west shore of Lake Onega, but by now the Soviet resistance had stiffened and they continued fighting to the west of the Finns' advance line, including as far east as Sortavala. The Soviet 7th Army continued to put up dogged resistance so that by early August the Finns were only about halfway to their objective, which was the Svir River line. The commander of the Soviet 23rd Army, Lt. Gen. M. Gerasimov, ordered that 198th Rifle Division cease its counterattack near Sortavala and move south to attack advancing 2.Division together with 142.Division. Meanwhile, 115.Division and 43.Division should tie up the Finnish reserves. Unfortunately this wasn't sufficient and 115.Division retreated to river Helisevänjoki, where hills and a river formed good defensive positions against attacking 18.Division.

UNITED KINGDOM: Churchill and party, including Harry Hopkins, depart Scapa Flow for Argentia aboard RN battleship "Prince of Wales".

Six cargo ships, each of them carrying coal from the Tyne to London, and an escorting trawler in a south-bound convoy ran aground on the Haisborough Sands, off Cromer, the naval trawler 'Agate' and 'SS Betty Hindley', sailing from the Tyne to London were lost.

.

 

[Njaco]

August 5 Tuesday

ASIA: Thailand established diplomatic relationship with the Japanese-sponsored puppet state of Manchukuo.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Ordeal of Convoy SL-81: At 0150, 0154 and 0159 hours, U-372 fired four torpedoes at Convoy SL-81 west of Ireland. The first torpedo struck the "Belgravian", which burned out and sank the next day. Neumann reported that the second torpedo missed the target but exploded on a ship beyond and that the fourth hit an ammunition freighter, which exploded and sank in 50 seconds. The ship missed was the British steam merchant "Volturno", but it is not reported that the torpedo did hit another ship. The ship sunk was the "Swiftpool". Three crewmembers from the "Belgravian" were lost. The master, 40 crewmembers and six gunners were picked up by corvette HMS "Bluebell" and landed at Gourock. At 0540 hours, U-74 fired a spread of two torpedoes at Convoy SL-81 west of Ireland and three single torpedoes at 0541 and 0542. The U-boat observed a hit amidships with the second torpedo and heard three detonations after the boat had to dive. Kentrat reported one ship sunk and three others damaged, however, only the "Kumasian" was hit and sunk. At 0520, U-75 attacked Convoy SL-81 west of Ireland and observed a column of fire and water after a first hit and a column of water after a second hit. Ringelmann then had to dive and was not able to make further observations. The two ships hit were the "Harlingen" and the "Cape Rodney". "Cape Rodney" was taken in tow by tug HMS "Zwarte Zee" two days later. On 9 Aug the ship foundered west of Ushant. The master, 31 crewmembers and four gunners were picked up by corvette HMS "Hydrangea" and landed at Gourock. Three crewmembers were picked up by corvette HMS "Zinnia" and landed at Londonderry. Three crewmembers from the "Harlingen" were lost. The master, 34 crewmembers and four gunners were picked up by "Hydrangea" and landed at Gourock.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: At the beginning of Operation BARBAROSSA the average German infantry division consisted of 17,000 men. By the end of August casualties had reached 4,000 men in 14 divisions, 3,000 in 40 divisions, 2,000 in over 30 divisions and under 2,000 in 58 more. By the end of August, German casualties had reached 400,000 with 14,457 of them being officers. Army Group Centre needed 24 trains a day to maintain its supplies just for normal operation. In reality they only received about 18 per day. Some of Timoshenko's Western Front divisions number only 1,000 to 2,000 troops.

Heeresgruppe Nord: 18.Armee (Colonel General Georg von Kuchler) was besieging Tallinn (with 3 divisions) and was approaching Narva between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Peipus. By 5th August Heeresgruppe Nord had established a continuous line just north of Kingisepp, just east of Staraya Russa and Kholm, and linked up with Heeresgruppe Mitte's 9.Armee which had (temporarily) captured Velikiye Luki. Despite desperate fighting however, large pockets of Red Army soldiers were not captured by Heeresgruppe Nord as they were in the more critical sectors further south.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The First Battle of Smolensk ended in German victory. The Germans have wiped out the "Smolensk Pocket", destroying the Russian sixteenth and Twentieth Armies and capturing 300,000 Russian soldiers, 3,200 tanks and 3,100 guns. It is a shattering defeat for the Red Army but the Soviets admit far lower losses. The pocket was created by General Hoth's Panzer Group 3 and General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 sweeping on from their victory at Minsk and then splitting north and south to encircle Smolensk. Smolensk itself, the "gateway to Moscow", fell on 16 July and the Russian forces east of the city were surrounded. At first they were contained only by the tanks, which had to wait for the infantry to arrive before attacking the pocket. Last night the German High Command claimed: "the mass of Soviet forces surrounded east of Smolensk is now annihilated. The remainder faces disbandment." Marshal Timoshenko, commanding several newly-raised armies, tried to rescue the trapped armies, but his attacks were poorly prepared and, although some units broke through, the rescue attempt failed. By any assessment, the second Western Front that had been formed from the Stavka's strategic reserves on 22nd June 1941 had been virtually eliminated by 5th August.

Fighting continues around Roslavl where the Soviet 28th Army has also been hastily assembled to try to break the ring. Guderian's launched his tanks (German 2.Panzergruppe ) against Roslavl on 1 August, captured it three days ago and badly mauled the Soviet 28th Army in the process. So total is this victory that many of the German soldiers think that there is little left between them and Moscow; they are putting up signposts pointing the way to the Russian capital. However, Hitler has already decided to switch Hoth to the north to reinforce the attack on Leningrad and Guderian to Kiev to the south, leaving Moscow to the infantry. In the meantime, reserve Soviet units are being hurried into a new defensive line 20 miles to the east of Smolensk. It is a thin line, but it could hold the German infantry deprived of tanks.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Rumanian forces and elements of the German 11.Armee (Colonel General E. Ritter von Schobert) close on the Black Sea port of Odessa and begin a 73 day siege of the city. The Red Army and Navy personnel defending Odessa had already been ordered to fight to the last man. The Soviet 5th Army launches attacks from the Korsun area to relieve the beleaguered forces of the 6th and 12th Armies trapped south of Uman. The attacks meet heavy resistance. The XXIX.Armeekorps (General of the Infantry H. von Obstfelder) surprisingly managed to push 37th Army as far back as the outer suburbs of Kiev.

Father Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish-Catholic priest and an inmate at the Auschwitz, Poland, concentration camp, sacrificed his life by volunteering to take the place of a fellow prisoner condemned to death. The Nazis agreed to the switch and brutally murdered the priest. Incarcerated for disseminating his religious and social views, Kolbe continued to practice his faith at Auschwitz. In July 1941, when a prisoner from his block escaped from the camp, the SS ordered the execution of ten inmates as retribution. One of the selected victims, Francis Gajowniczek, pleaded for his life, sobbing over his wife and children. The priest stepped from the numbed, terrified ranks and offered himself, saying he had no family. Locked naked in a dark, foul-smelling, underground cell, without food or water, he clung to life for two weeks. Impatient, the SS gave him a lethal injection of carbolic acid. In 1982 the Catholic Church canonized Kolbe as a saint.

"With the destruction of the Russian divisions cut off at Smolensk, the three-week 'Battle at the Dnepr and Dvina and of Smolensk' has concluded in another brilliant victory for German arms and German fulfillment of duty. Taken as booty were: 309,110 prisoners, 3,205 captured or destroyed tanks, 3,000 [artillery] guns, 341 aircraft. The numbers are not yet complete. This deed of yours, too, has become part of history! It is with gratitude and pride that I look upon a force that is capable of such an accomplishment. Long Live the Führer!" - Field Marshal Bock's order to Heeresgruppe Mitte on the completion of the battle for Smolensk.

GERMANY: RAF Bomber Command sends 65 aircraft to attack Mannheim, 97 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe and 68 aircraft to attack Frankfurt overnight.

MEDTERRANEAN: Axis Convoy departs Naples for Tripoli with five vessels escorted by Italian destroyers "Freccia", "Strale", "Turbine", and "Malocello" and a torpedo boat.

NORTH AFRICA: Admiral Darlan is promoted to be in charge of government policy in North Africa. Wegand is to be his subordinate.

General Dentz arrested and held in custody until all Allied POWs captured in the Levant released by Vichy French forces.

NORTH AMERICA: At 0530 hours in Menemsha Bight, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts, the presidential yacht USS "Potomac" (AG-35), with President Franklin D Roosevelt aboard, comes alongside the heavy cruiser USS "Augusta" (CA-31) and moored; the President and his party board the cruiser and the ship embarks at 0617 hours. For security purposes, the President's flag however, remained in "Potomac" while she, accompanied by the tender USS "Calypso" (AG-35), transited the Cape Cod Canal to New England waters. A Secret Serviceman, approximating the President in size and affecting the Chief Executive's mannerisms when visible from a distance, played a starring role in the drama. Press releases issued daily from USS "Potomac" led all who read them to believe that "FDR" was really embarked in his yacht on a pleasure cruise. Meanwhile, USS "Augusta", accompanied by the heavy cruiser USS "Tuscaloosa" (CA-37) and 5 destroyers, stood out of Vineyard Sound at 0640 hours, at 20 knots passing the Nantucket Shoals lightship at 1125 hours. Increasing speed slightly during the night, the ships steamed on, darkened, to Ship Harbor, Placentia Bay, Argentia, Newfoundland to rendezvous with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The first Vultee SNV-1 flies and was delivered to Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas.

PACIFIC OCEAN: Troop convoy WS 9AX arrives at Singapore from UK with reinforcements.

Lieut-General Sir Iven Mackay appointed General Officer in Charge — Australian Home Forces.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command Rhubarb operations and escort operations to Cherbourg. RAF Bomber Command sends 20 aircraft on coastal sweep from the Scheldt to the Frisian Islands.

.

 

[Njaco]

August 6 Wednesday

ASIA: In Tokyo, Konoye's government presents proposals involving some concessions in China and Indochina to the US, asking in return for the end of the freeze on Japanese assets. The proposals are not acceptable to the US and when the rejection is made known to the Japanese they propose that Konoye and Roosevelt meet to discuss the issues at stake. The question of this meeting is not resolved until after Roosevelt and Churchill meet at Placentia Bay.

The Kwantung Army is ordered to avoid any border incidents with the Red Army.

ARTIC OCEAN: At 1900 hours, Soviet dispatch vessel PS-70 was hit by one torpedo from U-652 and sank seven miles off Cape Teriberka. This was the first U-boat success in the Arctic.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: USN Task Force 16 consisting of the battleship USS "Mississippi" (BB-41), heavy cruisers USS "Quincy" (CA-39) and USS "Wichita" (CA-35) and 5 destroyers delivers US Army troops to Reykjavik, Iceland. Accompanying TF 16 are the aircraft carrier USS "Wasp" (CV-7), the heavy cruiser USS "Vincennes" (CA-44) and 2 destroyers. The Army troops are in the Army transport "American Legion" while stores ship USS "Mizar" (AF-12) and cargo ship USS "Almaack" (AK-27) bring supplies and equipment. During the morning, USS "Wasp", the heavy cruiser USS "Vincennes" and their 2 destroyers part company from TF 16 and soon thereafter, the carrier turned into the wind and commenced launching the 30 P-40s and 3 PT-17 Kaydets of the USAAF's 33d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) which land at Reykjavik Airport. As the P-40's and the trainers droned on to Iceland, "Wasp" heads home for Norfolk, her three escorts in company. Also at Reykjavik, Iceland, are detachments of USN Patrol Squadrons 73 (VP-73), with PBY-5A Catalinas, and VP-74, with PBM-1 Mariners; both squadrons, which are serviced by the seaplane tender, destroyer USS "Goldsborough" (AVD-5), begin routine air patrols over the North Atlantic on this date.

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: The first German strategic reports on progress in Russia claimed that Germany had taken nearly 900,000 prisoners and destroyed or captured 13,100 tanks, 9,100 aircraft and more than 10,000 heavy guns. Special communiqué issued by German High Command claims that Wehrmacht has inflicted 'annihilating blows unique in history'. Total casualties on the Eastern Front since the start of BARBAROSSA now number 266,352 with Army Group Centre having 88,400 of those casualties.

Heeresgruppe Nord: German infantry forces from 16.Armee captures the town of Staryya Russa on the south shore of Lake Illmen. Soviet destroyers bombard German coastal positions.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: After running out of ammunition, Soviet National Air Defense Forces pilot Viktor Talalikhin rams a German Heinkel He 111 bomber over Moscow with his Polikarpov I-16 fighter, destroying both aircraft. Talalikhin parachutes to safety.

Heeresgruppe Sud: Kostenko's 6th Army tries to fight out of encirclement near Uman to the east while Ponedelin's 12th Army attempted a breakout to the south. Reichenau's forward elements reach the outskirts of Kiev but are stopped by Vlasov's 37th Army.

General Wladyslaw Anders is appointed C-in-C of the new Polish army to be formed in Russia.

The first awards of the Hero of the Soviet Union order occurred on August 6, 1941 (detachment commanders Pavlovskiy and Bumazhkov).

GERMANY: Leutnant Hans Thurner of the German Kampfgeschwader 55 wing was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

RAF Bomber Command sends 53 aircraft to attack Frankfurt, 38 aircraft to attack Mannheim and 38 aircraft to attack Karlsruhe overnight.

MEDITERRANEAN: The Vickers Wellington bombers of No.38 Squadron arrive on Malta. The squadron returns to Egypt on 25 October.

The Ustaše regime in the Independent State of Croatia perpetrated the Prebilovci massacre, throwing some 600 women and children alive into a deep pit near Šurmanci.

Three Italian submarines depart for Bardia on transport mission with fuel and supplies.

Italian vessel "Nita" sunk by RN Fleet Air Arm torpedo bombers off coast of Tunisia. Italian vessel "Bombardiere" sunk by Free Dutch submarine O-24.

HMAS "Nestor", (destroyer), attacked a surfaced German submarine off Gibraltar. The submarine fired a torpedo which passed down the destroyer's length.

NORTH AFRICA: Luftwaffe bombers attack Alexandria and Suez overnight.

NORTH AMERICA: The clearing of the land to build a US Marine Corps airfield (future Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point) began in North Carolina, United States.

PACIFIC OCEAN: An executive order transfers the U.S. Coast Guard's Honolulu District from the Treasury Department to the U.S. Navy in the first step toward shifting the USCG to USN control.

UNITED KINGDOM: The first Bell Airacobra fighter arrived in the United Kingdom. By the end of Sep 1941, eleven machines had been received by No. 601 Squadron RAF, but during trials by the Air Fighting Development Unit at Duxford it was found that the much publicized performance figures claimed by the manufacturer were much overrated (having been obtained by a highly polished machine weighing a ton less than the production aircraft delivered to the RAF). The maximum speed for example being some 33 mph slower than anticipated and, although pleasant enough to fly, was definitely inferior to the Hurricane and Spitfire in climb rate and ceiling.

In the British House of Commons, British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden warned Japan that any action threatening the independence and integrity of Thailand would be "of immediate concern" to the British government. U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull mirrored those statements that same day when he said at a press conference that any move by Japan into Thailand would be a matter of concern to the United States. Japan denied having any aggressive intentions against Thailand.

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Hull.

WESTERN FRONT: In Belgium, a collaborationist military unit, Legion Vlaandern (Flanders Legion), is established.

RAF Bomber Command sends 38 aircraft to attack Calais overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 25 aircraft on coastal sweep during the day. RAF Fighter Command escort operations.

.

 

[Njaco]

August 7 Thursday
ASIA: The Japanese Government exempted taxation on imported goods from "Manzhouguo."

EASTERN FRONT: Unternehmen Barbarossa: Thunderstorms drop heavy rains on the entire eastern front. Continuing into the 8th of August it turns the roads into deep mud.

Heeresgruppe Nord: Tallinn, the capitol of Estonia, was surrounded when German forces reached the sea near Kunda. Soviet 48th Army committed in Novgorod sector.

Heeresgruppe Mitte: In conjunction with the German 2. Panzergruppe attacking towards Gomel, the XXIV.Armeekorps (mot.) (General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg) started advancing south-west towards Starodub. Heeresgruppe Mitte's objective was the destruction of the 21st Army (in the Central Front which was formed on 24th July), and in so doing effect a junction with Heeresgruppe Sud to destroy the Southwestern Front. The Stavka were still generally unheeding of this danger as they believed the main German offensive would be directed towards Moscow. Accordingly they continued to deploy the large majority of newly mobilized and newly arriving forces along the Moscow-Smolensk axis, whilst supplying Central Front with only limited resources and ordering Southwestern Front to dig in around Kiev and along the lower Dnepr River.

Heeresgruppe Sud: After a final attempt to breakout, the 6th and 12th Armies fell to the Germans. The Germans record capturing 107,000 officers and men including Generals Ponedelin and Muzychenko, 4 corps commanders, and 11 division commanders. Another 2 corps commanders and 6 division commanders were killed in the fighting.

Stalin promoted himself to Generalissimo of the Soviet Army.

Hitler, Rundstedt and Rumanian Head of State Antonescu meet at Heeresgruppe Sud's headquarters in Berdichev. Hitler awards Knight's Cross to Antonescu and discusses further Rumanian participation in the war.

"The situation is nevertheless extremely tense. If I want to create a reserve and try to pull out a division to do so, it is declared 'impossible,' if a division deployed in the rear army area arrives at the front it is snatched from my hands! I therefore wrote to the commanders of the armies and armored groups, made them aware of the results of such a blinkered policy, and asked them to be reasonable on this point. - I don't exactly know how a new operation is to take place out of this situation and with the slowly sinking fighting strength of our constantly attacking forces - but things are undoubtedly even worse for the Russian!" - Field Marshall Bock.

In Romania 551 Jews were shot in the Kishinev ghetto.

GERMANY: British bombers continue their nightly bombing raids over the continent. After dark, 84 British aircraft were launched to attack Essen, Germany (108 tons of high explosive bombs and 5,720 incendiary bombs were dropped, damaging the Krupp coke oven batteries), 31 launched against Hamm (damaging rail marshalling yard), 32 launched against Dortmund, 88 launched against Kiel (104 tons of high explosive bombs and 4,836 incendiary bombs were dropped, damaging Deutsche Werke Shipyards), and a number of bombers were launched against Hamburg (poor visibility and results were not observed).

13 Ilyushin DB-3 bombers of the Soviet Navy's Baltic Fleet Air Force conduct a raid on Berlin without loss. It is the first of ten Soviet Naval Aviation raids on Berlin.

Werner Mölders was named the Inspector General of Fighters of the Luftwaffe.

MEDITERRANEAN: Off Gibraltar, the British destroyer HMS "Severn" sinks the Italian submarine "Michele Bianchi".

Benito Mussolini's son was killed in a plane crash. Captain Bruno Mussolini, commander of the 274a Squadriglia, dies while in a training flight on a P108 Bomber in Pisa. Mussolini never fully recovers from the loss of his son.

MIDDLE EAST: First Vichy French convoy departs Haifa with 4777 troops being repatriated to France from the Levant.

NORTH AFRICA: Luftwaffe bombers attack shipping in Alexandria harbor overnight.

NORTH AMERICA: The Senate passes an extension of the draft period from one year to thirty months (and a similar increase for service in the National Guard) after considerable debate.

The USN heavy cruiser USS "Augusta" (CA-31) arrives in Placentia Bay, Argentia, Newfoundland, with US President Franklin D Roosevelt. The President spends the day fishing from the forecastle and inspecting the US Naval base while awaiting the arrival of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

NORTHERN FRONT: Soviet 168th and parts of 115th divisions are encircled in a large motti around Sortavala (Serdobol) on the north-western shore of Lake Ladoga by the Finnish II Corps. At this point Mannerheim decides to form a new I Corps (2nd, 7th and 9th divisions) commanded by Colonel Einar Mäkinen whose assignment is to destroy the enemy troops in the motti. The only way out for the Russians is Lake Ladoga, and they soon start evacuating their troops out by the lake.

SOUTH PACIFIC: The Australian government warned that it would not stand by and watch Japanese expansion in the Pacific.

UNITED KINGDOM: Major. Johannes Seifert of I./JG 26 destroys a Spitfire near Gravelines, England.

The 4th Escort Group, based at Greenock in Scotland, leaves port to join part of the convoy ONS.4 at sea, proceeding to Iceland.

Twice during the week casualties have been caused by members of the public trespassing on minefields. In the first instance three people were killed in Northumberland on Thursday, and there were two fatal casualties at Torquay on Saturday.

WESTERN FRONT: RAF Fighter Command Circus operations. RAF carries out repeated sweeps over north France: 10 fighters lost, 7 Bf 109s shot down.

.