World War II in real time

Day 655 of World War II, June 18th 1941

Syria–Lebanon campaign

At 20:30, the 5th Indian Brigade start heading twelve miles north toward Damascus. This begins the Battle of Damascus.

Map: Sketch map of the area of the Battle of Damascus, June 1941



After hand-to-hand fighting, the Indian troops take Mezzeh, on the Damascus-Beirut road about three miles west of Damascus. This accomplishes the major goal of cutting communications between the two cities. The Indian troops are now to head east and take Damascus. That is the plan, at least.

However, the Vichy French destroy their convoy of anti-tank guns and other supplies. The Vichy French troops then put pressure on the Indian troops at Mezzeh with Renault R35 tanks even though the town was supposed to be merely a stepping-stone to a further advance on Damascus. The day ends with the Indian troops desperately trying to defend Mezzeh rather than advancing further north.

Vichy French destroyers Guepard and Valmy sortie out of Beirut Harbor and bombard the advanced Australian positions at Sidon. They don't tarry long, however, because the Royal Navy is nearby.

Overhead, six Gloster Gladiators bounce a formation of Vichy French Dwoitine D.520 fighters. The Gladiator biplanes shoot down two of the French planes over Kissoue.

The fierce Vichy French resistance has caused more British and Australian effort than anticipated. This has caused some command difficulties as British General Henry Maitland Wilson has retained sole command at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. For a simple campaign, such a command arrangement would have sufficed, but the French are showing signs of digging in. Thus, Australian Lieutenant General Thomas Blamey, Deputy Commander in Chief, Middle East Command, gives tactical authority to Lieutenant General John Lavarack General I Corps.

Behind the scenes, the Vichy French already see how things are going and quietly open negotiations with the British through the American Consul-General in Beirut. The Vichy government asks what terms the British and Free French would accept.

Air war over Europe

During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends a Circus mission (6 bombers with heavy fighter escort) over Bois de Licques. A major action takes place in which the RAF claims 10 fighters for the loss of four.

Photo: London Docks, June 18th 1941



After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Bremen with 100 bombers. The RAF also sends 57 bombers to attack the German cruisers at Brest without success.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-138 on its fifth patrol and operating west of Cadiz, is sunk in a depth-charge attack by Royal Navy destroyers HMS Faulknor, Fearless, Foresight, Forester, and Foxhound. The submarine broaches the surface before it goes down long enough for the crew to scuttle it and for the entire 27-man crew to escape and survive the day to become POWs aboard the Faulknor. U-138 has sunk six ships totaling 48,564 tons and damaged one ship of 6,993 tons.

The lookouts on U-552 on its third patrol out of St. Nazaire and operating about 150 nautical miles (280 km) northwest of Malin Head, spot a convoy. At 03:28 it torpedoes 10,948-ton British transport Norfolk. The freighter takes over an hour to sink and requires two more torpedoes, at 04:19 and 04:38. There is one death, the 70 survivors are picked up by HMS Skate. After the attack on Norfolk, U-552 attempts to shadow the convoy and bring in a wolf pack but the convoy escorts drive it off.

Polish destroyer Kujiwiak, just commissioned, is attacked by the Luftwaffe. There is one fatality from an exploding ammunition locker, but otherwise, the damage from the machine-gun fire of the German planes is minor.

British 6-ton fishing trawler Doris II hits a mine and sinks just off Sheerness. Both men on board perish.

Convoy SL-78 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy minesweeping trawler HMS Romeo is commissioned.

US Navy escort carrier USS Copahee and submarine Peto are laid down.

U-753 is commissioned.

Photo: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gleaves (DD-423) underway on June 18th 1941. This photo shows a good example of the U.S. Navy Camouflage Measure 2 graded system. Note the unusual placement of the hull number below the bridge. The Benson-/Gleaves-class destroyers were notoriously topheavy. Therefore, the shields of gun mounts 3 and 4 were open and covered by canvas to reduce weight. Gleaves is also already missing the searchlight platform aft. Later, the No. 3 gun was removed and the No. 4 received a standard turret



Battle of the Mediterranean

The British re-establish their positions after the failed Operation Battleaxe. British 7th Armored Division and Indian 4th Infantry Division have withdrawn to their original positions and, in some cases, behind them.

The RAF bombs Benghazi. During air battles, the Bf 109s of I,/JG 27 shoot down three Brewster Buffaloes. Ace Hans-Joachim Marseille requests and receives medical leave in Berlin.

The Royal Navy makes a supply run to Mersa Matruh, sending troopship Glenroy and net-layer Protector. They carry troops, gasoline and other supplies for the retreating British troops.

German/Turkish Relations

While Hitler ideally would like Turkey to join the war on its historic enemy Russia, he realizes that is not going to happen. However, he gets the next-best thing today when Turkey signs a ten-year non-aggression pact (Türkisch-Deutscher Freundschaftsvertrag) with Germany. German ambassador to Turkey Franz von Papen signs on behalf of the Reich, while Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Şükrü Saracoğlu signs for Turkey. Germany, of course, has a similar pact with the Soviet Union.

Photo: The two sides signing the pact



German/Soviet Relations

Soviet Ambassador to Germany Vladimir Dekanozov suddenly requests an audience with the Foreign Ministry. Hitler flies into a panic and fears that the Soviets have uncovered his invasion plans. The last thing he wants is some desperate offer made to try to stop Operation Barbarossa when it is in the final stages of preparation. He spends a long time discussing the matter with Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop and his adjutants Engel and Hewel. They decide that Hitler and Ribbentrop need to "disappear" for a few days to avoid any awkward questions. They even consider fleeing to Berchtesgaden.

However, Dekanozov shows up unannounced at the Foreign Ministry at 18:00 on the 19th, makes some small-talk, transacts some mundane business, cracks a few jokes, and leaves. Everyone then breathes a huge sigh of relief and Hitler stays in Berlin. It is probably the most uncomfortable Hitler has been during the entire war.

German/Romanian Relations

Hitler meets with Ion Antonescu and lets him in on the details of the "great secret" Operation Barbarossa, including the opening date.

Japanese/Netherlands Relations

The Japanese terminate their attempts to secure all of the oil and other output from the Netherlands East Indies. They state:

The reply of the Netherlands of June 6 is not only very unsatisfactory but asserts in connection with the question of the acquisition of essential materials and goods, to which Japan attaches importance, that their quantities may be decreased at any time to suit their own convenience.

German Military

The Luftwaffe continues its reconnaissance flights over the Soviet Union. One at the Soviet Koshka Yavr airbase 25 km southeast of Zapolyarny in the Murmansk Oblast comes under anti-aircraft fire. German troops are assembling across the border in Finland to invade the Soviet Union and try to seize the port of Murmansk.

The Kriegsmarine lays mines in the Baltic.

General Halder confers with the Romanian Minister of War and tours the "front."

US Military: President Roosevelt meets with Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox and William "Wild Bill" Donovan. They talk about setting up a new intelligence organization based upon the British MI6, which Donovan studied during his recent European visit. This will become the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, which will morph into the Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA.

The US Navy concludes Pacific Fleet Exercise No. 1 off the coast of California.

Soviet Government

Premier Joseph Stalin, completely unruffled by the mounting piles of warnings on his desk about a coming German invasion, leaves Moscow on a vacation down south.

British Government

King George and Queen Elizabeth tour munitions factories and shipyards in Tyneside.

Photo: Royal Visit by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Tyneside, June 18th 1941

Day 657 of World War II, June 20th 1941

YouTube (French Killing French in Syria)



Syria–Lebanon campaign

The 5th Indian Brigade at Mezzeh is in dire straits. The Vichy French based in Damascus three miles to the east have surrounded them and they are running out of supplies. They have managed to send three men through the French lines to get word to headquarters that they cannot hold out much longer. Operation Exporter may not be in trouble, but these trapped men are.

Brigadier Wilfrid Lewis Lloyd, now back in command of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade after temporarily being in command of Genforce (now under the command of Major-General John Evetts), makes his best effort to relieve his encircled troops. He sends two companies from the 3/1st Punjab Regiment, two companies of French Marines and a battery of artillery to open a corridor to Mezzeh. The Vichy French, however, fight hard and slow the relief column, and the relief troops (the 2/3rd Battalion and 2/5th Field Regiment) get no help from the flanks.

The Indian troops, with no food or water and having run out of ammunition, surrender at 13:30, a hugely embarrassing blow for the British command. This goes a long way to restoring Gallic pride on the Vichy side and, somewhat perversely, leaves them more open to the idea of eventual surrender.

However, the hard fighting around Damascus continues. The Australian relief column continues fighting forward and retakes Mezzeh at 19:00. However, now it is an empty city and of little tactical significance beyond being one of many road junctions. The battle around Damascus now degenerates into a classic melee in which both sides jostle for control of the roads and hills (which hold forts) overlooking those roads, with neither side in control as the day ends.

The Vichy Government decides to ramp up peace feelers to Great Britain. It gives up trying to use the American Consul-General to broker a deal, and instead, Premier Petain covertly sends a representative directly to London. This is fairly easily done via Lisbon.

Luftwaffe General Hellmuth Felmy, the commander of Special Staff F (Sonderstab F), the Luftwaffe's mission to Iraq, is reassigned. The entire idea of the Axis intervening in Iraq has now drifted completely out of the realm of possibility, so Felmy becomes commander of Army Group Southern Greece (Befehlshaber Südgriechenland). In any event, in these commands, he never has to leave Athens and never has any real responsibility - the reassignment is simply an admission of the ridiculousness of continuing with the fiction of an Axis presence in Iraq.

Air war over Europe

During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 11 aircraft on anti-shipping missions. After dark, RAF Bomber Command bombs Kiel with 115 bombers during the night.

Photo: "Fortress Mark I of No. 90 Squadron RAF based at West Raynham, Norfolk, preparing for takeoff at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, during an inspection of newly-arrived American aircraft by the Chief of the Air Staff and the US Air Attache."



Battle of the Atlantic

U-203 on its first patrol out of Kiel and cruising off Iceland, spots US Navy battleship USS Texas (BB-35) just within the "Blockade Zone" established around Great Britain. Technically, at least according to the Germans, this justifies sinking the ship. However, Mützelburg is unable to maneuver into firing position, and the faster battleship gets away.

U-123 on its fifth patrol out of Lorient and operating near the Azores, uses gunfire and torpedoes and sinks 4333-ton Portuguese freighter Ganda. There are five deaths and 61 survivors. As the ship sinks, Moehle notices that the ship flies a neutral flag. Upon his return to Lorient, Moehle reports the matter, and U-boat headquarters (BdU) tells him to alter the log to make the sinking appear legal.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 2249-ton Norwegian freighter Schieland, which is sailing with Convoy FS.520, southeast of Grimsby. There is one death (who dies later) and eight survivors.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy 258-ton minesweeping trawler HMT Resmilo at Peterhead. Everyone survives (no casualties).

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 5578-ton British tanker Inverarder off the Isle of Wight. The master beaches the tanker at Motherbank Buoy, Solent. It later is refloated and repaired at Southampton.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 2841-ton freighter Cormount off Outer Dowsing Light Vessel. There is one death.

British 2844-ton freighter Ilse hits a mine and is damaged near Hartlepool. There is one death. The forepart is flown off, but the rear portion of the ship is towed to Middleborough and repaired.

Royal Navy minelayer Teviotbank lays minefield BS.64 in the North Sea.

Convoy OB-337 departs from Liverpool, Convoy HX-134 departs from Halifax, Convoy SC-35 departs from Sidney bound for the Clyde.

Royal Navy escort carrier HMS Audacity and minelayer Manxman are commissioned, corvette Campion is launched, and destroyer Relentless is laid down.

U-351 is commissioned, U-506 is launched.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Prime Minister Winston Churchill remains furious about the desultory affair of Operation Battleaxe, in which a British offensive with extremely precious tanks not only failed but resulted in a loss of ground. He resolves to replace Middle East Commander General Archibald Wavell with the Commander-in-Chief India, General Claude Auchinleck. Having been in command of a backwater, Auchinleck has minimal combat experience during World War II (like many other World War II leaders he made his reputation in the Great War), but Churchill doesn't want to recall Wavell to England and make his command change painfully obvious to the public - which would result in uncomfortable questions about his own competence.

Italian submarine Ondina torpedoes and sinks 3805-ton Turkish liner Refah forty miles south of Mersin. There are 165-167 deaths.

Italian 4543-ton freighter Buccari explodes under mysterious circumstances at Taranto, Apulia, Italy.

Two Royal Navy submarined, HMS Tetrarch and Severn, make unsuccessful attacks on ships, the former off Lemnos, the latter off Palermo.

Soviet intelligence

Soviet spies in Bulgaria radio the Kremlin that the Germans plan to invade on 21 or 22 June. The warning is filed.

Sleeper Soviet spy Richard Sorge, posing as a journalist in Tokyo, has sent many warnings to Moscow about Operation Barbarossa. Today, he tries again, drafting a final warning:

[German Ambassador to Japan] Ott told me that war between Germany and the USSR is inevitable…. Invest [the code name for Japanese journalist Hotsumi Ozaki] told me that the Japanese General Staff is already discussing what position to take in the event of war.

Japanese intelligence

The Japanese protest at the opening of the luggage of Japanese Minister Yoshiaki Miura by Pan American Airways employees in Guatemala. Diplomat Sadao Iguchi goes to the office of the Chief of the Far Eastern Section in Washington and requests that the airline be told the proper handling of diplomats' baggage, i.e., not to search them. The reason the Japanese are so concerned with this issue at this time is that they have come into possession of detailed maps of the Panama Canal Zone from Italians living there and wish to transport them to Tokyo. There, the maps could be used for planning military attacks.

US/German Relations

President Roosevelt gives a message to Congress regarding the Robin Moore affair. He describes the "ruthless sinking" of the US freighter in May as an "act of piracy." He notes that the submarine captain knew that it was a US ship and sank it anyway and this is the act of "an international outlaw." He describes the attack on "innocent men, women, and children" as "terrorism."

While long on rhetoric - and it is very strong rhetoric indeed - the statement is short on proposals for action. He notes somewhat lamely that "Full reparation for the losses and damages suffered by American nationals will be expected from the German Government," though he does not say how he expects to receive such reparations. Roosevelt concludes that the Reich seeks to make the United States "submit," but "We are not yielding and we do not propose to yield."

The President does not, of course, mention that Robin Moore was carrying war supplies to the British. However, to be fair to Roosevelt, the Robin Moore was sunk outside of the blockade zone set up by the Reich around Great Britain and the attack thus was illegal despite renewed warnings by the Germans in May about the dangers on the high seas. So, both sides have some facts with which to justify their positions, but all that matters, for the time being, is whether the United States is going to declare war over the affair - and it isn't.

There are rumblings about the US/German relationships on the other side of the Atlantic, too. At 21:00, Hitler's adjutant Colonel Rudolf Schmundt tells Hitler that Admiral Raeder has just told him that a U-boat captain claimed to have attempted to sink US battleship USS Texas about 10 miles within the blockade zone - but failed. Raeder has justified the attempted sinking, which almost certainly would have created an opportunity for President Roosevelt to declare war on the Reich. This disturbs Hitler, who wants nothing to do with the United States while he is focusing on the Soviet Union. He spends the night considering whether new rules are in order regarding attacks on US shipping.

German/Romanian Relations

The Germans reveal the secret of Operation Barbarossa to the Romanians. This is significant because security for the operation has been extremely tight and very few people outside the upper echelons of the Wehrmacht have been told. The Germans hope to have significant participation from Romanian troops during the invasion, not to mention the fact that the entire Wehrmacht runs on Romanian oil and thus their cooperation in any endeavor is necessary.

US Military

Major General Henry Harley "Hap" Arnold, who has led the US Army Air Corps since 29 September 1938, is appointed the leader of the newly created US Army Air Forces. Pursuant to Army Regulation 95-5, this is the successor to the US Army Air Corps.

Arnold becomes Chief of the Army Air Forces and acting "Deputy Chief of Staff for Air" with authority over both the Air Corps and Air Force Combat Command (successor to GHQAF). Arnold would prefer that the air force become a separate branch of the military equal to the Army and Navy, but Chief of Staff George C. Marshall (an old friend from before World War I) convinces Arnold to wait until after the brewing war for complete separation.

US Navy Task Group 2.6, led by the aircraft carrier USS Wasp (CV-7), departs from Hampton Roads, Virginia on a neutrality patrol.

Three US Navy submarines conduct deep submergence tests about 15 miles (24 km) off Portsmouth, New Hampshire. These tests go very badly when USS O-9 (SS-70) implodes and kills its 34 crewmen. There is nothing that can be done, it is a great tragedy that receives surprisingly little publicity and is not long remembered.

German Military

Adolf Hitler tells OKW to distribute the "Proclamation To The Troops of the Eastern Front" that he was working on during the 19th. Of course, there is no "Eastern Front" yet, so the very title is a tip-off to the document's contents.

Hitler confirms with OKW operations chief General Alfred Jodl that Operation Barbarossa will begin on 22 June.

The troops themselves, meanwhile, are told that an attack on the Soviet Union is "hypothetical" and everything related to such an attack is an "exercise." This makes sense to the troops - why attack the Soviet Union when the Reich is still at war with England?

The Kriegsmarine, meanwhile, now is laying mines in the Baltic. U-boats there have orders to shoot at any Soviet ships (there are none). All Soviet ships in Reich ports are prevented from leaving under one pretext or another.

Finnish Military

The military calls up all reservists under the age of 45. The military begins evacuating communities along the border with the Soviet Union in preparation for a conflict with the Soviet Union.

Soviet Military

The Red Air Force has issued orders to camouflage airfields, but these measures require time to prepare and have not yet been begun. It also forms the 6th Fighter Corps in Moscow for the protection of the capital. An air raid drill over Moscow is planned for Sunday, 22 June.

German Government

During the day, Adolf Hitler tells his secretaries that he just finds something "wrong" about Russia - it reminds him of the ghost ship in "The Flying Dutchman." He explains:

Because we know absolutely nothing about Russia. It might be one big soap-bubble, but it might just as well turn out to be very different.

Day 659 of World War II, June 22nd 1941

Newspaper: New York Times, June 22nd 1941





Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

At 0415 hours, Germany invades the Soviet Union, breaking their non-aggression agreement, in the largest military operation ever. 3.5 million German and Romanian troops (with 3,350 tanks, 600,000 motor vehicles and 750,000 horses) cross the border along an 1800 mile front from East Prussia on the Baltic Sea, Poland in the middle and Romania on the Black Sea, overwhelming Soviet defenses which were further disadvantaged by poor communications. Facing them is the world's largest army comprised of 230 divisions of 14,000 men each, with 20,000 tanks (many obsolete.) The Russian Army is organized into four Military Districts. Commanded by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock, Armeegruppe Mitte was tasked with attacking from Poland through the Białystok - Minsk - Smolensk axis towards Moscow. The Armeegruppe included the 9. and 4.Armees. Its armored forces were Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe and Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe. The two infantry Armies fielded 33 divisions and the Panzer Armies fielded nine armored divisions, six motorized divisions and a cavalry division.

GROUND OPERATIONS

Armeegruppe Nord: German Armeegruppe Nord (Army Group North), commanded by Wilhelm von Leeb, attacks through the Baltic states heading to Leningrad. Kuchler's 18.Armee, Hoepner's 4.Panzergruppe and Busch's 16.Armee attacks into Lithuania. Dietl's German BergkorpsNorwegen crosses from Norway and deploys along the Soviet border in the Petsamo region of Finland. Lithuanian Activist Front begins anti-Soviet uprising and partisan operations. Germany insists on transit of a division from Norway to Finland and other concessions from Stockholm. Baltic Military District redesignated Northwestern Front, commanded by General Fedor Kuznetsov.

Operation Renntier: The Germans executed Operation Renntier to secure the nickel mines around Petsamo in Finland. The German 2.Gebirgs-Division occupied the area around Liinakhamari and the German 3.Gebirgs-Division occupied Luostari.

Armeegruppe Mitte: Armeegruppe Mitte (Army Group Center), commanded by Fedor von Bock, attacks north of the Pripet Marshes from Brest-Litovsk. Hoth's 3.Panzergruppe, Stauss's 9.Armee, Kluge's 4.Armee and Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe attacks into Lithuania and Byelorussia. Western Military District redesignated Western Front, commanded by General Dmitrii Pavlov.

The Battle of Białystok–Minsk: 3.Panzergruppe attacked, cutting the 11th Army from Western Front, and crossed the Neman River. The 2.Panzergruppe crossed the Bug River. The Panzer Groups' objectives were to meet east of Minsk and prevent any Red Army withdrawal from the encirclement. Operating with the Panzer Groups to encircle the Soviet forces, the 9.Armee and 4.Armee cut into the salient, beginning to encircle Soviet Armies around Białystok.

Armeegruppe Sud: German Armeegruppe Sud (Army Group South), commanded by Gerd von Rundstedt, attacks south of Pripet Marshes toward Kiev. Reichenau's 6.Armee, Kleist's 1.Panzergruppe and Stulpnagel's 17.Armee attacks into the Ukraine. The 11th Army of Romanians and Germans attack across the Pruth River into Bessarabia. Kiev Military District redesignated Southwestern Front, commanded by General Mikhail Kirponos. At about 2115 hours, Soviet Defence Minister Timoshenko issues Directive No. 3, ordering Soviet ground forces in the Southwestern Army Group in the general direction of Lubin, 55 miles inside Poland.

Defense of Brest Fortress: The defence of Brest Fortress was one of the first battles of Operation Barbarossa. The Brest Fortress, defended by the Red Army against the Wehrmacht, held out longer than expected and, after the Second World War had finished, became a symbol of Soviet resistance. The initial artillery fire took the unprepared fortress by surprise, inflicting heavy casualties. Fierce battles were fought in the town of Brest and in the fortress itself. The first German assault on the fortress took place half an hour after the bombardment started. The surprised Soviet defenders were unable to form a solid front and instead defended isolated strongpoints–the most important of which was the fortress itself. Some managed to escape the fortress; most were trapped inside by the encircling German forces. Despite having the advantage of surprise, the subsequent attempt by the Germans to take the fortress with infantry quickly stalled with high losses: about 281 Wehrmacht soldiers died the first day in the fighting for the fortress.

Map: Map of Eastern Front at June 22nd 1941



AIR OPERATIONS

At 0340 hours the combined assets of four Luftwaffe air fleets strike a powerful blow to the Red Air Force using 1280 operational aircraft. Using classic blitzkrieg tactics, Luftwaffe bombs supply dumps, railways and airfields. The first Luftwaffe strikes are conducted between 0305 hours and 0315 hours in unison with the Werhmacht’s ground attack. Twenty to thirty aircrews deliver special fragmentation bombs (SD-2 2 kg bomblettes and SD-10 10 kg bomblettes) against Soviet airfields using flights of three aircraft assigned to each airfield. The timing of the attack was agreed upon after discussions about who should start first, the Luftwaffe or the Army. The Army’s position was to attack first to attain the surprise needed for victory whereas the Luftwaffe’s position was to attack first to clear the air of Red Air forces being used to harass the Army. A compromise was reached where the bombing would start at the same time as the Army and 25 minutes before the Luftwaffe’s main operations. Orders for the offensive were delivered to aircrews in sealed target folders - some only eight hours before the start of the operation. The selected targets for the first day – derived from photo intelligence gathered from Lufthansa civil aircraft which made scheduled flights over Russia - were thirty-one Russian airfields, three suspected High Staff quarters, two barracks, two artillery positions, one bunker position, one petroleum, oil and lubricant depot and the port facilities at Sevastopol. A total of 868 aircraft – 637 strike aircraft (Stukas, bombers, destroyers) and 231 fighters (Bf 109s) – take part in the destruction of these targets.

Photo: A reconnaissance Ju 88 D bomber of the 3/F



At Armeegruppe Nord is Luftflotte 1 commanded by Generaloberst Alfred Keller with I Fliegerkorps. Fighter units in this area are all three Gruppen of JG 54. A formation of Ju 88s from I./KG 76, led by Major Robert Poetter, take off at 0210 hours and attack the Russian airfield at Kadania in Lithuania. The Gruppe loses one bomber when it hits a SD-2 bomblette dropped by another Ju 88. Fighters from JG 54 are tasked with escorting the bombers of KG 1, 76 and 77 and later attack a formation of nine unescorted Russian bombers. Five of the bombers are destroyed. Uffz. Otto Kittel, flying his first mission with 2./JG 54, downs a Russian SB-2 and a Yak 1 to begin his victory tally. Hptm. Heinz Bretnütz, Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 53 – attached to JG 54 for operations in the northern sector - shoots down a Russian Bomber for his thirty-seventh victory but is shot down himself, crash landing behind enemy lines severely wounded. He is hidden by friendly farmers until German forces arrive.

Map: German and Soviet air commands on June 22nd 1941



In Armeegruppe Mitte is Luftflotte 2 with II Fliegerkorps and VIII Fliegerkorps. Fighter units in this area are II and III./JG 27, the four Gruppen of JG 51 and the three Gruppen of JG 53. Stukagruppen include II and III StG 1, I and III StG 2, all three Gruppen of StG 77 and IV(Stuka)./LG 1. After an initial attack against Russian airfields, 127 He 111s of KG 53 and Ju 88s of KG 3 bomb Moscow dropping 104 tons of High Explosives and 46,000 incendiary bombs on the city. At Bug near Brest-Litovsk, a single Russian fighter squadron is destroyed while attempting to take-off during an emergency scramble. As the German planes, Ju 87 Stukas from StG 77, land at their airfield after the mission, bombs begin to explode on the airfield. In the hour since the invasion started the Russians have flown formations of bombers to strike back at the Luftwaffe airfields and six Soviet planes are attacking the German airbase. As the six Russian twin-engines planes turn away from the field, German fighters pounce on the formation. Hptm. Herbert Pabst, Staffelkapitän of 6./StG 77 describes what happened next;

“As the first one fired, thin threads of smoke seemed to join it to the bomber. Turning ponderously to the side, the big bird flashed silver, then plunged vertically downwards with its engines screaming. As it crashed, a huge sheet of flame shot upwards. The second bomber became a glare of red, exploded as it dived, and only the bits came floating down like great autumnal leaves. The third turned over backwards on fire. A similar fate befell the rest, the last falling in a village and burning for an hour. Six columns of smoke rose from the horizon. All six had been shot down! They went on coming the whole afternoon. From our airfield alone we saw twenty-one crash and not one get away.”

The Russian bombers keep coming straight in all day in formations of upwards of ten aircraft. As soon as one formation is shot down another flight of ten bombers would appear only to be destroyed. It is a slaughter.

Photo: Soviet searchlights illuminate the sky over Moscow, June 22nd 1941



One of the most successful of the Jagdgeschwader on the Russian front are the pilots of JG 53 who accounted for the destruction of sixty-two Russian aircraft on this first day of operations. The most successful is the Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53, Hptm. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, who shoots down five Soviet fighters during three separate missions. At 0400 hours he destroys three I-15s. Later he downs an I-16 and in the afternoon an I-17 fighter. Hptm. Wilcke’s Gruppenstab also score against the Russians. Lt. Jürgen Harder begins his victory tally with the destruction of a Russian I-17 and Franz Schiess downs a Russian I-153 at 0725 hours for his first kill.

JG 51 has its share of victories with its pilots claiming sixty-nine aerial victories over Russian aircraft. Obstlt. Werner Mölders of Stab./JG 51 claims four Soviet aircraft – an I-153 and three SB-2 bombers – bringing his score to seventy-two kills and is immediately awarded the Schwerten, the first award of the Russian campaign and second to Major Galland of JG 26, who received his award the day before. Fw. Heinrich Höfemeier, also with Kommodore Mölders’ I./JG 51, claims four kills. Other victors for the day from JG 51 include Herbert Bareuther of 2./JG 51 for his first victory and George-Peter Eder who destroys two Soviet aircraft to bring his score to three. But JG 27 does not fare so well. Major Schnellmann, Kommodore of JG 27 shoots down an I–16 to bring his score to twenty-five but debris from his victim damages his airplane and he bales out and is captured by the Russians. Lt. Hans Witzel of the 5th Staffel, claims a Russian I-15 at 0354 hours and another I-15 at 0355 hours. But his claim of being the first Luftwaffe pilot to destroy a Soviet aircraft goes to another Experten in the Southern sector, at JG 3.

In Armeegruppe Sud is Luftflotte 4 commanded by Generaloberst Alois Lohr with IV Fliegerkorps and V Fliegerkorps. Aircraft units are all four Gruppen of JG 3, I and III./JG 52, II and III./JG 77 and I(Jagd)./LG 1.

Soviet aircraft losses from the first Luftwaffe strikes total about 222 destroyed in the air and 890 destroyed on the ground. German losses are two Bf 109s, one Bf 110, one Ju 87 Stuka, eight Ju 88 and six He 111 bombers. By noon the Russians have 1,200 aircraft destroyed and by the end of the first day of the campaign the Luftwaffe has lost thirty-five aircraft as opposed to 322 Russian aircraft shot down from the air and another 1,489 destroyed on the ground. But of those lost by the Luftwaffe, fifteen are destroyed from non-combat action such as problems with the SD-2 bomblettes that have a habit of exploding prematurely or to detonate upon landing. Many crews are surprised to see several Ju 88s and Do 17s suddenly break in the air and crash to the ground in flames, usually on return trips from the front. Not only were the bombers affected by the faulty bombs but also specially equipped Bf 109 fighters. These Messerschmitts have racks beneath the fuselage that the air pressure of flight causes several of the bombs to remain racked. Shortly after the start of the campaign, SD type munitions are banned from all aircraft that have to carry them internally and only Ju 87s and Hs 123s – with the bomb racks located on the wings within sight of the pilot – are allowed to use the bombs.

Photo: Russian and German planes destroyed on the ground. In the front Russian Polikarpov UTI-4 a two seater training version of I-16 Soviet fighter. In the back a plane with German markings is likely Henschel Hs 126.




At 0715 hours, Soviet Defence Minister Marshal Timoshenko issues Directive No. 2, for bomber and ground-attack aircraft to destroy German aircraft on airfields and concentrations of ground forces, to a depth of 60-95 miles. By this time, most Soviet front-line planes have already been destroyed, and it is not known where German forward air bases or troop concentrations are. The Russian pilots try their best to repulse the invasion. At 0415 hours, Junior Lt. D. W. Kokoryev of the 124th Fighter Regiment knocks the tail off a reconnaissance Do 215 near Sambruv after the guns of his MiG-3 have jammed from attacking a Bf 110. Both planes crash to the ground and Lt. Kokoryev lives. At 0425 hours, Senior Lt. I. T. Ivanov of the 46th Fighter Regiment, destroys a He 111 by ramming the bomber over Rovno. Both planes crash and Lt. Ivanov is killed. Around noon, small formations of Russian medium bombers begin to attack the German front lines.

Finnish ground troops quickly isolated the Soviet base at Hanko and its 25,300-man Soviet garrison. Though Mannerheim initially declared that liberating Hanko would be a primary goal of the war, Finnish troops in the area did not receive authorization to attack the base. The front remained mostly static, with action consisting mainly of artillery strikes and some limited probing or patrol activities on both sides. Small scale naval and amphibious actions took place in the surrounding archipelago. Finnish forces surrounding the base initially consisted of the 17th Division, the 4th Coastal Brigade, and supporting units.

Jews from the Dorohoi district of Romania were branded as communists and spies and transported by cattle cars to concentration camps in Tirgu and Craiova.

At 2300 hours, Vyacheslav Molotov gave a broadcast authorized by Stalin to the citizens of the Soviet Union;

"This war has been forced upon us, not by the German people, not by German workers, peasants and intellectuals, whose sufferings we well understand, but by the clique of bloodthirsty Fascist rulers of Germany who have enslaved Frenchmen, Czechs, Poles, Serbians, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Greece and other nations," Molotov said. "The government of the Soviet Union expresses its unshakable confidence that our valiant army and navy and brave falcons of the Soviet Air Force will acquit themselves with honor in performing their duty to the fatherland and to the Soviet people, and will inflict a crushing blow upon the aggressor."



Syria–Lebanon campaign

With Damascus having fallen on the 21st, things largely quiet down in Syria and Lebanon. The Battle of Merdjayoun continues, but neither side makes much progress. The Vichy French have sent a secret representative to London via Lisbon to discuss terms of peace. However, those talks are just beginning and show no prospect of ending the conflict in the very near future.

During the night, Vichy French destroyer Guépard sorties from Beirut Harbor. It engages two Royal Navy cruisers and six destroyers off the Syrian coast. With the odds stacked against it, the French ship quickly retreats to Beirut after taking one 6-inch shell from HMS Leander. The RAF raids Beirut Harbor during the day and damages Vichy French destroyer Vauquelin.

The Vichy French forces that evacuated Damascus on the 21st make their way west to Beirut. Habforce continues advancing and takes the Vichy French airfield at Palmyra. However, the French counterattack and retake the airfield, forcing Habforce back into Iraq.

Air war over Europe

RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft on anti-shipping missions. It also sends a Circus mission on the rail-yards at Hazebrouck. Blenheim IV bombers from 2 (B) Group are escorted by 16 fighter squadrons. After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 70 aircraft to attack Bremen and 27 aircraft to attack Wilhelmshaven.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-77 on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes and sinks (2379-ton British weather ship Arakaka about 450 nautical miles (520 miles, 830 km) east of St. John's. There are 45 deaths.

U-141 on its second patrol about 100 nautical miles (190 km, 120 miles) torpedoes and sinks 1277-ton Swedish freighter Calabria. There are three deaths and 21 survivors.

German raider Atlantis, disguised as Dutch freighter Brastagi, stops and sinks 5372-ton British freighter Balzac hundreds of miles east of Salvador, Brazil and west of Africa. There are three deaths, and the Atlantis takes 45 crew prisoner.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy transport HMT Beech at Scrabster, Caithness. There is one death.

U-48 completes its patrol career, returning to Kiel.

U-467 is laid down.

Battle of the Baltic

German S-28 torpedoes and sinks Estonian freighter Estonia.

German S-59 and S-60 combine to torpedo and sinks Lithuanian freighter Gaisma.

German S-31 uses its deck guns to sink Estonian freighter Litsa.

German S-31 torpedoes and sinks Soviet freighter Shuka off Liepāja.

German S-44 torpedoes and sinks Soviet patrol boat MO-238 off Hanko.

Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of 806 Küstenfliegergruppe bombs and sinks Soviet freighter Luga off Kronstadt.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Soviet tugboat Perkunas.

Estonian freighter Ruhno hits a mine and sinks off Kronstadt.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Royal Navy submarine HMS Union torpedoes and sinks 1004-ton Italian freighter Pietro Querini south of Pantelleria.

The Royal Navy mounts some supply missions to Tobruk, sending 758-ton British tanker Pass of Balmaha and 951-ton Greek store ship Antiliklia, both with a heavy escort. However, the Luftwaffe is dominating the skies and forces the Antiklia to take refuge in Mersa Matruh.

At Malta, a Bristol Blenheim bomber making an attack on an Axis convoy suffers severe damage. The pilot is badly wounded, so the observer, Sergeant JS Sargent, takes control and manages to get the plane back to Malta despite having no flying training.

German/Soviet Relations

German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop calls Soviet Ambassador Dekanozov to the Foreign Ministry at the Wilhelmstrasse. Once Dekanozov is there, Ribbentrop reads him a long-winded tirade accusing the Soviets of numerous offenses, and then sums up with a terse declaration of war. Ribbentrop then dismisses the Soviet ambassador.

In the morning, Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels announces the invasion.

On the Soviet side, Stalin does not make any appearances either in person or over the radio on the 22nd. Instead, Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov makes a radio broadcast around noontime:

Without a declaration of war, German forces fell on our country, attacked our frontiers in many places ... The Red Army and the whole nation will wage a victorious Patriotic War for our beloved country, for honor, for liberty ... Our cause is just. The enemy will be beaten. Victory will be ours!

After having gotten a few hours of sleep after staying up much of the night following the advance of the invasion, Hitler addresses the Reichstag. Giving a characteristically distorted account of the events leading up to the invasion ("For weeks constant [Soviet] violations of this frontier have taken place"), Hitler casts the battle as one for the preservation of Europe:

German and Romanian soldiers are united under Chief of State Antonescu from the banks of the Pruth along the lower reaches of the Danube to the shores of the Black Sea. The task of this front, therefore, no longer is the protection of single countries, but the safeguarding of Europe and thereby the salvation of all.

The Soviet NKVD orders all German embassy personnel, including Ambassador Schulenberg, to assemble in the embassy chancellery. This is standard practice in such situations, as much for the safety of embassy personnel as anything else, but it has an element of foreboding. Nobody is harmed. Schulenberg already has taken the precaution of sending his dog back home to Germany.

Anglo/Soviet Relations

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes a radio broadcast in which he pledges all aid to the Soviet Union that Great Britain can provide:

Any man or State who fights against [Hitler] will have our aid. ... It follows, therefore, that we shall give whatever help we can to Russia and to the Russian people.

British Ambassador Sir Stafford Cripps is in Moscow and is able to coordinate the early stages of an alliance. Soviet Ambassador Maisky meets with Foreign Secretary Eden in London.

Soviet Military

The Stavka issues a general mobilization and proclaims martial law.

German Military

The Wehrmacht issues a communique. Somewhat surprisingly, it focuses mainly on the western front, most likely because it does not want to give any useful information about Operation Barbarossa to the enemy.

Since the early morning hours of today, we have been engaged in hostilities along the Soviet Russian border. An attempt by enemy aircraft to fly into East Prussia, has been repelled with heavy losses. German fighter planes shot down large number of Red bombers. In the struggle against the British Isles, powerful German aerial formations bombed the harbour installations of Southampton last night. Extensive fires broke out in the docks, warehouses and food manufacturing works. Further air attacks were aimed at airfields in northern Scotland and the Midlands. A large British freight vessel was severely damaged by bombs north of Sunderland. Yesterday afternoon a small number of British bombers with powerful fighter cover flew against the French Channel coast. German fighter planes shot down 26 British aircraft in violent dogfights. German flak and naval artillery brought down two more enemy aircraft. [German ace] Lt. Col. Galland won three air victories in these struggles.

Finish Military

Finland has mobilized its entire military and is busy stationing units along the Soviet border. It is planning attacks toward Leningrad and the Svir River. Finnish ships continue laying mines in the Gulf of Finland. An infantry regiment and a light artillery battalion occupy the demilitarized Ahvenanmaa (Aland) islands in the Baltic Sea.

Finnish commandos, wearing civilian clothing, fly across the border in Luftwaffe Heinkel He 115s to see if they can cut off the Stalin canal. However, it is too heavily guarded, and the men return on foot back toward Finland. On the way, they cut (temporarily) the Murmansk railway. While the railway is a top objective throughout the war, this is the only time the Finns manage to seriously disrupt it for any length of time. In a sense, this is the high point of the war for the Finns in their repeated attempts to block this vital artery.

Photo: Brewster 239 fighter (BW-352) on Selänpää airfield




US Military

US Marines embark on ships bound for Iceland. They will take over occupation duties there from the 25,000 British troops.

U.S. Secretary of the Navy William F. "Frank" Knox personally conducts a memorial ceremony, held onboard submarine USS Triton (SS 201), over the last known location of the lost submarine USS O-9.

Soviet Government

After he comes to accept that Germany has launched a full-scale invasion, Stalin loses his nerve. He appears (according to those present) as if he cannot make decisions. Stalin spends more time talking with his internal security chief, Lavrentiy Beria, and Foreign Minister Molotov than he does with his generals. This suggests that he is more concerned for the moment about protecting his own position as leader of the Soviet Union (or whatever will be left of it after the invasion) than figuring out how to stop the Germans. This begins a lengthy period in which Stalin retreats, makes no public appearances or speeches, but retains control of the government with an iron hand using the state security apparatus.

Soviet Occupied Lithuania

In conjunction with Operation Barbarossa, a popular rebellion breaks out called the June Uprising. The rebels seek a restoration of Lithuanian independence. There are hopes that German troops will help ensure this. The Lithuanian Activist Front seizes key installations in Kaunas, including the Presidential Palace, post office, telephone and telegraph, radio station and radiophone.

Day 661 of World War II, June 24th 1941

Newspaper: New York Times, June 24th 1941



Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa continues rolling eastward and northward. The day features various futile Soviet counterattacks that show convincingly that the Soviets do not even know where the advancing Germans are from one hour to the next. 

In the Baltics, Kaunas is captured as is Vilna, farther east, by forces of 3.Panzergruppe (left flank of Armeegruppe Mitte). Farther south, the Soviet garrison of the fortress town of Brest-Litovsk, which is now far behind the front line, is assaulted by forces of German 4.Armee (right flank of Armeegruppe Mitte).

Photo: Latvia, Aiviekste, armored personnel carrier before level crossing



Armeegruppe Nord: Forces of German Armeegruppe Nord moved into Lithuania and Byelorussia. German 16.Armee captures Kaunas. Finnish forces land and occupy the previously demilitarized Aaland islands.

Armeegruppe Mitte: German 3.Panzergruppe captures Wilno (Vilna) as 2.Panzergruppe pushes toward Baranovichi. German 4.Armee attacking Soviet defenders besieged in Brest-Litovsk but Soviet 15th and 22nd Mechanized Corps counterattacked the German Panzer group.

Photo: Motorized troops, including camouflaged, light armored personnel carrier (Sd.Kfz. 250) and motorcycle, on the advance



Armeegruppe Sud: German 17.Armee captures Nemirov. Ivan Bagramyan attempted to launch a counterattack against German advances in Ukraine, but it would fail to achieve much due to the unprepared state of his troops.

The Battle of Brody: Gustav Shrodek, a tank commander of the 15.Panzer Regiment (11.Panzerdivision), recorded the scene:

"At dawn of June 24th, the regiment underwent its first attack by Russian bombers. It shall not be the only one this day; completely the opposite. As a result of this the regiment now has several dead and wounded."

Near total Luftwaffe air superiority was to be a major factor in breaking up the Soviet counter-attack. Three Soviet formations deployed a potent force of modern T-34 and KV tanks: the 4th, 8th, and 15th Mechanized Corps. The 717 such tanks comprised almost a half of the country's 1,600 production of these two models. There was little to no communication between the individual corps to ensure co-ordination. The 22.Mechanisierte Korps attacked towards Voinitsa. The battle between 1.Panzergruppe and the Soviet mechanized corps was the fiercest of the whole invasion, lasting four full days. The Soviets fought furiously and crews of German tank and anti-tank guns found to their horror that the new Soviet T-34 tanks were almost immune to their weapons. The new KV-1 and KV-2 heavy tanks were impervious to virtually all German anti-tank weapons, but the Red Army's logistics had completely broken down due to Luftwaffe attacks. The five Red Army corps were mishandled while being concentrated into large powerful groups. The German troops sought to isolate individual units and destroy them. Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe ranging over the battlefields was able to separate the supporting infantry and deny them resupply of fuel and ammunition. Ultimately due to lack of adequate planning and overall coordination, the Soviet counter-attack failed to meet at Dubno.

Photo: a burning T-34



Leningrad Military District was redesignated Soviet Northern Front, commanded by General Popov. General Aleksei Antonov appointed Chief of Staff, Southwestern Front.

In the Northern sector Obstlt. Hans-Ekkehard Bob of 9./JG 54 continues to make his way to German lines. At one point he enters what he believes is an abandoned hut in the woods. Opening the door he comes face to face with two Russian soldiers. Obstlt. Bob determines that the Russians are deserters and after a short greeting, quickly leaves the two soldiers in the hut. In the Central sector Moscow is subjected to two raids of 115 Luftwaffe bombers then another 100 bombers during the day.

The Russian NKVD executes Major Schnellmann, the captured Kommodore of JG 27. Hptm. Franz von Werra, famous for his escape from Canada, takes over as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53 when Oblt. Wilfried Balfanz goes missing in action. Oblt. Balfanz had ten victories flying with JG 51 and JG 53.

The fighters of JG 51 destroy fifty-seven bombers the Russians use to raid the German front line. Gefr. Anton “Toni” Hafner of 8./JG 51 scores his first victory as does Hans Strelow who gets his first kill. Karl-Heinz Schnell, another pilot with Gefr. Hafner’s 8th Staffel, begins the day with nine kills to his credit and destroys six Russian aircraft to almost double his victory total. The Kommodore of JG 51, Obstlt. Mölders only gets one kill for the day, a Russian SB-2 to bring his score to seventy-four victories.

In Russia a Council of Evacuation was set up with emergency powers to oversee the evacuation of machinery, skilled workers and food stuffs on a large scale, away from the German advance.

Soviet Air Force Directorate chief Pavel Rychagov, as well as his wife Maria Nesterenko, a famed aviatrix, were arrested during the purge of the Soviet Air Force. Soviet Deputy Defense Commissar General Kirill Meretskov was arrested by agents of the 3rd NKO Directorate. He would later be cleared of suspicion in Sep 1941 and was given front line command once again.

Syria–Lebanon campaign

The Australian 25th Infantry Brigade recaptures Merdjayoun early today.

The Australian 2/14 Battalion tries to advance north from Jezzine. They are stopped cold in the hills north of town by Senegalese defenders who have excellent defensive positions.

The Vichy French make a stand at Jebel Mazar, a tall hill on the Damascus/Beirut road. They stop the British 16th Brigade advancing west from Damascus.

The Vichy French garrison at Palmyra continues its successful defense of the town and airfield. Arab auxiliaries, led by Arab Nationalist leader Fawzi el Kawakji, ambush a British supply convoy in conjunction with French armored cars.

New Zealand light cruiser HMNZS Leander and destroyers Hasty and Jaguar park off the coast north of Beirut and shell Vichy French positions before dawn.

Photo:  A soldier guards a Hawker Hurricane which made a forced landing on the coastal road during the advance into Syria



Air war over Europe

RAF Bomber Command raids Cologne (54 aircraft), Kiel (48 bombers), Dusseldorf (21 aircraft).

RAF Bomber Command sends Circus missions to the Thermal Power-Station at Comines. The formation is a success, with 7.5 tons of bombs dropped and the RAF claiming 9 kills, 7 probable kills and 5 damaged aircraft for the loss of two planes and pilots.

Battle of the Atlantic

A U-boat wolfpack begins attacking Convoy HX-133. It is passing Convoy OB-336 south of Greenland, which provides numerous targets within a small sector of the Atlantic. There are several stragglers from the convoy, which makes for easy targets. The action is confused, and who sunk which ships sometimes is not definite but is based on detailed analysis and guesswork.

U-203on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes and sinks 4956-ton British freighter Kinross of Convoy OB-336. Everyone survives, U-203 also torpedoes and sinks 4402-ton Norwegian freighter Solay of HX-133. All 32 aboard survive.

U-371 on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes and sinks 4765-ton Norwegian freighter Vigrid. The Vigrid is a straggler from Convoy HX-133. There are 24 deaths, and 14 survivors.

U-651 on its first patrol out of Kiel, torpedoes and sinks 5297-ton British freighter Brockley Hill. The Brockley Hill is a straggler from Convoy HX-133. Everyone survives.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 803-ton British freighter Levenwood off Tees Bay. The Levenwood is taken in tow and makes it to Hartlepool.

Convoy OG-66 departs from Liverpool bound for Gibraltar, Convoy HG-66 departs from Gibraltar bound for Liverpool.

US minesweeper USS Sheldrake is laid down.

Battle of the Baltic

The Soviets scuttle more ships to avoid capture by the advancing Germans, all at Liepāja, Latvia.

- destroyer Lenin.

- submarine M-71.

- submarine M-80.

- submarine Ronis.

- submarine S-1.

- submarine Spidola.

- torpedo boat TKA-27.

- auxiliary gunboat Tunguska.

- icebreaker Silach.

Battle of the Mediterranean

The British forces at Alexandria have been conducting nightly supply missions to the embattled Australian garrison at Tobruk without too much trouble. Tonight, however, the Luftwaffe (Junkers Ju 87 aircraft of II Staffeln, Sturzkampfgeschwader 2, Luftwaffe) is waiting for the "Tobruk Express" about 20 miles (37 km) northeast of Tobruk. During the incessant attacks the Lufwaffe bombs bombs and badly damages tanker Pass of Balmaha, which its crew abandons and sinks sloop HMS Auckland, with 34 deaths, 164 survivors (two die later), and 8 wounded.

YouTube (Afrika Korps in Action - Tobruk , June 24, 1941)



The Pass of Balmaha is taken in tow by destroyer HMAS Waterhen and brought to Tobruk, where its fuel is unloaded. It is then taken back to Alexandria.

The Luftwaffe drops leaflets to the besieged Australians in Tobruk which read:



Before dawn, Royal Navy submarine HMS Utmost lands some Commandos for a mission to destroy a railway line in Italy. The railway is used to bring supplies for shipments to North Africa. Two Commandos, Lt D R Schofield, Royal Fusiliers, and Lance Corporal F C Morgan, row ashore and place charges on the railway line. Then, they return to the waiting submarine. Unfortunately for their mission, their attempt to destroy a passing train fails when the charges fail to explode. Undeterred, the two men row ashore again and fix them. This time, they just blow up the tracks and return to the submarine without incident.

Turkish freighter Refah, previously torpedoed by an unidentified submarine (almost certainly a Royal Navy one), sinks. There are 168 deaths and 32 survivors.

Royal Navy battleship HMS Warspite, recently damaged by near misses that cause flooding, sails out of the Mediterranean for repairs.

The Luftwaffe raids Benghazi and Tripoli.

Black Sea campaign

Soviet minesweeper T-208 Shkiv hits a mine and sinks at the Glotova Bank.

Battle of the Indian Ocean

German raider Kormoran, disguised as Japanese freighter Kinka Maru, approaches Madras to lay mines. However, the Germans notice another ship shadowing them. They take this to be a British auxiliary cruiser (it apparently is AMC Canton). However, the ship eventually disappears. Kormoran Captain Detmers decides not to take any chances and cancels the minelaying mission.

Battle of the Pacific

Captured whaler “Adjutant,” which now has a German prize crew, arrives in New Zealand waters for minelaying operations.

German and Soviet Propaganda

The Germans announce:

Since early Monday morning the Luftwaffe has continued its successful attacks on Soviet military airfields. Large numbers of Russian aircraft were destroyed on the first day of battle, and we can now report that a great many more aircraft have been shot down on the same day.

The Soviets paint a very different picture:

Our aerial forces have fought successfully to protect our towns and military installations. They have fought in the air and supported the counterattacks of the ground troops. In the course of the day 51 enemy aircraft were destroyed by our fighter planes and ground defenses. One enemy plane was forced to land at an airfield near Minsk.

Soviet/German Relations

The Soviets take the German embassy staff south to Kostroma-on-Volga and house them in a worker's settlement. Their destination is Turkey once arrangements are made for the safe conduct of Soviet embassy personnel from Berlin.

Anglo/Soviet Relations

Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden announces that he has reached a mutual aid agreement with the Soviets.

German/Spanish Relations

Hitler approves the use of a special "volunteer" Spanish formation on the Eastern Front. This becomes the famous Spanish Blue Division.

US/Soviet Relations

President Roosevelt is asked at a press conference what he intends to do about the Soviet Union. He promises to send aid to the Soviet Union, saying:

Of course we are going to give all the aid we possibly can to Russia.

It is unclear from this seemingly offhand response what the authorization for such aid would be, though presumably it would be included under Lend-Lease. Roosevelt also unfreezes about $40 million in Soviet assets.

Hungarian/Soviet Relations

Hungary breaks relations with the Soviet Union.

Slovakian/Soviet Relations

Slovakia declares war on the USSR.

German Military

The Wehrmacht begins recruiting volunteers in Denmark, while Spain begins soliciting volunteers (of which there are many) to join a division to fight with Germany on the eastern front.

Finnish Military

While not yet officially at war, the Finns continue laying mines in the Baltic. Finnish troops occupy the Aaland Islands.

Soviet Military

The Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Military District is renamed Soviet Northern Front. Its commander is General Popov. General Aleksei Antonov is appointed Chief of Staff, Southwestern Front.

US Military

In the Philippines, there is flooding at Nichols Airfield (which is not paved), so 3rd and 20th Pursuit Squadrons move to Clark Airfield. The US continues beefing up its presence as transport SS President Pierce arrives bringing 96 pilots.

British Government

With war expenditures soaring, the British House of Commons votes for the second £1,000,000,000 war credit of the year.

Spain

There is strong support in Spain for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Large demonstrations take place in Madrid and other cities. Spanish Foreign Minister Ramón Serrano Suñer announces the formation of a Spanish volunteer division to serve beside the Wehrmacht in Russia. Volunteers rush to fill the 18,000 openings. Agustin Muñoz Guardes is selected as General commanding this "Spanish Blue Division."

Lithuania

The Lithuanian Activist Front forms a government, but not even the Germans recognize it.

Photo: Lithuanian Activist Front fighters, young workers from Kaunas, leads the arrested Commissar of the Red Army



China

The Japanese bomb Chungking (Chongqing).

Day 663 of World War II, June 26th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

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

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

Photo: Abandoned T-35 and T-26 Soviet tanks in June 1941



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

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

Photo: self-propelled guns and cars in open terrain



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

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

Photo:  motorized troops marching



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

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

Photo: Heinkel He 111s over the Soviet Union, 1941



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

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

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

Continuation War

While Finland has declared war, it is still preparing for its offensives towards Leningrad, the Svir River, and the Murmansk railway. The Germans in the far north of Finland - the German Army of Norway - also are preparing for operations toward Murmansk, but nothing major has begun yet.

However, the Soviet naval base at Hango in southern Finland is close at hand and a fairly easy target - if the Finns decide to mount a major effort. Hango, granted to the Soviet Union under the armistice terms of the Winter War, is isolated both by land and by German control of the Baltic. However, the Soviet troops there are well-supplied and at this time they are determined to hold out.

Syria–Lebanon campaign

With the British in possession of Damascus, the Vichy French troops are consolidating their defenses around Beirut. The most consequential action occurs in the air, where a strafing run on Homs airfield by Tomahawks of 3 Squadron RAAF destroys five new Dewoitine D.520s of Fighter Squadron II/3 (Groupe de Chasse II/3) and cause damage to six others.

Photo: "Bren gun carriers manned by Indian troops outside Damascus, 26 June 1941. Note the wrecked Vichy French FT17 tank on the right, left by the retreating enemy"



Lieutenant-General Lavarack, commanding operations in Syria and Lebanon, orders Major-General Allen of the 7th Australian Division to focus on the advance along the coast. The Vichy French Army is far from beaten, and their artillery maintains a fierce barrage. For the time being, a lull develops in ground operations as the Australian commanders ponder their next move.

Photo: Colonel Philibert Collet's Circassian Cavalry outside the railway station at Damascus, 26th June 1941



The Royal Navy bombards Vichy French positions at Abey.

Air war over Europe

RAF Bomber Command raids Cologne (51 bombers), Dusseldorf (44), and Kiel (41). During the day, RAF Fighter Command sends a Circus mission to the power station at Comines. However, thick haze forces the mission to abort.

During the Circus mission, RAF pilot James "Johnnie" Johnson gets a victory, downing a Bf-109.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 275-ton Royal Navy minesweeping trawler HMS Tranio in the Thames Estuary near No. 57 Buoy (Smith's Knoll). The ship is in tow at the time. There are no casualties.

Convoy OB-339 departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Convoy HX-135 departs from Halifax bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Euryalus is commissioned, corvette Sweetbriar and minesweeping trawler Eday are launched and minesweeper Horsham is laid down.

Canadian corvette HMCS Prescott is commissioned, while corvette Timmins is launched at Esquimalt BC and minesweepers Parrsborough and Rockhampton are launched.

U-453 and U-576 are commissioned, U-583 and U-584 are launched, and U-304 is laid down.

Photo: Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Liverpool (C11) in dry dock at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, California (USA), on June 26th 1941, for repair of damage received in the Mediterranean Sea the pervious October. The false bow had been fitted at Alexandria, Egypt, shortly after the cruiser was torpedoed.



Battle of the Baltic

The Soviets complete the withdrawal of their fleet from their bases at Liepāja, Ventspils, and Rīga. They have had to scuttle numerous ships that they are unable to move.

U-149, a training boat of the 1st U-boat Flotilla based at Gdynia/Gotenhafen on its only patrol of the war, sinks 206-ton Soviet submarine M-99 northwest of Dago Island.

Soviet submarine M-72 hits a mine and is damaged off Kronstadt. It makes it to port.

Soviet warships lay mines in the Baltic and are attacked by German forces doing the same. A German S-boat torpedoes Soviet destroyer Storozhevoi in the Irben Strait. The destroyer makes it back to Leningrad. The S-boats, however, do sink Estonian freighter Lidaza.

Finnish vessels Vesihiisi and Iku-Turso lay mines off the Estonian coast.

Photo: Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance photo of the Ordzhinikidze Yard (Shipyard 189), Leningrad, showing the battleship Sovetsky Soyuz (top) and cruiser Chkalov under construction, June 26th 1941



Battle of the Mediterranean

The situation on land is fairly quiet. The RAF raids Gazala.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Severn torpedoes and sinks 1292-ton Italian freighter Polinnia southeast of Ischia (south of Naples).

Royal Navy submarine HMS Utmost torpedoes and sinks 4080-ton Italian freighter Enrico Costa four miles off Cape Todaro (northern Sicily).

Force H of the Royal Navy, based at Gibraltar, begins another mission to supply aircraft to Malta. This is Operation Railway, and the aircraft are on aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.

British troopship HMT Nieuw Amsterdam departs Suez bound for Durban. It carries the King of Greece and the royal family, other members of the Greek government, 1000 prisoners of war and their 75 guards, and 151 passengers.

Since the eastern Mediterranean has quieted down, battleships Queen Elizabeth, Valiant, Warspite and numerous supporting vessels depart Alexandria for gunnery practice.

At Malta, there is a continuous bombing by the Italians over a five-hour period. The raid starts around 22:00 and lasts until around 03:00 the next morning. The residents of Malta consider these "nuisance" raids because they seem less intended to cause damage than to keep people awake by simply circling around Valletta.

Photo: rearming a Messerschmitt Bf.109E-7 of 7./JG 26. June 1941, North Africa. Note the "Schlageter" unit marking



Battle of the Indian Ocean

German raider Kormoran has a big day in the Bay of Bengal. First, it spots a darkened freighter that does not respond to a warning shot. Kormoran then opens fire and sinks 4153-ton Yugoslavian freighter Velebit. There are 17 survivors (two eventually succumb to their injuries), while 14 men perish. The Velebit actually doesn't sink right away, and 8 sailors who stay on it manage to keep the pumps working long enough for it to drift to a grounding on a nearby reef.

Kormoran then spots another ship. This one also ignores a warning shot, so Kormoran uses gunfire to sink 3472-ton Australian freighter Mareeba midway between Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There are 26 deaths and the 25 survivors become prisoners of war (some sources say there the entire crew is saved, and it only numbers 48 people - ship records can be very sketchy at times). The Mareeba has enough time to get off a distress call, but nothing comes of it.

Black Sea Campaign

Soviet cruiser Voroshilov and accompanying destroyers bombard Constanta, which is being attacked by both sea and air. The Soviets blow up a Romanian ammunition train. However, they are chased off by the Royal Romanian Navy's coastal fortifications (Gruparea de artilerie de coasta Constanta, comprised of six batteries ranging in size from 150mm and 120mm down to 75mm) and Romanian destroyers Regina Maria and Marasti. German 28cm coastal battery "Tirpitz" aids in the defense.

Soviet destroyer Moskva is hit and sinks during the engagement, although which battery hit it and the effect of hitting a mine while withdrawing to Sevastopol has been debated ever since. Destroyer Kharkiv is damaged by a near miss when the Luftwaffe attacks, but makes it back to Sevastopol. Cruiser Voroshilov also hits a mine but also makes it back to port.

A fight takes place in the early morning hours on the Chilia branch of the Danube Delta, near the commune of Ceatalchioi which is known simply as the Action of 26 June 1941. Two Romanian pocket torpedo gunboats, V-1 and V-3 of the Romanian Danube Flotilla, take on three Soviet armored motor gunboats, which are there to lay mines. The Romanian commander of V-3 spots the Soviets and opens fire with his 47 mm gun. The middle of the three Soviet boats explodes, and the other two quickly retreat. One of the remaining Soviet boats hits a rock and is disabled, allowing the Romanians to capture it. This Soviet ship was repaired and commissioned in the Romanian Navy as V-7.

Soviet/Finnish Relations

Soviet troops in Moscow seal the Finnish Embassy and disarm its guards. The Finnish staff is told to pack two suitcases immediately and then is taken into custody.

Anglo/Yugoslav Relations

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meets with the prime minister of the Yugoslavian government-in-exile.

Soviet Military

General Zhukov returns from an inspection tour of the front and meets with Premier Joseph Stalin and Generals Vatutine and Timoshenko. Stalin remains hidden from public view but retains control of the military via his place of preeminence on the Stavka.

Stalin is an unhappy man because of the military situation. In fact, he is so angry that he visits the General Staff headquarters twice during the day to vent. As usual, when he is unhappy, Stalin vents his wrath on subordinates. Today he recalls General Meretskov from Leningrad and arrests him. Meretskov is in for torture, during which he implicates other generals in a supposed anti-Stalin plot.

General Ivan Konev takes command of the Soviet 19th Army.

Spanish Military

Spain lives up to its commitment to provide troops to aid Operation Barbarossa by beginning to form its "Blue Division."

Italian Military

Leader Benito Mussolini announces plans to send an Italian expeditionary force to the Eastern Front.

Japanese Military

The Japanese Imperial Navy launches aircraft carrier Junyo. The Junyo is converted from a passenger liner.

US Military

Task Force 18 of the Atlantic Fleet forms out of the mixed Marine-Army I Corps (Provisional).

German Government

Adolf Hitler is in Rastenburg, East Prussia at his brand new Wolf's Lair headquarters. It is in a pine forest full of marshes and stagnant lakes that is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos. On the plus side, the complex has a railway line that has been closed to through traffic but can be used when considered appropriate. Hitler is receiving constant reports from the front, but with everything going well has little to do.

However, Hitler takes care of some lingering business by issuing a "secret decree" that names his successor as Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering.

Quisling regime - Norwegian Government

An advisor to Vidkun Quisling writes a letter to the leader suggesting that Slavic peoples should be removed from northern Russia because they "don't know how to make use of the land." The land, he writes, could be better used by Germanic peoples" (which he apparently believes includes Norwegians).

Day 665 of World War II, June 28th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

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

Photo: German troops and a Panzer 35t



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

Photo: German troops on motorcycle on the advance



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

Photo: a German Panzer II on the move



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

Stalin has enough with General Pavlov. He decides to recall the entire Western Front staff to Moscow and accuse them of intentional disorganization of defense and retreat without a battle. The sentence of death is a mere formality, they are all shot within weeks. 

Continuation War

While Finland is at war with Germany, very little fighting has occurred to date. Today, the Finnish General Staff finalizes plans for an offensive into Ladoga Karelia. It is planned for 10 July. In the Salla/Kandalasksha region, Finnish troops prepare for an offensive against the Murmansk railway in conjunction with German forces. At this time, the Finns are ready to invade the historically Soviet territory near Finland and not just recover Finnish territory recently lost during the Winter War.

Syria–Lebanon campaign

The British Habforce in Iraq continues pressing its attack toward the Vichy French airbase at Palmyra. Today, Habforce ally Glubb Pasha takes his Arab Legion to capture the French fort of Seba' Biyar (Seba Biya, about 60 miles south-west of Palmyra) when the French garrison simply surrenders. Habforce unit 21st Indian Brigade of the 10th Indian Division advances across the Iraq/Syrian border along the Euphrates, but are slowed by French air attacks and supply issues.

Further west, the Vichy French and Australians battle over mountain peaks east of Beirut. The Australian 2/3 Battalion is dislodged from the top of Jebel Mazar, a key position because it controls the road from British-occupied Damascus and French-occupied Beirut. Elsewhere, though, the Australians occupy other peaks abandoned by the French (and Senegalese).

In the air, the battle the Vichy French and RAAF continues with great ferocity. The Australian P-40 Tomahawks claim six victories over the French. Flight Officer Lt. A.C. Rawlinson files three claims.

Off the coast, Australian light cruiser Perth and accompanying destroyers bombard Damur during the afternoon.

Air War over Europe

RAF Fighter Command sends Circus missions against Comines. During the night, RAF Bomber Command has 34 aircraft lay mines.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-146 on its first patrol out of Kiel, gets its only victory of the war about 100 nautical miles (190 km, 120 miles) northwest of the Butt of Lewis, Scotland. It is 3496-ton Finnish freighter Pluto. There are 36 survivors, including ten marines, rescued by HMS Northern Duke. There are 12 deaths.

Italian submarine Da Vinci torpedoes and sinks 8030-ton British tanker Auris several hundred miles off Casablanca. There are 32 deaths and 27 survivors, picked up by HMS Farndale.

Photo: Leonardo da Vinci in 1940




Royal Navy destroyer HMS Tatar intercepts and sinks German weather ship Lauenburg with gunfire off Jan Mayen.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 4972-ton British freighter Barrhill north of Great Yarmouth. There are five deaths and 35 survivors.

US destroyer USS Madison runs aground at the southeast tip of Moratties Shoal, Placentia Harbor, Argentia, Newfoundland. It sustains some damage but remains in service, heading as scheduled for Boston on the 29th.

Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Euryalus is commissioned, escort carrier Chaser is laid down.

Photo: Photograph of British light cruiser HMS Euryalus at a buoy on completion



The US Navy lays down submarines USS Wahoo and Whale, both at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California.

Battle of the Baltic

Soviet submarine M-99 of the Baltic Fleet hits a mine off Hiiumaa Island and sinks.

A German motor torpedo boat torpedo and sinks Soviet submarine S-10 in Danzig Bay.

The Soviets scuttle destroyer Lenin at Libau (Liepāja), Latvia.

Finnish ship Vetehinen lays mines off the Estonian coast.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Royal Navy submarine HMS Severn torpedoes and sinks 2900-ton Italian freighter Ugo Bassi about five miles off Capo Monte Santu in the Gulf of Orosei (off Orosei, Sardinia).

Force H at Gibraltar executes a quick turnaround at Gibraltar after completing Operation Railway 1. It quickly departs on Operation Railway 2, another supply mission to Malta. Aircraft carrier HMS Furious carries 8 Hurricanes and Ark Royal carries 26 Hurricanes. Following standard practice, the ships first head west from Gibraltar to throw off any shore-based spies.

Italian light cruisers Attendolo and Duca D'Aosta lay mines in the Sicilian Channel.

On Malta, the RAF forms new fighter squadron No. 126 at Ta Qali. Its commander is Wing Commander Alexander C Rabagliati.

Black Sea Campaign

Soviet gunboat No. 204 is hit by Romanian shore artillery and badly damaged. The Soviet master runs the ship aground to avoid sinking. The Romanians later refloat and repair the ship for their own use, designating it V12 of the Romanian Navy.

German/Japanese Relations

German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop having send a a diplomatic request to the Japanese Embassy in Berlin where he requested that Japan join Operation Barbarossa from the east gets a responds as the Japanese after consideration, decide not to join the German invasion of the Soviet Union. While this is not required under the Tripartite Pact, which is defensive in nature, the German government has harbored hopes that Japan would "join the party." The Japanese, however, remember the lesson taught to them in Manchuria by Soviet General Zhukov.

Spanish Military

General Agustin Munoz Grandes is appointed to command the new volunteer Blue Division. It is being formed to support Operation Barbarossa in the Soviet Union.

Philippines

Admiral Thomas C. Hart transfers his headquarters ashore from USS Houston.