World War II in real time

Day 670 of World War II, July 3rd 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

Stalin broadcasts for the first time since the German invasion. The reason for his delay in responding is not clear. He calls for total effort and a policy of scorched earth before the German advance, and guerilla warfare in their rear. He also defends the 1939 non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany on the grounds of his desire for peace. The broadcast is the first of many to emphasize patriotic nationalism. Joseph Stalin called the Soviet people "brothers and sisters" for the first time. Stalin has demanded a great deal from the people of the Soviet Union. Some of them will not obey him - in some areas the invading Germans have been welcomed with bread and salt - but others will do anything for Holy Mother Russia if not for communism.

YouTube: Remarks of Joseph Stalin, July 3rd 1941



Heeresgruppe Nord: In the area of Heeresgruppe Nord, clear weather permits the Luftwaffe to provide close air support again. Soviet 8th Army, 27th Army, and 11th Army crumbling under attacks by Heeresgruppe Nord. The German 41.Panzerkorps (4.Panzergruppe) makes good progress against the relatively weak forces of the Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps, and two reserve rifle corps, of the Soviet Northwest Front (Sobennikov).

Heeresgruppe Mitte: The Bialystok pocket in Poland was eliminated by elements of German 9. and 2.Armee taking 300,000 prisoners.

There were surprised faces at 18.Panzerdivision headquarters in the Borisov bridgehead when a signal was received from the division's air unit: "Strong enemy armoured columns with at least 100 heavy tanks advancing along both sides of Borisov-Orsha-Smolensk road in the area of Orsha. Among them very heavy, hitherto unobserved models."

"Where do they come from?" General Nehring asked in surprise. "These Russians seem to have nine lives."

It was, in fact, the 1st Moscow Motorized Rifle Division with T-34s under Major-General I. G. Kreyzer, whom Yeremenko had sent into action against Guderian's armoured spearhead. It was a crack unit, the pride of the Soviet High Command. Six miles east of Borisov, near the village of Lipki, Nehring's and Kreyzer's armoured spearheads made contact. When it first hove into sight the T-34 struck a good deal of terror among the German armoured spearheads and Panzerjägers. But abreast of it, at a distance of about 100 feet, came an even bigger monster—a KV-2, weighing 52 tons. The light T-26 and BT tanks between the two giants were soon set on fire by the German Mark Ills. But their 5-cm. shells made no impression whatever on the two giants. The first Mark III received a direct hit and went up in flames. The other German tanks scuttled out of the way. The two Soviet monsters continued to advance. But the heaviest German tanks then in existence were still some three tons lighter than the T-34, and the range of their guns was considerably less. However, the German commanders soon discovered that the crew of the T-34 were unsure of themselves and very slow in their fire. The German tanks underran its fire, weaved round it, and dodged its shells. They got the giant between them. They shot up its tracks. The Soviet crew got out and tried to escape, but ran straight into a burst of machine gun fire from a Mark III. Meanwhile the huge 52-ton KV-2 with its 15-2-cm. cannon was still shooting it out with two German Mark Ills. The German shells penetrated into the Russian tank's plating as far as their driving bands, and then got stuck. Nevertheless the Russians suddenly abandoned their vehicle—probably because of engine trouble. This incident reveals the cardinal mistake of the Russians. They employed their T-34s and super-heavy KVs not in formation, but individually among light and medium tanks, and as support for the infantry. Those were very outdated tank tactics. The result was that these vastly superior Soviet tanks were smashed up one by one by the German tank companies, in spite of the terror they originally struck among them. In this way General Kreyzer's counter-attack near Lipki collapsed.

Hoth reports that losses for 3.Panzergruppe stand at 125 officers and 1,644 of all other ranks. Hoth and Guderian officially resumed their thrust for the Dnepr and Dvina rivers.

Heeresgruppe Sud: A total of 45 professors at the University of Lvov (now Lviv) were executed by an Einsatzkommado unit after the city was captured by the Germans on June 30. Aided by the Ukrainian 'Nachtigall' battalion, they started the roundup of the professors their families and relatives. Most of the Jewish inhabitants of the city were simply shot on the spot. Some 38 professors were taken to a place of execution in the Wulka hills outside the city and there shot to death. Another seven, including Professor Dr. Bartel, a former Prime Minister of Poland, were shot in the courtyard of the Brygidki Prison, the same courtyard where days previously they found the murdered bodies of the prison inmates.

Photo: Germans on the march



German soldiers arrive in Kolomiya, (later part of Ukraine) which belonged to Poland at this time, and tacked up posters that declared in three languages "Death to All Jews."

Soviet Naval Air unit 402 IAL, based at Idritsa in Russia and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel P. Stefanovsky, went into action with its new MiG-3 fighters and destroyed six enemy aircraft, followed by a similar number on the next day. The unit's primary task was close support and low level fighter reconnaissance, and its pilots had orders to avoid combat if possible. The unit's adjutant, Major K. A. Gruzdev however was an aerobatic champion and soon devised a tactic to bring the enemy to battle. This involved making a steep spiral climb to between 15,000 and 18,000 feet where the MiG-3 fighters enjoyed a performance advantage over the German fighters. The German pilots almost always followed the climb, believing they were chasing a novice pilot, only to realize their mistake when Gruzdev suddenly stall-turned and shot them down. By the end of the year this talented pilot had no less than nineteen confirmed victories to his credit.

Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu lectures his staff at the Ministry of Internal Affairs:

“We find ourselves at the broadest and most favourable moment for a complete ethnic unshackling, for a national revival and for the cleansing of our people of all those elements alien to its spirit”

Continuation War

In the Far North sector, General Dietl's Army of Norway 3rd Mountain Division establishes a bridgehead across the Litsa River on the way to Murmansk in Operation Silver Fox. The Soviets quickly send reinforcements to the area and stop any further German penetration. Further south, the Operation Arctic Fox advance toward Salla bogs down, largely due to the inexperience of the German SS-Infantry Kampfgruppe Nord division. The Germans call for reinforcements from southern Finland and ask the Finns to mount a flank attack on the Soviet defenders to free up their front, but this will take several days to organize.

Syria–Lebanon campaign

The main action in Syria switches today from Palmyra, which fell to the British on 2 July, to northeastern Syria. General William "Bill" Slim of Iraq Command controls 10th Indian Infantry Division plus the 2/8th Gurkha Rifles from 20th Indian Infantry Brigade. Based in Haditha, its goal is to advance westward toward Aleppo, and Slim's forces so far have not met much opposition.

The 2/10th Gurkha Rifles attacks Deir ez-Zor from the south-west at 09:00. They take the garrison by surprise and seize important bridges intact. Other Gurkha Rifles then advance from the southeast and clear the town against heavy Vichy French air attacks. By 15:30, Deir ez-Zor is in British hands, with the British capturing booty of five aircraft, nine guns, and 50 trucks. However, the defending Syrian troops hurriedly take off their uniforms and blend into the civilian population, evading capture. Only about 100 prisoners are taken.

Photo: British troops under fire near Damascus, July 3rd 1941



Vichy France sends more aerial reinforcements for Syria from Tunis. They take the northern route via Brindisi, Italy, and Athens. Today, 21 Dewoitine D.520 fighters of No. 3 Squadron, 2nd Fighter Grup (GD II/3) land at Rhodes, their last stop before entering the battle zone.

Air War over Europe

The Luftwaffe makes a rare daylight raid on Great Britain, attacking Land's End in southwestern England. The attack fails, however, when the bombs fail to explode. Many British observers conclude that the Luftwaffe has so many defective bombs because slave laborers in German factories are secretly sabotaging their ordnance.

During the day, RAF Fighter Command conducts two Circus missions to Hazebrouck. The RAF loses two Spitfires in the first mission and four in the second to JG 2 and JG 26, most near St. Omer.

During the night, RAF Bomber Command attacks Essen (90 bombers) and Bremen (68). Bombing accuracy is terrible, and the entire area around Essen is hit (including Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, Hagen, and Wuppertal).

During the RAF night raids, at 01:00, Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Oblt. Reinhold Knacke of 2./NJG 1 destroys a British Whitley bomber and a Hampden bomber.

Luftwaffe Major Wilhelm Balthasar, Kommodore of JG 2, is shot down and killed. He had 47 victories. His replacement is Oblt. Walter Oesau.

Following a recent air battle in which he shot down five Soviet bombers, Werner Mölders, now serving on the Eastern Front as Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 51, is awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross from the hand of Adolf Hitler.

East African Campaign

The Italian garrison at Debra Tabor surrenders. In addition, Free Belgian troops under the command of Major-General Auguste Gilliaert surround General Pietro Gazzera's army of about 7000 men at Saio in the south Ethiopian Highlands. The Belgians also attack Dembidollo in Galla-Sidamo.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-69 on its third patrol out of Lorient and operating southwest of the Canary Islands, sinks 2918-ton British freighter Robert L. Holt at 06:50. The Robert L. Hold happens to be the ship of Commodore Vice-Admiral N.A. Wodehouse of recently dispersed Convoy OB-337. It is an unusual encounter because the U-boat is out of torpedoes, so Metzler decides to surface and use his deck gun. This proves to be a risky decision when the armed freighter fires back, which Metzler probably wasn't expecting. Ultimately, U-69 fires 102 high explosives and 34 incendiary rounds from the deck gun, along with 220 rounds from the 20mm anti-aircraft gun and 400 rounds from its MG 34 machine gun. There are 49 deaths. This is the final success of U-69 on this eventful patrol, which has seen it almost bring the United States into the war six months earlier than would be the case with its sinking of US freighter Robin Moor.

British 86-ton drifter Receptive hits a mine and sinks in The Swale near Uplees. There is one death.

Royal Navy 82-ton auxiliary ship Rosme hits a mine and sinks off Foulness Island.

Convoy SL-80 departs from Freetown bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Rothesay is commissioned.

U-577 is commissioned, U-265 and U-521 are laid down.

Battle of the Baltic

Finnish submarine Vetehinen uses its deck gun to attack 4100-ton Soviet ship Vyborg north of Stenskaar.

Photo: Finnish submarine Vetehinen



Soviet Navy transport Imanta hits a mine off Suursai. The master manages to beach the ship before it sinks, but it is a total write-off.

German naval trawler KOL-72 hits a mine and sinks at Kołobrzeg, Poland.

Soviet motor torpedo boat No. 12 is lost somewhere in the Baltic of unknown causes.

The Soviets scuttle freighter Everiga at Pyarnu rather than allow it to be captured by the advancing Germans.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Royal Navy submarine HMS Upholder torpedoes and sinks 5870-ton Italian freighter Laura Cosulich east of Calabria.

Spanish 308-ton freighter Felipe Crespi hits a mine and sinks off Genoa, Italy.

Off the Libyan coast east of Tobruk, Italian submarine Malachite spots light cruiser HMS Phoebe making a sweep in the company of light cruiser HMAS Perth and three destroyers. Malachite fires a torpedo, but misses.

British submarine HMS Osiris makes it to Malta with 70 tons of bulk petrol.

Danish/US Relations

Expanding the recent "Consulate War" between the US, Germany, and Italy, Denmark leaps into the fray by demanding that the US evacuate its consular staff by 15 July. In general, these expulsions are a bad thing for the Allies, as the US consulates behind the Reich lines can provide valuable intelligence to Great Britain.

British Military

The Handley-Page Halifax Mk II makes its maiden flight. It features improved Merlin 22 engines, a more streamlined nose, a four-gun Defiant-type dorsal turret, and some minor structural improvements.

Photo: IWM caption : Halifax Mark II Series 1, L9619 'ZA-E', of No. 10 Squadron RAF based at Leeming, Yorkshire, in flight. This aircraft is an early production machine fitted with beam gun hatches amidships instead of a mid-upper turret.



Bell P-39C Aircobra fighter planes arrive at RAF Colerne, the first of 675 ordered by the British Purchasing Commission. They will serve with RAF No. 601 Squadron. RAF pilots, however, take an immediate dislike to the planes once they find that the rate of climb and performance at altitude is lacking.

Day 672 of World War II, July 5th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

Rainstorms continue all along the center of the German advance. The roads turn to muddy ponds and vehicular traffic slows to a crawl. While both sides are affected equally by the conditions, a fact that should never be forgotten when reviewing the campaign in the Soviet Union, the weather favors the defense for the time being.

Despite the weather and everything the Soviets can throw at them, though, the Germans remain on schedule to end the war before the winter. OKH boss General Franz Halder notes in his war diary that "The entire front is advancing in accordance with our intentions."

In the Far North sector, it is a quiet day. On the Litsa River sector, General Dietl's Army of Norway is trying to expand a small bridgehead across the river but has little success. The Soviets land a naval battalion along the coast to distract the Germans.

Photo: German soldiers wait to cross a bridge



In the Army Group North sector, General Hoepner's panzers are eliminating pockets of resistance while the German infantry closes up. The Germans are now approaching Lake Peipus, Reval, and Parun. The front is getting very close to Leningrad already. In desperation, the Soviets counterattack between Ostrov and Pskov and stall the German advance.

In the Army Group Center sector, the Soviets are preparing a riposte by V and VII Mechanized Corps of the 20th Army. They plan to attack the German 39th and 47th Panzer Corps. The Germans are blissfully unaware, but so far they have been able to handle everything the Soviets can throw at them. On the right flank, General Model's panzer division maintains its bridgehead at Rogachev. In the central axis of advance between the Beresina and Dneipr Rivers, General Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group makes little headway. On the left flank, General Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group takes a second bridgehead at Ulla.

Photo: German troops on the march. on the background a artillery piece can be seen



In the Army Group South sector, the Soviets are retreating. OKW chief General Franz Halder writes in his diary that "Our troops have more or less lost contact with the enemy on the front of Seventeenth and Sixth Armies." The Soviets are preparing for the defense of Kyiv, where they propose to make a stand. The Romanians take Chernivtsi.

Continuation War

Operation Arctic Fox, the projected advance to the Murmansk railway line via Salla, is stalled as the Germans bring up troops from the south. Luftflotte 5 is standing by to assist a major eastward push on the 6th. There are some minor Finnish probing attacks that capture Repola. In Karelia, the Finns also make some minor attacks to improve their starting positions for later actions.

Photo: Finnish pioneer troops with a flamethrower, July 5th 1941



Syria–Lebanon campaign

The Australian 21st Brigade, which has been battling up the coast, prepares to launch the Battle of Damour. After dark, troops move forward to positions along the Damour River, which must be crossed in order to continue heading north to Beirut. Both sides understand that Beirut is the key to the campaign and that its defense is essential to Vichy French prospects. The attack is scheduled for the early morning hours of July 6th.

Photo: The broken bridge at the mouth of the river Damour



Royal Navy light cruiser HMS Ajax and HMAS Perth, anti-aircraft cruiser Carlisle and accompanying destroyers bombard Damour during the day in preparation for the Australian offensive. They return at night to patrol the coast.

Photo: light cruiser HMS Carlisle seen here in 1941 after conversion to an anti-aircraft cruiser



Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command targets railway yards in Muenster (47 bombers) and a power station in Bielefeld, Germany (46 bombers). After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 109 bombers against Brest. German night fighters are active and down seven RAF bombers. Ofw. Wilhelm Beier of 3./NJG 2 downs two bombers, a Wellington and a Blenheim for his seventh and eighth victories.

RAF Fighter Command organizes a Circus against the Fives works at Lille. The defending Luftwaffe squadrons, JG 2 and 26, claim 13 victories. Among those filing claims is Paul Galland, younger brother of Adolf Galland, who scores his first victory.

The Luftwaffe sends a night raid against Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

East African Campaign

Italian General Pietro Gazzera, the Governor of Galla-Sidama, continues to hold out with a large body of troops at Kulkaber (Culqualber), Abyssinia. His situation is hopeless, and he seeks peace terms.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-96 on its 5th war patrol out of St. Nazaire, is about 300 miles north of the Azores when it torpedoes and sinks 5954-ton British HMT Anselm. The Anselm is hit with two torpedoes and sinks within 22 minutes. There are 254 deaths and 1061 survivors.

Three corvettes then attack U-96. The depth charge attack damages the U-boat enough that it must return to port.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Tigris torpedoes and sinks Italian submarine Michele Bianchi near Bordeaux in the Bay of Biscay. There are no survivors, all 57 crew perish.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Royal Navy auxiliary paddlewheel minesweeper Snaefell about 8 miles off Sunderland. The only death is the master, Lt. Commander F. Brett, while two other crew are wounded.

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks 470-ton British freighter Fowey Rose in St. George's Channel off St. Davids. There are 8 deaths.

The Luftwaffe attacks Greenrock and damages two Royal Navy submarines being built at the Scotts yard, HMS Traveller, and Trooper.

The RAF bombs and sinks Norwegian coaster Advance off Vågsøy, Norway.

Swedish 2241-ton freighter Stig Gorthon hits a mine and sinks off Borkum. Everyone survives.

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Holderness hits a mine in the North Sea. The Holderness makes it back to port and is out of commission for 26 days.

U-103 on its 4th patrol out of Lorient, secretly refuels from 7747-ton German tanker Charlotte Schliemann in Las Palmas. Charlotte Schliemann embarked from Aruba in 1939 and sits in the harbor of Las Palmas refueling U-boats while pretending to be interned.

Australian minesweepers HMAS Cairns and Wollongong are launched.

Canadian corvette HMCS Drumheller is launched in Collingwood, Ontario.

United States destroyer USS Frazier is laid down.

U-133 (Oberleutnant zur See Hermann Hesse), U-208 (Oberleutnant zur See Alfred Schlieper), and U-654 (Korvettenkapitän Hans-Joachim Hesse) are commissioned, U-136, U-355, and U-754 are launched, U-197 is laid down.

Battle of the Baltic

Latvian 3204-ton freighter Rasma hits a mine north of Ekholm. The mines had been laid by Finnish submarine Vesihiisi on 23 June. The Rasma's master beaches the ship to prevent it from sinking, but subsequent German attacks on the 10th destroy it.

Soviet patrol boat MO-209 hits a mine and sinks off Gogland Island.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay torpedoes and sinks Argonauta-class Italian submarine Jantina south of Milos.

British 5920-ton freighter Bencruachen hits a mine and sinks near Mex High Light in Alexandria Harbour. There are three deaths. The Bencruachan takes down with it 31-ton motor yacht Wyreema.

The RAF bombs Palermo, Sicily.

The Luftwaffe bombs Alexandria (15 bombers) and Tobruk.

The Italians bomb Hamrun, Malta after dark. There are 14-20 deaths, with 19 injured. Six houses are destroyed and water mains are damaged. In air battles, both sides lose planes.

German/Ukrainian Relations

The Ukrainian National Movement under Andriy Melnyk requests permission from Germany to form a military unit to aid Operation Barbarossa. Hitler, however, is dead set against arming any "conquered" peoples and denies the request. The Germans arrest rival Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera and bring him to Berlin for interrogation.

Polish/Soviet Relations

Polish government-in-exile leader Sikorski meets with Soviet Ambassador Maisky to discuss re-establishing diplomatic relations.

Soviet Government

The Soviet Special Group (later 4th NKVD Directorate) forms. The intention is for this special group to prevent Soviet troops from retreating.

Greenland

US Navy transports USS Munango and USAT Chateau Thierry arrive at Tungugdliarfik Fjord to begin construction of an airbase at Narsarssuak.

Day 674 of World War II, July 7th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

Stalin continues tinkering with his command apparatus. While he can be brutal with even his closest associates, he also tends to favor the same small group of cronies during times of crisis. He appoints Kliment Voroshilov commander of the Northwestern Direction (equivalent to a German Army Group, it controls several fronts). He also takes Semyon Timoshenko's titles of Stavka Chairman and Defense Commissar and sends him to command the Central and Western Fronts. Semyon Budyonny (Budenny), an old cavalryman whose only discernible talent is making Stalin laugh when they are getting drunk, is sent to command the Southern Front. Notable from his absence in these appointments is Georgy Zhukov, who remains Stalin's top troubleshooter. The Soviet Union now has military commands that directly mirror the three German army groups.

In the Army Group North sector, the German 4th Panzer Group (Hoepner) captures Pskov. The Germans continue beating off a Soviet counterattack at a bridgehead at Ostrov.

In the Army Group Center sector, the German 20th Panzer Division crosses the Western Dvina River (Daugava River). This poses a threat to the rear of the Soviet Polotsk Fortified Region. In addition, the 20th Motorized Division crosses the Ulla River.

Photo: A fire in a unknown town located  on the Eastern Front. In the foreground a car with German soldiers



The panzer divisions are still carrying the advance, but they are wearing down. The 10th Panzer Division reports that it is at 80% of its establishment, but the 3rd and 18th Panzer Divisions are down to 35%. Other units report readiness levels in between those levels.

In Army Group South, the German 13th Panzer Division takes Berdychiv in the Zhytomyr Oblast. The SS quickly follows the troops and establishes a Jewish ghetto for the 20-40,000 Jews there. While Field Marshal Rundstedt's troops are quickly approaching Kyiv, the Soviets are massing troops there to deny Hitler a quick prestige victory.

Photo: Germans troops crossing a river 



Continuation War

Operation Arctic Fox - the attack toward the Murmansk railway - is going well for the Germans again. With the assistance of a flank attack by Finnish 6th Division, the German regular 169th Division and the SS-Infantry Kampfgruppe Nord, supplemented by some members of 163rd Infantry Division brought up from southern Finland, hammer back the Soviet 14th Army. The Soviets are making a stand in Salla, but the momentum again is with the Axis troops.

Operation Platinum Fox, further north, is going worse for the Germans. The 3rd Mountain Division has established a small bridgehead on the Litsa River, but the Army of Norway commander General Dietl is unable to expand it. Dietl requests more troops to resume the advance, but OKW refuses.

Photo: Lahti L-39 anti-tank gun in firing position



Syria–Lebanon campaign

Having established two bridgeheads across the Damour River, the Australian 7th Division begins to exploit them. Before dawn, one Australian bridgehead (the 2/3rd Battalion and the 2/5th Battalion, along with two companies of the 2/14th Battalion) moves north toward El Boum. The other bridgehead (the remainder of the 2/14th) mounts a flank attack on Damour from the east. The attack from the first bridgehead continues forward toward the critical coast road north of Damour, whose capture would compel the surrender of Vichy French forces in the town.

Everyone on both sides understands that the fall of Damour would decide the war because nothing else stands between the Australians and Beirut. General Henri Dentz, the Vichy French commander, keeping a very close eye on the battle to see if he can continue his unexpectedly vigorous defense of the Levant.

Offshore, Royal Navy motor torpedo boat MTB 68 embarks on a daring raid into Beirut Harbor. It drops depth charges next to two merchant ships.

Air War over Europe

The RAF sends 20 planes on coastal sweeps during the day. This includes a mid-day attack on a German coastal convoy between Ijmuiden and Den Haag. They report scoring hits on two ships, but there is no confirmation. The RAF loses five planes. The RAF also sends Circus missions to Hazebrouck, Choques, and Albert.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command attacks Cologne with 114 Wellington bombers. It also sends 72 aircraft to attack Osnabruck, 40 aircraft to attack Monchengladbach and 49 aircraft to attack Münster.

After dark, the Luftwaffe attacks Southampton.

Battle of the Baltic

German three-masted schooner Luise Bermann hits a mine and sinks off Kolberg.

German 193-ton fishing vessel Neuenfelde hits a mine and sinks near Kolberg.

Soviet minesweeper Petrozavodsk sinks off Kronstadt, perhaps due to a mine.

Battle of the Atlantic

Royal Navy submarine HMS Sealion sinks 39-ton French fishing trawler Gustav Jeanne and 120-ton French fishing trawler Gustav Eugene off Ushant (Ouessant, Finistère) in the Bay of Biscay.

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 9918-ton Norwegian tanker Ferncourt off St. Davids, Wales. There are two deaths. The Ferncourt makes it to Milford Haven and docks at Swansea.

Royal Navy 115-ton hired drifter Lord St. Vincent hits a mine and sinks in the Thames Estuary near the North East Gunfleet Buoy. There are two deaths resulting from the sinking.

Illustrating the dangers of pilots operating off of CAM ships, a Fulmar of RAF No. 804 Squadron crashes in Kerran Hill, near Southend, Kintyre after being launched to investigate an aircraft sighting. There are two deaths.

Convoy OB-344 departs from Liverpool.

Royal Navy corvette HMS Campion is commissioned.

U-337 is laid down.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Italian light cruisers, accompanied by a numerous destroyer screen, lay mines in the Sicilian Channel.

The Italians send a stream of nuisance raids to Malta. One bomber overflies the island and then returns from the south to drop its bombs - whether by plan or simply getting lost is unknown, but it gets away.

General Archibald Wavell, former British Middle East Commander, departs from Cairo. He is flying to Habbaniya, Iraq and then to India to take up his new role as Commander-in-Chief, India. Claude Auchinleck now has Wavell's old job, the two have switched positions.

The RAF sends a fighter sweep over Bardia.

US/Icelandic Relations

U.S. Marines (1st Marine Brigade, Provisional) of new Task Force 19 under Brig. General J. Marston land at Reykjavik in six transport ships under heavy escort. They are there to replace British troops who are needed elsewhere. The marines, with no help from local labor, immediately begin unloading the transports and setting up their camps.

Photo: Occupation of Iceland, July 1941: Seen from the quarterdeck of the U.S. Navy battleship USS New York (BB-34), U.S. Atlantic Fleet Ships steam out of Reykjavik harbour, Iceland at the time of the initial U.S. occupation in early July 1941. Next ship astern is USS Arkansas (BB-33), followed by the light cruisers USS Brooklyn (CL-40) and USS Nashville (CL-43). Note the 3"/50 gun on alert at left, and the quick-release life ring at right.




President Roosevelt sends a message to Congress announcing the occupation. While it may seem obvious after the fact that the US would want to occupy Iceland during World War II, the US is at peace and it is a big deal to just get up and send troops to a foreign country. Roosevelt notes:

The United States cannot permit the occupation by Germany of strategic outposts in the Atlantic to be used as air or naval bases for eventual attack against the Western Hemisphere. We have no desire to see any change in the present sovereignty of those regions. Assurance that such outposts in our defense frontier remain in friendly hands is the very foundation of our national security and of the national security of every one of the independent nations of the new world.

The Icelandic government under Prime Minister Herman Jonasson has given grudging support and basically accepts occupation by a foreign power as inevitable under the circumstances. The US explicitly recognized Icelandic sovereignty and promises to evacuate once the war is over.

In conjunction with this move, the United States extends its security zone east to cover Iceland. From this point forward, the United States assumes responsibility for protecting all convoys containing US ships until they are past Iceland.

YouTube (U.S.A. To Protect Iceland (1941)




Anglo/Soviet Relations

Former Soviet People's Commissar for the Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union Maxim Litvinov (who was replaced on 3 May 1939 because he was Jewish and Stalin didn't want to offend Hitler) makes a radio broadcast to England from Moscow. Speaking in English, Litvinov urges cooperation between Great Britain and the USSR. This is exactly what Winston Churchill wishes as well. Stalin, however, doesn't just want vague expressions of solidarity - he wants concrete agreements that will tie the Allies together.

Vichy French Military

The French create the Legion of French Volunteers against Bolshevism ("Legion des Volontaires Francais contre le Bolchevisme").

British Government

The War Cabinet continues debating how to defend the Far East. Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden prefers an aggressive stance, which would include renouncing the trade treaty with Japan and beefing up the British military presence in Malaya and Netherlands Timor and Ambon. However, Winston Churchill prefers to remain low-key in the Pacific Theater for the time being.

Philippines

Rectifying a massive error from earlier in the summer, the US Army Air Force delivers enough Prestone antifreeze to make the P-40B fighters already delivered flyable.

China

Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Nationalist government of China, decides to mark the fourth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War. He sends a lengthy message to friendly nations in which he summarizes the world situation and his own country's predicament. Among other things, Chiang notices the connection between the wars brewing on opposite sides of the world, writing:

the war in the Far East is no longer to be viewed as merely a conflict between two nations, for the European and Asiatic Wars have now become closely interrelated. Scarcely a single country remains unaffected because this predatory group of powers excludes no country from the scope of its design to dominate the world by force.

Day 676 of World War II, July 9th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

The German main effort in the Soviet Union remains on track. Already, the panzers are closing on Leningrad and Kyiv, though a bit of work remains before Moscow comes into sight. With three months of good campaigning weather left, there seems little reason why Operation Barbarossa shouldn't be completed by early fall and end in a decisive German victory.

Photo: A German infantry unit enters the village on the Eastern Front



In the Army Group North sector, the Germans are about 150 miles from Leningrad with the fall of Pskov to the 36th Infantry Division (Lieutenant General Otto Ottenbacher).

In the Army Group Center sector, the 20th Panzer Division of General Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group takes Vitebsk as Soviet counterattacks peter out. Hoth's panzers and General Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group are poised to close a pincer around Smolensk. Behind the front, the army group completes the destruction of the pockets of enemy troops near Bialystok. An estimated 300,000 Soviet prisoners are taken and about 40 Soviet divisions destroyed (Soviet divisions are generally much smaller than Allied or German divisions)..

In the Army Group South sector, the Germans cross the Dneipr River. The 13th Panzer Division, part of Panzer Group 1, takes Zhitomir (Zhytomyr).

Photo: A member of the 11th Company of the Leibstandarte checks his weapon before an attack on the Stalin Line in the woods north of Miropol, 9 July 1941



The Luftwaffe remains supreme in the skies. The German JG 3, led by Luftwaffe Major Günther Lützow, shoots down all 27 bombers of a Soviet attack on its own airfield. The Germans suffer no losses. Hptm. Hans “Gockel” von Hahn, Gruppenkommandeur I./JG 3, receives the Ritterkreuz for 24 victories.

Continuation War

Operation Arctic Fox grinds forward only a little bit further, as 169th Infantry Division of XXXVI Corps pushes from Salla to Kayral. However, the geography (lakes and woodland) favors the defense, and it gets no further against the Soviet 14th Army for the time being. In fact, the three Soviet divisions there push the German troops back before setting up a strong perimeter anchored by lakes on either side.

General Dietl's Army of Norway is stopped at the Litsa River, too. Further south, the Finns plan an attack to begin July 10th on the Karelian Isthmus against Soviet 7th and 23rd Armies. Finnish troops occupy Morgonland.

Syria–Lebanon campaign

In the early morning hours, the Australian 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion, with units of the 6th Divisional Cavalry Regiment, marches into Damour. By 04:00, Australians are driving completely through the town and soon secure it from the few Vichy French troops who haven't slipped out. The road north to Beirut is now clear. British artillery already is in position to fire on Beirut.

Photo: A 6-inch howitzer being fired at the Beirut defences during the night, 9 July 1941



Behind the scenes, Vichy French commander General Henri Dentz is pursuing an armistice. He sees the Allies closing in on Beirut from both the south, through Damour, and from the east, via Aleppo. In addition, today the British take Homs in the north.

Despite his superiority in troops, Dentz cannot get supplies from France due to Royal Navy control of the eastern Mediterranean and the French have little hope of holding out for long. He sends destroyers Guepard, Valmy, and Vaquelin on a desperate mission to Salonika, Greece to embark reinforcements that have made their way there from France with German approval. On their way back, however, the RAF spots them a few hundred miles off the Syrian coast. Rather than lose the ships, the French order the ships to Toulon. This leaves no major French warships in the Levant.

Air War over Europe

RAF Fighter Command sends a Circus mission to Mazingarbe power station, while RAF Coastal Command sends 15 planes on coastal sweeps.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 82 bombers to Aachen marshaling yards and 52 against Osnabruck.

The War Cabinet receives a report, the Air and Home Security Situation Report for the week, that notes, "The German effort by day was again very small." However, "Enemy bombing was somewhat heavier than in previous weeks," with 304 bombers observed overhead as compared to 195 in the previous week. There were 78 people killed and 67 seriously injured.

Battle of the Baltic

The Luftwaffe bombs and sinks Soviet minesweeper Nalim off Guba Zapadnaya Litsa.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-98 on its third patrol out of St. Nazaire, is operating northwest of the Azores when it spots ships dispersed from Convoy OB-341 and sinks two British ships.

German minelayers Hannsestadt Danzig,Preußen and Tannenberg hit mines and sink while en route from Finland to Swinemunde, they apparently ran into a Swedish mine barrage east of Öland, Sweden.

Royal Navy heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire intercepts 4260-ton Panamanian freighter St. Cergue east of southern Iceland. It puts aboard the St. Cergue an armed guard and sends it to Skopenfjord for inspection.

British 97-ton freighter Blue Mermaid hits a mine and sinks about 8 miles off Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. There are two deaths.

Royal Navy minelayers HMS Agamemnon, Menetheus, and Quebec lay Minefield 67A in the North Sea.

Royal Navy submarine HMS P-38 is launched and anti-submarine warfare trawler Birlip is launched.

US submarine USS Flying Fish and minesweeper Skylark are launched, and light cruiser Biloxi is laid down. The Flying Fish is sponsored at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine by the wife of CINCPAC Admiral Husband Kimmel.

Royal Navy battleship HMS Malaya leaves New York Harbor under the command of Captain Cuthbert Coppinger after repairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Malaya was torpedoed twice by U-106 on March 20th 1941 about 250 miles northwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Photo: "HMS Malaya, escorted by tugs, leaving New York harbor after a refit in the United States. Part of the Brooklyn Bridge can be seen in the background," 9 July 1941



Today, she heads out for trials, with her next port of call Halifax, Nova Scotia. There, Malaya will provide protection for a fast convoy. Malaya is nearing the end of her useful service life because she did not undergo an extensive reconstruction during the inter-war years like her sister ships HMS Queen Elizabeth, Warspite, and Valiant.

Photo: "HMS Malaya, escorted by tugs, leaves New York harbor after a refit in the United States. The Statue of Liberty is on the right in the distance." 9 July 1941



U-585 is launched, U-522 is laid down.

Battle of the Mediterranean

There is a flurry of activity at Tobruk, where the Germans bombard the defending Australians with artillery and air attacks. During the attacks, the Royal Navy ships in the harbor scatter, and destroyers HMS Decoy and HMAS Stuart are damaged by near misses as they try to leave for open water, the two ships make it Alexandria but require repair.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Torbay surfaces and sinks German patrol boats LV, LVI and L 12 east of Kithera (Kythera), Greece. Some accounts place this incident on 8 July.

Royal Navy submarine HMS Cachalot departs from Gibraltar for Malta on a supply mission.

RAF Bomber Command mounts several operations today despite some marginal weather conditions. It attacks Naples with 9 Wellington bombers based on Malta, but only 6 make it to the target due to bad weather. The ones that drop their bombs hit the Gare Centrale (main railway station) and some warehouses. Seven Blenheim bombers make a dawn attack on Tripoli Harbor, but four are shot down. Hawker Hurricanes of RAF No. 185 Squadron attack the floatplane base at Syracuse, damaging a total of a dozen seaplanes and floatplanes.

The Luftwaffe attacks Alexandria with 23 planes.

Black Sea Campaign

In a naval action known simply as the Action of 9 July 1941, Romanian torpedo boat NMS Năluca combines with motor torpedo boats Viscolul and Vijelia to sink Soviet Shchuka-class submarine Shch-206 near Mangalia.

Photo: The Romanian torpedo boat Năluca in port



In addition, Soviet minesweepers RTShch-103 and 108, along with gunboat No. 102 also are lost on or close to this date. They apparently sink during the same incident as Shch-206, though that is not certain.

Soviet Military

Soviet aircraft designers are optimistic about the prospects of rocket-powered planes (not jets). They meet to prepare a report to send to Joseph Stalin.

British Government

Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes a speech in the House of Commons regarding the occupation of Iceland by US troops on 7 July. He notes:

The military occupation of Iceland by the forces of the United States is an event of first-rate political and strategic importance; in fact, it is one of the most important things that has happened since the war began.

Soviet Government

Nikolai Voznesensky is tasked with preparing a war production plan for the Soviet economy.

Day 678 of World War II, July 11th 1941

YouTube (Free French vs. Fascist French)



Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

The Soviets mount counterattacks against the advancing panzer spearheads of the Wehrmacht. The attack fails, as have all the others, and it is easy to forget about these bloody battles. However, there is a cumulative effect on the Germans that may not be apparent now - but will tell in the end.

Despite the spectacular successes of the past few weeks, Hitler, who has too much free time on his hands at Rastenburg, is worried. Field Marshal Keitel telephones General Halder, operations boss at OKH, at noon and lists Hitler's concerns:

1. Some following units are closing up too slowly on the most advanced units;

2. The south flank of Army Group North and north flank of Army Group Center are not cooperating together properly, as Hitler thinks that von Bock's troops to the south are not sufficiently helping von Leeb's troops to the north.

3. General Hoepner's 4th Panzer Group is "losing contact" with following infantry because it is moving too quickly.

Halder does not take these concerns very seriously. However, they reflect concerns that Hitler will return to repeatedly and, in some cases (such as the lack of cooperation between Army Groups), will pose real problems down the road as German forces get more stretched.

In the Army Group North sector, the Soviets launch counterattacks against General Hoepner's 4th Panzer Group, but without much effect. The German Army Group is preparing for an advance to the southeast of Leningrad to isolate it. The Soviets are using Nevel as a "straggler collection point" that is setting up divisions to be sent back to the front.

In the Army Group Center, General Guderian's Panzer Group 2 is across the Dnepr and attacking along two axes. General Hoth's Panzer Group 3 is hit by Soviet counterattacks from the southeast and stopped. Hoth's advance units on the south are on the Orsha-Vitebsk highway.

In the Army Group South sector, German Panzer Group 1 is within ten miles of Kyiv. XIV Panzer Corps (General Gustav von Wietersheim and 48 Panzer Corps (General Eberhard von Mackensen) advance to the south of Kyiv and reach the Dnepr River at Kremenchuk. The Germans are at the inner ring of Kiev's defenses but choose not to attack frontally at this time. The Romanian forces on the right flank of the advance have been weakened by Soviet counterattacks and the Germans now feel that they are no longer capable of offensive operations. During the day, the Soviets launch counterattacks at Panzer Group 1 at Berdichev in the south and Zhytomyr in the north.

Photo: German troops of Panzer Group 1 secure the road from Kyiv to Odesa, 11 July 1941



The Germans are keeping a close eye on the Soviet commanders. General Halder notes in his war diary that the commander of Soviet Northwest Front (opposing Army Group North) is Voroshilov, that of Western Front is Marshal Timoshenko, and of Southwest Front, Budenny (Budyonny). Overall, Halder is pleased with the day's fighting, noting that "The bulk of the enemy forces apparently is being taken back to the east."

Continuation War

The Finnish offensive in Karelia toward the Svir River that began on 10 July continues. The Finns are pounding against strong Soviet defenses on the eastern shore of the Jänisjärvi Lake north of Lake Ladoga. Aggressive offensive operations are not a Finnish strength, they are better suited to defensive operations, but they continue attacking in order to open the way south.

Further north in the Salla area, the Finnish 3rd Division of III Corps continues beating against Soviet positions on the Vyonitsa River. Elsewhere, the front is stable today, and the Germans ask the Finns to send reinforcements to get their offensives rolling again. The Finns agree to send Infantry Regiment 14.

Syrian-Lebanon Campaign

The Commonwealth troops continue converging on Beirut from all directions. The situation is hopeless, and the Vichy French navy has evacuated Beirut and headed to Tripoli.

Photo: Shell-fire during the Australian advance along the coast road south of Beirut



Overhead, a Vichy French Dewoitine D.520 fighter shoots down a Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk - the only Tomahawk shot down during the entire campaign. Offshore, during the early morning hours, the Royal Navy sends a squadron from Haifa led by light cruisers HMS Ajax and Phoebe on a sweep along the coast looking for Vichy French shipping, but find none.

At his headquarters in Beirut, General Dentz is busy trying to arrange a ceasefire, followed by an armistice. He reaches an agreement for a ceasefire against the wishes of the Petain regime in France. The terms officially are to go into effect at one minute past midnight on 12 July, but in reality, the fighting is over around 21:00.

Air War over Europe

During the day, RAF Bomber Command sends 6 Stirling bombers of RAF No. 7 Squadron to attack the Le Trait shipyard and Hazebrouck. All of the planes return.

The RAF conducts Circus missions to Lille and Yainville, and a Rhubarb mission to Norrent-Fontes.

After dark, RAF Bomber Command sends 36 Hampdens to attack Wilhelmshaven. The bombs damage a fishing boat and destroy a barrack hut, killing two people.

Battle of the Baltic

German minesweeper M-23 hits a mine and sinks in shallow water off Parnava, Estonia. It is later raised, repaired and returned to service.

Finnish submarine Iko-Tursu lays mines.

Battle of the Atlantic

British 215-ton fishing trawler FV Suzette runs aground in thick fog and is wrecked on Girdle Reef, Peterhead.

The RAF bombs and sinks German 2575-ton transport SS Delos/Donau of the Hamburg America Line off Tobruk.

British 246-ton freighter River Trent hits a mine and is damaged north of Sheringham. It is taken under tow to Great Yarmouth.

Convoy OB-345 departs from Liverpool bound for Halifax, Convoy HX-138 departs from Halifax bound for Liverpool.

Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Felixstowe is commissioned.

Canadian corvette HMCS Algoma is commissioned.

German S-Boat DKM S-49 is commissioned.

Photo: CA-34 USS Astoria at Mare Island Navy Yard on July 11, 1941



Battle of the Mediterranean

Right before dawn, the Luftwaffe (Junkers Ju 88 aircraft of Lehrgeschwader 1, piloted by Gerhard Stamp) catches one of the nightly Royal Navy supply missions to Tobruk as it is withdrawing to Alexandria. At 05:20, the German planes damage destroyer HMS Defender about 60 miles east of Tobruk. Fellow destroyer Vendetta tows Defender for a while, but eventually, Defender settles too low in the water and has to be scuttled. It sinks about seven miles north of Sidi Barrani. There are no deaths and five wounded.

Photo: HMS Defender sinking in the Mediterranean, 11 July 1941



After dark, the Luftwaffe raids Port Said and Ismailia with 52 bombers.

In Malta, the Italians conduct a fierce fighter attack that begins at 13:21. The Macchi 200 fighters strafe Luqa Airfield and destroy a Wellington bomber, damage four Wellingtons, and damage two Marylands. Hawker Hurricanes of RAF No. 185 Squadron intercept the Italian planes and while chasing them north, shooting down three Italian fighters and damaging four others.

Black Sea Campaign

Soviet gunboats BKA-111 and BKA-134 advance into the Danube Estuary. Romanian coastal artillery opens fire and sinks them. Soviet gunboats No. 103 and No. 501 also are lost today, perhaps in this same action.

German Military

Adolf Hitler issues Fuhrer Directive No. 32, "Preparations for the Time After Barbarossa." Reflecting utter confidence in the outcome of the war in the East, the directive begins:

After destruction of the Soviet Armed Forces, Germany and Italy will be military masters of the European Continent, with the temporary exception of the Iberian Peninsula. No serious threat to Europe by land will then remain.

The lengthy directive instructs the Commanders-in-Chief of the different services to "begin the planning and organization" of a list of things to be done once the Soviet Union is defeated. The most salient point in the directive and the only one that comes close to having any impact is Hitler's order that:

The main efforts of the armaments industry can be diverted to the Navy and Air Force.

The directive contemplates a renewed prosecution of the "peripheral strategy" against Great Britain in the Mediterranean. Hitler only gives passing reference to England, noting only that tighter ties with France will further isolate London and that:

In addition to these contemplated operations against the British position in the Mediterranean, the 'Siege of England' must be resumed with the utmost intensity by the Navy and Air Force after the conclusion of the campaign in the East.

Preparations for an invasion of England will continue in the hopes of tying down English forces at home (and thus not in the vital Mediterranean battleground) and "and of bringing about a final English collapse through a landing in England."

The directive also offhandedly contemplates "a German operation from Bulgaria through Turkey" to advance toward the Suez Canal, and "Exploitation of the Arab Freedom Movement." Hitler also has plans for Iran, Afghanistan, and India, which he previously offered to Stalin in exchange for joining his war.

British Military

General Archibald Wavell takes up his new command in India.

Day 680 of World War II, July 13th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

It is three weeks into Operation Barbarossa and, at this point, it has been an unqualified success for the Wehrmacht. If anything, Soviet resistance appears to be waning, and all of the hopes and dreams of the German high command appear to be coming true.

The two sides exchange air raids against important targets today. The Luftwaffe bombs Kyiv, while the Red Air Force attacks Ploesti, Romania. While Kyiv basically is just another large city, Ploesti is the home of Romanian oil fields. Romanian oil is absolutely critical to the health of the German economy and military, and protecting the oil fields is - in Hitler's own words as spoken to Marshal Mannerheim on 4 June 1942 - one of the top reasons Germany invaded the Soviet Union in the first place. The Red Air Force raid causes widespread damage.

Photo: German soldiers load ammunition for use by a StuG III Ausf E assault cannon



In the Far North sector, General Dietl tries to get the stalled offensive rolling beyond the Litsa River toward Murmansk by having the troops attack out of their bridgehead. However, the Soviets are solidly dug in and the attack makes no progress.

In the Army Group Center sector, the roads are bad and the panzers have difficulty making much ground. The Soviets are making a strong stand in Estonia and greatly slowing the German advance toward Leningrad. German 4th Panzer Group captures some footholds on the far side of the Luga River.

In the Army Group Center sector, General Guderian's Second Panzer Group continues its advance across the Dneipr River. Guderian lead troops (29th Motorized Division) are within 18 km (11 miles) of Smolensk, and they are past Mogilev in the direction of Orsha. Due to their speed, the panzers have bypassed several Soviet divisions, and it is up to the following German infantry to capture them. General Franz Halder notes in his war diary that "Guderian's attack is developing surprisingly well." General Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group continues its advance to the northeast of Vitebsk but Nineteenth Army is barely advancing further north.

In the Army Group South sector, the Soviets are determined to make a stand at Kyiv, but elsewhere they continue to retreat. While Romanian Fourth Army is greatly weakened, it continues to advance because the Red Army is shortening its own lines. Seventeenth Army faces few counterattacks, but Soviet artillery is increasing in intensity along the Stalin Line. German Sixth Army and Army Group 1 is in a hard fight at Berdichev but by the end of the day, the Soviets pull back and lose contact with the advance German forces.

At 12:30, General Halder, in his role as chief of operations at OKH (army headquarters), briefs Adolf Hitler at the afternoon strategy conference at the Wolfschanze in Rastenburg (throughout the war, Hitler holds two military strategy conferences every day, roughly at noontime and midnight). Hitler approves Halder's plans, which include:

1. Restrain Army Group Center, meaning Panzer Groups 2 and 3, from continuing the advance on Moscow for the time being. and instead, focus on encircling enemy concentrations at Smolensk.

2. In the Army Group South sector, destroy enemy concentrations southwest of Kyiv around Korosten.

While Hitler goes along with Halder's overall plans, he chips in his own ideas. Hitler has had a lot of free time at Rastenburg to study the map, and this has led him to his own conclusions about strategy. While he does not take complete control over operations, he increasingly has detailed ideas about operations that above the mere tactical, but hardly of strategic import. For instance, today Hitler advises Halder:

1. It is his (Hitler's) opinion that it is more important to destroy Soviet troops than to advance further east.

2. Army Group North needs to prioritize advancing quickly to Lake Ladoga to cut off Leningrad.

3. Hoth's Panzer Group 3 should circle back to take the pressure off of troops on the southern section of Army Group North's front.

4. Terror raids on Moscow to "prevent the orderly evacuation of Government agencies" and counter Soviet propaganda that the Luftwaffe can't do it.

5. Troops are needed in the West for political reasons.

Hitler's ideas at times have some cleverness to them. However, they also are contradictory (he wants to slow down the advance, but apparently speed it up toward Leningrad) and involve using military force for political objectives. Hitler's ideas, at least for the time being, do not interfere with the professional conduct of operations, but it is clear that he wishes to use the military in ways that the generals do not feel is best.

Hitler, in fact, is making Halder miserable. After Halder returns to his own headquarters, thinking that everything has been settled, ObdH (Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch's headquarters) calls him with the news that Hitler has been ranting negatively about the conduct of operations. In particular, Hitler wants certain divisions to move to different locations. This is a new level of interference with military operations. Hitler sends a written order to ObdH just to make sure he is taken seriously (Hitler's military orders invariably are written by General Keitel based on whatever Hitler has been ranting about, who serves the role of Hitler's office boy).

Another, much larger question remains unsettled. The army Generals continue to prefer a quick ride to Moscow, which they feel is entirely feasible. General von Greiffenberg, for instance, calls Halder (or vice versa) and opines that a quick thrust now to Moscow would find little opposition. Field Marshal von Bock sends a teletype later in the day supporting von Greiffenberg's idea. Hitler, however, is dead set against it.

Syrian-Lebanon Campaign

With a ceasefire in place and both sides in basic agreement on the terms (the French make some fuss today, but they are in no position to argue about Britain's generous offer), the only formality remaining to wind up the war is signing an armistice. Today is spent drafting the document, which is planned to be signed at Acre tomorrow.

British 3597-ton tanker Pegasus hits a mine and sinks at Beirut Harbor. This is a friendly-fire incident, as it is a British mine.

Air War over Europe

After dark, RAF Bomber Command decides to raid Bremen, as they have several times recently, with 47 Wellingtons. Bomber Command also sends 20 Wellingtons to Vegesack and 2 to Emden. Weather is poor, though, with thick cloud cover and icing conditions, so most of the planes turn back because they can't find their targets. In the final analysis, only 16 of the bombers claim to have attacked Bremen and one Vegesack, with Emden not hit at all - and just because a bomber claims to have hit a target doesn't mean it actually did. Two of the Wellingtons sent to Bremen fail to return.

Battle of the Baltic

It is common for some to think that the Germans never had any difficulties controlling the Baltic. While for much of the war that is true, at various times the Soviets cause - or at least try to cause - the Kriegsmarine a lot of problems in this supposedly "secure area." Today is one of those times. A collection of Soviet destroyers, motor torpedo boats and bombers attack a German convoy off the coast of Latvia. The Soviet force sinks German landing ship Deutschland in the Gulf of Riga. However, the other German ships escape.

The Kriegsmarine lays mines in the Baltic.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Luftwaffe bombs and damages 4813-ton British freighter Scorton about two miles west of Buoy 57C off Smith's Knoll, Norfolk. The ship is taken in tow to Immingham.

British/Canadian 1780-ton freighter Collingdoc hits a mine and sinks just off Southend Pier in the Thames Estuary. There are two deaths. The ship sinks in very shallow water, and it is refloated in barely a week and towed to Gravesend. However, ultimately the ship is not returned to service and is converted to a hulk for use at Rosyth as a blockship on 28 March 1942.

Convoy WS 9C (Winston Special) forms at sea as ships arrive at a predetermined point from Avonmouth, the Clyde, and Liverpool. Most of the convoy is ultimately destined for Malta in Operation Substance.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Royal Navy submarine HMS Taku torpedoes and sinks 2703-ton Italian freighter Caldea about ten nautical miles (19 km) northwest of Benghazi. Italian torpedo boat Montanari attacks Taku, but the submarine gets away.

After dark, the Luftwaffe conducts more minelaying operations at the Suez Canal with 20 bombers.

At Malta, the weather is poor, with low visibility, so there are only a few enemy bombing attacks. However, invasion fears remain high. The government issues an order requiring all troops to be on "constant standby" in case of an enemy attack. This means that upon the sounding of the General Arm, soldiers must return to their duty stations whether they be on leave, at a rest camp, or anywhere else.

German/Spanish Relations

Spanish volunteers to the Blue Division start leaving Madrid, Spain, heading for Grafenwöhr, Bavaria. Their destiny is to fight alongside the Wehrmacht in the Soviet Union.

Italian occupied Montenegro

There is a partisan uprising against Italian garrison troops known as the "13 July Uprising." This follows closely upon the 12 July proclamation of a restored Kingdom of Montenegro headed by an Italian regent and led by Montenegrin separatist Sekula Drljević and his supporters, known as "Greens" (zelenaši). This is part of the fallout of the recent divvying up of Yugoslavia between Italy, German and their allied partners.

The Communist Party of Yugoslavia, led by a senior Montenegrin member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, Milovan Đilas, initiates the revolt. While the communists begin the rebellion, many ordinary folks and nationalists/monarchists join it. Serb nationalists also get involved. The uprising will last for the rest of the year, and

This type of incident causes a fair amount of eye-rolling in the Wehrmacht. The bitter observation that "the Italians aren't even equal to the bandits" becomes popular.