World War II in real time

Day 784 of World War II, October 24th 1941

YouTube (Martial Law in Moscow, but is the Cavalry coming?)



Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

Major Soviet counterattacks fail in the Leningrad sector. After the fall of Mtensk, an ad hoc formation of 4.Panzer-Division under Colonel Heinrich Eberbach (Kampfgruppe Eberbach) moved from Mtsensk, Russia northward toward Moscow, advancing 18 miles to Chern, on the road to Tula. The last remnants of the Bryansk Pocket surrender. German 9.Armee, freed from the operation, moves to support 3.Panzerarmee at Kalinn but fails to jump start the stalled offensive there. German 3.Panzergruppe was heavily engaged in Kalinin sector. In the south German 1.Panzerarmee was advancing through the Donbas while German 11.Armee was attacking through the Perekop isthmus. The Germans rapidly encircle the major Ukrainian industrial city of Kharkov in the Eastern Ukraine. After five days of heavy fighting Kharkov falls to a coordinated attack by the German 6.Armee and 17.Armee of Army Group South. Infantry divisions from 6.Armee and 17.Armee, using horse-drawn artillery and supplies, take Kharkov without any tanks or armored vehicles which have been diverted for Operation Typhoon. However, most heavy industry has been moved East beyond the Ural mountains (over 70 factories dismantled and loaded onto 320 trains) and the city is defended only by Soviet 216th Rifle Division. The Soviet 28th Army withdraws in good order. This city would change hands four times during the course of the war.

The Luftwaffe conducts the last raid on Moscow with only eight airplanes. But the air force is successful in other ways when the Kommodore of JG 3, Major Günther Lützow, shoots down his one hundredth aircraft, becoming the first pilot since Oberst Werner Mölders to ever do so. Like Oberst Mölders, Major Lützow is immediately banned from any further operational flying.

Odessa massacre continues. At 1700 hours, Romanian troops set fire to 3 warehouses at Dalnik containing the survivors, mainly women and children, from yesterday’s machinegunning. A fourth building with the men is left until tomorrow.

Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command sends 70 aircraft to attack Frankfurt and 12 aircraft to attack Emden overnight.

No. 137 Squadron RAF begins operations over Europe equipped with the Westland Whirlwind.

Battle of the Mediterranean

German submarine U-563 attacked Allied convoy HG-75 300 miles west of Gibraltar at 0038 hours, damaging British destroyer HMS “Cossack” with a torpedo; 159 were killed, 60 survived. At 0636 hours, U-564 joined in on the attack, sinking British ships “Carsbreck”, “Ariosto”, and “Alhama”; 30 were killed, 96 survived. After some successful attacks in the morning against convoy HG-75, U-564 was attacked twice in the evening, first by an aircraft with one bomb and 3 hours later by an escort with depth charges. The boat sustained no damage.

Photo: The Tribal class destroyer HMS Cossack (F03) underway on completion



After sundown, British minelaying cruiser HMS “Abdiel” and destroyers HMS “Kandahar”, HMS “Kingston”, and HMS “Griffin” departed Alexandria, Egypt with troops and supplies for Tobruk, Libya, returning with troops of Australian 9th Division early in the next day.

The last combat between a Gloster Gladiator and a CR-42 occurs near Ambazzo, when a 3 Squadron RSAAF (Royal South African Air Force) intercepts an Italian fighter.

Image: a Gloster Gladiator belonging to the Royal South African Air Force



British vessel “Empire Guillemot” sunk by Axis bombers.

The taking over process at Tobruk continued amid air raids albeit well away from the 2nd Black Watch Battalion area. The handing over was recorded by the Australian CO for broadcasting over the Australian networks. Colonel Rusk the CO spoke along with Captain Stirling and Piper Ogilvie played on his chanter. The 2/15 Australians started leaving at 2015 hours for Egypt. Captain Dalrymple became the Divisional, and Lt McLeod the Brigade, liaison officers. D Coy and the rear party arrived.

Japan

The three Squadron Leaders of the AVG, Robert Sandell (1st Sq.), John Newkirk (2nd Sq.) and Arvid Olson (3rd Sq.) flew a reconnaissance mission into Thailand for signs of a Japanese build-up, but found nothing.

Japanese aircraft carrier IJN “Soryu” departed Yokosuka. Japanese aircraft carrier IJN “Zuikaku” departed Sukumo Bay for Saeki Bay and arrived the same day.

Japan

Soviets halt aid to Nationalist Chinese government.

Nine Ki-43s of the 59th Sentai flew the first operational mission by this aircraft, a sortie over Henyang.

Day 786 of World War II, October 26th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

Leningrad Front and Soviet 54th Army swap commanders. General Fedyuninsky, the better fighting general, moves from Leningrad to take command of 54th Army which is now defending against the German advance on the railhead at Tikhvin. General Mikhail Khozin is relieved of 54th Army to take charge in Leningrad (he is familiar with the area having commanded Leningrad Front in 1938).

German Army Group Center continues to push toward Moscow against stiffening resistance. Soviet government declares Tula under state of siege, with emergency measures for defending the city and suppressing unrest.

Continuation War

Finnish 8th Division of II Corps makes contact with 14th Division west of Lake Segozero.

Air War over Europe

The RAF Bomber Command attacks Hamburg with 115 bombers.

RAF Fighter Command flew sweep and Rhubarb operations. RAF Bomber Command sends 17 aircraft to attack Cherbourg overnight.

Battle of the Mediterranean

The relief of the Australians at Tobruk ended as the British 70th Division, the Polish Carpathian Brigade and supporting armored units begin to settle in their new positions. At least one ship, the minelayer HMS “Latona”, has been lost to Stuka dive-bombers.

Photo: Soldiers from each of five different allied armies fighting together against the Germans and Italians in Tobruk, Libya. From the left they are Polish, British, Indian, Australian and Czech



Battle of the Atlantic

At 03.54 hours, U-83 badly damages British fighter catapult ship HMS “Ariguani” with a torpedo (2 killed, survivors taken off by British corvette HMS “Campion” including those rescued 2 days ago from torpedoed steamer SS “Carsbreck”). HMS “Ariguani” will be towed to Gibraltar, decommissioned, repaired and returned to service as a merchant ship in January 1944. U-71 fires 4 torpedoes at an unidentified escort boat (all miss). The escort then counterattacks with depth charges for 7 hours, severely damaging U-71 which is forced to return to base.

Battle of the Pacific

The submarines USS “Narwhal” (SS 167) and USS “Dolphin” (SS 169) arrived off Wake Island on simulated war patrols.

Photo: The U.S. Navy submarine V5, renamed USS Narwhal (SS-167), underway in 1931



Japan

IJN “Soryu” Arrived at Kagoshima. Flag of Carrier Division 2 moved from “Hiryu” to “Soryu”.

The Japanese flew a reconnaissance sortie over Kyedaw to perform reconnaissance on the AVG. Five P-40s made a fruitless effort to intercept them.

Day 789 of World War II, October 28th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

General Winter begins to assist the Soviet defence of Moscow. The German attacks suffer their own weakness, but the soft muddy ground and severe frosts at night damage machinery and weaken the soldiers further. They are not equipped with proper clothing for fighting in these conditions. German 1.Panzerarmee is attacking toward Rostov. Guderian’s forces near Tula make the major effort during this time. These movements make little headway. Volokolamsk further north falls to the Germans. 316th Rifle Division (Panfilov) had been furiously fighting the Germans in front of Volokolamsk since 15 Oct but on 28 Oct, against Stalin’s orders, they abandoned Volokolamsk in disorder. Rokossovski and Panfilov were both criticized for their handling of this battle. 316th Rifle Division then rallied to defend Volokolamsk highway. German 11.Armee pursues retreating Soviet forces into the Crimea.

Six high-ranking Soviet generals and commissars -- Smuschkevich, Shtern, Rychagov, Loktionov, Savchenko, and Proskurov – were executed by Beria's NKVD for treason. Soviet General Grigoriy Savchenko was executed without trial. Nikolai Rychagov, Rychagov's wife, and other accused conspirators were executed by the Soviets near Kuibyshev (now Samara), Russia. General Yakov Smushkevich, commander of the Soviet Air Force from 1939 to 1940 who had overseen its poor performance during the Winter War with Finland, is executed.

34,000 Jews were massacred in Kiev, Ukraine. More elderly Jews from a convalescent home in Kalisz, Poland, are taken away in gassing vans.

By order of the Nazis, the entire population of the Kovno ghetto, some 27,000 Jews, assembled in the main square at daybreak this morning. The SS commander, Rauca, stood on a hillock, his dog by his feet. Eating sandwiches and drinking coffee, he pointed the way for each one with his finger. He sent the younger and healthier people to the left. Young children, the old and the sick went to the right. To the left meant life, albeit in slavery; to the right, death. It is thought that some 10,000 Jews were thus condemned to die.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Axis forces rehearsed for the planned assault on the besieged city of Tobruk, Libya. Rommel is preparing an all-out assault on the besieged Allied garrison at Tobruk, which is frustrating his plans to move on British interests in Egypt. He cannot afford to leave this threat to his rear and he needs the port as a forward supply base. German and Italian infantry rehearse storming bunkers, engineers plan routes through minefields and artillerymen range targets among the Allied defenses. Meanwhile Rommel plans a 2 week vacation in Italy with his wife Lucie, to celebrate his 50th birthday.

Battle of the Atlantic

At 0500 hours 320 miles Northeast of the Azores, U-432 finishes the attack on convoy HG-75 sinking British SS “Ulea” (19 killed, 9 survivors picked up by British corvettes HMS “La Malouine” and HMS “Bluebell”).

Japan

IJN aircraft carrier “Shokaku” arrived at Sasebo.

During the day the Japanese again flew a reconnaissance sortie over Kyedaw. The AVG again made a fruitless effort to intercept them, even as one of the intercepting pilots, Eriksen Shilling of the 2nd Sq. got close enough to count five aircraft.

China

Zang Shiyi signed a document in Nanjing, China that formally recognized Manchukuo's recognition of fellow Japanese-sponsored puppet state in the formal Chinese capital.

Day 791 of World War II, October 30th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

Operation Typhoon halts until the colder winter weather arrives. Kampfgruppe Eberbach of German 4.Panzer-Division began to advance north from Tula toward Moscow at 0530 hours; it was soon turned back by heavy anti-tank fire. Another attempt was made at 1000 hours, again at 1300 hours, and a final time at 1600 hours, inflicting heavy casualties on the Soviets but failing to break through. Tula’s Soviet defenders (Workers Militia and NKVD 156th Regiment) suffer severe losses, mainly to German artillery, but just manage to hold their ground. Army Group Center reports heavy fighting in the Volkolamsk, Mozhaisk and Kaluga areas. Although successful in these battles, the Germans call a temporary halt in their advance on Moscow as Soviet counter attacks, depleted supply levels, and the worsening weather conditions make attack difficult. The deep mud from autumn rains has immobilized the German vehicles. Until winter fully sets in, the soft muddy ground will not allow them sufficient mobility to continue. During the night, Soviet 32nd Tank Brigade arrived to reinforce Tula, and Tula is safe. While fighting will continue at Tula and elsewhere on the Mozhaysk line for the next few weeks, the German advance on Moscow grinds to a halt until the Russian mud freezes over.

German 132.Infanterie-Division (Generalleutnant Rudolf Sintzenich) (part of 11.Armee) reached the outskirts of Sevastopol, beginning a siege, which would last for 9 months. After sundown, Soviet cruiser “Krasnyi Kavkaz” brought in the Soviet 8th Naval Infantry Brigade from Novorossiysk to beef up the defenses at Sevastopol. Black Sea Fleet moves WWI-era battleship “Parizhskaya Kommuna”, cruiser “Molotov” and smaller warships out of Sevastopol to safety in Caucasian ports while 3 cruisers and 3 destroyers are left to aid in the defense of the city as floating gun batteries.

Battle of the Atlantic

German submarine U-106 damaged oiler USS “Salinas” 700 miles east of Newfoundland at 0900 hours. The destroyer USS “Lea” (DD 118) escorted the USS “Salinas” which would reach port under her own power. The two ships would be joined en route by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCG “Campbell” and tug USS “Cherokee” (AT-66). While USS “Salinas” limped to Argentia, Newfoundland for repairs, U-106 was chased by escort vessels for nine hours, surviving but sustaining serious damage. U-81 was attacked and severely damaged by the Catalina aircraft Z from RAF No. 209 Sqn.

The British cabinet received the report that, in the week ending 29 Oct 1941, 886 ships (including 24 ships flying flags of neutral nations) were convoyed; 113 destroyers (including 24 American destroyers), 117 smaller ships, and 9 anti-aircraft ships were deployed as convoy escorts. During the war thus far, a total of 86,687 ships had been convoyed, of which 451 were lost by enemy action. In terms of goods transported, the report indicated that, in the week ending 25 Oct 1941, 1,435,869 tons of supplies were imported into Britain, which was an increase from 789,286 tons from the previous seven-day period. 262 civilians have been killed and 361 injured in air raids this month.

Air War over Europe

RAF Hudson bombers have struck a body blow at the German Navy’s supply system in the northern seas. A raid on the Norwegian port of Aalesund is thought to have left six supply ships irreparably damaged. The Hudsons flew through driving snow over the North Sea to find a target lit by moonlight. One pilot described how he hit his target from 30 feet before flying across the town at rooftop height, firing machine guns. He then put incendiary bombs through a factory roof. Norwegians resent occupation more than the raids.

No. 607 Squadron RAF goes into action with the Hawker Hurricane fighter-bomber known as the Hurribomber. They will take over the ‘Channel Stop’ anti-shipping operations from No. 2 Group.

The first production Avro Lancaster heavy bomber makes its first flight today. It has four 1,280 h-p Merlin XX engines and with its dorsal and ventral gun turrets weighs in at 60,000 lb.

Image: Cutaway drawing of the Avro Lancaster B Mark I bomber



Battle of the Mediterranean

RAF aircraft attack Gambut and Bardia.

Battle of the Pacific

MacArthur requests recall of Grunert and was appointed Department commander in his stead.

Photo: Aerial view of Pearl Harbor, October 30, 1941 - Note the aircraft carrier in front of Battleship row

Day 793 of World War II, November 1st 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

At 06:00, German and Finnish artillery open fire on the front west of Loukhi. Shortly thereafter, a major Axis attack commences. The Axis objective in this sector has been to cut the Murmansk railway line and thus isolate further the Soviet Union from its western allies. Despite some promising gains toward Loukhi in August, this sector has been dormant since 23 August 1941, when Finnish Major General Hjalmar Siilasvuo halted his attack due to increased Soviet resistance.

Photo: A German infantry soldier in the march on the Eastern Front while holding a MG-34 machine gun with an ammunition belt on his shoulder



The situation in November is different than it had been in August, however. For one thing, the Red Army has had over two months to reinforce its troops and build fortifications. In the typically convoluted command arrangements that Germany always creates with its allies, the Axis forces are under the command of both Finnish and German commanders, with the Finnish commanders having operational control and the German ones strategic - at least theoretically. The reality in such situations, though, is somewhat different than the diagram of command arrangements. For instance, in North Africa, General Rommel has primarily Wehrmacht forces, so he basically ignores his Italian "minder." On the Finnish Front, the forces are primarily Finnish - both in numbers and quality - so, the local commander is Finnish and he basically has control. In practice, this means that Maj. Gen. Hjalmar Siilasvuo’s Finnish III Army Corps, which technically is subordinated to Gen. Falkenhorst’s German Gebirgsarmee Norwegen, has control. The Axis forces include the SS Division Nord, meaning that this is the only time during World War II when an SS division fights under foreign (non-German) command.

Photo: Soviet field guns and troops near Leningrad, Russia, 1 Nov 1941



Another difference is the weather. This temperature when this attack opens is minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit. This is one situation when winter weather actually favors the Axis troops, as the Finnish troops proved during the 1939-40 Winter War that they operate better in extreme cold than do the Soviet troops (or German troops, for that matter). Thus, opening this offensive as winter starts to bite has some advantages from the Wehrmacht perspective.

Photo: T-34 tank and its crew prepare to ambush Wehrmacht troops on the Volokolamskoye highway northwest of Moscow, 1 November 1941



The Finns have proven to be experts at "motti" tactics in the marshy and forested terrain, so having them in command makes sense to everyone. There is one problem, however, which is that the Finns have proven unwilling to pursue the objectives that the Germans want. For instance, the Finns have refused to attack Leningrad from the north despite the Wehrmacht asking them to do so. In addition, they have refused to advance beyond the Svir River into territory that historically has been Russian. The Finns view themselves as co-belligerents, not allies, which makes cooperation tricky at times. Thus, having the Finns in operational control also means that they can stop their attacks when the Germans think they should continue. In short, the Germans have mounting suspicions about the Finnish desire to do more than simply occupy lost territory and defeat the Red Army. This making having Finnish commanders deciding the course of operations problematic for Falkenhorst. However, everything goes well for German-Finnish cooperation. General Siilasvuo sends the SS Division Nord on a sweeping hook to the left while two Finnish Divisions (Group J and Group F) attack directly. The Finns use their proven tactics of infiltrating the Soviet lines, while the SS men only have to manage not to get lost in the woods while trying the outflank the entire Soviet defensive line. Everything goes well during the first day, and the SS division advances an impressive five miles before running into another Soviet defensive line. The Soviets take heavy casualties and the Axis troops take many hundreds of prisoners. Two Soviet regiments are quickly surrounded and eventually eliminated. Things suddenly look better for the Axis in the far north, but actually getting to the Murmansk railroad remains to be achieved.

Battle of the Atlantic

American PBY Catalina aircraft provided air cover for Atlantic convoy ON 30.

Three US destroyers, screening Atlantic convoy HX 157, carried out depth charge attacks on sound contacts off St. John's, Newfoundland.

German submarine U-68 sank British ship “Bradford City” 300 miles off German South-West Africa at 0654 hours; all 45 aboard survived in 2 lifeboats. U-68 accidentally collided with the sinking ship but did not suffer serious damage.

Germany

A formal statement from Adolf Hitler claimed that the United States "has attacked Germany" and that Roosevelt had been placed before the "tribunal" for world judgment. Germany disputed the American account of the sinking of the “Reuben James” and claimed that a German submarine only attacked after American destroyers attacked German submarines first.

General der Gebirgstruppe Rudolf Konrad was named the commanding officer of the German 7th Mountain Division. Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was made the commanding officer of the 9th Staffel in the German Nachtjagdgeschwader 2.

Reinhard Heydrich sends out invitations for a meeting to be held to organize "a comprehensive solution for the Jewish question". This conference was originally scheduled to be held on December 9th, 1941 at 16 Am Kleinen Wannsee but was changed on December 4th to an SD guest house at 56-58 Am Grossen Wannsee.

Air War over Europe

RAF Bomber Command sends 134 aircraft to attack Kiel overnight.

A newly issued Typhoon fighter of British No. 56 Squadron plunged into the ground near East Harling, Norfolk, England, , killing Pilot Officer J. F. Deck. Subsequent investigations revealed that he had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning leading to the entire Typhoon fleet being grounded for modifications to cockpit sealing and the fitting of improved extended exhausts, although the problem was never satisfactorily resolved.

RAF Fighter Command flew a Ramrod operation. RAF Bomber Command sends 16 aircraft to attack airfields in Brittany. RAF Bomber Command sends 30 aircraft to attack Brest and Le Havre overnight. RAF Bomber Command sends 13 aircraft on anti-shipping and minelaying operations overnight.

Battle of the Mediterranean

Italy begins the conversion of the passenger liner SS “Roma” into the first Italian aircraft carrier, later named “Aquila” ("Eagle"). The conversion will halt in an incomplete state when Italy surrenders to the Allies in September 1943 and will never be finished.

By November 1941, the garrison at Malta now boasted 30,000 men with first class equipment, 80 Hurricanes and 105 assorted bombers (Wellingtons, Blenheims, Marylands, Swordfish and Albacores). Ack Ack defences consisted of 1400 guns. The Island also had a sufficient food supplies for the next five months. Malta had endured 350 bombing raids. Over 2500 houses had been destroyed or seriously damaged. 340 people had been killed and another 680 injured – only the Island’s rock shelters had prevented greater casualties. Throughout the summer of 1941, the Italian air force had employed every type of bomb in their attempt to conquer Malta. At 0132 hours four Axis bombers approached the island. Three crossed the coast and dropped bombs on Lazaretto Creek, Manoel and Valletta. One Cant 1007 was engaged by a Hurricane just before being illuminated by searchlights, burst into flames and was destroyed. A direct hit was made on the Manoel Island AA position killing five members of 7th Heavy AA Regiment, Royal Artillery. During the raids a large number of anti-personnel bombs were dropped. Civilian casualties 2 wounded, 4 killed.

United States Military

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8929 which placed the U.S. Coast Guard under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Navy for the duration of the national emergency.

US Marine Corps established the 2nd Joint Training Force at Camp Elliot, California, United States under Major General Clayton B. Vogel. It was composed of the US Marine Corps 2nd Marine Division and the US Army 3rd Infantry Division.

War Department reluctantly opens a secret language school at Crissey Field under the 4th Army at the Presidio of San Francisco, with four Nisei instructors and 60 students, 58 of which are Nisei. This was the first class of the Military Intelligence Language School. Military Intelligence Service (MIS). On May 1, 1942, the 4th Army Language School held a small graduation ceremony for about 40 Nisei and two Caucasian reserve officers. Ten students were held back to serve as instructors. The rest were on their way within days to serve in overseas assignments. Before the end of the war, the school, which was renamed the Military Intelligence Service Language School, would train over 4,800 Japanese linguists.

Arthur Compton sends draft copies of the National Academy of Sciences report to Vannevar Bush and Frank Jewett which clearly defines the possibility of creating a bomb out of U-235. Dunning and Booth have made considerable progress in developing a gaseous diffusion process by using brass barriers with the zinc etched out making the material porous. With this process they were able to enrich a considerable amount of uranium. Compton issues the final NAS report, highlighting the importance of conducting further research on the feasibility of a U-235 bomb. The report is delivered to FDR by Vannevar Bush on November 27.

Robert Shivers of the FBI discovers that there is a line from the cooks quarters in the Japanese Council General's office that is not being tapped. The Navy had been tapping all other lines for the last two years. Shivers taps this one missed phone line. The Army determines that the leak in the White House has been plugged and agrees to begin giving the White House Magic information again, but by this time Roosevelt is agitated with the Army to the point that he insists that the Navy be the only service that provides him with intelligence debriefings.

Battle of the Pacific

Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team of the US Navy in Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii reported that all Japanese Navy call signs had changed.

US Navy formed the Pacific Escort Force at Pearl Harbor to protect transports and certain merchant vessels carrying troops and valuable military cargoes between Hawaii and the Far East.

HMAS “Australia”, (cruiser), arrived at Desolation Island to search for a German raider. The cruiser laid a minefield before departing. Post-war records showed the island had been used by the raider “Orion” for a refit, some time before “Australia’s” visit.

Japanese marine staff officers Suzuki and Maejima arrived in Pearl Harbor.

Japanese Military

The Japanese Cabinet conference reaffirms that diplomacy has failed and Japan must go to war. The Japanese Combined Fleet Order No. 1 - the plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor, Malaya and the Dutch East Indies is issued. It also called for additional radio communications to be generated to make US cryptanalytic efforts more difficult. The Japanese Navy changes all their call signs for its ships and shore installations.

IJN aircraft carrier “Akagi” departed Ariake Bay, but returned the same day.

Japanese Navy Captain Gihachi Takayanagi (former commanding officer of battleship “Ise”) relieved Rear Admiral Shutoku Miyazato as the Chief Equipping Officer of Battleship No. 1, as Miyazato was being transferred to become the Chief of Personnel for Kure Naval District.

China

The "North China Political Affairs Committee" enforced the 3rd Public Security Enforcement Movement.

Zhao Chengshou, a Nationalist Party of China general from Wutai County, Shanxi, began to distance himself from the Japanese and the Chinese collaborators.

Day 795 of World War II, November 3rd 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

In the Leningrad area, German forces of Army Group North continue to attempt to isolate the city by attacking Tikhvin a railway center 100 miles east of the city. Fighting is fierce and the Soviet counterattacks are ineffective. The Soviet counterattacks will be aimed at some of the strongest German positions. Further south, Kursk falls to German units at the junction of Army Group Center and Army Group South. German 2.Panzerarmee attacked Tula while other German units captured Kursk 180 miles to the southwest to protect the southern flank of the assault toward Moscow. Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that the first cold wave had hit Russia, bringing temperatures to the freezing point.

Photo: German infantry in winter camouflage outfits in a village



Battle of the Atlantic

Convoy SC-52 was attacked by several U-boats. German submarine U-202 sank British ships “Flynderborg” (3 were killed, 21 survived) and “Gretavale” (38 were killed, 6 survived) of Allied convoy SC-52 200 miles northeast of Newfoundland at 0500 hours. At 1828 hours, U-203 attacked the same convoy, sinking British ships “Everoja” (all 41 aboard survived) and “Empire Gemsbuck” (all 43 aboard survived).

Battle of the Mediterranean

RAF bombers attack targets near Syracuse and Licata, Sicily. Two Hurricanes from RAF No. 185 squadron made an offensive sweep over southern Sicily and machine gunned two moving goods trains, one at Noto, the other at Rosolini.

British submarine “Utmost” returned to Malta from special service in Gulf of Hammamet and patrol off Kuriat, where the only target was an MV aground after “Urge’s” attack. As unloading was going on, a torpedo was fired (which hit the bottom) and 50 rounds of high explosive were fired accidently. Polish submarine “Sokol” returned from patrol of Naples, having obtained hit on “Citto de Palermo” and destroyed a 4,000 ton MV off Vito by gunfire.

HMA Ships “Napier” and “Nizam”, (destroyers), landed troops of the British 50th Division at Famagusta, Cyprus.

Japanese Government

The leaders of the Japanese government, including Emperor Hirohito and top military commanders, attend a conference to discuss relations with the United States on 3 November 1941. With negotiations having broken down, the discussion is oriented toward how and where to attack, not whether to attack. The outcome of the conference is Top Secret Order No. 1, which directs that in 34 days time, the military forces of Imperial Japan are to attack the United States Fleet in Hawaii, the Philippines, Malaya, and the Netherlands East Indies.

The Japanese plan calls for the Japanese Combined Fleet to occupy Rabaul, Bismarck Islands, which is an Australian naval base per League of Nations mandate, and use it as a Japanese forward base. Admiral Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, formally presents his operational plan for the attack on the United States fleet base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Chief of the Japanese Naval General Staff Admiral Osami Nagano approves the plan.

After the conference with the Emperor, Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, commander-in-chief of the First Air Fleet which comprises the Imperial Japanese Navy's main aircraft carrier force, goes to aircraft carrier Akagi and holds his own conference. He summons his main commanders and informs them of the decision to attack the United States and Great Britain bases, including US protectorate the Philippines, and other targets. This is the first that many commanders learn of the attack plan. Many of Nagumo's subordinates privately grumble that Nagumo, who is frail and elderly, is not the right man to lead the leading Japanese naval forces during such a crucial period.

United States Government

US Ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew, who of course is unaware of the secret Japanese conference, sends a lengthy secret telegram today to Secretary of State Cordell Hull. He warns that "the view that war probably would be averted... is an uncertain and dangerous hypothesis upon which to base considered United States policy and measures." He notes that "In Japan political thought ranges from the medieval to liberal ideas and public opinion is thus a variable quantity." He concludes:

It would be shortsighted for American policy to be based upon the belief that Japanese preparations are no more than saber rattling, merely intended to give moral support to the high-pressure diplomacy of Japan. Japan may resort with dangerous and dramatic suddenness to measures which might make inevitable war with the United States.

Grew does not know it, but before he even sends this telegram, Japan already has committed to such a dangerous and dramatic path, which Grew further notes would be a "suicidal struggle with the United States."

A Joint Board meeting is held in Washington. Marshall stated that there would only be enough B-17’s in the Philippines to “have a deterrent effect on Japanese operations.” The Joint Board concurred in opposing the State Department’s hard line towards Japan and advocated the US making minor concessions to buy time.

U.S. Secretary of State Hull released to the press the correspondence of June and September detailing the German refusal to pay reparations for sinking U.S. freighter “Robin Moor” on May 21, 1941.

West Indies

HMS “Indomitable” runs aground during work-up in West Indies and departure for Trincomalee delayed.

Day 797 of World War II, November 5th 1941

Eastern Front - Operation Barbarossa

German Army Group North is attacking toward Tikhvin as German 1.Panzerarmee is pushing toward Rostov. A choice had to be made about whether to continue the drive of the Ostheer – the Army in the East – into the depths of Russia. German soldiers had won a great victory in front of Moscow in October, but the need to round up prisoners, stretched supply lines, and the beginning of the autumn mud season – the rasputitsa – had prevented the anticipated fall of Stalin’s capital. One choice was to go into winter quarters, consolidating the military position, refitting units, and putting supply lines in order. The Ostheer had virtually no reserves left, and many of the front-line commanders saw that their troops were exhausted. The men in overall command of the German forces, however, favored a continued offensive. This was based on the assumption that the Red Army was incapable of further resistance.

Photo: "Die Wehrmacht," the official OKW publication, shows train cars full of Soviet POWs on the cover of its 5 November 1941 issue. As can be seen, the cars are open to the elements as winter sets in



Battle of the Atlantic

The search for the German raider reported by the British RFA oiler “Olwen” the previous day continued. Vice Admiral Algernon U. Willis, the Commander in Chief South Atlantic, informed British ships of the unsuccessful efforts by two light cruisers and three destroyers involved in the search the previous day.

Four U-boats -- U-81, U-205, U-433, U-565 -- begin moving from France through Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean.

Photo: The U.S. Navy light cruiser USS Honolulu (CL-48) operating off Hawaii on November 5th 1941, with her aircraft recovery mat draped over her stern. The ship is painted in dark Measure 1 camouflage, but her boats are still in peacetime light grey



Battle of the Mediterranean

RAF attacks Benghazi overnight with 24 Wellington bombers.

Photo: New Zealand troops entering Libya from Egypt through the defensive wire, November 1941



US/Japanese Relations

In Tokyo the Japanese government decides to attempt to negotiate a settlement with the United States, setting a deadline of the end of November. The Japanese government sends Saburo Kurusu to Washington to help with negotiations with the Americans on a settlement to the question of Japan’s role in South-east Asia. The US rejects the offer because the Japanese will not repudiate the Tripartite Agreement with Italy and Germany and because the Japanese wish to maintain bases in China. The US code breaking service continues to intercept all Japanese diplomatic communication.

Japanese troops currently occupy parts of China and French Indo-China. To prevent further Japanese expansion, the Netherlands, USA and Britain block exports to Japan, particularly oil. The new Prime Minister of Japan (General Hideki Tōjō), Chief of the Imperial Japanese Naval General Staff (Admiral Osami Nagano) and Emperor Hirohito agree on war if final diplomatic initiatives fail. Japanese leaders will go to war with the United States, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands in early Dec 1941 should diplomatic relations with the US did not improve by 1 Dec. The Japanese Navy are issued secret orders to prepare for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The secret move follows the Japanese decision to carry out a simultaneous attack on Malaya and Philippines to get to the oilfields of the Dutch East Indies. Some commanders were reluctant to attack the Philippines, which are US territory, and bring the USA into the war, and a pre-emptive strike was seen as essential to hamper US defence efforts. However, Japan’s leaders agree that before any attack there should be one last attempt at a negotiated deal on Japan’s role in Far East. If this fails, Japan and the USA will be at war before Christmas.

In the Sea of Japan 200 miles South of Vladivostok, USSR, Japanese passenger ship “Kehi Maru” sinks on a Soviet mine 75 miles off the coast of Korea (131 killed from 80 crew and 430 passengers). The incident strains relations between USSR and Japan.

United States

Cordell Hull had learned, via Magic intercepts of Japanese messages to Kichisaburo Nomura, that 25 Nov 1941 was Japan's final deadline for the decision on war. The US Congress votes to stay in session indefinitely because of the serious situation with Japan.

Marshall and Stark send a six-point memorandum to FDR outlining the position taken by the Joint Board on November 3. FDR is specifically informed that there would be insufficient B-17’s in the Philippines to serve as a “positive threat” to the Japanese until mid-December and that it would be February or March before air power in the Commonwealth was sufficient to be a “deciding factor in deterring Japan”. This memorandum further sets out that a Japanese attack on British or Dutch possessions or a threatening Japanese assault on Siam would lead to an American declaration of war.

Battle of the Pacific

Joseph Rochefort's cryptanalytic team in US Territory of Hawaii detected improvements in security of Japanese naval communications and the recall of some of the merchant ships back to home waters.

General Short rewrites the SOP for alerts at Hawaii in the following format:

Alert No. 1: This alert is a defense against acts of sabotage and uprising within the islands, with no threat from without.

Alert No. 2: this alert is applicable to a condition more serious than Alert No. 1. Security against attacks from hostile sub-surface, surface, and air-craft, in addition to defense against acts of sabotage and uprising, is provided.

Alert No. 3: This alert requires the occupation of all field positions by all units, preparing for maximum defense of OAHU and the Army installations on the outlying islands.
General Short names Colonel Walter C. Philips as his new Chief of Staff.

Japanese marine staff officers Suzuki and Maejima left Pearl Harbor.

RN battleship “Prince of Wales” arrives at Freetown en route to Singapore.

Rear Admiral Francis W. Rockwell relieved Captain Herbert J. Ray as Commandant, Sixteenth Naval District and Commander, Philippine Naval Coastal Frontier. Ray had been acting in that capacity due to the illness of Rear Admiral Harold M. Bemis.

Japan military

IJN aircraft carrier “Shokaku” departs Ariake Bay.