Battle of the Atlantic

• The British landing ship Prince Philippe (2938t) sinks after a collison with the British steamer Empire Wave west of Scotland.
• The Italian submarine Morosini sinks the British ocean boarding vessel Lady Somers east of the Azores. The entire crew of 138 are picked up by the Spanish steamer Campeche.

Eastern Front

The Soviets counterattack for the next 3 days between Lake Ilmen and Solcy to gain time for the building of further fortifications round Leningrad. The attacking forces lose heavily in their efforts because the troops are very inexperienced. The most the Russians can do, however, is slow down the enemy advance. Their opolcenie divisions, civilian militia recruited in Leningrad, are eager but inexperienced; they are routed and massacred by the German tanks. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of men and women are mobilized to build fortifications. New defense lines are constructed, one from the mouth of the Luga to Chudova, Gatchina, Urick and Pulkove and then along the Neva, another, the 'external' line from Peterhof to Gatchina, Pulkove, Kolpino and Kolrushi, east of the city and north of the Neva. Other lines are prepared in the immediate outskirts of the city ond one in the northern suburbs facing Finland.

On July 15 1941, in the orchards located East of Scheinzy, at 07:00 hours the artillery unleashed its fire on previously reconnoitered targets.

Artillery Opens Fire

In the end 35 miles of anti-tank ditches are dug, 400 miles of barbed wire erected, 16,000 miles of open trenches dug; 5,000 wood and concrete emplacements for guns and machine guns are built, as well as a total of 185 miles of barriers made from felled trees.

As the XLI Panzer Corps approaches Leningrad, thousands of the city's civilians begin to build a cordon of pillboxes, trenches and artillery positions. Near Lake Ilmen, the LVI Panzer Corps is surrounded by the Soviet 11th Army.

The 19th Panzer Div captures Nevel, and the XXXIX Panzer Corps swings south to take Yartsevo and threaten the rear of the Western Front. As the XLVII Panzer Corps bulls its way into Orsha it becomes apparent that the panzer pincers are closing around Smolensk.

German Vehicle Column near Vitebsk

The southern flank of the Soviet Southwestern Front is being encircled as the 17th Army breaks through the Stalin Line near Bar. Meanwhile, the Romanian V Corps is marching toward Kishinev, the capital of Bessarabia.[MORE]

Middle East

British troops enter Beirut. Syria and Lebanon are now under Allied control.

Newfoundland

The United States sets up an air base at Argentia.