Battle of the Atlantic

• The British steamer Tunisia (4337t) is sunk by German bombing west of Ireland. 38 of the 43 member crew are lost.
• The British ocean boarding vessel Cavina intercepts the German steamer Frankfurt (5522t) west of the Azores. The ship scuttles herself to avoid capture. 26 of the crew are rescued. A second boatload refuses to be picked up and is lost.

Eastern Front

Gerasimov takes command of the 23rd Army from Pshennikov.

The IX Corps comes under heavy attack and pulls back from the Moscow highway. This movement opens up an escape route for the units of the Central Front trapped around Roslavl.

Potapov's 5th Army counterattacks near Malin with two rifle divisions of the XV Rifle Corps from the west and northwest, the IX Mechanized Corps from the north and the XXII Mechanized Corps from the southeast. Heavy fighting erupts with the LI Corps of the German 6th Army. The XIX Mechanized and XXXI Rifle Corps are engaged in fighting with the XVII Corps, which has attacked along the Korosten railway.

Tyulenev reports to the Stavka and Budenny, denouncing Ponedelin for his failure to evade the German encirclement. The 9th and 18th Armies, fighting outside the pocket, are effectively isolated and are ordered to fall back to the Bug. The isolation of the 6th and 12th Armies around Uman has turned the flank of the 18th Army and has presented the Germans the opportunity to thrust into the rear of the 9th and 18th Armies and reach the Black Sea coast around Nikolayev. Tyulenev is faced with the difficult task of extricating his battered armies and saving what he can to fight on from farther east.

Stukas Attack Soviet Troops

Aerial massacre of Soviet troops conducted by Ju-87 Stuka bombers, vicinity of Smolensk, August 4 1941. (Picture taken by Col Hans Ruef, Stabial LFL 2)

Hitler visits the headquarters of Army Groups Center and South over the next two days to hear the views of his field commanders. All press for the continuation of the advance toward Moscow rather than the diversion of resources onto the flanks. Hitler rejects these opinions on the grounds of economic necessity.

Italian East Africa

Over the next 3 days the South Africans bomb Gondar, the last Italian stronghold in East Africa.

North Africa

Mechili falls to the German attacks in the morning and Rommel immediately begins to organize an advance to Tobruk.

Norway

There is a small operation by the carrier Victorious against Tromso.

Vichy, Policy

Vichy France indicates it will not permit the Axis powers to use its military bases in North Africa.