Baltic Sea

The Russian transport Sibir, carrying 2,500 wounded from Tallinn, Estonia to Kronstadt (Leningrad), is sunk by German bombers.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British armed merchant cruiser Circassia captures the Italian steamer Stella (4272t) west of Cape Verde Island. She is taken to Bermuda under a prize crew and enters British service named Empire Planet.
• A British bombing attack sinks the German steamer Lotte Halm (1193t) off Borkum.

Britain, Home Front

Clement Attlee broadcasts news of a meeting 'at sea' between Churchill and Roosevelt and the declaration of the Atlantic Charter. This asserts liberal policies that articulate their intentions not to acquire any territories or change national borders without support of the population concerned. People are also to be granted self-determination regarding how they are governed, and equal access is to be given to economic resources. The United States also secretly guarantees to defend any British possessions and to commence search-and-destroy patrols to support Atlantic convoys.

Eastern Front

On this day the Soviets begin the evacuation of their Black Sea naval base of Nikolayev. The operation lasts several days. 8 destroyers of the Black Sea Fleet cover the operation. Of the ships under construction in the port, 13 are far enough advanced to be towed away but 1 battleship, the Sovetskaya Ukraina, and 10 other vessels on the stocks have to be blown up. The Black Sea Fleet is very active in support of land operations whenever possible.

Soviet defenses on the Luga begin to crumble as the XLI Panzer Corps shatters the XLI Rifle Corps. Most of the Soviet unit is encircled close to the river but it then breaks out toward Krasnogvardievsk (now Gatchina). The Germans push forces into the breach, destabilizing the entire Luga position.

In Estonia, the 18th Army strikes Tallinn and Narva. Soviet positions at Narva become untenable, compelling Ivanov to pull back to evade isolation as the German thrust toward Leningrad.

South of Lake Ilmen, the 34th Army continues to attack around Staraya Russa. The 34th has advanced 24 miles in two days.

The XXIV Panzer Corps completes the destruction of the Krichev group, capturing 16,000 Soviet soldiers.

As the 11th Army approaches the Black Sea coast, the retreating 9th Army destroys naval installations at Nikolayev.

With the front line in shambles, the Stavka raises another new command in the central sector. The Bryansk Front, commanded by Gen A. I. Eremenko, the former deputy commander of the West Front under Timoshenko, consists of Gen Petrov's 50th Army of 7 rifle divisions and 1 cavalry division, and Gen Golubev's 13th Army of 8 rifle divisions, 1 tank and 2 cavalry divisions. There are 3 rifle divisions and 1 cavalry divisin in reserve. Eremenko is given the task of halting the easward advance of the 2nd Panzer Group and 2nd Army. Stalin and the Stavka still believe Guderian is about to strike east from Roslavl in order to encircle Moscow. Guderian, however, has begun to turn his forces south, smashing the junction of the Bryansk and Central Fronts even as the Bryansk Front took to the field.

German Raiders

The British steamer Australind (5020t) is sunk by the German raider Komet south of the Galapagos Islands. 2 of the crew are killed, the rest are made prisoners of war.