Battle of the Atlantic

• In attacks on Convoy OG-71 U-564 sinks the British steam tug Empire Oak (484t) and the Irish steamer Clonlara (1203t) west of Aveiro, Portugal. 19 on board the Empire Oak are lost, 19 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Campanula. 19 are lost on the Clonlara, 13 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Campion.
• The British netlayer Tonbridge is sunk by German bombing east of Scroby Elbow Buoy off Yarmouth with the loss of 35 of her crew.

Eastern Front

German sources give the losses suffered by the Russians during the first two months since the invasion as 1,250,000 prisoners, 14,000 tanks, 15,000 guns and 11,250 aircraft. The dead, according to the Germans, must number over three and a half million. Soviet sources give lower figures.

The retreating Soviet 8th Army comes under sustained attacks from XXVI and XXXVIII Corps. Farther south, the LVI Panzer Corps and X Corps defeat the Soviet 34th Army and reach the Lovat River. In this engagement the Soviet formation loses 12,000 troops captured and 140 tanks and 240 artillery pieces destroyed. To date Army Group North has lost 80,000 mend since June 22. Since July 10, the Soviet Northern Front has lost 40,500 killed and missing, and a further 15,000 wounded.

The German 19th and 20th Panzer and 110th and 121st Infantry Divs begin the attack against Velikiye Luki.

As the Soviet 9th and 18th Armies withdraw across the Dnieper River, the German 6th Army launches a major assault against Red Army defenses before Kiev.[MORE]

Norwegian Sea

The British submarine Trident sinks the German steamer Ostpreussen (3030t) northwest of Soroya, Norway.

Occupied France

German authorities in Paris threaten to shoot hostages if attacks on German troops continue. 20,000 troops are searching the city for suspects.

Soviet Union, Home Front

The ongoing disasters that are befalling the Red Army force the Stavka to reorganize its forces yet again. Glavkom Northwest is disbanded, as is the Northern Front. 2 new fronts are created: Karelian and Leningrad.

Birthday of the Famous ‘Hundred Grams’

August 22, 1941 came in history as the birthday of the famous ‘hundred grams’. On this day, the Chairman of the State Defense Committee (SDC) of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin issued a decree number 562 on the daily providing soldiers with half a cup of “fuel”, it was known as “Narkomovskaya” 100 grams. The idea is not only to supply the army with shells and foot wraps, but also with strong drink came to a head commissar Kliment Voroshilov in January 1940. The reason was simple: the Red Army bogged down in the snow in Finland and cold. Voroshilov decided to raise the spirit of the soldiers and commanders, giving dayly to 100 grams of vodka (for the pilots – brandy).