Battle of the Atlantic

• An aircraft from the British escort carrier Audacity shoots down an FW-200 Condor which is trying to shadow the convoy OG-74. This is the first success for the escort-carrier class. Escort carriers will not be readily available for convoy operations until the spring of 1943. Even with the Audacity in escort, OG-74 loses 6 of 27 ships.
• U-74 sinks the British CAM ship Empire Burton (6966t) from Convoy SC-44 east of Cape Farewell with the loss of 2 crewmen. 58 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Honeysuckle. In action against the same convoy U-552 sinks the British tanker T. J. Williams (8212t), the Panamanian steamer Pink Star (4150t) and the Norwegian tanker Barbro (6325t) all northeast of Cape Farewell. 17 are lost from the British tanker; 22 survivors are picked up by the Honeysuckle. 13 are lost on the Panamanian ship which has 22 survivors. All 34 of the crew from the Norwegian tanker are lost.
• U-124 sinks the British steamers Baltallinn (1303t) and Empire Moat (2922t) from Convoy OG-74 north-northeast of the Azores. The Baltallinn loses 7 of her crew, 28 survivors are picked up by the British rescue ship Walmer Castle. All 32 of the crew of the Empire Moat are also picked up by the Walmer Castle.
• The German steamer Metz (728t) is lost near Vlaardingen, Netherlands.
• U-111 sinks the British steamer Cingalese Prince east-southeast of St Paul Rocks with the loss of 57 of her crew and passengers. 20 survivors are picked up by the British sloops Weston and Londonderry.

September 20, 1941: Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Sikorski, accompanied by General de Gaulle visit the 10th Armoured Cavalary Brigade.

Churchill, Sikorski and de Gaulle

Eastern Front

To distract German attention from the southern perimeter of Leningrad, the 8th Army attacks with 4 divisions from the Oranienbaum bridgehead.

Kiev falls to the 6th Army, the 37th Army retreating east in an effort to break out of the cauldron and rejoin the main combat line.

Kirponos and his headquarters staff, a column of over 1,000 men, try to break out of the pocket, but the Germans ambush the straggling line near Lokhvitsa, inflicting heavy casualties. After fierce fighting, the few survivors surrender but Kirponos is not among them, having fallen in battle. Potapov is captured. Bagramyan manages to break out with a force of about 50 men. Generals Kostenko, V. I. Kuznetsov, Lopatin and Moskalenko also escape the pocket.

Mediterranean

• Italian midget submarines are sent to attack shipping in Gibraltar harbor and succeed in sinking 2 ships. (see September 19)
• RAF aircraft sink the French steamer Monselet (3372t) off Sfax.

Occupied France

A German decree imposes a 9:00pm to 5:00am curfew in Paris.