Battle of the Atlantic

The British naval tanker Darkdale (8145t) is sunk by U-68 off St Helena with the loss of 41 of her crew. 8 survivors are rescued by harbor craft.

Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) women at a 3.7-inch anti-aircraft gun site at Wormwood Scrubs in London, 22 October 1941.

ATS Women at an AA Site

Diplomatic Relations

Rumania denounces the 'Vienna Award' of August 1940 and re-opens the old rift with Hungary over Transylvania.

Eastern Front

The Rumanian CO at Odessa, Gen Glugoscianu, and 50 of his staff are killed by a delayed action bomb left by retreating Russians.

The XXIV Panzer Corps launches a furious attack against the elements of the 3rd Army that bar its way to Moscow but fails to push much farther from Mtensk. Farther south, the XLVIII Panzer Corps captures Fatezh after a long struggle with the 13th Army.

With the battle for the Crimea underway, Stavka appoints Vice-Adm Levchenko to command all forces in the peninsula. His forces consist of the Coastal and 51st Armies. Batov takes over the 51st Army from Kuznetsov.

Japan, Home Front

Tokyo has its first black-out. Air-defense exercises are carried out throughout Japan in the following days.

Mediterranean

The Italian steamer Maria Pompei (1407t) sinks on a mine at Cattaro, Yugoslavia.