Battle of the Atlantic

• The British light cruiser Dunedin is sunk by U-124 in the central Atlantic north of Pernambuco, Brazil. 419 of the crew are lost, 67 survivors are picked up by the American steamer Nishmaha and taken to Trinidad.
• Convoy FS-654 is attacked by German motor torpedo boats east of Orfordness. S-109 sinks the British tanker Virgilia (5723t) 3 miles north of Hearty Knoll Buoy with the loss of 30 of her crew. 17 survivors are picked up by the British motor launches ML-150 and ML-152. S-52 sinks the Dutch steamer Groenlo (1984t) about 1-1/2 miles north of 52E Buoy with the loss of 10 crewmen. The British steamer Blairnevis (4155t) is damaged by S-51 off Hearty Knoll and is beached at Great Yarmouth Roads. She is refloated and towed to London for repairs in December.

Eastern Front

The Germans evacuate Rostov because of the threat to their rear from the continuing Soviet counterattacks in this sector, notably flank attacks by the Soviet 37th Army. Field Marshal von Rundstedt is personally responsible for this move which has been expressly forbidden by Hitler.

The Germans capture Solnechaya Gora, 48 km northwest of Moscow.

Early Soviet KV-1 Tank

An early KV-l Model 1941 knocked out by the 4th Panzer Division in Venev on November 24, 1941. There are no less than 30 impacts of various caliber on The turret as well as two penetrations on the gun barrel. In the 3 previous days, the Division had knocked out 3 other KV-l's, two on November 21 at Brusjanka where a Soviet counter-attack had been repulsed.

After a bitter battle, Klin falls to the 7th Panzer Division of the LVI Panzer Corps, the 30th Army being sent reeling to the east. The battle on the road to and for Klin leaves the 30th with only 20 operational tanks and 200 artillery pieces. Solnechnogorsk also falls to the 2nd Panzer Division of the XL Panzer Corps and the 10th Motorized Div enters Michailov, while the V Corps draws even with the 4th Panzer Group, opening the road to the Moscow-Volga Canal. Istra, already under attack, forms the lynchpin of the Soviet defenses.

This Panzer III is a victim of the harsh conditions in front of Moscow

Panzer III in Front of Moscow

A single Siberian rifle division (78th) is deployed to hold the town and the nearby reservoir, taking up positions along the Istra River. The Stavka has ordered the battered 16th Army to fall back to a new line south of Solnechnogorsk. The 5th Army is falling back to a line Istra-Zvenigorod.

The 1st Panzer Army begins to withdraw from Rostov, Rundstedt ordering his forces to retire quickly to the line of the Mius River due to the growing Soviet threat on the northern flank. Rundstedt feels his forces are at risk of encirclement if they remain in Rostov, the only viable option being the withdrawal of his forces westward. OKH agrees with the Army Group South's decision to withdraw.

Mediterranean

The British submarine Triumph sinks the Italian tug Hercules (632t) and damages the German steamer Norburg off Heraklion.

North Africa

Rommel believes that the British armor has largely been destroyed in the fighting of the 23rd and, ignoring the New Zealand infantry, decides to collect his armor and advance along the Trigh el Abd to the Egyptian frontier. This move becomes known as 'the dash to the wire'. Although it causes some panic (the 'Matruh Stakes') in 8th Army's rear echelons, the German forces take some losses from harrying attacks and more significantly have loosened their grip on the British tank units. Rommel and the senior generals with him are out of touch with the situation.

Gen Auchinleck directs the 8th Army 'to attack and pursue. All out everywhere.'[MORE]

German forces in Libya receive air reinforcements.

United States, Planning

US Navy commanders in the Pacific are warned that talks with the Japanese are unlikely to produce results and it seems Tokyo's forces are preparing for military action. Washington alerts the officers to be aware of the possibility of 'a surprise aggressive movement in any direction, including [an] attack on Philippines or Guam.' Japanese trasports have already been observed moving in the direction of the Malayan Peninsula from Formosa.

United States, Policy

Lend-lease aid for the Free French is approved by the US.

HMS Dunedin

On 24 November 1941 HMS Dunedin was operating out of Freetown, South Africa, engaged in a search for a possible German raider in disguise. Her lookout spotted a mast that suddenly disappeared and she deviated from her course to investigate. He may well have spotted a periscope. At 1526 hours, two torpedoes from the German submarine U-124 hit her and she sank rapidly. Only four officers and 63 men survived out of the Dunedin’s crew of 486 officers and men.