Baltic Sea

The German steamer Henny (764t) sinks on a mine off Memel.

German POWs collected by the Dutch after sinking a German u-boat, coming ashore in Gibraltar, 28 November 1941

German POWs

Eastern Front

Labor battalion soldiers (in black coats) and militia members on Leningrad Prospekt in Moscow, November 1941.

Labor Battalion Soldiers in Moscow

A newly reinforced and revitalized 4th Army launches furious attacks at Tikhvin, pinning down the I Corps. The 52nd and 54th Armies continue their attacks against the northern and southern flanks of the salient. Slowly but surely the 18th Army is squeezed back to the west.

With the 7th Panzer and 14th Motorized Divisions just 20 miles north of Moscow at Yakhroma, the Soviets deploy the 1st Shock Army from their reserve. The advance has cost the Germans their last ounce of strength, many units being severely depleted in the costly fighting and atrocious weather. After a bitter battle, the 2nd SS Division Das Reich and the 10th Panzer Division capture Istra. Farther south, the XLIII Corps comes under heavy attack as the West Front attempts to pin down the 4th Army.

Outskirts of Moscow

Behind the combat line, the 10th Army completes its march to Ryazan. Golikov's army stands poised to enter fighting south of Moscow where it threatens the exposed right wing of the 2nd Panzer Army. To reinforce the hard pressed 16th Army, the 5th, 33rd, 43rd and 49th Armies each gave up a rifle division. Operational Group Lizyukov is formed around these divisions, later going on to become the 20th Army. The 5th Army is instructed to form a mobile reserve to secure its junction with the 16th Army. Its group numbers just 800 men and 21 tanks.

The 56th and 9th Armies recapture most of Rostov, the III Panzer Corps retreating from the cement factory. The bulk of the 1st Panzer Army falls back to the Mius, hotly pursued by the South Front. With Rostov virtually lost and the 1st Panzer Army in retreat, Hitler countermands Rundstedt's order and insists that the 1st Panzer hold its positions.

Hitler meets with the grand mufti Amin al Husseini in the presence of Ribbentrop, the German foreign minister, 28 November 1941.

Hitler Meets with Grand Mufti Amin al Husseini

Indian Ocean

The Prince of Wales and the Repulse both arrive at Colombo, Ceylon.

Italian East Africa

Gondar, the last outpost being occupied by the Italians, capitulates. Gen Gugliemo Nasi, commanding the Italian forces, decides to ask for terms. These are agreed and the 22,000 Italians surrender. Mussolini's East African Roman Empire has ceased to exist. In less then a year the Italian force of 350,000 men was totally defeated by a combined allied force of 21,500.

Japan, Policy

Japan's foreign ministry advises its embassies throughout the world the relations with the US and Britain has reached an extremely critical stage.

Mediterranean

• The Dutch submarine O-21 sinks U-95 east of Gibraltar with the loss of 33 crewmen. 12 survivors are picked up by the Dutch submarine and taken to Gibraltar.
• The Italian steamer Priaruggia (1196t) is sunk by British bombing at Benghazi.

North Africa

There is renewed heavy fighting around Sidi Rezegh with the German tank forces trying to wipe out the link between the New Zealand infantry and the Tobruk garrison. Gen von Ravenstein, commander of the 21st Panzer Div, is captured when a Bren gunner shoots up his staff car.[MORE]

British Marmon-Herrington Armored Cars on Patrol in the Western Desert, 28 November 1941