Axis Diplomacy

Marshal Pétain meets with Reichsmarschall Herman Göring at Saint-Florentin to discuss the future of Franco-German relations and the integration of France in the European 'new order'.

Marshal Pétain and Reichsmarschall Göring

Battle of the Atlantic

The German supply ship Python is scuttled in the South Atlantic when intercepted by the British heavy cruiser Dorsetshire. 414 survivors are rescued by several Axis submarines in the area.

Britain, Command

London announces the formation of a new and expanded Eastern Fleet. Adm Sir Tom Phillips is appointed to the command. In the past Britain has maintained a cruiser squadron, but its presence in Asia will let by more powerful ships, the battleship Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser Repulse. This announcement expresses Britain's concern about Japan's southward movement.

Eastern Front

There is a brief Soviet counterattack in the Moscow sector near Tula. In the south von Reichenau replaces von Rundstedt as Commander-in-Chief of Army Group South. Von Rundstedt has resigned because Hitler tried to cancel von Rundstedt's order for a retreat from Rostov and Taganrog.

Fresh Soviet troops march through Moscow on the way to the front, December 1, 1941.

Fresh Soviet Troops on the Way to the Front

German Troops in Retreat

German soldiers during the retreat from Moscow, 1941. The number of casualties on the Soviet and German sides is open for debate, partly because the dates for the Battle of Moscow or Operation TYPHOON are variously given and partly owing to the elastic scope of battle. Perhaps the best approach is to say that estimated casualties between Septem­ber 30, 1941, and January 7, 1942, range from 174,000 to 400,000 for Army Group Center and from 650,000 to 1,280,000 for the Red Army. Regardless of the huge spread between the low and high num­bers, the Battle of Moscow must be considered among the most lethal battles in World War II.

In the center, the Germans are only 23 miles from Red Square.

A Nazi Surrenders near Solnechnogorsk, Russia, 1 December 1941

Soviet Troops Mining a Railroad near Moscow, 1 December 1941

The German I Corps at Tikhvin continues to hold out against concentrated assaults by the Leningrad Front seeking to relieve the city.

The German 4th Army grinds forward toward Naro-Fominsk, with Zhukov feeding reserves into the line to halt the enemy. The Stavka commits the 10th Army threatening the southern flank of the 2nd Panzer Group and stalling Guderian's further advance. It is becoming obvious that Army Group Center is at the end of its endurance, which Bock states to Hitler. The Führer, however, insists on continuing Operation TYPHOON.

Hitler Insists Operation TYPHOON Continues

As the 1st Panzer Group and the 17th Army continue their fighting withdrawal, Hitler as last permits his forces to pull back to the Mius River line.[MORE]

Japan, Planning

The irrevocable decision to go to war is made by unanimous vote of a council meeting led by Tojo in imperial presence. It is said in the meeting, 'Our negotiations with the United States regarding the execution of our national policy, adopted November 5, have finally failed. Japan will open hostilities against the United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands.'

Malaya

The British authorities declare a State of Emergency following reports of Japanese preparations for an attack.

Pacific

The German pirate ship Kormoran sinks the Australian cruiser Sydney off the Australian coast.

North Africa

The siege conditions that existed at Tobruk prior to November 28 have been restored by Rommel. However, the first stage of Operation Crusader has ended in a strategic success for the British forces. Rommel's forces manage to make the remaining New Zealand force at Sidi Rezegh retreat, but the German units are now becoming very tired and have many of their senior officers captured or killed. Although 8th Army has been severely mauled it is still very much in the fight and unlike the Axis units it is still receiving generous supplies and replacement tanks.[MORE]

Occupied Soviet Union

The commander of Einsatzkommando 3, Karl Jaeger, reports to his superiors on the killing of Jews in Lithuania. 'I can confirm today that Einsatzkommando 3 has achieved the goal of solving the Jewish problem in Lithuania. There are no more Jews in Lithuania, apart from working Jews and their families. These number: in Shavli, about 4,500; in Kovno, about 15,000; in Vilna, about 15,000.'

He provides details of the murders, carried out with the cooperation of local units: 'The carrying out of such Aktionen is first of all an organizational problem. The decision to clear each sub-district systematically of Jews called for a thorough preparation for each Aktion and the study of local conditions. The Jews had to be concentrated in one or more localities and, in accordance with their numbers, a site had to be selected and pits dug. The marching distance from the concentration points to the pits averaged 4-5 km. The Jews were brought to the place of execution in groups of 500, with at least 2 km distance between groups. All the officers and men of my command in Kovno took an active part in the Grossaktionen in Kovno.'

But he complains: 'I wanted to eliminate the working Jews and their families as well, but the Reichskommissar (Civil Administration) and the Wehrmacht attacked most sharply and issued a prohibition against having these Jews and their families shot.'

United States, Home Front

The Civil Air Patrol is created. It is created to be the offical "civillian auxillary" of the United States Army Air Corps (later the US Air Force).