Air Operations, Europe

Among the targets for Bomber Command this month are Stettin, Hamburg and Cologne. The north German ports and Brest are again hit because of their naval value but little damage is done to the ships, which are the main targets. The usual daylight sweeps by light forces over northern France continue.

Battle of the Atlantic

• Allied shipping losses increase this month to 84 ships of 285,900 tons. U-boats account for 53 ships of 202,800 tons.(Allied Ships Lost to U-boats) There are important convoy battles around SC-42, which loses 20 ships and 1 escort. SL-97 and HG-73 suffer heavily also. Some U-boats are sent to the Mediterranean later in the month.

Battle of the Atlantic

The US Atlantic Fleet forms a Denmark Strait patrol. At first 2 heavy cruisers and 4 destroyers are allocated to this duty, but this is increased later. The US Navy is now allowed to escort convoys in the Atlantic comprising ships of any nation provided an American merchant ship is present.

Diplomatic Relations

A 60-ton Japanese fishing boat is sunk after hitting a Russian mine near Vladivostok sparking a bitter exchange between the Soviet Union and Japan. Tokyo demands safety guarantees for its ships. Moscow tells the Japanese to stay clear and refuses to pay an indemnity.

Eastern Front

In the northerrn sector the attacking German forces are now within artillery range of Leningrad itself. To the east of the city the advance is nearing the south shore of Lake Ladoga and takes a great part of the left bank of the Neva but does not succeed in crossing the river. Schlüsselberg (called Petrokrepost since 1944) is taken and Leningrad is cut off from the rest of the country except by water across Lake Ladoga. The Russian position southwest of the city is equally desperate. Bridgeheads on the Gulf of Finland, just a few miles from Leningrad, have been established by the Germans. To the south Army Group North attacks vigorously in the Kolpino and Pulkovo sectors, 15 miles from the city. The Russians still have a major bridgehead at Oranienbaum, opposite Kronstadt and west of the point at which the Germans have established themselves on the Gulf of Finland.

The Soviet 23rd Army withdraws to the old Russo-Finnish border to hold the Finns on the Sestra Line.

German Troops Hunting Snipers

Having lost Mga on 31 August, the Germans retake the town. Leningrad comes under German artillery fire from Wehrmacht units south of the city.

There is fierce fighting as the Soviets 16th, 19th and 20th Armies try to reach Smolensk. Guderian commits his reserve as the Bryansk Front attacks the XLVII Panzer Corps.[MORE]

Germany, Policy

The German government orders that all Jews over the age of six must wear a badge with the Star of David sewn on their chest as 'a mark of shame'.

Air Operations, Europe

There are daylight raids by the R.A.F. over northern France, the Channel and other occupied territories in Europe.

Battle of the Atlantic

The German steamer Oslebshausen (4989t) sinks, presumably on a mine, near Obrestad, Norway.

Eastern Front

Finnish Troops Crossing Rajajoki River

Army Group North tightens its grip around Leningrad as the 18th Army digs in to prevent a breakout by the 8th Army from Oranienbaum. On the southern outskirts, the 18th Army prepares to complete the isolation of the city from the east. The L Corps holds the right flank together with the XXXVIII Corps, while the left flank is held by the XXXIX Panzer Corps, which will move upon Schlusselberg. The XXVIII Corps of the 16th Army also deploys alongside the right wing of the 18th Army.

The 54th Army has begun to form in the Leningrad sector, bringing together 4 rifle divisions and 2 tank brigades.

The Bryansk Front begins to counterattack after a two-hour artillery barrage. The Germans seem hardly affected by the attacks, but the 3rd Army suffers heavy losses to German counter-fire.

Heavy fighting rages along the Dniepr as the Germans exert pressure upon the thinly spread armies of the Southwest Front. von Reichenau's 6th Army at Kiev hits the 37th Army, while the 26th and 38th Armies struggle to hold off German attacks between Cherkassy and Kremenchug.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-567 sinks the British steamer Fort Richepanse (3485t) 450 miles southwest of Bloody Foreland with the loss of 41 of her crew. 22 survivors are picked up by the Polish destroyers Garland and Piorun.

Eastern Front

The Russians counterattack in the Smolensk sector.

Pitched battles are fought south of Leningrad, while fighting along the Volkhov intensifies as the I and XXXIX Panzer Corps press the 48th Army back.

The XXIV Panzer Corps pushes south from the Desna, leading units capturing Krolovetz after a brief struggle.

General Heinz Guderian

Mediterranean

British Swordfish from 830 Squadron from Malta sink the Italian steamer Andrea Gritti (6338t) south-southeast of Cape Spartivento.

Air Operations, Europe

Russian bombers hit Berlin in a night raid. They lose 1 plane in the raid. Casualties in Berlin: 30 killed and 72 injured.

A Gift for Hitler

Battle of the Atlantic

In a convoy operation the US destroyer Greer is attacked by German U-boat U-652 about 175 miles southwest of Iceland, but is not damaged. In return, the Greer attempts to sink the submarine with depth charges. In fact, the Greer has been brought into action by the reports of a British aircraft and has been mistaken, not unreasonably, for a British ship by the German commander. Roosevelt, however, presents the incident to the American public as an example of German aggression.

The Greer Dropping Depth Charges

Britain, Home Front

The Prime Minister of Canada, Mackenzie King, speaks at the Mansion House in London, 'We in Canada cannot all share your dangers, but we are proud to share your burdens. We are determined to share them to the utmost of our strength.'

Diplomatic Relations

Tokyo issues its 'minimum demands' and 'maximum concessions' to Britain and the US. These include the closure of the Burma Road, the release of frozen Japanese assets, freedom from foreign interference in Indochina and in the occupation of mainland China. The only concession was a promise to withdraw from China.

Eastern Front

The Finns capture Beloostrov, the frontier station 20 miles from Leningrad, but they are forced back the next day. For political reasons they do not wish to advance past the borders of eastern Karelia, the area they had to cede to the Russians the previous year. The Germans now begin shelling Leningrad. Von Leeb's troops threaten the city directly, and a long, hard siege begins.

Gen Jodl visits Gen Mannerheim and tries to persuade him to continue his offensive, but the old Finnish general refuses.

Finnish forces capture Beloostrov, north of Leningrad, but the 23rd Army offers ferocious resistance.

The Finnish Army of Karelia unleashes a new attack against the 7th Army. Having massed 9 divisions, the Finns outnumber the Soviets considerably.

The Germans complete the occupation of Estonia. Rearguards of the 8th Army, cut off to the west of the Narva, are forced to surrender. At Leningrad, von Küchler begins to deploy his heavy artillery around Tosno to bombard the city into submission.

The 24th Army penetrates into the Elnya salient from the north and south, pushing shock groups into action and threatening the German positions.

Budenny requests permission to create a reserve by taking 2 rifle divisions from the Kiev garrison and 2 from the 26th Army. Shaposhnikov replies for the high command, refusing any regrouping of the Southwest Front armies. Gen Mikhail Kirponos plans to use his meager reserve to launch a counterattack at Kremenchug.

von Rundstedt orders the 1st Panzer Groups into the Kremenchug bridgehead. Gen Mikhail Kirponos orders the 38th Army to eliminate the bridgehead.

Air Operations, Europe

The Admiral Scheer is attacked in Oslo Fjord by R.A.F. Flying Fortresses.

Battle of the Atlanric

• The British light cruisers Nigeria and Aurora, operating against German shipping off Norway, sink the German gunnery ship Bremse in an inlet east of North Cape.
• U-501 sinks the Norwegian steamer Einvik (2000t), lost from Convoy SC-41, 450 miles southwest of Iceland. All 23 of the crew survive in 2 lifeboats.

Malaya

Gurkha and Scottish troops arrive in Malaya to strengthen defenses there.

Mediterranean

The Dutch submarine O-21 sinks the Italian steamer Isarco (5738t) 28 miles southeast of Ischia. 22 survivors are picked up by the submarine and taken to Gibraltar.

Eastern Front

The Germans complete the occupation of Estonia.

Olonets falls to the Finns as the 7th Army is pushed back toward the Svir.

Tanks Crossing a Pontoon Bridge

With the collapse of the defenses south of Leningrad, Popov is dismissed as commander of the Leningrad Front, Marshal Voroshilov, Stavka member and close associate of Stalin's, being appointed in his place. Voroshilov's forces consist of the battered but stil intact 8th Army in the Oranienbaum pocket, Gen Nikolai Ivanov's 42nd Army defending a line from the Gulf of Finland to Pustoshka and Gen Ivan Lazarev's 55th Army from Pustoshka to the Neva River.

Fighting around the Elnya salient continues as the 19th Rifle Division penetrates into the town. The 100th, 103rd, 309th and 120th Rifle Divisions support the attacks, placing the Germans under intense pressure. The fighting compels von Kluge to commit 4 divisions from his reserve. To the south, the XLVI Panzer Corps captures Sosnitza.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British minesweeping trawler Strathborve (216t) sinks on a mine in the Humber. 14 of the crew are killed.
• The British steamer Empire Gunner (4492t) is badly damaged in a German bombing attack in St George's Channel. The ship sinks early on the 7th with the entire crew being rescued.
• The German gunnery training ship Bremse (1870t), being used as a troopship escort, is sunk near North Cape by the British cruisers Aurora and Nigeria.

Eastern Front

The Germans capture Schlüsselburg, 40 km east of Leningrad, at the junction of the Neva River and Lake Ladoga.

The 1st NKVD Div is bombed by 300 Luftwaffe aircraft at Schlusselburg and then assaulted by the XXVIII and XXXIX Panzer Corps. Hitler orders that Leningrad is to be starved into submission and its population removed by any means (there is only a month's supply of food in the city).

Yelnya is recaptured by the Soviet 24th Army, a rare victory for the Red Army since the beginning of BARBAROSSA. This victory prompts the start of the Soviet practice of creating guards units. The price has been high, however, with the 24th Army losing 10,000 dead and 21,000 missing. Of the 103,000 troops committed to the offensive 32,000 have become casualties, reflecting the poor tactics and leadership of the Red Army.[MORE]

Russian Troops Enter Yelnya

Germany, Strategy

Hitler issues the order for Operation TYPHOON, the attack on Moscow.

Hungary, Home Front

Gen Henrik Werth, Chief of the General Staff, resigns due to 'ill health'. He is succeeded by Gen Ferenc Szombathelyi (see April 2, 1941).

Air Operations, Europe

The R.A.F. hit Berlin with their biggest raid yet. About 200 R.A.F. bombers including four-engined Sterlings and Halifaxes take part in the two-hour attack. Among areas hit are the residential district of Hochmeisterplatz, the zoo and the Eden Hotel. This attack is made on the one-year anniversary of the first German mass attack on London.

Arming up for Bombing Mission

Halifax Heavy Bomber in Flight

A Formation of Stirlings

Battle of the Atlantic

• The Norwegian steamer Eikhaug (1436t) is sunk in an attack on a convoy by German motor torpedo boats off the Norfolk coast with the loss of 15 crewmen. 4 survivors are rescued.
• German bombing attacks sink the British steamers Marcrest (4224t) 2 miles east of Yarmouth and the Trsat (1369t) northeast of Kinnaird Head. The entire crew are rescued from the Marcrest, 3 are lost from the Trsat.

Eastern Front

Leningrad is vigorously shelled and bombed. Delayed-action mines are also dropped and cause many deaths. The greatest problem for the defenders, however, is how to feed three million people.

Having been trapped at Leningrad, the Russian battleship Marat begins shelling the German forces attempting to encircle the city. She is joined on 8 September by her sister ship the Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya.

Air Operations, Europe

The R.A.F. makes a night raid on Kassel, the center of German locomotive and armored vehicle production.

In the first British use of American B-17 Flying Fortress bombers, 2 are lost and 3 badly damaged in an aborted mission over Norway. This sets many British officials against the aircraft which goes on to become the star of the US 8th Air Force's deployment in the UK.

Baltic Sea

The Germans launch Operation BEOWULF, an amphibious assault against the Estonian Islands, which are defended by 23,600 troops and 140 artillery pieces of the 8th Army. In the first part of the operation the 389th Infantry Regt attacks the island of Vormsi, taking 200 Soviet prisoners in the process. However, it will take until 21 October before all the Estonian Islands are in German hands. They will remain so until November 1944.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British mine destructor ship Corfield sinks on a mine 2 miles south of the Humber Light Vessel. There are no casualties.
• The Italian submarine Maggiore Barraca is sunk by the British destroyer Croome by gunfire and ramming east of the Azores. 34 of her crew are picked up.

Eastern Front

Between Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega the continuing Finnish attacks cross the Svir and take Lodenoye Pole, cutting the Leningrad-Murmansk railway line at Lodenoye Pole south of Murmansk. The city's central food store is destroyed in an air raid. At this time of year it is still possible to use Archangel as the entrepôt for British and American supplies to the Soviet Union but later in the winter the Soviets will be unable to fulfill their promise to attend to the icebreaking. It will, therefore, be necessary to build a railroad track to Murmansk.

The Germans reach Vyazma 150 rail miles from Moscow. There is heavy fighting between there and Bryansk.

Gasoline Storage Tanks Burning

Leningrad's Connection to Soviet Interior Severed

Gen Eduard Dietl's attack against Murmansk grinds to a halt. Finnish force captre Lodenoye Pole and sever the Leningrad to Murmansk rail line. The Soviet 48th Army is shattered around Lake Ladoga, allowing the 20th Motorized and 12th Panzer Divs to capture Schlusselburg and sever the last link out of Leningrad.

The German XIII Corps captures Chernigov, and the Soviet Western Front ceases offensive operations and goes over to the defensive.[MORE]

Air Operations, Mediterranean

There are British air raids on Reggio Calabria and Messina in Sicily. These raids are occurring almost daily and the Italians are not able to do much to prevent them.

The British use Stirlings and Halifaxes to make a night raid on Turin.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The German steamer Trifels (6198t) is sunk by the British motor torpedo boat MTB-54 off Boulogne. MTB-54 is part of a force of torpedo boats operating in the area of Varne.
• U-81 sinks the British steamer Empire Springbuck (5591t), straggling behind convoy SC-42, northeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of her entire crew of 42.

Eastern Front

The Spanish volunteer 'Azul (Blue) Division', recruited from Spanish anti-Communist volunteers, arrives to begin service on the Leningrad Front with the German forces. The German bombardment of Leningrad continues relentlessly.

The fighting in the Litsa line intensifies as the Germans push slowly forward to heights 173.7 and 314.9. Strong Soviet resistance brings the speed of the advance down to a crawl.

Army Group North commences its main assault upon Leningrad as the XLI Panzer Corps, with the XXXVIII Corps in support, attacks toward Krasnoye Selo. The XLI penetrates the Soviet positions, its 36th Motorized and 6th Panzer Divisions advancing 6 miles and cutting the Krasnoye Selo to Krasnogvardievsk road. The 6th Panzer is involved in heavy fighting at Krasnoye Selo. Attacks by the XXVIII Corps fail to make progress in the face of fierce resistance by the 55th Army. Furious artillery fire falls upon the Soviets, but the Baltic Fleet, anchored around Kronstadt, lays down a counter-barrage in support of the hardpressed units.

Bomb Damage at the Fontanka River Embankment

Battle of the Atlantic

• The Canadian corvettes Chambly and Moosejaw, en route to join Convoy SC-42, sink U-501 in the Denmark Strait with the loss of 11 of her crew. 37 are rescued.

  U-501

  Class	Type IX
  CO	Kapitänleutnant Hugo Forster
  Location	Atlantic, S of Greenland
  Cause	Depth charge
  Casualties	12
  Survivors	37

• U-432 sinks the British steamer Muneric (5229t) from Convoy SC-42 south of Cape Farewell with the loss of her entire crew of 63. U-432 also sinks the Dutch steamer Winterswijk (3205t) and the Norwegian steamer Stargard (1113t) in the same area. 20 are lost from the Dutch ship, 13 are rescued by an escorting corvette. 2 crewmen are lost from the Stargard, 15 are rescued by the Norwegian steamer Regin.
• U-81 sinks the British steamer Sally Maersk (3252t) from the same convoy east-northeast of Cape Farewell. All 34 of her crew are picked up by the Canadian corvette Kenogami.
• In an attack on the same convoy, U-82 sinks the British CAM ship Empire Hudson (7465t) northeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of 4 crewmen. 63 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Baron Ramsay and the Norwegian steamer Regin. U-85 sinks the British steamer Thistleglen (4748t) in the same area with the loss of 3 of her crew. 46 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Lorient.
• U-111 sinks the Dutch steamer Marken (5719t) north of Ceara, Brazil. The entire crew of 37 are rescued 3 days later by the Panamanian tanker Stanvac Manila.
• The German steamer Julius Hugh Stinnes (2530t) sinks on a mine near Kolberg.

Eastern Front

The combned forces of Army Groups Center and South press on towards Kiev where the Russian resistance is stubborn. Guderian's southward attack on the Soviet forces east of Kiev reaches Konotop. Von Kleist's 1st Panzer Group begin to break out of their bridgehead over the Dniepr around Kremenchug.

Germans Advance through the Ukraine

Fierce fighting rages around Sinyavino as the Soviet 54th Army attempts to relieve the pressure on Leningrad. Meanwhile, OKH orders the XLI Panzer Corps to Army Group Center.

Battle of the Atlantic

• Owing to the Greer incident of 4 September, Roosevelt is able to order US warships to 'shoot on sight' in waters 'the protection of which is necessary for American defense'. In fact this is more or less what is happening already. He is basically saying that the American navy is to attack any ships that threaten the free passage of US merchant ships and ships with US escorts.
• In attack on Convoy SC-42 U-82 sinks the British tanker Bulysses (7519t) and the steamer Gypsum Queen (3915t) south of Cape Farewell. The tanker loses 1 crewman; 60 survivors are picked up by the Finnish steamer Wisla. The Gypsum Queen loses 10 of her crew; 26 survivors are picked up by the Norwegian steamer Vestland. Later in the day U-82 sinks the British steamer Empire Crossbill (5463t) east of Cape Farewell with the loss of the entire crew of 49.
• U-432 sinks the Swedish steamer Garm with the loss of 6 crewmen. 14 survivors are rescued by the Norwegian steamer Bestum.
• U-207 sinks the British steamer Stonepool (4815t) and the British steamer Berury (4924t) east of Cape Farewell. The Stonepool loses 42 of her crew, 7 survivors are picked up by the Canadian corvette Kenogami. Berury loses 1 crewman, 41 survivors are picked up by the Canadian corvettes Kenogami and Moosejaw.
• U-202 sinks the Swedish steamer Scania (1980t), straggling behind the convoy, east of Cape Farewell. The entire crew of 24 are rescued.
• The British destroyers Leamington and Veteran sinks U-207 in the Denmark Strait. The entire crew of 41 are lost.

  U-207

  Class	Type VIIC
  CO	Kapitänleutnant Fritz Meyer
  Location	Atlantic, Denmark Strait
  Cause	Depth charge
  Casualties	41
  Survivors	None

• U-105 sinks the Panamanian steamer Montana (1549t) 400 miles northeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of 18 of her crew. 7 of the crew are picked up.

Diplomatic Relations

Russia warns Bulgaria against the use of its territory by Germany or Italy for attacking the Soviet Union.

Eastern Front

In the northern sector the situation is becoming desperate for the defenders in Leningrad. The daily bread ration, established on 2 September, is 21oz for workmen, 12oz for clerical workers and 10oz for all others including children. All possible material are used to make the bread including rye, chaff, flax, soya and malt. People hide their dead so that they can use their ration cards. There is no lighting or heat. The death toll begins to climb from the cold and starvation.

Voroshilov goes into the front line in the hope of finding a hero's death in the field. Zhukov then arrives to organize the situation from the chaos. In three days he completely reorganizes the defenses. He rouses the dispirited garrison to greater efforts and oversees the erection of many new strong points and barricades. The Germans are convinced that they can starve the city into submission, but Hitler does not want a surrender and the addional burden of having to deal with that many people. German troops are ordered to shoot down all who flee from the city towards the German lines, but to not to prevent anyone from escaping to the east where they will add to the prevailing chaos. Meanwhile, under Zhukov's leadership, the city is fortified street by street.

The Soviet 7th Army retreats behind the Svir River and digs in.

The Germans close in on Leningrad, capturing Slutsk, Pushkin and battling for control of Krasnoye Selo. The Stavka takes measures to strengthen the Red Army defense, appointing Zhukov commander of the Leningrad Front, which has a strength of 425,000 troops. There are a further 85,000 men of the 54th Army around Volkhov plus the shattered remnants of the 48th Army.

The XLVII Panzer Corps captures Glukhov.

With Stalin insistent that Kiev be held, the Germans move the XLVIII Panzer Corps into the Kremenchug bridgehead as part of their plan to encircle the city.[MORE]

German Raiders

The Norwegian steamer Silvaplana (4793t) is captured by the German raider Atlantis southwest of the Cook Islands in the Southern Pacific.

Battle of the Atlantic

The German trawler Buskoe is seized in Mackenzie Bay, Greenland by the US Coast Guard cutter Northland (PG-49). The German ship has been sent to the area to serve as a weather monitoring and reporting station for the German military.

Eastern Front

Guderian's and von Kleist's forces link up near the small town of Lokhvitsa, cutting off the huge Soviet forces in the pocket between there and Kiev, 100 miles to the west. 105 miles to the east of Kiev they join up at Rovno. The 5th and 38th Armies of Budenny and Timoshenko are in this pocket. At least 600,000 men are encircled. The II Luftflotte has made valuable contributions to these operations. North of Kiev, Chernigov, on the banks of the Desna midway between Kiev and Gomel, is evacuated in the face of attacks by the German 2nd Army.

The first snowfall on the Eastern Front is reported. The immediate effect on the German advance is a considerable slowdown of their mechanized forces.

Although they capture Podporogye, the Finns are unable to make any further progress across the Svir.

As the bloodletting increases around Leningrad, the 1st Panzer Div captures Krasnoye Selo and the XLI Panzer Corps threatens to outflank the Soviet 42nd Army's defenses at Krasnogvardievsk. The German XXVIII Corps launches an assault towards Slutsk and Pushkin. The Stavka disbands the 48th Army and allocates its units to the 54th Army. The 4th, 52nd and 54th Armies are ordered to muster along the Volkhov. German losses reinforce Hitler's desire to starve Leningrad into submission rather than take the city by force.

The XXIV Panzer Corps continues to drive south. Realizing the danger to Kiev, the Stavka orders the Bryansk Front to organize an attack against the 2nd Panzer Group's left flank.

Last Flight of Col-Gen von Schobert

For advocating a withdrawal, Marshal Budenny is sacked and replaced by Timoshenko as commander of the Red Army in the south. But Stalin's obstinacy is about to spell disaster as the 1st Panzer Group strikes from the Kremenchug bridgehead. The German 2nd and 6th Armies continue their remorseless drive against the west of the forming Kiev Pocket. The pincers are about close around Kiev.[MORE]

Mediterranean

The Italian steamer Caffaro (6476t) is sunk by British swordfish from 830 Squadron from Malta northwest of Tripoli. The Italian steamers Tambien (5584t) and Nicolo Odero (6003t) are damaged in the same attack. The latter is sunk at Tripoli by an R.A.F. bombing raid.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British steamer Bloomfield (1417t) is sunk by German bombing east of the Faroe Islands. The entire crew are rescued.
• The British submarine Tigris sinks the Norwegian steamer Richard With (905t) off Breisund.
• The Finnish coastal defense ship Ilmarinen sinks on a mine in the Gulf of Finland. 271 men are lost on the ship, 132 survivors are picked up by patrol boats.

Eastern Front

German units land on Muhu Island after heavy artillery and aerial attacks. The main landings fall at the Gulf of Lyu, but severe Soviet counterattacks repulse the German force. Another German force lands on the island of Saaremaa.

Army Group North renews its assault upon Leningrad, the XLI Panzer Corps with the 1st Panzer and the 36th Motorized Divisions and the XXXVIII Corps with the 1st and 58th Infantry Divisions penetrating the 42nd Army's lines north of Krasnoye Selo and moving up to Uritsk. The 42nd Army, with 1 militia division and the naval brigade in place, counterattack. As the fighting spreads, Krasnogvardievsk falls to elements of the XLI Panzer and L Corps. For his failure to hold, Gen Nikolai Ivanov is dismissed as commander of the 42nd Army and Gen Ivan Fedyuninsky appointed in his place.

Elements of the 3rd Panzer Division reach Lubny from the north, while the 16th Panzer Division continues its attack, reaching the southern outskirts of the town. The Soviets throw in a scratch force, halting German progress temporarily. Mirgorod falls to the 9th Panzer Division, while the 14th Panzer Division moves to cover the 16th's left flank. The Southwest Front radios Shaposhnikov to advise him of the seriousness of the situation. Even now, Stalin continues to insist upon no withdrawal. Manstein is appointed to command the 11th Army.

Eastern Front

The Germans land on Muhu again, this time gaining a firm foothold.

At Leningrad, Zhukov is forced to commit a rifle division from his reserve to reinforce the hardpressed 42nd Army at Uritsk. Zhukov's plan is to build up the 42nd Army positions, forming a block upon which the German attack will falter. At the same time, the revitalized 8th Army is to strike from Oranienbaum with 2 rifle divisions into the flank of the German armies. The 8th Army is ordered to counterattack immediately but fails to move, Gen Vladimir Shcherbakov claiming his force is too weak. Zhukov dismisses Shcherbakov and orders the 8th to attack the next day under its new commander, Gen Trifon Shevaldin.

South of Leningrad, Zhukov orders the 55th Army to defend the Pushkin, Krasnogvardievsk and Kolpino sectors. The 54th Army is commanded to recapture Mga and Schlusselberg.

The 3rd Panzer Division pushes slowly south, lead elements linking up with the 16th Panzer Division near Lokhvitsa. This junction, a rather tenuous one, brings about the encirclement of the Southwest Front in a gigantic pocket east of Kiev. Gen Mikhail Kirponos and his command, together with the 5th, 37th, 38th, 21st and 26th Armies, are cut off.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The British steamer Birtley (2873t) is badly damaged by a mine off Norwich with the loss of 3 of her crew. She sinks on the 16th.
• The British steamer Daru (3854t) is sunk by German bombers in St George's Channel. There are no casualties.
• U-94 sinks the British steamer Newbury (5102t), a straggler from Convoy ON-42, southeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of her entire crew of 45. U-94 next sinks another stragger from the same convoy, the Greek steamer Pegasus (5762t). 16 of the crew are lost, 13 survivors are picked up by a Swedish steamer. The British steamer Empire Eland (5613t), behind the same convoy, is the next victim of the u-boat. All 38 of the crew are lost.

Eastern Front

The Germans capture Schlüsselburg (?) on the south shore of Lake Ladoga, east of Leningrad, completely isolating the city from overland contact with the rest of the Soviet Union. Some supplies can still be carried in by boat across Lake Ladoga. There are sufficient stores for only about one month in the city even with very poor ration allowances. The heroic efforts to counterattack are in vain. The line formed by the Germans between Mga and Sinyavino is so solid it will not be breached until February 1944. By then several hundred thousand civilians will die of starvation in the city.

Gen Eduard Dietl again tries to smash the Soviet defenses on the road to Murmansk, but is frustrated by strong Soviet resistance. Once again the 14th Army draws away the focus of the German attack by launching an unexpected coastal raid.

On the southern perimeter of Leningrad, the Germans renew their attacks, L and XLI Panzer Corps battering the 42nd Army, hitting the Pulkovo Heights. Heavy fighting rages in Uritsk. The Soviets counterattack at Sinyavino and Mga in an effort to break the siege. As the fighting rages, the Germans lose the 6th Panzer Division, which leaves Leningrad for the center.

Bad Roads Hinder German Advance

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-98 sinks the British steamer Jedmoor (4392t) of Convoy SC-42 northwest of St Kilda with the loss of 31 of her crew. 3 survivors are picked up by the Norwegian steamer Knoll and 2 more by the British steamer Campus.
• The Swedish steamer Yarrawonga (4900t) is sunk by British bombing at Hamburg.

Eastern Front

As the siege of Leningrad continues, Panzer divisions begin the transfer from Army Group North to Army Group Center. Hitler declares that the city must vanish from the face of the earth and is to be 'bombarded to pieces' by artillery and the Luftwaffe.

In the single greatest capitulation of the war, more than half a million Russians in the Kiev area surrender to the Germans. This figure is disputed. The Germans put the figure at 665,000 while the Russians admit to 527,000 men being captured and wounded during the fighting of the previous week. By Moscow's account a total of 677,085 Red Army troops were committed along the entire southwest front. However, large numbers of the 'People's Army', and inferior militia-type force had been pressed into service and were involved in the Kiev fighting, and together with armed civilians lend credence to the higher German figure.

Before the 8th Army can launch its delayed attack, the XLI Panzer And XXXVIII Corps strike. Advancing quickly against disorganized resistance, the Germans reach the coast and finally isolate the 8th in the Oranienbaum pocket.

The 1st Panzer and SS Polizei Divisions enter Pushkin and Aleksandrovka. Fighting at Slutsk and Kolpino enable the XXVIII Corps to penetrate the Soviet defenses. However, despite these furious battles, the 42nd Army continues to receive a trickle of reinforcements. Ferocious fighting rages at Uritsk.

The Germans begin to pull the 2nd Army out of its positions in order to re-deploy on the Moscow axis. Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group is unable to disengage as it is involved in heavy fighting around the Kiev pocket, Priluki falling to the XLVII Panzer Corps.

Soviet forces in the Kiev pocket attempt to break out. However, the armies are fighting in isolation, the 26th Army around Orzhitsa, 37th Army in two groups to the southeast of Kiev and the 5th and 21st Armies around Piryatin.

France, Policy

Syria is proclaimed independent by the Free French government.

Germany, Policy

Gen Keitel responds to growing Russian partisan warfare by ordering the execution of as many as 100 hostages for every German soldier killed by the civilian irregulars.

Iran

The Allies have decided to occupy Teheran because the Shah, Reza Khan, has not done enough, in their view, to expel all Axis nationals from the country. The Shah abdicates in favor of the Crown Prince, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Reza Khan is exiled to the island of Mauritius and then South Africa where he dies in July 1944 at the age of 66. The British and Soviet forces arrive in the capital on 17 September.

British and Soviet Occupation of Iran

Battle of the Atlantic

• The US Navy increases its commitment to escort Atlantic convoys. It takes over responsibility for some of the Halifax-UK convoys and for most of the Iceland traffic, the HX and the ON convoys. Canadian forces are escorting the others as far as 22° West when the British take over on all routes.
• The German steamer Johann Wessels (4601t) is lost on a mine off the Norwegian coast.

China

The Second Battle of Changsha is launched by the 125,000 strong Japanese XI Corps under Gen Tadaki Anan. Tokyo plans to eliminate the main obstacle to an advance in Hunan Province, the formidable forces of Gen Hseuh Yuan, commander of the Chinese Ninth War Area. The Chinese are concentrated around Changsha, about 350 miles east of Chungking. Gen Anan's force, supported by about 100 aircraft, are to drive on Changsha from the north.

Eastern Front

The Germans occupy the basin of the lower Dniepr and pierce the outskirts of Kiev.

The Russian Army High Command orders the withdrawal of its forces from Kiev. The order comes too late, however, as the badly mauled defenders are already encircled and have no escape route.

The German 18th Army attempts to bludgeon its way into Leningrad but is stopped by the 42nd and 55th Armies. Meanwhile, the XLI, LVI and LVII Panzer Corps begin to redeploy south for the attack on Moscow.

R.A.F. Hurricane Mark IIb near Murmansk

Arctic

On 18 September 1941 the first PQ convoy with ten fast freighters left Iceland headed for Arkhangelsk. The convoys in the opposite direction were named QP.

British Destroyer AA Gun Crew

Eastern Front

In the siege of Leningrad, German artillery fire seriously damages the Russian battleship Petropavlovsk in Kronstadt Harbor.

The Germans make more gains around Leningrad, the 1st Panzer and SS Polizei Divs capturing Pushkin and the XXVIII Corps taking Slutsk.

In Kiev the Soviet 37th Army is being ground down by the German 6th Army. Gen Mikhail Kirponos orders all units trapped in the Kiev Pocket to battle their way east.

Mediterranean

2 Italian troopships, the Neptunia and the Oceania (both 19,500t) are sunk in the central Mediterranean by the British submarine Upholder. 384 are drowned. The German command in Italy views losses of transports on this scale as 'catastrophic'.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The armed US freighter Pink Star is sunk by U-552 en route to Iceland with a cargo of food.
• U-372 sinks the British steamer Baron Pentland (3410t), straggling behind Convoy SC-42 after being damaged from a torpedo on the 10th, northeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of 2 crew members. 39 survivors are picked up by the Canadian corvette Orillia.
• The British steamer Bradglen (4741t) sinks on a mine off Barrow Deep with the loss of 7 of her crew.
• U-74 sinks the Canadian corvette Levis, which is escorting Convoy SC-44, about 120 miles east of Cape Farewell with the loss of 18 crewmen. 40 survivors are rescued by the corvettes Mayflower and Agassiz.

  The Canadian Corvette Lévis

• During the night the Italian submarine Scire launches explosive boats in the harbor at Gibraltar. The British oil depot ship Fiona Shell (2444t) and the oiler Denbydale (8145t) are sunk and the steamer Durham is badly damaged. 1 crewman from the Fiona Shell is lost.

Eastern Front

Kiev, the third largest city in Russia, finally falls to the Germans after more than 40 days of fighting. The Soviet losses in this battle have probably been in excess of 500,000 men. They have also lost 2,500 guns and 1,000 tanks. The Germans have lost about 100,000. In addition, the Russians have left mines everywhere and much of the city in ruins.

Germans Assaulting Russian Position

Germans Soldiers Wathcing a Burning Building

Fighting at Uritsk rages unabated. The Germans fight in the suburbs of Uritsk but can not break through the Soviet positions. The 55th Army successfully stabilizes its front at Pulkovo, Kuzmino and Portolovo, containing each German assault. Following the 6th Panzer, the 1st Panzer and the 36th Motorized Division together with the headquarters of the XLI Panzer Corps leave the Leningrad sector.

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.

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.

Air Operations, Europe

• In the siege of Leningrad, 60 Stukas make repeated attacks on the Russian Baltic Fleet in Kronstadt Harbor. The battleship Marat is sunk and the battleship Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya is hit by 6 bombs and 2 cruisers are damaged.

  Soviet Battleship October Revolution

• The R.A.F. Mosquito flies its first operation, a reconnaissance.

Baltic Sea

German bombing sinks 2 Soviet warships in the Baltic, the destroyer Frunza east of Tendra Island and the submarine Stereguschy off Peteroff.

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-201 sinks the British steamers Runa (1575t), Lissa (1511t) and Rhineland (1381t) from Convoy OG-74 north-northeast of the Azores. 14 crewmen are lost from the Runa, 9 survivors are picked up by the British sloop Deptford. All 26 of her crew are lost from the Lissa as well as all 26 from the Rhineland.
• The British tanker Vancouver (5729t) sinks on a mine about 2 miles from the Sunk Light Vessel off Harwich.

Eastern Front

The Russians admit the fall of Kiev. German forces reach the Sea of Azov and cut off the Crimea.

The Leningrad sector becomes relatively quiet, with only small-scale actions taking place. West of the city the XXXVIII Corps counterattacks, halting the 8th Army's attacks at Oranienbaum.

Battle of the Atlantic

• The Dutch steamer Vechtstroom (845t) is sunk by German bombing 2 miles northeast of 62 C Buoy. The entire crew are rescued.
• U-68 badly damages the British steamer Silverbelle (5302t) from Convoy SL-87 southwest of the Canary Islands. The steamer is taken in tow but eventually sinks on the 29th. Her entire crew of 60 are rescued by the French escort and landed at Freetown.
• In another attack on Convoy SL-87 U-103 sinks the British steamers Niceto de Larrinaga (5591t) and Edward Blyden (5003t) southwest of the Canary Islands. 2 crewmen are lost from the Niceto de Larrinaga; 53 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Gardenia and the sloop Lulworth. The entire crew of 63 form the Edward Blyden are picked up by the British sloop Bideford.
• U-562 sinks the British steamer Erna III (1590t) 275 miles east-northeast of Cape Farewell with the loss of all 27 of her crew.

Diplomatic Relations

Britain tells Finland to make peace with Russia or risk being regarded as a belligerent.

Eastern Front

Germans cut off Leningrad from the rest of the Soviet Union by reaching the southern shore of Lake Ladoga.

Hitler orders the attack on Murmansk to be discontinued.

The Germans claim to have taken 290,000 men prisoner in the Kiev pocket as Soviet resistance collapses. Farther south, the 11th Army reaches the entrance to the Crimea, the LIV Corps attacking the Perekop Isthmus. The 6 defending Soviet divisions hold up the German advance. Elements of the XLIX Mountain Corps and the XXX Corps take up positions south of the Dniepr bend and at Melitopol.

Around Odessa the Soviets launch a sharp counterattack against their Rumanian besiegers and actually expand their perimeter, advancing around Grigoryevka.

Greece, Politics

King George of Greece arrives in London.

Soviet Union, Home Front

Ukrainian militia, under SS orders, kill 6,000 Jews in Vinnitsa. This is the finale of a killing spree that has seen a further 24,000 Jews killed in the past few days. A German eyewitness reported: 'Ukrainian militia on horseback, armed with pistols, rifles and long, straight cavalry swords, were riding wildly inside and around the town park. As far as we could make out, they were driving people along with their horses - men, women and children. A shower of bullets was then fired at this human mass. Those not hit outright were struck down with swords. Like a ghostly apparition, this horde of Ukrainians, let loose and commaned by SS officers, trampled over human bodies, ruthlessly killing innocent children, mothers and old people whose only crime was that they had escaped a great mass murder, so as eventually to be shot or beaten to death like wild animals.'

Baltic Sea

German air attacks sink the Soviet battleship Marat at Kronstadt. Several other Soviet warships are damaged including the battleship Oktyabrskawa Revolutsia and the destroyer Minsk. Damaged from air attacks at Leningrad include the cruiser Maksim Gorki.

Stukas Attack Soviet Warships at Kronstadt Again

Eastern Front

Luftwaffe ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel, piloting a Ju-87 Stuka, sinks the Soviet battleship Marat in shallow water in Kronstadt harbor (she is hit by bombs that detonate the forward magazines).

The Soviets on Saaremaa fall back to the Salme position and attempt a final stand. Heavy fighting rages along this position for a week.

After a brief lull, the 18th Army launches a new attack upon the Soviet forces south of Leningrad. Heavy fighting erupts at Pulkovo, but lack of armor prevents a German breakthrough. With only 20 panzers available to aid its attack, the 18th Army is quickly involved in close-quarters fighting with the 42nd and 55th Armies. Only the XXXIX Panzer Corps remains with Army Group North, this unit destined to pursue operations east of the Volkhov.

Inside the Kiev pocket the remnants of the 37th Army gives up the struggle and surrenders.

France, Politics

Free France officially comes into being. The Comité National Francais is set up in London with General de Gaulle at its head. The government-in-exile will 'exercise, in fact, as well as provisionally, the normal attributes of public power'.

De Gaulle meets King George VI

Battle of the Atlantic

• U-67 sinks the British steamer St Clair II (3753t) from Convoy SL-87 west-northwest of the Canary Islands with the loss of 13 of her crew. 31 survivors are picked up by the British sloops Gorleston and Lulworth.
• In an attack on the same convoy, Convoy SL-87, U-107 sinks the British steamers John Holt (4975t), Lafian (4876t) and Dixcove (3790t) southwest of Madeira. 1 crewman is lost from the John Holt, 68 survivors are picked up by the British sloop Gorleston. All 47 of the crew of the Lafian are rescued by the Gorleston. 2 crewmen are lost from the Dixcove, 51 survivors are picked up by the Gorleston and the Lulworth.
• The German minelayer Konigin Luise is lost on a mine near Helsinki.

Eastern Front

The advance of the tank forces of Army Group South reaches to within 40 miles of Kharkov. Marshal Budënny regroups Russian forces there.

Gen Kirill Meretskov takes command of the 7th Army defending the line of the Svir.

Despite determined attacks, the 18th Army is unable to break through to Leningrad. The 54th Army continues its counterattack at Sinyavino but meets with a singular lack of success.

The Soviets begin to place pressure upon the Germans in the Valdai Hills area. Sporadic attacks fail to force the Germans back and a counterattack by the 3rd SS Motorized Division Totenkopf forces the Soviets back.

Inside the Kiev pocket, the 5th and 21st Armies surrender. Elements of the 5th Army fights on, joining with the remnants of the Southwest Front headquarters group in its attempt to break free.

Gen Erick-Oskar Hansen's LIV Corps launches another ferocious attack Perekov with the 45th and 73rd Infantry Divisions. The narrow confines of the isthmus prevents the Germans from encircling the defending divisions, giving them no option other than costly frontal attacks.

The main part of Army Group South redeploys for the continuation of the advance east. von Reichenau's 6th Army assembles for a thrust toward Kharkov, while Gen Carl-Heinrich von Stüplnagel's 17th Army is to advance into the Donbas. The strike component of the army group, the 1st Panzer Group, moves up to the Dniepr bridgeheads at Zaporozhe and Dnepropetrovsk in preparation for the drive to the Azov Sea and the expectd encirclement of the South Front.

Balkans

In order to secure its Adriatic flank, Italy reoccupies the demilitarized zone in Croatia.

Berlin acknowledges that 'irregular' troops are engaging Axis forces in Serbia.

Battle of the Atlantic

U-124 sinks the British steamer Empire Stream (2922t) from Convoy HG-73 north-northeast of the Azores with the loss of 8 of her crew. 27 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Begonia.

Eastern Front

Leningrad is attacked frontally. The Germans have now isolated the Soviet forces in the Crimea and begin attacks near Perekop with support from parachute troops.

Closing In On Leningrad

Groningen, Netherlands Bombed

Battle of the Atlantic

• In attacks on Convoy HG-73 U-203 sinks the Norwegian steamer Varangberg (2842t), the British steamer Avoceta (3442t) and the British steamer Cortes (1374t) north of the Azores. The Varangberg loses 21 of her crew, 6 survivors are picked up by the British corvette Jasmine. 123 passengers and crew are lost on the Avoceta, 43 survivors are picked up by the Jasmine and the British steamer Cervantes. All 43 of the crew from the Cortes are lost.
• In more attacks on Convoy HG-73 U-124 sinks the British steamers Petrel (1354t), Lapwing (1348t) and Cervantes (1810t). 22 crewmen are lost on the Petrel, 9 survivors are picked up by a lifeboat from the Lapwing. The Lapwing loses 24 of her crew, 10 survive. 8 are lost from the Cervantes, 32 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Starling.
• The British steamer British Prince (4979t) is sunk by German bombing off Hornsea. The entire crew are rescued.
• In more attacks on Convoy HG-73 U-124 sinks the British steamers Petrel (1354t), Lapwing (1348t) and Cervantes (1810t). 22 crewmen are lost on the Petrel, 9 survivors are picked up by a lifeboat from the Lapwing. The Lapwing loses 24 of her crew, 10 survive. 8 are lost from the Cervantes, 32 survivors are picked up by the British steamer Starling.

• U-66 sinks the Panamanian steamer I. C. White (7052t) in the South Atlantic with the loss of 3 crewmen. 34 survivors are picked up in 3 lifeboats over the next few days by the American steamers Delnorte and West Nilus.

Eastern Front

Hitler orders a halt in the offensive aimed at Moscow. He has refused his generals permission to concentrate their drive against the Russian capital preferring to take the Ukraine with all its resources. Hitler disparages their thinking by commenting, 'My generals know nothing about the economic aspects of war.'

The German drive east of Kiev is halted by seasonal rainstorms, the Rasputitsa.

Gen Grigory Kulik abandons his attack at Sinyavino. For his failure and mismanagement, Kulik is recalled to Moscow and demoted, Gen Mikhail Khozin taking over control of the 54th Army.

The fighting in the Valdai Hills continues as the Soviets attempt to maintain the pressure on he 16th Army.

The Kiev pocket is destroyed, the last units of the 26th Army surrendering around Orzhitsa. Soviet losses are thought to exceed 665,000 captured and many thousands, possibly in excess of 100,000 killed, together with 400 tanks, 28,400 guns and mortars and 340 aircraft destroyed or captured. The Southwest Front alone reports 531,400 killed and missing and 54,000 wounded while the 6th and 12th Armies of the South Front record another 53,000 killed and missing plus 26,000 wounded.

Air Operations, Europe

Blenheims, escorted by Spitfires bomb the rail junction at Amiens. 21 German and 13 British fighters are shot down. The German fighter FW-190 makes its debut.

A New FW-190 Following a Spitfire

Battle of the Atlantic

• The attacks continue on Convoy HG-73 north of the Azores. U-201 sinks the British auxiliary fighter catapult ship Springbank 430 miles west-southwest of Cape Clear with the loss of 32 on board. 201 passengers and crew are picked up by the British corvettes Jasmine, Hibiscus and Periwinkle. U-201 also sinks the British steamers Siremalm (2468t) and Margareta (3103t) southwest of Cape Clear. The entire crew of 27 are lost on the Siremalm, but the entire crew of 34 from the Margareta are rescued by the British corvette Hibiscus.
• The British submarine Trident sinks the German anti-submarine trawler UJ-1201 off Rolvsoy Sound, Norway.

China

Japanese units penetrate into Changsha. Paratroopers are dropped behind the Chinese lines. Their forces are eliminated and the Chinese turn the battle around by moving 11 divisions north of the city in a maneuver which cuts off the Japanese troops attempting to fight their way into Changsha. About 100,000 Japanese are left with no escape route.

Japanese Soldier Firing a Type 92 Heavy Machine Gun

Czechoslovakia, Home Front

Konstantin von Neurath, the German governor of Bohemia and Moravia, resigns his post. Heydrich, the 'Aryan racist with a Jewish grandmother', is appointed Reichsprotektor.

Eastern Front

In the southern sector fighting in the approaches to the Crimea the Germans take Perekop. They now stand at the threshold of the Crimean peninsula. Heavy rain is reported throughout the whole Russian front.

Churchill Visits Coventry

Czechoslovakia, Home Front

Citing 'irresponsible elements' with antagonistic acts directed at the Reich, a state of emergency is declared in Bohemia and Moravia. Heydrich imposes martial law on 6 districts.

Eastern Front

Heavy fighting rages before Sumy as the XLVIII Panzer Corps pushes forward against the II Cavalry Corps. The 9th Panzer and 25th Motorized Divisions strike the Soviet corps hard and inflict heavy losses.

Italian East Africa

The Italian garrison of Wolkefit, in Amhara, on the Adowa-Gondar road, surrenders to the British.

Italian Garrison at Wolshefit Surrenders

British Success in Abyssinia

Air Operations, Europe

Stettin and Hamburg are bombed in night raids by the RAF.

Allied Planning

Beginning this day and lasting until October 1, the conference suggested at Placentia by Churchill and Roosevelt takes place in Moscow. Harriman is the United States' representative and Beaverbrook the British delegate. Molotov takes the leading part on the Soviet side.

Arctic

Leaving from Reykjavik, Iceland the convoy PQ-1 passes to Archangel with 10 merchant ships escorted by 1 cruiser and 2 destroyers. There is no German attack. This convoy arrives in Archangel October 11. At the same time QP-1 passes from Archangel to Scapa Flow. This is the start of the regular traffic.

Czechoslovakia, Home Front

Prime Minister Alois Elias, the puppet prime minister of the Bohemia-Moravia 'Proctectorate', is arrested by Heydrich. He is deported to Berlin. He is sentenced to death October 1, but is later reprieved. There are many strict measures taken at Heydrich's order and he quickly gains a justly vile reputation.

Black Sea

Soviet submarine SC-211 sinks the Italian tanker Superga (6154t) near Varna in the Black Sea.

Eastern Front

In the southern sector the Germans enter the Doubas region, the important coal basin of the Don River.

German forces are almost ready to start Operation TYPHOON. The 9th Army and the 3rd Panzer Group will drive to the north of the city, and the 2nd Panzer Group and 2nd Army will attack from the south. In this way Moscow will be enveloped by a double pincer movement, with the panzer formations forming the outer pincers. In the center the 4th Army and 4th Panzer Group will prevent Soviet units striking the flanks.

The composition of the German forces is as follows: 3rd Panzer Group - XLI and LVI Panzer Corps and 9th Army; 4th Panzer Group - XL, XLVI and LVII Panzer Corps and 4th Army; 2nd Panzer Group - XXIV, XLVII and XLVIII Panzer Corps, XXXIV and XXXV Corps and 2nd Army, and 2nd Air Fleet and VIII Air Corps of the 4th Air Fleet. This force numbers 1,929,000 troops, 14,000 artillery pieces, 1,000 tanks and 1,390 aircraft.

Opposing this juggernaut are Konev's Western Front: 16th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 29th and 30th Armies (558,000 troops); Budenny's Reserve Front: 24th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd and 49th Armies (448,000 troops); and Gen Andrey Eremenko's Bryansk Front: 3rd, 13th and 50th Armies (244,000 troops). In total the Red Army musters 1,250,000 troops, 7,600 artillery pieces, 990 tanks and 670 aircraft for the defense of Moscow.[MORE]

Battle of the Atlantic

The British minesweeping trawlers Eileen Duncan (223t) and Star of Deveron (220t) are both sunk by German bombing at the Bergen Wharf, River Tyne.

Eastern Front

Now that the Kiev battle is complete, Guderian's 2nd Panzer Army has been moved north again to form the right wing of the German attack on Moscow. Guderian's troops now begin this attack with an advance from around Glukhov northeast toward Orel and Bryansk.

In the south von Kleist's Panzer Group attacks east of the Dniepr from Dnepropetrovsk. The German 11th Army, supported by Italian troops, defeat a Soviet force at Petrikovska. The Soviet line is quickly broken. Some of the attacking units head toward Donetsk while others move in a more southerly direction toward the Sea of Azov at Berdyansk.

In the northern sector, after hard fighting Finnish units break through the Soviet positions at Petrozavodsk.

Operation 'TAIFUN' ('TYPHOON') begins as Guderian's 2nd Panzer Army spearheads a major offensive by Army Group Center aimed at Moscow. The Germans would like to capture it before the beginning of winter. 2nd, 4th and 9th German Armies join in the attack on October 2.[MORE]

Operation TYPHOON Launched

China

Japanese forces outside Changsha begin fighting their way out of their encircled positions. The Chinese have failed to press their advantage and most of the Japanese escape, though badly mauled, and retreat to their original positions around Yoochow. It is, nonetheless, a major victory for the Chinese. According the the Chinese, the Japanese suffer 40,000 casualties.

Mediterranean

Two British fighters sink the Italian submarine Adua. Other sources say she is sunk by the British destroyers Gurkha and Legion east of Cartagena.

Air Attack on a British Battleship