The Greeks captured Sarandë from the Italians. Greek troops pushed Italian troops back 15 miles, capturing Sarandë, Albania. Greek troops have also advanced to within a mile and a quarter of Porto Edda, the Italians’ southernmost sea base in Albania, a government spokesman declared early today. In that area, he said, the Fascists were retreating rapidly. He reported, too, that Greek gains were continuing along the entire front, despite bad weather and stubborn Italian resistance at some points. One important advance claimed was the occupation of the heights northeast of Libohovo, some six miles southeast of Argirocastro, the Italian supply base. In the center of the front, the spokesman said, the Greeks seized the plateau of Flatovouhi, “where our men crushed strong enemy resistance.”
The Greek advance continues on 3 December 1940, though the pace has slowed just a bit in a few areas due to stiffening Italian resistance. In the mountains, control of the passes means everything, and they are easy to defend — given the will to defend them by the local troops. The Italian troops often are lacking in that regard. The Greek 2nd Division is engaged in a heavy battle to capture the Suhë Pass, and the 8th Division is attacking near Kakavia Pass. Should the Greeks get through the passes, the defense would become much harder.
Along the coast, the Greeks advance 15 miles (25 km) and take Saranda (Italian Santiquaranta). Saranda is a reasonably important supply port and puts more pressure on the Italians to hold the other, absolutely vital ports further north. The loss of Saranda is a particularly jarring one to Mussolini because the port has acquired the honorific “Porto Edda” in honor of his eldest daughter.
Greek II Corps advances on Përmetin in Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. A fierce battle erupts for control of that town (which changes hands regularly throughout the first half of the 20th Century between the Greeks, Turks, Albanians, and Italians). The Greeks are taking more casualties in these battles than they have in previous actions, but the Italians continue to give ground. The Greeks also are taking a lot of prisoners, hundreds at a time as the Italians are bereft of supplies and the means to escape in isolated mountain towns.
The battle of Argyrokastro continues, with the Greeks dominating the heights above the town. The Greeks also advance past Pogradets and capture some high ground there.
Mussolini is still in a panic about the Italian reversals in Albania. However, Fascist Party secretary Roberto Farinacci is a hardliner and helps to steady his nerve. A change in military leadership is looking increasingly necessary to Mussolini because the troops do not display the will to win.
The Italians, meanwhile, have caught on to the British presence at Suda Bay, Crete. The Regia Aeronautica launches a raid at 15:40 that hits light cruiser HMS Glasgow with two torpedoes. The torpedoes both hit on the starboard side and rip two huge holes, causing structural damage, flooding, and putting two propeller shafts and the X turret out of action. There are three deaths and three serious injuries. The Glasgow can return under its own power to Alexandria for repairs.
The British are gearing up for Operation Compass, the planned assault on the advanced Italian forces in Egypt. The Chief of the General Staff (CIGS) John Dill instructs the Commander in Chief Mediterranean (General Archibald Wavell) to set aside landing craft for possible hooks around the advanced Italian positions. Wavell and his fellow officers on the scene don’t much care for the idea, but the strategy is favored by Winston Churchill — himself, of course, a former First Sea Lord who always appreciates naval involvement.
Wavell, meanwhile, meets with Lieutenant General William Platt, General Officer Commanding Sudan Defence Force, and Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham, (brother of the naval C-in-C) General Officer Commanding 51st Division, from Kenya. Entirely apart from Operation Compass, they decide to allocate an infantry division — and maybe more forces to recapture Kassala in East Africa (as if to emphasize the point, the RAF attacks Kassala today). Everything depends upon the outcome of Operation COMPASS — if the offensive there succeeds, then the British can “roll-up” the remaining Italian positions to the south. Thus, Operation COMPASS is of great import to the entire course of the war south of the Mediterranean.
A report of the British First Sea Lord Sir Dudley Pound to the War Cabinet states that the Royal Navy is gaining control of the Mediterranean. The recent engagement at Cape Spartivento, Admiral of the Fleet Pound concludes, was merely a “chance encounter” in which an Italian claim that the “British units… had run away” was “unfounded.” Malta is now “reasonably secure” given the success of Operation COLLAR in delivering reinforcements to the island. Admiral James Somerville, meanwhile, is currently facing an official Court of Inquiry at Gibraltar due to the “chance encounter.”
Churchill also telegrams to C-in-C Mediterranean to outline the plan for the capture of the Italian Island of Pantelleria, codename “Workshop”.
Churchill to First Sea Lord:
“The new disaster that has overtaken the Halifax convoy requires precise examination. We heard about a week ago that as many as 13 U-boats were lying in wait. Would it not have been well to divert the convoy to the Minches?”
British destroyer HMS Campbeltown collided with British tanker Conus off Liverpool, England, United Kingdom; she would be out of commission for repairs until 28 March 1941.
The UK announces that it has placed orders for 60 merchantmen in U.S. shipyards.
Hitler meets with the Bulgarian ambassador. He needs Bulgaria as a launching pad for the invasion of Greece.
German armed merchant cruiser Kormoran departed Gotenhafen, German (Gdynia, Poland) to raid Allied shipping, carrying supplies for 12 months, 280 naval mines, 40 land mines, and spare parts and torpedoes to supply submarines.
Collision of two express trains at a switch of the Velilla de Ebro waystation, thirty miles from Saragossa, Spain, was reported tonight to have killed at least forty-one persons and injured more than eighty.
French author and future Nobel laureate Albert Camus (27) weds French pianist and mathematician Francine Faure (25) in Lyon, France.
51 German aircraft bombed Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, dropping 55 tons of high explosive bombs and 448 incendiary bombs. Birmingham, loaded with factories was devastated by successive raids in early November, and this adds to the city’s misery. London also receives some incendiaries, along with scattered other locations in the Home Counties.
Poor weather restricts flight operations by RAF Bomber Command. Bomber Command dispatches 20 Blenheims and Whitleys overnight to Duisburg, Essen and Mannheim; only 5 aircraft bombed these targets. 1 Blenheim lost and 4 more aircraft crashed in England.
The Kriegsmarine is upset at Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring’s abrupt decision to remove all naval control from torpedo bombers, and — a rarity for this stage of the war — complains. Konteradmiral (rear admiral) Kurt Fricke, Chief of Naval Operations, requests the return of Naval bomber squadrons, and further requests that they come equipped with the Heinkel He 111H-5 version adapted to carry two torpedoes (one Italian Whitehead Fiume 850 kg (1,870 lb) torpedo and a German F5 50 kg (110 lb) light torpedo). Fricke has little chance of winning any kind of dispute with Goering about aircraft, given that the Reichsmarschall considers all airplane activity within the Reich as his personal turf (along with many other things). However, he has good grounds for pursuing the matter, because the planes under naval control have done sterling work against British shipping.
Generalmajor Wolff von Stutterheim, former commander of KG 77, passes in a Berlin hospital. Von Stutterheim is a Pour le Mérite holder from the First World War (and Ritterkreuz recipient) who lost 11 relatives in that earlier conflict. He has been in a Berlin hospital suffering from wounds incurred during the very early stages of the Battle of Britain in June 1940. Stutterheim is buried in a place of honor next to Ernst Udet and Werner Mölders in the Invalidenfriedhof Berlin.
Allied convoy HX.90 was attacked by German U-boat U-99 (which sank the damaged and abandoned British ship Conch at 1058 hours), a German Fw 200 aircraft (which sank British ship W. Hendrik, killing 5), and German U-boat U-140 (which sank British ship Victoria City at 2142 hours, killing the entire crew of 43).
A straggler from Convoy HX.90, the abandoned British motor tanker Conch that had been damaged the previous day was torpedoed at 1058 hours on 3 December and sunk by the U-99, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Kretschmer, approximately 370 miles west of Bloody Foreland, Ireland in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
At 2142 hours the unescorted Victoria City (Master Alfred Longstaff), a straggler from convoy HX.90, was hit underneath the bridge by one G7a torpedo from U-140 and sank by the bow within 15 seconds west of the North Channel. The master and 42 crew members were lost. The 4,739-ton Victoria City was carrying steel and was bound for London, England.
U-140 sank British steamer Victoria City (4739grt) west of Ireland. At 2142 hours the unescorted Victoria City (Master Alfred Longstaff), a straggler from convoy HX.90, was hit underneath the bridge by one G7a torpedo from U-140 and sank by the bow within 15 seconds west of the North Channel. The master and 42 crew members were lost.
Battleship HMS Nelson (Tovey) departed Rosyth escorted by destroyers HMS Vimy, HMS Douglas, and HMS Keppel.
Battleship HMS Nelson and her escorts arrived at Scapa Flow at 0600/4th.
Destroyers HMS Escapade and HMS Brilliant departed Scapa Flow at 0310 to rendezvous with battleship HMS King George V in Pentland Firth.
Upon joining, destroyers HMS Escapade and HMS Brilliant relieved destroyers HMS Somali and HMS Mashona which entered Scapa Flow.
Destroyers HMS Exmoor and HMS Cotswold departed Scapa Flow at 0001 to rendezvous with armed merchant cruisers HMS Chitral and HMS Salopian off the Butt of Lewis in 61N, 15W.
Light cruisers HMS Aurora and HMS Arethusa (Rear Admiral CS 2) departed Scapa Flow at 1100 with destroyers HMS Somali (Captain D.6), HMS Bedouin, HMS Mashona, and HMS Eskimo on Operation DN. The operation was a sweep off the southwest Norwegian coast. No contact was made and the ships arrived back at Scapa Flow at 1315/4th.
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Curacoa departed Scapa Flow at 0830 to escort convoy WN.47 Fast from Pentland Firth until after dark and then to return to Scapa Flow.
Anti-aircraft ship HMS Alynbank departed Scapa Flow at 1100 to cover convoy WN.47 Slow to Methil. At Methil, the anti-aircraft ship was taken in tow from Methil to Rosyth for maintenance.
Destroyer HMS Icarus departed Portsmouth for Dartmouth on 30 November. On the 3rd, destroyer Icarus departed for minelay GR with destroyers HMS Kashmir, HMS Kipling, and HMS Punjabi. A defect on Icarus delayed the minelay. The defect was corrected the next day, but the escorts were no longer available. Destroyer Icarus departed Portsmouth on the 7th for Immingham.
Destroyer HMS Campbeltown was damaged in a collision with British tanker Conus (8132grt). Destroyer Campbeltown was repaired at Liverpool completing on 28 March. Destroyer Castleton was damaged in a collision in the Western Approaches. Destroyer Castleton was taken to Portsmouth for repair, arriving on the 18th. While under repair, she was damaged by German bombing on 18 January 1941. Destroyer Castleton repairs were completed on 22 February.
Catapult ship HMS Pegasus departed Portsmouth to join the escort of convoy OG.47.
British trawler Slebech (222grt) was damaged by German bombing five miles west, northwest of Skelligs.
British trawler William Downes (275grt) was damaged by German bombing five miles west, northwest of Skelligs.
British steamer Quebec City (4745grt) was damaged by German bombing in the North Atlantic off the Irish Coast.
British steamer Robrix (292grt) was damaged on a mine two miles 110° from Spurn Light House.
Aircraft carrier HMS Furious and anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Dido departed Freetown for the Clyde where they arrived on the 14th.
Light cruiser HMS Glasgow at anchor in Suda Bay was struck by two torpedoes from Italian aircraft and was seriously damaged. The first torpedo at 1540 made a twenty two by twenty two foot hole in the starboard side forward. It caused structural damage and flooding. The second torpedo struck at 1541 and hit the starboard side aft. X turret was out of service and two propeller shafts were damaged. T/Surgeon Lt G. R- E. Maxted RNVR, two ratings were lost in the explosions. Three ratings were seriously wounded. Destroyer HMS Gloucester was also in Suda Bay. Light cruiser Glasgow was able to return under her own power at 2300 later at sixteen knots to Alexandria with light cruiser Gloucester and destroyers HMS Hereward and HMS Hasty and given anti-aircraft protection by anti-aircraft ship HMS Calcutta. Cruiser Gloucester was detached at 1800/4th to join cruiser HMS York covering convoy movements. Ship Calcutta was also detached. Cruiser Glasgow with destroyers Hereward and Hasty arrived at Alexandria early on the 5th. After repairs, Glasgow was able to leave Alexandria in early February 1941 for passage into the Red Sea. She was not, however, up to her capability; her top speed was only twenty four knots and X turret was still disabled. Light cruiser Glasgow was deployed in the East Indies on convoy and escort duties. The cruiser received further repairs at Singapore from 29 June to 29 August 1941. Light cruiser Glasgow continued damaged until 6 May 1942 when she arrived at the New York Naval Yard. Repairs were completed 7 August 1942.
Battleships HMS Barham and HMS Valiant departed Alexandria for gunnery practices. Destroyer HMS Havock setting out collided with Valiant. Havock was under repair at Malta from 22 December to 20 February.
Italian destroyers Tigre, Leone, Manin, and Sauro and submarine Ferraris operated in the Red Sea looking for a Convoy without success.
German raider Kormoran departed Gotenhafen raid in the Central and South Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific. She carried 280 moored mines and 40 ground mines for operations. At 0700/7th, German torpedo boats T.1, T.5, T.12 escorted Kormoran through the Skagerrak. Armed merchant cruiser Kormoran successfully passed the Denmark Strait on 12/13 December.
During the night of 3/4 December, German destroyers Greif, Kondor, Falke, and Seeadler from Cherbourg laid minefield Marianne off Dover.
Convoy FN.349 departed Southend, escorted by destroyer HMS Vimiera and sloop HMS Weston. The convoy arrived at Methil on the 5th.
Convoy FS.351 departed Methil, escorted by destroyer HMS Vortigern and sloop HMS Egret. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.
Convoy FS.352 departed Methil. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.
Convoy HX.93 departed Halifax at 1440 escorted by Canadian destroyer HMCS Assiniboine and auxiliary patrol vessels HMCS French and HMCS Husky. Patrol vessels French and Husky were detached at 1730 and Assiniboine departed at 1655/4th. The ocean escort was armed merchant cruiser HMS Aurania, which was detached on the 11th. Battleship HMS Rodney joined on the 11th and was detached on the 13th. Corvette HMS Picotee joined on the 11th and destroyers HMS Achates, HMS Active, and HMS Antelope and corvette HMS Heather on the 13th. Destroyer Achates and corvette Heather were detached on the 16th. Anti-submarine trawlers HMS Lady Madeleine and HMS Norwich City were with the convoy in Home Waters. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 18th.
Convoy AS.6 of seven ships, four British, departed Pireaus, escorted by anti-submarine trawler HMS Loch Melfort. The second trawler of the escort, HMS Kingston Coral, was unable to proceed with defects. The convoy was given anti-aircraft support by HMS Calcutta until south of Kaso Strait. Escort ship HMS Wryneck departed Alexandria on the 5th and joined convoy AS.6. Heavy cruiser HMS YORK and light cruiser HMS Gloucester provided cover for this convoy and convoy AN.8 on the 5th. The convoy arrived at Port Said on the 7th.
President Roosevelt embarks in heavy cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA-37) at Miami, Florida, to inspect base sites acquired from the British under the destroyers-for-bases agreement. During the cruise, he will broach the lend-lease concept that he will implement upon his return to Washington (see 11 March 1941). President Roosevelt shoved off from Miami aboard the cruiser Tuscaloosa today and headed for the Caribbean sea, indicating that he himself had only a general idea ot where he will go. He parried questions about whether he will inspect air and naval sites acquired from England or watch exercises of Atlantic patrol units and marines at Culebra Island, near Puerto Rico. Thousands lined Miami streets to cheer as the president rode in an open automobile from his special train to the docks to be piped aboard the doughty 10,000-ton light cruiser.
A proposal to set up a joint Congressional budget committee to chart the 1941 fiscal course toward an absolute balancing of normal outlays with revenues, reserving the government’s borrowing power for defense needs, will be made by Representative Woodrum of Virginia, long an economy leader. Mr. Woodrum said today that he would introduce a resolution seeking creation of such a committee immediately, to give it fullest scope for functioning before the new Congress took action on either taxes or appropriations. To some extent his proposal is a revival of one made early this year by Senator Harrison of Mississippi, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. That proposal was sponsored by Secretary Morgenthau and Under Secretary Bell and was approved by President Roosevelt. The Senate adopted it, but the House balked.
One reason for the House attitude on the Harrison proposal was that one appropriation bill had been passed and others were in process of being “marked up.” The House also was represented as having felt that the move for such a committee. should have originated with itself, since it is charged by the Constitution with the preparation of revenue and spending bills. Mr. Woodrum, who has been in touch with leaders and members on both sides of the Capitol, believes the move will now succeed, particularly in view of the state of Federal finances and the proposal by Secretary Morgenthau for an increase in the debt limit from $49,000,000,000 to $60,000,000,000 or $65,000,000,000.
The belief was expressed that such a committee, which would undoubtedly have the approval of the four major committees from which its membership would be drawn-the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee-would be able to hold the various spending groups in line and force reduced appropriations for non-defense needs.
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation today took steps to expand steel-producing capacity to meet the national defense needs. The Defense Commission announced that the company would extend its annual steel ingot capacity by 850,000 tons. The company’s plan, according to Edward R. Stettinius Jr., head of the industrial materials division of the commission, will include an increase in its pig iron and coke capacity, with an accompanying increase in the production of toluol, used in explosives manufacture. “The proposed expansion by Bethlehem, amounting to 8 percent of its present ingot capacity,” Mr. Stettinius said, “would go far toward taking care of its added steel load which defense needs will superimpose upon civilian requirements and would aid in meeting the combined defense, export and civilian demands.”
Paul V. McNutt, Federal Security Administrator, was designated today as “coordinator of all health, medical, welfare, nutrition, recreation and other related fields of activity affecting the national defense.”
A three alarm fire that started in the forward hold gutted the partly dismantled former World war troopship Mount Vernon today at the Union Shipbuilding Co. docks. The Mount Vernon was the for mer luxury liner Kronprinzessin Cecile, pride of the North German Lloyd line from 1906 to 1914. It was interned at Boston in 1914 and used as a troopship after the United States entered the war.
City and state health officials declared today that the most serious influenza epidemic since 1928 has afflicted 50,000 persons in Los Angeles and, with pneumonia, has brought death to 70. Dr. Bertram Brown of the state health department school division told the city health commission that approximately 30 per cent of the school children were affected, although most of the cases appear to be mild. No estimate was made for the county as a whole. The county board of supervisors, however, voted special funds to hire extra physicians, nurses and attendants at the county hospital, where Dr. E. S. Bennett, director, reported nearly 300 cases.
My mother, living in San Francisco, California, after a recent move from rural Oklahoma, turns six years old this day.
“The Son of Monte Cristo” starring Louis Hayward and Joan Bennett has its premiere at the Capitol Theatre in New York City.
The St. Louis Browns purchase pitchers Denny Galehouse and Fritz Ostermueller from the Red Sox. Galehouse will go 50–58 in 6 seasons in St. Louis
The Royal Canadian Navy patrol vessel HMCS Renard arrived at Halifax for the Local Defense Force.
The Royal Canadian Navy corvette HMS Arrowhead arrived at Halifax from her builder at Sorel, PQ.
German steamers Idarwald (5033grt) and Rhein (6031grt) departed Tampico to attempt again to return to Germany. Steamer Idarwald was shadowed by US destroyer USS Broome (DD-210) until British cruiser HMS Diomede arrived on the 8th. Idarwald scuttled herself off the Cuban south coast at 21‑34N, 84‑25W. Attempts to save Idarwald continue until 9 December.
Steamer Rhein was shadowed by US destroyer USS Simpson (DD-.221) which was relieved by US destroyer USS MacLeish (DD-220). Steamer Rhein was intercepted on the 11th by Dutch gunboat HMNLS Van Kinsbergen (Captain J. L. K. Howeke, RNethN) in the Straits of Florida. Rhein scuttled herself to avoid capture at 24‑55N, 83‑15W. The wreck of Rhein was scuttled by Light cruiser HMS Caradoc on the 11th.
The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Louisville (CA-28) departs Rio Grande du Sol, Brazil, to pay a return call at Rio de Janeiro, as her goodwill cruise continues in Latin American waters.
The Thai Siamese High Command announced today that a French effort to seize the southeastern Thai province of Trad had been beaten off, with damage to one of two French warships, which. landed a “considerable number” of troops. The vessel, it was added, suffered. three bomb hits. The French attempts, the communiqué added, were frustrated by Joint action of Thai air and military forces. The action occurred yesterday. The communiqué said a detachment of French troops landed a few miles from the Thai frontier and penetrated inland a short distance before being repulsed by military and police guards, while Thai aircraft attacked the warships. The vessel hit was declared to have been struck directly on the turrets and perhaps in the engine room as well. It was said to have retreated. Another clash was reported on the northeast front near Magor Banom, where a French landing party was declared repulsed with heavy casualties.
The latest American loan to China brings Japan and the United States closer to “the final test,” the Japanese newspaper Miyako declared today. It said Japan did not intend to attack any nation, “but cases may arise where Japan is forced to accept the American challenge.” The paper added that “whether an armed clash comes in the Pacific depends solely on American action.”
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 130.78 (-0.15)
Born:
Jeffrey R. Holland, American religious leader on the Mormon church, in St. George, Utah.
Kishin Shinoyama, Japanese photographer, including album cover art (Saori Minami; John Lennon and Yoko Ono — Double Fantasy), in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
Chico Salmon, Panamanian MLB second baseman, shortstop, and first baseman (World Series Champions-Orioles, 1970; Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles), in Colon, Panama (d. 2000).
Nat Craddock, NFL fullback (Baltimore Colts), in Des Moines, Iowa.
Died:
Wolff von Stutterheim, 47, German Generalmajor (died of wounds sustained during Battle of France).
Naval Construction:
The Royal Navy Isles-class minesweeping trawler HMS Sluna (T 177) is laid down by Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd. (Selby, U.K.); completed by Amos & Smith.
The Royal Navy Fairmile B-class motor launch HMS ML 162 is commissioned.
The U.S. Navy minesweeper (fishing trawler conversion) USS Gull (AM-74) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Ernest Louis Posey, USNR.
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIB U-boat U-76 is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Oberleutnant zur See Friedrich von Hippel.
History Diaries 