The Wehrmacht gets a taste — just a taste — of bad weather on 7 August 1941 when it rains. It doesn’t just rain, though, it pours and pours. The Russians dirt roads — and they are almost all dirt roads — get wet, then they turn muddy, and then they turn into rivers of mud. The rains continue throughout the day and into the 8th. German truck transport slows to a crawl or stops completely, and panzers have trouble, too, because their treads are not as wide as Soviet tanks.
The Finnish forces, though, are grinding forward against faltering Soviet opposition. However, some sectors are doing better than others, so Finnish Commander-in-Chief Marshal Mannerheim decides to focus on the most promising areas. To this end, he forms a new I Corps under Colonel Einar Mäkinen which includes Finnish 2nd, 7th, and 9th divisions. Mäkinen’s first task is to eliminate the remaining Soviet troops north of Lake Ladoga.
In the Far North sector, the Finnish 2nd Division of II Corps reaches the northern shore of Lake Ladoga at Lahdenpohja. They thus join Finnish VI Corps, which reached the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga on 16 July. This isolates Soviet forces to the northwest, with Soviet 168th and parts of 115th divisions encircled in a large motti near Sortavala (Serdobol). The only way out for the Russians is Lake Ladoga, and they soon start evacuating their troops out by the lake.
The Finns achieve a major victory further north, too, when Group J of 3rd Division of III Corps captures Kestenga in the evening. The Finns now are confident that they can cut the Murmansk railway because a spur line of the railroad from Kestenga leads directly to Loukhi on the mainline, providing a convenient pathway. An improved 42-mile road also leads from Kestenga to Loukhi. The Finnish advance to Loukhi also has flank protection provided by the Pya and Top lakes to the north and south. The Soviets, however, now realize the danger to the vital railway line and are hurriedly sending reinforcements to the area by train — a luxury the Finns do not have.
In the Army Group North sector, German troops reach the Gulf of Finland at Kunda, Estonia. This isolates Soviet troops further west at Tallinn, which now can be evacuated only by sea. The Soviets activate 48th Army near Novgorod.
In the Army Group Center sector, the German effort begins veering southward in accordance with Hitler’s orders. General of Panzer Troops Geyr von Schweppenburg’s XXIV Corps heads south toward Starodub in order to tie in with Army Group South. General Heinz Guderian’s Panzer Group 2 also attacks south, toward Gomel.
In the Army Group South sector, the Germans continue fighting off attempts by the trapped Soviet soldiers of 6th and 12th Armies at Uman to break out. There are over 100,000 men trapped in the pocket, including numerous senior officers.
After dark, the Soviets sends bombers to raid Berlin in the first Soviet air raid on the capital of the war (the British have been bombing Berlin since 25 August 1940 and the French first bombed it on 7 June 1940). This is Operation B (for Berlin), and it is the brainchild of Lt. Gen. Semyon F. Zhavoronkov and approved by Soviet Admiral Nikolay G. Kuznetsov. Stalin has given the final approval necessary for the operation.
The fifteen twin-engined Ilyushin DB-3T torpedo bombers of the 1st Torpedo Bomber Regiment of the Baltic Fleet (yes, it is the Soviet Navy that makes the attack) fly from Kagul airfield on the island of Saaremaa off the Estonian coast. The planes travel over 600 miles (1000 km), and all return safely. Damage is light — the planes carry less than 1000 pounds of bombs each because of the distance, and some fall relatively harmlessly in the suburbs — but the attack is trumpeted by Soviet propaganda. The Germans are taken by surprise and first ascribe the raid to the RAF, but later learns the truth.
Soviet freighter Axel Carl hits a mine and sinks in the Gulf of Finland. There are eight deaths.
Estonian submarines Kalev and Lembit lay mines off Bornholm.
U-451, operating off Cape Teriberka in the Arctic attacks a Soviet patrol boat but misses.
Stalin promoted himself to Generalissimo of the Soviet Army.
551 Jews are shot in the Chișinău ghetto in Romania
Bruno Mussolini, Benito’s son along with wife Rachele, perishes in an airplane crash near the San Giusto Airport in Pisa. While flying a prototype Piaggio P.108B bomber, MM22003, Bruno Mussolini, an experienced pilot and commander of the 274a Squadriglia (274th Squadron), goes too low and crashes into a house. There are three deaths in the crew (including Bruno) and two survivors. Mussolini hurries to Santa Chiara Hospital to see the remains. Benito Mussolini is very grieved by the loss and later writes a book about his relationship with his son. Benito’s eldest son Lieutenant Vittorio Mussolini later says:
“There was a Mussolini before Bruno’s death, and a Mussolini after it. Prior to August 7, 1941, despair was not part of his emotional range. The tragedy turned him into a different man whose lost stare, at times, provoked pity.”
Bruno is interred in the family crypt in the San Cassiano cemetery in the town of Predappio.
Dutch submarine O.24 (Lt. Cdr. Otto de Booy) uses its deck gun and sinks 296-ton Italian freighter Margherita Madre about 15 miles off Anzio.
Operation Guillotine, the British reinforcement of Cyprus, continues. Light cruiser Neptune, minelaying cruiser Abdiel, and destroyer Jackal depart from Port Said for Famagusta carrying troops. The Luftwaffe attacks Famagusta harbor and sinks 332-ton tug Amiral Lacaze, but it is later refloated and repaired.
The Vichy French, in accordance with the terms of the treaty ending the conflict in the Levant, send a convoy carrying 4777 troops from Haifa back to France. These troops have decided not to join the Free French.
Werner Mölders, 28, is appointed Inspector of Fighters (Inspekteur der Jagdflieger). He now will decide the ongoing tactical and operational doctrine of the Luftwaffe. While he no longer will fly officially on missions, he does have a personal Fieseler Fi 156 Storch transport for his personal use to visit forward airfields. He also, on occasion, flies “teaching missions” and the like that have a tendency to find the enemy.
The Luftwaffe bombs Royal Navy minesweeper HMS MMS.39 with an aerial mine. MMS.39 sinks in the Thames Estuary.
Royal Navy destroyers HMS Active and Antelope arrive back in Seidisfjord, Iceland upon completion of Operation EF, the attack on Kirkenes and Petsamo. They both sail for England later in the day. Heavy cruiser Devonshire and aircraft carrier Victorious arrive back at Scapa Flow after Operation EF. Operation FB also ends when light cruisers Aurora and Nigeria arrive back at Scapa Flow with their destroyers.
The Home Guard in Britain has planted many minefields to defend against an invasion. However, the government is learning that they are as effective against civilian trespassers on the clearly marked areas as they would be against invading troops. Five people are killed by mines this week, three in Northumberland and two at Torquay.
RAF Bomber Command, Day of 7 August 1941
12 Blenheims on Circus operations to St-Omer airfield and Lille power-station. Only St-Omer was bombed. There were no Blenheim losses.
RAF Bomber Command, Night of 7/8 August 1941
Essen
106 aircraft — 54 Hampdens, 32 Wellingtons, 9 Halifaxes, 8 Stirlings, 3 Manchesters — to attack the Krupps factory. 2 Hampdens and 1 Stirling lost. Essen reports only 39 high-explosive and 200 incendiary bombs in the city, causing light damage. A bakery which was destroyed was the most serious incident. There were no casualties in Essen.
Hamm
45 Wellingtons and 1 Stirling to bomb the railway yards. No aircraft were lost. Large fires were started with smoke rising to 11,000 ft.
Dortmund
20 Wellingtons and 20 Whitleys. No losses.
Minor Operations: 6 Wellingtons to Boulogne, 8 Hampdens minelaying in the Frisians and off Denmark, 2 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
Twin-engine bombers of the Soviet Navy raided Berlin. A small force of Petlyakov Pe-8 bombers conducted the first strategic raid by Soviet bombers on Berlin.
Destroyers HMS Antelope and HMS Active arrived Seidisfjord at 0600 on completion of Operation EF. Active departed later in the day for Scapa Flow arriving at 1330/8th. Antelope departed at 2200 escorting damaged destroyer HMS Achates in the tow of tug HMS Assurance sailing for the Tyne. At 2200/10th, the destroyers arrived at the Faroes after having been hove to in bad weather. They later arrived at Skaalefjord at 1230/11th. Antelope departed and went on to Scapa Flow, arriving at 2200/11th.
Heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire, aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, and destroyers HMS Inglefield, HMS Icarus, and HMS Escapade arrived at Scapa Flow at 2330 on completion of Operation EF.
Light cruisers HMS Nigeria and HMS Aurora and destroyers HMS Tartar and HMS Punjabi arrived at Scapa Flow at 1815 on completion of Operation FB.
Destroyer HMS Somali departed Southampton for Greenock on completion of refitting. The destroyer arrived at Greenock at 1700/8th and sailed at 2200 for Scapa Flow, where she arrived at 1700/9th.
Minesweeper HMS Harrier departed Seidisfjord to investigate a submarine and minesweeping search in Vidfjord.
T/Sub Lt (A) J. R. Allen RNVR, Leading Airman A. A. Shields, and Mr. J. Goddard were killed when their Albacore of 820 Squadron crashed off Stokes Bay Pier.
Motor minesweeper MMS.39 was lost on a mine in the Thames Estuary.
Submarine HMS Severn unsuccessfully attacked a submarine in 34-48N, 13-04W.
Tanker Gold Shell (8208grt) was damaged by German bombing in 55-05N, 1-32E. She was towed to Hull and then taken to Middlesborough for repairs.
Dutch submarine HNLMS O.24, commanded by Lt. Commander Otto de Booy, sank Italian coastal steamer Margherita Madre (296grt) 15 miles off Anzio, Italy, in 41-23N, 12-38E. The submarine had made an unsuccessful attack on another steamer in the Ligurian Sea four hours earlier.
Light cruiser HMS Neptune, minelaying cruiser HMS Abdiel, and destroyer HMS Jackal departed Port Said for Famagusta in Serial S.15 of the GUILLOTINE operation. The troops were landed during the night of 7/8 August. They ships then proceeded to Haifa.
Destroyers HMS Kandahar and HMS Kimberley departed Alexandria for Mersa Matruh, but they were recalled at dark.
Tug Amiral Lacaze (332grt) was sunk by German bombing at Famagusta, but was later refloated and repaired.
The 17th Motor Launch Flotilla of ML.242,ML 266, ML.256,ML 261, ML.263,ML 265, and ML.274 arrived at Gibraltar, escorted by anti-submarine whaler HMS Southern Gem. ML.272 of the Flotilla arrived on the 8th, escorted by anti-submarine whaler HMS Southern Pride. On the 16th, the Flotilla, escorted by the two whalers and anti-submarine trawler HMS Arran departed Gibraltar for Bathurst, arriving on the 23rd. The ML’s and whalers proceeded to Freetown separately at the end of the month.
President Roosevelt arrives at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, in heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31); this day he fishes from the flagship’s forecastle and inspects base development at Argentia (see 9 August).
The Senate in Washington passed the resolution declaring the national interest imperiled, and authorized the extension of compulsory military service for eighteen months to a total of two and a half years; received the Securities and Exchange Commission’s recommendations for amendments to the Securities and Exchange Act and adjourned at 6:40 PM until noon Monday.
The House sustained President Roosevelt’s veto of the $320,000,000 defense highway bill and adjourned at 3:14 PM until 11 AM tomorrow. Its Banking and Currency Committee questioned Leon Henderson on the price control bill.
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland aboard the heavy cruiser USS Augusta, ostensibly on vacation but actually to hold a conference with Winston Churchill. Aboard cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) and accompanied by cruiser Tuscaloosa (CA-37), President Roosevelt arrives at Placentia Bay, Argentia, Newfoundland. He whiles away the remainder of the day fishing from Augusta’s forecastle — which is somewhat ironic, considering that the cover story in the press is that he is fishing, but much further south. He awaits a pending visit from Winston Churchill, who is steaming west on battleship HMS Prince of Wales. This is the closest that President Roosevelt has come to arguably hostile forces, as the Vichy French islands (they have pledged allegiance to Vichy) of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are only about a hundred miles away. Nobody expects any trouble from them, though, and they are being closely watched. The Canadian Chiefs of Staff Committee already has approved a plan to invade the islands, but Roosevelt’s proximity to them appears to focus Allied interest in the tiny French territories.
Another message from the Potomac, the absence from Washington of four ranking naval and military leaders and the continued lack of official denials were thought by some in Washington today to give color to reports that President Roosevelt might be meeting Prime Minister Churchill.
The Senate tonight approved legislation prolonging the active service of draftees, militiamen, reservists and army enlisted men by 18 months, with a pay raise of $10 a month for all men after they have completed one year in the army. The bill, hotly disputed for more than a week, went through by a vote of 45 to 30, and now goes to the house where its fate is uncertain. Many house members are reported to favor a less drastic extension of service than the 18 months provided in the senate measure
A promise that price-control legislation would be administered fairly and without rigid ceilings was given to congress today by Leon Henderson of the Office of Price Control who is in line for appointment as chief of the program. Under questioning by Representative Williams, Missouri Democrat, Henderson told the house banking committee that if he were selected as administrator, he would seek a staff that would “not try to build a rigid ceiling,” that would “take the heat out of inflationary situations” and that would set prices under which agriculture and industry could “go forward with this great task.”
The mounting demands of embattled Britain and Russia, combined with the expansion of America’s air force, brought from Secretary Ickes today a warning that the United States faces a possible shortage of vital aviation gasoline. Only by quickly increasing high octane refining capacity, he said, could this threat to the flying forces be erased, and he declared remedial steps were being considered. The interior secretary, who is also defense petroleum coordinator, dis closed at his press conference that four American tankers plying west coast waters were being turned over to Russia, to increase the flow of aviation fuel to the Soviets. Such transfer of tankers, he said, might cause a scarcity of petroleum in Pacific coast areas but he added that the “pinch” there probably would not approach in severity the shortage predicted for the Atlantic seaboard.
Russia and the United States have formed the basis for cooperation in mutual defense and destruction of “bloodthirsty Hitlerism” although an actual mutual assistance pact has not been signed, Solomon A. Lozovcky, the official Soviet spokesman, said today. Lozovsky’s praise of the new Soviet-American rapprochement was of the same tone as laudatory editorials in the Communist party organ Pravda and the government newspaper Izvestia. Izvestlia said the agreement “puts both great countries in the same camp of democratic nations devoted to the noble ideal of the destruction of German fascism, the most perfidious and evil foe of humanity, culture and civilization.”
More than 100 representatives of the silk hosiery, throwsting and rayon industries and officials of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations met today with government officials to plan first steps for rehabilitating the civilian silk industry.
The third U.S. army corps, a force of 45,000 fighting men commanded by Major General Joseph Stilwell, held itself in readiness today for a rush to the Pacific Northwest to defend the nation against a mythical invader. It was understood orders for mobilization already had been issued but dates and disposition of the forces remained a secret. The maneuvers, largest ever held in the west and involving 100,000 troops, are to start in mid-August. General Stilwell’s command includes the 7th division at Fort Ord and the 40th division, formerly the California National Guard, at San Luis Obispo.
The Grumman XTBF-1 Avenger torpedo bomber prototype made her first flight. The Navy requested design proposals for a TBD-1 replacement on March 29, 1939, and the Grumman design submitted on August 24 by William Schwendler was favored. Two XTBF-l prototypes were ordered April 8, 1940, and 286 production TBF-ls purchased on December 23, for the need for a better torpedo-bomber could not await the prototype’s first flight by Bob Hall on August 7, 1941. Grumman went on to build over 2,000 of the Avengers for the U.S. and Royal Navies before production was switched to the GM / Eastern Aircraft factory at Trenton so that Grumman could concentrate on much needed naval fighters. General Motors / Eastern would build another 7,000 plus before the war ended, as the TBM-1 and TBM-3 variants.
Television station WNBT Channel 4 in New York City (the future NBC affiliate) broadcasts the first audience-participation show, revolving around charades. WNBT is a combination of the National Broadcasting Company (RCA’s broadcasting subsidiary) and the new technology of television. It is the only NYC station with a commercial license because it has committed to 15 hours of telecasts per week. As the most advanced television station in the country, it can draw on RCA’s extensive talent roster and already is airing commercials.
The comedy horror film “Hold That Ghost” starring Abbott and Costello premiered in New York.
The motion picture “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” opens at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. This romantic fantasy comedy based on Harry Segall’s play “Heaven Can Wait” is directed by Alexander Hall and stars Robert Montgomery, Evelyn Keyes, Claude Rains, Rita Johnson, Edward Everett Horton and James Gleason; Lloyd Bridges appears in an unaccredited role. The plot has a boxer (Montgomery) dying in a plane crash and being cremated. The problem is that he was not scheduled to die for another 50 years. Because of this heavenly mistake, he is returned to earth in the body of an unworthy, wealthy man who was just murdered by his wife. The film is nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Montgomery) and Best Supporting Actor (Gleason); it wins two writing awards.
Major League Baseball:
In Boston, the Red Sox down the Yankees, 9–5. Lefty Gomez was shelled from the mound in the seventh and went down for his fourth defeat after winning eight games in a row. For the crowd it was a festive occasion. Ted Williams exploded his twenty-second homer of the year and followed this with two more singles to boost his league-leading batting average to .408.
The Pirates climbed another step toward a contending position in the National League today when Al Lopez hit a homer in the ninth inning to beat the Cubs, 4–3, for Pittsburgh’s sixth straight victory and its eighteenth in twenty-one games.
The Cards retake 1st place over the idle Dodgers by scoring twice and edging the Reds and ace Bucky Walters, 3–2, in 11 innings. The Reds come back to score a run in the bottom of the 11th, but Mort Cooper retires the last 2 Reds with the bases loaded.
Bob Feller goes down to defeat for the 4th time in his last 5 starts as the Tigers beat the Cleveland ace, 4–3, in 13 innings after Clarence Campbell’s 3-run pinch homer ties it for the Tribe in the 9th after 2 pinch hitters reach safely. The 3 pinch runners scoring ties the league and Major League mark for an inning. In a rare triple-double, Feller strikes out 13, walks 11, and gives up 13 hits.
Held scoreless for five innings, the Chicago White Sox tallied in every stanza thereafter to wallop the St. Louis Browns, 11–1, tonight as Buck Ross set the tail-enders down with seven hits.
Hits by Jake Early and Roger Cramer, coupled with three walks and an outfield fly, brought the Senators two runs in the ninth inning for a 5–4 victory today over the Athletics. Sam Chapman homered for the A’s.
New York Yankees 5, Boston Red Sox 9
Pittsburgh Pirates 4, Chicago Cubs 3
St. Louis Cardinals 3, Cincinnati Reds 2
Detroit Tigers 4, Cleveland Indians 3
Chicago White Sox 11, St. Louis Browns 1
Philadelphia Athletics 4, Washington Senators 5
The Japanese send a heavy air attack against Chungking.
Japan denied having any aggressive intentions against Thailand. Disclaiming any aggressive intentions against Thailand or any desire for a “joint defense” agreement with Thailand similar to that concluded with French Indo-China, Japanese official quarters declared today that yesterday’s statements of Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden and Secretary of State Cordell Hull regarding a dangerous situation in East Asia “were based on no warrantable facts.”
Thailand has no intention of granting military bases either to Japan or Britain, a source close to the Premier, Field Marshal Luang Bipul Songgram, said today.
The Australian government warned that it would not stand by and watch Japanese expansion in the Pacific.
Richard G. Casey, the Australian minister, conferred with Secretary Hull on the far eastern situation today. He declined to make any specific statements concerning Japan’s extension southward, except to say that ‘”Australia believes that the place to defend Australia is as far away from Australia as possible.”
The Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier HIJMS Soryu arrives at Kagoshima, assigned as flagship ComCarDiv 2. Thereafter in Kyushu waters till end of month.
The Imperial Japanese Navy cruisers HIJMS Mogami and HIJMS Mikuma arrive at Sukomo Bay, Japan.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 128.09 (-0.01)
Born:
Thomas F. Hartnett, American politician (Rep-R-South Carolina, 1981-1986), in Charleston, South Carolina.
Franco Columbu, Italian bodybuilder, powerlifter, actor and author (Mr. Olympia, 1976, 1981), in Ollolai, Sardinia, Italy (d. 2019).
Howard Johnson, American jazz and session arranger, baritone saxophonist and tuba player (Gil Evans; Gravity; SNL band, 1975-1980), in Montgomery, Alabama (d. 2021).
Died:
Bruno Mussolini, 23, son of Benito Mussolini (plane crash).
Rabindranath Tagore, 80, Bengali polymath.
Naval Construction:
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type IXC U-boat U-524 is laid down by Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg (werk 339).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-628 is laid down by Blohm & Voss, Hamburg (werk 604).
The Royal Navy MMS I-class motor minesweeper HMS MMS 78 (J 578) is launched by the Richards Ironworks Ltd. (Lowestoft, England, U.K.).
The U.S. Navy Accentor-class coastal minesweeper USS Brambling (AMc-39) is launched by W. A. Robinson, Inc. (Ipswich, Massachusetts).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Kalgoorlie (J 192) is launched by Broken Hill Pty. Ltd. (Whyalla, South Australia, Australia).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Castlemaine (J 244) is launched by the Williamstown Dockyard (Williamstown, Victoria, Australia).
The Royal Navy Fiji-class (Crown Colony-class) light cruiser HMS Uganda is launched by Vickers Armstrong (Newcastle-on-Tyne, U.K.); completed by Parsons. HMS Uganda was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy on 21 October 1944. Renamed HMCS Quebec on 14 January 1952.
The Royal Navy MMS I-class motor minesweeper HMS MMS 7 (J 507) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is H Steel, RNVR.
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-582 is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Kapitänleutnant Werner Schulte.
History Diaries 