The Wehrmacht on 17 August 1941 continues to hold the initiative, but every day more trucks break down and more men get killed and more tanks need new tracks and engines and other maintenance. Generalleutnant Wolfgang Fischer at the 10th Panzer Division headquarters notes in the war diary that there are no spare parts available, and when trucks break down, the choice either is to leave them or to tow them.
In the Far North sector, the Finnish 18th Division crosses the Vuoksi River and establishes a secure bridgehead. Other Finnish forces continue putting pressure on trapped Soviet troops throughout the Karelian Isthmus. For most of them, the only possibility of escape is by boat across Lake Ladoga.
In the Army Group North sector, the Germans take Narva, Estonia, and 56th Panzer Corps of Panzer Group 4 strengthens its grip on Novgorod. The Wehrmacht is busy transferring three divisions from Army Group Center to Army Group North, but Field Marshal von Bock at the former is resisting releasing one of the motorized divisions because of the ongoing Soviet offensive south of Lake Ilmen.
In the Army Group Center sector, General Guderian’s Panzer Group 2 continues driving toward Bryansk, while 2nd Army advances on Gomel. The Soviets continue attacking the exposed German “lightning rod” position at Yelnya, but the Germans are holding fast. Field Marshal von Bock calls off an offensive planned against Mozir. Halder talks with von Bock during the day, and the latter remains fixated on the possibility of renewing the attack on Moscow as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Soviet 24th Army attacks a German bridgehead at El’nia.
In the Army Group South sector, the Romanian 4th Army scores a major success by capturing the water supplies of Odessa. The Soviets are under strict orders to hold the city for as long as possible, an order underscored by Stalin’s Order No. 270 issued on the 16th which prescribes death for anyone who exhibits dereliction of duty. The Romanians still have not made a real assault on the city, however.
The Soviets are retreating in the vicinity of Dnepropetrovsk, which the German Panzer Group 1 captures. The Luftwaffe sends fighter-bombers from I. and II./JG 3 along with III./JG 52 against the city. The Luftwaffe pilots claim to shoot down 33 Soviet planes, including 29 bombers.
The Soviets complete their evacuation from Nikolayev, covering their final withdrawal with 8 destroyers of the Black Sea Fleet. The Germans also take Nikopol on the Dneiper. Of the ships under construction in the port, 13 were far enough advanced to be towed away but one battleship and 10 other vessels on the stocks were blown up.
Soviet submarine Shch-307 hits a mine and sinks near Suursaari Island (Gogland).
German torpedo boat S.58 sinks Soviet minesweeper/patrol boat No. 80 in the Gulf of Finland.
German auxiliary minesweeper M-1707 hits a mine and sinks in the Gulf of Finland.
Soviet patrol boats attack a German convoy in the Gulf of Finland off Cape Domesnas. They cause the ships to engage in evasive maneuvers, during which German minesweeper M.1707 “Luneburg” comes under fire from Soviet coastal artillery, which causes Luneburg to engage in more evasive maneuvers. The end result is that Luneburg blunders into a German minefield off Arensburg, Ösel Island and strikes a mine, and sinks.
Estonian submarines Kalev (Lt. Cmdr. Nyrov) and Lembit (Lt. Cmdr. Poleschuk) lay mines off Bornholm.
Admiral Vladimir Tributs is put in charge of the defense of Leningrad.
Tito, who has led the partisan movement in Yugoslavia, begins to coordinate his partisan activities with Moscow (Comintern).
Virginio Gayda, authoritative Italian Fascist editor, predicted today that the Russian war will end in the near future and “this will be the Axis answer to the proposed Anglo-American conference with Russia.”
From now until 27 August, the Jews of Ludza, Latvia, about 800 people, are taken 7 km out of town. There, they are marched into two long pits, shot, and buried.
The Spanish freighter Navemar left Lisbon with 1,180 refugees, mostly Jewish, bound for Cuba and New York. The ship was very overcrowded as it was built to carry only 15 passengers, and it soon acquired the nickname “the floating concentration camp”.
German occupying authorities publicly hanged five Serbs from lampposts in Belgrade’s main square Terazije. They were suspected to be members of the Serbian resistance.
Dutch submarine O-23, operating in the Sicilian Strait, attacks an Italian convoy sailing from Naples to Tripoli. O-23 torpedoes and badly damages 5479-ton Italian freighter Maddalena Odero. The freighter, escorted by Italian torpedo boats Pegaso and Sirtori, heads for Lampedusa. The RAF (Bristol Blenheim aircraft of No. 105 Squadron) later attacks Maddalena Odero twice, setting its cargo on fire. Maddalena Odero is written off on the 18th.
Tonight’s Tobruk run is made by Royal Navy destroyers HMS Kipling and HMS Nizam. The British land supplies and rotate in some Polish troops, then make it back to Alexandria without incident.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Regent is damaged at the dock in Alexandria when one of its own torpedoes explodes. Nobody is injured, but the submarine is damaged.
Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden submits a report to the War Cabinet on the current state of morale in Italy. The report finds that Italian civilian and military morale has plummeted during the war and that many Italians dislike the Germans and like the British. The reports cautions, however, that:
“The chances of knocking Italy out of the war (ie forcing her to a separate peace) can now be discounted since the Germans would certainly forestall any such move in Italy by converting the present moral occupation into a physical occupation of the country. But the more depressed and restless the Italians become the less effective is the Fascist Government’s contribution to the German effort, and the greater do Germany’s policing responsibilities in Italy become.”
The report concludes:
“The moral of this is that, even though we cannot now hope to knock Italy out, we should not relax efforts to hit metropolitan Italy by air and from the sea whenever opportunity offers. Each blow against Italy is a blow against Germany.”
Royal Navy submarine HMS Tigris torpedoes and sinks 1482-ton Norwegian freighter Haakon Jarl off Svaerholt, Norway in the Barents Sea. There are three deaths.
The Luftwaffe attacks Convoy WN.68 off Aberdeen but scores no hits.
In Operation Kedgreree (part of Operation Ration), the Royal Navy sends ships to sea to intercept what is believed to be a Vichy French convoy carrying contraband destined for Germany. There is a similar mission in the Indian Ocean by cruisers HMS Hawkins and HMAS Australia, with the same code names. Neither of these operations spots any French ships.
A Luftwaffe Focke-Wulf Fw-200 Condor of I,/KG 40 spots Convoy OG.71 and radios the location to BdU in Paris. The Kriegsmarine vectors in U-201 (ObltzS Adalbert Schee), which shadows the convoy.
German agent Juan Pujol Garcia, who has been sent to London via Lisbon, instead is camping out in Lisbon and only pretending to be in London. His mission is to recruit British spies — in London. Today, from Lisbon, he radios his handler, Friedrich Knappe-Ratey aka “Frederico,” and claims that he has successfully recruited a local agent. At this time, Garcia is not yet working as a double-agent — he is simply making up believable nonsense and reporting it as fact.
Britain and the USSR protest to Iran about the large number of German “tourists” in Iran. British and Russian envoys at Teheran were authoritatively reported today to have issued a second warning to the Iranian (Persian) government that the “excessively large numbers of Germans” in that vital middle eastern, land were a continuing cause of alarm to London and Moscow. Sources here declined to amplify the report or to discuss whether a joint Russian-British move in Iran is imminent. While there were intimations in some circles that a decisive stroke is being considered by the two allies in the Middle East, the nature of such an action was left to the vaguest inferences.
Today’s RAF missions are distinguished by few losses. However, the results of the missions are mediocre, so not much is accomplished by either side. All in all, it is a fairly unremarkable day in the air.
RAF Bomber Command, Day of 17 August 1941
20 Blenheims on coastal sweeps. Ships were attacked off Terschelling. No aircraft lost.
RAF Bomber Command, Night of 17/18 August 1941
Bremen
39 Hampdens and 20 Whitleys, with the Focke-Wulf factory and the railway goods station as aiming. points. 2 Hampdens lost. Hits were claimed on the Focke-Wulf factory.
Duisburg
41 Wellingtons to railway targets. No losses. Weather was bad and bombing results were admitted to be poor.
Minor Operations: 1 Wellington to Dunkirk, 12 Hampdens minelaying off Denmark, 6 O.T.U. sorties. No losses.
At Malta, RAF Hurricanes shoot down a Caproni seaplane east of Zonqor Point. RAF No. 800 Squadron Swordfish attack the Italian convoy that O-23 also attacks, claiming hits on three ships, but only the hits on Maddalena Odero are confirmed.
Three Hurricanes attack seaplanes in Syracuse harbor, claiming hits on several targets.
The RAF based at Malta has been bombing Rome, Milan, and Naples, but overall it has not suffered nearly as much from Allied bombing as has Germany.
Soviet submarine ShCh-307 is mined near Suuraari Island.
Light cruiser HMS Penelope departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow to work up after long repairs.
Destroyer HMS Lamerton departed Rosyth for Scapa Flow at 0500 to carry out working up exercises. The ship arrived at 1930.
Anti-aircraft ship HMS Palomares departed Scapa Flow at 0915 on completion of working up exercises. The joined join convoy EC.60 and proceeded to Belfast where she came under the orders of the Western Approaches.
Anti-aircraft ship HMS Curacoa departed Rosyth on completion of boiler cleaning and proceeded northwards to meet convoy WN.68 in Moray Firth at 1800. The ship escorted convoy WN.68 to May Island. Off May Island on the 18th, ship Curacoa transferred to convoy EC.61 and escorted it northward. The convoy was attacked off Aberdeen by German bombing, but no damage was done. In Pentland Firth on the 19th, the ship parted company with convoy EC.61 and arrived at Scapa Flow at 1800.
British steamer Kindersley (1999grt) was damaged by German bombing three miles southeast by east of B.1 Buoy (Blyth). The steamer arrived at Blyth on the 18th.
Panamanian steamer Sessa (1700grt) was reported sunk by a submarine in 61-26N, 30-50W. Panamanian (ex-Danish) freighter Sessa is torpedoed and sunk about 300 miles southwest of Iceland, 61°26’N, 30°50’W (see 6 September). The freighter’s assailant is unknown. The steamer does not appear in the Rohwer list. Three crewmen were rescued by U.S. destroyer USS Lansdale on 7 September. The rest were lost.
An Italian convoy of steamers Maddalena Odero (5479grt), Nicolo Odero (6003grt), Caffaro (6476grt), Marin Sanudo (5081grt), Giulia (5921grt), and Minatitland (7599grt) escorted by destroyers Freccia, Euro, and Dardo and torpedo boats Procione, Pegaso, and Sirtori was attacked by Dutch submarine HNLMS O.23. Italian steamer Maddalena Odero was torpedoed. The steamer, escorted by torpedo boats Pegaso and Sirtori, was sunk by British aircraft on the 18th at Lampedusa. The convoy arrived at Tripoli on the 19th.
Destroyers HMS Kipling and HMAS Nizam landed supplies at Tobruk during the night of 17/18 August. The destroyers then returned to Alexandria.
Submarine HMS Regent at Alexandria was damaged when an air vessel of a torpedo exploded. There were no personnel casualties.
Dutch steamer Kota Nopan (7322grt) was captured by German raider Komet at 1-22S, 89-10W.
Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia and Heavy cruiser HMS Hawkins were ordered to search for a French convoy which departed Tamatave on the 12th. The operation which was a RATION operation was given the codename of KEDGREREE. Cruiser Australia departed Durban at 2350/18th and cruiser Hawkins departed Durban at 0800/19th. The convoy consisted of French steamers Ville D’Oran (10,172grt), Linois (7473grt), Dalny (6672grt), Lepari (tons), and Sagittaire (7706grt). The operation ended on the 25th, without contact with the French convoy.
Franklin Roosevelt arrived back in Washington, D.C. President Roosevelt went immediately into conference with Secretary of State Cordell Hull aboard his special train when it arrived in Washington this morning from Rockland, Maine, terminal port of the “vacation cruise” on which precedents were shattered by the President’s meeting with Prime Minister Winston Churchill at sea. Latest developments in the Far Eastern situation, involving the Japanese Government’s detention of more than 100 American citizens, were believed to have been the principal subject of the conference, which was continued at the White House for two and a half hours. Mr. Hull stood waiting on the platform at Union Station when the President’s private car was backed into its accustomed loading track to discharge the President and his immediate party. The Secretary of State went immediately aboard the President’s car and stayed there about five minutes before departing with the Chief Executive. The President, wearing a seersucker suit, white shirt, gray patterned tie and Panama hat, posed on the rear platform of his car with Mr. Hull while still and movie cameramen took pictures. Mr. Hull held some papers in his hand, presumably the latest diplomatic reports that he had shown to the President.
President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Hull confer with Japanese Ambassador Nomura and state conditions for resuming conversations or arranging a Pacific conference. With President Roosevelt back in Washington following the Atlantic Conference, Secretary of State Cordell Hull brings Japanese Ambassador Nomura in to see him. This is the fourth meeting between Roosevelt and Nomura. Responding to Nomura’s request for a summit meeting between Roosevelt and the leader of the Japanese government, Prince Konoye, Roosevelt says he requires a clear statement of Japan’s intentions in the Pacific. Roosevelt says that the US, Britain, and the Soviet Union wished for peace for in the Pacific, but few others did (a veiled reference to the Tripartite powers).
Roosevelt seems open to a summit meeting with Konoye. However, he says it cannot be in Hawaii because “I am not permitted to travel in an airplane.” He proposes that Konoye come to Juneau, Alaska, Seattle, Washington, or San Francisco. Nomura casually mentions that such a meeting would best be held by mid-September.
Representative Dingell, Michigan Democrat, asserted today that if Americans were not permitted to leave Japan peacefully the United States should “order imprisonment in concentration camps in Hawaii of 10,000 alien Japanese within 48 hours after transmission of a note to the Tokyo government.” Dingell told reporters he intended to make this suggestion to President Roosevelt in a letter tomorrow. “I would apply reprisals on the basis of 100 hostages to every American,” he said.
Barring an emergency, Congress will mark time until after Labor Day. The only matter of importance which will receive legislative consideration this week is the defense tax bill, upon which the Senate Finance Committee will continue hearings. But plans of members of Congress to take a vacation may go awry. The President’s return yesterday from his Atlantic conference with Prime Minister Churchill may bring some request for immediate legislation — possibly for additional Lend-Lease authorizations. Mr. Roosevelt will meet legislative leaders of his party at the White House tomorrow morning, and developments from that conference may determine whether the recess program will be carried out. While the House will be in session tomorrow, it will be merely a formal meeting at which there can be no debate nor transaction of business, according to the recess agreement, which is to last until after Labor Day. The Senate will meet Tuesday and will probably recess until Thursday or Friday.
An executive order for the government to take over the strikebound Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. was understood yesterday to be lying on President Roosevelt’s desk at the White House. Defense officials drafted the proposed order last week for Mr. Roosevelt’s consideration upon his return from his cruise and conferences with Prime Minister Churchill. The huge yard at Kearny, New Jersey, has been idle since August 7 when the C.I.O. Industrial Union of Marine & Shipbuilding Workers struck because of the management’s refusal to grant a contract including a maintenance of union clause recommended by the defense mediation board. The union claims as members about 16,000 of the 18,000 workers.
In carefree, rollicking mood, several thousand African-American Odd Fellows and their families set forth yesterday morning for their annual excursion up the Hudson River. A delay in boarding the boat, caused by suspicion of counterfeit tickets, quickly transformed the crowd into a shouting, screaming, shoving mob. When police reserves finally quelled the disorder more than two hours later, three Black women lay dead on the pier, and at least forty other persons had been injured. For the first thirty minutes of the disorder two white radio policemen, Patrolmen Frank Malerba and John Abernathy of the West 152nd Street station, with the help of two African-American patrolmen in plain clothes, struggled to head off the trouble, pleading with the lodge committeemen to throw open the gates to the steamboat, the State of Delaware, to avert any violence. The trouble flared so quickly however, that their efforts were in vain, and by the time additional policemen arrived the three women already had been trampled and suffocated.
Walt Disney begins a goodwill tour of Latin America. Accompanying Walt on the trip, which is underwritten by a $70,000 government grant, is his wife Lillian and studio personnel Mary Blair, Frank Thomas, Bill Cottrell, Ted Sears, and a dozen other animators. Flying Pan American Airways, the group arrives today in Rio de Janeiro. This is the beginning of a 10-week journey. Thomas later recreates the trip in the documentary “Walt and El Grupo.” Thomas credits the trip with enhancing Mary Blair’s skills — she becomes one of the most renowned artists, animators, and illustrators in Disney history.
Major League Baseball:
In the nightcap of 2, Brooklyn’s Whit Wyatt loses a perfect game after retiring 25 batters in succession when the Braves catcher Phil Masi hits a one-out single in the 9th to account for the only baserunner. Whit then retires 2 pinch hitters to win, 3–0. The Dodgers win the opener, 5–1, as Kirby Higbe wins his 17th. He also collects 4 hits off loser Jim Tobin, the 2nd straight start he’s had 4 hits, though he’ll hit but .188 for the year. He duplicates George Earnshaw’s effort of ten years ago. The crowd of 35,329 is the biggest for Boston this year.
Culminating a fortnight’s rise from the second division, the White Sox swept a double header with Cleveland today and climbed over both the Indians and Red Sox into second place. Chicago had started the day in fourth place. The White Sox continued their mastery over the Indians by winning the opener, 8–2, as Ted Lyons outpitched Bob Feller before 36,090 spectators, and taking the nightcap, 4–3, on Julius Solters’s tenth-inning scratch hit off relief pitcher Clint Brown with the bases filled.
Charlie Root’s third attempt to win his 199th major league victory was successful today as he beat the Reds, 4–2, after the Cubs had lost the opening half of a doubleheader, 6–3. Root gave eight hits in seven innings, and Jake Mooty went the final two frames without allowing a blow. The victory ended the Reds’ longest winning string of the season at six games — five of them over the Cubs.
The New York Yankees win 2 from the Philadelphia Athletics, both in the bottom of the ninth. Joe DiMaggio, despite the fact that he annoyingly was held hitless, once again revealed his rare gifts of versatility by winning the opener for the Bombers with a spectacular burst of speed. With Spud Chandler and Bill Beckman locked in a 1–1 tie, the great DiMag drew a pass in the ninth, stole second, swept to third on a wild pitch and kept right on going to score when Beckman, his feet knocked right out from under him, dropped Catcher Hal Wagner’s hasty throw to the plate. That ended this struggle with the Yanks on top, 2–1. In the nightcap, Joe Gordon moved into the spotlight by hitting his nineteenth homer to tie the score at 3–3 in the fourth and then untying it in the ninth with his twentieth circuit clout. The two smashes thus gave Lefty Gomez a 4–3 decision over Phil Marchildon in addition to enabling our distinguished Castilian left-hander to chalk up his eleventh mound triumph.
In the 2nd game of a doubleheader in Philadelphia, the Phillies top the Giants 18–2. Joe Marty leads the attack with 5 hits and 5 RBIs while Lee Grissom wins his 1st after 11 straight defeats. The Phillies also take the opener, 6–2, on the strength of homers by Nick Etten and Ben Warren.
The Cardinals lost their precarious hold on the National League lead today by splitting a doubleheader with the Pirates before 34,292 fans. The Cards won the first contest, 7–1, behind Mort Cooper’s effective pitching but were soundly drubbed, 8–2, in the nightcap as Rip Sewell throttled all of their .300 hitters except big Johnny Mize. Mize spanked his thirteenth homer in the fourth and also hit a triple.
The Browns and Tigers split a pair. Bobo Newsom wins the opener for Detroit, 8–1, allowing 5 hits. Caster then wins for the Browns, 6–1, on 3 hits. In game 2, leadoff hitter Harlond Clift drives in all 6 St. Louis runs with a grand slam and 2-run double.
Washington nicked Heber Newsome for nine timely blows today to defeat the Red Sox, 6–2, behind the five-hit hurling of Sid Hudson. The Senators scored three runs in the first on hits by George Case, Roger Cramer and Jimmy Vernon and walks to Cecil Travis and George Archie. They added three in the eighth on hits by Travis, Vernon, Archie and Morris Aderholt and an error by Jimmy Foxx.
Brooklyn Dodgers 5, Boston Braves 1
Brooklyn Dodgers 3, Boston Braves 0
Cleveland Indians 2, Chicago White Sox 8
Cleveland Indians 3, Chicago White Sox 4
Chicago Cubs 3, Cincinnati Reds 6
Chicago Cubs 4, Cincinnati Reds 2
Philadelphia Athletics 1, New York Yankees 2
Philadelphia Athletics 3, New York Yankees 4
New York Giants 2, Philadelphia Phillies 6
New York Giants 2, Philadelphia Phillies 18
St. Louis Cardinals 7, Pittsburgh Pirates 1
St. Louis Cardinals 2, Pittsburgh Pirates 8
Detroit Tigers 8, St. Louis Browns 1
Detroit Tigers 1, St. Louis Browns 6
Boston Red Sox 2, Washington Senators 6
The Nationalist Chinese government in Chungking indicates its approval of the Atlantic Charter — though everybody in Asia is scratching their heads about its implications for the region. A common interpretation is that the Americans have refused to go along with British attempts to drag the United States into the war and thus may be more accommodating to the Japanese than previously thought.
Southern Presbyterian missionaries detained at Tsingkiang by the Japanese military were released yesterday, the Japanese Consulate General here informed the American Consulate General today.
All embassies, legations and consulates were advised today by the foreign ministry that aliens residing in Japan henceforth must obtain authorization from local government officials and police in order to leave the country.
The Japanese liner Tatsuta Maru departed Yokohama, Japan; Captain Toichi Takahata was replaced by Japanese Navy Reserve officer Captain Sakao Kimura.
The government approves the formation of the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS).
German raider Komet (AMC Schiff 45), operating southeast of the Galapagos Islands, captures 7322-ton Dutch freighter Kota Nopan. The cargo includes valuable commodities including 2800 tons of sago, 1500 tons of rubber, 1200 tons of tin, and 1200 tons of manganese. The Germans put a prize crew on the ship and send it to France (where it arrives safely in November). This is Komet’s second success in the area in recent days after a long quiet period in the vastness of the Pacific.
Born:
Boog Powell, MLB first baseman (World Series Champions-Orioles, 1966, 1970; AL MVP 1970; All-Star, 1968–1971; Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers), in Lakeland, Florida.
Ibrahim Babangida, Nigerian politician, President of Nigeria (1985–1993), in Minna, Colonial Nigeria.
Lothar Bisky, German politician, in Zollbrück, Germany (d. 2013).
Fritz Wepper, German actor, in Munich, Germany (d. 2024).
Naval Construction:
The U.S. Navy Accentor-class coastal minesweeper USS Brambling (AMc-39) is launched by W.A. Robinson Inc. (Ipswich, Massachusetts, U.S.A.).
The Regia Marina (Royal Italian Navy) Capitani Romani-class light cruiser (flotilla leader) Caio Mario is launched by O.T.O., Livorno, Italy. Captured by the Germans in La Spezia; She is never completed.
The Вое́нно-морско́й флот СССР (ВМФ) (Soviet Navy) “ShCh” (ShChuka)-class (6th group, Type X-modified) submarine ShCh-216 is commissioned.
History Diaries 