In the Far North sector on 30 August 1941, Finnish troops on the Karelian Isthmus are approaching the old border and capture Raivola. Finnish IV Corps is in the west, II Corps in the center, and I Corps on the eastern side. Marshal Mannerheim issues an order to the three Corps to stop short of the old Soviet fortifications on the other side of the border. The Germans have no say in this and apparently are not even informed. In fact, the Germans still think that the Finns will mount a major assault on Leningrad from the north — which Mannerheim already has decided against.
In the Army Group North sector, the Germans take Mga, about 20 miles southeast of Leningrad. This cuts the last rail link to Leningrad and puts the Wehrmacht in a good position to take Schlusselburg and cut the last road into the city as well.
In the Army Group Center sector, the Soviets resume their counteroffensive against the Wehrmacht’s “lightning rod” position at Yelnya. This is resumed in conjunction with other attacks by Western Front and Bryansk Front (General Andrey Eremenko) and thus constitutes the first coordinated Soviet offensive. The German German front holds, but the Soviet troops make an advance of about 10 km on the south flank that threatens encirclement. Field Marshal von Bock has to send the 10th Panzer Division (Lt Gen F. Schaal) and an infantry division to prevent a breakthrough.
In the Army Group South sector, the Romanian 4th Army resumes its attack on Odesa after blunting a Soviet counterattack on the 29th. However, the Soviet defenders are fighting with desperation, and even retake Kubanka (site of the Romanian artillery) before being driven back before dark. The Germans are displeased with the Romanian tactics, which have no subtlety and resemble the trench warfare of World War I and massive casualties resulting from frontal attacks — but that is exactly the kind of battle the Soviets want.
General Guderian continues trying to break through the Soviet line north of Kyiv but faces fierce resistance. The German plan is for Guderian to form an encirclement with Panzer Group 2 (Gen von Kleist) to trap the 850,000 Soviet troops defending Kyiv under General Kirponos and Marshal Budenny. German 2nd Army, pushing south to the west of Guderian’s troops, approaches Chernihiv.
Now that the convoys from Tallinn are safely at Kronstadt (more or less), the Soviet Baltic Fleet provides gunfire support to the Leningrad Front. The force is organized into three groups:
• Group 1 (three destroyers and three gunboats) operating in the Neva River to support Soviet 42nd and 55th Armies south of Leningrad;
• Group 2 (two cruisers, destroyer leader Leningrad, five destroyers, and one minelayer) supporting troops east of Leningrad;
• Group 3 (two battleships, cruiser Kirov (recently damaged), a destroyer leader, four destroyers, two additional damaged destroyers, and a gunboat) supporting troops defending the Kronstadt naval base on Kotlin Island.
Soviet 3974-ton transport VT-505/Ivan Pananin runs aground on Suusaari (Hogland Island). There it offers a tempting target for Luftwaffe bombers, which destroy it.
German shore artillery shells and sinks Soviet MO-4-class patrol boat MO-202.
Soviet MO-2-class patrol boats No. 173 and 174 are lost today, perhaps due to German shore-based artillery as well.
After dark, the German 5th R-Boat Flotilla lays 32 mines between minefield Juminda and Finnish minefield Valkjarvi.
Germany and Romania sign the Tighina Agreement.
Joachim von Ribbentrop asked Soemu Toyoda regarding a possible Japanese attack on Vladivostok, Russia; the Japanese Navy admiral responded by saying that Japan was preparing for such a venture, and required more time to complete the preparations.
Joseph Stalin receives a message from Winston Churchill which is very fulsome and promises continued aid. Specifically, Churchill promises that two RAF squadrons of 40 aircraft will arrive at Murmansk by 6 September along with 200 P-40 Tomahawk fighters, and perhaps 200 more Hurricanes later for a total of 440 fighters. Churchill, unaware of the furious US/Japanese negotiations in progress, also notes that President Roosevelt “seems disposed… to take a strong line against further Japanese aggression.”
Operation STRENGTH, a Royal Navy delivery of 24 Hurricanes to the Soviet Air Force at Vaenga by HMS Argus, begins. Argus, escorted by heavy cruiser Shropshire and destroyers, departs from Scapa Flow bound for Seidisfjord.
Convoy DERVISH, the first supply convoy to the Soviet Union, arrives at Spitsbergen. There it refuels before proceeding on to Archangel.
With a ceasefire in effect in Iran while the opposing parties dicker over terms of an armistice, the Soviets occupy the “open city” of Qazvin. This is 94 miles (151 km) from Tehran. The Soviets also take the “non-open” city of Hamadan after some light bombing that kills a small child.
The Soviet troops remain on the move throughout the day, while the British are content to stop and allow negotiations to play out. The Soviets and British have agreed beforehand to occupy their respective spheres of influence contained in a 1908 agreement, so there is little point to being aggressive at this point — as long as the British and Soviets trust each other. Elements of the Indian 10th Infantry Division enter Kermanshah.
Soviet and British troops meet at Sinneh.
Royal Navy submarine HMS Unbeaten (Lt Woodward) uses its deck gun to sink 373-ton Italian auxiliary patrol boat V.51/Alfa off Augusta, Sicily.
Royal Navy submarine Talisman torpedoes and damages Italian auxiliary patrol boats San Michele and Tenacemente about three miles north of Benghazi.
Winston Churchill approves a nuclear program (Tube Alloys), becoming the first national leader to do so.
Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden called today for redoubled production efforts by British workers in a speech in which he reviewed recent foreign policy, promised food for the Iranians, praised the progress of Anglo-Soviet diplomacy and enlarged the Roosevelt-Churchill declaration into a world pledge of peace and prosperity in the postwar era.
British Commandos executed Operation ACID DROP, an overnight raid on Pas-de-Calais, France.
Operation GAUNTLET, the Royal Navy raid on Spitzbergen, continues without any interference from the Germans. The Norwegian operators of the radio station keep the Luftwaffe away by sending false reports of heavy fog to the mainland, and the Canadians quickly capture any ships that appear. Overall, the raid is a resounding success, and the Canadian troops continue destroying mining equipment and rendering the island useless to the Germans.
Off of the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway, Royal Navy submarine HMS Trident (Cdr Sladen) comes upon a convoy of German freighters and goes to work. He torpedoes and sinks:
• 2,931-ton freighter Donau II
• 8,561-ton freighter Bahia Laura
There are 700+ German soldier deaths and 1289 survivors taken aboard multiple other ships in the convoy. The troops were destined for Mountain Corps Norway.
A German blockade runner, 8306-ton tanker Benno (formerly Norwegian Ole Jacob), departs from Bordeaux, France bound for Kobe, Japan.
Private reports from Europe just received here indicate that sabotage in the Netherlands is increasing despite the severity of restrictive measures, the Netherlands Information Bureau reports.
RAF Bomber Command, Day of 30 August 1941
6 Blenheims on a Channel sweep recalled.
RAF Bomber Command, Night of 30/31 August 1941
5 Wellingtons and 1 Stirling attacked Cherbourg docks, starting fires. 2 Hampdens minelaying off Wamemtinde. No losses.
One of the few Luftwaffe lone raiders attacking England hits a balloon cable over the Humber Estuary. The damage causes it to crash into the North Sea. The crew is rescued by a German ship on 4 September.
RAF Swordfish based on Malta of No. 830 Squadron torpedo and sink 861-ton Italian freighter Egadi about 30 miles northeast of Lampedusa.
The RAF attacks Tripoli with 9 Wellington bombers and they sink:
• 6,630-ton Italian freighter RIV;
• 395-ton Italian freighter Neptunus;
• 367-ton Italian freighter Giuseppina V;
• 393-ton Italian freighter Fiametta.
Heavy cruiser HMS Shropshire (SO Force L), aircraft carrier HMS Argus, and destroyers HMS Somali, HMS Matabele, and HMS Punjabi departed Scapa Flow at 0800 for Seidisfjord in Operation STRENGTH. The ships arrived off Seidisfjord at 0500 on 1 September, but were unable to enter port due to thick fog. Destroyer Punjabi was able to enter Seidisfjord at 1045 and sailed at 1300 to rejoin the Force.
Heavy cruiser HMS London departed London for Akureyri and Hvalfjord.
Destroyer HMS Ashanti departed the Tyne at 0530 to return to Scapa Flow on completion of her long repairs, but a defect developed on passage. The destroyer arrived at Rosyth for repairs on 1 September.
Destroyers HMS Berkeley and HMS Atherstone departed Portsmouth at 2000 to hunt a submarine in Operation ILIAD. After an unsuccessful search, the destroyers returned to Portsmouth.
Submarine HMS Unbeaten sank Italian steamer Alfa (373grt) off Augusta.
Submarine HMS Talisman damaged Italian auxiliary patrol boats San Michele and Tenacemente three miles north of Benghazi.
Italian steamer Egadi (861grt) was sunk by British aerial torpedo from an aircraft of 830 Squadron from Malta thirty miles northeast of Lampedusa.
Italian steamer Riv (6630grt) was sunk by British Wellington aircraft at Tripoli.
Convoy WS.11 departed Liverpool on the 30th and the Clyde on the 31st. The convoy was composed of the following steamers Kina II, Bhutan, Barrister, Glaucus, Mooltan, Empress of Australia, Northumberland, Abosso, Orontes, Scythia, Viceroy of India, Largs Bay, Guardian, Duchess of York, Otranto, City of Edinburgh, Glenorchy, City of Manchester, and Manchester Progress. The convoy was escorted by battlecruiser HMS Repulse, aircraft carrier HMS Furious, light cruiser HMS Sheffield, anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Cairo, armed merchant cruiser HMS Derbyshire, destroyers HMS Cossack, HMS Zulu, HMS Legion, HMS Lively, HNLMS Isaac Sweers, HMS Highlander, ORP Piorun, ORP Garland, and HMS Winchelsea, Indian sloop HMIS Sutlej, and escort ships HMS Totland and HMS Sennen. Aircraft carrier Furious suffered an engine room defect on the 31st and put into Bangor. She was able to sail at 0548 on 1 September, escorted by destroyer Lively, and rejoined the convoy. The convoy split into Fast and Slow sections on 5 September.
WS.11 Fast was Mooltan, Empress of Australia, Kina II, Orontes, Scythia, Viceroy of India, Largs Bay, Guardian, Duchess of York, Bhutan, City of Edinburgh, Otranto, and Glenorchy escorted by battlecruiser HMS Repulse and destroyers HMAS Nestor, which departed Gibraltar on the 31st, and HMS Encounter, which departed Gibraltar on 3 September. Off Freetown, the convoy was joined by destroyers HMS Velox and HMS Wrestler and corvette HMS Starwort. The convoy arrived on 13 September.
WS.11 Slow with Glaucus, Barrister, Northumberland, Abosso, Rapidol, and City of Manchester was escorted by armed merchant cruiser HMS Derbyshire and escort ships HMS Sennen and HMS Totland. The convoy arrived at Freetown on 15 September.
The convoy reunited at Freetown and departed on 18 September, less Abosso, Guardian, and Northumberland, plus liner Nieuw Zeeland. The convoy was escorted by destroyers HMS Wrestler and HMS Velox from 18 to 20 September. Battlecruiser HMS Repulse and armed merchant cruiser HMS Derbyshire escorted the convoy to the Cape. Steamers Duchess of York, City of Manchester, Nieuw Zeeland, City of Edinburgh, Kina II, Largs Bay, Viceroy of India, Orontes, Glaucus, Bhutan, and Glenorchy arrived at Capetown on 30 September escorted by armed merchant cruiser Derbyshire. Steamers Mooltan, Empress of Australia, Scythia, Otranto, Barrister, and Manchester Progress arrived at Durban on 3 October. The Capetown ships departed on 3 October, steamer Glaucus not sailing until 4 October and overtaking the convoy, escorted by armed merchant cruiser Derbyshire.
The Durban ships, plus steamers Dilwara, City of Canterbury, Pulaski, Eastern Prince, Llandaff Castle, Nieuw Holland, and Johann de Witt, less Empress of Australia and Scythia, departed on 7 October and rendezvoused with the Capetown ships on 8 October. On rendezvous, armed merchant cruiser HMS Derbyshire returned to Capetown. Battlecruiser HMS Repulse escorted the convoy to 13 October, when she was relieved by light cruiser HMS Ceres. On 17 October, steamers Glenorchy, City of Edinburgh, Barrister, Orontes, Nieuw Zeeland, Viceroy of India, Largs Bay, Johan de Witt, Otranto, Duchess of York, Kina II, and Glaucus was detached from convoy WS.11 as convoy WS.11 X escorted by light cruiser HMS Glasgow. Steamers Glenorchy and City of Edinburgh were detached as independents on 19 October for Basra. The convoy arrived at Bombay on 22 October. The convoy departed Bombay on 27 October with steamers Glaucus, Kina II, Johan de Witt, Ellenga, Orion, Nieuw Zeeland, and Largs Bay, escorted by armed merchant cruiser HMS Hector. The convoy arrived at Colombo on 30 October, less steamer Kina II, detached on 29 October. On 31 October, the convoy, plus Rangitiki, departed Colombo, escorted by light cruiser HMS Mauritius arriving at Singapore on 6 November.
Convoy ON.11 departed Liverpool. The convoy was joined on 1 September by destroyers HMS Malcolm, HMS Sardonyx, and HMS Watchman, corvettes HMS Arabis, HMS Monkshood, and HMS Petunia, and anti-submarine trawlers HMS Northern Gem, HMS Northern Pride, HMS Northern Spray, HMS Northern Wave, and HMS Wistaria. These escorts were detached on 4 September when relieved by destroyer HMS Burwell, armed merchant cruisers HMS California and HMS Maloja, and corvettes HMCS Chilliwack, HMCS Spikenard, and HMCS Trail. These were detached when the convoy was dispersed on 11 September.
Convoy SC.42 of sixty five ships departed Sydney, CB escorted by corvettes HMCS Arvida, HMCS Barrie, and HMCS Napanee. The convoy commodore was Rear Admiral WB Mackenzie in Everleigh. These corvettes were detached on 2 September when the convoy was joined by destroyer HMCS Skeena and corvettes HMCS Alberni, HMCS Kenogami, and HMCS Orillia, along with five more merchant ships out of St. Johns. Corvette Orillia was detached on 9 September. On 10 September, the convoy was joined by corvettes HMCS Chambly, HMS Gladiolus, HMS Mimosa, HMCS Moose Jaw, and HMCS Wetaskiwin and anti-submarine trawler HMS Buttermere. Destroyers HMS Douglas, HMS Leamington, HMS Saladin, and HMS Veteran and anti-submarine trawler HMS Windermere joined on 11 September. Destroyers HMS Belmont, HMCS Columbia, HMS Skate, and HMCS St. Croix joined on 12 September. Corvettes Alberni, Kenogami, and Moose Jaw were detached on 13 September. American destroyers USS Charles F. Hughes, USS Russell, and USS Sims escorted the convoy on 14 September and then were detached. Destroyer Columbia, corvettes Gladiolus, Mimosa, and Wetaskiwin, and anti-submarine trawlers Buttermere and Windermere were detached on 16 September. Destroyer HMS Salisbury and corvettes HMS Lobelia, HMS Narcissus, and Renoncule joined on 16 September. Destroyers Saladin, Skeena, and St. Croix and corvette Chambly were detached on 17 September. Destroyers Leamington, Skate, and Veteran were detached on 18 September. The convoy arrived Liverpool on 19 September. This convoy took heavy losses: 16 ships sunk (68,259 tons) and 4 ships damaged (14,132 tons).
An informal, homespun gathering of old friends and neighbors heard President Roosevelt emphasize today that peace for Americans “isn’t all in our keeping” and that dangers which have convulsed the world may be even more serious now than when the Second World War began. The president quoted a charge that domination of the world, including the Americas, was the definite planned purpose of the dictators and endorsed a thought that only through the defeat of Hitlerism can peoples everywhere attain peace and live in peace. The chief executive spoke extemporaneously to members of the Roosevelt Home Club, holding its twelfth annual meeting on the lawn of Moses Smith, a tenant farmer on the Roosevelt estate.
President Roosevelt, in a Labor Day statement, asserted tonight that management and labor “realize now and I am sure will continue to realize that there must be full and uninterrupted production” of defense materials. The production of such weapons and materials, he said, was needed “for our protection and needed also by the nations engaged in opposing those who would do away with the liberty and happiness of free peoples all over the world.” The statement was viewed as a forerunner to a presumably more detailed discussion of international and domestic affairs in an address scheduled for delivery by the president from his home at Hyde Park, N. Y., on Monday.
Two youthful members of the German-American Bund were held in $25,000 bail each today on federal charges of conspiring to mail United States military information abroad, presumably to Germany. A third defendant named in the conspiracy charge was Kurt Frederick Ludwig, arrested last Saturday at Cle Elum, Wash., and held for removal to New York. The bund members were Hans Pagel, 20-year-old brewer, and Edward Schlosser, 19-year-old apprentice machinist. Pagel and Schlosser, arrested by F.B.I, agents last night, face maximum penalties if convicted of 10 years imprisonment and $5,000 fine each. Assistant U. S. District Attorney John Sonnett described the arrests as being “of great importance.” It was indicated that they were in connection with a nation-wide espionage cleanup which started last spring.
President Robert Gordon Sproul of the University of California tonight urged the use of American military strength to assure the defeat of Germany. ‘Our liberties are dearer than our lives, and these liberties are now in gravest danger,” Sproul said in a nation-wide C.B.S. broadcast. The talk was sponsored by “Fight for Freedom, Inc.” Sproul called upon Americans to openly “strike our blow for freedom” and help defeat the “Nazi tiger.”
Charles A. Lindbergh’s statement that England before the war ends “may turn against us, as she has turned against France and Finland,” made in a speech Friday night in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was characterized yesterday by Clark M. Eichelberger, national director of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, as “probably the most striking illustration of the perverted and twisted thinking of some of the isolationists.”
Evidence that a new Hitler “peace” offer would be turned down today by a substantial majority of American voters even if it included the restoration of every scrap of Nazi conquest excepting Russia is disclosed in a nation-wide study of American public opinion. Moreover the survey indicates that a peace offer which left any sections of Western Europe in Nazi hands would have even less chance of approval by rank-and-file Americans. In effect, the attitude of the American people toward any such offers by Hitler represents a crushing blow to German propaganda — which has sought to seriously weaken the morale of the Western democracies by turning eastward against the Soviet Union. Ever since Adolf Hitler swung his armies against Russia ten weeks ago, military and political observers have speculated as to whether a “peace offensive” would come next. But the institute’s nationwide survey on the question indicates that only about one voter in three now says he would be inclined to favor a peace — even though Hitler gave up every one of his territorial conquests in France, Norway, Denmark and the other occupied nations, a gesture which would be more far-reaching than any so far ascribed to Nazi peace plans.
With the demand for trucks increasing because of defense requirements, the Office of Production Management set a high priorities rating today so that makers would be able to obtain supplies of steel, copper and other materials in order to turn out some 1,189,000 trucks in the model year ending July 31.
The mild weather, an influx of more than 20,000 soldiers, home on furlough from Southern Army camps, and the traditional departure and arrival of thousands of vacationists combined yesterday to give New York City the largest Labor Day weekend travel crowd in many years.
U.S. battleship USS New Mexico, heavy cruiser USS Quincy, and destroyers USS Sims, USS Hughes, and USS Russell (TG 1.1.2) departed Hvalfjord to operate in the Denmark Strait after a suspicious vessel was reported by U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Alexander Hamilton. This is due to a report of a suspicious vessel (presumed to be a German Hipper-class cruiser) between there and Bermuda by US Coast Guard cutter Alexander Hamilton. The thinking is that it is a German ship returning from a raiding expedition that will seek to use the Denmark Strait to return to Norway. What exactly the Task Group would do if it spotted such a ship is a bit unclear — typically, they are just supposed to notify the Royal Navy to take action. However, an awful lot of US firepower is present just to use the radio.
The motion picture “Dive Bomber” is released today. Directed by Michael Curtiz and written by Lieutenant Commander Frank “Spig” Wead USN (Retired), this Technicolor drama of Navy pilots stars Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy, Alexis Smith, Regis Toomey and Craig Stevens: Gig Young appears in uncredited roles. The plot has Flynn and Bellamy appearing as Flight Surgeons attempting to solve the problem of blackouts at high altitudes but the real stars are the 1941 Navy colorful aircraft. The film is photographed at Eglin Field, Florida, North Field at NAS San Diego and Naval Station San Diego, California and in the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6) and USS Saratoga (CV-3). The film is nominated for one Academy Award.
“Green Eyes (Aquellos Ojos Verdes)” by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra went to #1 on the Billboard singles charts.
Major League Baseball:
Ted Williams, still keeping his batting average above 400, got two hits, one a homer, in three trips to the plate today as the Red Sox scored a 12-3 victory over the Athletics. Philadelphia couldn’t touch Charley Wagner, who worked behind a comfortable lead after a six-run Boston assault in the second inning. He held the Athletics hitless until the fifth and yielded his first run in the seventh.
Paul Erickson, 23-year-old rookie recently graduated to starting assignments, pitched six-hit ball today as the Cubs defeated the Pirates, 4–1, in the series opener. The Cubs scored three runs on five hits and two errors in the eighth inning, shelling Truett Sewell from the mound. Babe Dahlgren’s eighteenth home run of the season was one of the eleven Chicago hits off Sewell and Bob Klinger.
The Cardinals Lon Warneke no-hits the Cincinnati Reds 2–0 in the nightcap with only 3 balls hit to the outfield, as the Cards sweep two. It is Warneke’s 15th victory of the season and, with the Dodgers’ doubleheader loss to the Giants, puts St. Louis in first place by 2 percentage points.
The Detroit Tigers’ Buck Newsom limited the punchless Indians to seven hits today to give Detroit a 7–3 triumph in the series opener. The only potent Cleveland blow was Ray Mack’s fifth-inning homer, which also scored Jeff Heath, who had doubled. The Tigers meanwhile solved Al Smith and three successors for fourteen hits, including four-baggers by Bruce Campbell and Frankie Croucher.
The 5th place New York Giants beat Brooklyn 4–3 and 5–1 in a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds, knocking the Dodgers out of first place in the National League pennant race. Bob Bowman won the opener in relief, while Fiddler Bill McGee won the nightcap. The day featured Giants’ homers by Mel Ott in the first game, and Gabby Hartnett in the second.
White Sox pitcher Johnny Humphries gets knocked out of the box by the Browns ending his skein of 3 straight shutouts and 35 consecutive scoreless innings. The Browns score 5 runs in the 6th on their way to a 10–1 win. Humphries made it thirty-five scoreless innings in a row by blanking St. Louis in its first time at bat, but Chet Laabs broke his string with, a home run in the second inning. Humphries will finish the year at 4–2 with all 4 wins coming on shutouts. The only other pitcher to have all his wins on shutouts was Fred Fitzsimmons, in 1935.
The New York Yankees routed the Washington Senators, 8-1. as Marvin Breuer, who dropped two decisions recently, came back with a masterful exhibition as he held the Senators to six hits. Tommy Henrich again paced the attack, ably supported by Joe Gordon and Charlie Keller. Henrich riddled three Washington hurlers for four singles, Gordon contributed three more while Keller fired a three-bagger into the enemy that forced Sid Hudson, the Washington starting hurler, to vacate in three innings.
Philadelphia Athletics 3, Boston Red Sox 12
Pittsburgh Pirates 1, Chicago Cubs 4
St. Louis Cardinals 2, Cincinnati Reds 0
Detroit Tigers 7, Cleveland Indians 3
Brooklyn Dodgers 3, New York Giants 4
Brooklyn Dodgers 1, New York Giants 5
Chicago White Sox 1, St. Louis Browns 10
New York Yankees 8, Washington Senators 1
MacArthur advises Marshall that the Philippines would be defensible by April, 1942, but admits that the Philippine Army is currently not adequately trained, especially at battalion level and above.
Convoy WS.11 (Winston Special) departs from Liverpool bound (eventually) for Colombo and Singapore, where it arrives on 6 November.
A mass evacuation of British subjects from the Japanese Empire was indicated today in a British Embassy announcement that it had arranged for a ship to come to Japan to remove all British nationals desiring to leave.
A report of mounting nervousness and anxiety in Japan was brought today by 59 American residents who arrived in Shanghai aboard the Japanese liner Tatsuta Maru. The evacuees, among whom were 17 United States army, navy and embassy officials and language students, said they had to cut their way through a barrier of red tape to get authorization to leave and were shown open hostility throughout the voyage. One embassy official said at least 500 more United States citizens still are in Japan and between 30 and 50 were unable to board the Tatsuta Maru either because they were refused permits or because line officials would not sell them passage. Those left behind were told the ship was completely booked, he said, but he declared there actually were many empty berths. Several axis subjects aboard the Tatsuta Maru said they, too, were subjected to cool treatment and declared the Japanese were obviously unfriendly to all foreigners, regardless of nationality. At Shanghai, Japanese soldiers forcibly prevented several German embassy officials from boarding the Tatsuta Maru, pushing them away from the gangplank with rifle butts.
More than 100 Japanese bombers, swarming over in five waves, attacked the provisional Chinese capital of Chungking today in its one hundred forty-first raid. The alarm lasted five hours and 15 minutes. Spectators said one of the bombers apparently was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Chungking’s university district particularly was singled out again for bombing by the first wave of 27 planes. Some of the other waves heavily bombed outlying districts. Twenty bombs crashed into the compound of the Middle School, which is operated by the Friends Foreign Missions under the supervision of Arnold Vaught of Franklin, Indiana. One residence was destroyed. The one occupied by Mr. Vaught suffered a direct hit that caused little damage. Schoolrooms and a dining hall were damaged. The living quarters of the Netherland Charge d’Affaires were wrecked and a building occupied by a German firm was badly damaged.
Italy has learned through press reports of Ambassador Nomura’s meeting with President Roosevelt on the 29th, so Italian Ambassador to the U.S. Don Ascanio dei principi Colonna meets with Ambassador Nomura. Nomura tries to fob him off with generalities about the meeting, but Colonna is not satisfied. Nomura then adds that Japan would continue to abide by the Tripartite Pact, but was simply trying to avoid war in the Pacific. Nomura later, however, cables Tokyo and states that he successfully maintained secrecy about the true nature of Prince Konoe’s note to President Roosevelt, including the proposed summit meeting.
Tokyo sends a message to Berlin stating that Ambassador Nomura had simply carried on informal discussions with Secretary Hull and then submitted a note to President Roosevelt whose contents had been revealed to the world press. However, the statements by Japan and the U.S. did not reveal the true contents of Prince Konoe’s message to Roosevelt, so this remains a secret from Japan’s allies.
German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop asks his Japanese counterpart, Soemu Toyoda, if the Japanese would be willing to attack the Soviet port of Vladivostok. The Japanese already have decided against this, but Toyoda responds that Japan indeed is preparing for such an attack but just needs a little more time.
The Imperial Japanese Navy battleship HIJMS Mutsu arrives at Yokosuka.
The Imperial Japanese Navy requisitions 6353-ton freighter Kogyo Maru for conversion into an ammunition ship.
Requisitioned 10,439-ton Hokoku Maru begins its conversion into an armed merchant cruiser with the installation of four 6-inch (152-mm) guns and other equipment.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 127.7 (+0.27)
Born:
Ben Jones, American actor (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) and politician (Rep-D-Georgia, 1989-1993), in Tarboro, North Carolina.
John McNally, English rock guitarist and vocalist (The Searchers — “Needles And Pins”. “When You Walk in the Room”), in Liverpool, England, United Kingdom.
Carmen Fanzone, MLB third baseman, first baseman, and second baseman (Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs), in Detroit, Michigan.
Archie Moore, MLB pinch hitter, outfielder, and first baseman (New York Yankees), in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.
Lowell MacDonald, Canadian NHL left wing and right wing (NHL All-Star, 1973, 1974; Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Pittsburgh Penguins), in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada (d. 2025)
Mike McMahon, Canadian NHL and WHA defenseman (New York Rangers, Minnesota North Stars, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres; WHA: Minnesota Fighting Saints, San Diego Mariners), in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (d. 2013).
Sue MacGregor, BBC 4 radio broadcaster (“Woman’s Hour”), in Oxford, England, United Kingdom.
Died:
Peder Oluf Pedersen, 67, Danish engineer and physicist.
Naval Construction:
The U.S. Navy SC-497-class (110-foot wooden hull) submarine chaser USS PC-640 (later SC-640) is laid down by the Elizabeth City Shipyard (Elizabeth City, North Carolina, U.S.A.).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-305 is laid down by Flender Werke AG, Lübeck (werk 305).
The Royal Navy modified Black Swan-class sloop HMS Cygnet (U 38) is laid down by the Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.).
The Royal Indian Navy modified Black Swan-class sloop HMIS Narbada (U 40) is laid down by Thornycroft (Southampton, U.K.).
The U.S. Navy Accentor-class coastal minesweeper USS Heroic (AMc-84) is launched by the Warren Boat Yard Inc. (Warren, Rhode Island, U.S.A.).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Colac (J 242) is launched by the Morts Dock & Enginering Co. Ltd. (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-253 is launched by Bremer Vulkan-Vegesacker Werft, Bremen-Vegesack (werk 18).
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Dale-class fleet tanker RFA Derwentdale (X 14; postwar A114) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Captain John M Humphrey RFA.
The Royal Navy British Power Boat 63-foot-class motor anti-submarine boat HMS MA/SB 31 is commissioned.
The Royal Canadian Navy Bangor-class (VTE Reciprocating-engined) minesweeper HMCS Quinte (J 166) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is T/Lieutenant Charles Alexander Nicol, RCNR.
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Ballarat (J 184) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is T/Lieutenant Alfred Dudley Barling, RANR(S).
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-136 is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Kapitänleutnant Heinrich Zimmermann.
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIID U-boat U-213 is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Oberleutnant zur See Amelung von Varendorff.
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-435 is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Strelow.
The Royal Navy Black Swan-class sloop HMS Ibis (U 99) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Henry Maxwell Darell-Brown, RN.
The Вое́нно-морско́й флот СССР (ВМФ) (Soviet Navy) Project 7U-class (Storozhevoy-class) destroyer Strogy (Строгий, “Strict”) is commissioned.
The Вое́нно-морско́й флот СССР (ВМФ) (Soviet Navy) Project 7U-class (Storozhevoy-class) destroyer Stroyny (Стройный, “Orderly”) is commissioned.
History Diaries 