The Most Important Soviet General Awakens…
The original plan for Operation BARBAROSSA was extremely sketchy for such a massive operation. One of the odder aspects of planning was that the endpoints for the invasion were never set forth, and became vaguer and more nebulous the further along planning got. The first battle plans, prepared for the OKW by General Erich Marcks in mid-1940, actually did set forth a terminal line of the invasion. Marcks proposed the “A-A line” as the operational objective. This was to run from the northern city of Arkhangelsk on the Arctic Sea through Gorky and Rostov to the port city of Astrakhan at the mouth of the Volga on the Caspian Sea. This assumed that the European portion of Russia and its satellites was the only part of the country of any interest and importance. There, the German Army could stop and set up a sort of Linea Teutonicus beyond which whatever was left of the Soviet Union could be allowed to wither away, as it would pose no threat.
After the Marcks Plan (as it came to be called), though, the idea of any kind of ultimate objective for the Wehrmacht just kind of disappeared. The debate instead degenerated into one of whether or not it was even important to get to Moscow, let alone reach any points further east. The prevailing theory — primarily Hitler’s — was that the entire Soviet Union would capitulate after a few decisive border battles destroyed the Red Army.
Nobody seemed to notice that the Soviet Union spanned eleven time zones and even the most ambitious invasion plans only contemplated occupying territory in two or three of them. There apparently was not a single proposal, let alone plan, for the Wehrmacht to drive to the Pacific. The equipment — the tanks, the assault guns, the artillery — likely never would have made it that far anyway. Ultimately, there were no ultimate objectives set, and the entire operation depended on its conclusion on the Soviets surrendering or being rendered important in their frozen eastern territories.
Accordingly, there were wild predictions about how short Operation BARBAROSSA would last before achieving final victory. In Führer Directive No. 21, dated 18 December 1940, Hitler reverted to the Marcks Plan, which had been completely revised in intervening months, for his objectives. That directive states in relevant part under “General Intentions”:
“The bulk of the Russian Army stationed in Western Russia will be destroyed by daring operations led by deeply penetrating armoured spearheads. Russian forces still capable of giving battle will be prevented from withdrawing into the depths of Russia.
“The enemy will then be energetically pursued and a line will be reached from which the Russian Air Force can no longer attack German territory. The final objective of the operation is to erect a barrier against Asiatic Russia on the general line Volga-Archangel.”
While there is no exact timeframe given in Führer Directive No. 21, it can be read between the lines as being extremely brief for such a major undertaking.
The Fuhrer directive states (translations differ slightly, but this translation conveys the basic meaning) in part that:
“When the battles north and south of the Pripet Marshes are ended the pursuit of the enemy will have the following aims :
“In the South the early capture of the Donets Basin, important for war industry.
“In the North a quick advance to Moscow. The capture of this city would represent a decisive political and economic success and would also bring about the capture of the most important railway junctions.”
Note the critical word in this selection, which is the most telling word in the entire directive: pursuit. Once the frontier battles have been won, Operation BARBAROSSA would turn into a pursuit of fleeing Red Army remnants. There is no more significant word in the entire collection of Führer Directives than this single word pursuit.
As of 6 October 1941, there has been no “pursuit” in the Soviet Union or at least none that has lasted very long. Every step has been contested, every river has been defended, every city has been fought over and sometimes even been boobytrapped after the Red Army has left. The defense has been uncoordinated and lacking in effectiveness on many occasions, but the Red Army has been fighting all the way. Now, the best campaigning months of 1941 are already gone and it is only going to get worse before it gets better again. Given all that, the astounding underestimation of the effectiveness of Red Army opposition during the planning stage of Operation BARBAROSSA has not really hampered German operations yet, it just has required adjustments to compensate for a slower rate of advance than anticipated. The tanks still run, the trucks still carry supplies, the horses are still fed from grain in the fields. Move a division here, send an army there, and everything gets taken care of even if it happens a little later than planned.
However, everything is about to change forever, and the men on the front lines see why after dark today. The lack of effective antifreeze for trucks or tanks, the lack of chains for wheeled vehicles, the absence of winter clothing which was considered superfluous in June — all of a sudden these omissions loom large. The piles of winter gear sitting in warehouses back in Stuttgart and Mainz suddenly would be very handy at the front, but there are no plans to send them there. The reason for this change in priorities, the reason a little better planning back in the spring would have been a good idea, is very clear and right in front of everyone’s eyes: after dark on 6 October 1941, it snows on the road to Moscow…
Colonel General Paul von Kleist’s right wing reached Berdyansk on the Sea of Azoz. The German 11th Army was attempting to link with Kleist by attacking along the coast. These advances succeeded in surrounding the Soviet 9th Army and part of the Soviet 18th Army north of the Sea Azov, trapping more than 100,000 Soviet soldiers.
Eight Soviet Armies were encircled at Bryansk and Vyazma, Russia by a surprise maneuver conducted by German 17th Panzer Division. In less than two weeks, the Germans have taken nearly 700,000 prisoners and destroyed or captured 1,200 tanks and 5,000 heavy guns. The German advances force the Soviets into a more desperate situation.
Romanian forces claim to have killed 70,000 Soviet soldiers on the eastern front and taken 60,000 prisoners, at a loss to themselves of 20,000 dead.
In Russia, Georgy Zhukov departed Leningrad for Moscow to take command of Soviet Western Front. General Ivan Fedyuninsky assumed command at Leningrad.
Heinz Guderian noted in his diary that he had observed snow for the first time in the campaign in the Soviet Union.
The Jager Report (issued on 1 December 1941) noted that 213 adult male, 359 adult female, and 390 children, all Jews, were killed in Semiliski, Lithuania for a total of 962 people.
Official German dispatches tonight reported the execution of five more Czechs in Bruenn and competent Nazi sources said “strong measures” were being taken to suppress a Serbian revolt, which had been “largely quelled.”
German bombers attacked shipping in the Gulf of Suez east of Egypt, sinking British ship Thistlegorm, which carry aboard, among other items, two steam locomotives; 9 were killed. Australian ship Salamaua, Norwegian tanker Norfold, and British ship Scalaria were also damaged during this attack.
Lend-Lease is easing the British food shortage. Docks of an “important British port” were reportedly piled high with thousands of cases of lease-lend food — cans of fish, cases of cheese, milk in powdered or evaporated form and other items. In the town paper of the same day the spokesman for the dock workers’ union made an angry defense of the work his men did, pointing out that they served under many difficulties, not the least among them an inadequate diet due to rationing.
An official German statement on Bremen radio by “Lord Haw-Haw” tonight led to the cancellation of plans for the exchange of badly wounded PoWs. Two hospital ships were about to leave Newhaven for Dieppe when the war office telephoned to cancel. No immediate explanation was forthcoming, but the Haw-Haw broadcast spoke of an exchange of 100 Britons for a corresponding number of Germans. Such a man-for-man exchange is barred by the Geneva Convention of 1929, which provides for the exchange of all seriously wounded, irrespective of numbers.
German submarine U-129 transferred 119 rescued survivors of sunken German supply ship Klara to a Spanish tug.
There were no Bomber Command operations from 5 to 10 October, because of unfavorable weather conditions.
Battleship HMS Prince of Wales (flagship Vice Admiral A. T. B. Curteis CB, Second in Command, Home Fleet) with destroyers HMS Laforey, HMS Lightning, and HMS Oribi arrived at Scapa Flow from Gibraltar.
Light cruisers HMS Kenya and HMS Sheffield arrived in the Clyde from Gibraltar.
Destroyers HMS Antelope departed Scapa Flow at 1600 for Scrabser where she embarked the Trade Mission Congress group for Archangel. The destroyer departed at 1855 for Seidisfjord to refuel en route. On the passage, the destroyer developed a defect to her main dynamo. Destroyer HMAS Norman departed Scapa Flow at 2200/6th for Seidisfjord. Both destroyers arrived at Seidisfjord at 2300/7th. At Seidisfjord, the group was transferred to destroyer HMAS Norman. Destroyer HMAS Norman departed Seidisfjord at 0700/8th and arrived at Archangel at 1240/12th. Destroyer Antelope departed Seidisfjord for Scapa Flow on the 8th and arrived at 1530/9th.
Anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Naiad and destroyers HMS Avonvale and HMS Eridge passed through the Suez Canal en route to Alexandria to operate with the Mediterranean Fleet.
Submarine HMS Ursula arrived at Malta from patrol south of Messina.
British steamer Thistlegorm (4898grt), carrying munitions, was sunk by German bombing in Anchorage F, inner channel Strait of Jubal. Four crewmen and five gunners were lost on the steamer. Australian steamer Salamaua (6676grt) was damaged by German bombing in the same attack.
Norwegian tanker Norfold (6370grt) was damaged by German bombing at Ras Gharib. British steamer Scalaria (5683grt) was attacked in the same attack, but was not damaged.
Convoy ST.5 departed Freetown, escorted by sloop HMS Milford and corvettes HMS Burdock, HMS Crocus, and HMS Marguerite. The convoy arrived at Takoradi on the 11th.
Today in Washington, the Senate heard Senator Mead assail religious persecution in Germany, heard eulogies of the late Justice Brandeis, received a bill by Senator Thomas of Oklahoma, to base farm parity prices on the 1919-29 average, received a Connally bill to vary Federal contributions to States for old age pensions and recessed at 1:40 PM until noon on Thursday.
The House completed action on the property requisitioning bill, passed bills ordering the Attorney General to deport Harry Bridges, fixing the last Thursday in November as official Thanksgiving Day and relaxing the penalty on the wheat marketing quota act; received the Gore bill to freeze rents, wages, prices and profits; heard Justice Brandeis eulogized and adjourned at 4:46 PM until noon tomorrow. The Banking and Currency Committee heard C. I. O. opposition to wage control in the Price Control Bill.
The Supreme Court met for the first session of the 1941-42 term with Harlan F. Stone presiding for the first time as Chief Justice and adjourned in respect for the memory of Justice Brandeis.
Possibility of a Senate filibuster against changes in the neutrality law arose today as President Roosevelt invited senate leaders of both parties to the White House for a conference which will determine just what amendments may be recommended. The possibilities ranged from a proposal that the act be repealed in its entirety to piecemeal revision aimed at permitting the arming of American cargo ships and perhaps removing restrictions which now prevent our merchantmen from carrying supplies into English ports. President Roosevelt indicated today that he would make an effort to obtain the support of as many Republican members of Congress as possible in the drive to be formally started this week for modification or repeal of the Neutrality Act.
Wendell Willkie, asserting that the time has come for new and more united action, called upon the Republican party last night to assume the leadership of a fight to repeal the Neutrality Act. He made his appeal in an address at a dinner of the National Republican Club at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria in honor of Viscount Halifax, British Ambassador to the United States. Mr. Willkie said that by taking the leadership in the fight for repeal of the Neutrality Act the Republican party could accomplish two purposes: the assumption of its traditional position as the American party of world outlook, and forcing the Administration hereafter to “discontinue its feeble and futile policy of trying to follow the people instead of leading them in international matters.”
Lord Halifax, who was making his first public appearance since his return to the United States from London last week, reviewed the strategic and diplomatic situation as it appeared on the basis of his discussions with British statesmen and military leaders. He called upon the American people to realize that “the Battle of Russia is as much our battle and yours as the Battle of Britain or the Battle of the Atlantic.” Asserting that the “dominant, stern, imperative” need of the moment is for an enormous increase in production in this country and Great Britain, the British Ambassador warned that organizations, either of workers or management, that pursue methods which restrict the maximum flow of industrial output “are unwittingly imposing delay on victory.”
In his first official act as presiding officer of the Supreme Court, Harlan F. Stone, Chief Justice of the United States, paid tribute from the bench today to the character and attainments of Louis Dembitz Brandeis, the 84-year-old retired Associate Justice who died last night. Hearing the Chief Justice eulogize Justice Brandeis as one of “rare sagacity and wisdom, prophetic vision and integrity of character,” the court, meeting for the first session of its 1941-42 term, deferred all of its routine business and in respect to the memory of Justice Brandeis, adjourned until next Monday.
A strike of 65 crane operators at the Gary, Indiana, plant of Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corp. the world’s largest steel mill ended last night when the C.I.O. Steel Workers’ Organizing committee announced the men would return to work at midnight. The transfer of steel ingots for processing constitutes a bottleneck in the industry, company officials said. Strikes also halted production at munitions plants at Cleveland, Ohio, and Texarkana, Texas. At Texarkana, a general strike of 3,500 A.F.L, building trades workers was reported at the Red River ordnance plant under construction. The A.F.L. demanded bargaining rights at the $12,000,000 project.
The Ford Motor Co. announced today that 20,000 workers in its River Rouge plant and other units would be dismissed tomorrow because of curtailment in civilian automobile production. It was the motor Industry’s first major discharge of civilian workers. The company indicated that the men would not be recalled until the firm began large-scale production of defense orders, probably in six months.
The government’s charges that the Aluminum Company of America exercised an illegal monopoly in this country’s aluminum industry were definitely and completely rejected yesterday by Federal Judge Francis G. Caffey. He held that the Department of Justice had failed to show that it was entitled to “any relief” from the company, which means that no order of dissolution will be granted so far as the monopoly charges are concerned.
A tornado struck suburban Kansas City late today, leaving three persons dead, 40 more injured, and widespread property damage. Several houses in the northeast edge of Kansas City and in the Fairmount and. Sugar Creek districts were demolished. Some dwellings were torn from foundations, carried hundreds of feet and smashed almost to kindling wood.
Five-year-old Pamela Hollingworth was found tonight alive and well after wandering eight days and nights through mountain wilderness of New Hampshire in bitter cold and driving rains, living only on brook water. Her only clothing, a tiny sun suit, was tattered when C.C.C. boys and forest rangers found her, smiling and unafraid, on a trail of the White Mountain National Forest. A faint “hi, hi” attracted the searchers just as they turned back to their camp at dusk, downhearted after another apparently futile day.
The 127th Observation Squadron, Kansas National Guard, is inducted into Federal Service at Wichita.
Major League Baseball, World Series, Game 5:
New York Yankees 3, Brooklyn Dodgers 1
With the New York Yankees leading the 1941 World Series 3–1, the fifth game is again played at Ebbets Field, the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The starting pitchers are Ernie “Tiny” Bonham (9–6 with a 2.98 ERA) for the Yankees and Whit Wyatt for the Dodgers. The Yankees jump off to a 2–0 lead in the 2nd inning but the Dodgers get one run in the 3rd inning. From this point on, Yankee pitcher Bonham allows the Dodgers only one hit and the Yankees go on to win the game 3–1 and taking their eighth World Series victory. Yankee right fielder Tommy Henrich had the only home run of the game. Both starting pitchers completed the game; Bonham the winning pitcher and Wyatt the losing pitcher.
Yankees win the series, 4 games to 1.
A constant stream of large merchant ships will begin to pour from Canadian shipyards soon, as this country’s further contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic and the Battle of Britain. The first of these ships will be launched Thursday at the Vickers yards in Montreal. Two weeks later a second will slide down the ways at the Burrard yards on the Pacific Coast. After them, in steady procession, will come eighteen more ships of 9,300 tons that will cost nearly $1,750,000 each. Even more ships have been planned, and both the government departments responsible and the shipbuilders who have assumed the task are confident that that program can be carried through in time to assure that the life line along which food and munitions must go to Britain and other battlefronts will be fully maintained.
Vessels flying the Panamanian flag which arm against raiders will have their registration canceled, the Cabinet Council decided at a conference today at which President Arnulfo Arias presided.
Eight days of war games begin in India. Mock warfare upon an unprecedented scale opened today along. India’s rugged northwestern frontier, the gateway from the West, with a surprise aerial “attack.” in modern style before a formal declaration of war. As the games got under way a day ahead of schedule, a three-day secret session of the Indian National Defense Council opened in Simla. A message from Prime Minister Winston Churchill said that “during 1942 the armies of India, with their British comrades, will be fighting on a long front from the Caspian to the Nile.”
Japanese success in a drive southward across the Yellow River in Northern Honan Province and subsequent occupation of Chengchow, railway center, were acknowledged tonight by a Chungking communiqué. The Chinese, it said, evacuated the city Saturday night after combat in the streets. It was indicated that the defenders were moving westward, fighting sharp rearguard engagements. Occupation of Chengchow raised speculation as to whether the Japanese would attempt now to advance on the provincial capital, Loyang, 100 miles to the west, or continue southward along the railroad to Hankow. The Japanese hold Hankow. Some 300 miles of railway were destroyed in this area by retreating Chinese in the Summer of 1938 and the Japanese have not been able to close that gap in their North China-Central China communications.
Although there have been no important military activities in Kwangtung since the Japanese withdrawal to Canton, Chinese reports say the guerrillas, encouraged by the Japanese retreat, are becoming more active. The Japanese are taking greater precautions in the vicinity of Canton and there are almost daily arrests of suspects.
The Japanese press is beginning to display considerable concern and some depression over the increasing number of military and economic conferences on the periphery of its projected Greater East Asia co-prosperity sphere and the slow progress in the Washington conversations.
New Australian Prime Minister John Curtin announced the composition of his Laborite Cabinet today after a party caucus had elected its personnel.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 125.83 (-0.27)
Born:
Torgeir Brandtzæg, Norwegian ski jumper (Olympics, 2 bronze medals, 1964), in Ogndal Municipality, Reichskommissariat Norwegen (Occupied Norway).
Winston Ntshona, South African stage actor (“Sizwe Banzi Is Dead”, “The Island”), in New Brighton, South Africa (d. 2018)
Naval Construction:
The Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Type VIIC U-boat U-732 is laid down by F Schichau GmbH, Danzig (werk 1523).
The U.S. Navy YMS-1-class auxiliary motor minesweeper USS YMS-36 is laid down by the Hiltebrant Dry Dock Co. (Kingston, New York, U.S.A.).
The Royal Navy Algerine-class (Reciprocating engined) minesweeper HMS Fly (J 306) is laid down by Lobnitz & Co. Ltd. (Renfrew, Scotland)
The Royal Navy River-class frigates HMS Adur and HMS Annan are laid down at Canadian Vickers Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. These are transferred to the U.S. Navy under reverse lend-lease in 1942, becoming the USS Asheville (PF-1) and USS Natchez (PF-2).
The U.S. Navy Bogue-class escort carrier USS Hamlin (AVG-15) is laid down by the Western Pipe and Steel Company, San Francisco, California. She will be transferred under lend-lease to Great Britain in 1942 and will commission as the Royal Navy “Attacker-class” escort carrier HMS Stalker (D 91).
The Royal Navy LCT (Mk 2)-class landing craft, tank HMS LCT 134 is launched by Stockton Construction (Thornaby, U.K.).
The Royal Navy MMS I-class motor minesweeper HMS MMS 52 (J 552) is launched by United Engineers (Singapore). Lost incomplete at Singapore in 1942.
The Royal Navy MMS I-class motor minesweeper HMS MMS 77 (J 577) is launched by the Richards Ironworks Ltd. (Lowestoft, England, U.K.).
The U.S. Navy Accentor-class coastal minesweepers USS Bulwark (AMc-68) and USS Combat (AMc-69) are launched by Hodgdon Brothers, Goudy and Stevens (East Boothbay, Maine, U.S.A.).
The Royal Australian Navy Bathurst-class minesweeper-corvette HMAS Broome (J 191) is launched by Evans Deakin Ltd. (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia).
The Royal Navy “Q”-class destroyer HMS Quality (G 62) is launched by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson Ltd. (Wallsend-on-Tyne, U.K.); completed by Wallsend. She serves with the Royal Navy during the war, and then is transferred to the Royal Australian Navy on 8 October 1945.
The Royal Canadian Navy Flower-class corvette HMCS Dawson (K 104) is commissioned. Her first commanding officer is T/Lieutenant Anthony Hubert Gleadow Storrs, RCNR.
