On 14 January
1941, Kriegsmarine auxiliary cruiser
Pinguin
captures the Norwegian whaling fleet near Bouvet Island, effectively ending Southern
Ocean whaling for the duration of the war. Ole Wegger (12,201 t), Solglimt (12,246
t), Torlyn (247 t), Pol VIII (298 t), Pol IX (354 t), Pol X (354 t), factory ship
Pelagos (12,083 t), Star XIV (247 t), Star XIX (249 t), Star XX (249 t), Star
XXI (298 t), Star XXII (303 t),
Star XXIII (357 t) and Star XXIV (361 t).
Z34 Destroyer
Laid down 14 January 1941
On 27 January 1941, Attack on Pearl Harbour,
Joseph Grew, the United States ambassador to Japan, reports to Washington regarding
a rumour overheard at a diplomatic reception concerning a planned surprise attack
on Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
On 19-22 February 1941, Three Nights Blitz
over Swansea, South Wales, Over these 3 nights of intensive bombing, which last
a total of 13 hours and 48 minutes, Swansea's town centre is almost completely
obliterated by the high explosive bombs used by the Luftwaffe. A total of 397
casualties and 230 deaths are reported.
Tirpitz
Battleship
Commissioned 25 February 1941
Friedrich
Karl Topp
Takes command of the Battleship
Tirpitz
on 25 February 1941 to 24
February 1943 On 24 March 1941, Cairo reported that after beating
off seven counter-attacks British troops at Karen were advancing, Nairobi stated
that our advanced troops successfully attacked strong enemy positions holding
Marda Passywest of jijiga. Enemy force occupied E1 Agheila, Libya, from which
British had been withdrawn. During night the British Royal Air Force (RAF) raided
Tripoli.
On 6 April 1941, In the Balkans, Germany invaded Greece and
Yugoslavia.
On 9 May 1941, The Kriegsmarine U-boat
U-110
is captured by the British Royal Navy. Probably one of the most important events
of the battle against the U-boats. A boarding party from HMS Bulldog went aboard
the Kriegsmarine U-boat
U-110
and recovered an Enigma machine with rotors set, and current code books.
In the North Atlantic, At 6 am, on 24 May 1941, the British battleship HMS
Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Hood open fire on the Kriegsmarine battleship
Bismarck and
Prinz Eugen.
After exchanging fire, the HMS Hood magazines explodes and splits the ship in
two killing all but 3 crewmen from a total of 1,418 aboard. HMS Prince of Wales
is hit several times, The
Bismarck
and
Prinz
Eugen head for Brest, France.
Adolf
Hitler
On 26 May 1941 orders the development
Tiger
Ausf. E Bismarck
Battleship
Scuttled on 27 May 1941
Wilhelm
Meendsen-Bohlken
Takes command of the Pocket Battleship
Admiral
Scheer on 12 June 1941 to
28
November 1942 T23
Torpedo boat
Launched 14 June 1941
On 22 June 1941, The Wehrmacht
invades the Soviet Union, under the codename of Operation Barbarossa, The Wehrmacht
had amassed 3,206,000 soldiers and over 3,330 assorted panzers. Over 7,100 artillery
pieces 600,000 motor vehicles 625,000 horses 250 assault guns, the Luftwaffe had
amassed 2,840 aircraft.
On 29 June 1941, Russian Front, New Wehrmacht
push towards Murmansk by troops from Norway. The Wehrmacht also attacked from
Karelian Isthmus. The Wehrmacht claimed to have crossed River Dvina and to have
captured Dvinsk, Russians stated that advance of enemy tank columns in direction
of Minsk and Luck had been stopped. Fierce righting in progress. The Wehrmacht
claimed that armoured units had bypassed Minsk and pushed beyond.
On
5 July 1941, Russian Front, Fighting reported that Murmansk, Kandalaksha and on
Karelian Isthmus. Berlin claimed advance despite stubborn resistance. Soviet forces
repulsed repeated attempts to cross rivers Beresina and Drut. The Wehrmacht claimed
that forces east of Minsk had reached river Dnieper. In Ukraine Russians admitted
that enemy tank thrust was developing in direction of` Novgorod-Volinsk. In Bessarabia
the Wehrmacht crossed the river Pruth at several points, but further advance was
held. Hungarians claimed capture of Stanislawowp, and Kolomea.
On 7
July 1941, Russian Front, Moscow stated that the Wehrmacht attacks in Baltic States
were repulsed, and also his attempts to cross the Western Dvina. The Wehrmacht
claimed progress towards Upper Dvina and Dnieper. In Northern Ukraine Russians
claimed to have checked the Wehrmacht advance in Novgorod-Volynsk sector.
On 22 August 1941, In France, The German Occupation Authority announces that
anyone working for or aiding the Free French resistance will be sentenced to death.
On 8 September 1941, Russian Front, The Siege of Leningrad begins, The Wehrmacht
ground forces begin a siege against the Soviet Union's second largest city, Leningrad.
Z33 Destroyer
Launched 15 September 1941
Kormoran
HSK 8 Auxiliary cruiser
Sunk 20 November 1941
Atlantis
HSK 2 Auxiliary cruiser
Sunk 22 November 1941
On 26 November
1941, A fleet of 6 Japanese aircraft carriers commanded by Japanese Vice Admiral
Chuichi Nagumo leaves Hitokapu Bay for Pearl Harbour under strict radio silence.
On 27 November 1941, Russian Front, The Wehrmacht claimed capture of Klin,
North West of Moscow the closest the Wehrmacht ground forces will ever come to
capturing Moscow.
On 7 December 1941, First wave of Japanese carrier
based aeroplanes (almost 200) hits United States naval base at Pearl Harbour and
Hickam Field at 0755. Attacks follow quickly against Wheeler and Bellows Fields.
A second wave of Japanese aeroplanes strikes other naval and military facilities.
Hawaiian Air Force loses 163 men, with about 390 others wounded or missing; has
64 of its 231 assigned aircraft destroyed. Only 79 of the remaining aircraft are
deemed usable, and much of the airfields ground facilities are destroyed. These
losses are light in comparison with the Navy's, more than 2,000 killed or missing,
and more than 900 wounded, 4 battleships sunk; 3 battleships, 3 cruisers, and
3 destroyers damaged; and over half of the Navy's 169 aeroplanes in the area destroyed.
The Japanese lose 20 aircraft over Hawaii, including 4 claimed destroyed by 2d
Lieutenant George S Welch (47th Pursuit Squadron) piloting a P-40,one of the few
United States fighters to successfully attack aeroplanes during the day. About
20 other aircraft are lost by the Japanese during carrier landings. Altogether
the Japanese pay a small price for the damage done to the Americans on Oahu. For
the remainder of the day, following the attacks, Army Air Forces carries out fruitless
searches for the carriers.
On 8 December 1941, Russian Front, The Wehrmacht
advance on Moscow (Operation Typhoon) is suspended for the winter.
Adolf
Hitler becomes Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht Armed Forces on
19 December 1941.
For a complete list of
sources
