Chronology of World War II
Wednesday, October 1, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Finnish forces near Leningrad attack and capture Petrozavvodsk.
In Moscow... An Allied planning conference ends. Harriman attends from the US, Beaverbrook, from Britain and Molotov heads the Soviet delegation.
Thursday, October 2, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Operation Typhoon, the German attack on Moscow officially begins. German Panzer Group 3 (Hoth), Panzer Group 4 (Hoeppner) and the 2nd, 4th and 9th Armies join the attack of Panzer Group 2 (Guderian). The operation is lead by tank units and includes substanial air cover.
In Australia... the elections result in a new government headed by John Curtin of the Labor Party.
Friday, October 3, 1941
In Berlin... Hitler claims in a speech that "this enemy [the USSR] has already been broken and will never rise again!" Goebbels announces that 1,500,000 children and 150,000 mothers have been evacuated from cities to safer areas.
In Occupied Czechoslovakia... Mayor Klapka of Prague is executed for alleged anti-Nazi activities.
Saturday, October 4, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Hoeppner's Panzer Group 4 attacks near Vyazma from the south. Hoth's forces in the north are still battling the Soviet line between Vyazma and Rzhev. On the right wing of the attack, General Guderian's forces are approaching Orel and Bryansk. Large numbers of Soviet troops are in danger of encirclement.
Sunday, October 5, 1941
In North Africa... British aircraft raid Tripoli during the night.
In Occupied France... German authorities blow up 6 Paris synagogues.
In Vichy France... Petain commutes the death sentence on Paul Collette who attempted to assassinate Laval and Deat.
Monday, October 6, 1941
On the Eastern Front... German General Kleist's right wing reaches Berdyansk, on the Sea of Azoz trapping more than 100,000 Soviet soldiers. The German 11th Army is attempting to link with Kleist by attacking along the coast. The Soviet position near Vyazma and Bryansk is deteriorating. Large pockets of troop have been encircled and are being reduced.
Tuesday, October 7, 1941
On the Eastern Front... German armored forces break through the Soviet-held Vyazma Defense Line, encircling 6 armies. The trapped Soviet forces continue to resist until October 14th.
Wednesday, October 8, 1941
On the Eastern Front... The German forces take Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, the entrapment of troops near Vyazma and Bryansk continue. German advances in the northeast are now towards Rzhev and Kalinin and in the south toward Tula and Kaluga. The autumn rains begin and the heavy rainfall begins to slow the rapid German mobile advance.
Thursday, October 9, 1941
In Washington... US President Roosevelt asks Congress to allow the arming American merchant ships and to repeal parts of the Neutrality Act.
Friday, October 10, 1941
In the Soviet Union... Soviet General Zhukov is called to Moscow from Leningrad to assume control of the defense of the capital city.
Saturday, October 11, 1941
In the Soviet Union... The mass evacuation of women and children from Moscow begins. Thousands of workers and students are employed in digging anti-tank ditches on the outskirts of the city.
Sunday, October 12, 1941
On the Eastern Front... German advances towards Moscow continue despite the heavy rains. Kaluga is captured after fierce fighting with the Soviets. The town of Bryansk is evacuated, but fighting in the area continues.
In North Africa... Relief operations continue to the besieged British outpost at Tobruk (7000 troops are taken in and just under 8000 are taken out). The minelayer Latona is sunk by a Stuka attack and one destroyer is damaged in the operations.
Monday, October 13, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Soviet army is forced to retreat from Vyazma and resistance in the area is faltering.
Tuesday, October 14, 1941
On the Eastern Front... The German attack northwest of Moscow reaches Kalinin. Soviet resistance is very determined. Meanwhile, the battle of Vyazma is concluded.
Wednesday, October 15, 1941
In Occupied Poland... German authorities announce that any Jewish persons found outside of the ghettos will be executed on sight.
On the Eastern Front... The Soviet evacuate Odessa on the Black Sea, a pocket which has held out behind the German lines for several weeks. Approximately 35,000 men from three divisions are taken off to Sevastopol. Two cruisers, four destroyers and many smaller craft are used for the removal.
Thursday, October 16, 1941
On the Eastern Front... In Moscow, the rapid German advances toward the capital lead to an exodus of foreign diplomats and government staff to Kuibyshev.
In Japan... Prime Minister Konoye resigns. War Minister Tojo replaces him assuming the offices of not only Prime Minister, but also War Minister and Home Affairs Minister. Shigenori Togo is named Foreign Minister and Admiral Shimada, Navy Minister. This Cabinet is judged to have a pro-war stance.
In Vichy France... Former Prime Ministers, Daladier, Reynaud and Blum are all arrested on Marshal Petain's orders to face charges that they are responsible for the defeat of France.
In the North Atlantic... German U-boat U-568 hits the US destroyer Kearny with a torpedo during a convoy battle. There are 11 dead on the Kearny.
Friday, October 17, 1941
On the Eastern Front... In the south, German troops capture Taganrog on the Sea of Azov.
In India... Arrangements are completed to transport Moslem pilgrims to Mecca, despite wartime shortages of transportation.
Saturday, October 18, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Mozhaysk is taken by units from the German Panzer Group 4 as the Germans continue their drive to Moscow.
In the Mediterranean... Malta's air forces are increased with the addition of a force of strike planes flown in from Gibraltar. Their function to continue to harass Axis supply lines through the Mediterranean to North Africa.
Sunday, October 19, 1941
In Moscow... Soviet leader Stalin announces his intention to remain in Moscow despite the threat from advancing German forces. Martial law is declared in the city and work ordered on three fixed defensive lines around it.
Monday, October 20, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Heavy fighting continues between Soviet and German forces in the area of Moscow around Mozhaysk and at Malayroslavets. In the south, German forces penetrate Stalino.
In Occupied France... The German commander in Nantes is shot by French resistance members. Fifty hostages are shot in reprisal.
Tuesday, October 21, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Zhukov takes command of the Moscow garrison.
Wednesday, October 22, 1941
In Occupied France... The German commander at Bordeaux is shot by members of the French resistance. Hostages are taken and again shot by the Germans when no perpetrator is found.
Thursday, October 23, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Stalin reorganizes the Soviet army command system giving Zhukov responsibility for the northern half of the front and General Timoshenko for the southern portion.
Friday, October 24, 1941
On the Eastern Front... The Ukrainian city of Kharkov falls to a coordinated attack by the German 6th and 17th Armies of Army Group South.
Saturday, October 25, 1941
From Britain... The British battleship Prince of Wales, carrying Admiral Phillips sails for the Far East. The admiral is to take command of the new British Far East Fleet to be created around the Prince of Wales.
Sunday, October 26, 1941
On the Eastern Front... In the Crimea, German forces break through the defenses of the Perekop Isthmus.
Monday, October 27, 1941
On the Eastern Front... In the Ukraine, German advances continue with the capture of the city of Kramatorsk, north of Stalino.
Tuesday, October 28, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Weather and lengthy supply lines begin to slow the German advances toward Moscow. Muddy conditions and cold weather prevail. In the north, German forces take Volokolamsk.
Wednesday, October 29, 1941
On the Eastern Front... The first of the Soviet reserves from Siberia take position in the defensive lines west of Moscow.
Thursday, October 30, 1941
On the Eastern Front... Operation Typhoon halts until the winter weather arrives. The deep mud from autumn rains has immobilized the German vehicles.
Friday, October 31, 1941
In the North Atlantic... The USS Reuben James, an American destroyer is sunk off the coast of Iceland by a German U-boat with the loss of 100 of the sailors on board. It is the first sinking an American warship in the undeclared war against the Germans in the Atlantic.
Copyright © 2018 Ralph Zuljan