November 1941

1941

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The following events occurred inNovember 1941:

November 1,1941 (Saturday)

• A formal statement fromAdolf Hitlerclaimed that the United States "has attacked Germany" and that Roosevelt had been placed before the "tribunal" for world judgment. Germany disputed the American account of the sinking of theReuben Jamesand claimed that a German submarine only attacked after American destroyers attacked German submarines first.
• German troops occupiedSimferopolon the Crimean peninsula.
• Jews in Slovakia were required to travel in separate train compartments and send and receive letters marked with the Star of David.
• TheRainbow Bridgeacross theNiagara Riveropened to traffic, connecting the United States and Canada.
• German submarineU-214was commissioned.

November 1, 1941:Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico

• Ansel Adamstook the photographMoonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico.
• Born:Marina Baura,actress, inGalicia,Spain;Nigel Dempster,journalist and author, inCalcutta,British India(d. 2007);Robert Foxworth,actor, inHouston,Texas

November 2,1941 (Sunday)

• TheFinnish conquest of East Kareliawas completed when the Soviets withdrew from Kondopoga.
• The Soviet cruiserVoroshilovwas bombed in harbour by the Luftwaffe atNovorossiyskand put out of action until February 1942.
• A Vichy French convoy of freighters and passenger ships was captured north of Madagascar by British cruisers.
• Born:Bruce Welch,guitarist, producer and member ofThe Shadows,inBognor Regis,Sussex,England

November 3,1941 (Monday)

• The Germans capturedKursk.
• The British merchant shipFlynderborgwas sunk offNewfoundlandby German submarineU-202.
• German submarineU-755was commissioned.
• Died:Samuel Murray,72, American sculptor and educator

November 4,1941 (Tuesday)

• The Germans capturedFeodosiaon the Crimean Peninsula.
• The British battleship HMSDuke of Yorkwas commissioned.
• Fiorello H. La Guardiawas re-elected to a third term asMayor of New York City.
• Viscount Halifaxwas pelted with eggs and tomatoes byisolationistwomen demonstrators inDetroitas he was leavingCity Hall.Halifax was afterwards quoted as saying, "How fortunate you Americans are, in Britain we get only one egg a week and we are glad of those." The quote was actually fabricated by someone in the British Press Service, but it was widely disseminated in the media and created a burst of sympathy and goodwill towards the British and Halifax in particular.
• Dolph Camilliof theBrooklyn Dodgerswas named theNational League's Most Valuable Player.
• German submarineU-509was commissioned.

November 5,1941 (Wednesday)

• Isoroku Yamamotoissued Top Secret Order No. 1 to the JapaneseCombined Fleet,detailing the plan for the attack onPearl Harbor.
• The Soviet submarineShCh-324was lost in theBaltic SeaoffTallinn,presumably to a naval mine.
• TheNoël CowardplayBlithe Spiritmade its Broadway debut at theMorosco Theatre.
• German submarinesU-172andU-457were commissioned.
• Born:Art Garfunkel,musician and actor, inQueens,New York

November 6,1941 (Thursday)

• Joseph Stalinmade a radio address broadcast worldwide declaring that Hitler's "crazy plan" to draw Britain and the United States into a coalition to destroy the Soviet Union had failed. Stalin said that a coalition of the United States, Britain and the USSR was "now a reality" and expressed his hopes that a "second front" would be established "in the near future."
• Between 15,000 and 18,000 Jews were taken to the Sosenki forest outside ofRovnoand massacred over the next two days.
• Frostbitebegan to appear among German troops on the Eastern Front.
• German submarineU-595was commissioned.
• Born:Doug Sahm,musician and founder of theSir Douglas Quintet,inSan Antonio,Texas(d. 1999)

November 7,1941 (Friday)

• The Soviet hospital shipArmeniawas sunk by German bombers while evacuating civilians and wounded soldiers fromCrimea.As many as 7,000 people were killed in the sinking, making it one of the worst maritime disasters in history.
• In an important symbolic event, Soviet troops marched inRed Squareto commemorate the anniversary of theOctober Revolutionas per the annual tradition. Soldiers taking part in the parade marched straight on to the front line.
• TheUnited States Senatevoted 50 to 37 to amend theNeutrality Actto allow merchantmen to be armed and permit U.S. ships to enter combat zones.
• The cargo shipMV Nottinghamwas sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by German submarineU-74.
• Senior commanders of the Japanese Army and Navy were informed that the start of war against Britain and the United States was tentatively set for December 8 (Japanese time).
• Bette Davisbecame the first female president of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
• Born:Angelo Scola,cardinal, inMalgrate,Italy
• Died:Albin Zollinger,46, Swiss writer

November 8,1941 (Saturday)

• In conjunction with the creation of theLwów Ghetto,5,000 of the city's Jews were executed.
• The Germans capturedTikhvin.
• TheBattle of the Duisburg Convoywas fought over the night of November 8/9, ending in British victory.
• The Communist Party of Albania (renamed theParty of Labour of Albaniain 1948) was founded.
• German submarineU-254was commissioned.

November 9,1941 (Sunday)

• The Germans occupied the Crimean city ofYalta.
• A referendumon the policies ofIon Antonescuwas held inRomania.The vote was recorded as 99.99% in favour.
• Born:Tom Fogerty,musician and rhythm guitarist forCreedence Clearwater Revival,inBerkeley, California(d. 1990)

November 10,1941 (Monday)

• The British launchedOperation Flipper,a commando raid on the headquarters ofErwin Rommel.
• The German50th Infantry Divisionunder the command ofErich von Mansteinlaunched a major assault againstSevastopol.
• Elements of AdmiralChūichi Nagumo's Pearl Harbor strike force began departingKure naval base.
• Winston Churchilldeclared that although he would view "with keen sorrow" the opening of a conflict between Japan and the English-speaking world, "should the United States become involved in war with Japan the British declaration will follow within the hour."

November 11,1941 (Tuesday)

• A general electionwas held in thePhilippines.Incumbent PresidentManuel L. Quezonwon an unprecedented second term.
• German submarineU-580sank in the Baltic Sea after a collision with the target shipAngelburg.
• President Roosevelt gave anArmistice Dayaddress atArlington National Cemetery."Our observance of this Anniversary has a particular significance in the year 1941," the president said. "For we are able today as we were not always able in the past to measure our indebtedness to those who died... Whatever we knew or thought we knew a few years or months ago, we know now that the danger of brutality and tyranny and slavery to freedom-loving peoples can be real and terrible. We know why these men fought to keep our freedom - and why the wars that save a people's liberties are wars worth fighting and worth winning - and at any price."
• TheAustralian War Memorialwas opened inCanberra.
• Joe DiMaggioof theNew York Yankeeswas named theAmerican League's Most Valuable Player.DiMaggio's56-game hitting streakbeat outTed Williams'.406 batting average, 291 points to 254.
• Died:Charles Huntziger,61, French army general (plane crash)

November 12,1941 (Wednesday)

• The Soviet52nd Armycounterattacked atVolkhov.
• KingGeorge VIopened a new session of British Parliament. "The developments of the past year have strengthened the resolution of my peoples and of my allies to prosecute this war against aggression until final victory," hisspeech from the thronebegan.
• British CommandosexecutedOperation Astrakan,an overnight raid onHoulgatein France.

November 13,1941 (Thursday)

• The British aircraft carrierArk Royalwas torpedoed and severely damaged off Gibraltar by the German submarineU-81.
• The Soviet cruiserChervona Ukrainawas sunk at Sevastopol by German aircraft.
• U.S. Congress voted 212 to 194 to abolish combat zones, thereby allowing U.S. ships to carry goods directly to ports of belligerent countries.
• German submarineU-596was commissioned.
• Born:Mel Stottlemyre,baseball player and coach, inHazleton, Missouri(d. 2019)

November 14,1941 (Friday)

• Despite efforts to salvage theArk Royal,she had to be abandoned to sink some 12 hours after having been torpedoed.
• The British cargo shipEmpire Defenderwas torpedoed and sunk south of theGalite Islands,Tunisiaby Italian aircraft.
• TheAlfred Hitchcock-directed romantic psychological thriller filmSuspicionstarringCary GrantandJoan Fontainewas released.
• Died:Paraskev Stoyanov,70, Bulgarian-Romanian surgeon, anarchist and professor

November 15,1941 (Saturday)

• The Germans renewed the drive on Moscow after a three-week lull. The Soviets were pushed back from theVolga Reservoirnorth of the capital but with temperatures dropping to -20 Celsius across the Eastern Front, the German advance was very slow.
• German submarineU-583sank in the Baltic Sea with no survivors after a collision withU-153.
• German submarinesU-173andU-459were commissioned.

November 16,1941 (Sunday)

• The German11th ArmycapturedKerchon the far eastern end of the Crimean Peninsula.
• German submarineU-433was depth charged and sunk in the Mediterranean Sea south ofMálagaby the British corvette HMSMarigold.
• Died:Miina Härma,77, Estonian composer

November 17,1941 (Monday)

• Operation Silver Foxended in a Soviet defensive victory.
• Operation Arctic Foxended in a stalemate.
• Born:Tova Traesnaes,businesswoman, inOslo,Norway(d. 2022)
• Died:Ernst Udet,45, German World War I flying ace and Luftwaffe general (suicide)

November 18,1941 (Tuesday)

• TheBritish Eighth ArmybeganOperation Crusader,once again trying to lift theSiege of Tobruk.
• Operation Flipperended in British failure.
• Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.
• German submarineU-704was commissioned.
• A stage adaptation of theSally Bensonsemi-autobiographical story collectionJunior Missopened at theLyceum Theatreon Broadway.
• Born:David Hemmings,actor, inGuildford,Surrey,England (d. 2003)
• Died:Émile Nelligan,61, Canadian poet;Walther Nernst,77, German physicist and Nobel laureate;Chris Watson,74, 3rd Prime Minister of Australia

November 19,1941 (Wednesday)

• Thebattle between HMASSydneyand German auxiliary cruiserKormoranoccurred off the coast ofWestern Australia.TheSydneywas sunk and theKormoranhad to be scuttled due to heavy damage.
• Advanced British units captured Sidi Rezegh 10 miles south of Tobruk.
• The retirement of SirJohn DillasChief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)was announced. SirAlan Brookewas designated to succeed him.
• German submarinesU-89andU-408were commissioned.

November 20,1941 (Thursday)

• Palestinian leaderAmin al-Husseinimet with German Foreign MinisterJoachim von Ribbentropin Berlin.
• The GermanAfrika Korpsgave battle over a broad area around Sidi Rezegh.
• Talks opened inWashington, D.C.between U.S. Secretary of StateCordell Hull,Japanese ambassadorKichisaburō Nomuraand special Japanese envoySaburō Kurusu.The Japanese demanded that the Americans withdraw from China, lift all sanctions directed against Japan and halt the U.S. naval buildup in the Pacific.
• The British cargo shipEmpire Doradocollided with the Greek cargo shipTheomitorin the Atlantic Ocean.Empire Doradowas taken in tow by aRoyal Navyship but sank two days later.
• German submarineU-597was commissioned.
• Died:Kurt von Briesen,55, German general (killed by Soviet aircraft nearIzium)

November 21,1941 (Friday)

• TheBattle of Rostovbegan on the Eastern Front.
• GeneralAlan Cunninghamordered the British 70th Division to break out of its encirclement at Tobruk, which it managed to do after a hard day's fighting.
• Born:Juliet Mills,actress, inLondon,England

November 22,1941 (Saturday)

• In the Battle of Moscow, the Germans capturedKlin.
• The2nd New Zealand DivisioncapturedFort Capuzzo.
• The German auxiliary cruiserAtlantiswas shelled and sunk offAscension Islandby the heavy cruiser HMSDevonshire.
• British Commandoscarried outOperation Sunstar,an overnight raid onHoulgate,France.
• German submarinesU-215andU-438were commissioned.
• Born:Jacques Laperrière,ice hockey player and coach, inBéarn, Quebec,Canada
• Died:Werner Mölders,28, German fighter ace (plane crash);Kurt Koffka,55, German psychologist

November 23,1941 (Sunday)

• The British7th Armoured Divisionwas forced to withdraw south of Sidi Rezegh after getting outflanked by Axis troops.
• A bomb exploded at the U.S. consolate inSaigon,causing considerable damage but no injuries.
• Born:Derek Mahon,poet, inBelfast,Northern Ireland(d. 2020)
• Died:Henrietta Vinton Davis,81, American actress and elocutionist

November 24,1941 (Monday)

• Gerd von Rundstedtdisregarded a direct order from Hitler and withdrew fromRostov-on-Dondue to Soviet counter-attacks in the rear.
• The British light cruiser HMSDunedinwas torpedoed and sunk offRecife,Brazil by German submarineU-124.
• The Italian passenger ferryHerculeswas torpedoed and sunk inHeraklionharbour by the British submarineTriumph.
• TheU.S. Supreme CourtdecidedEdwards v. California.
• The comic stripGordoby Mexican-American cartoonistGus Arriolafirst appeared.
• Born:Pete Best,original drummer forThe Beatles,inMadras,British India;Donald "Duck" Dunn,bass guitarist, songwriter and producer, inMemphis, Tennessee(d. 2012)

November 25,1941 (Tuesday)

• The British battleship HMSBarhamwas torpedoed and sunk offAlexandriaby German submarineU-331with the loss of more than 800 crew.
• The17th Panzer DivisionreachedKashira.
• The 7th Indian Brigade repulsed an attack by the German 5th Panzer Regiment at Sidi Omar, Libya. Meanwhile, Australian and New Zealand troops linked up at El Duda.
• TheAnti-Comintern Pactwas renewed, withFinland,Romania,Bulgaria,Denmark,Nanjing China,Slovakia,andCroatiajoining as new signatories.
• Jerónimo Méndezbecame actingPresident of Chileupon the death ofPedro Aguirre Cerda.
• The first mass shooting of theNinth Fort massacrestook place nearKaunas,Lithuania.
• German submarineU-510was commissioned.
• Born:Ralph Haben,politician, inAtlanta,Georgia;Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi,spiritual leader, inDhok Gohar Shah,British India
• Died:Pedro Aguirre Cerda,62, President of Chile

November 26,1941 (Wednesday)

• The Germans withdrew from Sidi Rezegh, allowing the British7th Armoured Divisionto retake the town.
• Chūichi Nagumo's aircraft carrier strike force headed forPearl Harborwith the understanding that should "negotiations with the United States reach a successful conclusion, the task force will immediately put about and return to the homeland."
• Cordell Hull offered a counter-proposal to the Japanese demands, requiring Japan to recognizeChiang Kai-shek,withdraw from both China and French Indochina and to agree to a multinational non-aggression pact. The Japanese asked for two weeks to study the proposals.
• Neil RitchiereplacedAlan Cunninghamas commander of the BritishEighth Army.
• Lebanonwas proclaimed independent byGeorges Catroux,the Chief ofFree Frenchforces in theLevant.Allied countries would recognize this independence, although in practice Lebanon was still governed under French authority.
• German submarineU-174was commissioned.
• Born:G. Alan Marlatt,psychologist, inVancouver,British Columbia,Canada(d. 2011)

November 27,1941 (Thursday)

• TheSiege of Tobrukended in Allied victory when the besieged garrison was relieved by the British8th Army.
• The15th Panzer Divisioncaptured Sidi Azeiz, Libya and took 700 prisoners.
• TheBattle of Rostovended in Soviet victory.
• American AdmiralHusband E. Kimmeland Lieutenant GeneralWalter Shortwere sent warning messages advising that negotiations with Japan had reached a stalemate and that Japan might take hostile action at any moment. ThePhilippines,theKra PeninsulaandBorneowere listed as among the potential sites of a Japanese attack, butHawaiiwas not.
• The Australian sloopParramattawas torpedoed and sunk off Tobruk by German submarineU-559.
• German submarineU-598was commissioned.
• The Japanese news agencyDōmei Tsushinsaid that "there is little hope of bridging the gap between the opinions of Japan and the United States."
• Born:Eddie Rabbitt,singer and songwriter, inBrooklyn,New York(d. 1998)

November 28,1941 (Friday)

• German officerJohann von Ravensteinwas captured atPoint 175by New Zealand soldiers.
• The Soviets retookRostov-on-Don.
• Palestinian leaderAmin al-Husseinimet with Hitler in Berlin. The two pledged mutual support in their common cause.
• German submarineU-95was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea east of Gibraltar by the Dutch submarineO-21.
• German submarineU-164was commissioned.
• The service comedy filmKeep 'Em FlyingstarringAbbott and Costellowas released.
• Born:Laura Antonelli,actress, inPola,Istria,Italy(d. 2015)

November 29,1941 (Saturday)

• Operation Uziceended in the retreat of theYugoslav PartisansandChetniksand the breakup of the short-livedRepublic of Užice.
• German troops withdrew fromTaganrogon theSea of Azov.
• TheItalian Ariete Divisionoverran the New Zealand 21st Battalion at Point 175.
• The second mass shooting of theNinth Fort massacresoccurred. A total of 4,934 German Jews were killed in the two days of shootings.
• German submarinesU-255andU-379was commissioned.
• TheArmy–Navy Gamewas played atPhiladelphia Municipal Stadiumbefore 98,497 spectators.NavydefeatedArmy14-6.
• "Chattanooga Choo Choo"byGlenn Millerand His Orchestra hit #1 on theBillboardsingles charts.
• Bruce Smithof theUniversity of Minnesotawon theHeisman Trophy.
• TheWinnipeg Blue Bombersedged theOttawa Rough Riders18-16 to win the29th Grey Cupof Canadian football.
• Born:Bill Freehan,baseball player, inDetroit,Michigan(d. 2021)
• Died:Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya,18, Soviet partisan and posthumous recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union award (hanged by the Germans)

November 30,1941 (Sunday)

• Gerd von Rundstedtapproved a German retreat to theMius Riverfollowing the defeat at Rostov.
• Axis forces attacked again at Sidi Rezegh, battering the New Zealand 24th and 26th Battalions as the Germans launched a new drive on Tobruk.
• The first day of theRumbula massacreoccurred nearRiga,Latvia.A total of about 25,000 Jews were killed on this day and December 8.
• German submarineU-206was lost in theBay of Biscayon or around this date, probably to a naval mine.
• The romantic comedy filmTwo-Faced WomanstarringGreta Garbo(in her final role) andMelvyn Douglaswas released.
• Died:Esmond Romilly,23, British socialist (shot down over the North Sea)