July 30th, 1941 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
London: Russian and the Polish government in exile signed a treaty of friendship in London today which Mr Churchill described as "proof of the fact that hundreds of millions of men all over the world are coming together on the march against the filthy gangster power which must be effectively and finally destroyed."The first result of the treaty will be the formation of a Polish army from prisoners of war held in Russia. General Sikorski, the exiled Polish Prime Minister, said after the signing that, while not all questions had been settled between Russia and Poland, the treaty provided a basis for useful collaboration.
Polish-Soviet agreement of cooperation signed at London.
United States recognized Czechoslovak government-in-exile in London.
Murphy (former Governor-General and High Commissioner) proposes creation of a
"National defence Commission for the Far East" to meet in Singapore
and to co-ordinate regional defence with Dutch and UK representatives. The
proposal was ignored. (Marc Small)
Corvette FS Renoncule commissioned.
Destroyer HMS Puckeridge commissioned.
Submarine HMS Trusty commissioned.
Submarine HMS Unseen laid down.
GERMANY: Rastenburg: Hitler orders assaults towards Leningrad and the Caucasus rather than a frontal attack on Moscow.
U-382 laid down.
U-508 launched.
U-504 commissioned.
SCANDINAVIA: German shipping and military facilities at Kirkenes in Norway and Petsamo in Finland
are attacked by planes from the British carriers HMS Victorious and HMS Furious
respectively. Of 29 planes from Victorious, 13 are shot down.
Petsamo (today Petchenga in Russia) by Arctic Sea was at the time Finnish territory.
Acquired by Finland in the Peace of Tartu in 1920, it was the only harbour Finland had
that was ice-free around the year. During the 1920's there were found substantial deposits
of nickel, which made the area very important as the war came closer. The Soviets occupied
the area in the Winter War of 1939-40, but returned it to Finland after the war (except
the formerly Finnish half of the Rybachi Peninsula) for reasons that are still debated. As
the German troops, as agreed with Finland, took over the northern Finland before the start
of the Barbarossa, also the nickel of Petsamo all went to Germany. Finland lost the
Petsamo territory finally in 1944 to Soviet Union.
As said, the territory was Finnish, but effectively controlled by Germans. The British attack came just after Finland had informed UK that the diplomatic ties will be 'interrupted'. The attack gave the Finnish Government the official reason for the severing of the diplomatic ties, and the fact was made public on 1 Aug.
U.S.S.R.: Moscow: Roosevelt's advisor Harry Hopkins, arrives to discuss ways to help the Soviet war effort.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Submarine
HMS Cachalot mistakes an Italian torpedo boat for a tanker in poor visibility.
The Torpedo boat suddenly appears out of fog at 800metres, and rams Cachalot
holing Z tank, but not the pressure hull. The commander orders abandon ship and
opens the main vents, and the submarine gently sinks bows first into 200 feet of
water. The Italian torpedo boat commander lowers boats and ensures the safety of
all the submarine crew except a Maltese steward who has disappeared, before he
requests permission of the submarine commander to discontinue the search. There
is just the single casualty. This sinking takes place off Benghazi at 32 49N 20
11E.
CHINA: Chungking: Within hours of damaging the US gunboat USS Tutuila (PR-4) in a bombing raid here, Japan has formally apologised to the USA. The Japanese aircraft dropped a bomb 8 yards astern. There is no damage to the ship nor are there any casualties, but the motor boats are badly damaged. It is unlikely, however, that the latter will be re-assured. The state department is certain now that Japan, having moved into Indochina, has its eyes on the Dutch East Indies and is testing United States resolve. Four days ago the USA and Britain froze all Japanese assets, and two days ago they cut off almost all its oil. If Japan is to go to war, it must do so before very long.
CANADA: Minesweeper
HMCS Ingonish launched North Vancouver,
British Columbia.
Minesweeper HM MMS 107 ordered from Chatier Maritime de St. Laurent, Province of
Quebec.
U.S.A.: US Army Chief of Staff George Marshall informs the War Department Staff that it was now US policy to defend the Philippines but that European concerns took priority.
Murphy
proposes creation of a “National defence Commission for the Far East” to
meet in Singapore and to coordinate regional defence with Dutch and UK
representatives. The proposal was
ignored.
US President Roosevelt today slapped an embargo on the export of aviation fuel from the United States. This action follows action 5 days earlier that effectively froze exports of scrap iron and oil. (John Nicholas and Andy Etherington)
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
At 0138, the Shahristan, dispersed from Convoy OS-1, was torpedoed and sunk by U-371 SE of the Azores. The master, 38 crewmembers and 26 passengers were lost. 33 survivors were picked up by the Spanish tanker Campeche and 37 survivors by HMS Sunflower and landed at Ponta Delgada, Azores. Six survivors were rescued by HMS Derbyshire and landed at Gourock.
At 0246, the Sitoebondo, dispersed from Convoy OS-1, was hit by a torpedo from U-371 after they had witnessed the sinking of Shahristan about one hour earlier by the same U-boat. She sank after being hit by two coup de grāce at 0254 and 0337. The 71 crewmembers and six passengers had abandoned ship in three lifeboats after the first hit when the stern settled. The Spanish tanker Campeche picked up the occupants of two boats the next day. The Spanish tanker Campero rescued two crewmembers on a raft after about six days. The 17 crewmembers and two passengers in the last boat were never found.