August 22nd, 1941 (FRIDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Corvette HMS Snowflake launched.
Minesweeper HMS Worthing launched.
FRANCE: A German naval officer cadet was shot dead in the Paris metro yesterday. Today the Germans announced that all Frenchmen imprisoned in occupied France for any cause will be considered hostages. "In the event of another such act, a number of hostages, corresponding to the gravity of the crime, will be shot." One hundred have been selected on Hitler's orders, and 50 will be shot should there be more outrages and their corpses displayed in the Place de la Concorde.
The shooting took place at Barbes-Rochechouart, the Communist Party's working-class citadel in Paris, and reflect the growing resistance to the occupation authorities by the Communists and their various stalking horses in the trades unions. So far this resistance has been most marked on the railways, where the railwaymen's union is co-ordinating sabotage. The metro shooting is their first act of assassination.
U.S.S.R.: A great battle is raging at the approaches to Leningrad as Field Marshal von Leeb throws in all his forces to capture the city, before the autumn rains set in and bog down his tanks.
Both sides recognize the importance of the battle. Marshal Voroshilov has said: "The enemy will never set foot in our beautiful city, Leningrad never has and never will be in the hands of the enemy."
In reply Göbbels has said the city "will be ground to rubble."
AUSTRALIA: Destroyer HMAS Derwent launched.
WAKE ISLAND The US Marine Detachment, 1st defence Battalion, arrives from Oahu, Hawaii. (Gordon Rottman)
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Lockeport launched. Minesweeper HMCS Clayoquot commissioned.
Corvette HMCS Amherst arrived Halifax from builder Saint John, New Brunswick.
U.S.A.: The slumbering giant of America is gathering its strength with an impressive growth in its military manpower.
Just over a year ago the regular US Army numbered 265,000 plus 243,000 National Guard reservists. By April this year there were 487,000 regulars, 286,000 National Guard, 38,000 reserve officers called to the colours and 374,000 selective service trainees: a total of 1,185,000 men. It is almost 12 months since President Roosevelt signed a bill imposing call-up liability on 16.5 million men aged between 21 and 35. Congress passed the measure reluctantly after a three-month debate. Important strings were attached to it. Conscripts are to serve within the western hemisphere and US possessions, including the Philippines. They will serve for a year (possibly to be extended to 30 months) and be paid the same as regulars. Roosevelt wants 2 million men.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 2331 U-564 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at Convoy OG-71 west of Aveiro, Portugal and observed four different detonations and three columns of fire, later lifeboats were seen. Suhren thought that he had sunk two ships and damaged two others. However, only two ships were hit and sunk, the British merchant ship Empire Oak (484 tons) and Irish merchant ship Clonlara (1,203 tons) in position 40.43N, 11.39W. The master and 12 crewmembers from the Clonlara were picked up by corvette HMS Campion and landed at Gibraltar on 24 August. Six crew embers were lost. The master, three crewmembers and four gunners from the Empire Oak were picked up by corvette HMS Campanula, later transferred to destroyer HMS Velox and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August. 13 crewmembers were lost. On 19 August, the Empire Oak had picked up six survivors from Aguila and eleven survivors from Alva. The survivors from Aguila died when this ship was sunk, while the other survivors were also rescued by the corvette.