August 26th, 1941 (TUESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM:
Destroyer HMS Laforey commissioned.
Submarine HMS Thorn commissioned.
GERMANY: U-505 commissioned.
U.S.S.R.: The German positions near Velikiye Luki
repulse a Soviet counterattack.
An OKW memorandum accepted by Hitler states that the war against Soviet Union
won't be finished before the end of 1941.
Ukraine: German forces capture Dnepropetrovsk.
IRAN: British forces take complete control of the Abadan area while the Soviets moving down from the north enter Tabriz. Soviet aircraft bomb Teheran.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES: Philippine Department Air Force is re-designated USAFFE Air Force. (Marc Small)
The Philippine National Army is brought into existence. (Gordon Rottman)
CANADA: Corvette
HMCS Buctouche departed St. John's to join
the 64-ship Sydney to Liverpool convoy SC41 which arrived safely on
11 Sep 41.The SC series of convoys was introduced in
August of 1940 to provide a system of protection for slow merchant ships (7.5
knots minimum, often not achieved), which had previously been sailing
independently, with disastrous consequences. Sydney, Cape Breton, was chosen as
the western terminus to help ease congestion on the port of Halifax. SC-1 sailed
on 15 Aug 40. During the winters of ‘41 and ‘42 the SC convoys were shifted to
Halifax, due to ice in Sydney and its approaches. In Aug 42, when the terminus
for the HX series of convoys was shifted to New York City, the SC convoys were
moved to Halifax, with a temporary interval where they also originated from New
York between Sep 42 and Mar 43. Of the 177 SC convoys, only three failed to
reach their destination. SC-52 lost four of its 34 ships to U-boats in Oct 41
and, with the prospects for continued heavy opposition, was returned to Sydney
by a tortuous circumnavigation of Newfoundland. SC-62 and SC-63 were scattered
by bad weather in Jan 42 and completed their voyages without loss as
independently routed ships. In all, only 29 of the 177 SC convoys were attacked
and only 145 ships were lost from the total of 6,806 ships escorted (2.1%). This
number is quite misleading. The relatively low loss rate was mainly made
possible by intelligence and evasive routing, without which losses would have
substantially exceeded the 3% rate considered to be unsustainable. The loss rate
for the 29 convoys attacked was 12.3% (145/1175). Up to the end of Mar 43, the
loss rate was 13.3% (138/1034). Additionally five other ships were damaged.
Also, a large number of ‘stragglers’ were sunk when they dropped out of convoys
that were not counted against convoy losses. Likewise, a number of ‘rompers’,
ships that detached from the convoy to move ahead independently, were lost that
were also not counted. The worst single-convoy losses occurred Oct 40 when
convoy SC-7 lost 15 of the 34 merchant ships escorted (44%). Clearly, up until
the 'Turning Point' in the Battle of the Atlantic, when the U-boats were able to
engage they inflicted losses completely beyond the ability of the Allies to
sustain. The key, therefore, was not to engage in a series of tactical battles
the Allies could not win. Without the inestimable advantage of signal
decryption, the Battle of the Atlantic would have been lost before the 'Turning
Point' had been reached.
Corvette HMCS Vancouver (ex-HMCS
Kitchener) launched Esquimalt, British Columbia.
U.S.A.: The White House issues a
statement that "this Government is preparing to send a military mission to
China. The mission will be sent for the purpose of assisting in carrying out the
purposes of the Lend-Lease Act. It is being organized and it will operate under
the direction of the Secretary of War. Its chief will be Brigadier General John
Magruder."
Destroyer USS Hendon laid down.
Submarine USS Silversides launched.
Minesweeper USS Auk launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
U-571 attacked SS Marija
Uljanova. Constructive total loss.
U-652 damaged SS Southern
Prince.
Cutter HMS Lulworth went to the rescue of survivors from a torpedoed Merchantman. The night was dark, with heavy seas running, so that the rescue work was slow and hazardous. As HMS Lulworth was about to abandon search, two men and a woman were found clinging to the wreckage. The men were saved, but as the woman, who was unconscious, was being hauled on board, she slipped from her lifejacket, disappeared below the surface, and came up astern. Lt KEEFER at once dived into the sea to try to save her. He reached her, but both were swept away by the heavy seas, and though search was made for an hour, neither was seen again.