September 4th, 1941 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: William Mackenzie King, the Canadian prime minister, warned today that Britain is now the only obstacle in the way of an attack by Hitler's "enslaving hordes of new barbarians" on the New World. He made an impassioned plea to the US for a declaration of support for Britain similar to that promised by Mr Churchill for the Americans in the Far East. Otherwise, he said, "the war may drag on for years, carrying in its train famine, pestilence and horrors still undreamed of."
The Canadian leader was speaking at the Mansion House, in the City of London. Mr Churchill endorsed the Canadian call and added: "Time is short and the struggle is dire. To save humanity all free men must stand together."
Destroyer HMS Matchless is launched.
FRANCE: Paris: The first detachment of the Legion des Volontaires Français [Legion of French Volunteers] sets off to join the German army on the eastern front.
GERMANY: Rastenburg: Hitler, infuriated by the slow progress of the German advance, starts looking for a scapegoat.
With the immanent loss of their forward airbases in Estonia, the Soviet Air Force launches the fifth, (and last for some time) air raid against Berlin. It causes no significant damage.
U-510 is launched. U-268, U-632 and U-712 are laid down. U-156 and U-586 are commissioned.
FINLAND: General der Artillerie Alfred Jodl visits Finland. He discusses with the Finnish leadership about the Finnish war effort, particularly the possibility of a Finnish attack towards Leningrad. Mannerheim rejects the idea of a Finnish participation, but agrees to pursue the retreating Russians as far as the first Soviet fortification-line north of Leningrad. Mannerheim informs Jodl about the situation on the Finnish front: Karelian Army has just started its attack towards the River Syväri (Svir). Jodl also hands Mannerheim the Knight's Cross Hitler had awarded him a couple of days earlier.
U.S.S.R.: Finnish troops capture Belostrov.
U.S.A.: The government extends Lend-Lease aid to Poland because ". . . the gallant resistance of the forces of the Government of Poland is 'vital to the defence of the United States."
In baseball, the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 6-3 at Fenway Park in Boston to clinch the American League pennant, the earliest date in major league baseball history. This is their third straight pennant victory. The Yankees needed only 136 games to win the pennant, giving them a 91-45 record.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The US destroyer Greer
(DD-145) is attacked by U-652. Although
undamaged President Roosevelt presents this incident as evidence of German
aggression.
The "Greer Incident" began about 175 miles southwest of Iceland at 0840 hours local when USS Greer,
carrying mail and passengers to Argentia, Newfoundland, from Reykjavik, Iceland
was signalled by an RAF aircraft that a German submarine had crash-dived some 10
miles (16 km) ahead. Forty minutes later the destroyers soundman picked up the
U-boat, and Greer began to trail the submarine. The RAF aircraft, running low on
fuel, dropped four depth charges at 1032 hours and returned to base, while Greer
continued to dog the U-boat. Two hours later the German ship began a series of
radical manoeuvres and Greer's lookouts could see her pass about 100 yards (91
meters) off. An impulse bubble at 1248 hours warned Greer that a torpedo had
been fired. Ringing up flank speed, hard left rudder, Greer watched the torpedo
pass 100 yards (91 meters) astern and then charged in for attack. She laid a
pattern of eight depth charges, and less than 2 minutes later a second torpedo
passed 300 yards (274 meters) to port.
Greer lost sound contact during the manoeuvers, and began to quarter the area in search of the U-boat. After 2 hours, she re-established sound contact and laid down a pattern of 11 depth charges before discontinuing the engagement. Greer had held the German raider in sound contact 3 hours and 28 minutes; had evaded two torpedoes fired at her; and with her 19 depth charges had become the first American ship in World War II to attack the Germans.
The Greer was sailing under wartime conditions with all lights blacked out. She is equipped with the latest submarine detectors.