September 13th, 1941 (SATURDAY)
GERMANY: The food shortage is beginning to bite in the Third Reich. In a report soon to be issued by the ministry for food and nutrition, Germans will be urged to be more economical in the way that they eat potatoes.
"In every household in Germany, potatoes should now only be served in their skins," it says. "It is most important that in canteens and restaurants, potato peelers are not used."
U-378, U-459 and U-460 launched.
BALTIC SEA: The Finnish 'armoured ship' ILMARINEN hits a mine and sinks while on a deception manoeuvre to draw Russian attention from the invasions of the islands of Hiidenmaa and Saarenmaa (two large islands off the western coast of Estonia). They were to sail with other ships as conspicuously as possible for a while and then turn back. 'Ilmarinen' sank just when they were about to turn. 132 men are saved but 271 die, making it Finland's worse maritime disaster.U.S.S.R.: German forces under Kleist and Guderian link near Lokhvitsa. This cuts the pocket of 600,000 soviet soldiers east of Kiev. Chernigov on the Desna is evacuated under German attacks.
The Russian, General Winter, arrives on the Eastern Front with the first snowfall of the season being reported.
General Georgii K. Zhukov, Commander-in-Chief Leningrad Front, arrives in Leningrad. He has orders from Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin to take command and save the city from capture. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler by this time has already decided not to storm the city but to starve it into surrender.
IRAN: The government orders the departure of Axis diplomats.
CANADA: Corvette
HMCS Drumheller commissioned.
Corvettes HMCS Levis and Mayflower
departed St John's as escort for the 54-ship Sydney to Liverpool Convoy SC-44.
Minesweepers HMCS Malpeque and Minas
depart Esquimalt for Halifax.