September 18th, 1941 (THURSDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM says it will reveal the secrets of radio-location (radar) to the U.S.S.R.
Submarine HMS Usurper laid down.
The remnant of convoy SC-42 arrived in Liverpool. The cargo
lost from SC42 amounted to 15,050 tons of wheat, 14,400 tons of iron ore, 11,200
tons of steel, 9,300 tons of gas oil, 7,000 tons of other grains, 5,500 tons of
sulphur, 4,275 tons of phosphates, 2,400 tons of pig iron, 2,100 general cargo,
525 tons of oats, and a large but unspecified tonnage of lumber. Two hundred and
thirty-seven merchant sailors lost their lives in this battle. The battle for
convoy SC-42 is considered to be one of the greatest convoy battles of the
Second World War.
GERMANY:
U-269 laid down.
U-214 launched.
U-456 and
U-588 commissioned.
U.S.S.R.: Ukraine: Units of Heeresgruppe Süd capture Poltava in the Ukraine.
FINLAND: The Finnish Moscow embassy staff arrive home. They left Moscow on July 26 and spent from July 8th to August 31st stranded in railway carriages in the rail yard of Leninakan near the Turkish border. Denmark's ambassador visited them at the end of July and observed that 'the situation must be both physically and psychically very painful to Hynninen and his staff'. (In a meeting with Paasikivi shortly after returning Finland, Hynninen referred to 54 days spent 'in difficult circumstances' in Leninakan.) When they were finally able to leave, the journey continued through Ankara, Beograd, Vienna and Berlin to Lybeck, where they took a ship to Turku. (Mikko Härmeinen, 275)
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Four Royal Navy U class submarines attacked a heavily escorted Italian convoy off the North African coast, sinking two large transports and damaging the third. They include the British submarine HMS Upholder which sinks the Italian troop ships Neptunia and Oceania; 384 people are drowned.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES:
Navy Department approves Hart’s proposal to
confine Asiatic Fleet to Philippine waters.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Sarnia laid down.
Corvette HMCS Port Arthur launched.
U.S.A.: President Roosevelt requests an additional $5.985 Billion from Congress for Lend-Lease.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: For the first time, 5 USN destroyers escort an east-bound British convoy (HX-150). The 5 destroyers pick up the convoy about 150 miles (241 km) south of Newfoundland.