September 27th, 1941 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Submarine HMS Una commissioned.
Escort carrier HMS Attacker launched.
Destroyer HMS Ledbury launched.
GERMANY: U-436 commissioned.
CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Von Neurath, the German Governor of Bohemia and Moravia resigns and is replaced by Heydrich.
U.S.S.R.: The Germans take Perekop in the approach to the Crimea.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Air reconnaissance fails both the Italians and British to find the main opposing fleets. The British are attempting another reinforcement of Malta with Operation Halberd. The Italian's are attempting to intercept them. The battleship HMS NELSON is damaged in an Italian air attack south of Sardinia.
SYRIA: French General Georges Catroux, Free French High Commissioner in Syria and Lebanon, announces Free French recognition of Syrian independence with the provison that the French will continue to exercise their mandate authority until such time as it can be properly terminated.
EAST AFRICA: The British 25th East African Brigade accepts the surrender of the Italian garrison at Wolchefit Pass.
CHINA: Japanese forces land paratroops behind the Chinese lines and penetrate into Changsha. The Chinese counterattack the paratroops, destroying them, and in an uncharacteristically decisive move, wheel there forces north of the city, cutting off the Japanese troops in the city. About 100,000 Japanese troops found themselves surrounded.
JAPAN: After completing the ceremonies celebrating the first anniversary of the Tripartite Pact, Japanese Foreign Minister Adrmiral TOYODA Teijiro spoke to U.S. Ambassador Joseph Grew and "urged him to strongly recommend to his home government to have the 'leaders' meeting" (between President Roosevelt and Japanese leaders) materialize immediately. This information is sent in a message to the Japanese embassy in Washington, D.C.; officials there responded, "As I have pointed out on several previous occasions while reporting on matters pertaining to this issue, the United States insists that it would be inappropriate to hold the "leaders' conference" until the two nations have come to a complete agreement on all the points involved. At present the United States is allegedly investigating our attitude with regard to said various points. Since, as you said, we have already said all that is to be said, we are now committed to await expression of intentions by the United States.
CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Chedabucto commissioned.
U.S.A.: The first batch of 14 Liberty cargo ships are launched from various yards. There are another 312 Liberty ships on order. The very first, SS Patrick Henry, being at Baltimore, Maryland.
Destroyers USS Guest, De Haven, Hutchings and Welles laid down.
Destroyers USS Cowie and Knight launched.
The first US Army Officer Candidate School (OCS) class graduates from Fort Benning, Georgia. General Marshall is to address the class but due to observing the Louisiana Manouvres, Brigadier General Omar Bradley takes his place. The reading focuses on leadership and the concept of the citizen soldier in a democracy. (Irwin Probstein)
"Blue Champagne" by Jimmy Dorsey And His Orchestra with vocal by Bob Eberly reaches Number 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the U.S. This song, which debuted on the charts on 2 August 1941, was charted for 14 weeks, was Number 1 for 1 week and was ranked Number 9 for the year 1941.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: Whilst
escorting convoy HG.73, Auxiliary AA (and fighter catapult) ship HMS Springbank, is
torpedoed and sunk by U-201, West of Ireland at 49 50N 23 40W. (Alex Gordon)(108)
U-201 also sank SS Margareta and SS Siremalm.