October 15th, 1941 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Tyrian laid down.
GERMANY:
U-335, U-379 and U-599 launched.
U-88 commissioned.
POLAND: A German Decree is issued in Warsaw. It confines all Jews to the ghettos. The penalty is automatic execution.
U.S.S.R.: Odessa is evacuated by the Russians after holding out for several weeks.35,000 men are involved. Most units of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet are now based at Sevastopol.
Extremely heavy fighting is reported in the Kalinn area as Soviet forces launch massive and desperate attacks against the city and the attacks stop the advance of the German Third Panzer Army.
In Moscow, ten inches (25,4 centimeters) of snow fall in the area around the city. The Soviet government is evacuated to Kuibyshev, 600 miles (966 kilometers) to the east. Roads to the east are jammed with cars filled with party officials. Offices and factories are abandoned and the railway stations are besieged by throngs of desperate people trying to flee the city. Premier Joseph Stalin, after assurances from General Georgi Zhukov, Commander of the Central Front, decides to stay.
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: The British submarine HMS/M TORBAY (N 79) bombards the Libyan port of Apollonia.
JAPAN: Hozomi Ozaki, a Japanese author, journalist and spy for the Soviet Union under Richard Sorge, was arrested for treason. He was a member of a high-level, policy-planning brain trust that advised the Japanese Prime Minister and was in a position to pass on high-level secrets to Soviet spy Sorge. Ozaki was executed along with Sorge in 1944, his letters to his wife and daughter were published after the war and became a best seller, with a Japanese people struggling to come to terms with the defeat and looking for new heroes from their past, untainted by the crimes of the militarists.
CANADA: In Ottawa Ontario, the government prohibits the private use of glycerine because it is needed for explosives.
Corvette HMCS Louisburg arrived Halifax from builder Quebec City, Province of Quebec.
Patrol vessel HMCS Moolock 84x20ft, Built by Victoria Motor Boat and Repair Works, Ltd, Victoria. Launched, 1-mg, Fisherman's reserve, west coast, sold 1946 and renamed Western Girl I.
Corvette HMCS Sudbury commissioned.
Tug HMCS Becanoeur ordered from Marine Industries Ltd, Sorel, Province of Quebec.. Ex-Dept of Transport tug, for conversion to gate vessel. Yard#85, Log - jn 231, completed 1942, Post WW.II sold Marine Industries Ltd, commercial, renamed Becanoeur #133954.
U.S.A.: The War Department releases a large number of jeeps, ambulances, trucks and sedans for shipment to the Philippine Army, "subject to the availability of shipping." (Will O'Neil)
In an attempt to rectify what has become known as an obvious blunder on behalf of the American Military, the Congress of the United States presents and then passes a resolution restoring the full rank of brigadier general to Billy Mitchell. Although Mitchell had died in 1936, it is obvious that the military had acted out of political self-interest and that Mitchell had been fully justified in voicing his concerns over the indolence and arrogance in American military leadership. The resolution did virtually nothing for Mitchell or his family, other than restore honor to his name and his years of military service to his country.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 0705 hrs U-553 sights convoy SC 48 and attacks an hour later, torpedoing and sinking British motorship MS Silvercedar and Norwegian freighter SS Ila before at 1024 the U-boat is driven off by Canadian destroyer HMCS Columbia [ex-USS Haraden (DD-183)]. U-432, U-502, U-558 and U-568, followed by U-73, U-77, U-101 and U-751 converge on the convoy, and one of these boats, U-568, torpedoes and sinks British steamer SS Empire Heron before being driven off by British corvette HMS Gladiolus. During this next attempt at 1624 hrs the escort HMCS Columbia attacks U-553 with six depth charges, but without result. Two hours later the Canadian escort attacked with a torpedo. More depth charges followed. In the night the boat lost the convoy when it changed course. Consequently, the USN's Task Unit 4.1.4 (Captain Hewlett Thebaud), comprising 4 U.S. destroyers, is directed to proceed to SC 48's aid as the west-bound convoy it had been escorting, ON 24, is dispersed.
SS Vancouver Island 9,472 GRT, Canadian Merchantman, 15kts, ex-Weser (German) sunk in the North Atlantic at 53.37N, 025.37W, by U-558, OLtzS Günther Krech, Knights Cross, CO. There were no survivors from her crew of 65, which included 32 passengers and 8 DEMS gunners. 3 RCN DEMS gunners killed. Weser was captured 25 Sep 40 off the coast of Mexico by HMCS Prince Robert. She had been sailing independently when she was sunk. Her relatively high speed of over 15kts, made her a valuable blockade runner for the Germans, and was considered sufficient to rendered her invulnerable to submarine attack.