November 7th, 1941 (FRIDAY)
GERMANY: During the night of 7/8 November, RAF Bomber Command flies a record number of sorties when 392 aircraft are dispatched with the main objectives being Berlin (169 aircraft), Cologne (75) and Mannheim (55). The Berlin raid suffers not only from cloud obscuring the target, but also at the hands of flak and fighters. Twenty one aircraft (12.4%) are lost (ten Wellingtons, nine Whitleys and two Stirlings). Overall, 37 aircraft fail to return, a rate of 9.4%. These losses are rapidly swinging the balance against Bomber Command, indeed, no air force can sustain this amount of losses for any length of time and, in an attempt to rebuild the Command's confidence, less well-defended targets are chosen for future attacks. In four months, Bomber Command has lost the equivalent of its entire frontline strength, 526 aircraft, and morale on the squadrons was low.
U-419 laid down.
U.S.S.R.: Minsk: 12,000 Jews are slaughtered and buried in mass graves outside the city.
Soviet submarine S-56 commissioned.
JAPAN: The Combined Fleet Operations Order No. 2 states, "This order was issued by Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet, after he had received verbal notification from Chief, Naval General Staff, that 8 December had been tentatively selected as "Y" Day."
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES:
MacArthur ">
MacArthur
informs Hart that he will not accept Navy
control of patrol flights. Hart
requests guidance from Navy Department on mobilization and deployment plans.
No answer was received. (Marc Small)
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS: The following Communications Intelligence Summary is sent from Commander Edwin Layton to Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander in Chief United States Fleet: "General.-Volume of intercepted traffic larger than usual. Due to the use of the general call "All Major Force Flags" on the UTU for delivery to all Combined Fleet units, affiliation of unidentified calls with forces to which attached is very difficult. Use of large number of alternate calls for major fleet forces, many of which have not yet been definitely identified or associated with known calls, renders the picture more confusing. Appearance of the prefix "JITSU" (authenticator for bona fide traffic) in several messages indicates that a communication drill is being held but without indication as to what units are participating and therefore much of the traffic is suspected of being "drill." Jaluit Radio is handling traffic direct with Yokosuka Radio probably due to congestion of Mandate circuits from the Marshalls caused by heavy concentrations in that area.
"Air.-Continued high traffic level for all classes of air activities, mainly centered in the Taiwan area, but also with all air activities in the Mandates included in headings of messages. Dispatches originated by Fourth Fleet Command included Air Forces, Base Forces, Air Stations, and all types of Mandate activities in long headings.
"Fleet.-Fourth Fleet Command remains in Truk area. There are indications that portions of the First Fleet may be moving to the Takao area but identifications are not sufficiently certain to confirm this.
"Greatest effort is being made to increase the number of identified calls to facilitate analysis of the traffic but Orange changes in methods of handling fleet traffic renders this more difficult than had been hoped."
U.S.A.: Secretary of State Hull warned the United States Cabinet that relations with Japan were extremely critical.
Escort carrier HMS Nairana laid down.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-74 sank SS Nottingham.
USN destroyers USS Lansdale (DD-426), Charles F. Hughes (DD-428), and Glea escorting convoy ON-30 (U.K. to North America), make depth charge attacks on a sound contact. Destroyer USS Madison (DD-425) sights a bleeding whale soon thereafter, leading to the conclusion that the warships had attacked a large marine mammal.