November 21st, 1941 (FRIDAY)
GERMANY: Albert Speer, Chancellor Adolf Hitler's chief architect and minister for armaments and war production, asks for 30,000 Soviet prisoners of war to use as slave labourers to begin a massive Berlin building program. These slave labourers will come in handy for Hitler's "new" Berlin. Speer wants to begin construction even as the war wages. Despite the drain on resources Hitler agrees. Speer beguiles the Fuhrer with models of a Great Hall for the Chancellery and a grand office for Goring. But as the war turns against Germany, the rebuilding plans are scrapped. When the war is over, Hitler is dead, and Speer is tried as a war criminal at Nuremberg, the site of his grand parade, and sentenced to 20 years in Spandau prison in Berlin.
One of Germany's leading air aces, Oberst (Colonel) Werner Mölders,
is killed when the plane, an HE-111
bomber in which he is a passenger, hits a factory chimney in fog and rain near
Breslau, while on his way to the state funeral of General Ernst Udet, Chief Air
Inspector General of the Luftwaffe who committed suicide on 17 November.
U.S.S.R.: The news from all along the front is of furious assaults and desperate Russian resistance. In the south Rostov-on-Don has been captured by von Kleist's panzers, although the Red Army is regrouping in an attempt to reclaim the battered city. In the north the siege of Leningrad is biting hard. Despite an airborne evacuation there are still too many mouths to feed, and the Germans have cut the communications centre of Tikhvin, 120 miles to the east.
Tula is still holding out, blocking Guderian's way to Moscow. Although the Germans are making some progress north of the city, the Russians are fighting with great tenacity. A Siberian division armed with T-34tanks has also joined the battle near Venev, 60 miles south of Moscow. The fortress of Sebastopol, the last Russian stronghold in the Crimea following the German breakthrough into the peninsula, has also fought off all attempts to penetrate its defences. It is becoming the Russian Tobruk.
Units of 1.Panzergruppe, III.Panzerkorps capture Rostov-on-Don.
NORTH AFRICA: The British 7th Armoured Division is caught by the Germans at Sidi Rezegh. The 4th and 22nd Armored Brigades are not there yet. The breakout attempts from Tobruk are halted.LIBYA: A tank battle between the British Eighth Army and the Axis forces begins south and southeast of Tobruk.
The British 7th Armored Division is caught by the Germans at Sidi Rezegh. The 4th and 22nd Armored Brigades are not there yet. The breakout attempts from Tobruk are halted.
Rifleman John Beeley (b.1918), King's Royal Rifle Corps, left his company on his own initiative and cleared three gun positions before being killed. (Victoria Cross)
Brigadier John Charles Campbell (1894-1942), Royal Horse Artillery, showed brilliant leadership under heavy fire, manning guns himself and refusing evacuation when wounded. (Victoria Cross) (More...)
2nd Lt. George Ward Gunn (b.1912) Royal Horse Artillery, led four anti-tank guns facing 60 tanks; when three were knocked out he fired the fourth himself until he was killed. (Victoria Cross)
ETHIOPIA: Allied attacks on Kulkaber, SE of Gondar begin again. The Italians give stout resistance before surrendering. Gonar remains held by the Italians.
JAPAN: The Foreign Ministry sends the following message to the Japanese Embassy in Berlin, German: "At present, the possibility of peace between Germany and the Soviet Union seems remote. However, it may be that Germany would prefer to avoid being faced with a long term resistance by the U.S.S.R., so that she-Germany-may transfer her entire fighting forces to some other part. On the Soviet side, it seems possible that sentiment for peace may develop when she views the situation from the standpoint of reconstruction. Our relations with the United States may have considerable effect on our southward program, depending, of course, on what turns those relations take. In other words, our relationship with Great Britain and the United States has a great bearing on the future of our national greatness. For this reason, we would like to avoid the rise of any violence at this time. At the same time, we would like to break up the policy of British-U.S.-U.S.S.R. joint action. We would, therefore, welcome, if anything, peace between Germany and the Soviet Union. For the purpose of enhancing our position, we would not be opposed to mediating in a peace, if such a course is possible. Will you, therefore, bearing the above in mind, keep an eye on developments."
The four submarines of the 1st Submarine Unit, Advance Group, Pearl Harbor Strike Force, depart Kure today. Each submarine is carrying a Glen seaplane (Kugisho E14Y1, Navy Type 0 Small Reconnaissance Seaplane). On 7 December, these four submarines will be stationed about 70 nautical miles (130 kilometers) north of Oahu, Hawaiian Islands.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES:
Marshall advises
MacArthur ">
MacArthur
that Rainbow-5 had been modified to
“include ... strong air operations” and authorizing offensive operations;
WPO-3 had been suspended. (Received
in the Philippines November 22, 1941)
MacArthur ordered B-17's removed
from Clark Field near Manila to Del Monte Field in Mindanao to remove them from
the striking range of Japanese aircraft. Brereton
reported the aircraft will be moved but this is delayed due to construction at
Del Monte and only 17 (some sources say 16 or 18)
aircraft were actually moved by the time War breaks out.
FEAF plan submitted to Sutherland, who opposed the movement of the B-17's to Mindanao. Persistence of FEAF Chief of Staff, Colonel Francis M Brady, swayed Sutherland and he agreed to a temporary shift of these airplanes to the south.
The
Provisional Tank Group of the 17th Ordnance Company, US Army, is formed today
under Col. (later Brig-Gen) James R. N. Weaver.
It comprises of the 192nd Tank Battalion with four companies utilized 54 tanks,
with 36 officers and 552 enlisted men, and the 194th Tank Battalion with three
companies utilizing 54 tanks, 36 officers and 374 enlisted men. All the tanks
are M3's. (Marc Small)
The commander of the 5th Air Base Group reports to FEAF HQ and is told that his unit will be based at Clark Field. He went up to Clark and upon returning, was told to report to Colonel George who asked him to go to Del Monte Field to get it operational. But George warned him that "there were no facilities at all – no hangars, no barrack, no supplies, no nothing." Within three days, two small interisland steamers had been acquired and the men and supplies were sailing the 800-miles (1287 kilometres) to Mindanao. Several days later, the two steamers arrived ant the men and supplies were unloaded and transferred 18 miles (29 kilometres) to the field.
CANADA: Patrol vessel (ex-fishing vessel) HMCS Kuitan commissioned.
U.S.A.: Battleship USS INDIANA is launched.
Washington: The Roosevelt administration has rejected the latest proposals put forward by Saburo Kurusu, Japan's special envoy. The secretary of state, Cordell Hull, says that US acceptance would be tantamount to "aiding and abetting Japan in her efforts to create a Japanese hegemony in and over the western Pacific." Hopes of averting war have been weakened by Japan's warning that time for negotiations is limited.
New proposals from Japan's premier, Hideki Tojo, rule out the use of force by both sides and offer withdrawal from southern Indochina to the northern part of the country. In return Tokyo wants the USA to lift its oil embargo, supply Japan with one million tons of aviation fuel each month and help it to acquire whatever oil it needs from the Dutch East Indies.
Relationships between the two countries have been strained since July when the US and Britain imposed an effective oil embargo in retaliation for the Japanese invasion of Indochina. Japan imports 88% of its oil and is estimated to have enough for three years - or 18 months if it goes to war.
The United States agreed to pay Iceland for fish and oil sent to Britain.
The Navy Department sends the following message to the Commanders of the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets. "Have been informed by Dutch Legation that they have received a dispatch as follows: "According to information received by the Governor General of The Netherlands East Indies a Japanese expeditionary force has arrived in the vicinity of Palau. Should this force, strong enough to form a threat for The Netherlands Indies or Portuguese Timor, move beyond a line between the following points Davao (Philippine Islands) Waigeo (Island, Netherlands East Indies) Equator the Governor General will regard this as an act of aggression and will under those circumstances consider the hostilities opened and act accordingly." Inform Army authorities of foregoing. Request any information you may have concerning development of this Japanese threat against the Dutch East Indies and your evaluation of foregoing information."
ICELAND: U.S. Lend-Lease is extended to Iceland.