November 29th, 1941 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Destroyer HMS Quilliam launched.
GERMANY: Obergruppenfuhrer (General) Reinhard Heydrich, Protector of Bohemia and Moravia, sends out invitations to the Wannsee conference on the Jewish question. It is originally scheduled for 9 December but is postponed due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The conference takes place on 20 January 1942 in the Wannsee Villa overlooking the Wannsee lake in southwestern Berlin and will lead to the Holocaust.
U.S.S.R.: General Reinhardt's 3rd Panzer Group reach the Moscow-Volga Canal and cross into the Dmitrov area. The fierce Soviet resistance is lead by fresh Soviet Siberian units.
Depleted by continuous savage fighting and extreme weather conditions in below-freezing temperatures, German forces of Heeresgruppe Mitte (Army Group Middle) in positions less than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Moscow suspend all offensive operations.
In the village of Petrischchevo, the Nazis deal with partisans by hanging an 18-year-old Soviet girl, Zoia Kosmodemianskaya. "She set fire to houses," reads the placard round her neck, as she is led to execution. Her last words to the German executioner, however, are defiant, "You can't hang all 190 million of us."
MEDITERRANEAN SEA: Two cruisers and destroyers reach MALTA and are added to the British forces there.
LIBYA: German Major General Johann von Ravenstein, commander of the 21st Panzer Division, is captured by New Zealand troops near Tobruk on his way to a staff meeting at Afrikakorps headquarters. He is the first German general captured during World War II.
CHINA: USN river gunboats USS Luzon (PR-7) and USS Oahu (PR-6) depart Shanghai for Manila, Philippine Islands. USS Oahu (PR-6) is the sistership of river gunboat USS Panay (PR-5), which had been bombed and sunk by Japanese naval aircraft near Nanking, China, on 12 December 1937.
JAPAN: A liaison conference among the Service Chiefs and Cabinet of the Japanese Government decides that the final proposal from the US is unacceptable. Their alternative is war. Their decision is prepared for an Imperial Conference, with the Emperor, which is scheduled for December.
Premier Tojo said American and British exploitation of Asiatic peoples must be purged with vengeance. "Nothing can be permitted to interfere with this sphere because this sphere was decreed by Providence." (Dave Shirlaw & Jack McKillop)
HAWAII: Communication Intelligence Summary, 29 November 1941: General.-Traffic volume above normal, The traffic to South China still very high. Automatic transmissions was attempted on the Tokyo-Takao (Formosa) circuit but was a failure and traffic sent by hand. A good share of today's traffic is made up of messages of an intelligence nature. Tokyo Intelligence sent eleven messages during the day to Major Commanders both ashore and afloat, while the radio intelligence activity at Tokyo sent four long messages to the Major Commanders. In addition to the stations normally reporting to Tokyo, radio Yokosuka sent in reports. This station had not previously been seen to submit reports. The Direction Finder Net controlled directly by Tokyo was up during the night with much activity. One message for Jaluit Radio Direction Finder Station included Commander Submarines for information. The Navy Minister originated his usual two AlNavs and the Naval General Staff addressed Commanders Se
cond Fleet Third Fleet, Combined Ail Force and the South China Units. The unit which has been addressed as the "103rd Air Group" originated one dispatch today whose address was composed entirely of enciphered calls. It is apparent that he has no Navy call list. One address was "JUITIKOUKUUKANTAI" "11th AIR *FLEET*". Since this has appeared before it is evident that the use of KANTAI is intentional making the existence of an air fleet positive. Its composition is unknown.
Combined Fleet:-The arrival of Air Squadron Seven in Takao area is confirmed. The presence of Cruiser Division Four in that area is not confirmed nor denied. The dispatches today indicate that the following units are under the immediate command of CinC. Second Fleet: CARDIV THREE, DESRON TWO, SUBRON FIVE, DESRON FOUR, SUBRON SIX, THIRD FLEET CRUDIV FIVE, FRENCH INDO CHINA FORCE, CRUDIV SEVEN
Associated with Third Fleet are two Battleships but their assignment is not yet definite. Aside from messages which were addressed to Third Fleet, China and South China Fleets, Combined Air Force and the Naval General Staff, Commander in Chief Second Fleet was mainly occupied with the units listed above. Only one message from Commander in Chief Combined Fleet was seen. This was addressed to YOKOSUKA, Combined Air Force, CRUDIV Four and BUMILAFF. The HIYEI sent one message to Chief of Staff Third Fleet.
Third Fleet.-Commander in Chief Third Fleet sent one message to Comdesron Five, Number Two Base Force, Number One Base Force, Defense Division One and Comdesron Two and Four. He held extensive communications with the Commander in Chief Second Fleet and BAKO. Two more units of Third Fleet made movement reports.
Fourth Fleet.--Relatively inactive today. Sent one message to Commander in Chief Second Fleet, Commander in Chief Third Fleet and Combined Air Force. He is still in TRUK area.
Submarines.-Traffic for Commander Submarine Force was routed through SAIPAN today. He was at CHICHIJIMA yesterday.
South China.-CRUDIV Seven now in SAMA made a movement report but direction was not indicated. The French Indo China Force Commander addressed several messages to Second and Third Fleets as well as TOKYO. The Commander in Chief China Fleet was active in addressing the South China Naval Bases and the South China Fleets, all for information to Commander in Chief Second Fleet.
U.S.A.:
Secretary of State Cordell Hull warns the British Ambassador Lord Halifax Britain of an impending Japanese attack.
The Australian Minister to the U.S., Richard G. Casey, sends a message to the Australian government reporting that a Japanese task force of five divisions is assembled for a southward advance.
Chattanooga Choo Choo by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with vocals by Tex Beneke and The Four Modernaires reaches Number 1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the U.S. This song, which debuted on the charts on 13 September 1941, was charted for 23 weeks, was Number 1 for 9 weeks and was ranked Number 2 for the year 1941.
Destroyer USS Ammen laid down.
Destroyer USS Woodworth launched.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: U-43 sank SS Thornliebank in Convoy OS-12.
USN activities in the North Atlantic:
- Destroyer USS Woolsey (DD-437), screening convoy HX-161 (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, to U.K.), despite having been hampered by propulsion problems the previous days, depth charges suspicious contact without result.
- Task Unit 4.1.2, accompanied by salvage vessel USS Redwing (ARS-4) and oiler USS Sapelo (AO-11), assumes escort for convoy HX-162.
- Task Unit 4.1.4 assumes escort duty for slow convoy ONS-39 (U.K. to North America); the convoy is not attacked by U-boats during its passage. ONS-39, however, encounters considerable stormy weather that causes varying degrees of topside damage to destroyers USS Plunkett (DD-431), Livermore (DD-429), Decatur (DD-341) and Cole (DD-155).