Year 1941

Diary for Saturday, August 2, 1941: Neutrals USA: Rayon rationed (imported mainly from Japan).

Diary for Friday, August 1, 1941: Politics Britain: Government breaks off diplomatic relations with Finland.

Diary for Thursday, July 31, 1941: Home Fronts Germany: THE ‘FINAL SOLUTION’ ORDER. Goering, on Hitler‘s instructions, orders Heydrich to make ‘all necessary preparations … for bringing about the complete

Diary for Wednesday, July 30, 1941: Sea War Polar Sea: British carriers Victorious and Furious raid Petsamo (Finland) and Kirkenes (Norway). 13 of 29 aircraft from Victorious are shot down

Diary for Tuesday, July 29, 1941: Home Fronts Germany: General Ludwig von Schroeder, former head of civil defence and president of 13,000,000-strong ‘Air Raid Protection League’, dies of injuries received

Diary for Monday, July 28, 1941: Air War Mediterranean: RAF destroy 36 aircraft during raids on airfields in Sicily. General Federigi, CO Italian Regia Aeronautica in Central Mediterranean, reported killed

Diary for Sunday, July 27, 1941: Air War Britain: Night raid on London by 50 aircraft (4 lost).

Diary for Saturday, July 26, 1941: Occupied Countries France: Marx Dormoy, former Minister of Interior and outspoken critic of Vichy Government, killed by terrorist bomb; aged 51. Politics Japan: All

Diary for Friday, July 25, 1941: Sea War Mediterranean: Attempted night raid on shipping in Grand Harbour, Malta, by Italian explosive boats and ‘human torpedoes’.

Diary for Thursday, July 24, 1941: Air War France: 149 RAF bombers attack Brest, Cherbourg and La Pallice where battlecruiser Scharnhorst is damaged.

Diary for Wednesday, July 23, 1941: Far East Indo-China: Vichy French permit Japanese to establish naval and air bases in south Indo-China.

Diary for Tuesday, July 22, 1941: Eastern Front Operation Barbarossa: German spearheads halt for rest and recuperation near lake Ilmen, south of Leningrad. Sea War Atlantic: German battlecruiser Scharnhorst transferred

Diary for Monday, July 21, 1941: Air War Operation Barbarossa: MOSCOW ‘BLITZ’ commences with raid by 127 aircraft (night July 21-22), led by He 111 pathfinders of KGr.100 and KGr.26.

Diary for Sunday, July 20, 1941: Home Fronts Russia: Stalin becomes People’s Commissar for Defence.

Diary for Saturday, July 19, 1941: Occupied countries Europe: ‘Colonel Britton’ initiates the ‘V for Victory’ campaign in midnight broadcast on the BBC: he calls on all the oppressed peoples