Posted on 06/12/2011 5:34:19 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/jun41/f12jun41.htm
Torpedo hit forces Lutzow back to port
Thursday, June 12, 1941 www.onwar.com
In the North Atlantic... The German pocket battleship, Lutzow, is damaged by a torpedo attack from a British Beaufort aircraft off the coast of southern Norway. The Lutzow returns to port at Kiel and undergoes repairs until January 1942.
In Germany... The Berlin civil defense authority warns the population to take immediate shelter during air raids because of the danger posed by heavy high-explosive bombs and mines, noting that failure to do so has caused “a great number of bomb victims.”
In London... Allied governments and representatives from the British sponsored European governments in exile pledge mutual assistance and to not conclude any separate peace treaties with the Axis alliance.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/12.htm
June 12th, 1941
UNITED KINGDOM: The Governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Government of Belgium, the Provisional Government of Czechoslovakia, the Governments of Greece, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Yugoslavia, and the representatives of General de Gaulle, leader of Free Frenchmen, engaged together in the fight against aggression, are resolved:
1. That they will continue the struggle against German or Italian aggression until victory has been won and they will mutually assist each other in this struggle to the utmost of their respective capacities;
2. There can be no settled peace and prosperity so long as free peoples are coerced by violence into submission to domination by Germany or her associates or live under the threat of such coercion;
3. That the only true basis for enduring peace is the willing cooperation of the free peoples in a world in which, relieved of the menace of aggression, all may enjoy economic and social security; and that it is their intention to work together with other free peoples both in war and peace to this end.
Submarine HMS Unshaken laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
GERMANY: Berlin: German soldiers have been told to eliminate any Russian Commissars they capture. This order, known as the ‘Kommissarbefehl’ [commissar order] was issued by Hitler six days ago under the title ‘Guidelines for the Conduct of the Troops in Russia.’
Other key points are:
1. Bolshevism is the mortal enemy of the National Socialist German people; Germany’s struggle is directed against this destructive ideology and its carriers.
2. This struggle demands ruthless and energetic measures against Bolshevik agitators, guerrillas, saboteurs and Jews, and the elimination of all resistance.
130 army divisions are reported massed on the Russian border.
U-518 laid down.
U-574 commissioned.
U-135, U-581, U-582 launched. (Dave Shirlaw)
NORWAY: The pocket battleship ‘Lutzow’ is severely damaged by RAF Beaufort torpedo bombers.
MALTA: RAF and Italian fighters engage in fierce battles.
SYRIA: 21 Aust Brigade continues to advance up the coast road towards Sidon. French now have six battalions (including two FFL) and most of their 90 tanks assembled between Mount Hermon and the desert for a counter-attack. A further three Tunisian battalions are in the Jebel Druse area. Unaware of this, General Lavarack decides to switch most of 25 Aust Brigade from the central axis to the coast to join 21 Aust Brigade, leaving a small holding force at Merdjayoun. General Legentilhomme (Free French) is wounded supervising attempts to capture Kiswe south of Damascus. He is replaced by Brig Lloyd (5 Ind Bde). General Wavell orders 16 Brit Brigade from Egypt to Syria to reinforce the invasion force.
CANADA: Corvettes HMCS Buctouche and Sherbrooke arrived Halifax from builders in Quebec City and Sorel respectively. (Dave Shirlaw)
U.S.A.: Destroyers USS David W Taylor and Capps laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)
ATLANTIC OCEAN:
At 0326, U-371 hit a vessel of the Kent or Tongario type with two torpedoes and observed it sinking after 38 minutes. This must have been the Silverpalm, which was reported missing in the North Atlantic after being seen the last time on 1 June. On 15 July, a lifeboat with eight bodies was sighted by the British trawler Cave in grid AE 8569. The master, 53 crewmembers, eleven gunners and three passengers were lost.
At 0251, the unescorted Empire Dew was torpedoed and sunk by U-48 north of the Azores. 23 crewmembers were lost. The master, 16 crewmembers and two gunners were picked up by destroyer KNM St Albans and landed at Liverpool.
At 0414, the unescorted Chinese Prince was torpedoed and sunk by U-552 south of Rockall. 45 crewmembers were lost. The master, 15 crewmembers and three gunners were picked up by corvettes HMS Arbutus and Pimpernel and landed at Londonderry.
At 1505, the Ranella, dispersed from Convoy OG-64, was hit on the port side in the tank #4 by one torpedo from U-553. After the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats, the tanker was hit by a coup de grâce at 1635 behind the mast and broke in two but remained afloat. The U-boat surfaced and after 1706 fired 100 rounds from her deck gun until she sank. The boats were separated the next day in bad weather, but both sailed about 300 miles in twelve days and reached Figueira da Foz, Azores Islands.
SS Susan Maersk sunk by U-553.
HM S/M Patrol attacked U-557 off St. John’s Nfld.
HMCS Eyebright departed Iceland to join Convoy OB 332 bound for Halifax. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/2011/06/day-651-june-12-1941.html
Day 651 June 12, 1941
As part of the effort to cleanse the Atlantic of German supply ships refueling surface raiders and U-boats, British cruiser HMS Sheffield sinks German tanker Friedrich Breme with shellfire (2 killed, 86 crew rescued including 10 wounded).
Indian and Free French forces under French General Paul Legentilhomme (Gentforce) capture Deraa, Sheikh Meskine and Ezraa in Southwest Syria on the road to Damascus but are held up at Kissoué.
British submarine HMS Taku sinks Italian steamer Silvio Scaroni 70 miles West of Benghazi but is counterattacked by Italian torpedo boats Pallade and Polluce without success. British submarine HMS Torbay sinks Italian schooner Gesue E Maria off Greek island of Skiros. Dutch submarine O.24 sinks Italian tanker Fianona and tiny auxiliary patrol ship Carloforte 10 miles North of the Italian island of Elba.
In the middle of North Atlantic, U-48 sinks British SS Empire Dew (23 killed, 18 picked up by Norwegian destroyer St. Albans) and U-371 sinks British SS Silverpalm (all 68 hands lost) while U-558 sinks British SS Susan Mærsk (all 24 hands lost) and Norwegian tanker Ranella (all 29 hands escape in 2 lifeboats, sailing 300 miles South to the Azores in 12 days). West of Ireland, U-552 sinks British MV Chinese Prince (45 killed, 19 picked up by corvettes HMS Arbutus and Pimpernel).
Operation Sommerreise. German heavy cruiser Lützow and escort cruisers Emden and destroyers pass through the Kattegat between Denmark and Sweden.
Stalin isn't fooled by this British attempt to cause trouble between him and Hitler. :)
There have been many books about hundreds of pieces of intelligence coming to Stalin warning of the invasion which he believed was British disinformation because he knew a real invasion could destroy his Red Army thanks to his purges.
The Luftwaffe was able to fly recon missions over Soviet airspace in the days leading up to the invasion and Stalin refused to allow any action to be taken because he didn’t want to provoke Hitler.
Richard Sorge provided all the info Comarade Stalin needed: http://www.spymuseum.com/pages/agent-sorge-richard2.html
Duranty’s still alive, and writing for the Times. Pity.
He even ordered a German plane forced down in Russia to be released.
Where’s TIRPITZ these days?
BBC - Winston Churchill - Until Victory is Won
Also today in Germany: With the invasion of Russia looming on the near horizon the War Economic Staff issues a request to the 17th Army asking that the oil region of Drogobycz in Galicia be occupied as soon as possible.
Behind the scenes there are many that are seriously worried about the shortage of war materials even before the invasion starts. Two of the most critical shortages are tires and oil.
http://www.kbismarck.com/tirpitz.html
16 March 1941: Begins her trials in the Baltic with base in Gotenhafen.
05 May 1941: Adolf Hitler visits the Tirpitz in Gotenhafen.
21 July - 2 August 1941: Drydocked at Deutsche Werke Kiel (Dock C).
2 August - 17 September 1941: At Kiel.
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