http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/21.htm
November 21st, 1940
UNITED KINGDOM: Lt-General Bernard Law Montgomery is put in charge of the 3rd and 4th Divisions of the British Army.
FRANCE: In Vichy France, U.S. Charge d’affaires ad interim H. Freeman Matthews meets with Marshal Henri Philippe Pathan, Head of the Vichy State, concerning the French battleships Richelieu and Jean Bart; the French admiral responds immediately: “Then why not leave those vessels at Dakar (French West Africa) and Casablanca (French Morocco) where they now are? I shall keep them there and if there should be any change in this plan I will give you previous notice.” This information, received in Washington on the morning of 22 November, is communicated through channels by the President to the “Former Naval Person” British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. (Jack McKillop)
GERMANY: U-337, U-338, U-387, U-388, U-389, U-390, U-449, U-450, U-731, U-732, U-733, U-734, U-771, U-772, U-773, U-774, U-775, U-776 ordered.
U-160 laid down.
U-110 commissioned.
(Dave Shirlaw)
AUSTRIA: Hungary signed protocol of adherence to Axis Tripartite Pact at Vienna. (Jack McKillop)
ALBANIA: Koritsa: With bands playing and their blue and white flags held high, kilted Greek troops marched in triumph through the streets of Koritsa today as the last Italian invaders fled from Greek soil. Mussolini’s boast that “we will break Greece’s back” had not taken into account the speed of Greek counter-attacks.
Koritsa had been surrounded for several days before the Greeks finally stormed the Italians’ shallow trenches with bayonets and trench-knives. The invaders surrendered in their hundreds, with retreat becoming a rout as they abandoned a complete arsenal of heavy guns, anti-tank weapons, food and a huge stock of petrol. Some reports speak of rape and other atrocities as Blackshirt divisions retreat through Albanian villages.
As news of the fall of Italy’s biggest base in occupied Albania was flashed to an electrified world, Winston Churchill cabled to General Metaxas: “We are all inspired by the feat of Greek valour ... long live Greece!”
GREECE: The Italians retreat to Elbasan as the Greeks advance on the Epirus front.
NORTH AFRICA: RAF raiders attack Italian bases at Benghazi, Benina and Berka.
AUSTRALIA: The government presents a budget calling for increased taxation to finance a boost in defence spending.
CANADA: Corvette HMCS Lethbridge launched Montreal, Province of Quebec.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: The corvette HMS Rhododendron claims to sink U-104 in the North-Western Approaches.
U-104 reported for the last time on 19 Nov, 1940 from approximate position 60.30N, 02.30E. There is also a possibility that she was lost to mines from minefield SN 44 which was laid on 8 Nov, 1940 northwest of Tory Island as her last reported position was very close to that field. U-104 is the last German U-boat lost until March although the Italians have casualties.
U-103 sank SS Daydawn and Victoria in Convoy OB-244. (Dave Shirlaw)
http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/
Day 448 November 21, 1940
German raider armed merchant cruiser Pinguin shadows British refrigerated freighter Port Brisbane all day in the Indian Ocean, 1000 miles West of Australia. Port Brisbane, carrying a cargo of 5000 tons of frozen meat, 3000 tons of wool, butter and cheese from Adelaide to Britain, is armed with two 6-inch guns. Well after dark, Pinguin approaches Port Brisbane and, seeing her armaments, shells her to a standstill (killing the radio operator). After scuttling charges placed on board fail to do the job, Pinguin sinks her with a torpedo. 60 crewmen and 7 women passenger are taken prisoner (the captain later dies of injuries). Pinguin’s First Officer returns to the burning ship to get clothes for the women, who are in their nightgowns. 27 crew escape in a lifeboat and are picked up by Australian cruiser HMAS Canberra, which has been sent to locate Pinguin. However, Pinguin gets away. http://www.bismarck-class.dk/hilfskreuzer/pinguin.html
At 7.40 AM, 200 miles Northwest of Ireland, U-103 surfaces and fires torpedoes at convoy OB-244 sinking British SS Daydawn (2 killed, 36 crew picked up by the British corvette HMS Rhododendron) and Greek SS Victoria (all 27 crew picked up by destroyer HMS Castleton). A ship in the convoy tries to ram the U-boat but U-103 dodges the attack and fires a torpedo at the ship which glances off and does not explode.
A German aircraft inadvertently bombs the British Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park, with no casualties. It is probably returning from Coventry, dumping unreleased bombs, and there are no indications the Germans know the importance of the site. Diplomatic section suffers a direct hit, damaging the telephone exchange and typists’ room and a bomb damages the nearby vicarage. A bomb lands near Hut 4, lifting it off the foundations. 3 other bombs fail to explode. http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/content/archive/index/november1940.rhtm