http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1941/dec41/f26dec41.htm
Soviet amphibious assault on Crimea
Friday, December 26, 1941 www.onwar.com
On the Eastern Front... The Germans continue pressure on Sevastopol. Some units of the 11th Army are threatened by Soviet landings in the eastern Crimea at Kerch.
In Occupied Norway... The arctic islands of Lofoten are the subject of a 260 man commando raid. Their purpose is to destroy the fish oil factories on Moskenesoy.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/26.htm
December 26th, 1941
FRANCE: Paris: Boulevard Montparnasse. Hand grenade attack on a Gestapo man.
U.S.S.R.: Soviet landings at Kerch in the eastern Crimea threaten some units of the German 11th Army which continues their attacks on Sevastopol.
Leningrad: Colonel Esparza of the Spanish Division Azul orders that a fortified position call the ‘Intermediate’, should be established between Udarnik and Lubkovo. The position is manned by a platoon under the command of [Ensign] Alferez Moscoso. (Russ Folsom)
NORWAY: The British land 260 commandos on Moskenesoy in the Lofoten Islands. Their mission is to destroy a fish-oil factory. This is Operation ANKLET targeted at the islands of Reine, Sund and Soervaagen and designed as a diversion for Operation ARCHERY (see tomorrow, 27th December, 1941). The force which included men from the Norwegian ‘Lingekompaniet’ landed unopposed and captured the German garrison without a fight, they left two days later after having destroyed installations. (Torstein)
U.S.A.: Washington: In a fighting speech to the US Congress today, Winston Churchill said of Japanese and Germans: “What kind of people do they think we are? Is it possible they do not realize we shall never cease to persevere against them until they have been taught a lesson which they and the world will never forget?”
The British prime minister was given round after round of rousing applause. At the end, as he left the rostrum, walking with hunched shoulders, he turned and acknowledged the applause by raising his right hand to give the two-fingered V for victory sign. This brought a renewed storm of cheering.
Churchill’s emphasis on the democratic traditions shared by Britain and the US was heard with particular warmth. “The speech was a demonstration of the fine unity that exists between the United States and Great Britain,” said Senator Harry F Byrd. The isolationist Senator Burton K Wheeler admitted: “It was a clever speech that under the circumstances would more or less appeal to the average American.”
The USN decrees that all shore based aircraft are to be painted flat light grey with all surfaces viewed from above to be painted flat blue grey. (Jack McKillop)
MEXICO: The Mexicans break off diplomatic relations with Germany. (Mike Yared)
ATLANTIC OCEAN: SS Warszawa sunk by U-559 32.10N, 26.48E - Grid CO 6777. (DS)