Hot Links: East Front Aug-Dec '41 | North Africa Nov 41-July 43

November 18, 1941

Geuderian, commits additional 2nd Panzer Army forces to recover ground lost yesterday when his 112th Infantry Division panicked and broke. The new attacks captured Epifan and Dedilovo south of Moscow.

Seven Commonwealth divisions of the newly formed British 8^th Army begin Operation Crusader. The goal of the offensive is to relieve the garrison at Tobruk and drive the Africa Korp into western Libya. The British 7^th Armored Division “The Desert Rats”, advances 30 miles behind the enemy lines meeting scattered and light resistance from the Germans.

The Japanese Diet secretly approves a “resolution of hostility” against the United States.

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November 19, 1941

Frustrated by his army's slow advance, General Hopner (3rd Panzer Army) commits the last of his reseves in the Kalinin area.

Caught by surprise, the Germans misread the British intent and think that the enemy is attempting to encircle Bardia and send the bulk of the Africa Korp deeper into the trap.

The Australian cruiser Sydney and the German raider Kormoran sink each other off the western coast of Australia. Kormoran, disguised as a Dutch merchantman, allowed the Sydney to close to within a mile before loosing her torpedoes and firing all guns. Sydney, ablaze and sinking continued to fire into the Kormoran, damaging her badly enough to force her crew to scuttle the ship. The entire crew of 645 officers and men from the Sydney died while most of the crew of the Kormoran were rescued.

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November 20, 1941

Third Panzer Army, after extremely heavy fighting, finally breaks the stubborn Soviet resistance in the Kalinin area and advances 20 kilometers.

The British order the Tobruk garrison to break out and link up with XXX Corp. Rommel, back from his visit to Rome, turns the Africa Korp back to the west to meet the real threat and orders an attack at Sidi Rezegh.

The Italian ships Trieste and Luigi, while escorting an Axis convoy are torpedoed

Another massacre took place in Minsk. Seven thousand Jews were killed on that day.

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November 21, 1941

The 3rd Panzer Corp (1^st Panzer Army) captures Rostov.

Albert Speer, in a meeting with Hitler, requested that he be assigned 30,000 Soviet prisoners to be assigned to force labor parties to build the “new Berlin”. After seeing Speers models of the Great Hall and the Office for Goering, Hitler readily agreed.

New Zealand troops cross the Egyptian-Lybian frontier as part of Operation Crusader, and capture Fort Capuzzo.

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November 22, 1941

The battle at Sidi Rezegh continues. British tank losses force the British XXX Corp to order an end to their advance on Tobruk. The garrison at Tobruk is also ordered back to their defensive positions. VIII Corp is able to take Sidi Omar and Capuzzo to the east.

Secretary of State Hull hinted that there might be relaxation of economic pressures on Japan saying that, “… there was a general feeling that the matter could all be settled if the Japanese could give us some satisfactory evidences that their intentions were peaceful."

As starvation begins to set in at Leningrad, the first attempt to cross the recently frozen Lake Ladoga is made. 33 tons of flour arrive in the besieged city.

“Operation Z” commences as the Japanese begin secretly assemble all six of their major aircraft carriers at Tankan Bay in the Kurile Islands for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The German commerce raider Atlantis, after sinking or capturing 140,000 tons of Allied merchant shipping is sunk while refueling from a German submarine by the British light cruiser Devonshire.

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November 23, 1941

The 7th Panzer Division (56 Panzer Corp, 3rd Panzer Army) captures the key road junction of Klin northwest of Moscow. Zhukov orders a limited withdrawal of the 5th and 16th Army's which is executed in good order despite the German pressure.

German forces, facing ever-stiffening resistance are still advancing and are 35 miles northwest of Moscow.

Axis forces destroy the 5^th South African Brigade afer days of heavy fighting around Tobruk.

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November 24, 1941

Rommel launches an attack to the Lybian-Egyptian Border.

The US Army issues a war warning, indicating that there is a strong possibility of war.

The United States, with the agreement and consent of The Netherlands and Brazil, occupies Dutch Guiana (Surinam) securing the bauxite mines which furnish nearly 60 percent of the United States needs for the aluminum industry.

The United State extends Lend Lease aid to the Free French.

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Those wishing to contribute items. stories or comments should contact D.A. Friedrichs

Editor's Corner

The items found in this section are comments from the editors of Project 60 and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of bartcop.

an excerpt from "Want to Win" ...

.... If we are serious about taking the war to the enemy, it is time to look to history for some indication of how this war should be fought. History is littered with the cases of how to conduct, and more importantly how not to conduct this type of fight.

Terrorism is simply the first stage in the evolution of guerilla war. Mao Tse Tung, arguably the most successful of modern practitioners of “irregular warfare”, describes in his writings the stages of a successful guerrilla war.

Guerilla war has its genesis in discontent. A body of people see themselves as being repressed, disrespected, and trod upon. The natural reaction is to strike back. However, those who are seen to repress others are typically too powerful to take on directly.

This discontent spawns small groups of people who take action against their enemy. In essence this is what we call terrorism today. These fanatics (their friends call them freedom fighters) come together to create havoc and inflict pain on those who allegedly repress or insult their people. This leads to reprisals and the discontent from those reactions create the fertile fields where masses of recruits can be harvested.....

Previous Columns

Want to Win - Think Before You Lash Out - "If we are serious about taking the war to the enemy, it is time to look ..."

The First Fight Against Fascism - We must remember the Spanish Civil War also.

Arguing Victory - "... Each nation who fought against fascist tyranny in WWII brought with it part of whole needed to defeat that evil..."

War, Glory, Honor and Remembrance - "War is a brutal and savage insult on human society..."

The First Casualty... in time of war, those in power are even more inclined to hide the truth, since that truth is often manifest in the most gruesome and terrible acts.