French Admiral François Darlan is assassinated in Algiers, French Algeria, by 20- year old monarchist Fernand Bonnier de La Chapelle. He dies from gunshot wounds several hours after the assassination attempt. The assassin will be executed two days later. Admiral François Darlan will be succeeded by General Henri Giraud.
Soviet troops launch an offensive against the Armeegruppe Don near Stalingrad, piercing Romanian 4th Army's lines. Soviet tanks also brake our defensive lines at Tatsinskaya Airfield in Rostov Oblast, in southern Russia, an important airfield flying supplies into Stalingrad; 124 Ju 52/3m aircraft are able to take into the air to escape, but 46 other aircraft are either damaged, destroyed, or abandoned as the Soviets capture Tatsinskaya. Elsewhere in Rostov Oblast, a similar attack is conducted on Morozovsk Airfield, but our troops are able to repulse that attack.
U 164 (Korvkpt. Otto Fechner) and
U 507 (Korvkpt. Harro Schacht)
will move closer to the Brazilian coast when the moon wanes, and will search for shipping. At present no details are known of the shipping in the area between Natal and Freetown. Hence, order for all ships still in the area about unrestricted hunting in the new areas.
"Milkcow" U 461 (Kptlt. Wolf-Harro Stiebler) reported convoy of about 10 steamers on S.E. course in DG 3677 at 2340. U 506 (Kptlt. Erich Würdemann) and U 514 (Kptlt. Hans Jürgen Auffermann) were in the vicinity and were ordered to attack it. U 461 continued to U 125 (Kptlt. Ulrich Folkers) to hand over engine parts. No further reports were received.
U 86 (Kptlt. Walter Schug)
took over radar interception cable from "Milkcow" U 463 (KrvKpt. Leo Wolfbauer). Afterwards,
U 86 is to operate off Ponta Delgada. Although earlier commitment of boats was unsuccessful, another attempt is being made because it is suspected that there is some enemy traffic and that the harbor is being used as base for escort vessels.
U 432 (Kptlt. Heinz-Otto Schultze) was
on its way to Huelva and was to attack ore steamer traffic using that port.
U 410 - 621 and U 409 have been issued with more precise instructions for the convoying lane of the
blockade runner "Rhakotis".
Now that
Route "Anton" is unrestricted, the boats U 128 - 176 and U 134, who have little fuel, have been given a free hand in ER 50 - 80 - 60 - 90 and EC 40 and 70.
Sydney Robey Leibbrandt, a former South African heavyweight boxing champion, who had spent three years in Germany and joined the Wehrmacht, where he had trained as a paratrooper and saboteur by the Brandenburg Regiment, returned home secretly in June 1941. Equipped with a wireless and intending to start a revolt, he is arrested while driving between Johannesburg and Pretoria. His sentence to death on a charge of high treason, will later be commuted by Prime Minister Jan Smuts, because of his fame as a national sporting hero.
U 648 (Ltnt.z.S.d.R. Peter-Arthur Stahl) conducts
Torpedo Trials at the T.E.K. Gotenhafen, together with U 115*.
KorvKpt.& Cmdr. U 115