Sunday, September 18, 2011

Day 749 September 18, 1941

Siege of Leningrad Day 11. Panzergruppe 4 begins redeploying South, in compliance with Führer Directive 35 of September 6 to send “essential units of the motorized forces” to support the drive on Moscow (Operation Typhoon). Fieldmarshall Ritter von Leeb, in command of Army Group North, is forced to order his remaining forces to establish siege lines around Leningrad.

President Roosevelt requests another 6 billion dollars from the US Congress for supplies for Britain and USSR under Lend-Lease.

British aircraft locate a convoy of 3 Italian troopships escorted by 4 destroyers from Taranto, Italy, to Tripoli, Libya. Submarines HMS Upholder, Upright, Ursula & Unbeaten attack. 70 miles East of Tripoli, HMS Upholder sinks troopships Neptunia and Oceania over 4 hours (384 killed, 6,500 troops rescued). HMS Ursula attacks the final troopship Vulcania without success.

Operation Supercharge, reinforcement and resupply of Tobruk. Overnight, British minelaying cruiser HMS Latona and destroyers HMS Napier, Havock & Nizam make the round trip from Alexandria to Tobruk carrying supplies and some troops. HMS Nizam is damaged on the wreck of Italian steamer Serenitas at Tobruk but returns to Alexandria (repaired in 14 days).

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