Monday, October 17, 2011

Day 779 October 18, 1941

In the final attack on convoy SC-48, U-101 blows the bow off British destroyer HMS Broadwater with 1 torpedo at 4.20 AM. 45 crew and all 11 survivors rescued a day earlier by HMS Broadwater (9 from British steamer W.C. Teagle and 2 from Norwegian SS Erviken) are killed. 85 crew are taken off by antisubmarine trawlers HMS St. Apollo, Angle and Cape Warwick. HMS St. Apollo scuttles HMS Broadwater by gunfire at 3.41 PM.

Operation Typhoon. Soviet 5th Army’s resistance crumbles as German SS Reich and 10th Panzer Divisions capture Mozhaysk. In the evening, a motorcycle battalion from SS Reich Division finds the Minsk Highway towards Moscow open. Soviet 5th Army has suffered 60% casualties defending Mozhaysk and only 5 weakened rifle divisions and 20 tanks stand before Moscow, 90 km away.

11 Albacore and 2 Swordfish of 828 Squadron fly to Malta off British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (escorted by battleship HMS Rodney, cruiser HMS Hermione and 7 destroyers). 1 Swordfish is lost en route (2 killed). These strike planes will harass Axis supply lines through the Mediterranean to North Africa.

Barents Sea. 5 miles off the coast of Russia, U-132 sinks Soviet SS Argun at 1.20 PM (all hands rescued) and trawler RT-8 Seld´ at 8.17 PM (all hands lost).

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