Replies

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/04.htm

August 4th, 1941

UNITED KINGDOM: Minesweeper HMS Sidmouth commissioned. (Dave Shirlaw)

VICHY FRANCE: The government indicates that it will refuse military facilities to the Axis in North Africa. (Dave Shirlaw)

GERMANY: Guderian meets with Hitler and tells him that he believes the Soviet Army is scraping the bottom of its manpower barrel. (Peter Kilduff)(140)

U-523 laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

CANADA: Minesweeper HMCS Malpeque commissioned. Corvette HMCS Battleford arrived Halifax from builder Montreal, Province of Quebec. (Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Washington: The US makes a formal commitment to send military supplies to the USSR. The Soviet Ambassador, Mr Oumansky, has welcomed the acceleration of US supplies as “an expression of confidence” that US aid would correspond to Soviet needs.
The US decision reveals a shift in policy by President Roosevelt. In the first days after the Nazi invasion of Russia on 22 June, he was reluctant to commit supplies to Russia, as he was advised that the Red Army would only hold out for a few weeks.

The US presidential yacht USS Potomac (AG-25), bearing President Franklin D Roosevelt, and the tender USS Calypso (AG-35) sail from Point Judith, Rhode Island to South Dartmouth, Massachusetts where Crown Princess Martha of Norway and her party board. After a day of fishing, the guests are put ashore and the two ships sail to Menemsha Bight, Vineyard Sound, Massachusetts where they join the heavy cruisers USS Augusta (CA-31) and USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and 5 destroyers.

Amphibious manoeuvres involving the US 1st Marine Division and the Army’s 1st Division begin at New River, North Carolina. Also involved is the aircraft escort vessel USS Long Island (AVG-1); the aircraft from the ship provide close air support for the “invaders.”

The first Ryan NR-1 trainer is delivered to NAS Jacksonville, Florida for primary flight training of the USN. (Jack McKillop)

Light cruiser USS Houston laid down. (Dave Shirlaw)

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 2055, the Robert Max was stopped by two shots across her bow by U-126 near the Azores and was sunk two hours later by 17 rounds from the deck gun and gunfire after the crew was allowed to leave their ship
in a lifeboat. They were questioned by the Germans, who offered cigarettes, gave them the course to San Miguel and wished good luck before leaving the area. The survivors reached the Azores after three days and were repatriated from Oporto to Grand Bank by the British sailing vessel James and Stanley. (Dave Shirlaw)