Saturday, November 22, 2025

On The Week of 16 – 22 November 1941

US NAVY

16 November 1941, Sunday

ATLANTIC—TU 4.1.5 (Commander William K. Phillips) clears Argentia, Newfoundland, to assumes escort duty for convoy HX160; between 17 and 28 November, heavy seas will cause varying degrees of damage to destroyers Mayo (DD‑422), Nicholson (DD‑424), Babbitt (DD‑128), Leary (DD‑158) and Schenck (DD‑159). The convoy will not be attacked by U‑boats (see 19, 20 and 27 November).  

17 November 1941, Monday

UNITED STATES—Congress amends the Neutrality Act of 1939 by Joint Resolution; U.S. merchant ships can now be armed and can enter war zones.  

            Bureau of Navigation directs that naval district personnel who received Armed Guard training be assigned to Little Creek, Virginia, or San Diego, California, for further instruction. They will be transferred to Armed Guard centers at New York, New York, and Treasure Island, California, for assignment to merchant ships.

            Special Japanese envoy Kurusu Saburo arrives in Washington and confers with Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

ATLANTIC—Destroyers Benson (DD‑421) and Edison (DD‑439), screening convoy ON 34, depth charge submarine contacts.

            TU 4.1.5 (Commander William K. Phillips) intercepts and joins convoy HX 160; although none of the destroyers in the task unit will be damaged by enemy action, all‑‑Mayo (DD‑422), Babbitt (DD‑128), Leary (DD‑158), Schenck (DD‑159), and Nicholson (DD‑442) ‑‑will suffer storm damage of varying degrees between this date and 28November.

            German blockade runner Odenwald, captured by light cruiser Omaha (CL‑4) and destroyer Somers (DD‑381) on 6November, is escorted into San Juan, Puerto Rico, by Somers and turned over to U.S. authorities.

19 November 1941, Wednesday

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Leary (DD‑158), with TU 4.1.5, escorting convoy HX 160, depth charges a sound contact.

20 November 1941, Thursday

US NAVY

UNITED STATES—Ambassador Nomura presents Japan's "final proposal" to keep peace in the Pacific.

ATLANTIC—Destroyer Nicholson (DD‑424), with TU 4.1.5, escorting convoy HX 160, depth charges a sound contact at 50°30'N,50°40'W.

US MARINE CORPS

UNITED STATES—Ambassador Nomura presents Japan’s “final proposal” to keep peace in the Pacific.

21 November 1941, Friday

US NAVY

UNITED STATES—Office of the Chief of Naval Operations mistakenly informs Naval Air Station, New York, of the imminent delivery of infantile paralysis serum from Navy Medical Supply Depot, Brooklyn, for further transport to Norfolk by 1000 on the following day and thence to Bermuda. It is soon discovered, however, that no such serum exists in Brooklyn or anywhere east of Milwaukee. Urgent ensuing search locates the needed serum in Milwaukee, whence it is flown to Chicago, where American Air Lines holds a plane to make the necessary connection for the flight to New York (see 22 November).

ATLANTIC—Lend‑Lease is extended to Iceland.

PACIFIC—Destroyer Shaw (DD‑373) and oiler Sabine (AO‑25) are damaged in collision in Hawaiian Operating Area.

22 November 1941, Saturday

US NAVY

UNITED STATES— Naval Air Station, New York SNJ‑2 delivers needed infantile paralysis serum to Norfolk. It ultimately arrives in Bermuda on time.

 

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