On this day in 1941 the USS Kearney dropped depth charges on U-boats after being summoned by a British convoy off of Iceland. The U-boats had overwhelmed Canadian escorts. Kearney's efforts went on for hours. Ultimately, the Kearney was hit by a torpedo from one of them, and then retreated back to Iceland. In the process, American sailors were killed, making it the first loss of life in combat for the US during World War Two. Eleven men were killed, and 22 wounded.
The event would be cited by Germany's declaration of war against the United States as a provocation leading to the declaration. Of course, the events of December 7, 1941, were the ultimate source of the US fully entering the war.
Soviet high command, Stavka, established the Kalinin Front, a major organizational event. The front included Moscow.
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