Mass murder of over 2,731 Jews at Liepāja Lativa was commenced by Einsatzgruppen, assisted by Lativan militia. It would run for two days.
The event was filmed by Kriegsmarine Sergeant Reinhard Wiener with his privately owned 8mm film camera.
Twenty-three communist party members were also murdered.
Amateur photography was a huge deal with Germans, and had been since cameras had become portable. But movie film was another deal. Sgt Wiener's film is accordingly unique. There is film of German authorities murdering Jews, but his was extensive and showed their full humiliation and abuse before being murdered.
The location itself was being used by the German Navy and many German Army soldiers were there. The mood was festive by the Germans.
Things like this make it plain that by the early stages of Operation Barbarossa Germans knew what was going on and, while the recent meeting of German high officials emphasized their desire to complete the destruction of European Judaism, the program of mass extermination was fully in swing. It was, moreover, already quite efficient. And the attitude taken by the Germans was the plain acceptance of it. Authorities made no effort to stop it from being filmed here, and in other locations. As film had to be processed commercially at home, it also meant that this was being done and was not being restrained.
So, in an event like this, regular German soldiers and sailors witnessed it, some filmed it, and some took their stories back home with them. Others effectively published it by having what they recorded in film processed.
Things like this also make it plain that in much of Eastern Europe at least some percentage of the local population was willing to participate in Germany atrocities aimed at the Jews.
The Red Army retook Klin.
The following, from Today In World War Two History:
The American Federal of Labor adopted a policy of abstaining strikes in war industries for the duration of the war.
Universities started to go to three year courses of study for Bachelor degrees by full year courses of study. This must have kicked in during the Spring, as the Christmas break was commencing.
The Soviet government returned to Moscow. Stalin had never left.
Today in World War II History—December 15, 1941
The British Army encamped at Bir Halegh el Elba.
The British allowed 600 Japanese nationals to leave Singapore on a ship chartered by the Japanese government.
The Japanese attempted to land a reconnaissance party across the Lye Mun Channel at Hong Kong but were completely repulsed. Japanese artillery strikes commenced.
Showing that yesterday's Coast Guard depth charge run wasn't as absurd as it might have sounded, a Japanese submarine shelled Kahului, Maui. Another shelled Johnston Island, striking fuel at a seaplane base there.
The decision was made to hold this year's Rose Bowl at Durham, North Carolina.
All four American radio networks broadcast We Hold These Truths.
The radio program was in celebration of the anniversary of the Bill of Rights and had been planned prior to December 7. An inquiry to the government on whether it should go forward brougth a reply that Franklin Roosevelt thought the program more important than ever.
Admiral Kimmel's illustration appeared on the cover of Time. He'd already been relieved of his command in the Pacific. Newsweek had a cover photo of a battleship noting that the "U.S. fleet's guns blaze", which wasn't true at the time.
A "Junior Miss" appeared on the cover of Life, which had obviously been laid out prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
A test air raid drill was held in New York City.
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