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• Erwin Rommel was officially declared the commanding officer of Panzergruppe Afrika. ww2dbase [Erwin Rommel | CPC]
• Werner Mölders claimed his 100th and 101st victories over the Soviet Union. He was awarded Diamonds to his Knight's Cross for achieving 100 victories, which was to be presented later by Adolf Hitler personally. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
• The British Military Application of Uranium Detonation (MAUD) Committee issued its final report on atomic weapons. ww2dbase [Operation Trinity and Manhattan Project | CPC]
• Kashii was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Kashii | CPC]
• The keel of Canadian destroyer Huron was laid down at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of German submarine U-223 was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of German submarine U-224 was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of German submarine U-623 was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of German submarine U-624 was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• German submarine U-507 was launched. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Soviet troops began a counter offensive in the Lake Ilmen area near Leningrad, Russia. ww2dbase [Siege of Leningrad | CPC]
• Soviet commandos attacked the island of Morgonland in Finland and captured the 5 men stationed at the observation station. ww2dbase [CPC]
• Honoring Charles de Gaulle's previous proclamation that the Allies had invaded the Vichy-held French Mandate of Syria and the Lebanon as liberators rather than conquerors, the British who had accepted the Vichy surrender on the previous day handed control of the territory to the locals. ww2dbase [Campaigns in the Middle East | CPC]
• All pilots of the US Army 3rd Pursuit Squadron and 20th Pursuit Squadron based in the Philippine Islands were certified to fly the P-35A fighters. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The United States established a Naval Air Station and a Naval Operating Base at Argentia Bay, Newfoundland. ww2dbase [CPC]
• The keel of carrier Cabot was laid down at Quincy, Massachusetts, United States. ww2dbase [Lexington (Essex-class) | CPC]
• The keel of cruiser Oakland was laid down. ww2dbase [CPC]
• ShCh-401 attacked German auxiliary submarine chasers UJ 177 and UJ 178 off Kiberg, Norway with a torpedo; the torpedo missed. ww2dbase [ShCh-401 | CPC]
• Hartwig von Ludwiger was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his service during Operation Barbarossa. ww2dbase [Hartwig von Ludwiger | CPC]

• Alessandro Malaspina continued to pursue Greek freighter Nikoklis in the Atlantic Ocean, which she detected on the previous date. At 0110 hours, she fired two bow torpedoes at the distaince of 700 meters, followed by a third bow torpedo very shortly after; one of the torpedoes struck Nikoklis amidships, and another hit the engine room. The Greek freighter broke in two and sank; 11 were killed, 17 survived. 11 of the survivors in a lifeboat would later land at Cape Juby in Morocco. ww2dbase [Alessandro Malaspina | CPC]
• Alpino Bagnolini sighted a merchant ship in the Atlantic Ocean at 0758 hours. She identified the target as a ship of the American Export Line, and the pursuit was broken off. ww2dbase [Alpino Bagnolini | CPC]
• Morosini continued to observe British freighter Rupert de Larrinaga of convoy OG 67d in the Atlantic Ocean at the start of the day, which had been hit by a torpedo launched by Morosini. At 0059 hours, she fired a stern torpedo, hitting Rupert de Larrinaga yet again. Rupert de Larrinaga sank at 0105 hours. All 44 aboard survived and were later picked up by Spanish tanker Campeche. At 0344 hours, Morosini sighted smoke from British ocean boarding vessel HMS Lady Somers. At 0524 hours, she fired a bow torpedo and recorded a hit, but it actually missed. At 0525 hours, she fired a second bow torpedo, hitting HMS Lady Somers in the stern section. HMS Lady Somers opened fired with her two deck guns, forcing Morosini to submerge at 0530 hours. At 0832 hours, Morosini sighted a tanker and moved to attack, but the pursuit was abandoned after recognizing the ship as Spanish tanker Campeche, answering the distress call of Rupert de Larrinaga. At 1002 hours, a bow torpedo was fired in close range, hitting and sinking HMS Lady Somers. 138 out of her crew of 175 survived the sinking; they were also picked up by Campeche. ww2dbase [Morosini | CPC]

• Leonardo da Vinci arrived at Bordeaux, France at 1140 hours, ending a war patrol. ww2dbase [Leonardo da Vinci | Bordeaux, Aquitaine | CPC]

• Inigo Campioni was appointed governor of the Italian Aegean Islands, also known as the Italian Dodecanese. ww2dbase [Inigo Campioni | Dodecanese | CPC]

• German troops encircled Smolensk, Russia. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | Smolensk | TH]

• German 228th Regiment cleared four Stalin Line bunkers and crossed the Ljadowa River, a tributary of the Dniester River, in Ukraine. ww2dbase [Operation Barbarossa | CPC]

• The US Marine Corps activated the Marine Detachment at the American Embassy in London, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [London, England | CPC]

15 Jul 1941 Interactive Map