16 Oct 1941
  • Tanks of SS Reich Division and 10th Panzer Division attacked the Mozhaysk Line at Borodino, Russia 125 kilometers west of the Soviet capital of Moscow; lacking infantry support, Soviet troops halted the attacks. While thousands of civilians continued to flee the city, the Soviet government and diplomatic corps moved to Kuibyshev 1,500 miles to the east; Joseph Stalin, however, chose to stay. ww2dbase [Battle of Moscow | TH]
  • Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe submitted his letter of resignation. He recommended Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni as his successor. ww2dbase [Fumimaro Konoe | CPC]
  • German submarine U-568 sank British ship Empire Heron of Allied convoy SC-48 400 miles west of Ireland at 0114 hours; 42 were killed, 1 survived and picked up by escorting corvette HMS Gladiolus (Lieutenant Commander H. M. C. Sanders). Later in the day, however, HMS Gladiolus was lost from an unknown cause. ww2dbase [AC]
  • RAF Pilot Officer A. J. Heyworth was able to return hom to Britain after his Wellington bomber suffered serious damage while bombing Mannheim, Germany. He flew most of the way on only one engine while the other was aflame. ww2dbase [Wellington | CPC]
  • German merchant raider Kormoran made rendezvous with supply ship Kulmerland off Cape Leeuwin, Australia and began to take on fuel and supplies. ww2dbase [Kormoran | CPC]
  • The Jager Report (issued on 1 Dec 1941) noted that 382 adult male, 507 adult female, and 257 children, all Jews, were killed in Vilnius, Lithuania for a total of 1,146 people. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
Germany Latvia
  • A large group of Latvian military leaders was executed by the Soviets. ww2dbase [CPC]
Russia
  • The Soviets executed the wives of Mikhail Tukhachevsky and his fellow accused (and already executed) conspirators. ww2dbase [CPC]
Ukraine
  • The final Soviet evacuation ships departed Odessa, Ukraine at 0510 hours. In the past two weeks, 121,000 troops and civilians were evacuated from the city, along with 1,000 trucks and 20,000 tons of ammunition. Romanian troops entered the city later on this date, capturing the city. ww2dbase [Siege of Odessa | Odessa | TH]
Photo(s) dated 16 Oct 1941
Aerial view of the coaling facilities in the entrance channel of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 16 Oct 1941. The coaling station was the US Navy’s first use of Pearl Harbor beginning in 1903.Straight down aerial view of the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard and drydocks, 16 Oct 1941. There are two battleships at the Navy Yard piers. Note Drydock #2 still under construction.Jews being rounded up outside Lubny, Ukraine, 16 Oct 1941Jews turning over personal belongings, Lubny, Ukraine, 16 Oct 1941
See all photos dated 16 Oct 1941

16 Oct 1941 Interactive Map

Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds

Search WW2DB
Famous WW2 Quote
"I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God, our forces stand again on Philippine soil."

General Douglas MacArthur at Leyte, 17 Oct 1944


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!