* * * * * /usr/bin/mysqldump -uUSERNAME -pPASSWORD > /sqldumps/"$(/bin/date +'%d_%m_%Y:%H')".sql 

I do not understand what exactly is not working in this piece I tested the date command on the command line, everything seems to be working as it should.

    1 answer 1

     $ man 5 crontab ... Percent-signs (%) in the command, unless escaped with backslash (\), will be changed into newline characters ... 

    free translation:

    percent signs ( % ) in a command, if there are no backslashes ( \ ) before them, will be converted to newline characters.


    i.e., to preserve the “normal” behavior, you must put a backslash \ before each % character.