In the summer of 1941, near the walls of Smolensk, Hitler's hopes for a brilliant blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union were not destined to come true. Here, the German troops belonging to the Army Group "Center" were bogged down for 2 months in battles with units of the Red Army and thereby lost not only time, but also the speed of advance, as well as the forces that they might need in the future.
The battle of Smolensk in 1941 was a whole range of operations, both offensive and defensive. They were carried out by units of the troops of the Central, Western, Bryansk and Reserve Fronts against the fascist troops belonging to the Army Group Center. The battle of Smolensk took place from July 10 to September 10. The confrontation between the two warring parties took place on a huge territory, covering about 650 km of the front line and deepening by about 250 km. A bloody great war began. The battle of Smolensk, I must say, played an important role in it.
German Plans
Shelfirst year of the war. In July, the fascist leadership set the most important task for Field Marshal Theodore von Bock, who commanded units of the Center armies. It consisted in the encirclement and further destruction of the Soviet troops holding the defense along the Dnieper and Western Dvina rivers. In addition, the German forces were to capture the cities of Smolensk, Orsha and Vitebsk. This would allow them to open a direct path for a decisive attack on Moscow.
Disposition of Soviet troops
By the end of June, the Soviet command began to rapidly increase the number of Red Army troops along the banks of the Western Dvina and the Dnieper. The task was set: to occupy Polotsk, Vitebsk, Orsha, Kraslava, the Dnieper River and secure these lines. The battle of Smolensk was aimed at preventing the breakthrough of German troops into the central industrial regions of the country, as well as towards Moscow. 19 divisions were deployed to a depth of about 250 km from the front line. Smolensk was also prepared for defense.
On July 10, the troops of the Western Front, commanded by Marshal S. Timoshenko, consisted of 5 armies (37 divisions). And this is not counting the scattered units of the Soviet troops retreating from the territory of Western Belarus. But by that time, only 24 divisions had managed to arrive at the place of deployment.
Disposition and number of German troops
The battle of Smolensk in 1941 was truly grandiose. This is evidenced by the number of troops who took part in it. While the build-up of Soviet troops was going on, the German command was also pullingthe main forces of two of their tank groups in the region of the Western Dvina and the Dnieper. At the same time, the infantry divisions of the 16th Army, which was part of the North Group, occupied the sector from Drissa to Idritsa.
As for the two field armies belonging to the "Center" group, and this is more than 30 divisions, they lagged behind the forward formations by about 130-150 km. The reason for this delay was the fierce fighting on the territory of Belarus.
At the time of the outbreak of hostilities, the Germans managed to create some superiority in equipment and manpower in the areas where the main attacks were directed.
The battle of Smolensk in 1941 is conventionally divided into 4 stages. Each of them is quite important in terms of history.
First stage
It lasted from 10 to 20 July. Soviet soldiers at that time only repelled the ever-increasing blows of the enemy, which rained down on the right flank and center of the Western Front. The German Panzer Group of Hermann Goth and the 16th Field Army, acting together, managed to dismember the 22nd and break through the defenses of the 19th Army, located in the Vitebsk region. As a result of incessant fighting, the Nazis managed to capture Velizh, Polotsk, Nevel, Demidov and Dukhovshchina.
Failing, the Soviet units of the 22nd Army strengthened their positions on the Lovat River. So they held Velikiye Luki. Meanwhile, the 19th, fighting, was forced to withdraw to Smolensk. There, together with the 16th Army, she fought defensive battles for the city.
Meanwhile the 2nd Panzer Group, whichcommanded by Heinz Guderian, part of her forces was able to surround the Soviet troops near Mogilev. Their main power was thrown at the capture of Orsha, Smolensk, Krichev and Yelnya. Some parts of the Soviet troops were surrounded, others tried to keep Mogilev. Meanwhile, the 21st Army carried out successful offensive operations and liberated Rogachev and Zhlobin. After that, without stopping, she began to advance on Bykhov and Bobruisk. With these actions, she pinned down significant forces of the 2nd field army of the enemy.
Second stage
This is the period from July 21st to August 7th. The Soviet armies that fought on the Western Front received new reinforcements and immediately went on the offensive in the area of the settlements of Yartsevo, Bely and Roslavl. In the south, a cavalry group, consisting of three divisions, began its attack on the flank and tried to outflank the main forces of the enemy units, which were part of Army Group Center, from the rear. Later, stragglers joined the Germans.
On July 24, the 13th and 21st armies were united into the Central Front. Colonel General F. Kuznetsov was appointed commander. As a result of stubborn and bloody battles, Soviet troops managed to disrupt the planned offensive of enemy tank groups, and the 16th and 20th armies fought their way out of the encirclement. After 6 days, another front was created - the Reserve. General G. Zhukov became its commander.
Third stage
It lasted from 8 to 21 August. At this time, the fighting moved south of Smolensk to the Central, and later to the Bryansk Front. The last one was created on August 16th. Lieutenant General A. Eremenko was appointed to command them. Since August 8, units of the Red Army have successfully repulsed all the attacks of the Germans and their tank group. Instead of advancing on Moscow, the Nazis were forced to confront parts of the Soviet troops that threatened them from the south. But, despite this, the Germans still managed to move inland by about 120-150 km. They managed to wedge between two formations of the Central and Bryansk fronts.
There is a threat of encirclement. By the decision of the Headquarters, on August 19, parts of the Southwestern and Central Fronts were withdrawn beyond the Dnieper. The troops of the Western and Reserve, as well as the 43rd and 24th armies began to inflict powerful counterattacks on the enemy in the areas of Yartsevo and Yelnya. As a result, the Germans suffered huge losses.
Fourth stage
The final stage of the battle took place between August 22 and September 10. The second German army, together with the tank group, continued to fight with the Soviet units on the Bryansk front. At this time, enemy tanks were subjected to constant massive air strikes. More than 450 aircraft took part in these air raids. But, despite this, the offensive of the tank group could not be stopped. She de alt a powerful blow to the right flank of the Western Front. Thus, the city of Toropets was occupied by the Germans. The 22nd and 29th armies were forced to withdraw beyond the Western Dvina.
On September 1, Soviet troops were ordered to go on the offensive, but it was not very successful. Only succeededliquidate a rather dangerous protrusion of the Germans near Yelnya. And already on September 10, it was decided to stop offensive operations and go on the defensive. Thus ended the Battle of Smolensk in 1941.
Defense of Smolensk
Some historians tend to believe that the Soviet units left the city on July 16th. But the facts show that the Red Army defended Smolensk. This is evidenced by the significant losses suffered by the Germans, who sought to break through to the very center of the city and capture it.
To delay enemy troops, on July 17, on the orders of Colonel P. Malyshev, sappers blew up bridges across the Dnieper. For two days there were incessant fierce street battles, when many districts of the city could pass from one side to the other several times.
Meanwhile, the Germans were building up their combat power, and on the morning of July 19 they still managed to capture part of Smolensk, located on the right bank of the river. But the Soviet troops were not going to surrender the city to the enemy. The Smolensk defensive battle continued on July 22 and 23. During it, the Red Army carried out quite successful counterattacks, and liberated street after street, block after block. In the battles for the city, the Nazis used flamethrower tanks. This technique from its muzzles spewed huge streaks of flame, reaching up to 60 m in length. In addition, German aircraft continuously flew over the heads of Soviet soldiers.
Especially fierce battles were fought for the city cemetery, as well as for any of the stone buildings. Very often they develop intohand-to-hand fights, which usually ended in victory for the Soviet side. The intensity of the fighting was so high that the Germans simply did not have time to take out their dead and wounded from the field.
Of the three Soviet divisions that took part in the defense of Smolensk, each had no more than 250-300 soldiers, and food and ammunition were completely exhausted. Meanwhile, a consolidated group under the command of K. Rokossovsky recaptured the settlement of Yartsevo from the Germans, and also captured the crossings across the Dnieper near Solovyov and Ratchino. It was this action that made it possible to withdraw the 19th and 16th Soviet armies from the encirclement.
The last units of the Red Army left Smolensk at night from 28 to 29 July. Only one battalion remained. They were led by senior political instructor A. Turovsky. The task of this battalion was to cover the withdrawal of the main forces of the Soviet troops from Smolensk, as well as to simulate the presence of large military formations in the city. Following the order, the survivors moved on to partisan actions.
Results
In 1941, the Great Patriotic War was just breaking out. The battle of Smolensk gave the commanders of the Red Army the necessary military experience, without which it would have been impossible to fight against such an organized and powerful enemy. This confrontation, which lasted 2 months, was the main reason for the failure of Hitler's blitzkrieg plan against the Soviet Union.
The significance of the battle of Smolensk is hard to overestimate. Thanks to superhuman efforts and heroic actions, as well as at the cost of huge losses, the Red Army managed to stop the enemy and go on the defensive.approaches to Moscow. The Soviet units took the brunt of the German tank group, which they wanted to use to capture the second most important city in the USSR - Leningrad.
The Battle of Smolensk, photos of the events of which have survived to this day, showed that a huge number of soldiers and officers, at the cost of their lives, steadfastly and selflessly defended literally every meter of their native land. But do not forget about the civilians not only of the city, but also of the region, who provided invaluable assistance in creating defensive positions. About 300 thousand local residents worked here. In addition, they also took part in the hostilities. More than 25 brigades and fighter battalions were formed in the Smolensk region in a short time.
