It reached a total of 22 divisions, including four panzer divisions organised in five higher corps headquarters. Such separated and uncooperative assaults failed to achieve their goals and lead to the total failure of the whole offensives. The participating Soviet armies suffered 290,000 casualties in the Rzhev fighting, [68] a figure that covers the main army groupings for the period of their offensive commitments, but does not cover the independent corps nor air force losses; overall losses were in excess of 300,000. [52], By the end of the month, the stubborn German defence of Putino came to an end as they finally withdrew under heavy pressure, and took up new defensive positions on the Rzhev perimeter. : Харвест, 2003. The distance to Rzhev was 7.5 miles (12 km) which the attacking forces hoped to cover in a rapid advance reaching the city in two days and fully occupying it by the third. Наступление маршала Шапошникова. von Plato, 5 Panzer Division, pp. 190–200). The retired German general, Horst Grossmann, in his book Rzhev, the basement of the Eastern Front did not provide the total casualties of the German side. On the Website "Soldier" of Russian Military History Institute, Isayev also said that the electronic draft of Krivosheyev was stolen and illegally used by the hackers, hence these drafts were completely deleted from the Institute Website. Its 2nd Battalion became encircled and had to fight its way out, with a supporting tank company losing eight tanks fending off attacks by T34s which seemed to come from all sides. Glantz, Forgotten basttles Vol III, P.157. Local family in front of their ruined house. Some sources, such as some repor… The cutting of a major highway to Rzhev by the cavalry signalled the commencement of the Toropets–Kholm Offensive. Sadalov, Offensive operations of the 20th Army, Ziemke, Moscow to Stalingrad,(Kindle Location 8830), Ziemke, Moscow to Stalingrad, Chapter XX Summer On The Static Fronts. — Смоленск. [54] Nevertheless, on August 11, after a brisk artillery preparation, it struck, advanced 3 miles (5 km) and captured the village of Jelnia. — М.: Наука, 1980. In 2009, a television movie was aired in Russia entitled Rzhev: Marshal Zhukov’s Unknown Battle; it made no attempt to cover up the huge losses suffered by Soviet forces, as a consequence, there were public calls in Russia for the arrest of some of those involved in its production. Of major significance to both attacker and defender were tributaries of the Volga, the Dërzha, Gzhat, Osuga, and Vazuza Rivers, which ran south to north across the line of the Soviet attack. However, due to the nature of the terrain the supply route the troops of the Soviet 22nd Army, 29th Army and 39th Armies which attempted to enlarge the penetration became difficult, and they were encircled. '[47], The continued Russian tank attacks were in danger of swamping the defence, but Soviet infantry tactics remained crude with dense masses of men rushing forward, shouting 'Hurrah'. [36] Additionally, the unusually wet summer and continued downpours of late July and August greatly enhanced the defenses, hindering the deployment of both tanks and artillery for the Russians, who proved unable to bring to bear their superiority in these areas. The plan was to capture and hold strategically important cities of Kalinin (Tver) and Smolensk regions, for example, of Rzhev. It will cost the lives of some 3 million Soviet soldiers and 500,000 German soldiers. [31] Their leaders were experienced commanders, many of whom were cautious of German armored units from the previous years campaigning and tended to overestimate German strength. Giới thiệu Bộ sách cơ bản của Bảo tàng Chiến tranh vệ quốc vĩ đại Trung ương Nga. (Aleksei Valeryevich Isayev. (data of Ministry of Defence, code name TsAMO RF, shelf 208, drawer 2579, folder 16, volume ll, pp. Veterans called this colossal battle, which continued for a total of 15 months, "the Rzhev slaughterhouse" or "the Massacre", while the German generals named this city "the cornerstone of the Eastern Front" and "the gateway to Berlin". The terrain was in places low and prone to swampiness, with the villages constructed on the higher and drier elevations. The Soviet Air Force Command and Staff in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). 269-270. Hanoi. [23] The serious lack of ammunition hampered Soviet efforts in neutralizing German strongpoints, leading to heavy casualties in the assaults.[22]. The Red Army suffered massive casualties for little gain during the fighting, giving the battle a notoriety reflected in its sobriquet: "The Rzhev Meat Grinder". The controversies and debates are restated throughout the book about all aspects of the operations involved. Model, just returning from convalescent leave, saw that the German defence had bent but not completely broken. Rzhev–Vyazma Strategic Offensive Operation (Russian: Casualties of Western Front on Rzhev direction, from January to April 1942: 24,339 KIA, 5,223 MIA, 105,021 WIA. Meanwhile, during the first half of 1942, the reserved source of equipment was still not adequate. The 20th and 31st Soviet Armies had torn a gaping hole in the German front, and by evening their rifle divisions and supporting Tank Brigades had advanced 5 miles (8 km) into the German lines. [69] By 10 September the Soviet armies had been decimated: losses had reduced them to half-strength, with 184,265 men and 306 tanks. Behind us is Moskva. Поворот, http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/milimprov/ch01.htm, Гудериан Гейнц. A short course about the history of World War II - The Offensive of Marshal Shaposhnikov. Topic. When the Soviet counteroffensive drove them back, Rzhev became a cornerstone of the Germans' defense. The reserves gained by the Germans through the withdrawal were soon after used up in the offensive against Kursk later in 1943. — М.: Воениздат, 1963. (Aleksandr Mikhilovich Samsonov. Total casualties of 20th, 29th, 30th, 31st (Western Front) and 39th Army (Kalinin Front) on September 1942: 21,221 KIA and 54,378 WIA. (data of Ministry of Defence, code name TsAMO RF, shelf 208, drawer 2579, folder 16, volume ll, pp. It was strategically important for the German Army Group Centredue to the threat it posed to Moscow, and was therefore heavily fortified and strongly defended. Russian lost: 380,000 killed and wounded, 13,770 prisoners, 2,956 tanks (destroyed or damaged), 45 guns, 101 anti-tank and anti-aircraft cannon, 227 mortars, 781 machine gun and 870 aircraft, including 59 shot down infantry. This offensive was conducted by the Western Front against the Wehrmacht's 4th Panzer Army and the 4th Army. Most of its inhabitant were transported to the Holocaust at Germany and Eastern Europe. 149–222. Soon after midday, aided by another sharp artillery strike and supported by tanks, Russian riflemen stormed into the position from three directions and overwhelmed the garrison, capturing 87 officers and men and leaving many more dead. 1963. After the Soviet Counteroffensive of Winter 1941-42 that drove the Nazis away from Moscow the Germans managed to hold a salient centered on the town of Rzhev. Losses for the entire series of operations around the Rzhev salient from 1941 to 1943 are difficult to calculate. These operations cover an entire series of battles and defensive operations over a wide area involving many formations on both sides. This part of the Second World War was poorly covered by Soviet military historiography, and what coverage exists occurred only after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when historians gained access to relevant documents. За нами Москва. According to Grossmann, during Operation Mars, the German suffered 40,000 casualties. “Soviet Casualties and Combat Losses in the Twentieth Century”. All the above facts mean that, the Red Army in Rzhev area did not have adequate preparation in terms of equipment, weapons and logistics. Chapter IX: Chief Inspector of Armoured Units), Бевин Александер. For example, during January and February 1942, the Western Front only received 55% of needed 82mm mortar rounds, 36% needed 120mm ones and 44% needed artillery munitions. Minsk. [19], The Soviet managed to exploit the earlier victory at the battle of Moskva and create some advantages in the critical sector of the front. To accomplish this mission, General Major D. D. Lelyschenko, 30th Army commander, had received massive reinforcements, and had four rifle divisions lined up along narrow attack sectors, pointing straight at Rzhev, and a further two flanking rifle divisions who would shove the shoulders of the German defense aside. American military history, Colonel David M. Glantz (Hoa Kỳ) claimed that G. K. Zhukov had to take the main responsibility in the tactical failure of this operation, and this is "the greatest defeat of Marshal Zhukov". The Battle of Rzhev in the Summer of 1942 was part of a series of battles that lasted 15 months in the center of the Eastern Front. As a results, many Soviet units were trapped in a notable number of "pockets" when the German counter-attacked. In 1942 the Soviet managed to build 18 new reserved armies and resupply other 9 ones. German name: Grossmann H. Rzhew: Eckpfeiler der Ostfront. [29] Behind these army-level forces were newly created tank corps, the 6th and 8th to the rear of 20th Army, and 5th Tank Corps behind 33rd Army. Some sources, such as some reports from the participant armies themselves, give higher figures for their casualties than those recorded by the Front. [52], The attack by western front, planned for 2 August, was delayed by another two days, mainly for the additional delays imposed by the abysmal weather. First two positions of the main strip enemy defenses have been destroyed, troops occupying them – almost completely destroyed."[38]. — М.: Воениздат, 1977. [55] Von Vietinghoff, acting 9th Army commander, had already committed what reserves he had against the Kalinin Front's attack and had virtually nothing on hand to stop the new Soviet advance except Army schools, teenage helpers and a few flak guns, which he positioned at strategic points. During the winter 1941-42, in these camps, about 300 people each day were killed by diseases, cold, starvation, torture and other causes. According to rehabilitation reports, the necessity to hold the line, and the 'unabated intensity of defensive fighting',[24] meant that Army Group Center's divisions could only be partially restored to strength. — Heidelberg, 1951.. Rossiya Publisher. The following day, the Soviets broke through from the north with tanks and infantry, swept around and over a battery of divisional artillery, 105 mm howitzers, and reached the tiny community of Dolgie Niwuj, barely a mile and a half from the 36th Motorised Divisional headquarters in Voskresenskoye (Woskresenskoje). Nowadays, only the book whose copyright is held by Krivosheyev himself is recognized as legal document. The Volga is the longest river in Europe, and in both the central sector of the Eastern Front at Rzhev and at the southern sector at Stalingrad, German and Soviet armies struggled for mastery of its banks. Isaev, When the surprise was gone, The offensive North of Rzhev. Beevor, Anthony (2012). [39] The frontal attacks of the 31 July set the pattern for the days to come; Soviet commanders did not have the latitude (or sometimes the imagination) to develop flexible tactics and often rigidly executed orders from above, even if it meant attacking head on across the same ground for days or even weeks at a time.[43][44]. The claimed of above journalist are also judgment of people without adequate knowledge of history, and are the results of demagogic motivation under the slogan "every information must be shown to the people". In more detail, David Glantz asserted that Zhukov's command in this offensive was not careful, too ambitious, too clumsy and all these lead to a disaster. [25] To achieve these high force concentrations the Stavka handed over from its reserve to K front, five rifle divisions, six tank brigades, two RGK artillery regiments of 152mm guns, four antitank artillery regiments, and 10 M-30 battalions. Moskva. [54], Pogoreloye Gorodishche, a battalion stronghold of the 161st Division's 364th Infantry Regiment and one of the Soviet 20th Army's main initial objectives, was quickly outflanked and then cut off by Soviet infantry. Moskva. The Rzhev Slaughterhouse is well organized in seven chapters that set the stage for the battle, describe its five most significant phases, and examines the battle's results. Science Publisher. (Alexander Bevin. The Germans also used some of their best formations, such as 9th Army, in a strictly static defensive role. G. K. Zhukov. The Battle of Rzhev in the Summer of 1942 was part of a series of battles that lasted 15 months in the center of the Eastern Front.It is known in Soviet history of World War II as the First Rzhev–Sychyovka Offensive Operation, which was defined as spanning from 30 July to 23 August 1942. The formation of the Rzhev salient during the winter of 1941–1942. Soviet casualties during the war at Rzhev Salient. The next Rzhev-Sychyovka Offensive (25 November 1942 - 20 December 1942) codenamed Operation Mars. Glantz, Forgotten battles Vol III, p. 150. [40], The Soviet 30th Army had broken through on a front nine kilometers and a reached a depth of 4 miles (7 km),[36] but already late on the first day its spearheads were brought to a halt by German counter-attacks, and ominous signs of the difficulties ahead started to appear. [39] To its right, the 379th and the 111th Rifle Divisions also smashed into the German front line, penetrating into the depths and capturing four batteries of 87th Divisional artillery. Using very detailed documents with clear origins, A. V. Isayev provied the casualties of the Soviet forces as below:[32], A. V. Isayev also used the research of Colonel-General G. F. Krivosheyev, his senior workmate at Russian Military History Institute and pointed out the common results between Isayev and Krivosheyev. (data of Ministry of Defence, code name TsAMO RF, shelf 208, drawer 2579, folder 16, volume ll, pp. It was common for the infantry to use grenade bundles or mines to deal with tanks overrunning their trenches. During the Soviet winter counter-offensive of 1941, and the Rzhev-Vyazma Strategic Offensive Operation (8 January 1942 – 20 April 1942), German forces were pushed back from Moscow. [Military improvisations during the Russian Campaign. [4] 234–237, Glantz, Forgotten battles Vol III, p. 156, Yaroslavovna and Chernov, article '70th anniversary' see external reference. 150–158). The 16th Guards Rifle Division in the center overran the forward trenches already in the first hour, and the fortified villages of the second position soon after, and by 1pm its men were deep in the German rear and already approaching the village of Polunino, half way to Rzhev. The strength of 9th Army varied considerably during mid-1942, as the Army Group shifted forces between its armies for use in different operations and defensive commitments. М.: Яуза, Эксмо, 2006. [41], Generalleutnant Danhauser, commanding the German 256th Infantry Division, committed his pioneer and reconnaissance battalion in a counter-attack from Polunino and committed his last reserve, the division's field replacement battalion, to try and fill his open flank. 2002. At the beginning 1942, the Red Army had just recovered from the disaster losses during the late half of 1941, therefore it was still very weak. The weapons deficit was so severe that the Front commanders had to make occasional appeals for equipment. Both sides actually benefited from these operations and Soviets eventually regained this much-disputed territory. 1-8-2012, Исаев, Алексей Валерьевич. Imagine a series of battles with over 3 MM casualties being lost to history. The "famine" of munitions in firearms and artillery pieces forced the Soviet army commanders, in many cases, to use tanks in the role of artillery; such inappropriate usage together with the outdated military thinking (which did not pay enough attention to the assault role of tank forces) sharply reduced the effectiveness of the tank units, rendered them from conducting deep penetration into the German defensive line. The Stavka used this as an opportunity to unsuccessfully pursue the retreating Wehrmacht troops. When the surprising element was lost. Exact dates of particular battles, their names, outcomes, significance, and even losses have not been fully clarified and there are still many controversies about these topics. These attacks required great individual daring. By 3 August the Germans were already counting the Soviet losses and wondering how much longer the Soviet formations could keep going. The attempted rescue of 2nd Shock Army (13 May 1942 – 10 July 1942) by the soviet forces failed. Наступление маршала Шапошникова. Numerous tank breakdowns reduced the numbers of supporting armour to a handful, which left them vulnerable to German panzerjager defenses. [54] Its advance was checked by the arrival of 1st Panzer Division, which attacked and drove the line back. This first battle of the Rzhev battle was the bloodiest. [68], The rifle divisions of the attacking armies had to receive additional men to continue to attack due to the high attrition rate in men. Having destroyed most of the Soviet Air Force on the ground, German forces quickly advanced deep into Soviet territory using blitzkrieg tactics. [45] Three days later a frustrated Stavka issued a pronouncement, demanding 30th Army provide solutions to a variety of perceived problems, including weak leadership, failure to mass tanks and poor ammunition supply to the artillery. Section 1: the first summer attacks), Кожевников, Михаил Николаевич. Losses and setbacks elsewhere along the front finally compelled the Germans to abandon the salient in order to free up reserves for the front as a whole. ... Rzhev never fell, and the August fighting cost 30th Army more than 80,000 casualties. Artillery advantage was overwhelming with 6–7:1 in all armies except in the 30th where it was calculated at 2:1.[28]. [70] On 1 September, von Kluge flew to the Fuehrer Headquarters to relay what Model had told him the day before: 9th Army was at the point of collapse. Chapter 10: The lost at Moskva; Chapter 19: "Citadel" collapsed), Самсонов, Александр Михайлович. Ziemke, Earl; Bauer III, Moscow to Stalingrad, Chapter VII Hitler And Stalin (Kindle Location 2764). During this time, the USSR's Army commanders began to concentrate their main forces at the critical zones to strengthen their position at these area, or to muster enough power for their assaults. In spite of the sudden onset of more heavy rain, and with infantrymen sometimes wading through sodden fields with water up to their knees,[38] the attack quickly acquired momentum. Wikipedia quotes For the whole series of Rzhev battles, the numbers are not clear but the total Soviet losses are estimated at between 500,000 and 1,000,000 men. Командование и штаб ВВС Советской Армии в Великой Отечественной войне 1941-1945 гг. Rzhevskaya war of 1941–1943. Beshanov, 1942 'Learning', Chapter – 'Rzhev and Vyazma'. — М.: ACT: Астрель, 2006. Achieving immediate success it cut through a dilapidated infantry battalion from 11th Infantry Regiment seized two villages. However, it is widely documented that the fighting continued undiminished into September and did not finally cease until the beginning of October 1942. By providing the data in the stored documents of Russian Ministry of Defence, Isayev stated that the "research" of Svetlana Aleksandrovna Gerasimova belongs to the type of "research on the high-heel shoes". [11] The Soviet counter-attack had run out of steam and the Germans recovered enough to mount several operations to clear up their rear area. Veterans called this colossal battle, which continued for a total of 15 months, "the Rzhev slaughterhouse" or "the Massacre", while the German generals named this city "the cornerstone of the Eastern Front" and "the gateway to Berlin".