Yelnya Offensive

Yelnya Offensive
Part of World War II, Battle of Smolensk
DateAugust 30 – September 8, 1941
LocationYelnya, Soviet Union
54°34′N 33°10′E / 54.567°N 33.167°E / 54.567; 33.167Coordinates: 54°34′N 33°10′E / 54.567°N 33.167°E / 54.567; 33.167
Result Pyrrhic Soviet victory
Belligerents
Germany Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Fedor von Bock Georgy Zhukov
Major General Konstantin Rakutin †
Strength
unknown 103,200[1]
Casualties and losses
heavy 10,701 killed or missing
21,152 wounded
31,853 overall[1]

The Soviet Army's Yelnya Offensive operation (August 30 – September 8, 1941) was part of the Battle of Smolensk during the First period of World War II on the German-Soviet War.

The offensive was against the semi-circular Yelnya salient which the German 4th Army had extended 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-east of Smolensk forming a staging area for an offensive towards Vyazma and eventually Moscow.[2]

German dislocation

Initially located in the salient were the 10th Panzer Division, Waffen-SS Division Das Reich, 268th Infantry Division and the 202nd Assault Gun Battalion among others. These divisions were replaced by the 137th, 78th Infantry Division and 292nd infantry divisions in addition to the 268th,[3] about 70,000 troops in all with some 500 artillery pieces and 40 StuG IIIs of the 202nd Assault Gun Battalion, the last three a part of the German XX Army Corps.[4] The northern base of the salient was held by the 15th Infantry Division, while the southern base was held by the 7th Infantry Division. Although Guderian proposed a withdrawal on the 4 August, during a meeting with Hitler and other Army Group Centre commanders at Novy Borisov, this was rejected.[5]

Soviet planning

On August 26, Stavka ordered the 24th Army of the Reserve Front, led by Marshal Georgy Zhukov, to start an offensive beginning August 30 against the salient.[6] The intent of this offensive was to assault the bases of the salient, with the 102nd Tank Division and the 303rd Rifle Division forming the outer front of the encirclement, while the 107th Division, 100th Rifle Division of the northern pincer and 106th Mechanized Rifle Division[7] of the southern pincer formed the inner front of the encirclement.[4] Supporting the 106th in the south was the 303rd Rifle Division. Containing the salient in the central (eastern) sector of the offensive were the 19th Rifle Division and 309th Rifle Division.[4] The 103rd Motorized Division and 120th Rifle Division were deployed on the northern and southern sides of the salient in fortified field positions to cut routes of escape by the German divisions.[4] The 24th Army was allocated only 20 aircraft for reconnaissance and correction of artillery fire for the operation, with no fighter or strike support.[4]

Aftermath

On September 3, under the threat of the encirclement, the Germans started retreating from the salient while maintaining resistance on the flanks. On September 6 Yelnya was retaken. The Soviet offensive continued until September 8, until it was halted at the new German defense line. This was the most substantial reverse that the Wehrmacht had suffered and the first successful planned Soviet offensive operation in the Soviet-German war. German losses in the operation are unknown. The Red Army losses are estimated at 31,853 overall casualties. United States army historian David Glantz states that although the offensive succeeded in attaining its strategic objective, the operation cost the 24th Army nearly 40 percent of its operational strength. This, combined with other failed Red Army offensives in the Smolensk area, temporarily blunted the German drive but seriously weakened Red Army formations defending the approaches to Moscow. In a lecture to the US Army Heritage and Education Center, Mr. Glantz asserted that in the run up to the Battle of Moscow, the Wehrmacht would not have made nearly as much progress as they did if the Stavka had not suffered losses in unsuccessful counter-offensives east of Smolensk.[8]

Creation of the Guards

The Yelnya Offensive is also associated with the creation of the veteran Guards units when the 100th Rifle Division and 127th Rifle Division were renamed into 1st Guards Rifle Division and 2nd Guards Rifle Division. On 26 September 1941 the 107th Rifle Division and 120th Rifle Division were also renamed the 5th Guards Rifle Division and 6th Guards Rifle Division.[4]

Citations and notes

  1. 1 2 Glantz (1995), p. 293
  2. ↑ p.7, Kurowski
  3. ↑ north to south along the salient front
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Khoroshilov & Bazhenov
  5. ↑ pp.6-7, Kurowski
  6. ↑ Г. К. Жуков. Воспоминания и размышления.
  7. ↑ reinforced by the 103rd tank battalion
  8. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Clz27nghIg

References

Recommended readings

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