Smolensk battle of 1941: the significance of

In the summer of 1941, at the walls of Smolensk, Hitler's hopes for a brilliant blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union were not to be realized. Here, German troops belonging to the Army Group Center, for two months bogged down in battles with units of the Red Army and thereby lost not only time, but also the speed of advancement, as well as the forces that they might need in the future.

The Smolensk battle of 1941 was a whole complex of operations, both offensive and defensive. They were conducted by units of the troops of the Central, Western, Bryansk and Reserve fronts against the fascist troops entering the Army Group Center. The Smolensk battle took place from July 10 to September 10. The confrontation between the two warring sides took place on a vast territory that covered about 650 km of the front line and deepened about 250 km. A bloody war began. The Smolensk battle, I must say, played an important role in it.

Plans of the Germans

It was the first year of the war. In July, the fascist leadership placed General-Field Marshal Theodore von Bock, commander of the "Center" armies, the most important task. It consisted in the encirclement and further destruction of Soviet troops, which held 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 offensive against Moscow.

The location of the Soviet troops

By the end of June, the Soviet command began to rapidly build up the number of Red Army troops along the banks of the Western Dvina and the Dnieper. The task was set: to occupy Polotsky, Vitebsk, Orsha, Kraslava, the Dnieper River and consolidate these boundaries. The Smolensk battle was intended not to allow the German troops to break through into the central industrial regions of the country, as well as to Moscow. At a depth of about 250 km from the front line, 19 divisions were deployed. Smolensk was also preparing for protection.

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 parts of the Soviet troops retreating from the territory of Western Belarus. But by that time only 24 divisions had managed to arrive at the site of the deployment.

Location and number of German troops

The Smolensk battle of 1941 was truly grandiose. This is evidenced by the number of troops that took part in it. While the Soviet troops were building up, the German command also pulled together the main forces of its two tank groups to the area 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, which is more than 30 divisions, they lagged behind the advanced formations by about 130-150 km. The reason for this delay was fierce fighting in the territory of Belarus.

At the time of the start of hostilities, the Germans managed to create some superiority in technology and manpower in the areas of the direction of the main attacks.

The Smolensk battle of 1941 was conventionally divided into 4 stages. Each of them is very important from the point of view of history.

First step

It lasted from 10 to 20 July. At that time, Soviet soldiers only reflected the ever-increasing blows of the enemy, which fell on the right flank and the center of the Western Front. The German tank group Herman Goth and the 16th Field Army, acting in common, managed to dismember the 22nd and break through the defense of the 19th Army located in the Vitebsk region. As a result of incessant fighting, the Hitlerites managed to capture Velizh, Polotsk, Nevel, Demidov and Dukhovshchina.

Having failed, the Soviet forces of the 22nd Army consolidated their positions on the Lovat river. So they held the Great Luke. Meanwhile, the 19th, leading the fighting, was forced to withdraw to Smolensk. There she, together with the 16th Army, conducted defensive battles for the city.

At that time, the 2nd Panzer Group, commanded by Heinz Guderian, was able to encircle 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 freed Rogachev and Zhlobin. After that, without stopping, began to advance on Bykhov and Bobruisk. By these actions, she pinned considerable forces of the enemy's 2nd field army.

Second phase

This is the period from July 21 to August 7. The Soviet armies fighting on the Western Front received new reinforcements, and immediately launched an offensive near the settlements of Yartsevo, Bely and Roslavl. In the south, the cavalry group, consisting of three divisions, began its attack on the flank and tried to evade the main forces of the enemy units entering the Army Group Center from the rear. Later, the stragglers joined the Germans.

On July 24, the 13th and 21st armies were united in the Central Front. The commander appointed Colonel-General F. Kuznetsov. As a result of persistent and bloody battles, Soviet troops managed to disrupt the planned offensive of enemy tank groups, and the 16th and 20th armies broke out of the encirclement with battles. After 6 days, another front was created - the Reserve. His commander was General G. Zhukov.

The third stage

It lasted from August 8 to 21. At this time, the fighting moved south of Smolensk to the Central, and later to the Bryansk Front. The latter was created on August 16. Lieutenant-General A. Eremenko was appointed to command him . Since August 8, the Red Army units have successfully repelled all attacks by the Germans and their tank group. Instead of attacking Moscow, the fascists were forced to resist parts of the Soviet troops that threatened them from the south. But, despite this, the Germans nevertheless managed to advance deeper into the territory by about 120-150 km. They managed to wedge in between the two formations of the Central and Bryansk fronts.

There was a threat of encirclement. By the decision of the Stavka, part of the South-Western and Central Fronts were withdrawn on August 19 for the Dnieper. The troops of the Western and Reserve, as well as the 43rd and 24th armies began to inflict powerful counterstrikes against the enemy in the districts of Yartsevo and Yelnya. As a result, the Germans suffered huge losses.

Fourth stage

The final stage of the battle took place from August 22 to September 10. The second German army, together with the tank group, continued to fight 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 was not stopped. It dealt 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 for the Western Dvina.

On September 1, Soviet troops received orders to launch an offensive, but it was not very successful. It was only possible to eliminate the rather dangerous ridge of the Germans near Elnya. And already on September 10 offensive action was decided to cease and go to the defense. 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 16. 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 detain enemy forces, on July 17, by the order of Colonel P. Malyshev sappers blew up bridges across the Dnieper. For two days there were unceasing fierce street battles, when many districts of the city could pass several times to one and then to other hands.

Meanwhile, the Germans increased their fighting power, and on the morning of July 19 they managed to seize part of Smolensk, which is 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. In the course of it, the Red Army carried out quite successful counter-attacks, and liberated the street outside the street, quarter after quarter. In the battles for the city the Hitlerites used flamethrower tanks. This technique from its blasts erupted huge flame bands, reaching up to 60 m in length. In addition, German aircraft flew continuously over the heads of Soviet soldiers.

Particularly fierce battles were fought for the city cemetery, as well as for any of the stone buildings. Very often they developed into hand-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, in each there were no more than 250-300 soldiers, and food and ammunition were exhausted. At that time, the combined group under the command of K. Rokossovsky repulsed the Germans from the settlement of Yartsevo, and also seized the ferries across the Dnieper near Solovyov and Ratchino. It was this action that allowed the 19 th and 16 th Soviet armies to be withdrawn from the encirclement.

The last units of the Red Army left Smolensk at night from 28 to 29 July. There was only one battalion left. He was supervised by the 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 the imitation of the presence of large military units in the city. After completing the order, the survivors moved to guerrilla action.

Results

In 1941, only the Great Patriotic War flared up. The Smolensk battle gave the commanders of the Red Army the necessary military experience, without which it would be impossible to fight against such an organized and powerful enemy. This confrontation, lasting 2 months, was the main reason for the collapse of the Hitler plan for a blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union.

The meaning of the battle of Smolensk can not be overestimated. Thanks to inhuman efforts and heroic actions, and also at the cost of huge losses, the Red Army managed to stop the enemy and move to the defense of the approaches to Moscow. The Soviet units took on the main blow of the German tank group, which they wanted to use to capture the second most important city of the USSR - Leningrad.

The Smolensk battle, whose photo of the events have reached our days, 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 civilians not only the city, but also the region, which provided invaluable help in creating defensive positions. Here worked about 300 thousand local residents. In addition, they also took part in hostilities. In Smolensk in a short time, more than 25 brigades and fighter battalions were formed.