WW2/Battles of WW2/Date-by-Date/Eastern Front • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
The German drive on the Soviet capital, halted at its outermost suburbs by exhaustion, winter and Zhukov's counter-offensive with fresh Siberian divisions. (2 October 1941 – 7 January 1942)
Chronological Storyline (20 Milestones)
Oct 2, 1941 CE
Germany Launches Operation Typhoon
The German Wehrmacht launched Operation Typhoon, a massive offensive aimed at capturing Moscow before winter, employing Army Group Center under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock with over 70 divisions. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Typhoon
Battle of Moscow | Animated History“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Oct 7, 1941 CE
Vyazma Encirclement Traps Soviet Forces
German panzer forces linked up near Vyazma, encircling and trapping several Soviet armies of the Western and Reserve Fronts, resulting in over 500,000 Soviet prisoners and a catastrophic defensive collapse. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Vyazma
Vyazma Encirclement Traps Soviet Forces By Peter von Hess - originally uploaded to the English Wikipedia by User:Ghirlandajo, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1398013
Oct 9, 1941 CE
Bryansk Pocket Encircles Soviet Armies
German 2nd Panzer Army under Heinz Guderian completed the encirclement of Soviet forces near Bryansk, trapping the Bryansk Front and severely weakening Soviet defensive capabilities south of Moscow. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bryansk_(1941)
Map showing the Battle near Bryansk (September 30th — October 23rd 1941) during the Second World War (1939—1945) at the Eastern Front. The map is created by Inkscape and is based on the Map 30 in the attachement of the book P.N. Pospelow (Hrsg.): Geschichte des Großen Vaterländischen Krieges der Sowjetunion, Bd.2, Berlin (Ost) 1963. The troop movements have been corrected. By Memnon335bc - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7788685
Oct 10, 1941 CE
Zhukov Takes Command of Western Front
Stalin appointed General Georgy Zhukov to command the Western Front, tasking him with organizing the desperate defense of Moscow as German forces advanced rapidly along multiple axes. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgy_Zhukov
четырежды Герой Советского Союза кавалер двух орденов "Победа" Георгий Константинович Жуков в период хрущёвской опалы By не указан - http://mil.ru/files/files/generals_peaceful_moments/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=190520363
Oct 14, 1941 CE
Kalinin Falls to German Advance
German forces captured the city of Kalinin (now Tver) northwest of Moscow, threatening the Soviet capital's northern approaches and prompting the creation of the new Kalinin Front under General Konev. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kalinin
Oct 19, 1941 CE
Moscow Placed Under Martial Law
The Soviet State Defense Committee declared martial law in Moscow, mobilizing civilians to build defensive fortifications and anti-tank ditches as German forces closed to within 60 miles of the city. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moscow
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Oct 29, 1941 CE
Rasputitsa Mud Halts German Panzers
The autumn rasputitsa (mud season) brought German mechanized advances to a near standstill, as unpaved roads became impassable quagmires, giving the Soviets crucial time to reinforce the Moscow defenses. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasputitsa
Весенняя распутица By msdte - https://web.archive.org/web/20161101182036/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/119233717, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59684741
Nov 7, 1941 CE
Stalin Holds Revolution Day Parade
Stalin held the traditional October Revolution military parade in Red Square, with troops marching directly to the front lines, a powerful symbolic act of defiance boosting Soviet civilian and military morale. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1941_October_Revolution_Parade
Parade on Red Square on November, 7th, 1941 By USSR - https://archive.org/details/ParadeOnRedSquareOnNovember7th1941, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16334913
Nov 13, 1941 CE
German High Command Debates Final Offensive
At a conference in Orsha, German commanders debated renewing the offensive on Moscow; despite supply shortages and freezing temperatures, Hitler ordered a final push to encircle the Soviet capital. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Typhoon
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Nov 17, 1941 CE
Siberian Reserves Reinforce Moscow
Fresh Soviet divisions from Siberia and the Far East, released after Soviet spy Richard Sorge confirmed Japan would not attack, began arriving to reinforce Moscow's defenses with well-equipped winter troops. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Sorge
Рихард Зорге By Unknown author - https://infoglaz.ru/?p=14502, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40341543
Nov 18, 1941 CE
Guderian Resumes Southern Advance
General Heinz Guderian's 2nd Panzer Army renewed its offensive south of Moscow toward Tula, but faced stiffening Soviet resistance and mounting equipment failures caused by freezing conditions. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz_Guderian
Heinz Guderian, General of the Armored Forces decorated by the Fuhrer, portrait photo. By Unknown author - Photographs available at www.audiovis.nac.gov.pl are public domain or the owner of the copyrights is the State Treasury of Poland, represented by the National Digital Archive and which grant free of charge licence for free use of the materials on all known exploitation fields. Sygnatura: 2-12705, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=190935039
Nov 27, 1941 CE
Panthers Reach Volga-Moscow Canal
German 7th Panzer Division reached the Volga-Moscow Canal at Yakhroma, the closest German forces ever got to Moscow, just 19 miles from the Kremlin before being halted by Soviet counterattacks. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moscow
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Dec 2, 1941 CE
German Reconnaissance Reaches Khimki
A German motorcycle reconnaissance unit reportedly reached the town of Khimki, just 8 km from Moscow's outskirts, marking the furthest German advance before being driven back by Soviet defenses. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moscow
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Dec 5, 1941 CE
Soviet Winter Counteroffensive Begins
Zhukov launched a massive Soviet counteroffensive along the entire Moscow front, committing over 1 million men and fresh Siberian divisions to push back the exhausted and freezing German forces. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moscow
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Dec 6, 1941 CE
Kalinin Front Attacks Northern Flank
General Konev's Kalinin Front struck German forces north of Moscow, beginning the liberation of occupied territory and forcing German units into their first major retreat of the war on the Eastern Front. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalinin_Front
“An attack”. Sumbachine-gunners in camouflage cloaks rushing into attack. A battle for Staritsa. The Kalinin Front. By Maksimov / Максимов - RIA Novosti archive, image #301, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#301 35 mm film / 35 мм негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16791066
Dec 8, 1941 CE
Hitler Orders Halt to Moscow Offensive
Facing Soviet counterattacks and brutal winter conditions, Hitler issued Directive 39 ordering Army Group Center to transition to defensive positions, abandoning the attempt to take Moscow. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Typhoon
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Dec 12, 1941 CE
Tula Liberated, Southern Flank Secured
Soviet forces relieved the besieged city of Tula, defeating Guderian's 2nd Panzer Army and eliminating the immediate German threat to Moscow's southern approaches. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tula
Dec 19, 1941 CE
Hitler Takes Personal Command of Army
Hitler dismissed Commander-in-Chief Walther von Brauchitsch and assumed personal command of the German Army, refusing to authorize a strategic withdrawal despite the deteriorating situation before Moscow. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walther_von_Brauchitsch
For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Walther von Brauchitsch Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch, Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres. Jan. 1939 735-39 Abgebildete Personen: Brauchitsch, Walther von: Generalfeldmarschall, Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres, Deutschland (GND 116414855) By Unknown - This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive., CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=190934592
Dec 20, 1941 CE
German Commanders Urge Withdrawal
Senior German commanders including Guderian and Bock urged Hitler to authorize a withdrawal to defensible winter lines, but Hitler insisted on holding positions, leading to catastrophic losses from exposure and encirclement. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Typhoon
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
Jan 7, 1942 CE
Soviet Offensive Expands to Full Front
The Soviet counteroffensive was expanded into a broader strategic operation across the entire Eastern Front, pushing German forces back 100-250 km from Moscow and ending the immediate threat to the Soviet capital. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Moscow
“Defense of Moscow”. Anti-aircraft gunners on the roof of Moscow's central Hotel "Moskva". The Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Reprophoto. By Knorring / Олег Кнорринг - RIA Novosti archive, image #887721, http://visualrian.ru/ru/site/gallery/#887721 6x7 film / 6х7 негатив, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16790691
