battle of moscow

7/27/2019 Battle of Moscow

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Battle of Moscow 1

Battle of Moscow

The Battle of Moscow (Russian: , Romanized: bitva pod Moskvoy, German: Schlacht um

Moskau) is the name given by Soviet historians to two periods of strategically significant fighting on a 600 km

(370 mi) sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between October 1941 and January 1942.

The Soviet defensive effort frustrated Hitler's attack on Moscow, capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

(USSR) and the largest Soviet city. Moscow was one of the primary military and political objectives for Axis forces

in their invasion of the Soviet Union.

The German strategic offensive named Operation Typhoon was planned to conduct two pincer offensives, one to

the north of Moscow against the Kalinin Front by the 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies, simultaneously severing the

Moscow-Leningrad railway, and another to the south of Moscow Oblast against the Western Front, south of Tula by

the 2nd Panzer Army, while the 4th Army advanced directly towards Moscow from the west. A separate operational

German plan, codenamed Operation Wotan, was included in the final phase of the German offensive.

Initially, the Soviet forces conducted a strategic defence of the Moscow Oblast by constructing three defensive belts,

and deploying newly raised reserve armies as well as bringing troops from the Siberian and Far Eastern MilitaryDistricts. Subsequently, as the German offensives were halted, a Soviet strategic counter-offensive and smaller-scale

offensive operations were executed to force German armies back to the positions around the cities of Oryol, Vyazma

and Vitebsk, nearly surrounding three German armies in the process.

German planning

The original German invasion plan, which the Axis called Operation Barbarossa, called for the capture of Moscow

within four months. However, despite large initial advances, the Wehrmachtwas slowed by Soviet resistance, in

particular during the Battle of Smolensk, which lasted from July to August 1941. At this stage, Moscow was

vulnerable, but Hitler ordered the attack to turn south and eliminate Russian forces at Kiev which resulted in a huge

triumph for the Germans. Their advance on Moscow was resumed on 2 October 1941, with an offensive codenamed

Typhoon. Participating in it were three out of four panzer armies on the eastern front: the German 2nd, 3rd and 4th

(or Groups as they are sometimes referred to) along with the 2nd, 4th and 9th infantry armies. This was to be the

knockout blow of the campaign.

The initial advance resulted in two huge encirclements around the towns of Vyzama and Briansk which pocketed

660,000 Russian troops. But by mid-October, the Russian rainy period commenced, turning the roads and

countryside into muddy quagmires. The German tank forces were reduced to a crawl, often unable to move two out

of every three days. Through the great forests which lie in front of Moscow, only the narrow trails were negotiable

and it required only small Russian forces to block these. Their cavalry became very active during this period,

frequently moving through the woods and getting behind German lines where they laid mines and ambushed supply

columns. Even before the poor weather arrived, however, a series of Soviet counter-blows along the entire front

helped to stabilize the situation.

Perhaps the most effective of these blows fell on Guderians 4th Panzer Division as it approached Mtsensk on 6

October. Here two Soviet officers who later gained fame as superb battlefield commanders cooperated to ambush the

Germans. Major-General D.D. Leliushenkos 1st Guards Rifle Corps had rushed to the scene to block the advance of

Second Panzer Group. Leliushenkos troops included two tank brigades, the 4th and 11th and two airborne brigades,

the 10th and 201st of 5th Airborne Corps, flown in to a nearby airfield. Colonel M.E. Katukovs 4th Tank Brigade,

equipped with newly produced T34s, displayed a tactical ability that the invaders had not encountered before.

Katukov concealed his armor in the woods whilst the German advance guard rolled by. Leliushenko s patchwork

collection of infantry and airborne troops blocked 4th Panzer from the front, after which Katukov ambushed the

Germans from the flanks. The under-gunned, under armoured German Mark IVs attempted to break out of the
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Battle of Moscow 2

ambush by maneuvering around Katukov but were quickly halted by short counter-attacks. By the end of the day,

most of the 4th Panzer Divisions armour had been reduced to smoking hulks. This shock to Second Panzer Group,

which had just been re-designated Second Panzer Army, was so great that a special investigation was conducted.

Even Guderian grudgingly acknowledged that his opponents were learning.[1]

Meanwhile, the Soviet command led by General Georgi Zhukov began creating a reserve around Moscow by taking

what was left of the shattered divisions from the Vyazma-Briansk battles (mostly on the flank and unengaged).These were bolstered by scraping up units from other nearby Soviet commands such as Timoshenko's Southwest

Front. Moscow was placed under martial law. The civilian population dug several rings of anti-tank trenches around

the city and many were incorporated into the militia.

With the onset of cold weather and the freezing of the ground, Axis forces began to move once more. But the change

in weather brought new problems for them. Most of the German troops lacked winter clothing resulting in over

100,000 cases of frostbite. Many Axis vehicles could not withstand the cool temperatures, resulting in cracked

engine blocks. Tank crews had to maintain small fires under their vehicles to protect them. Perhaps most serious was

the effect on their air force, which was grounded much of the time.

Of the two German armored prongs, the 2nd Panzer Army under General Heinz Guderian operating to the south of

Moscow got as far as the city of Tula where it finally ground to a halt. In the north, the 3rd and 4th Panzer Armies

pushed across the frozen Moscow-Volga canal, but no further.

By early December, some leading German units were able to see some of Moscow's buildings with binoculars. On 5

December 1941, fresh Soviet Siberian troops constituting 18 divisions and prepared for winter warfareattacked

along with new and reconstituted units of the Red Army. By January 1942, they had driven the Wehrmachtback

100250 km (62160 mi), ending the immediate threat to Moscow. It was the closest that the Axis forces ever got to

capturing the Soviet capital.

The Battle of Moscow was one of the most important battles of World War II, primarily because the Soviets were

able to prevent the most serious attempt to capture their capital. The battle was also one of the largest during the war,

with more than a million total casualties. The Wehrmacht had been forced to retreat before, during the YelnyaOffensive in September 1941 and at the Battle of Rostov. However, Moscow marked a turning point, as it was the

first time since the Wehrmachtbegan its conquests in 1939 that it had been forced into a retreat from which it did not

recover the initiative.
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Battle of Moscow 3

Background

The eastern front at the time of the Battle of Moscow: Initial Wehrmacht advance

to 9 July 1941 Subsequent advances to 1 September 1941 Encirclement and

battle of Kiev to 9 September 1941 Final Wehrmacht advance to 5 December

1941

On 22 June 1941, German, Romanian and

Slovak troops invaded the Soviet Union,

later also joined by Hungary (following the

bombing of the Hungarian city Kassa),

effectively starting Operation Barbarossa.

Having destroyed most of the Soviet Air

Force on the ground, German forces quickly

advanced deep into Soviet territory using

blitzkrieg tactics. Armored units raced

forward in pincer movements, pocketing and

destroying entire Soviet armies. While the

German Army Group North moved towards

Leningrad, Army Group South was to take

control of Ukraine, while Army Group

Center advanced towards Moscow. The

Soviet defenses were overwhelmed and the

casualties sustained by the Red Army were

enormous.

By July 1941, Army Group Center had managed to encircle several Soviet armies near Minsk during the Battle of

Biaystok-Minsk, creating a huge breach in Soviet linesone that the Soviets could not immediately fill, as no

reserves were availableand destroying the Soviet Western Front as an organized force. Thus, the Wehrmachtwas

able to cross the Dnieper river, which barred the path to Moscow, with only minimal casualties.[2]

In August 1941, German forces captured the city of Smolensk, an important stronghold on the road to Moscow.

Smolensk was historically considered the key to Moscow because it controlled a landbridge located between the

Dvina, Dnieper, and several other rivers, allowing for a fast advance by ground troops without the necessity of

building major bridges across wide rivers. The desperate Soviet defense of the Smolensk region lasted for two

months, from 10 July-10 September 1941.[3]

This intense engagement, known as the Battle of Smolensk, delayed the

German advance until mid-September, effectively disrupting the blitzkrieg and forcing Army Group Center to use

almost half of its strategic reserves (10 of 24 divisions) during the battle.[3]

Elsewhere, the German advance was also bogged down. Near Leningrad, Army Group North was held up by the

Luga defense line for almost a month before eventually overrunning it. In the south, Army Group Southwhich

included many Hungarian and Romanian units that were less well-trained, equipped and experienced than the

Wehrmacht

faced several serious counterattacks and was stopped. The Wehrmachtnow faced a dilemma; ArmyGroup Center was still strong enough to reach Moscow, but such an advance would create a bulge in the German

lines, leaving it vulnerable to Red Army flanking attacks. Moreover, according to Hitler, Germany needed the food

and mineral resources located in Ukraine.[4]

Thus, the Wehrmachtwas ordered to first secure the Donbass region and

to move towards Moscow afterwards.[5]

Heinz Guderian's Panzer Army was turned south to support Gerd von

Rundstedt's attack on Kiev,[4]

which inflicted another significant defeat on the Red Army. On 19 September 1941,

Soviet forces had to abandon Kiev after Stalin's persistent refusal to withdraw forces from the Kiev salient, as

recorded by Aleksandr Vasilevsky and Georgy Zhukov in their respective memoirs.[6][7]

This refusal cost Zhukov his

post of Chief of the General Staff,[8]

but his prediction of German encirclement was correct. Several Soviet armies

were encircled and annihilated by the Wehrmacht in a double pincer movement, allowing the German forces to

advance in the south.

[9]
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Battle of Moscow 4

Although a decisive Axis victory, the Battle of Kiev set the German blitzkrieg even further behind schedule. As

Guderian later wrote, "Kiev was certainly a brilliant tactical success, but the question of whether it had a significant

strategic importance still remains open. Everything now depended on our ability to achieve expected results before

the winter and even before autumn rains."[10]

Hitler still believed that the Wehrmachthad a chance to finish the war

before winter by taking Moscow. On 2 October 1941, Army Group Centerunder Fedor von Bocklaunched its

final offensive towards Moscow, code-named Operation Typhoon. Hitler said soon after its start that "After three

months of preparations, we finally have the possibility to crush our enemy before the winter comes. All possible

preparations were done...; today starts the last battle of the year..."[11]

Initial German advance (30 September 10 October)

Plans

For Hitler, Moscow was the most important military and political target, as he anticipated that the city's surrender

would shortly afterwards lead to the general collapse of the Soviet Union. As Franz Halder, head of the

Oberkommando des Heeres (Army General Staff), wrote in 1940, "The best solution would be a direct offensive

towards Moscow."[12] Therefore, the city was a primary target for the large and well-equipped Army Group Center.

The forces committed to Operation Typhoon included three armies (the 2nd, 4th and 9th) supported by three Panzer

Groups (the 2nd, 3rd and 4th) and by the Luftwaffe's Luftflotte 2. Overall, more than one million men were

committed to the operation, along with 1,700 tanks and 14,000 guns. German aerial strength had been radically

reduced. Since 22 June, the Luftwaffe had lost 1,603 aircraft and 1,028 damaged. As a result, Luftflotte 2 had only

549 serviceable machines, including 158 medium and dive-bombers and 172 fighters.[13]

The attack relied on

standard blitzkrieg tactics, using Panzergroups rushing deep into Soviet formations and executing double-pincer

movements, pocketing Red Army divisions and destroying them.[14]

The initial Wehrmachtplan called for two initial movements. The first would be a double-pincer performed around

the Soviet Western and Reserve Fronts located around Vyazma. The second would be a single-pincer around the

Bryansk Front to capture the city of Bryansk. From that point, the plan called for another quick pincer north and

south of Moscow to encircle the city. However, the German armies were already battered and experiencing some

logistical issues. Guderian, for example, wrote that some of his destroyed tanks had not been replaced, and that his

mechanized troops lacked fuel at the beginning of the operation.[15]

Facing the Wehrmachtwere three Soviet fronts formed from exhausted armies that had already been involved in

heavy fighting for several months. The forces committed to the city's defense totaled 1,250,000 men, 1,000 tanks,

7,600 guns. The Soviet Air Force/Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (VVS) had suffered appalling losses of some 7,500[16]

or 21,200[17]

aircraft. Extraordinary industrial achievements had begun to replace losses, and the VVS had 936

aircraft, 578 of which were bombers for the defense of the capital.[18]

Even with reinforcements, air strength was

down to about of pre-war strength.

[16]

Troops and weaponry, while presenting a significant threat to theWehrmachtbased on their numbers alone, were poorly located, with most of the troops deployed in a single line, and

had little or no reserves to the rear.[12]

In his memoirs, Vasilevsky pointed out that while immediate Soviet defenses

were quite well prepared, these errors in troop placement were largely responsible for the Wehrmacht's initial

success.[19]

Furthermore, many Soviet defenders were seriously lacking in combat experience and some critical

equipment (such as anti-tank weapons), while their tanks were obsolete models.[20]
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Battle of Moscow 5

With all the men at the Front, Moscow women

dig anti-tank trenches around Moscow in 1941.

The Soviet command began constructing extensive defenses around the

city. The first part, the Rzhev-Vyazma defense setup, was built on the

RzhevVyazmaBryansk line. The second, the Mozhaisk defense line,

was a double defense stretching between Kalinin and Kaluga. Finally,

a triple defense ring surrounded the city itself, forming the Moscow

Defense Zone. These defenses were still largely unprepared by thebeginning of the operation because of the speed of the German

advance.[12]

Furthermore, the German attack plan had been discovered

quite late, and Soviet troops were ordered to assume a total defensive

stance only on 27 September 1941.[12]

However, new Soviet divisions

were being formed on the Volga, in Asia and in the Urals, and it would

only be a matter of a few months before these new troops could be committed,[21]

making the battle a race against

time as well.

Vyazma and Bryansk pockets

Near Vyazma, the Western and Reserve Fronts were quickly defeated by the highly mobile forces of the 3rd and 4th

Panzer Groups that exploited weak areas in the defenses and then quickly moved behind the Red Army lines. The

defensive setup, which was still under construction, was overrun as both German armored spearheads met at Vyazma

on 10 October 1941.[20]

Four Soviet armies (the 19th, 20th, 24th and 32nd) were trapped in a huge pocket just west

of the city.[19]

Contrary to German expectations, the encircled Soviet forces did not surrender easily. Instead, the fighting was fierce

and desperate, and the Wehrmachthad to employ 28 divisions to eliminate the surrounded Soviet armies, using

forces that were needed to support the offensive towards Moscow. The remnants of the Soviet Western and Reserve

Fronts were able to retreat and consolidate their lines around Mozhaisk.[19]

Moreover, the surrounded Soviet forces

were not completely destroyed, as some of the encircled troops escaped in groups ranging in size from platoons tofull rifle divisions.

[20]Soviet resistance near Vyazma also provided time for the Soviet high command to quickly

bring some reinforcements to the four armies defending the Moscow direction (namely, the 5th, 16th, 43rd and 49th),

and to transport three rifle and two tank divisions from the Far East.[19]

The German offensives during operation Typhoon

In the south near Bryansk, initial Soviet

performance was barely more effective than

near Vyazma. The Second Panzer Group

executed an enveloping movement around

the whole front, linking with the advancing

2nd Army and capturing Orel by 3 October

and Bryansk by 6 October. Luftflotte 2 flew

984 combat missions and destroyed some

679 vehicles on 3 October. On 4 October, a

mixture of 100 dive bombers and medium

bombers destroyed rail lines and hampered

Soviet troop movements in the

Sumy-Lgov-Kursk area, severing

communications between the Bryansk and

South-Western Fronts.[22]

The Soviet 3rd

and 13th Armies were encircled but, again,

did not surrender, and troops were able to escape in small groups, retreating to intermediate defense lines around

Poniry and Mtsensk. By 23 October, the last remnants had escaped from the pocket.[12]
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Battle of Moscow 6

By 7 October, the German offensive in this area was bogged down. The first snow fell and quickly melted, turning

roads into stretches of mud, a phenomenon known as rasputitsa in Russia. German armored groups were greatly

slowed and were unable to easily maneuver, wearing down men and tanks.[23]

The 4th Panzer Division fell into an

ambush set by Dmitri Leliushenko's hastily formed 1st Guards Special Rifle Corps, including Mikhail Katukov's 4th

Tank Brigade, near the city of Mtsensk. Newly built T-34 tanks were concealed in the woods as German armor

rolled past them; as a scratch team of Soviet infantry contained their advance, Soviet armor attacked from both

flanks and savaged the German Panzer IV tanks. For the Wehrmacht, the shock of this defeat was so great that a

special investigation was ordered.[20]

Guderian and his troops discovered, to their dismay, that new Soviet T-34s

were almost impervious to German tank guns. As the general wrote, "Our Panzer IV tanks with their short 75 mm

guns could only explode a T-34 by hitting the engine from behind." Guderian also noted in his memoirs that "the

Russians already learned a few things."[24]

Luftflotte 2 flew 1,400 attacks against Soviet positions to support the 4th

Panzerdivision, destroying 20 tanks, 34 artillery pieces and 650 vehicles of various kinds.[22][25]

Elsewhere, massive Soviet counterattacks had further slowed the German offensive. The 2nd Army which was

operating to the north of Guderian's forces with the aim of trapping the Bryansk Front, had come under a strong

Soviet counter-attack. The Soviets supported the assault with heavy air-support. Despite being numerically inferior,

the Luftwaffe inflicted heavy losses to the VVS. 152 Stuka sorties and 259 medium bombers blunted the Sovietattack while another 202 Stuka and 188 medium bomber strikes were flown against supply columns in the Brynask

area. Soviet Forces were caught in the open, with theLuftwaffe destroying 22 tanks and over 450 vehicles; the Soviet

attack had been routed.[22]

The magnitude of the initial Soviet defeat was appalling. According to German estimates, 673,000 soldiers were

captured by the Wehrmacht in both pockets,[26]

although recent research suggests a significantly lowerbut still

enormousfigure of 514,000 prisoners, reducing Soviet strength by 41%.[27]

The personnel losses (permanent as

well as temporary) calculated by the Soviet command are smaller but still massive, namely 499,001.[28]

On 9

October Otto Dietrich of the Ministry of Propaganda, quoting Hitler himself, forecast in a press conference imminent

destruction of the armies defending Moscow. As Hitler had never had to lie about a specific and verifiable military

fact, Dietrich convinced foreign correspondents that the collapse of all Soviet resistance was perhaps hours away.

German civilian moralelow since the start of Barbarossasignificantly improved, with rumors of soldiers home

by Christmas and great riches from the future Lebensraum in the east.[29]

The desperate Red Army resistance, however, had greatly slowed the Wehrmacht. When, on 10 October 1941, the

Germans arrived within sight of the Mozhaisk line, they found a well-prepared defensive setup and new, fresh Soviet

forces. That same day, Georgy Zhukov was recalled from Leningrad to take charge of the defense of Moscow.[12]

He

immediately ordered the concentration of all available defenses on a strengthened Mozhaisk line, a move supported

by Vasilevsky.[30]

TheLuftwaffe still controlled the sky whenever it appeared in strength. The Stukageschwaderand

Kampfgruppen (Stuka and bomber groups) flew 537 sorties destroying some 440 vehicles (mainly motor vehicles

and trucks) and 150 artillery pieces.[31][32]

On 15 October, Stalin ordered the evacuation of the Communist Party, the General Staff and various civil

government offices from Moscow to Kuibyshev (now Samara), leaving only a limited number of officials behind.

The evacuation caused panic among Muscovites. On 1617 October, much of the civilian population tried to flee,

mobbing the available trains and jamming the roads from the city. Despite all this, Stalin publicly remained in the

Soviet capital, somewhat calming the fear and pandemonium.[20]
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7/16

Battle of Moscow 7

Mozhaisk defense line (13 October 30 October)

By 13 October 1941, the Wehrmachthad arrived at the Mozhaisk defense line, a hastily constructed double set of

fortifications protecting Moscow from the west and stretching from Kalinin towards Volokolamsk and Kaluga.

However, despite recent reinforcements, the combined strength of the Soviet armies manning the line (the 5th, 16th,

43rd and 49th Armies) barely reached 90,000 men, hardly sufficient to stem the German advance.[33][34]

In light of

the situation, Zhukov decided to concentrate his forces at four critical points: Volokolamsk, Mozhaisk,

Maloyaroslavets and Kaluga. The entire Soviet Western Frontalmost completely destroyed after its encirclement

near Vyazmawas being recreated from scratch.[35]

Moscow itself was transformed into a fortress. According to Zhukov, 250,000 women and teenagers worked,

building trenches and anti-tank moats around Moscow, moving almost three million cubic meters of earth with no

mechanical help. Moscow's factories were hastily transformed into military complexes: the automobile factory was

turned into a submachine gun armory, a clock factory was manufacturing mine detonators, the chocolate factory was

producing food for the front, and automobile repair stations were repairing damaged tanks and vehicles.[36]

However, the situation was very dangerous, as the Soviet capital was still within reach of German panzers.

Additionally, Moscow was now a target of massive air raids, although these caused only limited damage because of

extensive anti-aircraft defenses and effective civilian fire brigades.[37]

On 13 October 1941 (15 October 1941, according to other sources), the Wehrmachtresumed its offensive. At first,

the Germans were unwilling to assault the Soviet defenses directly and attempted to bypass them by pushing

northeast towards the weakly protected city of Kalinin, and south towards Kaluga and Tula, capturing all except Tula

by 14 October. Encouraged by this initial success, the Germans conducted a frontal assault against the fortified line,

taking Mozhaisk and Maloyaroslavets on 18 October, Naro-Fominsk on 21 October, and Volokolamsk on 27

October, after intense fighting.[12]

Because of the increasing danger of flanking attacks, Zhukov was forced to fall

back[20]

and withdraw his forces east of the Nara River.[38]

In the south, the Second Panzer Army was moving towards Tula with relative ease, since the Mozhaisk defense line

did not extend that far south, and because there were no significant concentrations of Soviet troops to slow down theadvance. However, the bad weather, fuel problems, and damaged roads and bridges greatly slowed the Germans;

Guderian reached the outskirts of Tula only by 26 October 1941.[39]

The German plan initially called for an instant

capture of Tula and for a pincer move around Moscow. However, the first attempt to capture the city failed, as

Germanpanzers were stopped by the 50th Army and civilian volunteers in a desperate fight. Guderian's army had to

stop within sight of the city on 29 October 1941.[40]

On 31 October, the OKH ordered a halt to all offensive

operations until the heavy logistical issues and the rasputitsa subsided.

Wehrmacht at the gates (1 November 5 December)

Wearing down
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8/16

Battle of Moscow 8

The mud of the rasputitsa before Moscow,

November 1941

As David Glantz pointed out in his bookWhen Titans Clashed, by late

October the Wehrmacht and the Red Army could be compared to

"punch-drunk boxers, staying precariously on their feet but rapidly

losing the power to hurt each other." The German forces were worn

out, with only of their motor vehicles still functioning, infantry

divisions at to strength, and serious logistics issues preventing thedelivery of warm clothing and other winter equipment to the front.

Even Hitler seemed to surrender to the idea of a long struggle, since

the prospect of sending tanks into such a large city without heavy

infantry support seemed risky after the costly capture of Warsaw in

1939.[41]

In his study of the Nazi economy, Adam Tooze contends that the very survival of the Red Army as a fighting force

indicated that the Germans had lost the conflict in Russia, and thus the war, as moving east of Smolensk meant

stretching German supply lines beyond their effective limit. He highlights that the colossal loss of material on the

eastern frontwithout having won a decisive victorywas bleeding the German economy to death reaching "a

total impasse". He concludes "It was through the achievement ofLebensraum on American scale that the ThirdReich

hoped to achieve both the standard of affluence and the encompassing reach of global power already attained by

Britain and the United States. As events between June and December 1941 made clear, Nazi Germany lacked both

the time and the resources to take this first step."[42]

To stiffen the resolve of both the Red Army and boost the civilian morale, Stalin ordered the traditional military

parade on 7 November to be staged in Red Square. Soviet troops paraded past the Kremlin and then marched directly

to the front. The parade had a great symbolic significance in demonstrating the Soviet resolve and was invoked as

such frequently in the years to come. However, despite such a brave show, the Red Army was actually in a very

precarious position. Although 100,000 additional Soviet troops had reinforced Klin and Tula, where new German

offensives were expected, Soviet defenses were still relatively thin. Nevertheless, Stalin wanted several preemptivecounteroffensives to be launched against the German lines, despite protests from Zhukov, who pointed out the

complete lack of reserves.[43]

The Wehrmacht was able to repel most of these counteroffensives, depleting the Red

Army of men and vehicles that could have been used for Moscow's defense. The offensive was only successful west

of Moscow near Aleksino, where Soviet tanks inflicted heavy losses on the 4th Army because the Germans still

lacked anti-tank weapons capable of damaging the new, well-armored T-34 tanks.[41]

From 31 October-15 November, the Wehrmacht high command stood down and prepared the launch for a second

offensive towards Moscow. Although Army Group Centre still possessed a considerable amount of troops on paper,

its fighting strength had thoroughly diminished, as the troops were worn out and there were only few replacements.

The Germans were aware of the continuous influx of Soviet reinforcements from the east, as well as the presence of

large reserves in the back, but given the tremendous Soviet casualties they did not expect the Soviets to be able to

establish a determined defense.[44]

Soviet troops' strength had in fact been reduced to about 500,000 men and 890

tanks at Moscow.[12]

However, compared to October, Soviet rifle divisions occupied much better defensive

positions, a triple defensive ring surrounding the city, and some remains of the Mozhaisk line still in Soviet hands

near Klin. Most of the Soviet field armies now had a multilayered defense with at least two rifle divisions in second

echelon positions. Artillery support and sapper teams were also concentrated along major roads that German troops

were expected to use in their attacks. There were also a large number of Soviet troops still in reserve armies behind

the front available. Finally, Soviet troopsand especially officerswere now more experienced and better prepared

for the offensive.[41]
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9/16

Battle of Moscow 9

Soviet poster proclaiming, "Let's

defend Moscow!"

By 15 November 1941, the ground had finally frozen, solving the mud problem.

The armored Wehrmachtspearheads were unleashed, with the goal of encircling

Moscow and linking up near the city of Noginsk, east of the capital. In order to

achieve this objective, the German Third and Fourth Panzer Groups needed to

concentrate their forces between the Moscow reservoir and Mozhaysk, then

proceed to Klin and Solnechnogorsk to encircle the capital from the north. In thesouth, the Second Panzer Army intended to bypass Tula, still in Soviet hands,

and advance to Kashira and Kolomna, linking up with the northern pincer at

Noginsk.[12]

Final pincer

On 15 November 1941, German tank armies began their offensive towards Klin,

where no Soviet reserves were available because of Stalin's wish to attempt a

counteroffensive at Volokolamsk, which had forced the relocation of all

available reserves forces further south. Initial German attacks split the front in two, separating the 16th Army from

the 30th.[41]

Several days of intense combat followed. As Zhukov recalls in his memoirs, "The enemy, ignoring the

casualties, was making frontal assaults, willing to get to Moscow by any means necessary."[45]

Despite the

Wehrmacht's efforts, the multi-layered defense reduced Soviet casualties as the Soviet 16th Army slowly retreated

and constantly harassed the German divisions trying to make their way through the fortifications.

The Third Panzer Army finally captured Klin after heavy fighting on 24 November, and by 25 November

Solnechnogorsk as well. Soviet resistance was still strong, and the outcome of the battle was by no means certain.

Reportedly, Stalin asked Zhukov whether Moscow could be successfully defended and ordered him to "speak

honestly, like a communist." Zhukov replied that it was possible, but that reserves were desperately needed.[45]

By

28 November, the German 7th Panzer Division had seized a bridgehead across the Moscow-Volga Canalthe last

major obstacle before Moscowand stood less than 35 km (22 mi) from the Kremlin;[41] but a powerful

counterattack by the 1st Shock Army drove them back across the canal.[46]

Just northwest of Moscow, the

Wehrmachtreached Krasnaya Polyana, little more than 20 km (12 mi) from Moscow;[47]

German officers were able

to make out some of the major buildings of the Soviet capital through their field glasses. However, both Soviet and

German forces were severely depleted, sometimes having only 150200 riflemena company's full strengthleft in

a regiment.[41]

In the south, near Tula, battle resumed on 18 November 1941, with the Second Panzer Army trying to encircle the

city.[41]

The German forces involved were extremely battered from previous fighting, and still had no winter

clothing. As a result, initial German progress was only 510 km (3.16.2 mi) per day, making chances of success

"less than certain" according to Guderian.[48]

Moreover, it exposed the German tank armies to flanking attacks from

the Soviet 49th and 50th Armies, located near Tula, further slowing the advance. However, Guderian was still able to

pursue the offensive, spreading his forces in a star-like attack, taking Stalinogorsk on 22 November 1941 and

surrounding a Soviet rifle division stationed there. On 26 November, German panzers approached Kashira, a city

controlling a major highway to Moscow. In response, a violent Soviet counterattack was launched the following day.

General Belov's 2nd Cavalry Corps, supported by hastily assembled formations which included 173rd Rifle Division,

9th Tank Brigade, two separate tank battalions, and training and militia units,[49]

halted the German advance near

Kashira.[50]

The Germans were driven back in early December, securing the southern approach to the city.[51]

Tula

itself held, protected by fortifications and determined defenders, both soldiers and civilians. In the south, the

Wehrmachtnever got close to the capital.
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Battle of Moscow 10

German soldiers in heavy snow west of Moscow

Because of the resistance on both the northern and southern sides of

Moscow, the Wehrmacht attempted, on 1 December 1941, a direct

offensive from the west, along the Minsk-Moscow highway near the

city of Naro-Fominsk. However, this offensive had only limited tank

support and was forced to assault extensive Soviet defenses. After

meeting determined resistance from the Soviet 1st Guards MotorizedRifle Division and flank counterattacks staged by the 33rd Army, the

German offensive stalled and was driven back four days later in the

ensuing Soviet counteroffensive.[41]

On 2 December a

Reconnaissance-Battalion managed to reach the town of

Khimkisome 8 km (5 mi) away from Moscowand captured its bridge over the Moscow-Volga Canal as well as

its railway station, which marked the farthest advance of German forces on Moscow.[52][53]

According to Glantz by early December, the temperatures[54]

dropped as low as twenty to fifty below zero. The

German troops, who still had no winter clothing, were freezing, and their vehicles were not designed for such severe

weather. More than 130,000 cases of frostbite were reported among German soldiers.[33]

Frozen grease had to be

removed from every loaded shell[33] and vehicles had to be heated for hours before use.

The Axis offensive on Moscow stopped. As Heinz Guderian wrote in his journal, "the offensive on Moscow

failed...We underestimated the enemy's strength, as well as his size and climate. Fortunately, I stopped my troops on

5 December, otherwise the catastrophe would be unavoidable."[55]

Soviet counteroffensive

The Soviet winter counter-offensive, 5 December 1941-7 May 1942

Although the Wehrmacht's offensive

had been stopped, German intelligence

estimated that Soviet forces had no

more reserves left and thus would be

unable to stage a counteroffensive.

This estimate proved wrong, as Stalin

transferred over 18 divisions, 1,700

tanks, and over 1,500 aircraft from

Siberia and the Far East,[56]

relying on

intelligence from his spy, Richard

Sorge, which indicated that Japan

would not attack the Soviet Union. The

Red Army had accumulated a

58-division reserve by early

December,[33]

when the offensive

proposed by Zhukov and Vasilevsky

was finally approved by Stalin.[57]

However, even with these new reserves, Soviet forces committed to the operation numbered only 1,100,000 men,[54]

only slightly outnumbering the Wehrmacht. Nevertheless, with careful troop deployment, a ratio of two-to-one was

reached at some critical points.[33]

On 5 December 1941, the counteroffensive started on the Kalinin Front. After two

days of little progress, Soviet armies retook Krasnaya Polyana and several other cities in the immediate vicinity of

Moscow.[12]

The same day, Hitler signed his directive number 39, ordering the Wehrmachtto assume a defensive stance on the

whole front. However, German troops were unable to organize a solid defense at their present locations and were
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11/16

Battle of Moscow 11

forced to pull back to consolidate their lines. Guderian wrote that discussions with Hans Schmidt and Wolfram von

Richthofen took place the same day, and both commanders agreed that the current front line could not be held.[58]

On

14 December, Franz Halder and Gnther von Kluge finally gave permission for a limited withdrawal to the west of

the Oka river, without Hitler's approval.[59]

On 20 December, during a meeting with German senior officers, Hitler

cancelled the withdrawal and ordered his soldiers to defend every patch of ground, "digging trenches with howitzer

shells if needed."[60]

Guderian protested, pointing out that losses from cold were actually greater than combat losses

and that winter equipment was held by traffic ties in Poland.[61]

(The Soviets were also suffering large losses from

the freezing cold but nevertheless had better equipment for the cold than the Germans.) Nevertheless, Hitler insisted

on defending the existing lines, and Guderian was dismissed by Christmas, along with generals Hoepner and Strauss,

commanders of the 4th Panzer and 9th Army, respectively. Fedor von Bock was also dismissed, officially for

"medical reasons."[62]

Walther von Brauchitsch, Hitler's commander-in-chief, had been removed even earlier, on 19

December.[63]

Meanwhile, the Soviet offensive continued in the north. The offensive liberated Kalinin and the Soviets reached Klin

on 7 December, overrunning the headquarters of the LVI PanzerCorps outside the city. As the Kalinin Front drove

west, a bulge developed around Klin. The Soviet front commander, General Konev, attempted to envelop any

German forces remaining. Zhukov diverted more forces to the southern end of the bulge, to help Konev trap theThird Panzer Army. The Germans pulled their forces out in time. Although the encirclement failed, it unhinged the

German defenses. A second attempt was made against the Second Panzer Army near Tula, but met strong opposition

near Rzhev and was forced to halt, forming a salient that would last until 1943. In the south, the offensive went

equally well, with Southwestern Front forces relieving Tula on 16 December 1941. A major achievement was the

encirclement and destruction of the German XXXIX Corps, protecting Guderian's Second Panzer Army's southern

flank.[64]

TheLuftwaffe was paralysed in the second half of December. The weather, recorded as 42, was a meteorological

record.[65]

Logistical difficulties and freezing temperatures created technical difficulties until January 1942. In the

meantime, the Luftwaffe had virtually vanished from the skies over Moscow, while the Red Air Force, operating

from better prepared bases and benefiting from interior lines, grew stronger.[65] On 4 January, the skies cleared. The

Luftwaffe was quickly reinforced, as Hitler hoped it would "save" the situation. Two Kampfgruppen (Bomber

Groups) (II./KG 4 and II./KG 30) arrived from refitting in Germany, whilst four Transportgruppen (Transport

Groups) with a strength of 102 Junkers Ju 52 transports were deployed from Luftflotte 4 (Air Fleet 4) to evacuate

surrounded army units and improve the supply line to the front-line forces. It was a last minute effort and it worked.

The German air arm was to help prevent a total collapse of Army Group Centre. Despite the Soviets' best efforts, the

Luftwaffe had contributed enormously to the survival of Army Group Center. Between the 17 December and 22

December theLuftwaffe destroyed 299 motor vehicles and 23 tanks around Tula, hampering the Red Army's pursuit

of the German Army.[66][67]

In the center, Soviet progress was much slower. Soviet troops liberated Naro-Fominsk only on 26 December, Kaluga

on 28 December, and Maloyaroslavets on 2 January, after 10 days of violent action.[12] Soviet reserves ran low, and

the offensive halted on 7 January 1942, after having pushed the exhausted and freezing German armies back

100250 km (62160 mi) from Moscow. Stalin continued to order more offensives in order to trap and destroy

Army Group Center in front of Moscow, but the Red Army was exhausted and overstretched and they failed.[68]

This

victory provided an important boost for Soviet morale, with the Wehrmachtsuffering its first defeat. Having failed to

vanquish the Soviet Union in one quick strike, Germany now had to prepare for a prolonged struggle. Operation

Barbarossa had failed.
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Battle of Moscow 12

Aftermath

1,028,600 Soviet personnel were

awarded the Medal "For the Defence

of Moscow" from 1 May 1944.

The Red Army's winter counter-offensive drove the Wehrmacht from Moscow,

but the city was still considered to be threatened, with the front line still

relatively close. Because of this, the Moscow direction remained a priority for

Stalin, who at first appeared to be in shock due to the initial German success.[69]

In particular, the initial Soviet advance was unable to level the Rzhev salient,

held by several divisions of Army Group Center. Immediately after the Moscow

counter-offensive, a series of Soviet attacks (the Battles of Rzhev) were

attempted against the salient, each time with heavy losses on both sides. Soviet

losses are estimated to be between 500,000 and 1,000,000 men, and German

losses between 300,000 and 450,000 men. By early 1943, however, the

Wehrmacht had to disengage from the salient as the whole front was moving

west. Nevertheless, the Moscow front was not finally secured until October 1943,

when Army Group Center was decisively repulsed from the Smolensk landbridge

and from the left shore of the upper Dnieper at the end of the Second Battle of

Smolensk.

Furious that his army had been unable to take Moscow, Hitler dismissed his

commander-in-chief, Walther von Brauchitsch, on 19 December 1941, and took

personal charge of the Wehrmacht,[63]

effectively taking control of all military

decisions and setting most experienced German officers against him.

Additionally, Hitler surrounded himself with staff officers with little or no recent combat experience. As Guderian

wrote in his memoirs, "This created a cold (chill) in our relations, a cold (chill) that could never be eliminated

afterwards."[70]

This increased Hitler's distrust of his senior officers and severely reduced the German advantages

due to their superior military leadership. Germany now faced the prospect of a war of attrition, something it was not

prepared for and bound to lose in the long run. Overall, the battle was a stinging defeat for the Axis, though notnecessarily a crushing one, and it ended German hopes for a quick and decisive victory over the Soviet Union.

For the first time since June 1941, Soviet forces had stopped the Germans and driven them back. This resulted in

Stalin becoming overconfident and deciding to further expand the offensive. On 5 January 1942, during a meeting in

the Kremlin, Stalin announced that he was planning a general spring counteroffensive, which would be staged

simultaneously near Moscow, Leningrad and in southern Russia. This plan was accepted over Zhukov's

objections.[71]

However, low Red Army reserves and Wehrmacht tactical skill led to a bloody stalemate near Rzhev,

known as the "Rzhev meat grinder", and to a string of Red Army defeats, such as the Second Battle of Kharkov, the

failed attempt at elimination of the Demyansk pocket, and the encirclement of General Vlasov's army near Leningrad

in a failed attempt to lift the siege of the city. Ultimately, these failures would lead to a successful German offensive

in the south and to the Battle of Stalingrad.

Nevertheless, the defense of Moscow became a symbol of Soviet resistance against the invading Axis forces. To

commemorate the battle, Moscow was awarded the title of "Hero City" in 1965, on the 20th anniversary of Victory

Day.[12]

A Museum of the Defence of Moscow was created in 1995[72]

Casualties

Both German and Soviet casualties during the battle of Moscow have been a subject of debate, as various sources

provide somewhat different estimates. Not all historians agree on what should be considered the "Battle of Moscow"

in the timeline of World War II. While the start of the battle is usually regarded as the beginning of Operation

Typhoon on 30 September 1941 (or sometimes on 2 October 1941), there are two different dates for the end of the

offensive. In particular, some sources (such as Erickson[73]

and Glantz[74]

) exclude the Rzhev offensive from the
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Battle of Moscow 13

scope of the battle, considering it as a distinct operation and making the Moscow offensive "stop" on 7 January

1942thus lowering the number of casualties. Other historians, who include the Rzhev and Vyazma operations in

the scope of the battle (thus making the battle end in May 1942), give higher casualty numbers.[12][62]

There are also significant differences in figures from various sources. John Erickson, in his Barbarossa: The Axis

and the Allies, gives a figure of 653,924 Soviet casualties between October 1941 and January 1942.[73]

Glantz, in his

book When Titans Clashed, gives a figure of 658,279 for the defense phase alone, plus 370,955 for the wintercounteroffensive until 7 January 1942.

[74]The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, published in 19731978, estimates

400,000 German casualties by January 1942.[62]

Another estimate available is provided in theMoscow Encyclopedia,

published in 1997; its authors, based on various sources, give a figure of 145,000 German and 900,000 Soviet

casualties for the defensive phase, along with 103,000 German and 380,000 Soviet casualties for the

counteroffensive until 7 January 1942. Many of the Soviet casualties, however, consisted of captured men.[12]

On the

other hand, Wehrmacht daily casualty reports show 35,757 killed in action, 128,716 wounded, and 9,721 missing in

action for the entire Army Group Center between 1 October 1941 and 10 January 1942.[75]

Therefore, total casualties

between 30 September 1941, and 7 January 1942, are estimated to be between 174,000 and 400,000 for the

Wehrmacht(GSE / Moscow encyclopedia estimate) and between 650,000 and 1,280,000 for the Red Army (Erickson

/ Moscow encyclopedia estimate).

Regardless of these disagreements, the Battle of Moscow is considered among the most lethal battles in world

history.

Footnotes

[1] David M. Glantz. When Titans Clashed. pp. 80, 81.

[2] Heinz Guderian,Erinnerungen eines Soldaten (Memoirs of a soldier), Smolensk, Rusich, 1999, p. 229.

[3] Great Soviet Encyclopedia, Moscow, 19731978, entry "Battle of Smolensk"

[4][4] Guderian, p. 272.

[5] Guderian, pp. 2679.

[6] A.M. Vasilevsky, The matter of my whole life, Moscow, Poitizdat, 1978, p. 134.

[7] Marshal G.K. Zhukov,Memoirs, Moscow, Olma-Press, 2002, p. 352.

[8][8] Zhukov, p. 353.

[9][9] Vasilevsky, p. 135.

[10][10] Guderian, p. 305.

[11] Hitler, in "Vlkischer Beobachter", 10 October 1941.

[12] Moscow Encyclopedia, ed. Great Russian Encyclopedia, Moscow, 1997, entry "Battle of Moscow"

[13][13] Bergstm 2007, p. 90.


[15][15] Guderian, p. 307

[16][16] Hardesty, 1991, p.61.

[17][17] Bergstrm 2007, p.118.

[18][18] Bergstrm 2007, p.90-91.

[19][19] Vasilevsky, p. 139.

[20][20] Glantz, chapter 6, sub-ch. "Viaz'ma and Briansk", pp. 74 ff.

[21][21] Vasilevsky, p. 138.

[22][22] Bergstrm 2007, p.91.

[23][23] Guderian, p. 316.

[24][24] Guderian, p. 318.

[25][25] Plocher 1968, p.231.

[26] Geoffrey Jukes, The Second World War The Eastern Front 19411945, Osprey, 2002, ISBN 1-84176-391-8, p. 29.

[27][27] Jukes, p. 31.

[28][28] Glantz, When Titans Clashed p336 n15.

[29] Smith, Howard K. (1942).Last Train from Berlin. Knopf. pp. 8391.

[30][30] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 10.

[31][31] Plocher 1968, p.231[32][32] Bergstrm 2007, p.93

[33][33] Jukes, p. 32.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Howard_K._Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Howard_K._Smithhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=V%C3%B6lkischer_Beobachterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Most_lethal_battles_in_world_historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Most_lethal_battles_in_world_history


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Battle of Moscow 14

[34][34] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 17.

[35][35] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 18.

[36][36] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 22.

[37] Braithwaite, pp. 184210.

[38][38] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 24.


[40] Zhukov, tome 2, pp. 235.

[41][41] Glantz, chapter 6, sub-ch. "To the Gates", pp. 80ff.

[42][42] Tooze, chapter 15 "December 1941: Turning Point", pp486ff.

[43][43] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 27.

[44] Klink, pp. 574; 590592

[45][45] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 28.

[46][46] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 30.

[47][47] Guderian, p. 345.

[48][48] Guderian, p. 340.

[49][49] Erickson, 'The Road to Stalingrad,' p.260

[50] A.P. Belov,Moscow is behind us, Moscow, Voenizdat, 1963, p. 97.

[51][51] Belov, p. 106.

[52] Henry Steele Commager, The Story of the Second World War, p. 144

[53][53] Christopher Argyle, Chronology of World War II Day by Day, p. 78[54][54] Glantz, ch.6, subchapter "December counteroffensive", pp. 86ff.


[56][56] Goldman p. 177

[57][57] Zhukov, tome 2, p. 37.


[59][59] Guderian, p. 354.



[62] Great Soviet Encyclopedia, Moscow, 197378, entry "Battle of Moscow 194142"

[63][63] Guderian, p. 359.

[64] Glantz and House 1995, pp. 8890.

[65][65] Bergstrom 2003, p. 297.

[66][66] Bergstrm 2007, p. 112-113.

[67][67] Bergstrm 2003, p. 299.

[68] Glantz and House 1995, p. 9197.

[69] Planning for war: the Red Army and the catastrophe of 1941 Europe-Asia Studies, Dec, 1995 by Cynthia A. Roberts (http://findarticles.

com/p/articles/mi_m3955/is_n8_v47/ai_18173704) "Marshal Georgii K. Zhukov, who had pressed Stalin on several occasions to alert and

reinforce the army, nonetheless recalled the shock of the German attack when he noted that 'neither the defence commissariat, myself, my

predecessors B.M. Shaposhnikov and K.A. Meretskov, nor the General Staff thought that the enemy could concentrate such a mass of ...

forces and commit them on the first day...'"

[70][70] Guderian, p. 365.

[71] Zhukov, tome 2, pp. 434.

[72][72] Rodric Braithwaite, "Moscow 1941: A City and Its People at War", p. 345.

[73] John Erickson,Barbarossa: The Axis and the Allies, table 12.4

[74][74] Glantz, Table B[75] "Heeresarzt 10-Day Casualty Reports per Army/Army Group, 1941" (http://ww2stats.com/cas_ger_okh_dec41. html). . Retrieved 28

March 2012.
http://ww2stats.com/cas_ger_okh_dec41.htmlhttp://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3955/is_n8_v47/ai_18173704http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3955/is_n8_v47/ai_18173704


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Battle of Moscow 15

References

Braithwaite, Rodric.Moscow 1941: A City and Its People at War. London: Profile Books Ltd, 2006 (hardcover,

ISBN 1-86197-759-X).

Collection of legislative acts related to State Awards of the USSR (1984), Moscow, ed. Izvestia.

Moscow Encyclopedia, ed. Great Russian Encyclopedia, Moscow, 1997, entry "Battle of Moscow"

Belov, Pavel Alekseevich (1963).Za nami Moskva. Moscow: Voenizdat.

Bergstrm, Christer (2007).Barbarossa The Air Battle: JulyDecember 1941. London: Chervron/Ian Allen.

ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.

Boog, Horst; Jrgen, Frster; Joachim, Hoffmann; Ernst, Klink; Rolf-Dieter, Mller; Gerd r., Ueberschr (1983).

Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg: Der Angriff auf die Sowjetunion. Stuttgart: Militrgeschichtliches

Forschungsamt. ISBN 3-421-06098-3.

Erickson, John; Dilks, David (1994).Barbarossa: The Axis and the Allies. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University

Press. ISBN 0-7486-0504-5.

Glantz, David M.; House, Jonathan M. (1995). When Titans clashed: how the Red Army stopped Hitler.

Lawrence: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-7006-0717-X.

Goldman, Stuart D. (2012).Nomonhan, 1939; The Red Army's Victory That Shaped World War II. Naval Institute

Press. ISBN 978-1-61251-098-9.

Guderian, Heinz (1951).Erinnerungen eines Soldaten. Heidelberg: Vowinckel.

Hardesty, Von.Red Phoenix. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991. ISBN 1-56098-071-0

Jukes, Geoffrey (2002). The Second World War: The Eastern Front 19411945. Oxford: Osprey.

ISBN 1-84176-391-8.

Nagorski, Andrew (2007). The Greatest Battle: Stalin, Hitler, and the Desperate Struggle for Moscow That

Changed the Course of World War II. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-8110-1.

Plocher, Hermann (1968).Luftwaffe versus Russia, 1941. New York: USAF: Historical Division, Arno Press.

Prokhorov, A. M. (ed.) (19731978). Great Soviet Encyclopedia. New York: Macmillan.

Reinhardt, Klaus.Moscow: The Turning Point? The Failure of Hitler's Strategy in the Winter of 1941

42.

Oxford: Berg Publishers, 1992 (hardback, ISBN 0-85496-695-1).

Sokolovskii, Vasilii Danilovich (1964).Razgrom Nemetsko-Fashistskikh Voisk pod Moskvoi (with map album).

Moscow: VoenIzdat. LCCN: 65-54443.

Tooze, Adam (2006). The Wages of Destruction: The making and breaking of the Nazi economy. London:

Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-100348-1.

Vasilevsky, A. M. (1981).Lifelong cause. Moscow: Progress. ISBN 0-7147-1830-0.

Williamson, Murray (1983). Strategy for Defeat: The Luftwaffe 19331945. Maxwell AFB: Air University Press.

ISBN 978-1-58566-010-0.

Zhukov, G. K. (1971). The memoirs of Marshal Zhukov. London: Cape. ISBN 0-224-61924-1.

External links

serpukhov.ru (http://www.serpukhov.su/dima/war/eng/eindex.htm) The Moscow battle.

Battle of Moscow 1941 + maps (http://web2.airmail.net/napoleon/Battle_of_Moscow_1941.htm)

Moscow Attacked! (http://LCoat.tripod.com/moscatt.htm) Free/educational Battle of Moscow boardgame.

WW2DB: Battle of Moscow (http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=37)

Armchair General/Maps 1941/Western Direction/The Moscow Battle (http://rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/

maps/maps1941W.htm#Moscow41) Excellent maps down to brigade level. For the Russians, 49A = 49th

Army, cd = rifle division, kd = cavalry division, tbp = tank brigade, etc.
http://rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/maps/maps1941W.htm#Moscow41http://rkkaww2.armchairgeneral.com/maps/maps1941W.htm#Moscow41http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=37http://lcoat.tripod.com/moscatt.htmhttp://web2.airmail.net/napoleon/Battle_of_Moscow_1941.htmhttp://www.serpukhov.su/dima/war/eng/eindex.htm


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Article Sources and Contributors 16

Article Sources and ContributorsBattle of Moscow Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=523228503 Contributors: -Ilhador-, .:Ajvol:., A.h. king, Aaagmnr, Ace Mendiola, Ad.edelweiss, Adam Carr, Aleksandr

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Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:Eastern Front 1941-06 to 1941-12.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Eastern_Front_1941-06_to_1941-12.pngLicense: GNU Free Documentation License

Contributors: Original uploader was Gdr at en.wikipedia Later version(s) were uploaded by Zocky, Marskell, Felix116, Forteblast, Mahahahaneapneap at en.wikipedia.

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File:Soldiers on guard in December 1941 to the west of Moscow.jpg Source:

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