The Battle of Smolensk

Situation

At the beginning of July, Army Group Centre began its advance towards Smolensk. The initial operation took place along a 600km wide front, between the Western Dvina and Dnepr Rivers. The northern half of the sector was dominated by marshland and large forested areas and so was unsuited to the fast moving mechanized advance the Germans favoured. The southern portion of the sector however, was far more open and provided greater freedom of movement to the rapidly advancing Panzer Divisions.
Army Group Centre would advance along two axes, one in the north and the other in the south. Panzer Group 3 was given the northern axis and would be supported by the 9th Army. In the south, the stronger Panzer Group 2 would be supported by elements of the 2nd Army.
The German motorized forces had raced ahead of the pursuing infantry and this would affect operations later on, as insufficient forces were available to effectively encircle Russian forces once they had been bypassed. Also, the rapid advance of the motorized units was beginning to put a noticeable strain on German supply lines.
The Russian forces facing the German advance were from the Western Front, which consisted of, from north to south, the 22nd, 19th, 20th, 13th and 21st Armies. The 16th Army was also held in reserve in the area of Smolensk.
Remnants of the 4th Army were still forward of the Berezina River, the 47th and 28th Rifle Corps and between the Berezina and Dnepr, the 44th and 2nd Rifle and 20th Mechanized Corps. During their desperate attempts to withdraw eastwards, they were employed as a blocking force in an attempt to slow the German advance.
Another factor aiding the Russian forces was the Stalin Line, a line of field fortifications constructed between 1930 and 1936, which ran from the Gulf of Finland in the north to the Black Sea in the south. The line was constructed between a series of fortified regions, which in the Smolensk region were situated at Polotsk, Minsk, Slutsk and Mozyr. The line consisted of trenchlines, interspersed with pillboxes and protected by substantial field defences. Although not fully constructed in some areas and poorly maintained, the line still provided a formidable obstacle in the path of the German advance. However the speed of the German advance and the heavy losses in the earlier fighting had left Russian forces thinly spread, with most Rifle Divisions covering a frontage of some 25km, almost double the pre war notions of an adequate and stable defence of 8 to 12km per Division. These Divisions were mostly deployed in a single echelon, with no units in depth to counter any breakthroughs of the line. Most of the Mechanized Corps had been destroyed in the earlier fighting and few armoured forces existed to counter deep penetrations. The logistical situation was poor and worsened as units became cut off or encircled.

The Berezina to the Dnepr

On the 6th of July, the 5th and 7th Mechanized Corps mounted a counter attack against elements of the 3rd Panzer Group, to the southwest of Vitebsk in the direction of Lepel. The 7th Mechanized Corps advanced into prepared German anti tank defences in the area of Senno, without adequate reconnaissance and there was little coordination between the armoured and infantry forces. As a result the Corps suffered extremely high losses. The 5th Mechanized Corps was halted by elements of the 12th Panzer Division to the north of Orsha and was eventually forced to withdraw. Further south, the 117th Rifle Division also mounted a surprise counter attack against the 3rd Panzer Division in the area of Slobin.
On the 7th of July, elements of the German 57th Panzer Corps reached and crossed the Western Dvina River. It then cooperated with elements of Army Group North to mount attacks to the north and south of Polotsk, in an attempt to destroy the Russian 22nd Army. The 20th Panzer and 18th Motorized Divisions attacked to the south of the town, while elements of Army Group North, the 19th Panzer and 14th Motorized Divisions, attacked to its north. The southern Group made rapid progress, bypassing the fortified region of Polotsk.
Elements of the 20th Panzer Division, supported by the 7th Panzer Division, captured Vitebsk on the 9th of July, much to the Russians surprise. The Russian 19th Army was ordered to mount an immediate counter attack to recapture the city, but the disjointed attacks failed and the remnants of the Army were forced to withdraw eastwards.
Further to the south, the 2nd Panzer Group crossed the Berezina River and expanded its attack to the north and south of the important rail centre of Mogilev. The city's population was mobilized and formed into militia units, which joined with forces withdrawing into the city from the Berezina River line. The 2nd Panzer Group penetrated to the north of the city at Kopys and Shkov and to the south at Staryi Bykov, forcing crossing points on the Dnepr River.
By the 13th of July, elements of the 3rd Panzer Group and Army Group North were threatening to encircle the 22nd Army, despite attempts from the 51st and 62nd Rifle Corps to prevent them. To the north of Vitebsk, the 20th Panzer and 18th Motorized Divisions had opened a large gap in the Russian front line between the 20th and 22nd Armies, which they rapidly exploited, while the 7th Panzer Division continued to drive the remnants of the 19th Army eastwards towards Demidov and Dukhovshchina.
The 12th Panzer Division also broke through to the south of the city and was advancing towards Rudnia, forcing back the remnants of the 7th Mechanized Corps and capturing Orsha. It was here that the Russians employed their first experimental Katyusha Battery, during a counter attack at the city's railway station. The devastating barrage proved highly effective and prompted the General Staff to put the weapon into full production.

The Dnepr to Smolensk

In the area of Mogilev, German forces had opened another gap in the Russian line, which was being exploited by the 3rd Panzer and SS Das Reich Divisions, while the 10th Panzer Division reached the Sozh River in the area of Chislavilchi. The 4th Panzer Division had also pushed through the gap and reached the Sozh River further south in the area of Propoisk.
The Russians began a counter attack on the 14th of July in the area between Rogachev and Propoisk. This counter attack was coordinated with attempts by Russian forces encircled in Mogilev and Orsha attempting to break out towards the east. The 25th Mechanized and 28th and 67th Rifle Corps attacked across the Sozh River against the southern flank of the 4th Panzer Division, while further south, the 63rd Rifle Corps briefly pushed German forces back at Rogachev and Zhlobin. Despite the difficult situation faced by the 4th Panzer Division, the 3rd Panzer Division and Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland completed the encirclement of Mogilev and the 3rd Panzer Division continued its advance towards Chaussy. To the south of Orsha, the SS Das Reich and 10th Panzer Divisions advanced eastwards towards Shamovo, while the 29th Motorized Division moved north eastwards towards Smolensk.
In the Smolensk area, the 16th Army had fanned out, forming a protective screen to the west of the city and the 129th Rifle Division had arrived in the city itself to strengthen the defences. By the 16th of July, the 7th and 20th Panzer Divisions had penetrated to the north of Smolensk, reaching the Vop River and were threatening Russian lines of communication to the northeast of the city.
Further south, the 17th and 18th Panzer Divisions were threatening the southern flank of the 20th Army and the 29th Motorized Division broke into Smolensk from the south. Following several days of heavy fighting the city fell and the remnants of the garrison were forced to withdraw eastwards.By the 20th, the remnants of the 22nd Army, now completely separated from the 20th Army, were being forced to withdraw to the northeast by 9th Army's 6th, 23rd and 2nd Corps. In the centre, the remnants of the 20th and 16th Armies had been forced into a pocket in the Smolensk area. The eastern end of the pocket was still open and Russian units were moving the pocket to the east while continuing to fight on its northern, western and southern perimeters. In the south, German forces had reached the Sozh River along its entire length and were securing crossing points.
In the middle of July, the STAVKA decided to go over to the offensive in order to halt the German advance. They formed five operational Groups, most named after their commanders, with which to carry out a coordinated series of attacks along the entire front. It was hoped that while these attacks were ongoing, that 16th Army, which was surrounded and moving eastwards in the pocket, would maintain its combat integrity. The groups, arrayed from north to south were, a cavalry Group to the west of Belyi, consisting of two Divisions, Group Khomenko in the Belyi area, Group Kalinin to the north of Iartsevo, Group Rokassovsky in the area of Iartsevo itself and Group Kachalov in the area of Roslavl.
The groups were to carry out a three pronged drive, with Group Groups Khomenko and Kalinin striking south out of Belyi towards Smolensk, Group Rokassovsky was to carry out a holding action in the area of Iartsevo, in order to pin down German forces there and Group Kachalov was to strike northwards along the Roslavl-Smolensk road. The cavalry Group was tasked with striking into the German rear towards Bobruisk, to harass German lines of communication.
By the 21st of July, German infantry Divisions were beginning to appear in the line and started to relieve the weary Motorized and Panzer Divisions. On the 22nd of July, the 7th Panzer Division captured Iartsevo after particularly heavy fighting. The advances of the 20th Motorized Division to the east of Iartsevo and the 29th Motorized Division from Smolensk, was threatening to close the pocket around 16th Army, which was still struggling to move eastwards.
The Russian attacks failed to develop in a coordinated fashion, due to poor control and the continual harassment of roads and assembly areas by the Luftwaffe. At Roslavl, Group Khomenko was the first to implement its attack and began its advance along the Roslavl road on the 23rd. The advance threatened to envelop Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland.
In the north, Groups Khomenko and Kalinin also opened their attacks, but these were quickly halted and the Kalinin Group driven back towards the Vop River. The SS Das Reich Division began to reinforce the German position Elnia.
By the 25th, the offensive strength of Group Kachalov was beginning to subside and the Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland and elements of the 18th Panzer Division were beginning to press its northern flank, while the 263rd Infantry Division attacked its western flank.
On the 26th, the SS Das Reich Division from the south and the 20th Motorized Division in the north squeezed the neck of the pocket around Smolensk even tighter. Russians forces were still streaming eastwards through the gap, as the pocket was gradually reduced from the west. Further south Group Kachalov launched a final desperate drive towards Smolensk.
By the 27th, the German High Command decided that a ten-day pause in the offensive should be taken to rest and refit the beleaguered Motorized and Panzer units which had been withdrawn from the line. Despite this operational pause, German infantry units continued to reduce the Smolensk pocket. By the 30th of July, the gap at the eastern end of the pocket was virtually sealed, trapping elements of the 20th and 16th Armies, which had not received supplies of fuel and ammunition since the 15th of July and were running desperately short of both.
The 24th Panzer Corps had assembled in the area north of Krichev and was preparing to open a new attack along the boundary of the 13th and 28th Armies. The attack opened on the 31st and was spearheaded by the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions, which met little initial opposition. The two Divisions punched a hole in the Russian line and sent elements of the 28th Army reeling back towards Roslavl and threatening to encircle Group Kachalov.
By the 3rd of August, German forces had captured Roslavl and Group Kachalov had been encircled. Further north the pocket around Smolensk had finally collapsed and the situation in that area stabilized somewhat, as did the situation along the whole front as the battle for Smolensk came to an end.