Rank and File
A Clerk’s War
Wednesday 15th October to Saturday 18th October 1941
Berlin
Of course the leading topics of conversation in government circles are still the weather on the Eastern Front and the progress of the Battle for Moscow. We can’t affect one and the other is in the hands of the front line commanders, so most of the talk is just hot air.
Weather map: Winter is Coming!
OKH was annoyed to discover that General Busch still had OB Ost in western Poland. Being such a distance from the troops he commands reduces his effectiveness markedly, and he has been told to redeploy his HQ closer to the front. Orders have been issued to move the unit to Minsk but as of the 19th progress is slow due to a lack of supply in the area – everything is being railed into Russia.
Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop, who has responsibility for ensuring our business contacts internationally are maintained, had the responsibility of informing the Cabinet (and the Führer!) that the USA government had ordered that all trade with the Reich is to be cancelled. Our dependence on the USA for oil is long gone, thanks to our scientists and the new coal to oil conversion plants, but we do rely on imports for many rare materials. Although nowhere near critical, we are now forced to tap our reserves of aluminium, rubber, cotton, various pharmaceuticals etc. Minister Schacht appeared relaxed when I saw him walking towards the Reichskanzlerei.
Most of the public discussion has been on the economic impact of this decision by President Roosevelt, backed by Congress. At the highest levels, however, the economics is a minor irritation. Far more worrying is the implication of such a decision: is the USA moving towards finally taking a side in the war? Are we to face a serious threat from the west as winter halts our advance in the east? The word is that Minister Frick has been told to push his agents and intelligence operative to the limit to discover what the USA plans to do. We do not want to be taken by surprise.
As you might imagine, Minister von Blomberg’s announcement that a new barrel and sights for our anti-tank weapons has been developed fell on barren ground. I am sure the engineers worked hard and deserved some recognition, but the timing was wrong. Was it coincidence that the new research project is to be an advanced search radar unit suitable for large aircraft? Aircraft able to handle the VVS but not the Americans?
An old Dornier equipped with a FuG 202 “Leichtenstien” B/C radar unit.
Baltic Army (Kesselring)
Although all eyes are fixed further south where the battle for Moskva rages, General Kesselring is still pushing his men, desperate to get as far east as possible before the winter. Model’s 1st schwere Panzerkorps, aware that bad weather will affect the armour most is leading the offensive. 109.ID showed the way, taking Griblyanka in just 12 hours.
Polen Army Nord (von Manstein)
General Kleinheisterkamp cannot understand what took his 5th Panzer Division so long to clear Klim. It was not the number of defenders: an under-strength cavalry division with a weak rifle division in the rear. And it was not the level of resistance: a total of 70 casualties on both sides. Yet even with the Luftwaffe’s assistance it took more than 12 hours to break the Soviets.
It is tribute to the reputation that General von der Chevallerie has acquired that he has been put in charge of the assault on Kalinin. Not only does he now command nearly 30,000 men, but two of the divisions he will use in the attack (14 and 23.ID) are from Rommel’s Polen Army Sud. The city is lightly held by a single cavalry division, and soon we should be able to remove Mikhail Kalinin’s name from our maps and replace it with proud name of Tver.
Mikhail Kalinin: the Chairman of the Praesidum of the SupremeSoviet. What can one say about a man who allows his own wife to be sent to a labour camp by the NKVD? 10 years is enough, soon his name will be erased from the map
Chasing fleeing Russians, General Salmuth overextended his troops by advancing into Aleksin. Initially there was little fighting, but then some of the retreating Russians recovered enough courage to stand their ground. At that point Salmuth realised the potential for disaster as his men were greatly outnumbered with only the narrow corridor to Suvorov as a retreat path. Reluctantly 52.ID was called back, taking heavy casualties.
The arrival of 71.ID effectively ended the battle for Gnezdovo. The Russians had fought hard, but their will collapsed at the realisation that 10,000 fresh soldiers were now available to join the offence.
Polen Army Sud (Rommel)
Orders were clear: no reinforcements were to head in the direction of Moskva. Rommel understood his role perfectly, and ordered his commanders to push east as hard as possible. A key target was Tula, south of the Russian capital, a major road and rail network hub. To get there, a path must be cleared through Oka. General von Salmuth and 4th Panzer Division were the spearhead, and soon reported contact with at least three motorised divisions. This would be a tough fight.
Another tough fight was the battle for Zavidovskij Zapovednik, but Harpe finally broke the spirit of the Russians. It could hardly be called a victory: despite air support 3rd leichte Panzer lost nearly twice as many men as the enemy.
Tula was always going to be a tough nut to crack, but using von Hubicki’s armour was probably not a great idea. How General Rommel agreed to this no-one knows. For two days the tanks and sturmpanzers tried to blast a way forward, but to no avail. At midnight 7th Panzer Division, having tried everything and failed, pulled back. Two Soviet rifle divisions, the solid construction of the buildings and above all, the presence of the Upa River, were too much for the Germans. Tula, which as part of the Great Abatis Line, threw back the Tatars twice, survived the first onslaught of 1941.
Just before the final assault on Moskva: bad weather is getting close
All defeats, delays and disturbances were forgotten, however, when the news flash hit Berlin just as everyone was sitting down to the first coffee of the morning: Moskva has fallen! As I write, Hansen’s 16.ID (mot) is entering the city, the SdKfz 223s of his Aufklärung battalions already occupying the city centre and the trucks bearing his infantry racing through abandoned suburbs. Early reports indicate that we have captured warehouses crammed with valuable raw materials. More than 60,000 enemy are fleeing, all hope lost. The Führer himself has congratulated General Rommel and Polen Army Sud, but with uncharacteristic modesty Rommel has acknowledged the contribution of his fellow army commander, General von Manstein.
An Sdkfz 223 of 16.ID (mot) enters Moskva past a building destroyed in the fighting
The news has led to a burst of enthusiasm throughout the Reich, and Reichsminister Goebbels has already informed the Cabinet that high calibre applicants are flooding into the officer recruitment schools across the country. He anticipates we will soon lift our officer levels to more than the current 137% of requirement, closer to our goal of 140%.
Moscow falls: the official announcement
The prediction that the bill for Mtsensk would be high proved correct. More than 1,000 men were lost before General Lelyushen’s three divisions could take no more and pulled back. They had done their job, however, as the vulnerable HQ units had escaped and Schack’s 106.ID (mot) will take some time to recover, though Phlep’s 98.ID (mot) is in better condition. Neither had the ability to advance, however, which led to the embarrassment of seeing the province reoccupied on the morning of the 18th. Another instance of lack of fresh troops leading to wasted effort.
From the speed with which he cleared Pokrovskoye, General Höpner could give some advice on how to handle cavalry, though having 4th leichte Panzer Division equipped with the PzKpfw.38(t)G may have helped. The PzKpfw.IIJ is not much slower, but at 23 tonnes, it is much heavier than the 38(t) which reduces its off-road speed considerably. The use of a motorised division (100.ID) would also have helped convince Nikolaev to turn 21 Gorno-Kaveleriy east.
During the night of the 15th, 2nd Panzer Division, backed by the infantry of 108.ID (mot) pushed their way into Dolgoye. This was never going to be a swift rout of unprepared defenders, as General Romanov had more than 15,000 men and one of his two divisions, 57th “Ural’skaya”, was in prime condition. In fact, after two days fighting General Dietrich reported that resistance was stiffening. While his men had defeated the original defenders, two fresh units had replaced them. One of the new units was an armoured division at full strength: an alarming reminder the Red Army is not yet crippled.
For 10th Panzer Division, the situation was even worse. General Schmidt had ordered his men into Staryj Oskol, possibly not fully aware of the task he had set them. The Russians, under the relatively junior General Ratnikov, had a full armour division backed by three rifle divisions, all in good condition. Attacking from Belgorod meant that the Kharkiv River was another obstacle. By late on Saturday night Schmidt had all but admitted to Balkans Army HQ that there was no prospect of success and that it was time to accept defeat.
Later on the 16th, 345.ID (mot) with 1a Divisione Alpina “Taurinese” came up against 221st Motorizavannaya in Zmiyiv, south of Kharkov. Supply was an issue for both units, but they were still able to make some progress. There is some concern about another rifle division moving to reinforce Katukov’s division.
With all the heavy fighting going on, the rapid collapse of resistance in Novosil was a pleasant change for Guderian’s HQ. 107.ID (mot) was able to drive out 106th Strelkovaya in a matter of hours and for only a few dozen casualties. The lack of any important population centres nearby possible explains the Red Army giving ground so easily, trading ground for time. There was a minor clash during the night of the 17th, but General Altrichter assured von Arnim at 1st Motorkorps HQ that the fighting involved stragglers from the retreating 154th Strelkovaya, a garrison unit of no military importance.
There was more good news for von Arnim for Livny. General Petersen and 22.ID (mot) have encircled large sections of 40 Kaveleriy and though sporadic fighting continues, it should only be a matter of hours before the area is under control.
The last we heard from von Arnim was less positive. Due to a lack of troops, Mtsensk was left ungarrisoned and a Soviet cavalry unit has been identified as having retaken the province. By itself that is not too worrying: an infantry unit could easily retake it. What is occupying von Arnim’s thoughts is that his HQ is undefended in the neighbouring province of Humotovo. Two motorised divisions (106 and 161.ID (mot))have been ordered to move rapidly from Bolhov to provide the necessary protection.
Italian Expeditionary Army (Pintor)
Österreich Army (von Kluge)
The battle for Sakhnovshchyna started well, as General Kurtze encircled parts of 23rd “Har’kovskaya”. The only Soviet reserve in the area was 300th Strelkovaya which was barely able to defend itself, let alone pose a threat to the elite troops of 7th SS Freiwilligen-Gebirgsjäger Division “Prinz Eugen”. Unfortunately General Kutlin had access to other troops, and soon Kurtze’s men found themselves fighting 163rd Motorizavannaya, fresh and fully equipped. It was Kurtze’s turn to call for help as his attack bogged down. 198.ID is on its way, but the time of its arrival is uncertain.
Gunners of 198.ID race to assist “Prinz Eugen”. With the panzer and motorised units dominating the news, we forget that the Heer still relies on the horse.
The gebirgsjägers were also in action on the 17th, as 3rd Geb.Div found its way into Barvinkove blocked by three Red Army units, including an armoured division. Although Obukhov’s rifle divisions are not in good condition, 18th Tankovaya is a more difficult proposition. General Brand, while assuring both General Jänekke and General von Kluge that victory is certain, cannot give a time or date. One other thing is certain, casualties are mounting.
Bock’s insistence on heavy armour support and massive bombing of enemy positions may have justified. He has taken Stalino, but it seems to have been a fairly even battle, despite our large numerical superiority. The Soviets retreated in good order, so there will be no quick follow up.
Finalised Battles for the period 15th to 18th October 1941
Klim: 9 (11,988): 61 (13,786)
Mtsensk: 1,143 (19,476): 1,379 (31,920)
Pokrovskoye: 10 (19,952): 62 (5,998)
Aleksin: 503 (10.000): 167 (25,757)
Zavidovskij Zapovednik: 303 (9,991): 174 (52, 174)
Tula: 193 (21,990): 85 (167)
Novosil: 28 (10,000): 64 (9,117)
Griblyanka: 20 (9,993): 101 (6,000)
Moskva: 339 (21,990): 1,085 (62,827)
2nd Novosil: 37 (9,971): 54 (9,475)
Gnezdovo: 291 (29,998): 539 (9,575)
Stalino: 372 (28,686): 424 (19,684)
Total Battlefield Casualties for the period 15th to 18th October 1941
Hungarian:
Nil
Italian:
Nil
German:
3,248
Russian:
4,195
Prior Casualties
Hungarian: 2,731
Italian: 7,110
German: 373,698
Russian: 412,840
Total Battlefield Casualties to date
Hungarian: Nil + 2,731 =
2,731
Italian: Nil + 7,110 =
7,110
German: 3,248 + 373,698 =
376,946
Russian: 4,195 + 412,840 =
417,035
Bombing Summary for the period 15th to 18th October 1941
Only one attempt by the VVS to turn back our bombers, over Zavidovskij Zapovednik. JG 22 “Schild” and JG 72 “Zebra” drove off the Russian fighters well before they got near a bomber.
Klin: Löhr with 2nd Schlachtfliegerkorps: 112
Obninsk: Grauert with 4th Kampffliegerkorps: 236, 336 (572)
Stalino: Dörstling with6th Kampffliegerkorps: 179, 188, 201 (568)
Stalino: Udet with 3rd Schlachtfliegrkorps: 78, 63 (141)
Moskva: Löhr with 2nd Schlachtfliegerkorps: 203, 333, 364 (900)
Zavidovskij Zapovednik: Grauert with 3rd and 4th Kampfliegerkorps: 183
Dolgoye: Müller-Michels with 5th Kampffliegerkorps: 235, 235, 177, 313 (960)
Griblyanka: Wever with 8th Kampffliegerkorps: 121, 126, 13 (260)
Moskva: Schwartzkopf with 2nd Kampffliegerkorps: 221
Oka: Grauert: 4th Kampffliegerkorps: 285, 297 (582)
Oka : Löhr with 2nd Schlachtfliegerkorps: 69, 129, 188 (386)
Kalinin: Grauert with 4th Kampffliegerkorps: 158, 367, 62 (587)
With the VVS now only seen intermittently, the main danger to our bombers is Soviet anti-aircraft guns like this 37mm 61-K on top of a Moskva building
Total Bombing Casualties for the period 15th to 18th October 1941
Hungarian:
Nil
Italian:
Nil
German:
Nil
Russian:
5,472
Prior Casualties
Hungarian: 128
Italian: 65
German: 5,222
Russian: 280,640
Total Bombing Casualties to date
Hungarian: Nil + 128 =
128
Italian: Nil + 65 =
65
German: Nil + 5,222 =
5,222
Russian: 5,472 + 280,640 =
286,112
East Front: Position at end of 18th October 1941
Total East Front Casualties for the period 15th to 18th October 1941
Hungarian: Nil + Nil =
Nil
Italian: Nil + Nil =
Nil
German: 3,248 + Nil =
3,248
Russian: 4,195 + 5,472 =
9,667
Prior Casualties
Hungarian: 2,849
Italian: 7,175
German: 378,920
Russian: 693,480
Total East Front casualties to date
Hungarian: Nil + 2,849 =
2,849
Italian: Nil + 7,175 =
7,175
German: 3,248 + 378,920 =
382,168
Russian: 9,667 + 693,480 =
703,147
