And I will try my hardest to keep this one going...
Chapter I: The Fall of Lvov--Chapter II: The Road to Uman--Chapter III: Uman, the last prelude--Chapter IV: Onto Kiev--Chapter V: The Ukraine's City
Breaching the Defences---------Outflanking on a large scale---------The First Counterattack-------The faster we get there...--Clearing out the rubble
Urban Ambush----------------------The River Looms----------------------Quiet Break--------------The target approaches----------Single Killer
Closing the Trap---------------------We must cross!--------------------Street Warfare---------------At the Outskirts-----------Nowhere to run
Chapter VI: Apocalypse at Kiev--Chapter VII: Drive past Dniepr--Chapter VIII: Held at Kharkov--Chapter IX: Defend the factory!!--Chapter X: Donbass
Defend the Line!-------------------------Invisible enemies-------------------Déjà vu------------------------Regroup-------------------Small gains
We stand here------------------------Held up on the roads---------------Stuck under fire---------------Surprise Assault--------------Smaller Battles
An opportunity lost----------------------Shattered Pursuit-------------Clearing the Factory-------------No Quarter Asked--------------Winter's signs
----------------------------------------------------------
Introduction
The German attack on Russia, or Operation Barbarossa as its codename, was a long time in the making. And the Russians had plenty of warnings, you cannot easily hide the buildupof 3 million soliders on a border, but Stalin refused all of these, saying that Germany would not attack so early. Since the partition of Poland, Stalin had been absolute in his orders, only a few spies, no far reach reconnaissance missions, and only short based plane missions meant that dozens of warnings were not found, or were unheeded by the Soviets.
Then, in May, just as the attack was about to commence, partisan resistance in the Balkans caused trouble. Hitler was heedless enough to pause Barbarossa and deal with the trouble in the provinces. The final delay was up to five weeks, and shifted the launch from Mid-May to Mid-June. Of course, the delay seemed unimportant, but it was to have far felt consequences in the winters of the future... But the build up was nearly complete. Hitler said "When Barbossa starts, the world will hold its breath."
Stalin refused to take in any of the warnings that came his way now, and they came thicker and faster than ever as the clock ticked down to the start of the invasion. The German Diplomats in Soviet territory left to their homeland with their families. The Soviets most trusted spy, Richard Sorge, sent the plans to Moscow. Stalin laughed at this. A spy ring in South Germany sent the plans again to Moscow. Still Stalin refused to listen. Then, a Soldier defected and told everything. Stalin said that this was all provocation.
It was too late now. Stalin had already ordered, months before, for Soviet troops to stop and wait to be rearmed (as he thought that war with Germany was inevitable, but not in 1941) and had no chance. On the morning of June 22, 1941 at 3:15am, the Germans swarmed past Soviet defences across the river Bug and rushed past Soviet forces. They rushed past the troops as if they were not there. After one day, when the German forces had pushed about 20 miles into Soviet territory with few losses. In the North, the LVI Corps advanced 50. A Lieutenant said "The Russian defences were as good as a row of glass."
When reports came in to Soviet commands that the defensive line had simply broken and fled at full speed, many refused to take it in. Timoshenko reported to Pavlov that "no offensive action may be taken against the Germans until we have ordered so." The strongest response in the first few hours was "reconnaissance of over no more than 60km over German territory." These muddles in the Soviet high command helped the Germans immensly with their gains. The Nazi troops rolled over the border guards as if they were not there, and there was no support forecoming from the Soviet High Command.
On the second day, the Soviets sent out orders to the Generals:
1: Troops will regroup and attack the enemy and destroy him. They will drive him back to the frontier line, but not cross that without authorisation."
2: Reconnaissance aircraft will locate enemy positions and assist the ground forces. Bombers will support. Air strikes will take place up to 90 miles from the front line.
These orders were flawed, in many different ways. The main one, though, was the near destruction of the advance Soviet Air Forces. The Luftwaffe had destroyed over 1489 Russian Planes on the ground, and 322 in the air.
The Soviet Army had its fair share of punishment. Three infantry divisions had simply vanished overnight. Manstein had great success with Panzer divisions in the north. The LVI Corps repeated their earlier success, and within a week had advanced 100m, and had to be given orders to stop and let the rest of the Corps catch up. Three Russian Armies, the 3rd, 4th and 10th were about to be surrounded and cut off. Russian casualties were devastating across the front. Troops were simply shattered.
However, even in the resounding midst of success after success, victory and victory. There were a few problems in the Grand advances. The first was the massive resistance that the Russian Troops gave after the first few days. Communism was slowly rotting the country away, but Nationalism was not dead, but was fiercly installed in all of the Russian soldiers. The second was the poor success, compared with the rest of the front, of Army Group South. As the Hungarian and Romanian troops were not up to par with German troops.
Rundstedt was determined to put a stop to this, and his first major target was the major city of Lvov, and strategic point of great importance, as supplies could reach the entire front from the city. So he sent the German Sixth Army and Panzer Group I to attack and destroy the city. On September 8, they approached the city. On September 9, the Russian guards fought a bitter resistance throughout the outskirts, but were forced back inside. This rearguard action allowed a large amount of Soviet Troops to escape, but the Panzers were quickly rushing to encircle the remaining soldiers. At dawn, September 10th, the trap was about to be sprung...
The Panzers Will Roll...
The Story of Operation Barbarossa
----------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: For the new contents page, Read the Chapter (Chapter I: The Fall of Lvov) and underneath that chapter are the three parts to the Chapter. (i.e. Chapter 1 has Breaching the Defences (First) Urban Ambush (Second) and Closing the Trap (Third).
----------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
Part 1: Through the Ukraine!
The Story of Operation Barbarossa
----------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: For the new contents page, Read the Chapter (Chapter I: The Fall of Lvov) and underneath that chapter are the three parts to the Chapter. (i.e. Chapter 1 has Breaching the Defences (First) Urban Ambush (Second) and Closing the Trap (Third).
----------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS
Part 1: Through the Ukraine!
Chapter I: The Fall of Lvov--Chapter II: The Road to Uman--Chapter III: Uman, the last prelude--Chapter IV: Onto Kiev--Chapter V: The Ukraine's City
Breaching the Defences---------Outflanking on a large scale---------The First Counterattack-------The faster we get there...--Clearing out the rubble
Urban Ambush----------------------The River Looms----------------------Quiet Break--------------The target approaches----------Single Killer
Closing the Trap---------------------We must cross!--------------------Street Warfare---------------At the Outskirts-----------Nowhere to run
Chapter VI: Apocalypse at Kiev--Chapter VII: Drive past Dniepr--Chapter VIII: Held at Kharkov--Chapter IX: Defend the factory!!--Chapter X: Donbass
Defend the Line!-------------------------Invisible enemies-------------------Déjà vu------------------------Regroup-------------------Small gains
We stand here------------------------Held up on the roads---------------Stuck under fire---------------Surprise Assault--------------Smaller Battles
An opportunity lost----------------------Shattered Pursuit-------------Clearing the Factory-------------No Quarter Asked--------------Winter's signs
----------------------------------------------------------
Introduction
The German attack on Russia, or Operation Barbarossa as its codename, was a long time in the making. And the Russians had plenty of warnings, you cannot easily hide the buildupof 3 million soliders on a border, but Stalin refused all of these, saying that Germany would not attack so early. Since the partition of Poland, Stalin had been absolute in his orders, only a few spies, no far reach reconnaissance missions, and only short based plane missions meant that dozens of warnings were not found, or were unheeded by the Soviets.
Then, in May, just as the attack was about to commence, partisan resistance in the Balkans caused trouble. Hitler was heedless enough to pause Barbarossa and deal with the trouble in the provinces. The final delay was up to five weeks, and shifted the launch from Mid-May to Mid-June. Of course, the delay seemed unimportant, but it was to have far felt consequences in the winters of the future... But the build up was nearly complete. Hitler said "When Barbossa starts, the world will hold its breath."
Stalin refused to take in any of the warnings that came his way now, and they came thicker and faster than ever as the clock ticked down to the start of the invasion. The German Diplomats in Soviet territory left to their homeland with their families. The Soviets most trusted spy, Richard Sorge, sent the plans to Moscow. Stalin laughed at this. A spy ring in South Germany sent the plans again to Moscow. Still Stalin refused to listen. Then, a Soldier defected and told everything. Stalin said that this was all provocation.
It was too late now. Stalin had already ordered, months before, for Soviet troops to stop and wait to be rearmed (as he thought that war with Germany was inevitable, but not in 1941) and had no chance. On the morning of June 22, 1941 at 3:15am, the Germans swarmed past Soviet defences across the river Bug and rushed past Soviet forces. They rushed past the troops as if they were not there. After one day, when the German forces had pushed about 20 miles into Soviet territory with few losses. In the North, the LVI Corps advanced 50. A Lieutenant said "The Russian defences were as good as a row of glass."
When reports came in to Soviet commands that the defensive line had simply broken and fled at full speed, many refused to take it in. Timoshenko reported to Pavlov that "no offensive action may be taken against the Germans until we have ordered so." The strongest response in the first few hours was "reconnaissance of over no more than 60km over German territory." These muddles in the Soviet high command helped the Germans immensly with their gains. The Nazi troops rolled over the border guards as if they were not there, and there was no support forecoming from the Soviet High Command.
On the second day, the Soviets sent out orders to the Generals:
1: Troops will regroup and attack the enemy and destroy him. They will drive him back to the frontier line, but not cross that without authorisation."
2: Reconnaissance aircraft will locate enemy positions and assist the ground forces. Bombers will support. Air strikes will take place up to 90 miles from the front line.
These orders were flawed, in many different ways. The main one, though, was the near destruction of the advance Soviet Air Forces. The Luftwaffe had destroyed over 1489 Russian Planes on the ground, and 322 in the air.
The Soviet Army had its fair share of punishment. Three infantry divisions had simply vanished overnight. Manstein had great success with Panzer divisions in the north. The LVI Corps repeated their earlier success, and within a week had advanced 100m, and had to be given orders to stop and let the rest of the Corps catch up. Three Russian Armies, the 3rd, 4th and 10th were about to be surrounded and cut off. Russian casualties were devastating across the front. Troops were simply shattered.
However, even in the resounding midst of success after success, victory and victory. There were a few problems in the Grand advances. The first was the massive resistance that the Russian Troops gave after the first few days. Communism was slowly rotting the country away, but Nationalism was not dead, but was fiercly installed in all of the Russian soldiers. The second was the poor success, compared with the rest of the front, of Army Group South. As the Hungarian and Romanian troops were not up to par with German troops.
Rundstedt was determined to put a stop to this, and his first major target was the major city of Lvov, and strategic point of great importance, as supplies could reach the entire front from the city. So he sent the German Sixth Army and Panzer Group I to attack and destroy the city. On September 8, they approached the city. On September 9, the Russian guards fought a bitter resistance throughout the outskirts, but were forced back inside. This rearguard action allowed a large amount of Soviet Troops to escape, but the Panzers were quickly rushing to encircle the remaining soldiers. At dawn, September 10th, the trap was about to be sprung...
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