Operation 'December Storm'
1100 January 4th 1941
'The first phase of December Storm will be the retaking of smolensk, when achieved a massive massault across the Dniepr westwards is required to secure a bridgehead for phase 2, phase 2 will entail retaking our occupied lands and making preperations for the liberation of Poland.
Phase 2 may be a long and ardous task, but we will preveil once across the Dniepr we will be able to strike the germans in their flanks and put them on their heels back to berlin.'
- K.G. Zhukov speaking to High Command about 'Operation December Storm'
0900 hours on the 4th of january, 1941 soviet planes en route to bombard smolensk are intercepted by a unusualy large force of germany interceptors 300 miles north of smolensk, the soviets put up a quick fight but the bombers are sitting ducks so high command gives the order to retreat. the battle would now commence in 2 hours with no preliminary bombardment by air, a massive artillery barrage began at 1045 from 3 sides of smolensk on the entrenched german forces doing little to weaken their position and adversly it made the enemy aware of the impending attack.
At 1100 hours like clockwork the first divisions arrived, were quickly bogged down by hevily entrenched german forces, though numericaly inferior they inflicted alot of casultys in the first few hours, but the tide turned when Zhukov and his 4 amored divisions arrived, the germans caught unaware that such a force was in the proximity of smolensk, but unwavered they tried to withstand the assault.
By 1300 hours the german line had been broken by the massed armor and field Marshal Von Runsted ordered a withdrawl to a secondary line extending through the city of Smolensk itself.
On the morning of 5th january the germans had managed to form a semi entrenched line more or less within the operation goals of the withdrawl.
The 5th and 6th had a stalemate, the german forces put up a substantial fight although considerably outnumbered in men and tanks the city's cover gavethem the stopping power to hold the soviets temporarily.
On the 6th the german high command no realised they were stuck in an enveloping attack, the soviets in the north under field marshal Tobhulkin crossed the river Dniepr and engaged the flank of the entrenching german forces, this suprise manoever caught Runstedt on his heels, he ordered the remaining forces in the north to withdraw inside the city.
After a bloody day of soviet assaults weakening the german positions and also getting a foothold into the city Runstedt gave the order for the army to make a fighting withdrawl across the dniepr on the morning of the 7th and by the 8th the soviets were inside the city and mopping up last pockets of resistance that they had overun and 0800 9th of january 1941 Zhukov sends a memorandum to STAVKA stating, the battle of Smolensk between the 4th and 9th of january 1941 has ended in a complete Soviet victory.
'The bloody 7th'
- Soviet forces assaulting the city of Smolensk, January 7th 1941.
Statistics:
German estimated 60% of force dead/wounded/missing
105,000 men - 35,000 dead, 64,000 wounded
Soviet estimated 20% of force dead/wounded/missing
380,000 men - 58,000 dead, 86,000 wounded
(pc reformatted) and in eu2 not hoi, im also not an extremly good writer, but we improve through practice!
