On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the expulsion of the Nazi invaders from Rzhev, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation launched a special multimedia section “At the Rzhev Frontier of Glory” on its website.
It contains operational reports, combat orders, directives of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command and other documents covering the course of the Rzhev battle.
Beginning of the battle
In October 1941, fierce battles with the Nazi invaders began on the distant approaches to Moscow.
Despite the courageous resistance of the Red Army units, Wehrmacht units cut the front in the Vyazma region and rushed to the capital.
During this breakthrough, on October 14, 1941, the Nazis captured Rzhev.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has published declassified combat documents of the headquarters of the Western Front and the 29th Army, covering the course of the defense of the city.
The combat order of the headquarters of the 29th Army of October 14 contains an instruction regarding changes in the defense lines held by individual army units.
“The 29th Army, defending along the northern bank of the Volga River at the line of Bakhmatovo-Rzhev-Zubtsov-Staritsa, continues to retreat, concentrating by the end of 14:10 in the area of Ryasnya, Konyshkovo, Krutsy, Glazunovo, having to further retreat in the Kalinin direction.
On the right, the 22nd Army continues to withdraw, on the left, the 30th Army retreats to the Staritsa-Moscow Sea line, ”the document says.
In the operational summary of the headquarters of the Western Front of October 16, 1941, it is reported that on October 14, with up to two infantry divisions, the enemy pursued the Soviet rearguard units from the south in the direction of Rzhev, at the same time, with up to two infantry regiments with 50 tanks, fought in the Staritsa area.
In order to cover the exit and concentrate retreating units north of Rzhev, the army with three divisions went over to the defensive along the left bank of the Volga River.
Combat order of the headquarters of the 29th Army of October 12, 1941
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
“The counterattack of the second echelon of the 186th Rifle Division stopped the further advance of the enemy by the end of 15:10,” the operational report states.
Under pressure from the Wehrmacht, units of the Red Army had to move away from Rzhev.
But after the start of a successful counter-offensive near Moscow, in January 1942, they launched the Rzhev-Vyazemsky offensive operation, as a result of which they inflicted serious damage on the enemy and pushed him back 80–250 km.
The Moscow and Tula regions were liberated from the Nazi occupiers.
Operational summary of the headquarters of the Western Front of October 14, 1941
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
“Without waiting for the approach of the cavalry corps, the final concentration of all the forces of the strike force in the area of the city of Rzhev, the planned forces of the 39th Army (as the main force of the main group) immediately develop an offensive in the direction of Sychevka, Vyazma.
And the rest of the forces should be led by the second echelon behind the main grouping in such a way as to reach the Sychev area and occupy Sychevo no later than January 12, 1942, ”says the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of January 7, 1942.
The directive of the Headquarters of January 11, 1942, on the tasks of the Soviet troops operating in the Rzhev region, specifies:
“Due to the fact that further leaving the city of Rzhev in the hands of the enemy creates a threat of a flank attack for the main strike force of the front advancing in the direction of Sychevka-Vyazma, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command orders: (...) Within 11 and in no case later than 12 January to capture the city of Rzhev.
(...) The Headquarters recommends that the artillery, mortar and aviation forces available in the area be used to the maximum for the same purpose.
Directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of January 7, 1942
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
As Maksim Sinitsyn, a graduate student of the IVI RAS, said in an interview with RT, the attention of the command of both opposing sides to the battles in the Rzhev region was due to the fact that the city at that time was a major railway junction.
“The role of Rzhev as an infrastructure hub was colossal,” says Sinitsyn.
However, the Soviet troops failed to achieve all the planned goals.
The enemy in a short time transferred 12 divisions and two brigades from Western Europe, and after delivering a series of counterattacks, he was able to gain a foothold on the Rzhev-Vyazma ledge.
The Stavka directives for February 1942 reflect the process of analyzing the changing situation and developing new offensive plans.
Considerations on the implementation of the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command of February 16, 1942
© Russian Ministry of Defense
“In view of the commonality of the tasks of the Western and Kalinin fronts and the need for the closest interaction between them, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command orders: (...) To restore the post of commander in chief of the Western direction with the task of organizing continuous interaction between the Western and Kalinin fronts.
(...) Appoint the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Direction, Commander of the Western Front, Army General Comrade Zhukov, leaving behind him the post of Commander of the Western Front.
(...) The task of the next few days of the Western Direction (...) is to consider the encirclement and capture of the Rzhev-Sychev group of the enemy or (in case of refusal to surrender) the extermination of this group, ”the Stavka directive of February 1, 1942 says.
"Contributed to the success of Stalingrad"
The directive of February 12 sets specific tasks for the troops operating in the Rzhev region:
“The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command orders: (...) The troops of the Western Front, with the assistance of the 39th, 29th, 22nd, 30th and 31st armies and the 11th cavalry corps of the Kalinin Front, to defeat and destroy the Rzhev-Vyazemsko-Yukhnovskaya grouping of the enemy and by March 5, go out and gain a foothold on our old defensive line with ready-made anti-tank ditches.
Saving Army Group Center from defeat, the Wehrmacht command decided to launch a series of counterattacks on the advancing units of the Red Army, as a result of which the communications of the 33rd Army and the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps were cut.
The Soviet command did everything possible to release the encircled units.
“Not later than March 27, clear the enemy’s supply routes for the 33rd Army and the Belov group, connect with them and further destroy the enemy group in the Rylyaki, Milyatino, Vyazma area,” orders the Stavka directive of February 20, 1942.
At the same time, the document also notes that "the liquidation of the Rzhev-Gzhatsko-Vyazemsky enemy grouping was unacceptably delayed."
Fulfilling the orders of the command, in the battles in the Rzhev region, Soviet soldiers showed courage and heroism.
Operational and tactical essay on the airborne operation of the 4th Airborne Corps
© Russian Ministry of Defense
“On March 27, 1942, the enemy, with a force of more than 300 people, supported by artillery, mortars, and machine guns, launched an attack on Manulino from three sides.
The garrison under the command of Capt.
Klimov, (...) battalion commissar comrade.
Druchin repelled all enemy attacks during the day.
As a result of the battle, the enemy was defeated and fled, leaving 85 corpses, two machine guns, two pistols, nine rifles, one telephone and various other trophies on the battlefield (...).
Machine gunner comrade Vorotlin Grigory Petrovich with his comrades - a machine gun crew - killed over 40 fascists with a machine gun burst, ”says the order on rewarding the fighters and commanders of the 33rd Army dated March 28, 1942.
In order to facilitate the offensive of the 33rd Army and the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps, from January 18 to February 24, 1942, airborne assault forces were landed southeast, south and west of Vyazma - over 7 thousand military personnel.
They took control of several settlements and cut off important communications.
Interacting with the partisans, the Soviet paratroopers conducted active combat operations behind enemy lines for 149 days - until June 24, 1942, they joined the troops of the Western Front.
Organization chart of the 4th Airborne Corps
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
The operational-tactical essay on the airborne operation of the 4th Airborne Corps published by the Russian Ministry of Defense reveals the details of the Vyazemsky airborne operation.
“From the very first days of its combat operations, the 4th Airborne Forces had to face the enemy’s well-prepared and solid defense in separate sectors, which could also be strengthened by the movement of military units and equipment from the front.
The 4th Airborne Forces, of course, did not have these capabilities, ”the document states.
Scheme of battles of the 4th Airborne Corps
© Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
At the same time, it notes that “the difficulties encountered did not take us by surprise.
Separate units of the 4th Airborne Forces, showing a broad combat initiative, without wasting time, without even waiting for the complete collection of the thrown out paratroopers, persistently and stubbornly set about fulfilling the task set by the command of the Western Front.
During the fighting behind enemy lines, paratroopers destroyed up to 15 thousand German soldiers and officers, disabled up to 30 tanks and 22 guns.
More than 2 thousand paratroopers were awarded orders and medals.
Soviet tanks in ambush, winter 1942
© Wikimedia Commons
On July 30, 1942, the troops of the Western and Kalinin fronts suddenly launched a large-scale offensive for the enemy, starting the first Rzhev-Sychev offensive operation.
The Red Army thwarted the redeployment of German formations from the Rzhev-Vyazma ledge near Stalingrad.
In order to keep Rzhev, the Nazis were forced to transfer 12 reserve divisions to this direction.
In the Rzhev area, most of the troops of the Nazi Army Group Center were pinned down.
Mortarmen move into position, Kalinin Front, summer 1942
© Wikimedia Commons
“The enemy, defeated in his tactical depth of defense on the Novo-Semyonovskoye-Belkovo front, taking advantage of adverse weather conditions, entrenched himself on the defensive Rzhev strip,” says the combat order of the commander of the Kalinin Front of August 7, 1942.
During the offensive, units of the Red Army managed to push the enemy back.
In the combat order of the commander of the troops of the Kalinin Front dated August 26, it is stated that the Soviet units liberated 152 settlements, captured 262 guns and 705 machine guns.
At the same time, the enemy lost up to 60 thousand people killed and wounded.
However, the Nazis continued to stubbornly defend the area of Rzhev itself.
At the same time, according to Maxim Sinitsyn, the strikes of the Soviet troops along the entire front deprived the Nazis of the ability to maneuver reserves.
“We can talk about the two most important operations of the Soviet troops in the fall of 1942 - Rzhev and Stalingrad.
It turned out that the Battle of Stalingrad unfolded more successfully for us.
But I will note the feedback between Rzhev and Stalingrad: the result of the first Rzhev-Sychev operation was the transfer of ten fresh German divisions to reinforcements near Rzhev, which did not leave for Stalingrad.
So, the victims of Soviet soldiers near Rzhev contributed to the success of Stalingrad, ”Dmitry Surzhik, a senior researcher at the IVI RAS, said in an interview with RT.
As Maxim Sinitsyn recalled, against the background of the Soviet victory at Stalingrad and the release of a significant part of the Red Army units, the Nazis, who feared encirclement, were forced to begin withdrawing their units from the Rzhev region.
The Soviet command, having received information from intelligence about the preparation of the Nazis for withdrawal, gave the order to the troops to prepare for their pursuit.
“A few days ago, our troops launched a decisive assault on the city of Rzhev.
The Germans had long ago turned the city and the approaches to it into a heavily fortified area.
Today, March 3, after a long and fierce battle, our troops captured Rzhev, ”says the Summary of the Soviet Information Bureau of March 3, 1943.
According to historians, during the battles in the Rzhev region, both sides suffered huge losses, the exact number of which has not yet been fully established.
“The publication by the Ministry of Defense of documents on the Battle of Rzhev is a very important work.
It will allow us to open new pages in the history of this great battle, ”Sinitsyn summed up.