July 1941

Eastern Front

Soviet forces trapped inside the Smolensk pocket begin to pull back to the west of the Dniepr but suffer tremendous casualties due to constant German attacks. Fighting outside the pocket also intensifies as the LVII Panzer Corps comes under furious attack near Velikiye Luki and the XLVI Panzer Corps struggles to repel Soviet attacks at Elnya.

German tanks close in upon Tarasche and Uman, all but enveloping the 24 divisions of the 6th and 12th Armies. The two armies number 130,000 men, 1,000 artillery pieces and 384 tanks. Kirponos orders Kostenko to wheel his 26th Army southwest to protect the withdrawal of the two embattled armies. Heavy fighting breaks out against German panzer units until July 25. The 9th and 18th Armies, falling slowly back toward the Dniepr, number 280,000 men.

After heavy fighting, the Army of Karelia reaches the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga at Salmy.