August 1941

Eastern Front

Attacks headed by the XLI Panzer Corps capture Narva. The 8th Army has already evacuated most of its forces from Estonia. The 48th Army launches a desperate counterattack in an effort to prevent the Germans turning north from Novgorod and isolating Leningrad from the east. Busch's 16th Army holds off the attacks of the 34th Army, while the LVI Panzer Corps deploys along the right wing of the X Corps.

Rakutin's 24th Army begins to attack the Elnya salient, pinning down 5 German divisions. This battle will rage until August 21st.

After a brief struggle, Unecha falls to the XXIV Panzer Corps. Schweppenburg is ordered to block the withdrawal of the 21st Army from Gomel, which is being attacked by the 2nd Army.

Elements of the XIV Panzer Corps enter Dnepropetrovsk and are dragged into bitter street battles with the defending 6th Army. To the southwest, the broken 9th And 18th Armies fall back across the Ingulets, Nikolayev having been abandoned. German forces are heaviy attacking at Krivoi-Rog with the intention of pressing on to the Dniepr at Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhe.

Brauchitsch and Halder try one last appeal to Hitler to resume the advance in the center. Their arguments are set forth in a memorandum but fail to change Hitler's decision. The advantage the the Wehrmacht has gained on the road to Moscow seemed about to be squandered in return for territorial gains to the south. However, even if Brauchitsch and Halder had been successful at this stage, there would still have been a delay launching the next phase of the offensive in the center. Hoth's 3rd Panzer Groups has already left the Moscow axis and is marching north to join Leeb's attack on Leningrad while Guderian has orientated his forces to the south to strike into the Ukraine.