August 1941

Eastern Front

The XXVI and XXXVIII Corps launch strong attacks against the retreating 8th Army, harrying it along the coast road to Leningrad.

On the southern wing, the LVI Panzer and X Corps reach the Lovat River in strength near Staraya Russa, having defeated the 34th Army. The counterattack led by the LVI Panzer has cost the 34th Army 12,000 captured and 140 tanks and 240 artillery pieces destroyed or captured. Army Group North's casualties since the opening of hostilities has reached 80,000 men.

The Germans unleash their attack upon Velikiye Luki, slicing through the Soviet line and outflanking the town. Heavy fighting ensues as infantry close the battle with the defending Soviet units.

The German 6th Army unleashes a major attack aimed at pulling wond the Soviet defenses before Kiev and undermining the entire Dniepr position.

Tyulenev successfully evacuates the 9th and 18th Armies to the eastern bank of the Dniepr despite the raised river level.

With its armies shattered, the Stavka disbands Voroshilov's Glavkom Northwest. Sobennikov is relieved as commander of the Northwest Front, Kurochkin is appointed in his place. The Stavka also disband Popov's North Front and create two new formations, the Karelia Front under Lt-Gen Frolov and the Leningrad Front under Stalin's civil war companion, Marshal Voroshilov, with Popov as chief of staff. Voroshilov's force is instructed to protect the northern approaches to Leningrad with the 23rd Army and the southern perimeter with the existing militia units and the 8th Army. The 55th and 42nd Armies will be formed in the final days of August, but until then the Soviets struggle on with what they have. Frolov is ordered to halt the Finnish advance north of Lake Ladoga with his 7th nad 14th Armies. The 32nd Army will enter the fighting with this front some time later, near Lake Onega.

Since the renewed German atttack toward Leningrad has begun on July 10th, the North Front has lost 40,500 killed and missing and a further 15,000 wounded.