September 1941

Eastern Front

After heavy fighting the Soviets fall back from Muhu to Saaremaa. The 18th Army launches a final, furious attack upon the Leningrad defenses in a bid to take the city by storm. Units of the 42nd and 55th Armies are hard pressed to hold the Germans at Kolpino and Pulkovo but after bitter fighting, halt their attacks.

During the final days of September, the XLI, LVI and LVII Panzer Corps, together with the headquarters of the 4th Panzer Group leave Army Group North in order to redeploy for Operation TYPHOON.

Army Group South launches concentric attacks against Kirponos's Southwest Front. As the front begins to break up, Stalin belatedly agrees to let Kirponos evacuate his forces. It is far too late to save the trapped armies, many having already been reduced to remnants.

Manstein's 11th Army forces its way across the Dniepr at Berislav, the 22nd Infantry Division undertaking a hazardous assault crossing. The army then advances over the Nogaisk Steppe toward the Azov coast. The 11th deploys the XXX Corps containing the 72nd, 22nd and SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Divisions, the XLIX Mountain Corps containing the 170th Infantry and the 1st and 4th Mountain Divisions, and the LIV Corps. Manstein plans to push across the river in force and isolate the Crimea from the rest of the Ukraine by seizing the narrow Perekop Isthmus. The XXX Corps moves toward Melitopol, the LIV to Perekop and the XLIX Mountain along the eastern bank of the Dniepr. To the rear, the 3rd Rumanian Army advances behind the main German force with its mountain and cavalry corps.