September 1941

Eastern Front

To distract German attention from the southern perimeter of Leningrad, the 8th Army attacks with 4 divisions from the Oranienbaum bridgehead.

Kiev falls to the 6th Army, the 37th Army retreating east in an effort to break out of the cauldron and rejoin the main combat line.

Kirponos and his headquarters staff, a column of over 1,000 men, try to break out of the pocket, but the Germans ambush the straggling line near Lokhvitsa, inflicting heavy casualties. After fierce fighting, the few survivors surrender but Kirponos is not among them, having fallen in battle. Potapov is captured. Bagramyan manages to break out with a force of about 50 men. Generals Kostenko, V. I. Kuznetsov, Lopatin and Moskalenko also escape the pocket.