October 1941

Eastern Front

Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group pushes toward Rzhev and Vyazma, crashing into the 32nd Army in West Front's second echelon and reaching Dniepr. Strauss's 9th Army follows. Gen Boldin, with an ad hoc shock group of 2 rifle and 1 motorized divisions and 2 tank brigades, counterattacks to restore the junction of the 30th and 19th Armies. The 30th Army launches its own attack with a motorized and rifle division from Belyi against the 3rd Panzer but fails to make any headway. The 4th Panzer Group and the 4th Army are involved in heavy fighting with the 19th, 16th, 20th and 24th Armies.

After a rapid advance, the XXIV Panzer Corps surprises the defenses of Orel, German tanks entering the town as trams continue to roll along the main roads and dismantled factory equipment line the railway sidings. The 17th and 18th Panzer Divisions of the XLVII Panzer Corps pushes north from the Orel area, advancing across the rear of the 13th Army and on into the rear of the 3rd in the direction of Karachev. In an effort to halt the XLVII Panzer Corps, Eremenko throws 2 rifle divisions into a counterattack toward Seredina Buda but is brushed aside. Toward the end of the day, Eremenko requests permission to withdraw but is turned down. Group Ermakov, severely depleted and fighting in operational isolation, is ordered to push east and to protect the approaches to Dmitrev Lgovsky.