October 1941

Eastern Front

During the night of October 5-6 the Russian forces attempt to disengage and withdraw to the Mozhaisk line. Vyazma falls as the 16th and 19th Armies retreat.

Farther south, the Bryansk Front is in imminent danger of encirclement. The 17th Panzer Division of the XLVII Panzer Corps captures Bryansk and crosses the Desna. German tanks attack Eremenko's front headquarters, 6 miles south of the city, Eremenko only narrowly escaping capture as his staff is scattered. Zhizdra falls to the Germans after a brief struggle.

Katukov's 4th Tank Brigade continues to counterattack, having stopped the XXIV Panzer Corps deat. Brigade Eberbach, the leading unit of the XXIV Panzer Corps, is unable to prevent a breakthrough at Kamenevo.

The XLVIII Panzer Corps launches a flanking attack against the II Cavalry Corps and undermines its hard won positions.

As the disintegration of the main line accelerates, the Stavka take precautionary steps by ordering the Mozhaisk line to full readiness. It also orders the West and Reserve Fronts to fall back from the Vyazma line. The 31st and 32nd Armies, grouped under the overall command of Gen Boldin, are ordered to cover the withdrawal of the shattered West and Reserve Front armies. A number of divisions are already being rushed to the Mozhaisk sector to prepare for the next German onslaught. 6 rifle divisions, 6 tank brigades and 10 artillery regiments will have been deployed, plus the II Cavalry Corps under Gen Pavel Belov, which is assembling near Moscow. With the situation at the front already in considerable confusion, the Soviet high command carries out an unnecessary and confusing command change, the 30th Army relieving the 31st Army while the divisions of the 16th Army are transferred to the 20th Army. Rokossovsky's 16th Army headquarters is to take command of those troops fighting in the Vyazma area.

The 1st SS Motorized Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler reaches Berdyansk on the Azov coast, isolating a large part of the South Front against the sea. The majority of the 18th and 9th Armies are cut off, a force of nearly 150,000 men. The 12th Army retreats northeast toward Stalino, minor elements of the 18th Army also falling back upon Stalino while the 9th Army retreats to Taganrog. Units of the 11th Army launches powerful attacks along the coast from the west, inflicting heavy casualties.

With the Russian forces on the southern wing thus off, the 6th and 17th Armies attack from Mirgorod and Poltava. The junction of the 6th and 38th Armies is crushed during the initial German assault.

In a minor re-designation, the Germans rename the 1st and 2nd Panzer Groups the 1st and 2nd Panzer Armies.

With the situation on the Moscow axis becoming more desperate, Stalin recalls Zhukov from Leningrad. Zhukov leaves Fedyuninsky to command the Leningrad Front before setting off for the central sector.