November 1941

Eastern Front

After the heavy fighting at Tikhvin and Malaya Vyshera, Kuchler decides he has no option other than to go onto the defensive all along the Volkhov. For the first time in the campaign, the Germans have lost the initiative, albeit on a limited front.

CENTRAL SECTOR

The 4th Panzer Group secures its hold on Solnechnogorsk and continues to pound both the 16th and 30th Armies. The 7th Panzer Division takes Peshki and reaches the banks of the Moscow-Volga Canal near Yakhroma, capturing the bridge across the canal intact.

Farther south, elements of Boldin's II Cavalry Corps, fighting the 17th Panzer Division of the XLVII Panzer Corps on the road to Kashira, suffers a terrible battering and are unable to halt the German advance.

Despite these setbacks, the Soviets continue to build up new formations to the rear. Zhukov refuses to feed reserve units into the line until the Germans are completely exhausted. The recently formed 1st Shock Army assembles it 7 rifle brigades at Zagorsk, while the 20th Army formed near Moscow. Golikov is en route to Ryazan with his hastily raised 10th Army. The 1st Shock Army is a new cration among the Soviet order of battle, being specifically tasked with breaking through the German front to the north of Moscow once the counteroffensive begins. The shock armies are essentially the same as the normal rifle army but with increases artillery forces at their disposlal.