December 1941

Eastern Front

During the night of December 8-9 the Soviets launch a furious attack into Tikhvin. 2 rifle divisions attack simultaneously from the north and south, supported by heavy artillery fire. After a bitter battle Tikhvin is cleared.

The Red Army has succeeded in wresting the initiative from Army Group North, forcing the 18th Army back to the Volkhov. The I Corps, however, retires intact, despite the loss of 7,000 men in the Tikhvin battle, On the southern flank, the XXXVIII Corps also retreats to the Volkhov as the 52nd Army presses forward from Malaya Vyshera.

South of Lake Ilmen, the 16th Army is relatively unaffected by the recent Soviet attacks, holding a line from Staraya Russa to Ostashkov with its X and II Corps and XXXIX Panzer Corps.

The 1st Shock Army captures Fedorovka, west of Klin. After the very heavy losses of the first few days of the counteroffensive, Zhukov orders his armies to avoid frontal attacks, and instead to seek out open flanks to penetrate into the German rear. The 20th Army continues to advance amid heavy fighting while the 16th Army supports the attack. Rokossovsky splits his 16th Army into 2 offensive groups. Group Remezov is to strike out from the right wing, while Group Beloborodov attacks on the left toward Istra. Hoeppner attempts to reinforce the crumbling Klin sector by moving up the 10th Panzer Division to help the 3rd Panzer Group. Das Reich abandons Snegiri to the Soviets after bitter fighting.

On the southern wing, Venev falls to Group Belov, which then pushes toward Stalinogorsk. Under heavy pressure from these attack, the XLVII Panzer Corps begins to withdraw from its exposed positions east of Tula as the XXIV Panzer Corps comes under renewed attack by the 50th Army. The 10th Army attack stalls due to fierce resistance by the 112th Infantry Division along the Shat and Don Rivers. Yelets falls to Group Maskalenko of the 13th Army as the 2nd Army retires. Group Kostenko of the 13th Army is supporting the attacks of the 3rd Army, hitting the LIII Corps near Livny and isolating part of the German force. A dangerous gap, 20 miles wide, has opened between the 2nd Army and the 2nd Panzer Army, through which the V Cavalry Corps and 121st Rifle Division surge ahead.