December 1941

Eastern Front

More than 52,000 civilians have perished in Leningrad during December, testimony to the severity of the weather and the terrible conditions of the siege. The fighting along the Volkhov since November 10 has cost the Soviets dear, the 54th Army losing 6,000 killed and 11,000 wounded, the 4th Army nearly 9,000 killed and 16,000 wounded and the 52nd Army 1,000 killed and 2,000 missing. The Novgorod Group has lost a further 2,000 killed and 1,700 wounded.

Kozelsk falls to the 10th Army. The Soviet forces are becoming increasingly weak. Rokossovsky reports that the 16th Army has suffered heavy casualties, many battalions being down to a few hundres soldiers. The Bryansk Front reports that its units are burnt out, 3rd Army numbering 16,000 men and 138 artillery pieces while the 13th Army has 11,800 men and 82 artillery pieces.

Fighting intensifies as the XLII Corps is attacked at Feodosia. Having already begun the transfer of the XXX Corps, Mansteins has noption but to suspend offensive action around Sevastopol. At Feodosia the Soviets have already landed 40,500 men, 236 artillery pieces and 43 tanks.

During December the Germans commit 3 infantry divisions ot the front, bringing their strength up to 19 panzer, 15 motorized adn 106 infantry divisions. The Luftwaffe has 2,500 aircraft in the east against the same number of Soviet planes. Luftwaffe losses since June total nearly 2,100 aircraft destroyed and 1,300 badly damaged.

Across the eastern front, Germany's allies deploy 29 divisions, 4 Rumanian divisions and 6 brigades, 3 Hungarian division, 3 Italian, 2 Slovak and 1 Spanish and 16 Finnish divisions.

Germany loses another 40,000 killed in the east during December, bringing the total number of troops killed during 1941 in the east to 302,000.

The Red Army and Navy lose 1,007,996 killed and missing and 648,521 wounded during the final quarter of 1941.

During 1941 the Germans produce 3,790 tanks and self-propelled guns, 11,200 artillery pieces, 51,085 trucks and 11,776 aircraft. The Soviets produce 6,590 tanks, 42,300 artillery pieces and 15,735 aircraft. German oil production totals 5,700,000 tons of natural oil and 3,900,000 tons of synthetic oil hile 5,800,000 tons are consumed.