January 1942

Eastern Front

The 2nd Shock Army increases its attacks on the Volkhov, bringing up additional artillery and infantry units. The Germans respond by also increasing their forces in this sector. The attack by the 54th Army has ground to a halt, as has the 4th Army. The 52nd Army continues to attack toward Novgorod and Soltsy but with little success.

The Stavka re-forms the 8th Army from elements of the 54th Army fighting east of Leningrad. The new 8th fights on the southern shore of Lake Ladoga, while the old 8th continues its struggle in the Oranienbaum pocket.

Attacks by the 3rd and 4th Shock Armies push deeper into the northern flank of Army Group Center. Lead elements of the 3rd Shock encircle the Germans at Kholm, threatening to overwhelm the southern wing of the 16th Army. A scratch force of 3,500 men under Maj Sherer is trapped in the town but will hold on for the next 4 months against repeated Soviet attacks.

Yet more paratroopers drop behind the German lines near Vyazma, bringing their number to more than 1,600. Zhukov decides to drop the complete IV Airborne Corps into battle.

The Stavka begins to withdraw forces from the central sector during mid January. The 1st Shock and 16th Armies are taken out of the line and begin to move north and south. As Zhukov has predicted, the net result is to bring the attack against the 9th and 4th Armies to a halt.