February 1942

Eastern Front

Lead units of the 1st Shock Army enter the line east of Staraya Russa, deploying on the northenr base of the exposed Demyansk salient.

Soviet forces encircling Velizh launch strong attacks in an effort to take the town, but Group Sinzinger repels them each time. Continued Soviet thrusts though also encircle Demidov and begin to hit Velikiye Luki and Surazh. Fighting is intense as both sides struggle in the minus 40 degree Centigrade temperatures. As fighting rages around Velizh, Demidov and Velikiye Luki, the 9th Army redeploys its forces in the Rzhev sector. Model plans to strike at the exposed Soviet positions near Rzhev to break up the encircled elements of the 29th and 39th Armies.

The 4th Panzer Army launches a ferocious counterattack and closes the line between itself and the 4th Army to the south. The result is the encirclement of Efremov's 33rd Army, together with the paratroopers and men of the XI Cavalry Corps around Vyazma.