July 1943

Eastern Front

Heavy fighting forces Rokossovsky to take units from 65th and 60th Armies to reinforce the hard pressed 13th. Furious battles rage between Olkhovatka and Ponyri. At Olkhovatka 300 panzers and assault guns of the 2nd, 4th, 20th, 18th and 9th Panzer Divisions crash into XVI and XIX Tank Corps. At Ponyri the Germans advance into the village, becoming embroiled in bitter hand-to-hand fighting in the School House, Tractor Depot, Railway Station and Water Tower. The fighting continues throughout the day as both armies attak, counterattack and then attack again. The fighting is so intense that Model reports to Army Group Center that his forces are beginning to run low on ammunition and will not be able to continue the offensive for much longer.

Manstein presses forward, the 4th Panzer Army slowly gaining ground on the road to Oboyan. After bitter fighting the XLVIII Panzer Corps takes Dubrova. The Grossdeutschland Division breaks through the 6th Guards Army positions on either side of Ssyrzew, forcing them back to Gremutshy and Ssyrzewo. The retreating Soviets are hammered by German arty, suffeing heavy losses. Moving forward through the heavily mined ground, the Germans are brought to a halt again during the afternoon at the outskirts of Ssyrzewo. Heavy defensive fire and strong counterattacks by mechanized and tank forces prevent any further gains. Other elements of the Grossdeutschland Division penetrate to Verchopenje and north of Gremutshy. On the left wing the 3rd Panzer Division closes upon Beresovka.

The 29th Anti-Tank Brigade heavily engages the II SS Panzer Corps all afternoon as the Germans try to push forward. After heavy fighting Teterevion falls, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and SS Das Reich Divisions pushing on to Greznoye. The Soviet brigade has been virtually wiped out in the bitter fighting.

The III Panzer Corps makes rapid progress against the flank of 7th Guards Army, undermining the Soviet positions, Alarmed by this, Vatutin subordinates the arty of 38th and 40th Armies to 6th and 7th Guards in an effort to halt the German attack.