the soviet partisan movement 1941-1944 by edgar m. howell

THE PARTISANS AND THE CAMPAIGN OF 1943 161
tions. 51 No effort was made to coordinate the operations or to tie them
together tactically. Indeed, two were mounted on very short notice.
Yet they did what they were designed to do: relieve the pressure on
the supply lines when such relief was most needed.
In the Nevel-Vitebsk area, which the Germans believed to be of
secondary importance in Soviet plans, only one antipartisan action was
launched during this period. This was Operation KOTTBUS executed
by a mixed force of Army, SS, SD, and native volunteer units under the
command of the Higher SS and Police Leader of Army Group Center
in the area west and south of Vitebsk. Launched in late April and not
concluded until 21 June, the drive moved methodically through the
forests and swamps and kept the partisans concentrated there in a constant
state of flux. Similar to the actions in the Bryansk area, the operation
did little beyond keeping the hands off balance for the duration
of the drive and forcing them to scatter temporarily. 52
Despite these operations, which temporarily cleared the immediate
Bryansk area and to some extent weakened the hold of the bands on
the region west and southwest of Vitebsk, the partisans still remained
strong in a number of areas. As of 1 July there were some 7,000 astride
the Bryansk-Gomel line, some 26,000 in a number of units in the Pripyat
generally centered about Bobruysk, 11,000 in the area west of Orsha-
Vitebsk, and 12,000 west of Nevel, with an additional 3,500 just to
the north of the Velikiye Luki-Rezekne line. 53
The Summer Battles in the Central Sector
Operation ZITADELLE was launched on 5 July. By 8 July the
northern wing of the attack had been stopped cold with heavy losses
and thrown back on the defensive. On 17 July the Soviets, having
driven the German divisions back to their jumpoff line, launched their
counterblow with two fronts, hitting concentrically from above and
below Orel.
The bands did not react immediately to either the German attack
or the Russian counter. On 4 July 300 partisans supported by Red
Air Force planes had raided several points along the rail lines near
Bryansk, and on 6 July a band raided Malzevo, again with air support.
But these attacks were isolated and not followed up, and gave
51
Bericht, Juni 43, Pz AOK 2, Aid. Bd. 78, Bandenlage, 11.VIII.42.-1.VII.43.
37075/91; Abschlussmeldung weber NACHBARHILFE, 19.VI.43., Anlagenheft 7 z.
KTB Korueck 559, Ia. NACHBARHILFE, 13.V.-20.VI.43. 44404/8; AOK 4, Ic.
Feindnachrichtenblaetter Nr. 7, 9.VII.43. 48448/6.
52
Gefechtsbericht weber das Unternehmen KOTTBUS, 28.VI.43., Anl. 53 z. KTB 286 Sich. Div.,
Ia. 1.I.-4.V11.43. 38424/2; Stand: 30.IV.43., 30.VL43., Bandenlage im Bereich d. H. Gr. Mitte,
Stand: 28.II.43., Anl. 2, Bandenlisten, Februar bis September 43, H. Gr. Mitte. 65003/4.
53
Bandenlage im Bereich der H. Gr. Mitte, Stand: 30.V1.43., H. Gr, Mite, Ic/AO
(Abw.), Bandenlisten, Feb. bis Sept. 43. 65003/4.