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

28 THE SOVIET PARTISAN MOVEMENT
cult terrain, and increasing pressure from the right and direct front.
During the next six weeks their gains were modest : they were canalized
by Lakes Ilmen and Peipus to routes through swamps and deep forests
heavily defended by the enemy. The Eighteenth Army, moving more
surely against lighter opposition, reached the Gulf of Finland on 9
August and swung eastward toward Leningrad, leaving one corps to
mop up the coastal areas. The progress in the center continued to be
slow, both terrain and strong enemy resistance preventing any clean
breakaway. This drive was considerably strengthened when one armored
and two motorized divisions were shifted to it from Army Group
Center, and by 1 September the spearhead stood within 20 miles of Lake
Ladoga. Continued attacks on the ring of defenses around Leningrad
counted for little gain, even with the Eighteenth Army moving over from
Estonia and joining in the assault. Finally, with the capture of Shlisselburg,
a fortress on Lake Ladoga, the isolation of the old Tsarist capital
was complete, and a stalemate set in. By 21 September most of the
armor was out of the area and the Eighteenth Army took over the siege
zone.
Clearing the Dnepr Bend
Concurrently with the twin attacks of Von Leeb and Von Bock further
to the north, Von Rundstedt struck across the border with the panzer
group and two of the three armies which comprised his Army Group
South.
As elsewhere along the line, almost complete tactical surprise was
achieved, and by noon the border areas had been sufficiently cleared for
Von Kleist to move out his First Panzer Group to the attack. Given an
opening and protected on both flanks by Von Reichenau's Sixth Army,
the panzers thrust rapidly forward, reaching the Styr River on 24 June
and taking Dubno the following day. But on the 26th strong armored
counterattacks developed on their right flank and progress was slowed.
Such gains as were made, however, threatened the Soviet forces holding
up Von Stuelpnagel's Seventeenth Army and made untenable their
salient in the vicinity of Przemysl, forcing them to withdraw. Thus
freed of apposition the Seventeenth Army drove to Lwow by the 27th
and occupied the city three clays later.
To the south of the Carpathian barrier, Von Schobert attacked across
the Pruth River with his Eleventh Army on 2 July. The attack made
slow progress, the Russians fighting stubborn rear guard actions as they
fell back, and the Dnestr River was reached only on the 15th. On the
right of Von Schobert the Romanian Army began to move forward as
the Soviets evacuated Bessarabia.
The main effort continued with Von Kleist's armor still in the van,
the Seventeenth Army to the south moving more slowly on a broad front.