the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

192 THE FIELD ARTILLERY JOURNAL March
which had intervened. Only 400 German prisoners were
taken. The Russians had very severe tank losses, and the
Germans were able to withdraw without excessive
losses either of personnel or materiel. They appear to
have given up the entire area involved in the three
penetrations west of Rzhev, and fell back about 25
kilometers. The Russian attack near V. Luki succeeded
in cutting the communications from that area to both the
south and the west, but they remained open to the north.
From now on the Russians operated in two separate
movements. That near V. Luki became involved in
heavy fighting between that area and Germans coming
from the north in the vicinity of Toropets. Russians west
of Rzhev continued on with the original mission of
advancing to the Smolensk-Vyazma line. The weather at
this time averaged about 15° F., with frequent snow
falls. The snow was not very deep, however, and it was
practicable for vehicles with caterpillar treads to move
across country.
Besides the Germans coming toward Toropets from the
north, a strong German counterattack started on 29
November, southeast of Lake Ilmen and headed for the
railroad junctions at Valdai and Bologoe. As the latter was
a main base for supply of the Russian troops between V.
Luki and Rzhev, the German attack could not be
overlooked; and it was necessary to detach troops to meet
it. The initial German move made considerable gains,
however. Near V. Luki bitter and confused fighting
occurred. The German air force intervened this day,
attacking in strong force at a very low altitude. No
important change occurred in this area. West of Rzhev the
new Russian line pushed slowly southward from the front
Nelidovo-Olenino.
In the meantime the Russian secondary attack east of
Rzhev appears to have been limited to an attempt to
drive in the salient angle southwest of Kalinin. This had
no appreciable success, and the attempt was soon
abandoned.
The German counterattack southeast of Lake Ilmen was
stopped by the Russians on 2 December, but hard fighting
continued in this area for several days thereafter.
Furious fighting continued daily west from Rzhev. The
Russians made continual slight advances and, working
around the defenses of Rzhev, secured the railroad leading
south to Vyazma. They also advanced toward Bely. In the
vicinity of V. Luki they succeeded in encircling some of
the German advanced posts, but without capturing them.
On their part the Germans encircled some Russian forces in
the same general vicinity.
For this campaign both sides have published the alleged
tank losses of their opponent. The Russians have made no
claims to taking so large a number of tanks as in the
Stalingrad offensive, which lends credit to the figures they
publish. On the other hand the Germans claim large
Russian losses in this northern battlefield, while omitting
similar claims in the south. The losses are reported to be:
CLAIMED TANK LOSSES IN THE NORTH
RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN
Dates Lost by Russians Lost by Germans
November 25, 26 and 27 95 —
28 57 50
29 135 —
30 24 —
December 1 95 12
2 106 27
3 49 12
4 104 12
5 51 7
6 37 8
7 298 42
—— ——
Totals 1,051 170
The large tank losses alleged to have been incurred by
the Russians on the 7th are explained by a renewal of the
German counterattack southeast from Lake Ilmen, together
with another made opposite Kalinin. The Ilmen attack
succeeded in advancing about 15 kilometers into the
Russian lines, and captured dumps and depots. The latter
may have had Russian tanks under repair which were lost
to the enemy. The totals give for averages
Russian tank losses per day, in a major offensive.................... 95
German tank losses per day, in a major defensive................... 15
In this case both sides appear to have been about evenly
matched at the start.
After a decrease in the intensity of the fighting the
Russians, having reorganized, restarted their offensive west
of Rzhev on 11 December with very strong infantry and
tank forces. This attack reached the outskirts of Bely, but
on the whole made unimportant gains. The Russians claim
to have wiped out only two companies of infantry and to
have captured 6 guns. The German account claims the
Russians lost 170 tanks, as against 21 German ones. Other
Russian attacks southeast of Toropets were also repulsed
with an additional Russian loss of 36 tanks.
The Russian attack near Bely was continued on the 12th.
The Russians claim to have forced a crossing of the Dvina
River, killing 800 Germans, but the German account
claims that the Russian attacks as a whole collapsed with a
loss to them of a further 153 tanks. The Russians did not
list any German tanks as lost on this day.
There are no reliable figures as to artillery participation,
other than reports that it was artillery which inflicted the
major number of casualties. Some losses were due to
infantry weapons, and still fewer to air action, insofar as
personnel were concerned. At times the destruction by air
forces of materiel, supplies, and communications was
serious. German reports stress that the air transport service
was of exceptional value. It operated day and night,
regardless of weather, and had a decisive influence at
certain times and places. No Russian air transport system
on a large scale has been reported.