COUNTERSTROKE AT SOLTSY - Strategy & Tactics Press

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16 #232 the German flanks threw the defense into confusion as room to reorganize simply was not there. The Soviet Northern Group, in particular 70 th Rifle Division, attacked again and at times fighting was hand-to-hand. After 16 hours of hard fighting, 8 th Panzer Division was on the verge of defeat, cut off from its path of retreat. The Soviets also succeeded in penetrating between the 56 th Corps’ divisions. Late in the day the Germans evacuated their last footholds in Soltsy. Meanwhile, 3 rd Motorized Division reported it was still under heavy attack. The Luftwaffe made a showing on the 16 th despite difficult flying weather. German bombers struck Soviet railheads and engaged Red Army columns. Destroyer Group 26 also made an impact with its Bf-110 fighter-bombers, whose pilots were trained in close air support of ground forces. But the Soviet air force was also busy, attacking day and night with four aviation divisions and the 1 st Long Range Bomber Corps, in all about 235 aircraft. A particularly successful raid occurred on the night of 15-16 July when the 4 th Composite Aviation Division of Col. I.K. Samokhin attacked a concentration of German tanks. In five days of action (14-18 July), the Soviets conducted about 1,500 sorties in the Soltsy area, compared to about 960 German, the latter spread out over the entire Luga front. Soviet bombers included bridges in their target list, forcing the Germans to deploy anti-aircraft units at each—and the 88mm highvelocity, dual-purpose guns were needed to counter Soviet armor. Soviet bombing accuracy was poor and the Germans generally held the initiative in the air. The Soviets usually came off the worse in air-to-air action because their aircraft were nearly all obsolescent and their pilots poorly trained. Yet air losses were not great for either side. The Luftwaffe was overstretched, try- Red eagles: Soviet aircraft in a makeshift field. ing to meet too many requirements across an expanding front. Southern Thrust The Soviet Southern Operations Group enjoyed success on the 16th , at least at first. On the far left Col. I.I. Kuryshev’s 182 Rifle Division had attacked Porchov on the 15th , taking the eastern part of the city and beginning to encircle the rest. Like the rest of the Southern Group, that division was too weak, and by the evening of the 17th it had been driven well back along the road to Dno with German mechanized units pursuing. During the 18th the division fell apart and its command was taken over by Col. M.S. Nazarov. Col. S.I. Karapetyan’s 183rd Rifle Division covered the center-left flank of 22nd Corps operations. Over a three-day period the division continually attacked German columns retreating to the west toward Borovichi. Early morning 16 July, units of the 183rd Rifle Division forced the Shelon River with a surprise attack and crossed the Novgorod road. The attack succeeded in demolishing a German column. During that engagement, an important role was played by artillerymen of the 624th Howitzer Artillery Regiment, led by Capt. Y. Leninis. According to the Soviet account, he gathered all the guns on hand in the division into one group, which with accurate fire inflicted heavy losses on the Germans. The Germans retreated in disorder and the road along the Shelon filled with burning German equipment. Prominent on the German side in this fighting was the 1st Munitions Column bringing forward ammunition in spite of enemy artillery fire. The Germans reported a total of 60 vehicles lost. The 183rd Rifle Division was unable to follow up on its success, and a request for reinforcements brought only a commission to count captured equipment. The Germans responded to that attack by sending up a battalion of the SS Totenkopf, a motorized infantry battalion from 3rd Motorized Division, the 48th Pioneer Battalion, and a company of tanks. Those units managed to stop the Soviets at the river line from Borovichi to Ilemno. The 3rd Tank Division’s 5th Tank Regiment fought actively in the area of Dolzhitsy, Gorushka and Sukhlovo under the command of Maj. G.I. Segeda on the 17th . The tankers claimed they encircled and destroyed an enemy force composed of up to 240 motor vehicles loaded with ammunition and fuel. That was likely the German group that had pulled out of Soltsy the prior evening. Seven vehicles were captured, one of which contained chemical shells. Also captured were secret documents of the German General Staff concerning preparations for the utilization of poison gas in the war against the Soviet Union (which, were never carried out). That was a politically difficult loss for the Germans. As soon as OKH found out, they requested a full
German vs. Soviet Armored Fighting Vehicles, 1941 German Type Gun MGs Weight Armor Speed HP/Wt Crew PzKw Ib tank - 2 6.6 tons 13mm 40k/h 15 2 PzKw IIf tank 20/55 1 9.5 tons 35mm 40k/h 12.8 3 PzKw IIIe tank 50/42 2 19.5 tons 50mm 40k/h 12.8 5 PzKw IVe tank 75/24 2 23 tons 45mm 42k/h 13.0 5 PzKw 38(t) tank 37/40 2 9.7 tons 25mm 42k/h 12.9 4 StuG IIIb AG 75/24 - 22 tons 50mm 40k/h 14.9 4 Sd Kfz 231 AC 20/55 1 8.2 tons 14.5mm 85k/h 18.3 4 Sd Kfz 251/1 APC - 1 8.5 tons 12mm 50k/h 13.0 12 1 Soviet Type Gun MGs Weight Armor Speed HP/Wt Crew BT-7 tank 45/46 2 13.8 tons 20mm 58k/h 32.6 3 KV-1A tank 76.2/30 3 47.5 tons 100mm 35k/h 11.9 5 T-26b tank 45/46 2 9.5 tons 20mm 30k/h 9.5 3 T-28c tank 76.2/26 3 32 tons 55mm ? 15.6 6 T-34/76a tank 76.2/30 1 28.2 tons 60mm 50k/h 9.1 4 T-35 tank 76.2/30 2 5 45 tons 30mm 29k/h 11.1 10 T-60a tank 20/50 1 6.4 tons 50mm 49k/h 13.3 2 SMK tank 76.2/30 3 3 58 tons 60mm 24k/h 8.6 7 BA-10 AC 45mm 1 5.2 tons 15mm 56k/h 16.3 4 Notes Gun = main gun bore width in millimeters/length of gun in terms of number of calibers (that is, multiple of the bore width) MGs = number of machineguns Weight = weight when combat loaded Armor = maximum in millimeters (usually frontal) Speed = maximum road speed in kilometers per hour HP/Wt = horsepower/weight (tons) ratio, a measure of the vehicles maneuverability Crew = normal operating crew Type AC = armored car; AG = Assault gun; APC = Armored personnel carrier 1) Includes transported infantry 2) The T-35 also had 2 x 45mm guns mounted in separate turrets. 3) The SMK also had 1 x 45mm gun mounted in a separate turret. Red armor rolls. strategy & tactics 17
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