When did the Battle of Smolensk begin and end?
The main German attack began on the 10th of July 1941 when Guderian's forces crossed the Dnieper. The encirclement was completed by the 27th of July 1941 when German pincers linked up east of Smolensk.
Questions about Battle of Smolensk (1941)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who commanded the Axis forces during the Battle of Smolensk in 1941?
Army Group Centre under Fedor von Bock targeted Smolensk next after reaching the Dvina and Dnieper rivers. The 2nd Panzer Group led by Guderian and the 3rd Panzer Group executed the encirclement strategy against Soviet defenses.
What were the total Soviet casualties in the Battle of Smolensk according to official data released in 1993?
A study led by Grigori F. Krivosheev revealed troops lost 486,171 people irrevocably including dead missing and captured. Another 273,803 people were wounded bringing total losses to 759,947.
How did Soviet small unit tactics affect the outcome of the Battle of Smolensk?
Soviet small unit tactics were implemented with depleted companies even before operations began using night operations to close on enemy positions. Specific data shows 200 Soviet soldiers involved in one unsuccessful night attack resulted in 7 killed 18 missing and 18 wounded.
Why did German forces delay their advance toward Moscow during the Battle of Smolensk?
Fuhrer Directive 33 issued on the 14th of July shifted the main effort away from Moscow toward a deep encirclement of Kiev in Ukraine. The time and resources consumed at Smolensk delayed the German advance toward Moscow significantly while supply lines stretched to their limit.