When did the Battle of Uman take place?
The Battle of Uman was fought from the 15th of July to the 8th of August 1941. It lasted just over three weeks and took place during the opening phase of Germany's Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front.
Questions about Battle of Uman
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Which Soviet armies were destroyed at the Battle of Uman?
The German encirclement at Uman destroyed the Soviet 6th Army, commanded by Lieutenant General I. N. Muzychenko, and the 12th Army, commanded by Major General P. G. Ponedelin. Both commanders were captured when the pocket collapsed in early August 1941.
Who commanded German forces at the Battle of Uman?
German Army Group South was commanded by Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt. The armored spearheads that drove the encirclement came from the 1st Panzer Group, whose motorized corps carried out the main encircling thrusts around Uman.
How large was the Soviet force trapped at Uman?
By the 5th of August 1941, roughly 65,000 Soviet troops remained in the pocket, which had contracted to approximately 10 by 10 kilometers and was entirely under German fire. The trapped forces included the remnants of the 6th Army, 12th Army, and 2nd Mechanized Corps, collectively known as the Ponedelin Group.
Why did the Soviet breakout attempts from Uman fail?
The breakout attempts failed because the encircling German ring was stronger than Soviet commanders understood. The Southern Front gave the trapped armies incorrect information, including the false belief that Pervomaysk still held and that the 18th Army could relieve them from the south. In reality Pervomaysk had fallen on the 3rd of August, and the 18th Army had retreated. The "Special Task" column that broke through on the night of the 6th of August was ultimately stopped by the LII Army Corps and 9th Panzer Division.
What role did the Green Brama forest play in the Battle of Uman?
The forests near the Green Brama became the final refuge of the encircled Soviet forces. On the afternoon of the 7th of August 1941, Soviet troops sheltering there began to surrender. Among those captured at this stage were the commanders of both the 6th and 12th armies, four corps commanders, and eleven division commanders.