The first major victory in the battle with the German occupiers in World War II is the defense of Moscow (1941). The map of actions of German and Soviet troops is the Volga River (in the north), then the Rzhev railway line (in the west) and the Gorbachevo station (in the south). Defending the capital, the Red Army defeated most of Army Group Center (1941), after which it launched a counterattack (1942).
Hitler's plan
The basis of the Barbarossa plan was the capture of Moscow and the rout of the Soviet armies defending it. The plan was to go away in a matter of weeks. For its implementation, the German commanders developed the operation "Typhoon", which began on September 30, 1941, after long aerial bombings, reconnaissance missions and preparations for tank, motorized and infantry armies.
Number of parties
The total number of the enemy:
- over a million soldiers and officers;
- about 1,600 tanks;
- about 14 thousand artillery pieces and mortars;
- 950 fighters and bombers.
From the side of the Red Army:
- 1 million 200 thousand Red Army men and commanders;
- about 1,400 tanks;
- 9600 artillery pieces;
- 700 aircraft.
This amounted to about a third of the entire combat potential of the Red Army. The first preparations for the battle were appointed by the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander- in -Chief at the end of July 1941. The defense of Moscow lasted from September 30 to December 4, which was the first stage of the battle near Moscow.
Militia and fighter squads
July 1941 ended for Muscovites with the construction of a defensive line in the Mozhaisk direction. At the same time, the formation of militia units began. In total, there were about twenty-five divisions, which included volunteers of various ages. These formations were very poorly equipped. It even got to the point that there were no more than three hundred rifles per six thousand people.
Due to the fact that a large number of saboteurs leaked to the capital, and there was also a percentage of the population recruited by them, the formation of fighter squads began. The enemy, who is in the city, inflicted damage in every possible way, illuminating strategic objects for enemy bombers at night and exploding ammunition depots.
Offensive
Initially, the enemy’s plan, using three tank groups (I, II, and III), was to break up the main formations of the Red Army concentrated in the Bryansk and Vyazma area, take the remaining Soviet troops into the encirclement, and then enter Moscow from the south.
For a complete picture of the location of the defensive lines and the number of troops in them, several reconnaissance sorties were carried out in the summer of 1941. The defense of Moscow began with the reflection of constant bombing.
Oryol-Bryansk operation
In view of the imminent gatherings, the Soviet army was poorly equipped and, moreover, concentrated its fortifications in a place remote from where the enemy was going to pass. Thus, German troops entered Oryol without serious casualties. As one of the German generals later recalled, when the army entered the city, trams still ran along routes. Enterprises and factories did not have time to evacuate, and their property in containers stood directly on the roads.
Most of the defenders hit the ring. Meanwhile, on October 3rd, a convoy of German tanks made their way to the city of Mtsensk. But thanks to the 4th Panzer Division of Colonel Katukov, the convoy was disabled. The fighting near Mtsensk delayed German plans for a whole week. However, on October 6, the Germans took Bryansk, as a result of which General Eremenko (the commander of the Bryansk Front) had to retreat. The general himself was wounded and evacuated to Moscow.
Vyazemsky front
The front was broken through by German troops, and the offensive began in the direction of Vyazma. Kirov and Spas-Demensk were taken on October 4, 1941. The defense of Moscow was weakening every day. So, the troops of the Reserve and Western Fronts were taken into the ring. According to some reports, about 700 Soviet soldiers and officers were captured.
Battle of Mozhaisk
Major General Govorov was sent to Mozhaisk to hold the enemy. He creates an order to create a defensive line. In addition to the contracting regiments and battalions, cadets of the artillery school who had been removed from classes were also sent to it.
Despite this, the enemy moved further and further. After holding the defense for about ten days, our troops were forced to retreat. On October 13, Kaluga fell under enemy pressure, October 16 - Borovsk, Mozhaisk itself - October 18, 1941. The defense of Moscow began to take place already a hundred kilometers from the capital itself.
Panic in the city
A wave of anxiety swept the townspeople. Such panic and mass movements have not yet known in all its history the capital of our country - Moscow. 1941, October 15 - the date of the decision on the urgent evacuation. The General Staff, as well as the leadership of the people's commissariats, military institutes, and other institutions were transferred to nearby cities (Saratov, Kuibyshev, and others).
Factories and other important strategic facilities were mined. On October 20th a state of siege was declared in the city.
Parade on Red Square
The parade on November 7th on the Red Square of the besieged city is, undoubtedly, one of the most colorful events that the World War II is not rich in. The defense of Moscow, thus, received a breath of fresh air, the defenders became more enthusiastic.
The same cannot be said of the Germans. Weather conditions completely exhausted, forcing to overcome distances for a much longer time than expected according to plan. To everything else, the resistance of the encircled Soviet troops made itself felt. And the Germans needed to take a two-week pause in order to reform their units.
Counterattack
A huge surprise for the Germans was the Soviet troops that advanced to the attack. On December 6, 1941, after several shelling, the Red Army, playing on surprises, caught the rather battered enemy by surprise. So the defense of Moscow passed to its second (deplorable for the Germans) stage - the counteroffensive.
Rewarding
The medal for the defense of Moscow is one of the honorary awards for military merits in the Second World War. It was awarded to all participants holding the defense for more than a month. Moreover, both officers and soldiers.
In addition, civilians received a medal for the defense of Moscow , in one way or another helping to restrain the enemy.