1942 Summer Offensive

Crew composition of German tanks:

- Commander

- Gunner (aiming at the enemy)

- Loader (selects armor-piercing ammunition or high-explosives, facilitates the attack)

- Driver

- Radio operator (also serves as a hull machine gunner)

Soviet KV-1 Heavy crew composition:

- Commander and loader

- Gunner

- Driver

- Auxiliary driver and mechanic

- Radio operator and forward machine gunner

There is no full-time commander. Also, many of them are not equipped with a radio or have poor performance.

- ほうこうおんち

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Hitler thought.

It was something he would rather not dwell on. Perhaps this winter, too, would be dreadfully cold.

Stalin also thought.

It was something he would rather not dwell on. Perhaps this winter, too, would be dreadfully cold.

Hitler gave the order: "Achieve victory this summer, no matter what!"

Stalin gave the order: "Hold out until winter, then annihilate the Germans!"

The German army fought in desperation. The Soviet army's morale plummeted.

"Comrade Stalin, didn't you say we were to drive the Germans out of the motherland by the end of this year?"

"There's nothing unusual about what I said. The year doesn't end until December 31."

"So... wait for winter, push the Germans back, and then capture Berlin on top of that?"

"You know... I never said anything so reckless. Just expel the Germans by Khristos (Christmas)."

"And after that?"

"Then, capture Berlin by Novyy God (New Year), of course."

The surrounding officers urgently appealed to Colonel General Zhukov, pleading with him to convince Stalin that this was unrealistic. For now, the immediate objective was to push the German forces back to the Polish border by the end of 1942. However, while the winter advantages of the Soviet army were a double-edged sword, the Germans were far more desperate, convinced that losing once winter arrived meant certain defeat.

The air mass that had been pressing down from the Arctic retreated northward, and although strong winds persisted, blue skies returned to the Ukrainian plains. The Luftwaffe launched an all-out assault on the Soviet forces.

On the other hand, with the rising temperatures allowing diesel fuel to vaporize properly, the Soviet armored divisions also launched counterattacks. The powerful Soviet T-34 medium tanks continued to dominate, while Germany's new tanks were not yet fully developed. To counter this, the Germans deployed the Panzer IV with the long-barreled 75 mm cannon, known as the Ausf. F2. Although only a few were available, the German General Staff, eager to secure victory before summer's end, threw everything they had into the effort. From then on, they would spare no effort, deploying every weapon they could produce straight to the battlefield.

It wasn't just about weapons. Both Hitler and Chief of Staff Halder diverted all available resources to the Soviet front, abandoning everything else.

"Mein Führer! Italy is requesting reinforcements in North Africa."

"Ignore them!"

"The resistance in France is becoming increasingly active."

"That's irrelevant!"

"The Navy is expressing dissatisfaction. With their budgets, personnel, and supplies cut, they claim they can't fight."

"Silence! We're not at war with anyone but Britain, and that's already resolved. Who else would they fight?"

Even Hitler, however, allocated just enough budget for operations in the Baltic and Barents Seas. Yet, he canceled the resumption of construction on the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin and called off all operations involving the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz. Prototypes, reserve troops with outdated equipment, and even soldiers recovering from injuries were all mobilized en masse and thrown onto Soviet soil. This desperate push overwhelmed the Soviet forces even more than the previous year.

Originally, Hitler was known for trusting his instincts and rejecting the General Staff's operational plans. However, this year, Hitler approved the Army's operational plan without complaints. The plan was to focus all efforts on the capture of Moscow. Even now, Hitler believed that Ukraine, Donetsk, and the Caucasus should be secured first. But he had come to understand that with the short operational timeframe and the simultaneous execution of multiple campaigns, efforts on all fronts would end up half-baked. Thus, he approved the Moscow offensive plan, with the condition that the operation be concluded within the summer season.

This decision lit a fire under the Army General Staff's enthusiasm. By coincidence, it also managed to catch the Soviets off guard. The Soviet Union, dealing with food shortages and fuel scarcity caused by last year's abnormal weather, had anticipated that Germany—more specifically, Hitler—would aim southward. In preparation to defend Ukraine, they had moved their main forces southward. Contrary to expectations, however, the military-obsessed Germans chose to prioritize a strike on the Soviet capital rather than securing strategic resources.

The German army's strength lay in its rapid coordination of infantry, artillery, tanks, and air strikes. In terms of tank performance, the German Panzer III and Panzer IV were inferior to the Soviet T-34 medium tank and KV-1 heavy tank. However, every German tank was equipped with an onboard radio and operated by a dedicated radio operator, with a specialized tank commander directing the crew.

In contrast, the T-34 was operated by a four-man crew, with the tank commander doubling as the loader, leaving him unable to focus on commanding. Additionally, the Soviets struggled to develop and mass-produce high-performance radios, which were only installed in platoon leader or company commander tanks. The same applied to the KV-1 heavy tanks. The Germans' superior tank crew proficiency and coordinated operations, facilitated by radio communication, gave them the edge in tank battles, even against the superior Soviet tanks.

The Soviet "flying tanks," the Il-2 Sturmovik attack aircraft, also faced challenges. Poor radio-guided coordination and interference from German fighters, which performed well under the high-pressure summer skies, prevented them from achieving significant results.

The Soviet army's operational command wasn't poor, but the desperate German forces managed to outmatch them in several areas. Still, the Soviet army's skill in positional defense kept the Germans from breaking through.

In August, deeply troubling and critical news arrived. The food supplies Britain had been selling through Spain had decreased. Reports indicated a large-scale rebellion in Bengal, India, which had disrupted Britain's ability to procure food. While Germany could still produce sufficient fuel and ammunition domestically, food supplies had been dwindling since the previous year. With a poor domestic harvest, Germany had become heavily reliant on British food imports—an ironic lifeline shared by the Soviet Union.

At this rate, supply lines might completely break down. It seemed increasingly likely that food deliveries would cease altogether. The prospect of capturing Moscow within the summer began to appear impossible.

At this critical juncture, a hero emerged within the German army: Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel.

Already renowned for his role in the French campaign on the Western Front, Rommel was a celebrated figure, even depicted in propaganda films. His unit, known for its unpredictability, had earned the nickname "Ghost Division." Now, in the all-consuming Soviet campaign with its clear objective of advancing toward Moscow, Rommel acted on his own initiative. Drawing on his tactics from the French campaign, he employed deception, feints, diversions, and flanking maneuvers to break through defensive lines. He disregarded supply lines and ignored coordination with other units. To avoid detection, he ceased regular communications, refrained from using radios, and pushed forward relentlessly, indifferent to isolation or the slower progress of follow-up forces.

Rommel's approach was anything but modern. It was reminiscent of Edward the Black Prince's chevauchées or the Mongol Empire's cavalry tactics—reckless, single-minded advances with tanks replacing horses.

"Sir! We don't have enough fuel to reach Moscow!"

"Then we'll abandon the tanks along the way. That will save enough fuel, won't it?"

"We could reach Moscow, but we won't have fuel to return. We'll be isolated deep in enemy territory!"

"Isolated in Moscow? We can call for aerial resupply once we reach the city. What matters now is securing an objective, a foothold in Moscow. Even if it's just one corner of the city, once we establish a bridgehead, others will come."

It was a complete gamble—and Rommel pulled it off.

His forces lacked the new Panzer IV Ausf. F2 tanks with long-barrel 75 mm guns or the Panzer III Ausf. Js with additional armor and 50 mm guns. Instead, he had older Panzer III Ausf. Gs (with a mix of 50 mm and 37 mm guns) and StuG III Ausf. E assault guns (equipped with 75 mm howitzers). Despite this, he sacrificed these prized weapons in a bold gambit at Naro-Fominsk. There, his forces destroyed the town, producing massive plumes of smoke to attract Soviet attention.

Rommel issued a ruthless order: "Tank crews, fight here. When you run out of ammunition, you may surrender. Whether the Russians spare your lives is unknown. If I make it to Moscow safely, I'll find a way to rescue you. Fight until then."

Remarkably, his tank crews and supporting artillery obeyed without complaint, trusting their leader. The sudden appearance of German forces at Naro-Fominsk, a mere 70 kilometers from Moscow, caused chaos among the Soviets. The front line had been at Smolensk, 250 kilometers away, making Rommel's arrival utterly unexpected. While Soviet forces became fixated on the stranded tank units, Rommel's wheeled armored cars and half-tracks broke through to Moscow.

It was recklessly ambitious. Even with frontline troops tied up and the capital's defenders distracted, Moscow still had its reserves. But this was where the Ghost Division lived up to its name. Rommel's forces made it impossible for the Soviets to determine their exact numbers. Had the Soviets remained calm, they might have realized that only half a division had infiltrated the city.

"Generalleutnant Rommel's forces have entered Moscow!"

"What? He was missing in action, and now he's deep in enemy territory alone? Does he not understand the importance of command structure and logistics?"

Generalfeldmarschall Günther von Kluge, commander of Army Group Centre, exploded in rage. Kluge, who had been methodically and carefully paving the way toward Moscow, found Rommel's insubordination infuriating.

Adding fuel to the fire, another report came in: "Generaloberst Guderian's forces have begun moving toward Moscow!"

Kluge and Guderian had a longstanding rivalry.

During the previous year's campaign, Kluge, recognizing the severity of the Russian winter, had prepared for a retreat. Guderian, however, insisted on continuing the assault on Moscow, leading to a heated argument. Guderian had demanded Kluge's removal, but his request was denied. In frustration, Guderian feigned illness and took leave. This year, however, with Hitler approving the Moscow offensive, Guderian returned to frontline duty. Assigned once again to Army Group Centre, he conspicuously avoided Kluge's headquarters entirely.

Guderian ignored Kluge's authority and ordered his troops to advance, suffering losses against Soviet defenses. However, news of Rommel's arrival in Moscow and Guderian's assault sparked a chain reaction. Units across Army Group Centre launched an all-out offensive, disregarding their commander. Kluge attempted to restore order but failed. His inability to maintain control led to his dismissal for lack of leadership.

The chaos, though unplanned, overwhelmed Soviet defenses, ultimately breaking through. The German forces crushed the Soviets across the frontlines. The Luftwaffe joined the effort, bombing Moscow to support Rommel. As German paratroopers descended into the city, Stalin made the fateful decision to abandon Moscow.

Thus, the German army narrowly achieved its summer objective: the capture of Moscow.

However, it came at a heavy cost. German losses reached 60%, and Rommel's forces were reduced to only 20% of their combat strength.

The war, however, did not end.

In this regard, Hitler proved more prescient than the Army General Staff. Capturing Moscow did not break Stalin's resolve. If anything, targeting Ukraine, Baku, or other vital regions would have more effectively crippled the Soviet war effort. Stalin relocated the capital to Novgorod and continued the fight. Meanwhile, many Soviet troops remained within Moscow, initiating urban warfare.

The fall of Moscow delighted Hitler at first, but Stalin's refusal to surrender enraged him.

"I approved the plan just as you advised, yet the victory you promised isn't delivering the results!"

The Germans had achieved their objective—but the war showed no signs of ending.

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The next chapter will be uploaded on July 31 at 17:00.

- ほうこうおんち