Kiev

The Panzers of Army Group South captured thousands of prisoners and large amounts of artillery and tanks in the great "Kessel" (pocket) battle of Uman. The Soviet armies in Kiev, and to the east, found themselves facing the same fate …

1941-09-01

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The Panzers of Army Group South captured thousands of prisoners and large amounts of artillery and tanks in the great "Kessel" (pocket) battle of Uman. The Soviet armies in Kiev, and to the east, found themselves facing the same fate in a Kessel the size of Belgium. The battle for the city of Kiev itself began on September 16th with an assault by XXIX Corps. In sight of Kiev's distinctive skyline, the 71st and 296th Infantry Divisions led the way into the salient over rough terrain covered with miles of bunkers, ditches, barbed wire and tank traps. However, the 95th Infantry Division and 77th Stug Regiment contributed to the reduction of numerous bunkers. In Kiev itself, loudspeakers broadcast Stalin's speeches to motivate the defenders, but to no avail - Kiev fell on September 24th. As a parting blow the Soviets detonated numerous explosions in Kiev by remote control, setting off fires that raged for five days and killing many of the victorious Axis troops. The Axis security forces wreaked terrible revenge on the Soviet population with the Babi Yar massacre. The war had entered a new level of ruthlessness.

Kiev, Russia

The First Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. This encirclement is considered the largest encirclement in the history of warfare. The operation ran from 7 August to 26 September 1941 as part of Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union. In Soviet military history, it is referred to as the Kiev Strategic Defensive Operation, with the somewhat different dates of 7 July – 26 September 1941.

Wikipedia: Battle of Kiev (1941)

German

Russian

Game Type: Standard

Board Type: Countryside

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