The Defense of Moscow 1941: The Northern Flank

by Jack Radey, Charles Sharp, David Col. Glantz (Foreword by)

Overview

A 'must read' by historian and layman alike. —Col. David M. Glantz, author of Kursk"An important book that will surely become the definitive account." —John Prados, author of Normandy CrucibleNazi Germany's best chance of winning World War II on the Eastern Front came in October 1941. Most of the Red Army's forces around Moscow had been smashed or encircled, and no reserves were available for the capital's defense. All that stood in Germany's way was a handful of Soviet rifle divisions, tank brigades, and militia. When their attack ground to a halt, the Germans blamed the mud, but close examination reveals that it was the scraped together and poorly coordinated resistance of the Red Army that stopped the Germans. Radey and Sharp tell the dramatic story in this study of a pivotal battle in the struggle for supremacy in the East.• Compelling study of how the Soviets inflicted a stunning defeat on the Germans during the early years of World War II• Relies on archival records from both sides to shatter old myths about this battle

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811713481
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	01/01/2014
Series:	Stackpole Military History Series
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jack Radey has researched World War II for decades. He lives in Eugene, Oregon. Charles Sharp, a Penn State graduate and U.S. Army veteran, has written numerous books on the Soviet and German armies.

Table of Contents

Foreword vi

Authors' Notes viii

Prologue 1

1 Background 2

2 Preliminaries, October 7th-9th 32

3 The German Pursuit and Capture of Kalinin, October 10th-l4th 35

4 New Operational Plans 58

5 The German Advance on Torzhok, October 15th-16th 66

6 The Soviet Counterstroke Begins, October 17th 85

7 The Battle Along the Torzhok Road, October 18th-21st 101

8 The Battle for Kalinin City, October 22nd-24th 140

9 Revised Plans 157

10 Aftermath, October 25th-Early November 162

11 Conclusions 170

Appendix 1 German Order of Battle 178

Appendix 2 Soviet Order of Battle 185

Appendix 3 German Directives, Orders and Reports 193

Appendix 4 Soviet Directives, Orders and Reports 214

Acknowledgments 239

Notes 240

Bibliography 265

Index 272