How is this battlefield mentioned in the books?

 

When one is looking in the well known history books for descriptions about the Rzhew-Wjasma Battles, one will soon find out the little has been written about the period from January 1942-March 1943.

Despite the 15 month long struggle and the total of 2 million plus victims we will find just little in as well the German and the Russian literature about this very important episode.  

 

In some Russian publications the name Rzhew is mentioned a few times, but it is only mentioned when spoken about the battles that were won. And only then with little detail.

Like in " the Great Domestic war 1941-1945 " (Moscow, 1990) is only spoken about the unsuccessful end on January 7th 1942 of the Kalinin offensive; “The 22nd, 29th and the 39th Soviet army were not able to take Rzhew, this was tried since december 24th 1941.”

In other books only the operation Mars from November 1942 is mentioned briefly and the subject was closed as a diversion for the Russian attack on the German troops at Stalingrad. As we see later in this webpage we can conclude that this was not the case.

 

In the (from origin Russian) book Die Schlacht von Rzhew:ein halbes jahrhundert Schweigen by Oleg A. Kondratjew(1998) (later translated into the German language) this problem is also concluded and researched. Because failing does not belong to the Russian Stalinist way of thinking the failure of all Russian attacks during this 15 months period would not be written down in the country’s history at that time. It would take a long time, up into the 1990’s, until the heroic deeds of the Russian soldiers would find their way into the (Russian) history books.  

 

The only books in which the German presence in the area is written very thoroughly are the German Divisional history books. In these books the history of one particular division is written down with lots of details.

Why other historians and writers about the East front did not use this information is a riddle to me.

 

How many Rzhew-Wjasma Battle’s?

Kondratjew in his book describes the differences he noticed between the books that do mention the Rzhew-Wjasma era.

He noticed that in the Russian book: "the Soviet losses " by general-colonel Krivosheyev  (London, 1997 - translation of the first edition) 3 Rzhew battles are mentioned; January-April 1942, July-August 1942 and the German withdrawal in March 1943.  The first operation is called strategic, the other two - front.

He also asks the question what actual is a battle? He analyses this problem and as you can see writers interpret this term differently.   

 

The American historian Colonel D.M. Glantz in his book “When titans collide” (Kansas, 1995) mentions 4 battle’s adding the Russian operation Mars in November-December 1942.

 

The German General H. Grossmann (Commander of the 6th Infantry Division) describes in his book: Rzhew: “Eckpfeiler der Ostfront” (" Rzhew - The corner stone of the East front " (Rzhev, 1996)6 major battles.

First the capture of Rzhew by the Germans in October 1941, second the period January-February 1942, third the battle’s in the first half of July 1942 and the fourth starting from the end of July until October 1942, the fifth (operation Mars) from November 25th until december 1942 and the sixth in March 1943.   

 

How many German divisions?

Grossmann’s book is THE standard book about this subject together with Alexander Conrady’s book “rzhew”.

Grossmann states in the end of his book that there had been about 48 German divisions in the salient. However Grossmann limited the story in his book only to the northern part of the salient with the road Smolensk-Wjasma as the southern border. Kondratjew in his book counted 52 divisions.

We can conclude however that both figures are wrong. Also the troops in the south part of the salient should be counted. Then we come on a figure of 63 divisions in the total area, in the month April 1942 we find the most divisions namely 53!

 

Not al history writers make this mistake, Werner Haupt gives in his book: “Heeresgruppe Mitte” (Verlaghans-Henning Podzung 1968) a good overview of the total situation including the southern part. Werner Haupt counts even more divisions with a height point in June 1942 with a total of 67 Divisions and in November 1942 also 67 divisions and an extra 15 security divisions.

However Haupt gives only a total count and there is no way to check is findings.

 

Importance of the Rzhew-Wjasma and Stalingrad battle’s!

 

The location of the Rzhew-Wjasma salient in which the complete German 9th Army was located at about just 200 KM before Moscow was for Stalin Military strategic the most dangerous treat during the Year 1942. That is why the Russian army tried continually to cut of the Salient. 

Every Russian attack time after time failed to finish of the Germans against a high toll of Russian lives. To keep up Russian morale it was very important for Stalin to have a major victory. Then finally in the end of 1942 the Russians succeeded to prevail over the Germans in Stalingrad.

The Operation around Rzhew and that around Stalingrad were conducted at the same time. Unfortunately for the Russians that one around Rzhew failed terribly.

 

David M. Glanz ends his article about "Operations Mars" with a conclusion that describes the entire problem.

“The legacy of Operation mars was silence. Stalin and history mandated that Vasilevsky's feat at Stalingrad remained unblemished by the Rzhev failure. Stalin recognized Zhukov's greatest quality -- that he fought -- and, at this stage of the war and later, Stalin needed fighters. Therefore, Zhukov's reputation remained intact. Stalin and Soviet history mandated that he share credit with Vasilevsky for the Stalingrad victory.”

 

And so the battle for Stalingrad went into history as the turning point of the war. And du to the reasons here above mentioned the battle went into the history as “most important for the Russians”. With other words, the other battles (including that around Rzhew-Wjasma) were less important!

As in some line’s above here already mentions some reasons there are more reasons why this was not the case, and that the Rzhew- Wjasma battle appears at least to be equal to Stalingrad.

Here are some curious facts:

 

Kondratjew specially mentions the "operation Mars" in his book in order to take way the mythical importance of "Operation Uranus’ at Stalingrad.

It is well known that Shukov planned "Uranus" together with Vassilewski. The goal; to defeat the German army there.

Shukov writes in a letter to Sokolowo: I have met with the Chief of the Generalstaff Wassilewski on November 11th and agreed on the following: The troops on the west front will not be moved to Stalingrad, in stead the goal of the operation will be the destruction of the salient Rzhew-Wjasma. Shukov and Vassilewski went to Stalin!

Stalin agreed with this proposition.

Shukov declared that he was ready to prepare this operation. Right after the meeting he left for the Kalininfront.

(Sourch:Marshall Shukow, Heerfuhrer und Mensch(Marschall Schukow, Polkowodez I Tschelowek), Bd. I, Moskau1988,Page 244-245)

 

In Shukovs own "Memories and thoughts" he also writes about this in most detail.

According to the memoirs of Shukov, Stalin himself had taken over the leadership over the attack on the Rzhew salient. 

 

In August 1943 Stalin visited a village near Rzhew (Choroschewo). This visit by Stalin during the war near Rzhev was unique, before and after this visit Stalin never visited the front during the war, not even Stalingrad after the victory over the 6th Army, why?

 

Churchill even has personally congratulated Stalin on March 4 1943 for capturing this small town - as he wrote-: “Accept my warmest congratulations on Rzhev. I know from our conversations in August how much importance you attach to the liberation of this place.”

This we can read in the book: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF THE USSR AND THE PRESIDENTS OF THE USA AND THE PRIME MINISTERS OF GREAT BRITAIN DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR OF 1941-1945

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/stalin/works/correspondence/02/index.htm

 

On March 6 1943 Stalin answers:” Thank you for your congratulations on our capture of Rzhev. Today our troops have taken Gzhatsk.”

 

On March 6 1943 Shukov was given the title Marshal of the Soviet Union, so after the capturing of Rzhew and not directly in February 1943 after the capturing of Stalingrad.

 

In some books and on different websites the Rzhew-Wjasma attacks are described diversion for the battle of Stalingrad. This however would be rather strange since the Rzhew attacks (November 25) started 6 days later as the Stalingrad main attack on November 19th.

 

Some last note:

On may 8 1965 the city’s of Moscow, Leningrad (st. Petersburg), Stalingrad (Volgograd), Novorossiisk, Tula, Murmansk and Smolensk gained the title of “heroic city’s”. Just in April 2005 finally the Duma recognized the suffocations of other city’s and gave the title of “City with great military fame” to the city’s of Rzhev, Yelnya, Orel and Wjazma.

 

Books:

The next books mention the Rzhew-Wjasma Battles;

·         Panzer Division

·         Die 2. Panzer division

·         Geschichte der Rheinisch westfälische 6. infanterie division

·         Brennpunkt die Geschichte der 6. panzer division (Grossmann)

·         Die 7. panzer division im 2. weltkrieg (Hasso von Manteufel)

·         Infanterie regiment 9- 26 Panzer division (das Potsdammer infanterie regeiment 9)

·         Geschichte der 20. panzer division. Hitze Frost und Pulverdampf

·         Rzhew 1942-1943 Aus der Geschichte der 36. infanterie division (Conrady)

·         Geschichte der 87. infanterie division

·         Geschichte der 282. infanterie division. DIe vergessene Pilz Division

·         Division 'Das Reich"im bild.

·         Einer vom jahrgeng 23. Kriegstagebuch GrossDeutschland

·         Wir wollen das wort nicht brechen (ss-division 'das Reich')

·         Riding East, The ss-kavalry brigade in Poland and Russia (Mark. Yerger)

·         Model

·         Fallschirmjäger weg und schicksal einer truppe (W. Haupt)

·         Moskau, Rshew, Orel, Minsk (W. Haupt)

·         Heersegruppe Mitte (W. Haupt)

·         Counterpoint to Stalingrad (David Glanz)

·         Panzertrains (Savodny)

·         Rzhew Eckpfeiler der Ostfront (Grossmann)

This list is far from complete.