Russians Jubilant (Parker) – 2-4
Nazis Blast Roads (Daniell) – 5-6
Axis Commanders Reported in Clash – 6-7
1940 Order Behind Scuttling of Toulon Ships, Vichy Says (MacDonald) – 7-8
Bombers Smash Japanese Bases on New Georgia and Bougainville – 8-9
Japanese Troops Died in Holocaust (Hailey) – 9-10
War News Summarized – 9
Naval Balance Not Upset (Baldwin) – 11
The Texts of the Day’s Communiques on Fighting in Various Zones – 12-13
The News of the Week in Review
Triple Blow – 14-17
Other Fronts – 17-18
Twenty News Questions – 18
Answers to Twenty News Questions – 19
The news of the Soviet “Rzhev-Sychevka Operation” that may or may not have been labeled “Operation Mars” has made its way to the front page of the New York Times.
When the war ended, and for many years afterward, the official Soviet focus on this time was on their success in Operation Uranus, the encirclement and destruction of German 6th Army in Stalingrad. And the Soviets had much to be proud of for having conducted a masterful stroke that forever shifted the strategic initiative in the East.
But after the war, the attacks on German Army Group Center by the forces of Western & Kalinin Fronts were merely labeled as “diversionary,” intended to keep the Germans tied down and unable to send troops to the aid of 6th Army. After the fall of the USSR, examination of the Soviet archives suggested that the Soviets did not intend the November attacks around Rzhev to be merely diversionary. In fact, Zhukov is personally coordinating the attacks of Western & Kalinin Fronts, and the numbers of troops, tanks and infantry exceed the numbers committed to Operation Uranus. David Glantz conducted extensive research on this Operation, which he published in “Zhukov’s Greatest Defeat.”
Reading the account of this operation in today’s Times gives some perspective. The normally reticent Soviets are obviously dancing with glee over what they think is a successful major offensive. And initially, they would have reason to think so as they have penetrated German 9th Army’s defenses in several sectors of a three-prong attack designed to destroy 9th Army and eliminate the Rzhev salient. Unfortunately for the Soviets, while the Germans have taken some serious casualties, none of their divisions have been destroyed, the penetrations are fairly narrow, the German flanks are holding, and there are enough panzer reserves immediately at hand to restore the situation.
While the Germans will hold...a great cost...this is essentially a redux of the Operation conducted against the same defenses back in August. Then, the Soviets were also held off...just barely. But this is no mere “diversionary attack.” Had it been intended as one, it would have been launched BEFORE Uranus, not after. This operation shows that top Soviet units and commanders are still not ready to steamroller the Germans when they are in well-prepared defenses. The Soviet casualty list will be long with little to show for it other than attrition of the German defenders.
Interesting to read in the Times how it was portrayed at the time, and not later when the Soviets tried to sweep it under the rug.