The Germans were finally forced to halt their attack on Moscow on 5 December in the face of fierce resistance and freezing temperatures. The Germans believed the Soviets had no reserves left, but Stalin had summoned fresh troops from Siberia and the Far East, and on the same day as the Germans called off their… Read more »Read more

In North Africa Rommel continued his offensive, raiding 15 miles into Egypt before withdrawing to refuel. Tobruk was finally relieved at this time. In Russia, German forces gained a bridgehead over the Moscow-Volga canal just 22 miles from the capital; another German army to the northwest reached to within 12 miles, but in each case… Read more »Read more

German forces continued their advance on Moscow, but faced fierce resistance from the Soviet defenders. In North Africa, British Commonwealth and Allied troops crossed into Libya, launching Operation Crusader with a view to liberating Tobruk; but Rommel immediately counter-attacked and drove the British back, inflicting heavy casualties. On 17 November the Japanese high command decided… Read more »Read more

It was now cold enough in central Russia for the ocean of mud to have frozen, allowing the Germans to resume their assault on Moscow. The plan was to encircle the city, but although the Soviets were pushed back the Germans were unable to achieve a breakthrough. Also this week, on 14 November the aircraft… Read more »Read more

With one German army regrouping before Moscow, and another capturing Kursk in the south,  on 7 November Stalin addressed the Russian people for only the second time, urging them to resist the German invasion. Meanwhile British bombers launched raids on Berlin, the Ruhr and Cologne, but suffered heavy losses. And on 9 November, the Royal… Read more »Read more

As the German advance on Moscow ground to a halt in a sea of mud the German High Command finally suspended operations on 31 October until conditions could improve and they could sort out their severe supply problems. In the warmer and drier Crimea, however, German forces reached as far as Sevastopol. Also this week,… Read more »Read more

German forces were now within 90 miles of Moscow, but constant rain and mud and falling temperatures slowed the advance to less than two miles a day while the Germans struggled to keep their army supplied. In the Ukraine, however, conditions were better and on 24 October German forces captured the important mining town of… Read more »Read more

After recent rains had slowed the German advance on Moscow, now temperatures began to fall and the troops had to cope with snow and ice. The Soviet Government evacuated the city, and many heavy industries were moved by rail, but Stalin remained. The Germans were now close enough for the Luftwaffe to launch air raids… Read more »Read more

The German campaign against Moscow made rapid progress, with German armies capturing another 500,000 Soviet troops at Vyazma. Some now predicted that the war would be won within weeks, but rain was turning the roads to mud and slowing the Germans down; also, the Soviets were deploying the new T-34 tank, which had better armour… Read more »Read more

With Russian forces in the north bottled up in the siege of Leningrad, and those in the south destroyed in the fall of Kiev, on 2 October Hitler gave the order for Operation Typhoon, the final assault on Moscow by German forces in the centre. Almost at once the Germans began to outflank and overwhelm… Read more »Read more