Table Of ContentHelion	&	Company	Limited
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Published	by	Helion	&	Company	2013
Designed	and	typeset	by	Farr	out	Publications,	Wokingham,	Berkshire
Cover	designed	by	Euan	Carter,	Leicester	(www.euancarter.com)
Printed	by	Gutenberg	Press	Limited,	Tarxien,	Malta
Text	©	Svetlana	Gerasimova	2013.	English	edition	translated	and	edited	by	Stuart	Britton,
©	Helion	&	Company	Limited	2013.
Maps	©	Helion	&	Company	Limited	2013.	Maps	designed	by	Paul	Hewitt,	Battlefield
Design	(www.battlefield-design.co.uk)
For	©	of	photographs	see	credits	within	the	book.
Originally	published	as	1941:	Viazemskaia	katastrofa	(Moscow:	Yauza,	Eksmo,	2008).
ISBN:	978	1	908916	51	8
EPUB	ISBN:	978	1	910294	17	8
British	Library	Cataloguing-in-Publication	Data.
A	catalogue	record	for	this	book	is	available	from	the	British	Library.
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Front	cover:	Burning	Soviet	T-34	tank.	(Bundesarchiv,	B	145	Bild	F-016221-0016).
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Contents
List	of	photographs
List	of	maps
List	of	map	abbreviations
List	of	tables
Introduction
1 The	Enemy	Staging	Area	on	the	Approaches	to	the	Capital
2 The	First	Attempt	at	Encirclement	–	the	First	Rzhev-Viaz’ma
Offensive	8	January–20	April	1942
3 The	Wehrmacht	Mops	up	the	Rear	of	Army	Group	Center	–	Combat
Operations	in	May-July	1942
4 The	Second	Attempt	…	“By	the	end	of	the	second	day,	seize	the	city
of	Rzhev”1	–	The	First	Rzhev	–	Sychevka	(Gzhatsk)	Offensive,	30
July–30	September	1942
Photo	Gallery
	
5 Operation	Mars	–	The	Second	Rzhev	–	Sychevka	Offensive,	25
November–20	December	1942
6 The	Dénouement	–	The	Liquidation	of	the	Rzhev	Salient	–	The
Rzhev	–	Viaz’ma	Offensive	Operation,	2-31	March	1943
7 Results	of	the	Battle	–	“This	large	and	lengthy	battle	…	”
Appendices
Documents	of	the	Stavka	VGK	[Supreme	High	Command]	and	the	General
Staff	regarding	matters	of	the	combat	operations	in	the	area	of	the	Rzhev	–
Viaz’ma	salient	(as	published	in	the	collected	volumes	of	documents	from	the
series	Russkii	arkhiv:	Velikaia	Otechestvennaia)
I Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	151141	to	the	Commanders	of	the
Western	and	Kalinin	Fronts	about	the	Encirclement	of	the	Enemy’s
Mozhaisk	–	Gzhatsk	–	Viaz’ma	Grouping
II Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170007	to	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin
Front	about	the	Liberation	of	Rzhev
III Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170035	to	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin
Front	about	a	Change	of	the	Front’s	Roster	and	Specification	of
Tasks
IV Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170038	to	the	Commander	of	the	30th
Army	about	the	Confirmation	of	the	Decision	of	the	Kalinin	Front
Commander	to	Conduct	a	Regrouping
V Stavka	VGK	Directive	to	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin	Front	about
the	Liquidation	of	the	Enemy	Breakthrough	West	of	Rzhev
VI Stavka	VGK	Directive	to	the	Commanders	of	the	Western	and
Kalinin	Fronts	about	Re-establishing	the	Post	of	Commander-in-
Chief	of	the	Western	Direction
VII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	01542	to	the	Commander-in-Chief	of	the
Western	Direction	on	the	Destruction	of	the	Enemy’s	Rzhev	–
Viaz’ma	–	Iukhnov	and	Bolkhov	–	Zhizdra	–	Briansk	Groupings
VIII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170124	to	the	Commander-in-Chief	of
the	Western	Direction	about	Confirming	the	Decision	to	Break
Through	the	Enemy’s	Defense	on	the	Motaevo,	Kostrovo	Sector
IX Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170157	to	the	Commander	of	the	Red
Army	Air	Force	on	the	creation	of	a	Strike	Air	Group	of	the	Stavka
of	the	Supreme	High	Command
X Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	153589	to	the	Commander-in-Chief	of
the	Western	Direction	about	Hastening	the	Destruction	of	the
Enemy’s	Rzhev	–	Viaz’ma	–	Gzhatsk	Grouping
XI Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170183	to	the	Commander-in-Chief	of
the	Western	Direction	Regarding	Changes	in	the	Composition	of	the
Western	Front
XII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170182	to	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin
Front	Regarding	Changes	in	the	Front’s	Composition
XIII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170363	to	the	Commanders	of	the
Western	Front	and	the	Red	Army	Air	Force	Regarding	Measures	for
Holding	and	Expanding	the	Staging	Area,	Occupied	by	Belov’s
Operational	Group
XIV Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170394	to	the	Commander	of	the
Western	Front	Regarding	the	Front’s	Reinforcement
XV Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170433	to	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin
Front	on	the	Preparation	of	an	Operation	to	Smash	the	Enemy’s
Olenino	Grouping
XVI Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170514	to	the	Commanders	of	the
Kalinin	and	Western	Fronts	about	Conducting	an	Offensive
Operation	in	the	Rzhev	Area
XVII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170549	to	the	Commanders	of	the
Western	and	Kalinin	Fronts	and	the	Red	Army	Air	Force	on
Measures	to	Eliminate	the	Causes	of	the	Impermissibly	High
Breakdowns	of	Aircraft
XVIII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	994146	to	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin
Front	about	Unifying	the	Commands	of	the	39th	and	58th	Armies
XIX To	the	Commander	of	the	Western	Front,	to	the	Commander	of	the
Kalinin	Front
XX To	Kalinin	Front’s	Chief	of	Staff	about	Shortcomings	in	the
Organization	of	the	30th	and	29th	Armies’	Combat	Operations
XXI Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170558	to	the	Commander	of	the
Western	Front	Regarding	the	Plan	of	the	Operation	in	the	Rzhev
Area
XXII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170591	to	the	Commanders	of	the
Western	and	Kalinin	Fronts	about	the	Reassignment	of	the	29th	and
30th	Armies
XXIII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170606	to	the	Commander	of	the
Western	Front	Regarding	the	Working	Out	the	Plan	of	the	Gzhatsk
Operation
XXIV Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170651	to	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin
Front	about	Reinforcing	the	Front
XXV To	the	Chief	of	Staff	of	the	Western	Front	Regarding	the
Inexpediency	of	Using	Improvised	Tank	Groups	for	Exploiting	a
Breakthrough
XXVI To	the	Commander	of	the	Kalinin	Front	about	Expanding	the	Area
of	the	Unloading	of	the	Motorized	Units
XXVII To	the	Chiefs	of	Staff	of	the	Northwestern,	Kalinin	and	Western
Fronts	and	of	the	Main	Intelligence	Directorate	about	Strengthening
Reconnaissance
XXVIII An	Order	of	the	Supreme	Commander	to	the	Stavka	Representative
about	Reinforcing	the	20th	Army
XXIX Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	170700	to	the	Commanders	of	the
Western	and	Kalinin	Fronts	on	the	Assignments	Pertaining	to	the
Destruction	of	the	Enemy’s	Rzhev	–	Sychevka	–	Olenino	–	Belyi
Grouping
XXX To	the	Chief	of	Staff	of	the	Kalinin	Front	about	Shortcomings	in	the
Organization	of	the	Defense
XXXI Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	30040	to	the	Commander	of	the	Western
Front	about	the	Transfer	of	the	61st	Army	to	the	Briansk	Front	and
the	Assignment	for	Cooperation	between	the	Fronts
XXXII Stavka	Directive	No.	30041	to	the	Commander	of	the	Briansk	Front
about	the	Sequence	of	the	Destruction	of	the	Enemy’s	Orel	–	Briansk
Grouping
XXXIII Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	30043	to	the	Commander	of	the	Central
Front	for	an	Offensive	with	the	Aim	of	Emerging	in	the	Rear	of	the
Enemy’s	Rzhev	–	Viaz’ma	–	Briansk	Grouping
XXXIV Stavka	VGK	Order	No.	0045	Regarding	the	Replacement	of	the
Commander	and	Chief	of	Staff	of	the	Western	Front
XXXV Stavka	VGK	Order	No.	0046	Regarding	the	Replacement	of	Army
Commanders	of	the	Western	Front
XXXVI Stavka	VGK	Directive	No.	30062	to	the	Commanders	of	the	Kalinin
and	Western	Front	on	the	Pursuit	of	the	Retreating	Enemy
Notes
Bibliography
List	of	photographs
Construction	of	a	bunker	in	the	sector	of	the	6th	Infantry	Division’s	18th
Infantry	Regiment,	north	of	Rzhev,	summer	of	1942.
Entrance	to	a	German	bunker	in	the	sector	of	the	18th	Infantry	Regiment,	north
of	Rzhev,	summer	of	1942.
A	pillbox	on	Novaia	Street	in	the	village	of	Selizharovo,	Tver’	Oblast;	a	1968
photograph,	author’s	collection.
A	pillbox	on	the	Kirov	Embankment	in	the	village	of	Selizharovo,	Tver’	Oblast;
a	2004	photograph,	author’s	collection.
Views	of	two	more	pillboxes	in	the	Olenino	District	of	Tver’	Oblast,	1980s
photographs,	author’s	collection.
A	Soviet	infantry	attack,	beginning	of	1942.
Red	Army	soldiers	on	the	attack,	beginning	of	1942.
Fighting	for	a	village,	January	1942.
Soviet	infantry	manning	positions,	January	1942.
Commander	of	the	39th	Army,	Lieutenant	General	I.	I.	Maslennikov;	a	post-war
photograph.
Medics	of	Kalinin	Front’s	31st	Army	evacuate	wounded	from	the	battlefield,
early	1942.	Photo	by	B.	Vdovenko.
Commander	of	the	29th	Army,	Major	General	V.	I.	Shvetsov;	a	late	1940s
photograph.
A	Soviet	cavalry	unit	on	the	march,	winter	1941/1942.
Lieutenant	General	M.G.	Efremov,	commander	of	the	33rd	Army.
Lieutenant	General	P.A.	Belov,	commander	of	the	1st	Guards	Cavalry	Corps.
Wehrmacht	soldiers,	early	1942.
A	German	infantry	column,	early	1942.
German	infantry	on	the	march,	early	1942.
German	supply	wagons,	winter	of	1941-1942.
Major	General	(from	January	1942)	Lieutenant	General	D.D.	Leliushenko,
commander	of	the	30th	Army;	a	late	1941	photograph.
Red	Army	troops	who	have	emerged	from	encirclement	in	the	Frolovo	area,
February	1942.	Photo	by	B.	Vdovenko.
A	Pe-2	taxis	to	a	stop	at	a	forest	airstrip,	Kalinin	Front,	early	1942.	Photo	by	B.
Vdovenko.
The	crew	of	a	Pe-2	receives	an	assignment,	Kalinin	Front,	early	1942.	Photo	by
B.	Vdovenko.
Dead	Red	Army	troops	in	front	of	the	positions	of	the	129th	Infantry	Division,
February	1942.
After	an	attack	against	German	positions	in	the	Rzhev	area,	early	1942.
Kalinin	Front,	spring	1942.
The	command	of	the	31st	Army	on	the	Zubtsov	axis,	spring	1942.
Kalinin	Front	commander	I.	S.	Konev’s	visit	to	the	31st	Army	on	the	Zubtsov
axis,	spring	1942.
An	official	condolence	letter,	notifying	a	family	of	the	death	of	a	Red	Army	man
in	the	Rzhev	region.
A	Lenin	kiosk.	Kalinin	Front,	summer	1942.
Red	Army	troops	waiting	to	be	served	at	a	field	kitchen,	summer	1942.
Red	Army	men	taken	prisoner	during	Operation	Seydlitz,	July	1942.	A	German
photograph.
Lieutenant	General	I.A.	Bogdanov,	deputy	commander	of	the	39th	Army,	made
Major	General	in	July	1942.
Colonel	S.V.	Sokolov,	commander	of	the	11th	Cavalry	Corps.
Guards	Senior	Lieutenant	I.I.	Zhukov,	who	in	July	1942	flew	Lieutenant	General
Maslennikov	out	of	encirclement.
Major	General	A.D.	Berezin	accepts	the	Guards	Banner	for	the	17th	Guards
Rifle	Division,	near	Belyi,	Kalinin	Oblast,	1942.
Major	General	P.P.	Miroshnichenko,	39th	Army	chief	of	staff,	killed	when
coming	out	of	encirclement.
Major	General	P.S.	Ivanov,	commander	of	the	18th	Cavalry	Division,	killed
when	coming	out	of	encirclement	in	July	1942.
The	grave	of	Major	General	A.D.	Berezin,	Belyi	District,	Kalinin	Oblast.
Acceptance	into	the	Party	before	a	battle,	summer	1942.
Moving	up	into	position,	Kalinin	Front,	summer	of	1942.	Photo	by	B.
Vdovenko.
Flamethrowers	of	the	1245th	Rifle	Regiment	before	the	battle,	summer	of	1942.
Katiusha	rocket	launchers	announce	the	opening	of	Western	Front’s	offensive,	4
August	1942.
German	prisoners,	Western	Front,	August	1942.
Rations	being	delivered	to	the	front	on	horses	due	to	the	muddy	quagmire	caused
by	the	heavy	rains.	The	Pogoreloe	Gorodishche	area,	10	August	1942.
Crossing	a	river	line,	Kalinin	Front,	summer	of	1942.
A	downed	German	Heinkel	He	111	bomber,	Kalinin	Front,	summer	of	1942.
A	disabled	Lend-Lease	American	M3A1	Stuart	light	tank	being	towed	through	a
Russian	village	back	to	a	field	repair	shop,	August	1942.
German	vehicles	destroyed	during	the	Pogoreloe	Gorodishche	operation,
Western	Front,	August	1942.
A	mortar	team	in	action	near	Rzhev,	summer	of	1942.
A	German	artillery	crew	in	its	firing	position	in	the	Rzhev	area,	summer	of	1942.
Soviet	infantry	dash	along	a	street	in	Karmanovo.	Western	Front,	August	1942.
In	the	liberated	village	of	Pogoreloe	Gorodishche,	August	1942.
Residents	of	a	liberated	village	greet	their	liberators,	autumn	of	1942.
Fighting	for	a	village,	August	1942.
A	Wehrmacht	soldier,	vicinity	of	Rzhev,	August-September	1942.
Knocked-out	Soviet	tanks	loom	over	a	German	trench,	Rzhev	area,	August	1942.
Fighting	in	Rzhev,	September	1942.
German	soldiers	occupied	with	a	too-familiar	task:	killing	lice.	Rzhev	area,
summer-autumn	1942;	a	captured	German	photograph.
Before	the	German	positions,	west	of	Rzhev,	November	1942.
The	battlefield	after	an	attack	by	mounted	Cossacks	on	German	positions	east	of
Osuga,	December	1942.	A	captured	German	photograph.
Dead	Red	Army	men	after	an	attack	on	positions	of	the	129th	Infantry	Division;
Rzhev	area,	December	1942.	German	photographs.
Interrogation	of	a	German	prisoner,	Kalinin	Front,	end	of	1942.
On	the	attack.	Soldiers	of	the	158th	Rifle	Division,	Kalinin	Front,	west	of
Rzhev,	November	1942.
Another	view	of	soldiers	of	the	158th	Rifle	Division	on	the	attack,	Kalinin	Front,
west	of	Rzhev,	November	1942.
Major	General	M.D.	Solomatin;	in	1942	the	commander	of	the	8th	Tank	Corps
(August-September)	and	the	1st	Mechanized	Corps	(November-December).
Fighting	of	the	158th	Rifle	Division	for	the	village	of	Kondrakovo;	Kalinin
Front,	west	of	Rzhev,	December	1942.
Fighting	for	the	village	of	Sverkuny	west	of	Rzhev;	Kalinin	Front,	December
1942.
German	flamethrowers	in	action,	Rzhev	area,	January	1943.
Wehrmacht	units	on	the	move	to	a	new	position,	February	1943.
The	central	church	in	Belyi	–	a	symbol	of	the	city.	March	1943.
A	graveyard	of	tanks	between	the	Soviet	and	German	positions	in	the
northeastern	portion	of	Rzhev.	Early	1943.
German	units	pulling	out	of	Rzhev,	March	1943.
Description:Historians consider the Battle of Rzhev "one of the bloodiest in the history of the Great Patriotic War" and "Zhukov's greatest defeat". Veterans called this colossal battle, which continued for a total of 15 months, "the Rzhev slaughterhouse" or "the Massacre", while the German generals named this