Battle of Bialystok-Minsk
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Białystok–Minsk was a German strategic operation conducted by the Army Group Centre
during penetration of the Soviet border region during the opening stage of Operation Barbarossa
lasting from 22–29 June 1941. Its goal, the encirclement of the Red Army
forces around Minsk
, was accomplished. All major Russian counter-attacks and break-through attempts failed and the defenders were defeated, allowing for the Wehrmacht
to take many Soviet prisoners and to further advance into the Soviet Union at a pace so swift that some believed the Germans had effectively won the war against Russia already.
Fedor von Bock
, Army Group Centre was tasked with attacking from Poland through the Białystok - Minsk
- Smolensk
axis towards Moscow. The Army Group included the 9th and 4th Armies. Its armored forces were Hoth's 3rd Panzergruppe and Guderian's 2nd Panzergruppe. The two infantry Armies fielded 33 divisions and the Panzer Armies fielded nine armored divisions, six motorized divisions and a cavalry division. Army Group Center could call upon Luftflotte 2
for air support
.
Facing the German Army Group Center was the Red Army's Western Front commanded by General of the Army Dmitry Pavlov
. It included the 3rd, 4th, and 10th Armies
along the frontier. The 13th Army
was held as part of the Stavka
High Command Reserve and initially existed as a headquarters unit only, with no assigned forces. All together, the Soviet Western Front had 25 rifle and cavalry divisions, 13 tank and 7 motorized divisions.
The Red Army
disposition in Belarus was based on the idea of an aggressive response to a German attack, carrying the war into German-occupied Poland, but suffered from weakness along the flanks, created by the line of demarcation placement following the division of Poland
in 1939. The forward placement of both German and Soviet forces in a double-bulge position enabled both sides to try the double envelopment
. It was the OKH that undertaken it successfully, severing most of Soviet Western Front's forces from other Soviet fronts in a twin encirclement, centred on Białystok and Navahrudak, to the west of Minsk
.
The Red Army's salient which jutted into German occupied Polish territory with its center at Białystok was essential for OKH planning. Beyond Białystok, Minsk
was a key strategic railway junction and a defensive position of the main road and rail communications with Moscow.
Also caught in the German operation was a part of the 11th Army of the Northwestern Front. In the north, 3rd Panzer Group attacked, cutting the 11th Army from Western Front, and crossed the Neman River
. The 2nd Panzer Group crossed the Bug River
and by 23 June had penetrated 60 km into Soviet territory. The Panzer Groups' objectives were to meet east of Minsk and prevent any Red Army withdrawal from the encirclement. Operating with the Panzer Groups to encircle the Soviet forces, the 9th Army and 4th Army cut into the salient, beginning to encircle Soviet Armies around Białystok. On 23 June, the Soviet 10th Army attempted a counter-attack in accordance with pre-war planning, but failed to achieve its goals. On 24 June, General Pavlov ordered his operations officer, General Boldin, to take charge of the 6th, 11th Mechanized Corps and 6th Cavalry Corps for a counter-attack towards Hrodna
to prevent the encirclement of Red Army formations near Białystok. This attack failed with heavy losses, although it may have allowed some units to escape the western encirclement towards Minsk.
In the evening of 25 June, the German XLVII. Panzerkorps
cut between Slonim
and Vawkavysk, forcing Pavlov to order the withdrawal of all troops in the salient behind the Shchara River
at Slonim to avoid encirclement. Most formations could not break contact with the Germans, and due to the loss of fuel and transport assets those who could break out, had to withdraw on foot. This withdrawal opened the southern approaches of Minsk.
Five days after the invasion on 27 June, the pincer of Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group and Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group closed east of Minsk. The Panzer Groups had advanced 321 km into the Soviet Union and almost a third of the distance to Moscow. It was a stunning achievement. On 28 June, the 9th and 4th German Armies linked up east of Białystok splitting the encircled Soviet forces into two pockets: a smaller Białystok pocket containing the Soviet 10th Army and a larger Navahrudak pocket containing the 3rd and 13th Armies. Ultimately, in 17 days the Soviet Western Front lost 420,000 personnel from a total of 625,000. On 29 June Minsk, the capital of Belarus, fell to the Wehrmacht.
A second Red Army counter-attack by the 20th Mechanized Corps and 4th Airborne Corps failed to breach the encirclement as well, and by 30 June the pocket was completely closed.
The German forces surrounded and eventually destroyed or took prisoner the Soviet 3rd and 10th, 13th and portions of the 4th Armies, in total about 20 divisions, while the remainder of the 4th Army fell back eastwards towards the Berezina River
.
The Luftwaffe
s Luftflotte 2
helped destroy the VVS Western Front. Some 1,669 Soviet aircraft had been destroyed. Germans had suffered 276 lost and 208 damaged. After only a week of fighting the total serviceable strength of the German Luftflotte 1
, Luftflotte 2
and Luftflotte 4
had been reduced to just 960 machines.
It has been established that at beginning on June 22, 1941 the withdrawing Soviet troops, that were forced out by the German army, committed regular crimes against the inhabitants of Białystok and its area. Civilians who happened to be in the vicinity of the passing Soviet troops were shot dead. There were cases of the whole families being dragged out of their houses and executed by firing squads in Białystok and the areas surrounding.
On conclusion, 290,000 Soviet soldiers were captured, 1,500 guns and 2,500 tanks were destroyed, but 250,000 Soviet troops managed to escape (most of these prisoners would be dead within a few months
because of inhuman conditions at the POW enclosures).
The quick advance East created the possibility for the Wehrmacht to advance rapidly towards the land bridge of Smolensk, from which an attack on Moscow could be planned. It also created the impression in the OKW that the war against the Soviet Union was already won, within days of its start. Despite this feat, Hitler blamed the panzer generals for leaving gaps in the lines and the panzer generals for their part were deeply frustrated as for almost a week their advance east had been stopped while they closed the pocket and waited for the infantry to catch up. They feared the momentum of the armored offensive would be lost.
The Front commander General Pavlov and his Front Staff were recalled to Moscow, accused of intentional disorganization of defense and retreat without battle. They were soon executed by the NKVD because of cowardice and "failure to perform their duties". Their families were repressed. They were "rehabilitated" in 1956. An exception to this was Pavlov's operations officer, general Ivan Boldin, who had been cut off by the German advance at a forward headquarters in the first days of the invasion and subsequently fought his way back to Soviet lines with over a thousand other soldiers a month and a half later.
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
during penetration of the Soviet border region during the opening stage of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
lasting from 22–29 June 1941. Its goal, the encirclement of the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
forces around Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
, was accomplished. All major Russian counter-attacks and break-through attempts failed and the defenders were defeated, allowing for the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
to take many Soviet prisoners and to further advance into the Soviet Union at a pace so swift that some believed the Germans had effectively won the war against Russia already.
Prelude
Commanded by Field MarshalField Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Fedor von Bock
Fedor von Bock
Fedor von Bock was a German Generalfeldmarshall who served in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. As a leader who lectured his soldiers about the honor of dying for the German Fatherland, he was nicknamed "Der Sterber"...
, Army Group Centre was tasked with attacking from Poland through the Białystok - Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
- Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
axis towards Moscow. The Army Group included the 9th and 4th Armies. Its armored forces were Hoth's 3rd Panzergruppe and Guderian's 2nd Panzergruppe. The two infantry Armies fielded 33 divisions and the Panzer Armies fielded nine armored divisions, six motorized divisions and a cavalry division. Army Group Center could call upon Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 in Braunschweig and transferred to Italy on November 15, 1941...
for air support
Air Support
Air Support is a 1992 computer game for the Amiga and Atari ST. It is a top-down strategy game, with a first-person mode available for special missions. The game takes place during a retrofuturistic 21st century where all wars are fought in virtual reality. The game was given mostly positive...
.
Facing the German Army Group Center was the Red Army's Western Front commanded by General of the Army Dmitry Pavlov
Dmitry Pavlov
Dmitry Grigorevich Pavlov was a Soviet general who commanded the key Soviet Western Front during the initial days of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, or Operation Barbarossa, in June 1941. After his forces were heavily defeated in the first days of the campaign, he was relieved of his...
. It included the 3rd, 4th, and 10th Armies
10th Army (Soviet Union)
The 10th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was a field army active from 1939 to 1944.The Army was formed in September 1939 in the Moscow Military District, and then deployed to the Western Special Military District...
along the frontier. The 13th Army
13th Army (Soviet Union)
The 13th Army was a name given to several field armies of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first created during the Russian Civil War...
was held as part of the Stavka
Stavka
Stavka was the term used to refer to a command element of the armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history of Imperial Russia as administrative staff and General Headquarters during late 19th Century Imperial Russian armed forces and those of the Soviet Union...
High Command Reserve and initially existed as a headquarters unit only, with no assigned forces. All together, the Soviet Western Front had 25 rifle and cavalry divisions, 13 tank and 7 motorized divisions.
The Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
disposition in Belarus was based on the idea of an aggressive response to a German attack, carrying the war into German-occupied Poland, but suffered from weakness along the flanks, created by the line of demarcation placement following the division of Poland
Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
Immediately after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, which marked the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union invaded the eastern regions of the Second Polish Republic, which Poles referred to as the "Kresy," and annexed territories totaling 201,015 km² with a population of 13,299,000...
in 1939. The forward placement of both German and Soviet forces in a double-bulge position enabled both sides to try the double envelopment
Pincer movement
The pincer movement or double envelopment is a military maneuver. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it...
. It was the OKH that undertaken it successfully, severing most of Soviet Western Front's forces from other Soviet fronts in a twin encirclement, centred on Białystok and Navahrudak, to the west of Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
.
Soviet
- Western Front - Commander Army General Pavlov, Operations Officer General I.V. Boldin
- 3rd Army (Soviet Union) - V.I.KuznetsovVasily Kuznetsov (general)Vasily Ivanovich Kuznetsov was a Soviet General and a Hero of the Soviet Union.-Early life:...
- 3rd Army (Soviet Union) - V.I.Kuznetsov
-
- 4th Army (Soviet Union)
- (including 6th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)6th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)The 6th Rifle Division was a Soviet military unit. They participated in several battles, most notably the Soviet westward offensive of 1918–1919 and Estonian War of Independence. From their inception the unit saw combat and had three periods of active service...
)
- (including 6th Rifle Division (Soviet Union)
- 10th Army (Soviet Union)10th Army (Soviet Union)The 10th Army of the Soviet Union's Red Army was a field army active from 1939 to 1944.The Army was formed in September 1939 in the Moscow Military District, and then deployed to the Western Special Military District...
- K.D.Golubev- (including 6th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union))
- 4th Army (Soviet Union)
-
- Second echelon (pending formation)
- 13th Army (Soviet Union)13th Army (Soviet Union)The 13th Army was a name given to several field armies of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first created during the Russian Civil War...
- Lieutenant General F.N. Remezov
- 13th Army (Soviet Union)
- Second echelon (pending formation)
German
- Army Group CentreArmy Group CentreArmy Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
- 2. Armee - Generaloberst Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von WeichsMaximilian von WeichsMaximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von Weichs zu Glon was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
- 4. Armee - Generaloberst Ludwig KüblerLudwig KüblerGeneral Ludwig Kübler was a German General of the Mountain Troops during World War II who was executed as a war criminal in Yugoslavia.- Early life :...
- VII. ArmeekorpsVII Army Corps (Germany)German VII. Corps was a corps in the German Army during World War II. It was destroyed in August 1944 during the Jassy–Kishinev Offensive .-Commanders:...
- General der Artillerie Wilhelm FahrmbacherWilhelm FahrmbacherWilhelm Fahrmbacher was a highly decorated General der Artillerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or... - IX. ArmeekorpsIX Army Corps (Germany)- Commanders :* Artillery General Friedrich Dollmann, 1 October 1934 – 25 August 1939.* Infantry General Hermann Geyer, 25 August 1939 – 31 December 1941....
- General der Infanterie Hermann GeyerHermann GeyerHermann Geyer was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded the IX. Armeekorps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or... - XII. Armeekorps - General der Infanterie Walther SchrothWalther SchrothWalther Schroth was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
- XIII. Armeekorps - General der Infanterie Hans FelberHans FelberHans Felber was a German infantry general and staff officer.Felber started his military career as Fahnenjunker on March 17, 1908. On August 17, 1909 he was elevated to Lieutenant of the 117th Infantry Regiment. On April 1, 1932 Felber became a Lieutenant Colonel. On July 1, 1935 he found himself...
- XXXV. Armeekorps
- XLIII. Armeekorps - Generaloberst Gotthard HeinriciGotthard HeinriciGotthard Heinrici was a general in the German Army during World War II.-Personal life:Heinrici's was born in Gumbinnen , East Prussia, on Christmas Day, 1886, to Paul Heinrici, a local Lutheran minister of the Prussian Church, and his wife Gisela, née von Rauchhaupt, who was of recent Jewish descent...
- LIII. Armeekorps - General der Infanterie Karl WeisenbergerKarl WeisenbergerKarl Weisenberger was a highly decorated General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
- 286. Sicherungsdivision - Generalleutnant Kurt Müller
- VII. Armeekorps
- 9. Armee - Generaloberst Adolf Strauss
- II. ArmeekorpsII Army Corps (Germany)-Commanders:*Generalleutnant Fedor von Bock, creation – April 1935*General der Infanterie Johannes Blaskowitz, April 1935 – 10 November 1938*Generaloberst Adolf Strauß, 10 November 1938 – 30 May 1940...
- General der Infanterie Walter Graf von Brockdorff-AhlefeldtWalter von Brockdorff-AhlefeldtWalter Graf von Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt was a German general of the Infantry, serving during World War II.... - V. ArmeekorpsV Army Corps (Germany)-Commanders:* Infantry General Hermann Geyer, 16 May 1935 – 30 April 1939* Infantry General Richard Ruoff, 1 May 1939 – 12 January 1942...
- Generaloberst Richard RuoffRichard RuoffRichard Ruoff was an officer in the German Army before and during World War II.Colonel-General Richard Ruoff commanded the 4th Tank Army from 8 January 1942 to 31 May 1942... - VI. Armeekorps - General der Pioniere Otto-Wilhelm FörsterOtto-Wilhelm FörsterOtto-Wilhelm Förster was a highly decorated General der Pioniere in the Wehrmacht during World War II who commanded several corps. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or...
- VIII. ArmeekorpsVIII Army Corps (Germany)German VIII. Corps was a corps in the German Army during World War II. It was destroyed during the Battle of Stalingrad and reformed in mid-1943.-Commanders:...
- Generaloberst Walter HeitzWalter HeitzWalter Heitz was a German Generaloberst, serving during World War II. Heitz commanded the VIII. Armeekorps on the Eastern Front...
- II. Armeekorps
- Panzergruppe 2 - Generaloberst Heinz GuderianHeinz GuderianHeinz Wilhelm Guderian was a German general during World War II. He was a pioneer in the development of armored warfare, and was the leading proponent of tanks and mechanization in the Wehrmacht . Germany's panzer forces were raised and organized under his direction as Chief of Mobile Forces...
- XXIV. Panzerkorps - General der Panzertruppen Leo Freiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg
- XLVI. Panzerkorps - General Heinrich von Viettinghoff-ScheelHeinrich von VietinghoffHeinrich Gottfried Otto Richard von Vietinghoff genannt Scheel was a German Colonel-General of the German Army during the Second World War....
- XLVII. Panzerkorps
- 1. Kavalleriedivision - Generalleutnant Otto Mengers
- 10. Infanteriedivision (mot.) - Generalleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm von LoeperFriedrich-Wilhelm von LoeperFriedrich-Wilhelm von Loeper was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
- Panzergruppe 3 - Generaloberst Hermann HothHermann HothHermann "Papa" Hoth was an officer in the German military from 1903 to 1945. He attained the rank of Generaloberst during World War II. He fought in France, but is most noted for his later exploits as a panzer commander on the Eastern Front...
- XXXIX. Armeekorps (mot) - Generaloberst Rudolf SchmidtRudolf SchmidtRudolf Schmidt was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II who served as the Commander of the 2nd Panzer Army which was a huge armoured formation that operated on the Eastern Front. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
- LVII. Armeekorps (mot) - General der Panzertruppen Adolf KuntzenAdolf-Friedrich KuntzenGeneral Adolf-Fiedrich Kuntzen was a Panzer General in the German army during World War II who served as the Commanding General of the LXXXI Army-Corps under Erwin Rommel in Normandy in 1944....
- XXXIX. Armeekorps (mot) - Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt
- 2. Armee - Generaloberst Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs
Tanks
On 22 June 1941, the balance of tanks over the entire area of the Soviet Western Front was as follows.| German corps | German divisions | Total German tanks | Tanks with 37 mm cannon (incl. Panzer 38(t) Panzer 38(t) The Panzerkampfwagen 38 was originally a Czech tank of pre-World War II design. After Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland and Russia. Production ended in 1942, when its armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over... and Panzer III Panzer III Panzer III was the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and was used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III translating as "armoured battle vehicle". It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and... ) | Tanks with 50 mm or larger cannon (incl. Panzer III Panzer III Panzer III was the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the 1930s by Germany and was used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen III translating as "armoured battle vehicle". It was intended to fight other armoured fighting vehicles and... and Panzer IV Panzer IV The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXXIX. Armeekorps mot (Germany) | 7th, 20th | 494 | 288 | 61 |
| LVII Panzer Corps (Germany) | 12th, 19th | 448 | 219 | 60 |
| XXXXVII Panzer Corps (Germany) | 17th, 18th | 420 | 99 | 187 |
| XXXXVI Panzer Corps (Germany) | 10th | 182 | 0 | 125 |
| XXIV Panzer Corps (Germany) | 3rd, 4th | 392 | 60 | 207 |
| Any other unit of Army Group Center | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1936 | 666 | 640 | |
| Soviet corps | Soviet divisions | Total Soviet tanks | T-34 and KV Kliment Voroshilov tank The Kliment Voroshilov tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks, named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov. The KV series were known for their extremely heavy armour protection during the early war, especially during the first year of the invasion of the Soviet... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | 29th, 33rd, 204th | 414 | 20 |
| 6th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | 4th, 7th, 29th | 1131 | 452 |
| 13th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | 25th, 31st, 208th | 282 | 0 |
| 14th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | 22nd, 30th, 205th | 518 | 0 |
| 7th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | 14th, 18th, 1st | 959 | 103 |
| 5th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | 13th, 17th, (109th not incl.) | 861 | 17 |
| 17th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | (not fully formed) | 63 | N/A |
| 20th Mechanized Corps (Soviet Union) | (not fully formed) | 94 | N/A |
| (independent) | 57th division | 200 | 0 |
| Tanks scattered over various other units | Ordinary rifle divisions, etc. | not incl. | - |
| Total | 4522 | 592 |
The operation
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
was a key strategic railway junction and a defensive position of the main road and rail communications with Moscow.
Also caught in the German operation was a part of the 11th Army of the Northwestern Front. In the north, 3rd Panzer Group attacked, cutting the 11th Army from Western Front, and crossed the Neman River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
. The 2nd Panzer Group crossed the Bug River
Bug River
The Bug River is a left tributary of the Narew river flows from central Ukraine to the west, passing along the Ukraine-Polish and Polish-Belarusian border and into Poland, where it empties into the Narew river near Serock. The part between the lake and the Vistula River is sometimes referred to as...
and by 23 June had penetrated 60 km into Soviet territory. The Panzer Groups' objectives were to meet east of Minsk and prevent any Red Army withdrawal from the encirclement. Operating with the Panzer Groups to encircle the Soviet forces, the 9th Army and 4th Army cut into the salient, beginning to encircle Soviet Armies around Białystok. On 23 June, the Soviet 10th Army attempted a counter-attack in accordance with pre-war planning, but failed to achieve its goals. On 24 June, General Pavlov ordered his operations officer, General Boldin, to take charge of the 6th, 11th Mechanized Corps and 6th Cavalry Corps for a counter-attack towards Hrodna
Hrodna
Grodno or Hrodna , is a city in Belarus. It is located on the Neman River , close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania . It has 327,540 inhabitants...
to prevent the encirclement of Red Army formations near Białystok. This attack failed with heavy losses, although it may have allowed some units to escape the western encirclement towards Minsk.
In the evening of 25 June, the German XLVII. Panzerkorps
XLVII Panzer Corps (Germany)
The XLVII Panzer Corps was a Panzer Corps formed by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge during the Battle for Normandy, and for Operation Lüttich...
cut between Slonim
Slonim
Slonim is a city in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus, capital of the Slonim District. It is located at the junction of the Shchara and Isa rivers, 143 km southeast of Hrodna. The population in 2008 was 50,800.-Etymology and historical names:...
and Vawkavysk, forcing Pavlov to order the withdrawal of all troops in the salient behind the Shchara River
Shchara River
Shchara River is a river in Belarus, a left tributary of the Neman River. It is 325 km in length.Shchara flows through Slonim.- Main tributaries :Right: Lipnyanka, Myshanka, Lakhazva, Usa, Padyavarka. Left: Vedma, Grivda, Lukonitsa, Sipa....
at Slonim to avoid encirclement. Most formations could not break contact with the Germans, and due to the loss of fuel and transport assets those who could break out, had to withdraw on foot. This withdrawal opened the southern approaches of Minsk.
Five days after the invasion on 27 June, the pincer of Guderian's 2nd Panzer Group and Hoth's 3rd Panzer Group closed east of Minsk. The Panzer Groups had advanced 321 km into the Soviet Union and almost a third of the distance to Moscow. It was a stunning achievement. On 28 June, the 9th and 4th German Armies linked up east of Białystok splitting the encircled Soviet forces into two pockets: a smaller Białystok pocket containing the Soviet 10th Army and a larger Navahrudak pocket containing the 3rd and 13th Armies. Ultimately, in 17 days the Soviet Western Front lost 420,000 personnel from a total of 625,000. On 29 June Minsk, the capital of Belarus, fell to the Wehrmacht.
A second Red Army counter-attack by the 20th Mechanized Corps and 4th Airborne Corps failed to breach the encirclement as well, and by 30 June the pocket was completely closed.
The German forces surrounded and eventually destroyed or took prisoner the Soviet 3rd and 10th, 13th and portions of the 4th Armies, in total about 20 divisions, while the remainder of the 4th Army fell back eastwards towards the Berezina River
Berezina River
The Berezina is a river in Belarus and a tributary of the Dnieper River.The Berezina Preserve by the river is in the UNESCO list of Biosphere Preserves.-Historical significance:...
.
The Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
s Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 in Braunschweig and transferred to Italy on November 15, 1941...
helped destroy the VVS Western Front. Some 1,669 Soviet aircraft had been destroyed. Germans had suffered 276 lost and 208 damaged. After only a week of fighting the total serviceable strength of the German Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 1 in Berlin...
, Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2
Luftflotte 2 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 in Braunschweig and transferred to Italy on November 15, 1941...
and Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on March 18, 1939 from Luftwaffenkommando Österreich in Vienna. The Luftflotte was redesignated on April 21, 1945 to Luftwaffenkommando 4, and became subordinated to Luftflotte 6. It was the...
had been reduced to just 960 machines.
Consequences
The Soviet troops trapped in the gigantic pockets continued fighting, and concluding operations resulted in high German casualties. Many Soviet troops escaped due to the lack of German infantry troops' motor transport that slowed the encirclement process.It has been established that at beginning on June 22, 1941 the withdrawing Soviet troops, that were forced out by the German army, committed regular crimes against the inhabitants of Białystok and its area. Civilians who happened to be in the vicinity of the passing Soviet troops were shot dead. There were cases of the whole families being dragged out of their houses and executed by firing squads in Białystok and the areas surrounding.
On conclusion, 290,000 Soviet soldiers were captured, 1,500 guns and 2,500 tanks were destroyed, but 250,000 Soviet troops managed to escape (most of these prisoners would be dead within a few months
Nazi crimes against Soviet POWs
The Nazi crimes against Soviet Prisoners of War relate to the deliberately genocidal policies taken towards the captured soldiers of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany...
because of inhuman conditions at the POW enclosures).
The quick advance East created the possibility for the Wehrmacht to advance rapidly towards the land bridge of Smolensk, from which an attack on Moscow could be planned. It also created the impression in the OKW that the war against the Soviet Union was already won, within days of its start. Despite this feat, Hitler blamed the panzer generals for leaving gaps in the lines and the panzer generals for their part were deeply frustrated as for almost a week their advance east had been stopped while they closed the pocket and waited for the infantry to catch up. They feared the momentum of the armored offensive would be lost.
The Front commander General Pavlov and his Front Staff were recalled to Moscow, accused of intentional disorganization of defense and retreat without battle. They were soon executed by the NKVD because of cowardice and "failure to perform their duties". Their families were repressed. They were "rehabilitated" in 1956. An exception to this was Pavlov's operations officer, general Ivan Boldin, who had been cut off by the German advance at a forward headquarters in the first days of the invasion and subsequently fought his way back to Soviet lines with over a thousand other soldiers a month and a half later.