Phase 1
41-754: Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Air war The Yelnya offensive (August 30 – September 8, 1941) was a military operation by the Soviet Army during the Battle of Smolensk during Operation Barbarossa , the German invasion of the Soviet Union , which began the German-Soviet War . The offensive was an attack against the semi-circular Yelnya salient which the German 4th Army had extended 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-east of Smolensk , forming
82-538: A rocket (although these too can also be guided ). Missiles have four system components: targeting and/or missile guidance , flight system, engine, and warhead. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes: surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles ( ballistic , cruise , anti-ship , anti-tank , etc.), surface-to-air missiles (and anti-ballistic ), air-to-air missiles , and anti-satellite weapons . All known existing missiles are designed to be propelled during powered flight by chemical reactions inside
123-575: A rocket engine , jet engine , or other type of engine. Non-self-propelled airborne explosive devices are generally referred to as shells and usually have a shorter range than missiles. In ordinary British-English usage predating guided weapons, a missile is " any thrown object ", such as objects thrown at players by rowdy spectators at a sporting event. The advent of the unmanned aerial vehicle has dramatically revolutionised aerial warfare with multiple nations developing and/or purchasing UAV fleets. Several benchmarks have already occurred, including
164-480: A UAV-fighter jet dogfight , probes of adversary air defense with UAVs, replacement of an operational flight wing's aircraft with UAVs, control of UAVs qualifying the operator for 'combat' status, UAV-control from the other side of the world, jamming and/or data-hijacking of UAVs in flight, as well as proposals to transfer fire authority to AI aboard a UAV. UAVs have quickly evolved from surveillance to combat roles. The growing capability of UAVs has thrown into question
205-524: A failure. After the failure of the Smolensk offensives, the seriously weakened front became trapped in an enormous encirclement in the lead-up to the Battle of Moscow . "Most of the troops found themselves encircled, and were fighting their way to the east," according to Zhukov . On 23 Oct., "thanks to heroic efforts they managed to break out of encirclement." On 10 Nov., the Bryansk Front
246-469: A morale boost to the Soviet population. The town of Yelnya was located 82 km south-east of Smolensk situated near heights deemed strategic by General Heinz Guderian , commander of the 2nd Panzer Group , as the springboard for further offensive operations towards Moscow. The 2nd Panzer Group took the heights on 19 July 1941, but ran out of fuel and almost ran out of ammunition. The extended flanks of
287-486: A position from which an attack can be made on another aircraft. It relies on offensive and defensive basic fighter manoeuvring (BFM) to gain an advantage over an aerial opponent. Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry , set up to be moved by aircraft and "dropped" into battle, typically by parachute . Thus, they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have the capability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning. The formations are limited only by
328-536: A staging area for an offensive towards Vyazma and eventually Moscow. Under heavy pressure on its flanks, the German army ( Heer ) evacuated the salient by 8 September 1941, leaving behind a devastated and depopulated region. As the first reverse that the Heer suffered during Barbarossa and the first recapture of the Soviet territory by the Red Army , the battle was covered by Nazi and Soviet propaganda and served as
369-420: Is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft . This role can fulfil a variety of requirements, including the collection of imagery intelligence , observation of enemy maneuvers and artillery spotting . Air combat manoeuvring (also known as ACM or dogfighting ) is the tactical art of moving, turning and situating a fighter aircraft in order to attain
410-440: Is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating the enemy by destroying their morale or their economic ability to produce and transport materiel to the theatres of military operations , or both. It is a systematically organized and executed attack from the air which can utilize strategic bombers , long- or medium-range missiles , or nuclear-armed fighter-bomber aircraft to attack targets deemed vital to
451-548: The use of planes and zeppelins for strategic bombing also emerged . The rise of fighter aircraft and of air-to-air combat led to a realisation of the desirability of achieving air superiority . Closer integration of attacking aircraft with ground operations ("battlefield support") also developed during World War I . During World War II (1939-1945), the use of strategic bombing increased, while airborne forces , missiles, and early precision-guided munitions were introduced. Aircraft carriers gained particular importance in
SECTION 10
#1732773233388492-1331: The 5th Guards Rifle Division and 6th Guards Rifle Division . Air war Aerial warfare is the use of military aircraft and other flying machines in warfare . Aerial warfare includes bombers attacking enemy installations or a concentration of enemy troops or strategic targets ; fighter aircraft battling for control of airspace ; attack aircraft engaging in close air support against ground targets; naval aviation flying against sea and nearby land targets; gliders , helicopters and other aircraft to carry airborne forces such as paratroopers ; aerial refueling tankers to extend operation time or range; and military transport aircraft to move cargo and personnel. Historically, military aircraft have included lighter-than-air balloons carrying artillery observers ; lighter-than-air airships for bombing cities; various sorts of reconnaissance , surveillance , and early warning aircraft carrying observers, cameras, and radar equipment; torpedo bombers to attack enemy vessels; and military air-sea rescue aircraft for saving downed airmen . Modern aerial warfare includes missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles . Surface forces are likely to respond to enemy air activity with anti-aircraft warfare . The history of aerial warfare began in ancient times, with
533-656: The Battle of Smolensk (1941) , were promised but also badly worn down. In late August along with the Western Front (Soviet Union) and the Reserve Front , the Bryansk Front launched a large but unsuccessful counteroffensive in the Smolensk , El'nia, and Roslavl regions to halt Army Group Centre 's advance on Moscow. Despite some success by the Reserve Front at El'nia , the efforts by Bryansk Front were
574-533: The Stavka had not suffered losses in unsuccessful counter-offensives east of Smolensk. At the same time, in the 2015 edition of When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler (co-written by Glantz and Jonathan House ), the authors state that while "Western Front's losses undermined its ability to contain a future German offensive (...), the damage it did to Bock's army group [contributed to
615-493: The 'news from the front' [the Wehrmachtbericht ] about the "successful front correction" in our Yelnya defensive lines and the enormous losses we inflicted on the enemy. But no single word was heard about a retreat, about the hopelessness of the situation, about the mental and emotional numbness of the German soldiers. In short, it was again a "victory". But we on the front line were running back like rabbits in front of
656-575: The 24th Army nearly 40 percent of its operational strength. This, combined with other failed Red Army offensives in the Smolensk area, temporarily blunted the German drive but seriously weakened Red Army formations defending the approaches to Moscow . In a lecture to the US Army Heritage and Education Center, Glantz asserted that in the run up to the Battle of Moscow , the Wehrmacht would not have made nearly as much progress as they did if
697-538: The Western Front and the Bryansk Front under General Andrey Yeryomenko . The intent of the 30 August offensive was to assault the bases of the salient, with the 102nd Tank Division and the 303rd Rifle Division forming the outer front of the encirclement, while the 107th and 100th Rifle Divisions of the northern pincer and 106th Motorized Division of the southern pincer formed the inner front of
738-638: The area between 15 and 22 September 1941. In the words of Werth, the battle was built up in the Soviet Press "out of all proportion to its real or ultimate importance". He nonetheless highlights the operation's impact on the Soviet morale, noting (emphasis in the original): Here was not only, as it were, the first victory of the Red Army over the Germans; here was also the first piece of territory —perhaps only 100 to 150 square miles [260 to 390 km]— in
779-478: The bridgehead were subject to frequent counter-attacks of the Red Army while the Army Group Center paused operations in late July to rest and refit. On 1 August, Stavka (Soviet High Command) authorised formation of the Reserve Front , led by Marshal Georgy Zhukov , with several new armies under his command. These formations were generally poorly trained and had few tanks and artillery pieces. Two of
820-426: The encirclement. Supporting the 106th in the south was the 303rd Rifle Division. Containing the salient in the central (eastern) sector of the offensive were the 19th Rifle Division and 309th Rifle Division . The 103rd Motorized Division and 120th Rifle Division were deployed on the northern and southern sides of the salient in fortified field positions to cut routes of escape by the German divisions. The 24th Army
861-457: The enemy's war-making capability. Anti-aircraft warfare or counter-air defence is defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air-based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures (e.g. barrage balloons ). It may be used to protect naval, ground, and air forces in any location. However, for most countries
SECTION 20
#1732773233388902-474: The few surviving civilians living in cellars and dugouts". The Wehrmacht losses included 23,000 casualties of the XX Army Corps for the period from 8 August to 8 September. The Red Army losses for the period from 30 August to 8 September are estimated at 31,853 overall casualties. Historian David Glantz states that although the offensive succeeded in attaining its strategic objective, the operation cost
943-533: The fox. This metamorphosis of the truth from "all shit" to "it was a victory" baffled me, and those of my comrades who dared to think. For its part, Soviet propaganda hailed the offensive as a major success and wanted to draw worldwide attention to it. Thus, the Yelnya battle was the first occasion on which foreign correspondents in the Soviet Union were allowed to visit the front. Seven of eight of them visited
984-517: The later] German collapse at the gates of Moscow". The Yelnya offensive was the first substantial reverse that the Wehrmacht had suffered during Barbarossa. Nazi propaganda presented the retreat as a planned operation; in September 1941, a German infantryman wrote: Officially it was called a "planned withdrawal" (...). But to me it was so much bullshit. The next day, we heard on the radio, in
1025-447: The main effort has tended to be 'homeland defence'. NATO refers to airborne air defence as counter-air and naval air defence as anti-aircraft warfare . Missile defence is an extension of air defence as are initiatives to adapt air defence to the task of intercepting any projectile in flight. In modern usage, a missile is a self-propelled precision-guided munition system, as opposed to an unguided self-propelled munition, referred to as
1066-564: The new armies—the 24th Army under the command of Major General Konstantin Rakutin and the 43rd Army under Lieutenant General Pavel Kurochkin —were to support the Western Front under the command of Semyon Timoshenko . The two formations were to destroy the German forces at Yelnya and advance across the Desna River to retake Roslavl , which had been lost to the 2nd Panzer Group in early August. The German forces initially located in
1107-545: The number and size of their aircraft, so given enough capacity a huge force can appear "out of nowhere" in minutes, an action referred to as vertical envelopment . Conversely, airborne forces typically lack the supplies and equipment for prolonged combat operations, and are therefore more suited for airhead operations than for long-term occupation; furthermore, parachute operations are particularly sensitive to adverse weather conditions. Advances in helicopter technology since World War II have brought increased flexibility to
1148-434: The rest of the year. British war correspondent Alexander Werth described his visit to the Yelnya area in the aftermath of its recapture in his 1964 book Russia at War 1941–1945 . The town of the 15,000 inhabitants had been completely destroyed, and nearly all able bodied men and women had been formed into forced labor battalions and driven to the German rear. Only a few hundred old people and children were allowed to stay in
1189-456: The salient was held by the 15th Infantry Division , while the southern base was held by the 7th Infantry Division . The first phase of the operation began at the end of the first week in August; the initial attack was a failure and was called off within 48 hours. Nevertheless, the Soviet offensive operations continued up till 20 August and then resumed on August 30, in concert with operations by
1230-490: The salient were the 10th Panzer Division , Waffen-SS Division Das Reich , and 268th Infantry Division , among others. These divisions were replaced by the 137th , 78th and 292nd infantry divisions in addition to the 268th, about 70,000 troops in all with some 500 artillery pieces and 40 StuG IIIs of the 202nd Assault Gun Battalion, the last three a part of the German XX Army Corps . The northern base of
1271-496: The scope of airborne operations, and air assaults have largely replaced large-scale parachute operations, and (almost) completely replaced combat glider operations. An airstrike or air strike is an offensive operation carried out by attack aircraft . Air strikes are mostly delivered from aircraft such as fighters , bombers , ground attack aircraft , and attack helicopters . The official definition includes all sorts of targets, including enemy air targets, but in popular use
Yelnya offensive - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-823: The survivability and capability of manned fighter jets. Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front ( Russian : Брянский фронт ) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War . General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first formed in mid-late August 1941, comprising, in Erickson's words, "on paper two armies, 50th and 13th , with eight rifle divisions each, three cavalry divisions, and one tank division but many of these formations were badly whittled down by battle losses." Two other armies from Soviet Central Front , 21st and 3rd Army , which had avoided encirclement at
1353-457: The term is usually narrowed to a tactical (small-scale) attack on a ground or naval objective. Weapons used in an airstrike can range from machine gun bullets and missiles to various types of bombs . It is also commonly referred to as an air raid . In close air support , air strikes are usually controlled by trained observers for coordination with friendly ground troops in a manner derived from artillery tactics. Strategic bombing
1394-509: The town. The witnesses described to Werth how, on the night before the Wehrmacht pulled out of the town, they had been locked into the church and observed German soldiers looting houses and systematically setting each on fire. They were freed by the advancing Red Army. Werth described the countryside of the "Yelnya salient" (territory that had been held by the Wehrmacht) as "completely devastated", with "every village and every town destroyed, and
1435-646: The trans-oceanic projection of air power . Ballistic missiles became of key importance during the Cold War , were armed with nuclear warheads , and were stockpiled by the United States and the Soviet Union to deter each other from using them . Drone warfare using relatively cheap unmanned equipment proliferated in the 21st century, particularly after the start of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020. Aerial reconnaissance
1476-609: The use of man-carrying kites in Ancient China . In the third century it progressed to balloon warfare . Airships (notably zeppelins ) served in military use in the early years of the 20th century. Heavier-than-air airplanes first went to war in the Italo-Turkish War in 1911, initially for aerial reconnaissance , and then for aerial combat to shoot down enemy reconnaissance planes. Aircraft continued to carry out these roles during World War I (1914-1918), where
1517-460: The whole of Europe reconquered from Hitler's Wehrmacht. It is strange to think that in 1941 even that was considered an achievement. The Yelnya offensive is associated with the creation of the elite Guards units in the Red Army when the 100th Rifle Division and 127th Rifle Division were renamed into 1st Guards Rifle Division and 2nd Guards Rifle Division . On 26 September 1941 the 107th Rifle Division and 120th Rifle Division were also renamed
1558-457: Was "disbanded". On its second formation in late 1941 under Yakov Cherevichenko , part of the troops and forces of the Bryansk Front defending the Voronezh region, being designated as Voronezh Front on 7 July 1942. By the time of Operation Blau , the German summer offensive of 1942, the Front comprised the 3rd , 13th , 40th , 48th Armies , the 5th Tank Army , and the 2nd Air Army . It
1599-440: Was allocated only 20 aircraft for reconnaissance and correction of artillery fire for the operation, with no fighter or strike support. On September 3, under the threat of an encirclement, the German forces started retreating from the salient while maintaining resistance on the flanks. After a week of heavy combat, Hitler permitted Army Group Center's commander Fedor von Bock to evacuate the Yelnya bridgehead; on September 6 Yelnya
1640-404: Was retaken by the Red Army. The Soviet offensive continued through September 8, when it was halted at the new German defense line. Although Soviet sources claimed that the German forces were destroyed in the salient, most of them were able to retreat. Nonetheless, the fighting in August and September had caused the XX Army Corps 23,000 casualties and the 4th Army was not able to recover from them for
1681-507: Was then reformed, then disbanded on 11–12 March 1943 and its headquarters became HQ Kursk Front after a short time expecting to be the headquarters and the basis of the new Reserve Front . It was later reformed from the Orel Front on 28 March 1943. By the time of the Battle of Kursk the Front consisted of Colonel General Markian Popov led it to liberate its namesake town Bryansk in August and September 1943. On 10 October 1943