Battle of The Lower Dnieper
Part of World War II
Soviet soldiers crossing the Dnieper on improvised rafts.
Date 24 August 1943 — 23 December 1943 Location Dnieper river, USSR Result Decisive Soviet Victory
Combatants
Axis	Soviet Union
Commanders
Erich von Manstein	Konstantin Rokossovsky, Ivan Konev
Strength
1,250,000 men 12,600 guns 2,100 tanks 2,000 planes	2,650,000 men 51,000 guns 2,400 tanks 2,850 planes
Casualties
Low est.: 500,000+ killed or wounded High est.: 1,250,000 killed or wounded	300,000+ killed, 900,000+ wounded

The World War II Battle of the Lower Dnieper of 1943 is one of the largest battles in world history, involving almost 4,000,000 troops on both sides and stretching on a front 1400 kilometers wide. During this four-month campaign, the left bank of the Dnieper was liberated from Nazi occupation by Soviet forces, who crossed the river in force and created several bridgeheads on the right bank as well as liberating Kiev. Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Image File history File links Crossing_the_Dnieper. ... Soviet redirects here. ... This article is about the river. ... Traditional raft, from 1884 edition Huckleberry Finn and Jim Children successfully test their raft, in Brixham harbour, south Devon, England. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... This article is about the river. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... now. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky (Russian: Константин Константинович Рокоссовский, Polish name Konstanty Rokossowski) (December 21, 1896 – August 3, 1968), Soviet military commander and Polish Defence Minister. ... Marshal Ivan Konev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Иван Степанович Конев) (December 28, 1897 – May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia (now in Kirov Oblast). ... The Eastern Front of World War II was the theatre of war covering the conflict in central and eastern Europe from June 22, 1941 to May 9, 1945. ... Combatants Germany Romania Finland Italy Hungary Slovakia Soviet Union Commanders Adolf Hitler Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Joseph Stalin Strength ~ 3. ... Combatants Germany Spanish Blue Division Soviet Union Commanders Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Georg von Küchler Kliment Voroshilov Georgy Zhukov Strength 725,000 930,000 Casualties Unknown 300,000 military, 16,470 civilians from bombings and an estimated 1 million civilians from starvation The Siege of Leningrad (Russian: блокада Ленинграда (transliteration: blokada... Combatants Germany, Romania Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein Filipp Oktyabrskiy, Ivan Petrov Strength 350,000+ 106,000 Casualties at least 100,000 killed, wounded or captured. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Fedor von Bock Georgi Zhukov Strength ~ 1,500,000 ~ 1,500,000 Casualties 250,000 700,000 The Battle of Moscow refers to the defense of the Soviet capital of Moscow and the subsequent counter-offensive against the German army, between October 1941 and January... The formation of the Rzhev salient during the winter of 1941-1942. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Fedor von Bock, Friedrich Paulus Semyon Timoshenko Strength 300,000 men, 1000 tanks, 1500 aircraft 640,000 men, 1200 tanks, 1000 aircraft Casualties 20,000 killed, wounded or captured 207,057 killed, wounded or captured, 652 tanks, 1,646 guns, 3,278 mortars, 57,626... Combatants Germany Italy Romania Hungary Soviet Union Commanders Friedrich Paulus Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Georgiy Zhukov Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Strength German Sixth Army German Fourth Panzer Army Romanian Third Army Romanian Fourth Army Hungarian Second Army Italian Eighth Army 500,000 Germans Unknown number Reinforcements Unknown number Axis... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Kurt von der Chevallerie M. A. Purkayev Strength ~20,000 (on 19 Nov) 100,000 (on 19 Nov) Casualties 17,000 killed or wounded, 3,000 captured 30,000 killed or wounded Situation after the initial Soviet advance. ... The eastern front at the time of the Second Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive. ... Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein, Hans von Kluge, Walther Model Georgiy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovskiy, Nikolay Vatutin Strength 800,000 infantry, 2,700 tanks, 2,000 aircraft 1,300,000 infantry, 3,600 tanks, 2,400 aircraft Casualties 500,000 dead, wounded, or captured 500 tanks 200... Combatants Axis Soviet Union Commanders Günther von Kluge Andrei Yeremenko, Vasily Sokolovsky Strength 850,000 men, 8,800 guns, 500 tanks, 700 planes[1] 1,253,000 men, 20,640 guns, 1,430 tanks, 1,100 planes[1] Casualties (Soviet est. ... Combatants Axis Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein Rokossovsky, Konev Strength 1,250,000 men 12,600 guns 2,100 tanks 2,000 planes 2,650,000 men 51,000 guns 2,400 tanks 2,850 planes Casualties Low est. ... The 1943 Battle of Kiev resulted in a Soviet victory, forcing the German invaders of the Soviet Union to retreat further. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein, Wilhelm Stemmerman (Gruppe Stemmerman), Hermann Breith, III Panzerkorps Georgi Zhukov, Nikolai Vatutin (1st Ukrainian Front), Ivan Konev (2nd Ukrainian Front), Strength 56,000 70 tanks and assault guns In packet only but much large with relief troops 200,000 500 tanks Casualties... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein (Army Group South) Hans-Valentin Hube (First Panzer Army) Georgi Zhukov Nikolai Vatutin (1st Ukrainian Front) Ivan Koniev (2nd Ukrainian Front) Strength 200,000 500,000 Casualties  ?  ? 357 tanks The Battle of the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket, also known as Hubes Pocket... During World War II, Operation Bagration was the general attack by Soviet forces to clear the Nazis from Belarus which resulted in the destruction of the German Army Group Centre, possibly the greatest defeat for the Wehrmacht during the war. ... The Lvov-Sandomierz Operation was the general attack by Soviet forces to clear the Germans from Ukraine. ... Combatants Red Army Wehrmacht Heeresgruppe Südukraine, Romanian Army Commanders Marshal Semyon Timoshenko Generaloberst Friessner Strength 1,341,200, 1,874 tanks and assault guns ca. ... Combatants Wehrmacht i. ... Combatants Axis Soviet Union Commanders General Otto von Lasch Marshal Vasilevsky Marshal Rokossovsky Strength 130,000 250,000 Casualties 50,000 60,000 The Battle of Königsberg was the last battle of the East Prussian Operation. ... Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Gotthard Heinrici Helmuth Weidling Helmuth Reymann Wilhelm Mohnke Georgiy Zhukov Ivan Koniev Konstantin Rokossovskiy Vasiliy Chuykov Strength 1,000,000 men, 1,500 tanks, 3,300 aircraft 2,500,000 men, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery Casualties 150,000–173... The Eastern Front at the time of the Prague Offensive. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... This article is about the river. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... This article is about the river. ... A bridgehead is literally a military fortification that protects the end of a bridge that is closest to the enemy. ... Location Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted. ...

It is also one of the bloodiest recorded battles, with estimates ranging from 1,700,000 to 2,700,000 casualties on both sides. Since the area involved was huge, some historians do not consider it a discrete "battle," and grant the Battle of Stalingrad the title of the bloodiest battle in history. Combatants Germany Italy Romania Hungary Soviet Union Commanders Friedrich Paulus Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Georgiy Zhukov Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Strength German Sixth Army German Fourth Panzer Army Romanian Third Army Romanian Fourth Army Hungarian Second Army Italian Eighth Army 500,000 Germans Unknown number Reinforcements Unknown number Axis...

Prelude

After the end of the Battle of Kursk, the Wehrmacht lost all hope of regaining the initiative. Losses were considerable, and, worse, its army as a whole was less experienced than before, as many of its best men had fallen in the Battle of Stalingrad. Therefore, despite considerable numbers, the Wehrmacht could only react and defend. Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein, Hans von Kluge, Walther Model Georgiy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovskiy, Nikolay Vatutin Strength 800,000 infantry, 2,700 tanks, 2,000 aircraft 1,300,000 infantry, 3,600 tanks, 2,400 aircraft Casualties 500,000 dead, wounded, or captured 500 tanks 200... Wehrmacht troops of the Heer (military land forces) marching at a military parade in honour of the 50th birthday of Adolf Hitler, on April 20th, 1939. ... Combatants Germany Italy Romania Hungary Soviet Union Commanders Friedrich Paulus Erich von Manstein Hermann Hoth Georgiy Zhukov Vasiliy Chuikov Aleksandr Vasilyevskiy Strength German Sixth Army German Fourth Panzer Army Romanian Third Army Romanian Fourth Army Hungarian Second Army Italian Eighth Army 500,000 Germans Unknown number Reinforcements Unknown number Axis...

By mid-August, Hitler understood that the Soviet offensive could not be contained - at least, not until some internal disagreement broke out within the Allies. He decided to buy time by constructing a series of fortifications to slow down the Red Army, and he demanded that the Wehrmacht defend its positions on the Dnieper at all costs. Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (in Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya), the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... This article is about the river. ...

On the Soviet side, Stalin was determined to pursue the recovery of the occupied territories, started at the beginning of the year. The Ukrainian industrial region was the first priority, since it was a densely populated area and its coal mines and other ores would provide precious resources for the Soviet state. Therefore, the main axis of the attack was in a southerly direction; the northern regions were to be neglected in this offensive. Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by underground mining or open-pit mining (surface mining). ...

The Start

German defense setup

Main article: Panther-Wotan line

Map of the battle of the Dnieper and linked operations

The order to construct the Dnieper defense complex, known as "Eastern Wall", was issued on 11 August 1943 and immediately executed. The Panther-Wotan Line: In 1918 the German army built the famous Hindenburg defensive line on the western front. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1256x956, 176 KB) Summary Map of the Dnieper battle and connected operations in 1943 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1256x956, 176 KB) Summary Map of the Dnieper battle and connected operations in 1943 Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Fortifications were erected all over the Dnieper. However, there was no hope of achieving such a huge defense setup in such a short time. Therefore, the "Eastern Wall" was not uniform. Instead, the fortifications were concentrated in areas where Soviet force-crossing was most likely, such as near Kremenchug, Zaporizhzhia and Nikopol. Kremenchuk (Ukrainian: ; Russian: , Kremenchug) is an important industrial city in central Ukraine, located on the banks of Dnieper. ... Zaporizhia (Ukrainian: , Zaporizhzhia; Russian: , Zaporozhye) is a city in south-eastern Ukraine, the capital of Zaporizhia Oblast. ... Nikopol (Нікополь) is a town of Ukraine, in the government of Ekaterinoslav, on the right bank of the Dnieper, 70 miles S.S.W. of the town of Ekaterinoslav. ...

Additionally, on 7 September 1943, the SS forces and the Wehrmacht received an order to thoroughly pillage areas they had to retreat from to slow down the Red Army and to try to create supply issues for Soviet forces.

Soviet offensive on the left shore

Main article: Battle of Ukraine (1943)

On 24 August 1943, Soviet divisions started moving on a 1400-kilometer front stretching between Smolensk and the Azov Sea. It was a huge operation, mobilizing 2,650,000 men, 51,000 guns, 2,400 tanks and 2,850 planes, and involving 5 fronts: A view of Smolensk in 1912. ... The shallow Sea of Azov is clearly distinguished from the deeper Black Sea. ...

• Central Front (known as the Bielorussian Front after 20 October 1943)
• Voronezh Front (known as the 1st Ukrainian Front after 20 October 1943)
• Steppe Front (known as the 2nd Ukrainian Front after 20 October 1943)
• Southwest Front (known as the 3rd Ukrainian Front after 20 October 1943)
• South Front (known as the 4th Ukrainian Front after 20 October 1943)

Overall, the operation was executed by 36 rifle armies, 4 Tank and 5 Air armies. The Central Front was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... The 1st Belorussian Front (alternative spellings are 1st Byelorussian Front and 1st Belarusian Front) was a Soviet Army Front during the Great Patriotic War. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... // Background The Voronezh Front was a military subdivision of the Soviet Unions Red Army during the Second World War. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Steppe Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War. ... The Steppe Front was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The Southernwestern Front was one of the Soviet Army fronts during the World War II. In 1941 it took part in the tank battles in western Ukraine and the defensive operation around Kiev, in which the Front Chief of Staff General Mikhail Kirponos was killed and the entire Front captured... The Southwestern Front was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The Southern Front was one of the Soviet Army fronts during the World War II, cretaed under the command of Army General Ivan Tyulenev. ... The Southern Front was a Front (military subdivision) of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ...

Despite a great superiority in numbers, the offensive was by no means easy. German opposition was ferocious and fights raged for every town and city. The Wehrmacht made extensive use of rear guards, leaving some troops in each city and on each hill, slowing down the Soviet offensive.

Three weeks after the start of the offensive, and despite heavy losses on the Soviet side, it became clear that the Wehrmacht could not hope to contain the Soviet offensive in the flat, open terrain of the steppes, where the Red Army's numerical strength would prevail. Manstein asked for as many as 12 new divisions in hopes of containing the Soviet offensive – but German reserves were perilously thin. Years later, Manstein wrote in his memoirs: A memoir, as a literary genre, forms a sub-class of autobiography. ...

After analysing this situation, I concluded that we can't keep the Donbass with the forces that we already possess, and that even a greater danger for the whole Eastern Front is being created on the north flank of the group. The 8th and 4th armies won't be able to contain the Soviet offensive for very long.

Therefore, on 15 September 1943, Hitler ordered Army Group South to retreat to the Dnieper defense line.

The battle for Poltava was especially bitter. The city was heavily fortified and its garrison well prepared. After a few inconclusive days that greatly slowed down the Soviet offensive, Marshal Konev decided to bypass the city and rush towards the Dnieper. After two days of violent urban warfare, the Poltava garrison was overcome. Poltava (Ukrainian: Полта́ва) is a city and oblast center in Poltava Oblast in central Ukraine with some 313,400 inhabitants (2004). ... Urban warfare is modern warfare conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. ...

Towards the end of September 1943, Soviet forces reached the lower part of the Dnieper. The hardest part was still to come, though.

Dnieper airborne operation

In order to soften the defenses on the Dnieper's right shore, the Soviet command decided to attempt a paradrop on the right shore. On 24 September 1943 the Dnieper airborne operation was launched. The Soviet paratroopers' objective was to secure a bridgehead until reinforcements could arrive. September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... A bridgehead is literally a military fortification that protects the end of a bridge that is closest to the enemy. ...

The operation turned out to be a complete failure. Because the pilots were unfamiliar with the area, the first wave of paratroopers was dropped on Soviet lines or in the Dnieper, while the second wave of 5,000 troops were scattered over several dozen square kilometers. Moreover, because of a poorly performed reconnaissance that failed to spot German mechanized forces, most troops, lacking anti-tank weapons, were overwhelmed shortly after their landing. The others, having lost all radio link with their HQ, tried to attack German supply depots or joined the partisan forces. Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... HQ is an abbreviation for: Hardware qualification Headquarters Hero Quest (board game) Heros Quest (computer game) Hydro-Quebec This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Belorussian guerrillas liquidated, injured and took prisoner some 1. ...

Despite heavy losses, it is estimated that the Dnieper airborne operation, which attracted the attention of a significant number of German mechanized troops, allowed a force-crossing in better conditions. Nevertheless, after the failure of Vyazma and Dnieper paradrops, the STAVKA refused to use massive airborne operations again. Stavka is an abbreviation for Shtab vierhovnogo komandovania, or General Headquarters of armed forces in late Imperial Russia and in the Soviet Union. ...

Force-crossing the Dnieper

Choosing the scenario

Soviet soldiers preparing the rafts to cross the Dnieper (the sign reads "To Kiev!")...

... and crossing the river.

Dnieper is the third largest river in Europe, second only to Volga and Danube. In its lower part, its width can easily reach 3 kilometers, and the fact that it was dammed in several places made it even larger. Moreover its right shore —the one still to be retaken— was much higher and steeper than the left, complicating the offensive even further. In addition, the opposite shore was transformed into a vast complex of defenses and fortifications held by the Wehrmacht. This article is about the river. ... Image File history File links Dnieper_Forcing_Raft1. ... Image File history File links Dnieper_Forcing_Raft1. ... River upstream of an Australian trout farm A river is a large natural waterway. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... For other meanings of the word Volga see Volga (disambiguation) Волга Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 1. ... The Danube (ancient Danuvius, ancient Greek Istros) is the longest river of the European Union and Europes second-longest[3] (after the Volga). ... Scrivener Dam, in Canberra, Australia, was engineered to withstand a once-in-5000-years flood A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. ... Table of Fortification, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ...

In front of such a situation, the Soviet commanders had two options. The first would be to give themselves time to regroup their forces, find a weak point or two to exploit (not necessarily in the lower part of Dnieper), stage a breakthrough and encircle the German defenders, rendering the defense line next to useless (very much like German Panzers bypassed the Maginot line in 1940). This, however, would give Germans time to get more reserves and furthermore, would expose Soviet troops to flank mechanized attacks, every Soviet commander's nightmare since 1941. Breakthrough is the name of an abstract strategy board game. ... PzKpfw V-D, a Panther tank   Panzer? is German for armour. ... The Maginot Line (IPA: [maÊ’ino], named after French minister of defence André Maginot) was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, machine gun posts and other defenses which France constructed along its borders with Germany and with Italy in the wake of World War I. Generally the term... Reserve can mean several things; 1. ... Flank is a word which might mean any of several different things: A flank is the side of either a horse or a military unit. ...

The second option would be to stage a massive assault without waiting, and force the Dnieper on a broad front. This option left no additional time for the German defenders, but would lead to much larger casualties. For political reasons (Stalin wanted Kiev to be retaken on 7 November), the second option was chosen. Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... Location Map of Ukraine with Kiev highlighted. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ...

The assault was staged on a 300-kilometer front almost simultaneously. All available means of transport were be used to transport the attackers to the opposite shore, including small fishing boats and improvised rafts of barrels and trees (like the one in the photograph). The crucial issue would obviously be heavy equipment. Without it, the bridgeheads would not stand for long. A fisherman in central Chile A Long Island fisherman cleans his nets A fisherman (in recent years sometimes called a fisher to be non-gender specific), is a person who engages in the activity of fishing. ... Traditional raft, from 1884 edition Huckleberry Finn and Jim Children successfully test their raft, in Brixham harbour, south Devon, England. ...

The crossing

Soviet soldiers using small fishing boats to cross the Dnieper under enemy fire.

The first bridgehead on Dnieper's right shore was established on 22 September 1943 at the confluence of Dnieper and Pripyat rivers, in the northern part of the front. On 24 September, another bridgehead was created near Dneprodzerzhinsk, another on 25 September near Dnepropetrovsk and yet another one on 28 September near Kremenchug. By the end of the month, 23 bridgeheads were created on the right shore, some of them 10 kilometers wide and 1-2 kilometers deep. Image File history File linksMetadata Dnieper_Forcing_Boats. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dnieper_Forcing_Boats. ... A bridgehead is literally a military fortification that protects the end of a bridge that is closest to the enemy. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (266th in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... The name Pripyat, also spelled Prypyat, Prypyat, Prypyat, Prypiat, Pripiat, Prypyat, Prypyat, Prypyat, Pripet, etc. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... Dniprodzerzhynsk (Ukrainian: , Russian: ) is a city in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast of Ukraine, and a port on the Dnieper River. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... REDIRECT Dnipropetrovsk ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

By all accounts, the crossing of the Dnieper can be described as an "attack rage". Soldiers used every available floating device to cross the river, under heavy German fire and taking heavy losses. After that, Soviet troops had to basically dig themselves into the clay ravines composing Dnieper's right shore.

Securing the bridgeheads

Soviet soldiers attacking on a bridgehead in October 1943.

German troops soon launched heavy counterattacks on almost every bridgehead, hoping to annihilate them before heavy equipment could be transported across the river. Image File history File linksMetadata Dnieper_Forcing_Offensive. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dnieper_Forcing_Offensive. ... A counterattack is a military tactic used by defending forces when under attack by an enemy force. ... A bridgehead is literally a military fortification that protects the end of a bridge that is closest to the enemy. ...

For instance, the Borodaevsk bridgehead, mentioned by Marshal Konev in his memoirs, came under heavy armored and air assault. Bombers were everywhere, bombing both the bridgehead and the reinforcements crossing the river. Konev complained at once about a lack of organization of Soviet air support, set up air patrols to prevent bombers from approaching the bridgeheads and ordered forward more artillery to counter tank attacks from the opposite shore. When Soviet aviation became more organized and hundreds of guns and Katyushas started firing, the situation started to improve and the bridgehead was eventually preserved. Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Koniev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Иван Степанович Конев) (December 28, 1897 - May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia... In military tactics, to patrol, or conduct a patrol, is to conduct reconnaissance of a designated area or route. ... Katyusha multiple rocket launchers are a type of rocket artillery built and fielded by the Soviet Union beginning in the Second World War. ...

Such fights were commonplace on every bridgehead. Although all the bridgeheads were held, losses were terrific – at the beginning of October, most divisions were at only 25 to 50% of their nominal strength.

Right shore campaign

The Wehrmacht delivers fire across the Dnieper.

Image File history File links Hitlerdnieper. ... Image File history File links Hitlerdnieper. ...

Lower Dnieper offensive

By mid-October, the forces accumulated on the lower Dnieper bridgeheads were strong enough to stage a first massive attack to definitely secure Dnieper's right shore in the southern part of the front. Therefore, a vigorous attack was staged on Kremenchug-Dnepropetrovsk line. Simultaneously, a major diversion was conducted in the south to draw German forces away both from Lower Dnieper and from Kiev. REDIRECT Dnipropetrovsk ...

At the end of the offensive, Soviet forces controlled a bridgehead 300 kilometers wide and up to 80 kilometers deep in some places. In the south, the Crimea was now cut off from the rest of the German forces. Any hope of stopping the Red Army on Dnieper's left shore was lost.

Battle of Kiev

Main article: Battle of Kiev (1943)

The 1943 Battle of Kiev resulted in a Soviet victory, forcing the German invaders of the Soviet Union to retreat further. ...

Criticisms

Stalin's will to recover Kiev before 7 November have raised quite a few criticisms among historians. It is commonly accepted now that bridgeheads on the Lower Dnieper were deliberately "left alone" in order to draw German forces from Kiev, resulting in heavy losses. While this hypothesis could be true to some extent, one must not forget that the action of establishing a bridgehead alone is dangerous enough and can (and usually does) lead to heavy losses. November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ...

Aftermath

The Battle of Dnieper was another stinging defeat for the Wehrmacht. The Red Army, which Hitler hoped to contain at the Dnieper, forced the Wehrmacht's defenses. Kiev was liberated and German troops lacked forces to annihilate Soviet troops on Lower Dnieper bridgeheads. The right shore was still in German possession for most part, but both sides knew that it would not last for long.

Additionally, the Battle of Dnieper demonstrated the strength of the Soviet partisan movement. The "rail war" operation staged during September and October 1943 struck German logistics very hard, creating heavy supply issues.

Incidentally, between 28 November and 1 December 1943 the Teheran conference was held between Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Stalin. The battle of Dnieper, along with other major offensives staged in 1943, certainly allowed Stalin a dominant position for negotiating with his Allies. November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... From left to right, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill The Tehran Conference was the meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill between November 28 and December 1, 1943 that took place in Tehran, Iran. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ...

Casualties debate

Casualties during the Battle of Dnieper are still a subject of a heavy debate. Some sources give very low figures (200,000 to 300,000 total casualties) which is much lower than the Battle of Kursk for instance. However, given the duration of the campaign and the huge area involved, more than one historian argues that the losses involved were huge, easily reaching or even surpassing those at the Battle of Stalingrad, but going "unnoticed" because of the big operation area (and of the aura of fame enveloping the latter). The death toll also depends on the time frame considered. It also depends whether the toll of the 1943 Smolensk battle, which was used as a kind of "deceptive maneuver" for the Dnieper battle, is included in the Battle of Dnieper's statistics. Combatants Nazi Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein, Hans von Kluge, Walther Model Georgiy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovskiy, Nikolay Vatutin Strength 800,000 infantry, 2,700 tanks, 2,000 aircraft 1,300,000 infantry, 3,600 tanks, 2,400 aircraft Casualties 500,000 dead, wounded, or captured 500 tanks 200...

On the subject of Soviet casualties, Nikolaï Shefov in his Russian fights puts the figure of 373,000 KIA and more than 1,500,000 total Soviet casualties. British historian, John Erickson, in his Barbarossa: The Axis and the Allies, puts a figure of 173,201 USSR KIA, during a time frame from 26 September to 20 December 1943, therefore not taking into account the period going from 24 August to 26 September. Given the heavy German resistance even before Dnieper force-crossing, this figure seems a low estimate (Soviet sources estimate casualties from the post-Kursk offensive alone at 250,000 killed, wounded and captured), the figure of 300,000+ KIA seems quite correct and acceptable, with the WIA number following the 3:1 empiric ratio. Militaries use the term killed in action (KIA) as a casualty classification. ... John Erickson (1929 - 2002) was a British historian who wrote extensively on the Second World War, with key books on Operation Barbarossa and the Battle of Stalingrad. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... WIA is a three letter abbreviation meaning Wounded in action. ...

German losses, however, are more difficult to evaluate. The simple rule of 3:1 losses during an offensive operation against a heavily defended enemy would lead to a 500,000 casualties toll, reaching the one of Kursk. Shefov and other Soviet/Russian historians quote casualties as high as 1,500,000. Indeed, if one considers the casualties per day ratio of Kursk battle, an operation twice as long under similar conditions would lead to a 1,000,000 toll.

References

• Nikolai Shefov, Russian fights, Lib. Military History, Moscow, 2002
• History of Great Patriotic War, 1941 — 1945. Мoscow, 1963
• John Erickson, Barbarossa: The Axis and the Allies, Edinburgh University Press, 1994
• Marshal Konev, Notes of a front commander', Science, Moscow, 1972.
• Erich von Manstein, Lost Victories, Мoscow, 1957.