SS advance at Vyazma 1/22/42
Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2008 1:53 pm
Vyazma Russia
January 22, 1942
1200 Hours
It is bitter cold as we prepare to advance against the Russians here at Vyazma. This push is our attempt to once again put pressure on Moskow. We are about 200 miles NE of Smolinsk and about 200 miles SW of Moskow. We will be trying to cross the river Vyazma. It is frozen over at the present time and we hope thick enough to hold some of our heavy equipment.
The visability may hurt us and may help us it is at somewhere near 1850 yards. Dont know what kind of artty we will be going up against today. Not too much open ground lot of low lying hills in our way. And as we come up over some of these will put us at a severe disadvantage. Putting a lot of scouts out in front of our troops in the hope they can locate the enemy in time for our heavy guns to do heavy distruction before we have to face them.
We have been given the ability to call in at least 5 sections of stukas and they will be out early looking for targets. Our big guns began there bombardments at 12:00 O'clock sharp. Hope they tear the heck out of there troops before we even get close.
We will be moving in a three company front with 1 company of light armor cars holding down the extreme south flank of our line. We have a broad front to advance on and this may cause us some trouble. The troops have begun there advance already and we can hear the loud explosions of our big guns. This dam cold will cause us some diffifulties im sure but our men have been putting up with this for the last 3 months and im sure they will manage somehow today.
HQ: X SS Panzer
Col: Karl Vogel Commanding
January 22, 1942
1200 Hours
It is bitter cold as we prepare to advance against the Russians here at Vyazma. This push is our attempt to once again put pressure on Moskow. We are about 200 miles NE of Smolinsk and about 200 miles SW of Moskow. We will be trying to cross the river Vyazma. It is frozen over at the present time and we hope thick enough to hold some of our heavy equipment.
The visability may hurt us and may help us it is at somewhere near 1850 yards. Dont know what kind of artty we will be going up against today. Not too much open ground lot of low lying hills in our way. And as we come up over some of these will put us at a severe disadvantage. Putting a lot of scouts out in front of our troops in the hope they can locate the enemy in time for our heavy guns to do heavy distruction before we have to face them.
We have been given the ability to call in at least 5 sections of stukas and they will be out early looking for targets. Our big guns began there bombardments at 12:00 O'clock sharp. Hope they tear the heck out of there troops before we even get close.
We will be moving in a three company front with 1 company of light armor cars holding down the extreme south flank of our line. We have a broad front to advance on and this may cause us some trouble. The troops have begun there advance already and we can hear the loud explosions of our big guns. This dam cold will cause us some diffifulties im sure but our men have been putting up with this for the last 3 months and im sure they will manage somehow today.
HQ: X SS Panzer
Col: Karl Vogel Commanding