German efforts over the summer were split into two main efforts. 3rd and 4th Pzr Grp were sent north to seize Leningrad while 1st and 2nd Pzr Grp were sent south in a bid to cross the Dnepr and seize the lower Ukraine. AGC, with no pzr/mot formations to speak of, battered itself fruitlessly against the land bridge and upper Dnepr river line.
The Germans a few weeks ago decided to throw in the towel on offensive operations for the year and withdrew 3rd and 4th Pzr Grp from the Luga river assault. 4th Pzr Grp units were stationed near Pskov and 3rd Pzr Grp units staged near Mogilev.
The Germans appeared to place high value in the level 2 and 3 fortifications they had built along the front line in the weeks of grinding combat. The month of the November has seen the Red Army stage for its first major counteroffensive of the war.
Along the length of the line Leningrad, Northwest and Reserve Front armies make deliberate attacks against the German fortifications that lay before them.
On the northern Luga river Leningrad Front moves rifle and tank brigades forward into the fresh gaps in German lines.
Northwest Front moved several divisions westward from Novgorod. But along much of the front line Russian forces do not advance. This is due in large part to the participation by front line forces in successive deliberate attacks along their 20 mile front lines. But this tepid advance does have the advantage of lulling the Germans' appreciation for the speed of the assault to come.
24 cavalry divisions are re-organized as 8 cavalry corps under the direction of two armies assigned to the freshly raised Volkhov Front. The cavalry corps move through the front line and take up positions fighting just 40 miles southeast of Pskov. They will move around the northern flank of the German pzr/mot formations on the line. Their orders are to push aside and bypass resistance in order to reach the southern shore of Lake Pskov as rapidly as possible to prevent the escape of the infantry in AGN.
1st Shock Army (composed of the remaining Red Army tank divisions and assigned to Volkhov Front) moves around the southern flank of the German pzr/mot formations on the line and encounters another fortified strongpoint with pzr/mot formations in the bends of the Velikaya river.
The first week sees all of 1st Shock Armies tank divisions on the western side of the river Sinyaya and most importantly achieving the week 1 objective of breaking the Pskov rail line that supplies AGN on the banks of the Luga river. The ports can serve as over the land supply source for the Germans, but the remainder of the Baltic rail network is unrepaired. Evacuation and reinforcement for AGN will not take place over the rails.
1st Shock Army and the Cavalry Corps Armies, attached to the newly formed Volkhov Front, form the spearhead of the northern assault. On parallel tracks they are ordered to sweep up both sides of the Velikaya river. Once the southern shore of Lake Pskov has been reached the armies are to swing westward and following parallel rail lines race for the Gulf of Riga.
When the southern shore of Lake Pskov is secured airborne from the 3rd and 4th Airborne corps will be landed on the northern and southern edges of Lake Peipus to sever port communications.
Against the fiercest resistance Stavka is confident that the bulk of AGN's infantry divisions can be trapped east of the Peipus-Pskov Lakes in the month of December. By the end of January Stavka hopes to have 1st Shock Army across the Daugava river securing positions in the swamps on the western banks near Riga.
2nd Shock Army, constituted entirely of Gds Rifle Divs, will reinforce the push by 1st Shock Army over the Malta river as Kalinin Front wheels counter clockwise to take positions on the Daugava river for spring.
12/11/41
Leningrad and Northwest Front increase pressure on the German line. A tank brigade from Leningrad Front reaches the Narva river banks.
Cavalry Corps push within 20 miles of Pskov. High confidence that next week will see the cavalry reach the lake and storm Pskov.
1st Shock Army battles back German pzr/mot divisions and Kalinin Front armies again take the lead positions for human wave attacks to follow next week, forcing Wehrmacht infantry steadily westward.
12/18/41
Russian cavalry sweep German pzr/mot formations to the west bank of the Velikaya river and reach Lake Pskov at the city of Pskov. A 30 mile corridor seperates the bulk of AGN infantry divisions from 4th Pzr Group's pzr and mot formations. 4th Pzr Group finds itself with cavalry corps and tank divisions threatening both flanks. Relief of AGN is impossible.
Airborne brigades conduct drops on the northern and southern edges of Lake Peipus, establishing roadblocks against further German supply convoys.
12/25/41
Leningrad and Northwest Front liquidate nearly the entire contents of the Luga Pocket (roughly 20 divisions). In the north the Polizei SS Inf Div flees into the roadblocks of the airborne, while in the center three divisions are hemmed against the swamps.
From Pskov cavalry corps surge along the edge of Lake Pskov and link up with the airborne (who dispatched a scarcely occupied fortification on the western edge of the swamps). They also sweep around the flanks of 4th Pzr Group's units and link with 1st Shock Army's tank divisions to trap 5 more formations.
1st Shock Army tank divisions cross the Malta river and enter the frozen swamps on either side of Lake Lubanas. From here it is a scant 90 miles to the Gulf of Riga. To the north the cavalry corps are still 100 miles from the coast. 1st Shock Army's tanks do not intend to lose this race to ponies!
1/1/42
Polizei SS begins the march to Siberia with the last formations of the Luga Pocket. Leningrad and Northwest Front are now racing southwest to take up springtime positions on the Daugava river.
The cavalry corps capture half of 4th Panzer Group and manuever to trap the remainder. One cavalry corps does advance west to reach Lake Vortsjarv, and clear everything south of the Emajogi river.
1st Shock Army's tank divisions, moving as much as 60 miles westward, reach the Gauja river and scouts investigate as close as 20 miles from Riga's outskirts. 1st Shock Army is able to report to Stavka that enemy resistance has been isolated and bypassed, and no defenders were encountered crossing the Daugava river.
1/8/42
Newly designated Guards Rifle Divisions from Leningrad and Northwest Front are sent to join 4th Shock Army and entrain for redeployment against AGC.
Leningrad and Northwest Front armies continue marching toward the Daugava river.
1st Shock Army reaches the Gulf of Riga at two points and begins to clear the terrain on the western banks of the Daugava river. German security forces are encountered and isolated, but no front line troops, or for that matter front line, are detected...
