Battle for the Dnepr

   Taking the lower reaches of the Dnieper

   By mid-October, the forces gathered in the command area of lower crossing over the Dnieper, were already able to begin the first massive attack on the German fortifications on the opposite shore in the southern part of the front. Thus, on the front line Kremenchug-Dnepropetrovsk powerful attack was planned. At the same time, on all fronts were initiated large-scale military actions and movements of troop units to divert German forces (and the attention of his command) from the southern crossing and the area of Kiev.

   At the end of the process of forcing the Soviet armed forces controlled the area of the crossing length of more than 300 kilometers and in some places the depth of the bridgehead to 80 kilometers. To the south of the region, the Crimea, the Soviet command operation was carried out, which resulted in amputation of the Crimea group of German troops from their main forces. Any hope the Germans to halt the advance of Soviet troops were lost.

   Criticism

   Stalin's desire to recapture Kiev 7 November 1943 usually raises a lot of criticism among historians and military experts. It is now widely known is the fact that the bridgehead on the lower reaches of the Dnieper were intended to divert German troops from Kiev, which resulted in heavy casualties on them. The loss is only 1 of the First Ukrainian Front on Bukrin bridgehead amounted 647 thousand and a half months (from September 22 to November 6, 1943) [source not specified 63 days]. Writer Victor Astafyev, who participated in the crossing of the Dnieper, recalls: "Twenty-five thousand men into the water, and goes on the opposite bank of three thousand, a maximum of five. And after five or six days, all the dead float. Can you imagine? "Eyewitnesses say that the flooded areas of the Dnieper were jammed with thousands of rotting corpses ... Despite the fact that this criticism may have some meaning, we must not forget that the operation to force the river itself could (and often leading) to heavy losses .

   Consequences battle

   Battle of the Dnieper, representing a next major defeat the Wehrmacht forces. The Red Army, which Hitler intended to destroy the Dnieper, not only was not destroyed, but also forced the Wehrmacht to retreat. Kiev was liberated, and the German forces could not resist the Soviet forces in the area of guidance lower crossings. The right bank is still mostly under the authority of the German command, but both parties understand clearly that this situation will not last too long. In addition to this, the battle for Dnepr clearly demonstrated the strength and power of the partisan movement. "Rail war" carried out by Soviet partisans from September to October 1943, severely hampered the supply of warring German divisions, being the source of many problems in the armed forces of Germany.