Minsk liberated but surrounded!

During May 1944 the soviet offensive in the east finally gathered some momentum. In the north, Model’s Army Group North found themselves unable to press on from the confines of Leningrad, while further south the massive resources of the red army were poured into a narrow offensive aimed at capturing the strategically vital city of Minsk.

With overwhelming air support, the Russians soon found themselves gaining ground against the wehrmacht, who threw everything they had at the advancing Russians. A great number of Panthers were lost in a hastily organised counter attack, which saw the Russians skilfully withdrawing, enticing the German armour into well placed traps.

By the 8th of May the Russians had retaken Zhlobin, and had punched a hole fifty miles wide in the German lines. By the 14th the rapidly moving Russian offensive had retaken Minsk, to the jubilation of the citizens and Stalin himself.

The situation looked bad for Germany, but crucially the Russian offensives had failed to take, or even deliberately bypassed, the cities of Orsha, Mogilev and Bobruisk. This allowed the 20th Panzer division, in tandem with strong forces from Mogilev in the north, to mount a ferocious counter attack from the south. The fighting was particularly brutal and at times it looked like the attempted pincer movement would grind to a halt, but eventually, despite severe losses, the pincers closed and Minsk, still in Russian hands, had been cut off by the end of the month.

Hitler was furious, but his generals were concerned. How long could they continue to sustain such casualties and keep the red army at bay?