The Second Phase, 18–21 August

In the wake of countless days of futile frontal assaults, on 18 August the Stavka intervened in an attempt to halt the carnage and reinvigorate 24th Army’s offensive. Signed by Shaposhnikov, the Stavka’s new directive “suggested” Zhukov direct Rakutin to reinforce the operational group on his army’s right wing and attack once again:

See Volume 3 (Documents), Appendix P, 6.

Copy to: The commander-in-chief of the forces of the Western Direction

1600 hours on 18 August 1941

The operation at El’nia has become dragged out, and, each and every day, the enemy is improving his positions and replacing the units exhausted in the fighting.

We have determined that you have not reinforced your right flank to the degree necessary by conducting your offensive from the Sadki and Gur’evo front [12 kilometers northwest to 12 kilometers north-northwest of El’nia] toward Leonidovo [8 kilometers west-southwest of El’nia] with [only] 102nd Tank Division and 107th and 100th Rifle Divisions.

Assign 103rd Motorized Division instead of 100th Rifle Division [to the shock group], and move 19th Rifle Division into the sector of the former for an attack on Sofievka [7 kilometers north of El’nia].

Occupy the Vydrina and Klemiatino line [11 kilometers east-northeast of El’nia] with two regiments of 309th Rifle Division for an attack toward Prilepy [east of El’nia].

Reinforce 105th Tank Division at the expense of 120th Rifle Division.

Thus, you can achieve success only with a strong right wing.

Report your conclusions.¹¹

In fact, Rakutin did accept the Stavka’s recommendations by incorporating them into the combat order he issued to his army on 18 August. Specifically, the addition of 103rd Motorized Division and a supporting attack by 19th Rifle Division appreciably increased the strength of the army’s main shock group. However, it did nothing to degrade the strength of the Germans’ defenses. At the same time, Zhukov used the occasion to add a memorandum of his own to the order, in what would prove to be his last attempt to cajole and threaten combat leaders before taking even more drastic measures to fulfill the Stavka’s orders:

See Volume 3 (Documents), Appendix P, 5.

18 August – Combat Order No. 019 (paraphrased)

24th Army’s units will conduct the main attack on the army’s right wing, a decisive blow to slam the encirclement ring shut …

107th RD and rested and refitted 102nd RD, the latter with the remnants of 105th TD, will conduct the army’s main attack in the general direction of Gur’evo, Lysovka, and Leonidovo to close the encirclement ring in the Leonidovo region. Capture the Vypolzovo and Lysovka line at day’s end on 18 August….

In the center, 103rd RD will attack toward Semeshino and Sofievka and reach the Hill 242.3 and Shilovo line by day’s end….

19th RD will capture Prilepy and Iur’evo line by day’s end on 18 August.