2130 hours – to 91st Rifle Division

Energetically attack to reach the Loinia River, where you will dig in. Send detachments to pursue and reconnoiter the enemy. 50th RD [already] reached the Loinia River.

2140 hours – to 101st Tank Division

Capture the Hill 222.8 and Chistaia line, where you will dig in. Send detachments to pursue and reconnoiter the enemy in your sector. 64th RD [already] captured Kolkovichi and is fulfilling analogous missions.

2150 hours to 166th Rifle Division:

Energetically attack with your left wing to seize the Moteva and Hill 220.5 line, where you will dig in. Send detachments toward Losevo and Azarinki to pursue and reconnoiter the enemy. 91st RD’s forces have the mission to reach the Loinia River in the Balashova and Kazakova sector.³⁹

See Volume 3 (Documents), Appendix O, 29.

While Konev pressed his attacks, at Timoshenko’s direction, at 1530 hours General Lukin issued new orders to the commanders of 20th Army’s 144th, 153rd, 229th, and 73rd Rifle Divisions emphasizing how vitally important is was for them to hold firm to their small bridgeheads on the western bank of the Dnepr River southeast of Smolensk, “To Pronin, Gagen, Kozlov, and Akimov.” “The commander of the army once more reminds you about the necessity for holding on to the bridgeheads on the western bank of the Dnepr River at all cost and in spite of possible counterattacks by the enemy.”⁴⁰

Much farther to the north, where 30th Army was still expecting reinforcements, which were vitally necessary for it to develop its offensive more successfully, at 1400 hours on the 18th, the army’s commander, Khomenko, was finally able to report some good news about the impending arrival of the fresh 244th Rifle Division. This division, which was supposed to arrive several days before, was destined to reinforce 107th Tank Division’s success in the Markovo sector, on 30th Army’s extreme left wing:

See Map 79 and Volume 3 (Documents), Appendix O, 27.

To the commander of 244th Rifle Division, with a copy to the commander of 107th Tank Division:

⋄	244th RD – while remaining in its concentration area at Simonovo, Kholopovo, Tarasovo, and Novo-Aleksandrovskoe [20-25 kilometers north of Markovo], will be ready to operate [from Karpovo and Markovo] toward Mikhailovshchina, Fomenki, Nekliudova, and Dukhovshchina.
⋄	Relieve 107th TD’s 120th MRR along the Zhukovo, Sloboda, Nazemenki, and Karpovo line with one regiment of your division by 0400 hours on 19 August, and attack with the 120th, while delivering your division’s main attack on the right wing [westward] toward Bol’shoe Repino, Novoselki, and Petrovo Selo, while protecting the left wing with small groups.
⋄	244th RD’s boundaries are: on the right, with 251st RD – Krapivnia, Beskhvostovo, Krechets, and Dorofeevo; and on the left, with 166th RD – Shurkino, Markovo, and Berdino.
⋄	The division will reconnoiter at the boundary between 30th Army and 19th Army’s 166th RD.41

However, Khomenko’s hopes for 19 August did little to affect his army’s progress on 18 August as the operational summary he issued on the evening of 18 August revealed, his forces made precious little progress during the day’s fighting:

See Map 81. 30th Army’s situation late on 18 August 1941 and Volume 3 (Documents), Appendix O, 31.

•	Enemy Situation – resisting stubbornly while conducting periodic counterattacks.
•	30th Army – attacked after an artillery preparation at 0800 hours and bombing strikes at 0820 hours, but without success.

♦	250th RD – 926th RR concentrated in the Baturino and Pozhimki region and the forest northeast of Pozhimki at 1200 hours on 18 August, from which it will attack Dolgoe and Koreshelepy, while the other regiments occupied their previous sectors. Division headquarters – in Lukin near Toropino.
♦	242nd RD – 900th RR captured Hill 212.2 at 0945 hours on 18 August but was driven out of its jumping-off positions at 1045 hours by an attacking enemy reinforced battalion, supported by artillery and mortar fire. Division headquarters – in the grove west of Sukharevo.
♦	251st RD – fighting for Staroe Selo and Gordeenki.
♦	162nd RD – 720th RR is fighting for Hill 218.7 against stubborn enemy resistance and well-organized defenses and fires and 627th RR is fighting in close combat amidst enemy gun positions on Hill 220.9. Division headquarters – on Hill 216.3.
♦	107th TD – positions unchanged, and, at 1520 hours on 18 August, two enemy aircraft bombed the division southeast of Lukashevo. Division headquarters – in the grove west of Barinovo.
♦	45th CD – fully concentrated in jumping-off positions in the Vinokurovo region.
♦	244th RD – reached the Turinka, Samsonikha, and Tsvetushino region [2025 kilometers south of Belyi] at 0930 hours on 18 August, and at 1530 hours the commander was ordered to relieve 107th TD’s 120th RR in the Sloboda, Karpova, and Hill 230.3 region with one regiment on the night of 19 August and to prepare to develop the attack along the army’s main axis.
♦	Losses – 327 men killed and wounded.
♦	Trophies – 5 enemy prisoners captured and a large number of enemy troops killed and wounded.

•	Road Conditions – it rained in the army’s sector at 1540 hours, making road movement difficult.
•	Communications – the rainy weather interrupted telephonic communications with the divisions.42

See Map 82. The situation on Ninth Army’s “Eastern Front” late on 18 August 1941 and Volume 3 (Documents), Appendix O, 32.

The most unpleasant news in this summary was that 244th Rifle Division, probably due to the rain, was situated 10 kilometers north of its previously assigned concentration at nightfall, meaning it would take additional time for it to move into its assigned attack positions.

Timoshenko’s Western Front summarized the day’s actions in the operational summary it issued at 2000 hours on 18 August: