tentara Rusia memasuki kota Kiev

Battle of Kiev
3 Nov 1943 - 10 Dec 1943

On the morning of 3 Nov 1943, German 4th Panzer Army stationed in Kiev, Ukraine awoke to a massive Soviet bombardment. Unable to halt the invasion, Kiev was taken by Soviet troops in the following two days. When Soviet troops entered Kiev on 5 Nov 1943, they found a city destroyed by the combination of the German invasion years ago, the fighting that just had just taken place, and the scorched earth tactic deployed by the fleeing German troops. The regional capital suffered 7,000 buildings, including 1,000 factories, plundered or destroyed at the hands of the Germans. 200,000 civilians were killed during the course of the war, and 100,000 sent to concentration camps during the occupation. What resulted was a city with only 80,000 survivors, a mere 20% of its prewar size.

Erich von Manstein of German 4th Panzer Army was able to convince Adolf Hitler to release German 48th Panzer Corps to conduct a counterattack, though his request for the inclusion of German 40th Panzer Corps was rejected. German troops drove forward, but were halted by Soviet 7th Guards Tank Corps near Fastov. Similar scenarios played out all around Kiev with German troops fighting fiercely but unable to halt the Soviet juggernaut. The Germans caught their break with the arrival of German 48th Panzer Corps containing the elite 1st SS Panzer Division, retaking Brusilov and Zhitomir, two towns that the Soviets had just recently taken. Large-scale tank battles ensued with heavy casualties on both sides over the course of the following month.

On 5 Dec, German 48th Panzer Corps launched a surprise attack northward from Zhitomir while German 13th Corps, reinforced with German 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division, attacked eastward. This maneuver threatened to surround Soviet 60th Army. To relieve the situation, the Soviet leadership dispatched Soviet 1st Tank Army and Soviet 18th Army as reinforcements. With fresh troops, the Soviets were able to halt the German offensive and capture Brusilov.

Though the Soviets emerged victorious, they failed to achieve the important objective of enveloping German Army Group South. Nevertheless, they were able to deal heavy damage to German 4th Panzer Army, and the morale boost for gaining Ukraine was substantial.

http://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=148