Battle of Nevel (1943)

Battle of Nevel
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II

The Nevel Salient, October 6 1943 to January 18 1944
DateOctober 6 – December 16 1943
Location
Northwestern Russia/Northeastern Belarus
Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
 Germany  Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Nazi Germany Ernst Busch
Nazi Germany Christian Hansen
Nazi Germany Georg-Hans Reinhardt
Soviet Union Andrey Yeryomenko
Soviet Union Kuzma Galitsky
Soviet Union Vasily Shvetsov
Strength
unknown 198,000
Casualties and losses
7,000 killed and wounded
400 prisoners
Total:
7,400 (16th Army, Oct. 6–10 only)[1]
43,551 killed or missing
125,351 wounded
Total:
168,902 (to Dec. 31)[2]

The Battle of Nevel was a successful military operation conducted by the Red Army in the Pskov Oblast of western Russia and in northern Belarus during World War II, from October 6 to roughly December 16, 1943, although fighting persisted in the area into the new year.

The initial attack created an unexpected breakthrough of the German defenses and liberated the town of Nevel on the first day and subsequent attacks over the next four days created a salient about 35km wide and 25 km deep at the junction between German Army Groups North and Center. Through the following weeks the forces of 1st Baltic Front continued to expand the salient and attempt to outflank and encircle the units of German 16th Army and 3rd Panzer Army to its north and south while those same units, at Hitler's orders, "held the goalposts" and attempted to cut off the salient itself. Hitler finally conceded these efforts were futile on December 16 as 1st Baltic continued attacking southwards toward Vitebsk.

  1. ^ David M. Glantz, Battle for Belorussia, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2016, p. 42
  2. ^ Glantz, When Titans Clashed, University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 1995, p. 297