Four days into the main phase of Operation Typhoon – the German offensive to capture Moscow – Kampfgruppe Eberbach moved up the Orel-Tula highway. With the Lisiza River bridge quickly captured, Eberbach sent across five tank companies and a battalion of motorcycle infantry to secure a nearby ridge. The crossing site would be held by a 10cm sK18 gun and two 88mm Flak guns.
Just as it seemed that the Soviets had left the area, at 1130 hrs the German advance guard was ambushed by Colonel Katukov’s 4th Tank Brigade, which was deployed in wooded ambush positions on both sides of the road.
Here we see KV-1 and T-34 tanks engaging the Germans at a range of about 500 m, with several Panzer III’s already knocked out.
Unable to engage the Soviet armour, the outgunned Panzers withdrew and Katukov ordered his tanks to follow. The German artillery covering the bridge inflicted some losses before being quickly destroyed. The close range of the pursuit also allowed the Panzers to return fire before retreating across the Lisiza River. The action had cost Eberbach 10 tanks and severely delayed the push towards Tula. Taking a more careful approach, the Germans eventually achieved a breakthrough and forced Katukov to withdraw from his final position near Mtsensk on 10th October.
By Ibrahim Zamir
Empire of History 