Battle of Uman - After The Encirclement

After The Encirclement

As the pocket was eliminated, the tanks of Panzergruppe 1 turned north, and attacked toward Kiev on the orders to assist Panzergruppe 2 in closing another encirclement around that city. The Crimean objective was for a time left to the field armies; the first of many times when Hitler would change his mind about strategic objectives of the Army Groups.

The Stavka used the respite offered by the German refocusing of Panzergruppe 1 to re-establish its front using the 9th Coastal Army (independent) and either reforming the destroyed armies, or bringing into line reserve 37th and 56th armies from the interior military districts, with the 38th Army eventually left to hold an over-stretched Kharkov sector of the Front.