Rzhev-Sychevka Strategic Offensive Operation (Operation Mars)
The next Rzhev-Sychevka Offensive (25 November 1942 - 20 December 1942) codenamed Operation Mars. the operation consisted of several incremental offensive phases
- Sychevka Offensive Operation 24 November 1942 - 14 December 1942
- Belyi Offensive Operation 25 November 1942 - 16 December 1942
- Luchesa Offensive Operation 25 November 1942 - 11 December 1942
- Molodoi Tud Offensive Operation 25 November 1942 - 23 December 1942
- Velikie-Luki Offensive Operation 24 November 1942 - 20 January 1943
This operation was nearly as heavy in losses for the Red Army as the first offensive, and also failed to reach desired objectives, but the Red Army tied down German forces which may have otherwise been used to try to relieve the Stalingrad garrison, which was fighting for its life in Stalingrad.
The information about offensive was provided to OKH by an NKVD double agent known as Heine as part of the plan to distract German forces from Stalingrad.
However, due to the general course of the war, Hitler ordered German forces to withdraw from the salient in March 1943 during Operation Büffel. The Stavka used this as an opportunity to pursue the retreating Wehrmacht troops.
Read more about this topic: Battles Of Rzhev
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