Operation Vogelsang
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Operation Vogelsang
| place = Occupied Soviet Territory, Bryansk
| partof = German anti-partisan operations in World War II
| result = German/RONA Victory
| combatant1 = {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}
- {{flagicon image|Flag of Russian Liberation People's Army.svg}} Russian People's Liberation Army
| combatant2 = {{flagdeco|USSR|1936}} Soviet Partisans
| date = 5–9th of July 1942
| commander1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of Nazi Germany.svg}} Rudolf Schmidt
| commander2 = Unknown
| strength1 = Unknown
| strength2 = Unknown
| casualties1 = 58 killed
138 wounded
| casualties2 = 1,193 killed{{Cite book |last=Kochanski |first=Halik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=djgSEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Operation+Vogelsang%22+-wikipedia&pg=PP154 |title=Resistance: The Underground War in Europe, 1939-1945 |date=2022-03-03 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-0-14-197902-1 |language=en}}
1,400 wounded{{Cite book |last=Kochanski |first=Halik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=djgSEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Operation+Vogelsang%22+-wikipedia&pg=PP154 |title=Resistance: The Underground War in Europe, 1939-1945 |date=2022-03-03 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-0-14-197902-1 |language=en}}
498 captured{{Cite book |last=Cooper |first=Matthew |title=The Nazi War Against Soviet Partisans, 1941-1944 |date=1979 |publisher=Stein and Day |isbn=9780812826005 |pages=152 |language=English}}
| casualties3 = Deportations of around 12,531 people from the region{{Cite book |last=Kochanski |first=Halik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=djgSEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Operation+Vogelsang%22+-wikipedia&pg=PP154 |title=Resistance: The Underground War in Europe, 1939-1945 |date=2022-03-03 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-0-14-197902-1 |language=en}}
| territory = Retreat of the remaining partisans
| image =
| caption = Advances during the operation.
| coordinates =
}}
{{Campaignbox Axis–Soviet partisan conflict}}
Operation Vogelsang was a German operation against soviet partisans during World War II. It inflicted heavy casualties on the partisans and forced them to go underground.{{Cite book |last=Kochanski |first=Halik |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=djgSEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Operation+Vogelsang%22+-wikipedia&pg=PP154 |title=Resistance: The Underground War in Europe, 1939-1945 |date=2022-03-03 |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |isbn=978-0-14-197902-1 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Howell |first=Edgar M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PY9vCwAAQBAJ&dq=Operation+Vogelsang&pg=PT309 |title=The Soviet Partisan Movement, 1941-1944 |date=2014-08-15 |publisher=Pickle Partners Publishing |isbn=978-1-78289-617-3 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Ziemke |first=Earl F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MAZwCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Operation+Vogelsang%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT536 |title=Moscow To Stalingrad - Decision In The East [Illustrated Edition] |date=2014-08-15 |publisher=Pickle Partners Publishing |isbn=978-1-78289-319-6 |language=en}} It was also the first major operation that involved the RONA.{{Cite web |title=Vogelsang {{!}} Operations & Codenames of WWII |url=https://codenames.info/operation/vogelsang/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=codenames.info}}
Operation
The Operation begun on 5 July 1942, it's objective was to destroy the soviet partisans operating in the region of Bryansk and Roslavl, threatening the lines of communication to Günther von Kluge's Heeresgruppe. The German forces included: one Panzer regiment and two infantry regiments.
The German units encircled the forest area in which the soviet partisans have been operating in. The Germans started advancing further into the center of the area, destroying villages in their path and 'evacuating' civilians who lived there.{{Cite book |last=Cooper |first=Matthew |title=The Nazi War Against Soviet Partisans, 1941-1944 |date=1979 |publisher=Stein and Day |isbn=9780812826005 |pages=152 |language=English}} According to one source, if the Germans kept searching the forest longer than until the 9th of July, they could prevent the partisans from reappearing.
The victory was greatly overexaggerated by the German forces, remaining partisans retreated underground and reappered after the operation ended.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{coord missing|Germany}}
Category:Anti-partisan operations of World War II
Category:Military operations of World War II involving Germany
Category:Battles involving the Soviet Union
Category:Battles and operations of the Soviet–German War
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