Operation Wotan

:Wotan may also designate a part of German East Wall defensive line or a code name for a German .
Operation Wotan was a codename for the German tank operation with the goal of capturing Moscow during World War II, developed mainly by Hitler. The name refers to , a Germanic god.
The operation was scheduled to be launched by Army Group South on September 9, 1941 and to last no more than eight weeks.<ref name="Macksey"/> The date was established on August, 29 in declaration addressed to the OKH. The start was slowed down by initial Soviet attacks of Semyon Budyonny and Semyon Timoshenko. However, Guderian's tank units soon smashed the Soviet troops between Oryol and Kursk, forming a gap which was used by Kleist's 1st Panzer Group. It was decided to make the main strike towards the Dankov-Kasimov-Gorkiy direction, but it was changed by Albert Kesselring. The German troops experienced severe difficulties concerning the casualties and the subsequent frosts. An opportunity for a Soviet counter-offensive occurred shortly after.

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