First Out of Ten (January 1942)

Zhukov, Moscow

January 1 1942

By the 16th of December, the First Shock counter-offensive worked like a charm, with Germans withdrawing and abandoning guns and vehicles from Kin and Solnechnogorsk. Engaging the air force instead of ground troops was a masterstroke in strategy. We pushed the Germans out of Kalinin, Klin and Yelets. By Christmas of 1941, we dealt devastating losses to the Germans after encircling elements of the Tenth Motorized Infantry Division. The threat that hung over Moscow had been lifted by the end of December. A decisive and punitive couple of weeks that saw the threat of Nazi Germany dissolved from our capital. We have for the first time dealt a great strategic defeat to a major German combat group. We must capitalise on this success and concentrate more forces to capitalise. What Hitler wanted to achieve in Russia, had been utterly obliterated by the Red Army. This decision to invade us will surely tip in our favour with regards to the World War.

Zhukov, Moscow