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"Vitsyebsk gate" or "Surazh gate" ((ベラルーシ語:Віцебскія вароты) or (ベラルーシ語:Суражскія вароты)) was the conventional name in the Soviet, later also in Belarusian, historiography, given to the corridor connecting the Soviet and German-occupied territories, which was a 40 km breach (between Velizh and Usvyaty) in the place of contact of the German army groups "North" and "Center". The breach was created by the Soviet offensive by 4th Shock Army (4th Strike Army) during winter 1942 (so-called Toropets–Kholm Offensive operation), and existed from February 10, 1942 until September 28, 1942. == Red Army offensive creating the Gate == Soviet 54th infantry brigade taking part in the 4th Shock Army (4th Strike Army) offensive captured town Usvyaty during night combat, 20 January 1942. Later (July 1942) it was changed by the 47th Nevel infantry division, with 334th infantry regiment holding western part of the town Usvyaty, forming the north border of the Vitebsk Gate. Forces of 360th infantry division и 48th infantry brigade (1500 man only) have managed to capture only western parts of town Velizh and dig in there 29 January 1942. Meanwhile, 249th infantry division and 51st infantry brigade surpassed Velizh and according to the order dated 30.12.1942 attacked Surazh. Then 51st infantry brigade blocked town from the north while 249th infantry division marched further south-west towards Vitebsk coming close to the city 3 February 1942 (note the red arrow on the extreme left, out of the front, on the map here: http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/5007/28108898.12/0_6d134_bd37f429_orig). But both units were too exhausted and undermanned (249th inf.div. had only 1400 soldiers in action by the time it reached the suburbs of Vitebsk) for these tasks. Fresh German units counter-attacked: 277th infantry regiment (which belongs to 83rd infantry division) threw Soviet forces out from Surazh to the east till Ostrovki (Ostrovskie) settlement around 10 February 1942. Other German regiments from 205th infantry division (Third Reich) and from 330th infantry division attacked from Vitebsk and force Soviet 249th infantry division to retreat back in a hurry (following the delayed order). Later both Soviet units return even more north-east and dig in there on the north-east suburbs of Velizh, forming the south border of the Vitebsk Gate. The main reasons why German military ignored this huge (40 km) "hole" in the front were the following: # lack of forces after heavy summer-autumn 1941 campaign and Red Army counter strikes during winter 1941-42; # very long front line (and communications) due to numerous "salients, re-entrants and pockets" near Vyazma and Rzhev - for the Army Group "Center"; # many units were assigned to the Demyansk Pocket deblocking and towards the blocked force in Kholm Pocket — for the Army Group "North"; # HQ of both Army Groups had no wish to take care about these 40 km of dense forests and swamps with so few roads where Red Army offensive would be anyway fruitless since the only serious road heading to fortified Vitebsk went just near the controlled by Germans south bank of the Western Dvina river. Red Army actually not even tried to make any offensive here since the 249th infantry division's retreat during February 1942. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Vitsyebsk gate」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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