Last time we spoke about the beginning of the Zhukov, Guderian and the race to Kyiv. In August 1941, as Nazi Germany marched toward Kyiv, their confidence began to falter. General Fedor von Bock’s forces, fresh from capturing Smolensk, faced a fierce defensive from the Soviet Red Army, led by Marshal Semyon Timoshenko.  The grim reality of warfare set in as soldiers from both sides endured harrowing conditions. German units struggled with their dwindling resources, suffering immense casualties that shattered morale. Conversely, the Soviets demonstrated remarkable resilience, with commanders like Georgy Zhukov evolving their tactics to counteract German advances. By month's end, both armies faced staggering losses, with the Soviets suffering catastrophic casualties. This fierce battle would become a pivotal moment, illustrating the fierce determination of the Red Army and altering the course of history on the Eastern Front. This episode is the Drive to Kyiv and Leningrad continues Well hello there, welcome to the Eastern Front week by week podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800’s until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  September has arrived on the Eastern Front, bringing with it the late summer rains. General Guderian is pushing his tanks southward, aiming to cut off the defenders of Kyiv. Behind him, Field Marshal von Bock is tasked with holding the line at Yelna, while the Soviet High Command is prepared to sacrifice tens of thousands of brave soldiers to reclaim it. Last week we talked about how the Bryansk Front struggled to fend off Guderian as his armored divisions advanced, threatening to encircle Kyiv. In the area of Army Group North, the push towards Leningrad is recovering from earlier setbacks. General Vatutin’s offensive was swiftly repelled by Manstein’s Panzers, and the 18th Army successfully cleared Estonia. The rapid advances of Leeb's offensive have devastated the Soviet forces. To address the dire situation, the Stavka has deployed three armies: the 54th, 52nd, and 4th Armies, arriving in early September to bolster defenses in front of Leningrad. Their focus is on the eastern side of Volkhov, aiming to prevent a connection between the Finnish and German forces. In August, the Germans captured Mga, but an NKVD division briefly retook it for a day before being driven out by the 20th Motorized Division. A see-saw battle unfolded throughout the first week of September, but by the end of the week, the Germans had gained firm control. The 48th Army was struggling to maintain its position, and on September 7th, the combined might of the 20th Motorized and 12th Panzer Divisions captured Sinaivino, with Shisselburg next on their list. These towns were the last land connections to the rest of the Soviet Union. Losing Mga, the last rail connection, was a significant blow to the defense of Leningrad. With the fall of Shisselburg and Sinaivino, the options for leaving the city without traversing Axis lines grew grim. The only escape route left was across Lake Ladoga. Army Group North had originally advanced an average of 5 kilometers a day in July, which slowed to 2.2 kilometers in August, and dropped to just 1.5 kilometers a day in September. Lengthening supply lines, growing fatigue among soldiers, and fierce Soviet resistance have begun to take their toll. Now,