Last time we spoke about the Drive to Kyiv and Leningrad continues. In late August 1941, the German siege of Kyiv intensified, led by General Guderian amidst a fierce defense from the Soviet Red Army under Marshal Timoshenko. As the Nazis pushed forward, their initial confidence waned under severe logistical strain and significant casualties, while the Soviets showcased resilience and tactical evolution. The month ended in bloodshed, with both sides suffering staggering losses. As September arrived, rain soaked the battlefields, further complicating efforts toward Leningrad, where Finnish troops advanced, threatening Soviet hold on the city. The Germans faced a critical moment as they lost vital supply routes. Fierce combat ensued, with the Soviets and Finnish forces engaged in relentless skirmishes that emphasized the human cost of war. Then in a enormous reversal, Hitler issued directive no. 35 altering the course for Moscow. After fighting tooth and nail against it, Hitler ultimately succumbed to the alure of taking the capital of the USSR. This episode is the Panzer’s Greatest Victory 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.  Leningrad is now encircled. Guderian and Kleist, are on the brink of merging their forces just outside the ancient city of Kyiv. As the war rages on, the Red Army unleashes a relentless assault on German positions in the center. We find ourselves in the 11th week of Operation Barbarossa. The weary German Army is eyeing what could be their greatest achievement yet, but meanwhile, the Red Army plunges to new depths. Supply trucks are mired in mud as the Panzers struggle to complete the encirclement against the Southwestern Front. Last week, we witnessed the Southwestern Front and the Bryansk Front fiercely fighting to retain control over Ukraine and its capital, Kyiv. We also observed the renewed momentum of the advance on Leningrad as the Stavka reorganized the city's defenses. In a challenging turn, Army Group Center had to retreat from the Yelna salient, suffering significant casualties in the process.  The Wehrmacht now faced two daunting logistical issues involving men and machines. Neither was in massive supply by the end of the summer of 1941. By late September, an official report would put German casualties above 500,000. 14 divisions were more than 4,000 men short, 40 divisions were over 3,000 men short, and 30 divisions were more than 2,000 men short. Meanwhile, the Heer had lost nearly 1,500 tanks and artillery pieces. This accounted for about one-third of the starting force. Only 47% of the tanks across all four Panzer Groups were operational, according to a report from September 4, with many tanks requiring spare parts for repairs. Hitler had ordered that all new tank production be held in a strategic reserve in Germany, aiming to form new Panzer divisions. It would take until mid-September for Halder to convince Hitler that the plans for capturing Moscow, Operation Typhoon, required some replacements to be released. Only 96 tanks had been sent forward, just over 10% of the new production from June to the end of August. When Hitler finally allowed the strategic reserve of vehicles to be allocated for replacements, the Panzer arm was in