Last time we spoke about the fall of Tikhvin. The German offensive toward Tikhvin stalls against Rasputitsa, ice, and supply failures, while Soviet resilience around Leningrad, Volkhov, and Moscow’s approaches slows the Germans’ advance. By November 9–15, 1941, Hitler’s high command grappled with harsh logistical realities: trains, fuel, and winter clothing are scarce, and many units lack adequate armor and reconnaissance. Stalin reshuffles commanders, appointing Meretskov to command the 4th Army and canceling some attacks due to weak force strength, while pressing others to continue offensives despite dire conditions. At the front, the 4th, 52nd, and 54th Armies attempted to blunt German thrusts and seize critical corridors, but frontal assaults amid brutal cold yield limited gains and heavy casualties. The Shlisselburg corridor, Lake Ladoga, and Volkhov remained focal points as both sides jockey for position and supply routes. Across Kharkiv, Sevastopol, and Crimea, German advances stall or recede amid fierce Soviet defense and attritional warfare. Overall, winter intensified the struggle, highlighting endurance and the limits of operational planning under extreme conditions. This episode is the battle of Moscow Starts 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.  Even in their depleted state, the Wehrmacht’s officers pressed for a major winter offensive against Moscow and Rostov, and as winter tightens its grip on the USSR, Hitler’s Panzers roll forward again. Kleist pushes toward Rostov, while Army Group Center’s panzers begin the battle for Moscow, and the Red Army responds by stepping up its counteroffensive against Leeb’s overstretched forces. Last week, Klykov’s 52nd Army launched an offensive that failed to achieve its aims. STAVKA pressed him to attack again, but the army needed time to reorganize, until 17 November, when the night brought a sharper tactic: two detachments from the 259th and 111th Rifle Divisions slipped behind German lines, and in the morning those two divisions struck Malaia Vishera. The defenders were outflanked and overwhelmed, creating a breach in the German 126th Infantry Division’s line, which was forced to retreat west toward Bolshaia Vishera and the Volkhov River. Yet Klykov’s pursuit slowed, because the 215th Division was hurried into the line to reinforce the 126th after its redeployment from France. Despite this progress, Leeb managed to reinforce the besieged 39th Panzer Corps at Tikhvin with the 61st Infantry Division, a move made necessary as the German 4th Army opened its offensive on 19 November. Deep snow slowed the Northern Shock Group as it pressed toward Tikhvin, crawling through heavy resistance, while the Eastern Shock Group stalled at the Tikhvinka River and along the Tikhvin–Taltsy road, clashing with the 20th Motorised and the 61st Infantry Divisions. Meanwhile, the Southern Shock Group targeted the supply routes to Tikhvin, making steady progress against the layered battlegroups defending the extended southern flank of the Panzer Corps. Although the Soviet attack had stalled, the German positions around Tikhvin remained under constant pressure, with the 8th Panzer Force even breaching its line on 20 November. These clashes