Soldiers of the Wehrmacht's 197th Infantry Division stand beside the bodies of German soldiers killed in the Battle of Moscow in November 1941. In the background, new graves were dug for mass burials.

　　 A soldier of the Wehrmacht's 197th Infantry Division stands beside the bodies of German soldiers killed in action during the Moscow Offensive in November 1941. A surviving German soldier looks around at the scattered bodies of German soldiers killed in action during the Moscow Offensive. In the background of the Wehrmacht soldiers, a new grave was dug for mass burials. To the right, the corner of a stone building of a church could be seen. The distance from this settlement to Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union, was approaching 80 kilometers.

　On the Eastern Front of World War II, the Battle of Moscow began on September 30, 1941 and ended with the Soviet defense on January 7, 1942. The German infantry divisions had only about one-third to one-half of their strength remaining. Serious logistical problems for the Germans prevented the transport of winter clothing and other winter equipment to the front lines.

　The German armored forces launched an offensive on November 15-18, 1941, and the Central Army Group resumed its offensive toward Moscow. The Soviets reinforced the Tenth Army and the First Striking Army, incorporated them into the Western Army, and ordered Commander Zhukov to defend Moscow to the death; on November 24, German armored forces captured Klin and built a bridgehead at the Moscow Canal; on November 26, German armored forces captured Istra, a railroad staging post; on November 30. German armored forces reached Khimki, about 8 km from Moscow. In the south, German armored forces besieged the industrial city of Tula and captured Mikhailov.

　By the end of November, however, the German offensive was frustrated in various parts of the Soviet Union. German armored forces, aiming for Moscow from the south, were unable to capture Tula and continued their invasion bypassing the city. The Germans were prevented from invading by the line of the Oka River, which flows south of Moscow. The German armored forces invaded from the north and took control of Klin, a strategic point in the north, and invaded the city. An attempt to enter Moscow from the north was aborted. On the western front, German armored forces reached the outskirts of Moscow, about 25 km from the Kremlin. The vanguard forces invaded as far as 8 km from Moscow with a view of the Kremlin spire.

　Winter arrived earlier than usual in the Soviet Union, and the German invasion came to a complete halt. Temperatures dropped to about 20 degrees below zero, rendering German combat vehicles and firearms unusable due to the cold weather. The Germans lacked cold-weather equipment for their soldiers and winter oil, and their vehicles and aircraft were unable to operate satisfactorily. A number of German soldiers suffered from frostbite due to the lack of medical supplies. The Soviet army was better equipped for winter protection. The Germans occupied Istra, a key point in the Soviet defense of Moscow, on November 26, but the Soviet air force began heavy bombardment the next day, and air control remained on the Soviet side. German casualties were estimated at approximately 248,000 to 400,000, and Soviet casualties at 650,000 to 1,280,000.