However, the first Rzhev–Sychyovka offensive operation, a Soviet attack that began in late July 1942, forced the relocation of most of the 4th Army to reinforce the defense of Rzhev.

The 2nd Panzer Army in Wirbelwind captured the village of Ulyanovo and created a 25-kilometer (16 mi) salient in the Soviet line, surrounding and destroying forward elements of three rifle divisions.

[10] On the night of 20–21 August, the 154th and 264th Rifle Divisions, tasked with the initial breakthrough in 3rd Tank Army's sector, moved into their jumping-off positions.

[11] German intelligence detected the Soviet buildup, allowing them time to strengthen the forward defenses of the LIII Army Corps with large numbers of anti-tank weapons, minefields, and hastily dug trenches and dugouts.

The German armor was withdrawn rearwards to create an operational reserve, and constructed rear defenses with multiple lines of dugouts and bunkers.

After outrunning their supporting infantry, the corps was stopped by strong German defenses, minefields, and air strikes by Junkers Ju 87 Stukas and other bombers in the Goskovo area after an advance of 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) by noon.

The 15th Corps' T-34-equipped 113th Tank Brigade was thrown in behind the 154th Rifle Division and soon advanced beyond the infantry, but suffered heavy losses to German airstrikes after being stopped in a minefield.

[12] At noon, the Western Front headquarters received a report that the 3rd Tank Corps had captured Smetskiye Vyselki, and that the German troops were hastily retreating from the first defensive line.

Since Group Koptsov had failed to achieve a breakthrough, Zhukov personally ordered the 15th Corps north into Mostovenko's sector, tasked with advancing on Slobodka and Belyy Verkh.

[1] Additionally, the message on the capture of Smetskiye Vyselki turned out to have been false when the 15th Corps' screening detachment was ambushed and completely destroyed upon approaching the village, and vanguard led by Koptsov was involved in heavy fighting.

[13] Meanwhile, the 154th and 264th Rifle Divisions, supported by the 12th Tank Corps, captured the villages of Ozernenskoye, Ozerno and Goskovo, but the southern group of the 61st Army made no progress.

[14] Romanenko committed his reserve, the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Division, to assist the 15th Tank Corps' attack on 23 August in the center of the army's assault.

[16] By the end of the same day, Group Mostovenko and the 15th Corps cleared German resistance from positions east of the Vytebet and reached the river, but were unable to cross.

The 12th Tank Corps, the 154th and 264th Divisions, and the southern group of the 61st Army unsuccessfully attacked to the west and southwest during this period, in some areas advancing 1–1.5 kilometers (0.62–0.93 mi).

After the 15th had been repulsed, the 11th and 20th Panzer Divisions launched a counterattack, forcing Romanenko to withdraw the 15th Tank Corps to the Novogryn area to create an operational reserve.

[18]By the morning of 27 August, the German counterattack was thrown back, and the 15th was transferred to the left flank in the Pakom area to support the attack of the southern group of the 61st Army.

The corps attacked in conjunction with the 12th Guards Rifle Division towards Leonovo on 28 August, but was stopped by an anti-tank ditch, which was bridged by sappers that night.

[19] On 1 September, in a meeting between Hitler and von Kluge, it was decided that Operation Wirbelwind would be abandoned and the 9th and 11th Panzer Divisions pulled out of the sector for a new attack due to the Soviet resistance.

From 5 to 9 September, the tank brigades remaining in the bridgehead over the Vytebet, supported by infantry, attempted to resume the offensive, but failed due to counterattacks by the 9th and 17th Panzer Divisions.

On the first day of the offensive, the 16th Army's shock group was halted by a combination of unfavorable terrain and being too weak to break through the German line after advancing a few hundred meters.