Eighty-four years ago today, on August 27, 1941 (July 5, 1941 lunar calendar), the Germans crossed the Dnieper River. On August 27, 1941, Joseph Stalin's reorganized army was unable to withstand successive German attacks on Smolensk. After three weeks of hard fighting, this important railway hub and industrial center fell into enemy hands. The Germans were only 320 miles from Moscow. For two months, the Germans had advanced two-thirds of the way from the border to the capital. The Germans' flexible tactics and heavy artillery fire defeated the Russian army. After launching an attack on a swamp, the Germans crossed the Dnieper River. A pontoon bridge was then erected over the river. Despite the considerable victory, the Germans had difficulty coordinating their attack on the northern and southern fronts of Russia.