dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ˈɔːɡəst ænd sɛptˈɛmbɚɹ ʌv ðæt jˈɪɹ, ɐ sˈɪɹiz ʌv dʒˈɜːmən kˈaʊntɚɹəfˈɛnsɪvz ˌɑːpɚɹˈeɪʃənz dˈɑːpəlkˌɑːpf ænd kˈæsɑːɹ səksˈiːdᵻd ɪn stˈɔːlɪŋ ðə sˈoʊviət ɐdvˈæns ænd meɪntˈeɪnɪŋ ðə kənˈɛkʃən bᵻtwˌiːn ðə dʒˈɜːmən ˈɑːɹmi ɡɹˈuːps sˈɛntɚ ænd nˈɔːɹθ; haʊˈɛvɚ, stˈævkə mˌeɪd pɹˌɛpɚɹˈeɪʃənz fɚɹən ɐtˈæk baɪ ðə fˈɜːst bˈɔltɪk fɹˈʌnt ɐɡˈɛnst ðə pəzˈɪʃənz ʌvðə θˈɜːd pˈænzɚɹ ˈɑːɹmi ænd ðˈɛns təwˈɔːɹdz mˈɛməl, splˈɪɾɪŋ ðə tˈuː ˈɑːɹmi ɡɹˈuːps.
During August and September of that year, a series of German counter-offensives – Operations Doppelkopf and Casar – succeeded in stalling the Soviet advance and maintaining the connection between the German Army Groups Centre and North; however, Stavka made preparations for an attack by the 1st Baltic Front against the positions of the Third Panzer Army and thence towards Memel, splitting the two Army Groups.