1942 ⟶ Soviet Offensive Strained, Timoshenko Seeks Halt

For once, Adolf Hitler has not hobbled his local commander w...

Year

1942

🛑 Soviet Offensive Strained, Timoshenko Seeks Halt

For once, Adolf Hitler has not hobbled his local commander with a strict "no retreat" order, and Paulus is free to conduct an efficient delaying action. In addition, Paulus' troops are largely up to strength and fully equipped as a result of preparations for the upcoming drive to Stalingrad. In the south salient, Kharitonov's 9th Army has routed the Romanian (3rd and/or 4th Army; accounts differ) troops in his path and captured Krasnograd, and is proceeding to Poltava; Gorodnyanski's 6th Army has made its planned turn to the north to link up with 28th and 57th Armies. 9th Army's impetus has stretched Kharitonov's armoured units out along a seventy-mile track, diluting their strength; and attempts to cover his left flank by driving the Germans back from it have been unsuccessful. The Russians take only a few prisoners along this flank, but Timoshenko is dismayed by the variety of units, especially armoured units, this handful of men represent (this is because Kleist is concentrating troops in this area in preparation for his counter-offensive). Timoshenko loses confidence and has his Political Officer Nikita Khrushchev ring up the Stavka and ask for permission to halt while he secures his left flank; Stavka refuses.⟶

Eastern FrontKharkovSoviet OffensiveGerman Counter-offensiveMilitary StrategyStavkaKhrushchevTimoshenko

⚔️ Second Battle of Kharkov Begins

Second Battle of Kharkov – In the eastern Ukraine, Soviet forces of Marshal Timoshenko's Southwest Theatre of Operations, including Gorodnyanski's 6th Army and Kharitonov's 9th Army, initiate a major offensive to capture Kharkov from the Germans. 9th Army is to attack first, with a primary objective of Krasnograd, and a secondary one of Poltava; 6th Army is to follow immediately. After 9th Army has captured Krasnograd, 6th Army is to swing north and link up with 28th Army and 57th Army, the latter two formations having meanwhile cut the railway between Belgorod and Kharkov.⟶

Eastern FrontKharkovSoviet OffensiveGerman OffensiveTank BattleOperation Barbarossa

🇷🇺 Soviet Offensive Stalls North of Kharkov

In the salient north of Kharkov, Russian 28th and 57th Armies are having trouble making progress against General Paulus's (German) 6th Army.⟶

Eastern FrontKharkovSoviet OffensiveGerman ArmyMilitary OperationsCombat

⚔️ Kleist's Counter-offensive Severely Disrupts Soviet Forces

In the salient north of Kharkov, the Soviet offensive has bogged down. In the southern salient, Kleist has launched his counter-offensive. It is immediately successful and by the end of the first day the leading elements have reached the confluence of the Oksol and Donetz rivers, greatly narrowing the base of the salient. In the process the Germans traverse and disrupt so many lines of communication that Kharitonov's 9th Army begins to lose cohesion as a fighting force, and becomes useless as a screen to protect Gorodnyanski's 6th Army which, because of its northward progress, is badly disposed to repel the German attacks coming from the south.⟶

Eastern FrontKharkovGerman Counter-offensiveEncirclementMilitary OperationsLogisticsCommunicationKleist

🔄 Paulus Launches Second Counter-attack at Kharkov

At Kharkov, Kleist's counter-offensive continues to prosper; and now Paulus launches a second counter-attack from the north, designed to link up with Kleist's and encircle as many Soviet troops as possible. The Stavka, gradually becoming aware of the extent of the danger, orders Gorodnyanski's 6th Army to halt their advance. But by now Timoshenko is planning to extricate what forces he can before the two German spearheads link up.⟶

Eastern FrontKharkovGerman Counter-attackEncirclementMilitary StrategyPaulusStavka

⚔️ Soviet Command Sends Reinforcements to Kharkov Salient

At Kharkov, as Kleist's and Paulus' forward elements draw ever closer together, Timoshenko sends his subordinate General Kostenko into the salient to organize a fighting retreat, or, failing that, maximize what can be saved.⟶

KharkovEastern FrontSoviet UnionMilitary StrategyRetreatKostenko