Chapter 64 Battle of Kharkov

Having won a battle in the area between the Donets and the Dnieper and regained the initiative, Army Group South proceeded further, in accordance with an order issued earlier on February 28, to attack the Voronezh Front (i.e., position Enemy forces in the Kharkov region) attack.Our intention was to attack the south flank of this force in order to outflank it and, if possible, to penetrate directly into the enemy's rear from the east.Our goal is not only to capture Kharkov, but also to destroy the enemy forces there. So the first priority was to defeat the enemy's southern flank, which was formed by the Russian Third Tank Army on the Biristovaya River southwest of the city.Fourth Panzer Army achieved this goal on 5 March.The 12th and 4th Tank Corps, a cavalry corps, and three infantry divisions in this enemy army were partly cut to pieces and partly captured in a small pocket of Krasnograd.Although the number of prisoners was still rather small, our troops reported that the enemy's death toll was 12,000. We captured 61 tanks, 225 guns, and 600 vehicles.

The sudden change of weather prevented the army group from attacking the enemy from the rear, which was plaguing the army of Koff at Akhtyrka and Poltava, forcing them to fight from the front.To achieve this goal, the Fourth Panzer Army must cross the Donets River from the lower reaches of Kharkov, but the ice surface of the river can break at any time, and any pontoon bridge cannot resist the collision of these ice floes.Even a smaller flanking operation across the Mosh to capture the city of Kharkov (through which the enemy's rear lines of communication pass) seems difficult, since the ground has now begun to thawed out.So we had to try to roll up the enemy from the side and force them out of Kharkov by the way.

To achieve this goal, the Fourth Panzer Army, including the SS Panzer Corps (whose last unit, the Skeleton Division, had also been fully reached), launched a northward attack from the Kraszögler area on March 7. an attack.As soon as the enemy's pressure on its front eased, the Kenff Army joined the attack. Over the next few days, the attack progressed quite well.By this time, however, the enemy had recognized the danger felt by the Voronezh Front.Our radio eavesdropping found that the enemy is moving several tanks and mechanized corps from the Voroshilovgrad area to Isumen. its side.However, these actions have been unable to produce any significant results. The reasons are: 1. The enemy's offensive power has been exhausted in the battle near Voroshilovgrad and the Mies River; 2. Donets The river had begun to thaw enough to stop their movement.All the enemy could do was win a small bridgehead on the south bank of the river, northwest of Isumen.In addition, they withdrew the 2nd Guards Tank Corps from the east to Kharkov, and the forces facing the northern flank of Army Koff and 2nd Army to Bogodukhov.Since the Second Army was so small, it was doubtful whether we would be able to prevent the escape of the enemy.But in any case, we wanted to try to force the enemy facing Army Group Kharkov to leave Kharkov and move south, or cut off its crossing on the Donets River.If this is the case, the city of Kharkov can be defeated in one go.Our army group is prepared to prevent Kharkov from becoming the second city of Stalingrad at all costs. If that is the case, we will have to stop our troops and fortify the city.

However, the name of the city of Kharkov should be used as a spiritual call to stimulate the troops and junior officers to fight bravely.Especially the SS Panzer Army wanted to retake the city as a gift for its leader, so it just wanted to take a shortcut, so the army group had to stop it again and again, not allowing it to launch a frontal attack on the city .For if this were the case, the strength of the army would be held there, and the enemy still fighting west of the city would be allowed to flee.Finally, we managed to get the SS Panzer Corps around to the east of the city.The city fell without difficulty, and we captured a considerable number of deserters on the Donets.

As mentioned above, due to the development of the situation near and south of the Kharkov area, the forces facing the army of the Koff had to be withdrawn. They had already reached the vicinity of Poltava and captured Ai Hetika.Now they must retreat to Kharkov and Belgorod, while the Kenf Army is in hot pursuit. On March 10, Hitler again visited our headquarters in person.In addition to giving him a briefing on the current enemy situation, I especially expressed my opinion on how the operation should continue after the mud season is over.This is left for analysis in the next chapter. On March 14, the SS Panzer Corps entered the city of Kharkov.At the same time, the northern wing of the Great German Division of the Kenff Army also quickly entered Belgorod.The enemy repeatedly fought it with great armored forces, but was defeated.

The capture of Kharkov and Belgorod is the end of the second counterattack of the army group. Because the ground is becoming muddy at an accelerated rate, no further actions can be taken.Of course, the Army Group would like to take this opportunity to cooperate with Army Group Center to clear the salient area west of Kursk in order to shorten the German defense line.But the plan had to be abandoned because Army Group Center declared it unable to cooperate.As a result, this prominence became a nasty loophole on our front, hindering our operations.Even so, our army group has now held the entire front of the Donets River, from Belgorod to the exit of the Mies River.This Donets-Mies line was the same line the Germans held in the winter of 1941-1942.