Kharkov 1942: The Wehrmacht strikes back (Campaign)

After failing to finish off the German Army in the 1941/42 Winter Counteroffensive and aware that Hitler was planning a new summer offensive in mid-1942, Stalin directed the Red Army to conduct a powerful blow in one sector of the Eastern Front in order to disrupt German plans. The sector chosen was Kharkov, where the Soviet Southwestern Front had seized bridgeheads over the Donets River and Heeresgruppe Süd appeared vulnerable. Under Stalin's trusted military advisor, Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, the Stavka's remaining reserves were assembled and prepared to conduct a breakthrough attack intended to encircle the German Sixth Army near Kharkov. However, Stalin was unaware that the Germans were planning their own riposte at Kharkov, known as Operation Fredericus. When Timoshenko began his offensive in May 1942, he did not realize the limitations of his own forces or the agility of the Germans to recover from setbacks, all of which contributed to one of the Red Army greatest defeats of World War II. The German victory at Kharkov also contributed to the Wehrmacht's ability to push to the Volga River, once the Red Army was seriously weakened along the Donets. This volume will pay particular attention to intelligence and logistics issues, as well as how this campaign served as a prelude to the battle of Stalingrad. It will also focus on the nascent development of the Red Army's tank corps and 'deep battle' tactics, as well as the revival of the German Panzertruppen after Barbarossa. A highly illustrated account of the 1942 battle of Kharkov, one of the Red Army's largest defeats in World War II.After failing to finish off the German Army in the 1941/42 Winter Counteroffensive Stalin directed the Red Army to conduct a powerful blow in one sector of the Eastern Front in order to disrupt German plans. The sector chosen was Kharkov. Under Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, the Stavka's remaining reserves were assembled and prepared to conduct a breakthrough attack intended to encircle the German Sixth Army near Kharkov.However, Stalin was unaware that the Germans were planning their own riposte at Kharkov, known as Operation Fredericus. When Timoshenko began his offensive in May 1942, he did not realize the limitations of his own forces or the agility of the Germans to recover from setbacks, all of which contributed to one of the Red Army greatest defeats of World War II.This volume will pay particular attention to intelligence and logistics issues, as well as how this campaign served as a prelude to the battle of Stalingrad. It will also focus on the nascent development of the Red Army's tank corps and'deep battle'tactics, as well as the revival of the German Panzertruppen after Barbarossa. Kharkov, der ligger i det østlige Ukraine var i perioden oktober 1941 indtil juli 1943 centrum for voldsomme kampe mellem tyske og sovjetiske styrker. Hæftet beskæftiger sig med operationerne indtil sommeren 1942, hvor den tyske offensiv mod Kaukasus og Stalingrad begyndte. I oktober 1941 havde tyske styrker indtaget Kharkov og fronten blev stabiliseret. Den 1. januar 1942 indledte marshal Timoshenko den sovjetiske Syd-Vest Fronts modangreb, der indledningsvis opnåede en vis succes. Kampene forsatte frem til 25. juni 1942 og endte med overvældende tysk sejr. Af de 750.000 sovjetiske tropper, der var indsat endte ca 240.000 i tysk fangenskab og 54.000 døde. Værst for Sovjetunionen var tabet af næsten alle chefer på brigade og divisionsniveau. Disse operationer var forudsætningen for, at tyskerne den 28. juni 1942 kunne indlede operation Blau, hvor tyske tropper næsten uden modstand kunne trænge frem til Volga og Kaukasus