[77], One historian wrote that the Third Battle of Kharkov[3] was "the last great victory of German arms in the eastern front." [77], Early morning 11 March, the LSSAH launched a two-prong attack into northern Kharkov. The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov (or Kharkiv) between 19 February and 15 March 1943. Rather than advance to the east of the city, he ordered his men to move to the west then north to encircle it. Manstein issued an order to continue outflanking the city, although leaving room for a potential attack on Kharkov if there was little Soviet resistance, but Hausser decided to disregard the order and continue with his own assault. School of Advanced Military Studies, US Command & General Staff College. Stopped by a deep anti-tank ditch, they breached it that night and pushed on to the Kharkov train station. English: February – March 1943 battle. The first, known as the "backhand method" was to wait for the inevitable renewal of the Soviet offensive and conduct another operation similar to that of Kharkov—allowing the Red Army to take ground, extend itself and then counterattack and surround it. Meanwhile, the division's left wing reached the junction of the Volchansk and Chuhuiv exit roads and went on the defensive, fighting off a number of Soviet counterattacks. The 1st Battle of Kharkov, so named by Wilhelm Keitel, was the 1941 battle for the city of Kharkiv (Russian: Kharkov) Ukrainian SSR during the final phase of Operation Barbarossa between the German 6th Army of Army Group South and the Soviet Southwestern Front.The Soviet 38th Army was ordered to defend the city while its factories were dismantled for relocation farther east. Third Battle of Kharkov takes place on WWII Eastern Front in 1943. 84 – 86. [91] The Soviet 40th and 69th armies had been engaged since 13 March with the Grossdeutschland Panzergrenadier Division, and had been split by the German drive. World War II: Third Battle of Kharkov. [57] By 6 March, the 1st SS Panzer Division made a bridgehead over the Mosh River, opening the road to Kharkov. The intro says "Kharkov (Kharkiv)" without explanation. The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov (or Kharkiv) between 19 February and 15 March 1943. Unwilling to launch a direct assault against the Soviets, the German commander planned a counterstroke against the Soviet flank once they became overextended. This operation was actually the Third battle of Kharkov following on the German capture of the city in September 1941 and the Soviet attempt to recapture the city in May 1942 (as simulated in Kharkov ’42). By the night of March 13/14, German troops controlled two-thirds of Kharkov. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. Of these troops lost, an estimated 45,200 were killed or went missing, while another 41,200 were wounded. Despite orders to encircle Kharkov from the north, the SS Panzer Corps directly attacked in the Third Battle of Kharkov on 11 March. For example, divisions in the 40th Army averaged 3,500–4,000 men each, while the 69th Army fielded some divisions which could only count on 1,000–1,500 soldiers. ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/third-battle-of-kharkov-2361480. At around 15:00, Hoth ordered Hausser to immediately disengage with the Das Reich, and instead redeploy to cut off escaping Soviet troops. [16] This is the best operational book on Kharkov 1943 that I've found and though its not "perfect", I couldn't' give it less than 5 stars. [19][20], The surrender of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad freed six Soviet armies, under the command of Konstantin Rokossovsky, which were refitted and reinforced by the 2nd Tank Army and the 70th Army. [33] In early February, the combined strength of the SS Panzer Corps was an estimated 20,000 soldiers. [25] While the Soviet 14th and 48th Armies attacked the Second Panzer Army's right flank, making minor gains,[26] Rokossovsky launched his offensive on 25 February, breaking through German lines and threatening to surround and cut off the German Second Panzer Army and the Second Army, to the south. Waffen-SS - Wikipedia Later known as Third Battle of Kharkov , it commenced on 21 February, as 4th Panzer Army under General Hoth launched a counter-attack. This done, Army Group South would coordinate with Army Group Center to the north in re-taking Kursk. [22] Known to the Soviets as the Kharkov[3] and Donbas operations,[23] the offensive sought to surround and destroy German forces in the Orel salient, cross the Desna River and surround and destroy German Army Group Center. [2] The German Wehrmacht was understrength, especially after continuous operations between June 1942 and February 1943, to the point where Hitler appointed a committee made up of Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Martin Bormann and Hans Lammers, to recruit 800,000 new able-bodied men—half of whom would come from "nonessential industries". Hickman, Kennedy. Hickman, Kennedy. Was the Third Battle of Kharkov significant? The Wehrmacht, while also understrength, flanked, encircled, and defeated the Red Army's armored spearheads south of Kharkov. [85] Despite the declaration that the city had fallen, fighting continued on 15 and 16 March, as German units cleared the remnants of resistance in the tractor works factory complex, in the southern outskirts of the city. The Third Battle of Kharkov was fought between Feb. 19 and March 15, 1943, during World War II. On February 24, von Mackensen's men succeeded in surrounding a large part of Popov's Mobile Group. With the Germans exerting heavy pressure on Colonel General Nikolai F. Vatutin's Southwestern Front, Stavka transferred 3th Tank Army to his command. On 19 February, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein launched his Kharkov counterstrike, using the fresh SS Panzer Corps and two panzer armies. The SS Panzer Corps was commanded by General Paul Hausser, who also had the 3rd SS Panzer (Totenkopf) Division under his command. By this time Stavka believed it could decide the war in Southern Russia, expecting total victory. Thus ended the Third Battle of Kharkov, during which Manstein overcame severe difficulties, securing a victory and capturing his objective. The Third Battle of Kharkov was fought between Feb. 19 and March 15, 1943, during World War II. However, low on fuel and ammunition after the march south, the 3rd Tank Army's offensive was postponed until 3 March. [32] However, as a result of their over-extension and the casualties they had taken during their offensive, at the beginning of Manstein's counterattack the Germans could achieve a tactical superiority in numbers, including the number of tanks present—for example, Manstein's 350 tanks outnumbered Soviet armor almost seven to one at the point of contact.[30]. Society for Military History. [69] The First Panzer Army was able to regain a defensive line on the Donets River, and Manstein began to plan subsequent attacks to clear Soviet units west of the Donets. Erich Von Manstein & The Third Battle Of Kharkov — February 19th – March 15th, 1943 – “The Genius Of A Man” War, the poet Virgil once wrote, is a tale of “arms and the man.” The outcome of battle hinges on numbers, technology, training, and other impersonal factors, not … The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of offensive operations undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov (Kharkiv), between 19 February and 15 March 1943. On March 8, SS Panzer Corps completed its drive north, splitting the Soviet 69th and 40th Armies before turning east the next day. I find this weird. Hitler immediately flew to von Manstein's headquarters at Zaporizhia. This attack penetrated deeper into Kharkov, but low on fuel the armor was forced to entrench itself and turn to the defensive. After penetrating into the city's Zalyutino district, the advance was stopped by a deep anti-tank ditch, lined with Soviet defenders, including anti-tank guns. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. What was known to the Germans as the Donets Campaign took place between 19 February and 15 March 1943. [93] However, weather and exhaustion forced Manstein's counterstroke to end soon thereafter,[95] despite the Field Marshal's ambitions to also attack the Kursk salient which had been created as a result of the recapture of Kharkov and Belgorod. [47], As the SS Panzer Corps began to emerge from the city, they engaged Soviet units positioned directly southwest of the city, including the 17th NKVD Brigade, 19th Rifle Division and 25th Guards Rifle Division. In this three missions player will advance into Kharkov and secure outskirts to prevent urban areas from soviets counter attacks. Although the majority of Das Reich had, by now, disengaged from the city, a single Panzergrenadier Regiment remained to clear the southwestern corner of the city, eliminating resistance by the end of the day. [64] Launching its offensive on 3 March, the 3rd Tank Army's 15th Tank Corps struck into advancing units of the 3rd SS Panzer Division and immediately went to the defensive. [54] The 1st Panzer Army was ordered to drive north in an attempt to cut off and destroy Popov's Mobile Group, using accurate intelligence on Soviet strength which allowed the Germans to pick and choose their engagements and bring about tactical numerical superiority. As the Battle of Stalingrad was concluding in early February 1943, Soviet forces launched Operation Star. [57] On 22 February, alarmed by the success of the German counterattack, the Soviet Stavka ordered the Voronezh Front to shift the 3rd Tank Army and 69th Army south, in an effort to alleviate pressure on the Southwestern Front and destroy German forces in the Krasnograd area. As the Battle of Stalingrad was concluding in early February 1943, Soviet forces launched Operation Star. [90] Overall German casualties are more difficult to come by but clues are provided by examining the casualties of the SS Panzer Corps, taking into consideration that the elite Waffen-SS divisions were frequently deployed where the fighting was expected to be the harshest. [1], Like their German counterparts, Soviet divisions were also seriously understrength. [15] Despite Hitler's orders to hold the city, Kharkov was abandoned by German forces and the city was recaptured by the Red Army on 16 February. This allowed the Das Reich to advance to the city's main railway station, which would be the farthest this division would advance into the city. When taken, the square was renamed "Platz der Leibstandarte". 1943 - 1 March. A massive Red Army offensive threatens to collapse the entire German front, can you turn the dangerous situation around? The day was spent with the LSSAH clearing the remnants of Soviet resistance, pushing east along a broad front. By the end of the day, the entire city was declared to be back in German hands. 15. [84], Fighting in the city began to wind down on 14 March. Kharkov is the Russian language name of the city (Kharkiv the Ukrainian one); both Russian and Ukrainian were official languages in the Soviet Union (Source: Glantz (1995), p. 296; this figure includes personnel losses between 19 February and 15 March 1943. The second stage included the [36] SS divisions were normally in better shape, with an estimated 150 tanks, a battalion of self-propelled assault guns and enough half-tracks to motorize most of its infantry and reconnaissance soldiers[36]—and these had an authorized strength of an estimated 19,000 personnel. [17], On 19 February Soviet armored units broke through the German lines and approached the city. At the start of 1943, the German Wehrmacht faced a crisis[4] as Soviet forces encircled and reduced the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad and expanded their Winter Campaign towards the Don River. Dubbed the Donets Campaign by the Germans, the Third Battle of Kharkov saw them shatter fifty-two Soviet divisions while inflicting approximately 45,300 killed/missing and 41,200 wounded. This is a 20-turn-version of Third Battle of Kharkov, which takes place on WWII Eastern Front in 1943. [25] This involved an estimated 500,000 soldiers, while around 346,000 personnel were involved in the defense of Kharkov after the beginning of the German counterstroke. Though the battle largely concluded on March 14, some fighting continued on the 15th and 16th as German forces expelled Soviet defenders from a factory complex in the south. On 19 February, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein launched his Kharkov counterstrike, using the fresh II SS Panzer Corps and two panzer armies. [29], While the Soviet offensive continued, Field Marshal von Manstein was able to put the SS Panzer Corps—now reinforced by the 3rd SS Panzer Division—under the command of the Fourth Panzer Army, while Hitler agreed to release seven understrength panzer and motorized divisions for the impending counteroffensive. [51] By the time Manstein launched his counteroffensive, the Voronezh Front had lost so much manpower and had overextended itself to the point where it could no longer offer assistance to the Southwestern Front, south of it. In place on March 10, Hausser received orders from Hoth to take the city as soon as possible. The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov (or Kharkiv) between 19 February and 15 March 1943. [34] Central Front was deployed between the Briansk and Voronezh Fronts, to exploit the success of both of these Soviet units,[50] which had created a gap in the defenses of the German Second Panzer Army. "Field Marshal Erich von Manstein and the Operational Art at the Battle of Kharkov". This shortage in manpower and equipment led Vatutin's Southwestern Front to request over 19,000 soldiers and 300 tanks, while it was noted that the Voronezh Front had only received 1,600 replacements since the beginning of operations in 1943. By 17 March, it is estimated that the SS Panzer Corps had lost around 44% of its fighting strength, including around 160 officers and about 4,300 enlisted personnel. The scale of the crisis that the Wehrmacht faced in February 1943 cannot possibly be overstated. This enabled von Manstein to renew his offensive against the city of Kharkov proper on 7 March. The Third Battle of Kharkov occurred from 19 February to 13 March 1943 when the German 4th Panzer Army, II SS Panzer Corps, XLVIII Panzer Corps, and elements of the 1st Panzer Army launched an offensive to recapture the cities of Kharkov (Kharkiv, Ukraine) and Belgorod in the Ukrainian SSR (Belgorod is today a part of Russia).In February 1943, the Soviet counterattacks against the Axis … The house-to-house fighting in Kharkov was also particularly bloody for the German SS Panzer Corps, which had lost approximately 4,300 men by the time operations ended in mid March. Though von Manstein and Hoth wished him to continue the encirclement, Hausser directly attacked Kharkov from the north and west on March 11. Taking advantage of uncoordinated and piecemeal Soviet attempts to plug this gap, Manstein ordered a continuation of the offensive towards Kharkov. However, a third attempt by Hoth was obeyed, and Das Reich disengaged, using a corridor opened by LSSAH to cross northern Kharkov and redeploy east of the city. [82] That night, 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment's 3rd Battalion, under the command of Joachim Peiper linked up with the 2nd Battalion in Dzerzhinsky Square and attacked southwards, crossing the Kharkiv River and creating a bridgehead, opening the road to Moscow Avenue. As a result, he was unable to press on to Kursk as he had originally intended. [88][89] Between April and July 1943, the Red Army took its time to rebuild its forces in the area and prepare for an eventual renewal of the German offensive, known as the Battle of Kursk. Pushing out from the Kharkov, von Manstein's forces drove northeast and secured Belgorod on March 18. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/third-battle-of-kharkov-2361480. Originally, Manstein foresaw a three-stage offensive. The Das Reich SS Panzer Division attacked into the western side of the city the same day. Fighting their way past Soviet T-34s, this German contingent was able to lodge itself into Kharkov's northern suburbs. Historical name is Third Battle of Kharkov, not Kharkiv. Hausser’s SS Panzerkorps retook the city of Kharkov after fierce fighting, however, the Third Battle of Kharkov left the city only temporarily in Axis hands. [73] According to von Manstein, the Army Group headquarters was forced to intervene on a number of occasions to bring the SS Panzer Corps to swing eastwards to encircle the city, instead of launching a frontal attack on Kharkov. Armstrong, Col R. 'Spring Disaster: The Red Army's Kharkov Offensive' in Military Review, May 1992, pp. Instead, Hausser sent a detachment from the Totenkopf division for this task and informed Hoth that the risk of disengaging with the Das Reich was far too great. [55] The 1st and 4th Panzer Armies were also ordered to attack the overextended Soviet 6th Army and 1st Guards Army. Only with aerial and artillery support, coming from Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers and StuG assault guns, were the German infantry able to battle their way into the city. It is a mini publishing studio of professional military history. [58], The Red Army's 3rd Tank Army began to engage German units south of Kharkov, performing a holding action while Manstein's offensive continued. "World War II: Third Battle of Kharkov." [71], While Rokossovsky's Central Front continued its offensive against the German Second Army, which had by now been substantially reinforced with fresh divisions, the renewed German offensive towards Kharkov took it by surprise. [39] Only by June did a panzer division begin to field between 100–130 tanks each. The German forces cut off the Soviet mobile spearheads and continued the drive north, retaking Kharkov on 15 March and Belgorod on 18 March. pp. For the coming battle, he intended to isolate and destroy the Soviet spearheads before mounting a campaign to re-take Kharkov. [14] On 15 February, two fresh Soviet tank corps threatened the city of Zaporizhia on the Dnieper River, which controlled the last major road to Rostov and housed the headquarters of Army Group South and Luftflotte 4 (Air Fleet Four). ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience and for our, The Aftermath of the Third Battle of Kharkov. [47], Since the beginning of the Red Army's exploitation of Germany's Army Group South's defenses in late January and early February, the fronts involved included the Bryansk, Voronezh and Southwestern Fronts. Alte Kamerade Publishing Studio is based in Taipei, Taiwan since 1998. This led to four days of house-to-house fighting before Kharkov was recaptured by the 1st SS Panzer Division on 15 March. The Germans were soon driven out once again (4th Battle of Kharkov) – this time for good. [80], On 12 March, the LSSAH made progress into the city's center, breaking through the staunch Soviet defenses in the northern suburbs and began a house to house fight towards the center. [67] Between 1–5 March the 4th Panzer Army, including the SS Panzer Corps, covered 80 kilometers (50 mi) and positioned itself only about 16 kilometers (9.9 mi) south of Kharkov. [76] That same day, the 4th Panzer Army issued orders to the SS Panzer Corps to take Kharkov as soon as possible, prompting Hausser to order an immediate attack on the city by the three SS Panzer divisions. 35. 3rd Kharkov The Third Battle of Kharkovwas a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the GermanArmy Group Southagainst the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov(or Kharkiv)between 19 February and 15 March 1943. World War II: Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, World War II: The Battle of the Seelow Heights, World War II: Battle of the Falaise Pocket, World War II: Operation Cobra and Breakout from Normandy, World War II: Colonel General Heinz Guderian, World War II Database: Third Battle of Kharkov, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University. [34] These were under the command of Generals M. A. Reiter,[48] Filipp Golikov[43] and Nikolai Vatutin,[49] respectively. [62], In the face of German success against the Southwestern Front, including attempts by the Soviet 6th Army breaking out of the encirclement, Stavka ordered the Voronezh Front to relinquish control of the 3rd Tank Army to the Southwestern Front. Sikes, James E. (29 April 1988). Late that night, Hoth finally succeeded in making Hausser comply with his orders and this division disengaged and moved to blocking positions east of the city. The German defences were knocked out by air raids, artillery-fire and coordinated ground attacks. [35] However, the effects of this recruitment were not seen until around May 1943, when the German armed forces were at their highest strength since the beginning of the war, with 9.5 million personnel. From the northeast, another contingent of German infantry, armor and self-propelled guns attempted to take control of the road exits to the cities of Rogan and Chuhuiv. Pressing into northern Kharkov, the Leibstandarte SS Panzer Division met heavy resistance and only gained a foothold in the city with the aid of air support. Despite his efforts, a German panzer division could only count on an estimated 10,000–11,000 personnel, out of an authorized strength of 13,000–17,000. [21] These forces were repositioned between the junction of German Army Groups Center and South. Some divisions had as little as 20–50 mortars to provide fire support. These two divisions successfully cut the supply lines to the Soviet spearheads. The setting is the Third Battle of Kharkov, which was really a series of battles launched by the Wehrmacht beginning on February 19, 1943, to take advantage of the fact that the Red Army had exhausted much of its strength and overrun its lines of supply following the massive series of offensives it had launched against the Germans following the latter’s defeat at Stalingrad. Glantz, D. From the Don to the Dnepr: Soviet Offensive Operations December 1942 to August 1943, Frank Cass, London, 1991. Attempts by the Red Army to re-establish communication with the remnants of the 3rd Tank Army continued, although in vain. A Soviet counterattack was repulsed after a bloody firefight. By March 5, elements of Fourth Panzer Army were within 10 miles of the city. [12], On 2 February, the Red Army launched Operation Star, threatening to recapture the cities of Belgorod, Kharkov and Kursk. The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov (or Kharkiv) between 19 February and 15 March 1943.Known to the German side as the Donets Campaign, and to in the Soviet Union as the Donbas and Kharkov operations, the German counterstrike … To achieve a foothold in that area of the offensive towards Kharkov. he has appeared on history! 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