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Prelude
REFERENCES
Germany had an initial strength of 60,000 men, including way was clear to concentrate forces for the liberation of
18,000 Hitlerjugend.[1] While the German intention was Kharkiv.
to pinch o the Red Armys oensive thrust at the base
of the penetration between Borisovka and Grayvoron
south of Vorskla river, the rapid tempo of the Steppe 4 Footnotes
and Voronezh Fronts oensive meant that by the time the
counter-attacks were executed the city had been evacu a XI Armeecorps suered the following casualties
ated on 6 August, and German forces were now defending
during the Battle of Kursk. 106th Infantry Division
Kharkov. The Wehrmachts Mobile Forces were head- 3,244 (forty-six ocers), 320th Infantry Division
ing into an encounter with the main thrust of the Soviet
- 2,839 (thirty ocers) & 168th Infantry Division Front tank armies. The German counter-attacks were
2,671 (127 ocers) a Total of 8,754 combat eeccarried out by the III Panzercorps of the Armeeabteilung
tive soldiers.
Kempf in the Olshany area, and the XLVIII Panzercorps of the 4th Panzerarmee in the two-pincer manoeu b Consisting of the 1st Guards Tank Army, 5th
[5]
vre of the Krasnokutsk and Akhtyrka areas. In the ghtGuards Tank Army, 6th Guards Army, 5th Guards
ing that took place on both sides of the Merla & Merchik
Army, 40th Army, 69th Army, 7th Guards Army,
rivers, the superiority of the German Panzer Divisions
27th Army.
was clearly evident, in spite of being involved in com c by the German 168th Infantry Division.
bat operations continuously since the 5th of July. Whilst
5th SS Panzer Division 'Wiking' & 3rd Panzer Division
conducted primarily defensive operations, 2nd SS Panzer
Division 'Das Reich', 3rd SS Panzer Division 'Totenkopf' 5 Citations and notes
repeatedly blunted attacks of Soviet elements south of
the rivers and Bogodukhov. As at Prokhorovka, the Rus- [1] Sajer (1967)
sians enjoyed tremendous numerical superiority in tanks.
Both 1st Tank Army & 5th Guards Tank Army began the [2] Nipe, Fedorowicz, p.376
operations with over 500 tanks each, while the SS Divi- [3] Newton, p.212
sions never had more than about 30-50 tanks each at any
time during August. in spite of this, all Soviet attempts to [4] Newton, pp.213-215
penetrate to the railroad line were repulsed with bloody
[5] Nipe, Fedorowicz pp. 259-330
losses in men and tremendous loss in tanks. Katukovs 1st
Tank Army thrusts south of the Merchik were repeatedly [6] Nipe, Fedorowicz, p.365
cut o & destroyed by III Panzercorps. The attempts by
Rotmistrovs 5th Guards Tank Army Army to penetrate [7] Nipe, Fedorowicz, p.264
to the rail line from east of Bogodukhov were frustrated
by 3rd Panzer Division & 'Wiking', with key defensive
ghting by elements of 'Das Reich'. 'Totenkopf' executed 6 References
a masterful attack that cut o elements of infantry and
armour from the 27th Army & 6th Guards Army south
Nipe, George M. Jr., & Fedorowicz, J.J., Decision in
of Krasnokutsk and then rolled down the line of supply
the Ukraine: Summer 1943, II SS & III Panzerkorps,
toward Kolomak, south of Konstantinovka. Subsequent
Publishing Inc., 1996 ISBN 0-921991-35-5
attacks encircled disorganized elements of several Russian Divisions and destroyed major portions of them af Newton, Steven H., Panzer Operations: The Eastern
ter brief ghting. Subsequently 'Totenkopf' drove to the
Front Memoir of General Raus 19411945, Da Capo
Merla & forced a crossing of that river and linked up with
Press, 2003 ISBN 0-306-81247-9
4th Panzerarmee spearheads at Parchomovka. However
Grodeutschland was forced to withdraw from that town
Sajer, Guy., The Forgotten Soldier, Editions Robert
by Soviet pressure on its Northern ank, & this success
Laont, S.A., 1967 ASIN: B001Q797JQ
could not be followed up.[6]
Aftermath
7.1
Text
7.2
Images
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7.3
Content license