SOVIET VICTORY AT STALINGRAD 153
Feb 2, 1943 The final pocket of
Germans in Stalingrad surrenders;
91,000 Germans are taken prisoner.
Feb 14, 1943
The Soviets retake Rostov.
Feb 16, 1943
The Germans
evacuate Kharkov.
Feb 8, 1943
The Soviets
regain Kursk.
Nov 22, 1942
Soviet forces
capture the bridge
over the Don
River, cutting the
German 6th
Army’s main lines
of communication.
Feb 4, 1943
Soviet troops land
at Novorossiysk
but fail to take
the town.
Jan 17, 1943 Only
45,000 Italians
survive the Soviet
offensive and
reach Chertkovo.
Black
Sea
Kalmuk
Steppe
Sea of
Azov
Dn
iep
er
Kuban
La
ba
Volg
a
D
on
D
on
Done
ts
D
one
ts
Don
Chir
Ma
nyc
h C a u c a s u s M o u
n
t
a
i n
s
CR
IM
EA
U
S
S
U R
K
R
A
I N
E
Soviet Bryansk
Front
Soviet Voronezh
Front
Soviet
South-West Front
German Army
Group B
German Army
Group A
German Army
Group Don
German Army
Group South
Soviet Don
Front
Soviet Stalingrad Front
(Later South Front)
Soviet North
Caucasus Front
Soviet Trans-
Caucasus Front
Italian
8th Army
German
17th Army
Hungarian
2nd Army
German
2nd Army
Romanian
3rd Army
Romanian
4th Army
German
6th Army
German 4th
Panzer Army
Kamensk
Novoshakhtinsk
Nevinnomyssk
Novorossiysk
Budyonnovsk
Slavyansk
Volgodonsk
Kotelnikovo
Timashevsk
Lysychansk
Tikhoretsk
Cherkessk
Volchansk
Krasnodar
Berdyansk
Pyatigorsk
Stalingrad
Makiivka
Voronezh
Ostrogozhsk
Stavropol
Izyum
Chertkovo
Millerovo
Taganrog
Kalach
Belgorod
Mariupol
Horlivka
Sukhumi
Nalchik
Mozdok
Maikop
Kharkov
Krasnograd
Pavlograd
Labinsk
Alagir
Poltava
Tuapse
Valuyki
Rossosh
Rostov
Yelets
Kastornoye
Kerch
Kursk
Yeysk
Sochi
Livny
Elista
Proletarskaya
Lgov
Orel
Kremenchuk
Kerch
Peninsula
M
ius
A NEW SOVIET SURGE
DECEMBER 16, 1942–JANUARY 17, 1943
The Soviets launched a renewed winter campaign
on December 16, aiming to destroy the Axis forces
guarding the front line along the Don River from
Stalingrad north-west to Voronezh and to retake
Rostov to the west, which would trap German forces
in the Caucasus. They began by counterattacking
Hoth’s 4th Panzer Army outside Stalingrad, forcing
the Germans to retreat to avoid encirclement. On
the Chir River, the Soviet forces routed the Italian
8th Army, then advanced toward Millerovo.
3
Soviet advance, Dec 16, 1942–Jan 17, 1943
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE CAUCASUS
DECEMBER 29, 1942–FEBRUARY 20, 1943
In December, the Soviet Trans-Caucasus and South
(formerly Stalingrad) Fronts were sent to trap the
Germans in the Caucasus. However, the Germans
began to withdraw, following orders to fall back to the
Kuban River. Further north, the Germans retreated
beyond the Mius River as the Soviets took Rostov on
February 14. By February 20, only minimal German
troops remained in the Caucasus.
4
Soviet advance Dec 29, 1942–Feb 20, 1943
German retreat Jan 3–Feb 20, 1943
SURRENDER AT STALINGRAD
JANUARY 7–FEBRUARY 2, 1943
On January 7, the Soviets offered terms for surrender
to General Paulus, commander of the 6th Army in
Stalingrad. He refused. Three days later the Soviet
armies surrounding the city launched Operation
Koltso, bombing German positions before advancing
in several waves. The beleaguered Germans were
steadily split into two main pockets. Paulus in the
south surrendered on January 31; the north pocket
held out until February 2.
5
German 6th Army surrender
THE SOVIETS CLEAR THE DON RIVER
JANUARY 13–FEBRUARY 17, 1943
The Soviets continued striking at the Axis armies along
the Don River. To the north, the Red Army encircled
and destroyed the Hungarian 2nd Army south of
Voronezh, leaving the German 2nd Army vulnerable.
The Germans were encircled at Voronezh as the
Soviets executed another pincer movement to retake
the city and capture the bridgehead over the Don. The
Germans retreated, narrowly escaping annihilation.
6
Soviet offensive, Jan 13–27,
1943
Soviet offensive, Jan 24–Feb
17, 1943
German
retreat
THE GERMANS FIGHT BACK
JANUARY 14–MARCH 19, 1943
German Army Group B withdrew beyond the Donets
River as the Soviet advance continued in January.
However, the Soviet capture of Kharkov, Pavlograd,
and Krasnograd had created a large but vulnerable
salient. On February 20, the Germans launched a
counterattack that cut across the Soviet advance and
threatened to isolate the Soviet troops. The Germans
retook Kharkov on March 15 and Belgorod three days
later, forcing the Soviets back east over the Donets.
7
Soviet advance
Jan 14–Feb 20, 1943
Soviet retreat
Soviet salient,
Feb 20, 1943
German counterattack
Feb 20–Mar 19, 1943
German retreat
US_152-153_Russian_counter-offensive.indd 153 20/03/19 2:18 PM