DK - World War II Map by Map

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