January 1942

Eastern Front

Timoshenko unleashes his assault in the Ukraine. Planning to attack all along his sector, the Bryansk Front is to attack toward Kursk and Orel with the 3rd, 13th and 61st Armies in conjunction with the 21st ant 40th Armies on the northern wing of the Southwest Front. The Southwest Front is to attack with the 38th and 6th Armies in the Chuguyev-Balakleya-Izyum area to capture Kharkov and Krasnograd. The South Front, with the 57th, 37th and 9th Armies is to attack toward Pavlograd and seize Dnepropetrovsk and Zaporozhe. The 57th is to push through Barvenkovo to Pavlograd, while the 37th Army attacks toward Bolshoi Tokmak. The 51st and 44th Armies are to coninue their offensive in the Crimea.

The offensive begins at dawn, heavy fighting erupting along the Siem River as the 40th and 21st Armies launch vigorous attacks toward Oboyan and Kursk. The left wing of the 40th pushes 20 miles into the German positions, while the 21st Army cuts the Belgorod-Kursk road.

In the Crimea, the XLII Corps counterattacks but is unable to crush the Soviet bridgehead at Feodosia. The XLII is too weak to destroy the Soviet force.