January 1942

Eastern Front

Elements of the 10th Army encircle 4,000 men of the 216th Infantry Division in Sukhinichi. The beleaguered force, only recently arrived from the west, is attacked by tank and infantry forces and brought under sustained artillery fire. Despite its inexperience the division holds, compelling the Soviets to divert forces from their westward drive.

The Southwest Front attacks the 6th Army around Kharkov but with little success. Timoshenko orders the 21st and 38th Armies to take Belgorod by January 5. In the Crimea, the 44th and 51st "Armies attack at Feodosia and Kerch.

Zhukov's concentrated and directed assault against Army Group Center had successfully, over the course of a month, forced the Germans to relinquish territory at great cost. However, with the road to victory partially traversed, Stalin undertook to reconquer all. Despite the protests of Zhukov, the Stalin offensives were about to begin and the gains of the past month would be squandered in localized attacks from the frozen north to the Don in the south.