January 1942

Eastern Front

The 2nd Shock Army breaks through the German defenses on the Volkhov, pushing toward Lyuban. The XIII Cavalry Corps, with 2 divisions, supported by a rifle division, surges forward to Yelyine. On the flanks of the half-mile wide penetration, the 52nd and 59th Armies launch fierce attacks but are pinned down by accurate counter-fire. Farther south, there is intense fighting at Kholm as the 3rd Shock hits Group Scherer repeatedly, Scherer repels each attack and holds on to the town.

The 9th Army begins to pound the encircled 29th and 39th Armies but lack the strength to finish off the isolated units. On the southern wing, the 208th Infantry Division links up with the 216th in Sukhinichi, relieving the hard pressed garrison.

The Soviets raise a new 16th Army to the lefto of the 10th Army, taking 5 rifle divisions from the latter unit. The 10th is left with just 3 divisions. The new force is designed to increase the pressure upon the southern wing of the 4th Army and advance northwest to link up with the Kalinin Front near Smolensk. The original 16th Army is broken up, being split between other armies.

Lead units of the 38th and 6th Armies and the VI Cavalry Corps cross the Donets south of Kharkov in an effort to outflank the German defenses south of the city. To blast his way through Army Group South, Timoshenko places the 9th Army between the 37th and 57th Armies. Barvenkovo falls to the 9th Army. Reinforcements are committed, the Stavka allocating more than 300 tanks to strengthen Timoshenko's armies.