May 1942

Eastern Front

The XXXVI Corps and Finnish III Corps attack the 26th Army at Kastenga. The Soviets have recently reinforced their forces along the Finnish front and halt the Axis attack after a week of heavy fighting.

The fighting north of Kharkov intensifies as the Germans launch vigorous attacks with their 3rd and 23rd Panzer Divisions and supporting infantry. Heavy fighting compels the 28th and 38th Armies to use their strength to fend off the German thrusts rather than continuing the offensive.

South of Kharkov, the Soviet 6th Army and Group Bobkin continues their offensive operations. By the end of the day, the VI Cavalry Corps has closed upon Krasnograd, throwing back the defeated the 454th Security Division. With his front advanced, Timoshenko prepares to commit his mobile forces in order to exploit the German rear. The threat of exploitation, coupled with the immediated danger to Krasnograd, places the 6th and 17th Armies in a difficult situation, their lines of communication being threatened. Paulus continues to assemble infantry forces to bolster his positions.

With the main Soviet effort of the summer seemingly identified, the German High Command decides to bring forward its own offensive to overwhelm the Southwest Front in a massive counterattack. German Command has debated whether to abandon their attack in the south, but it is decided that an even greater victory can be achieved if the Southwest Theater is nipped off in the deepening Izyum salient.

Kerch falls after a brisk battle with the 170th Infantry Division, German troops attacking the docks to mop up the last pockets of Soviet resistance. The defeat costs the Crimea Front dear, 162,282 being killed or captured, 14,284 wounded and 1,100 artillery pieces, 260 tanks and 3,800 vehicles destroyed or lost to the Germans. Over 300 aircraft have been shot down or destroyed, leaving the forces of the Crimean Front utterly shattered. Only 80,000 Soviet soldiers manage to escape across the Kerch straits to the Kuban. Kozlov, Chernyak and Kolganov, the army and front commanders, are recalled to Moscow and degraded in rank. The battle costs the 11th Army only 7,500 casualties all told.