May 1942

Eastern Front

Golikov's Bryansk Front offensive is called off until a later date.

Despite plans to renew the offensive with the 21st Army, the build up of German infantry and armored forces opposite the Soviet offensive group compels the 21st, 28th and 38th Armies to remain of the defensive. The 21st Army attempts to launch offensive actions, but strong German counter-thrusts force Gordov to remain firmly on the defensive. Paulus' 6th Army offers stubborn resistance to Group Bobkin and Gorodnynasky's 6th Army in an effort to bring the Soviet offensive to a halt. Limited gains continue, however, as the Soviet armies bring their armored forces forward and prepare to commite them to the offensive on the 17th. Fierce fighting rages at Krasnograd where the VI Cavalry Corps attempts to break into the town. Repeated German counterattacks in and around Krasnograd saps the strength of the now over-extended Group Bobkin. The Soviet 6th Army attacks toward Taranovka bogs down without any real gains. Once again the German defenses thicken and the advance grinds to a halt.

Throughout the entire time that the Southwest Front has been attacking the German lines, the South Front remains largely inactive and offers no assistance to the offensive. This failure to act prevents any release of forces to the main westward thrust, hampering the offensive.

On the flanks of the salient, Army Group South prepares to launch its own counteroffensive, aiming to envelop the bulk of the Southwest Front, destroying it in a massive cauldron battle on the western bank of the Donets. The Germans plan to slice through the 9th Army on the southern face of the salient and force their way along the Donets, cutting off the Soviet forces from the river line. The III Panzer Corps is deployed against this southern face of the salient with the 14th Panzer and 60th Motorized Divisions, 20th Rumanian Infantry and 1st Mountain Divisions. To the III's right is the XLIV Corps, situated around Slavyansk. This force deploys the 16th Panzer Division together with 4 infantry divisions. The LII Corps is east of Slavyansk with 2 infantry divisions. Together these 3 corps form Group Kleist.

The final pockets of Soviet resistance in Kerch are wiped out as the 11th Army consolidates its hold on the peninsula. Manstein immedately begins to redeploy his forces for the next phase of operations in the Crimea - the long planned aand awaited attack upon the fortress of Sevastopol. With his rear secured by the XLII and VII Rumanian Cavalry Corps, Manstein moves the bulk of his army to this battle while also bringing up the heaviest artillery pieces available to the Ostheer.