May 1942

Eastern Front

Throughout the day the 57th Army fights a fierce defensive battle, preventing its isolation by the German armor. The III Panzer Corps, however, has unexpectedly turned north, away from the smaller encirclement of the 57th to the larger isolation of the entire Izyum groupont, Meanwhile, the 3rd and 23rd Panzer Divisions prepare to attack from Balakleya in order to link up with the III Panzer Corps. By the end of the day, the corridor to the east has been halved. The fate of the Soviet troops in the Izyum salient appears bleak.