June 1942

Eastern Front

Operation FRIDERICUS II is brought to a successful conclustion, 38th and 9th Armies having lose more than 40,000 captured. This defeat conbined FRIDERICUS I and the Izyum debacle leaves the Southwest Front a mere shell.

At Sevastopol, the 11th Army begins to attack the inner defense ring. Manstein plans to launch an attack across Severnaya Bay with elements of the LIV Corps, placing units in the Soviet rear and bringing about the collapse of the final defenses without need for large-scale frontal assaults. At the same time, the XXX Corps will attack the Soviets holding the Sapun heights. The fighting has inflicted heavy casualties upon the Black Sea Fleet as it tries to reinforce the garrison. The last supply vessels leave the port, loaded with wounded soldiers, for the Kuban. no more supplies or reinforcements will arrive in Sevastopol as the Stavka finally writes the garrison off.

The Stavka summons Golikov to Moscow to inform him that his front will begin its offensive toward Orel on July 5. Golikov considers his forces inadequate for the task, the bulk of his armor having been lost in the fighting at Izyum.