June 1942

Eastern Front

At 0215 hours the 4th Panzer Army, with 2nd Army in support, attacks the junction of the 13th and 40th Armies. Fierce fighting develops as the XXIV Panzer Corps crushes 2 divisions of the Bryansk Front and pushes toward the Kshen River. Golikov commits his XVI and I Tanks Corps to seal off the wound, while Stavka orders the IV and XXIV Tank Corps of the Southwest Front to help and the XVII Tank Corps to move from operational reserve at Kastornoye.

By evening the XXIV Panzer Corps has punched its way through the junction of the 13th and 40th Armies and attacked the headquarters of the 40th Army, throwing it into disarray. Recognizing this as the beginning of the German summer offensive, but mistakenly believing it to be aimed at Moscow, the Stavka instructs Golikov to commit the 5th Tank Army with its II and XI Tank Corps.

In the Crimea, Inkerman falls to the 50th Infantry Division. Manstein is preparing to launch an attack across Severnaya Bay in order to outflank the rear of the Sapun position that is holding up the XXX Corps.