August 1942

Eastern Front

The 21st, 1st and 4th Tank Armies halt their attacks after a total lack of success.

Hoth breaches the Soviet outer defenses around Stalingrad as the 64th and 57th Armies are attacked southwest of the city. Fierce fighting erupts at Tinguta station as panzers bog down in extensive Soviet minefields. The 4th Panzer Army suffers heavy casualties, its attack coming to a costly halt. With the Germans stalled, the Soviets launch a furious counterattack, forcing the 4th Panzer onto the defensive. As the 4th Panzer approaches from the southwest, the 6th Army hits the 64th Army.

Farther south, the 1st Panzer Army crosses the Kuban. Voroshilovsk falls but the Soviets evade encirclement by advancing German panzers. In an effort to catch the rapidly withdrawing Soviets the 1st Panzer pushes southwest toward Armavir, Maikop and Tuapse. The 17th Army plans to destroy the Soviets in teh Novorossysk, Krasnodar and Tuapse area. To accomplish this, Army Group A splits into 2 groups. Group Ruoff, with the 17th Army (5 German and 3 Rumanian divisions) is tasked with the destruction of the Coastal Group, securing the mountain passes and the Black Sea coast. Group Kleist comprises the 1st Panzer Army with 3 panzer, 2 motorized and 4 infantry divisions and 1 Slovak division. Kleist has 400 panzers at his disposal but is at the end of a long supply line that stretches 2,000 miles to the west. His target is the capture of Baku and its oilfields.