August 1942

Eastern Front

At 0430 hours the 6th Army unleashes another offensive in the Don Elbow, striking the 4th Tank Army in the small loop of the Don. Already weakened, the 4th Tank struggles against the massive German hammer blows. German forces cross the river at Trekhostrovskoya and also at the junction with the 62nd Army at Perepolnyi.

The Germans consilidate in the Don Elbow as the 6th Army attacks Soviet concentrations at Sirotinskaya. The 1st Guards and 4th Tank Armies are severely mauled, over 13,000 prisoners being taken as the Soviets abandon their positions and fall back across the Don. A Soviet bridgehead at Kamensk remains to threaten the German flank.

The build up of forces on the Stalingrad axis continues as both combatants commit increasing numbers to the fighting. Against Stalingrad's 42 divisions between the 63rd, 24th, 66th, 21st, 1st Guards and 4th Tank Armies, with 414,000 men, 200 tanks and 2,000 artillery pieces and the Southeast Front with the 62nd, 64th, 57th and 61st Armies with 160,000 men, 70 tanks and 1,400 artillery pieces the Germans deploy Paulus' 6th Army with 430,000 men, 440 panzers and 5,300 artillery pieces. The 4th Panzer Army is a shadow of its former self though, having lost the XIV and XXIV Panzer Corps to the 6th Army and the XL Panzer Corps to Army Group A. This has left Hoth with the XLVIII Panzer Corps of 1 panzer and 1 motorized division, the IV Corps with 3 infantry division and the VI Rumanian Corps with 4 divison. Later in the campaign even the XLVIII Panzer Corps is detached to bolster the 3rd Rumanian Army to the north and the 16th Motorized Division is unavailable, being situated far out on the Kalmyuk Steppe.

Farther south, the 1st Panzer Army pushes into the Caucasus, capturing Georgievsk. With the continuing success of the German attacks, the Stavka orders the establishment of Maslennikov's Northern Group with the 44th, 37th and 9th Armies. Maslennikov's group is to cover the approaches to Grozny. Budenny is to block the approaches to the Black Sea with the 18th Army and the XVII Cavalry Corps, while the 12th Army secures the junction of the 18th and 56th Armies. The 47th Army is to defend Novorossysk.