September 1942

Eastern Front

The 4th Panzer Army pushes the 64th Army back to the southern suburbs of Stalingrad and is close to linking up with the 6th Army near Pitomnik, the 14th Panzer and 29th Motorized Divisions launching strong attacks. The 62nd Army escapes encirclement at Pitomnik, however, and falls back into Stalingrad. As the fighting around Stalingrad intensifies, the 1st Guards Army redeploys around Lozenoye to strike at the northern flank of the 6th Army between the Don and the Volga. The Soviets are short of weapons and ammunition, but Stalin will not grant any further time for preparation, ordering the attack to begin as planned.

The XLII Corps, all the remains of the 11th Army in the Crimea, crosses the Kerch strait to land in the Kuban. The XLII then joins Group Ruoff in its efforts to conquer the Black Sea coast.