November 1942

Eastern Front

In the dim winter dawn, 3,500 Soviet arty pieces opened fire, heralding the beginning ot eh lon awaited counteroffensive around Stalingrad. Vatutin's Southwest Front and Rokossovsky's Don Front began by attacking the 3rd Rumanian Army. The Soviet arty strike, though strong, was dispersed and struck indiscriminately rather than at specific targets.

After the barrage, the 5th Tank Army struck the II Rumanian Corps while the 21st Army pounded the Rumanian IV Corps near Kletskaya. Elements of the 65th Army attack from Melo-Kletski, running into 44th Infantry Division of the of the XI Corps. Each of these attacks meets ferocious resistance, the 65th Army in particular struggling to make any progress. To add weight to the attack, the 21st and 5th Tank Armies unleash their armored forces, in order to blast a path through the Rumanian units. The 21st Army pushes its IV Tank and III Cavalry Corps into action while the 5th Tank Army throws in the I and XXVI Tank Corps. The two 5th Tank Army corops tear an eight-mile hole between the II and V Rumanian Corps and, under this intense pressure, the Rumanians disintegrate. The Soviet armies surge forward and in a short time have isolated units of the IV and V Rumanian Corps around Raspopinskaya, Gen Lascar, commanding the IV Rumanian Corps, manages to stabilize the defensive perimeter after bitter fighting with the Soviet forces. During the first day of the Soviet offensive the 3rd Rumanian Army has suffered 55,000 casualties, halving its strength.

Reacting quickly to the Soviet threat, Army Group B orders Gen Heim's XLVIII Panzer Corps to drive the Soviets back upon Kletskaya. The Germans march to meet the 5th Tank Army, sending the 1st Rumanian Armored Division to attack north of Zhirkovski while the 22nd Panzer Division attacks northeast from Peschany. In confused fighting the two divisions lose touch, fighting widely separated battles that prove ultimately unsuccessful. After suffering heavy casualties the 22nd Panzer breaks off its attack and begins to withdraw.

Late that night, Army Group B orders Paulus to take radical measures to break off the fighting at Stalingrad and restore his left wing. Paulus decides to use his three panzer divisions, combined under XIV Panzer Corps command to push the Soviets back.