December 1942

Eastern Front

The 5th Tank Army has established a bridgehead across the Chir at Nizhne Kalinovka. Romanenko halts to regroup and consolidate. The 51st Army launches strong attacks upon the rail terminals at Kotelnikovo, bringing the sidings under heavy fire. Elements of the LVII Panzer Corps are detraining as the 51st Attacks and in fierce fighting it throws the Soviets back. The arrival of the 6th Panzer Division surprises the 51st but also alerts the Stavka to the concentration of fresh German forces on this axis.

As the fighting escalates, the Stavka confirms its intentions for Operation SATURN. The offensive calls for the Southwest and Voronezh Fronts to isolate the Italian 8th Army and advances south to take the German airbases supplying Stalingrad before Rostov is captured and Army Group Don and A against the Azov Sea and in the Caucasus.