December 1942

Eastern Front

The German pincers at Belyi meet, trapping the I Mechanized and the VI Rifle Corps.

Fighting on the Chir intensifies as the 11th Panzer Division counterattacks at Oblivskoye, crushing another Soviet bridgehead. The 5th Tank Army suffers heavy casualties as it attempts to break through the Chir line.

The pressure against the 6th Army relaxes as the Soviets assess the results of the last few days' fighting. It is becoming apparent to the Stavka that the 90,000 men they thought they had encircled are in fact closer to a quarter of a million. This impacts upon Operation SATURN as the encirclement battle demand a greater number of forces. Therefore, the Stavka modifies the objectives to the destruction of the Italian 8th Army and isolation of Group Hollidt. The new plan is codenamed LITTLE SATURN.