Eastern FrontSOUTHERN SECTORThe 11th Panzer Division is forced to fight off additional Soviet attack across the Chir at Lissinski and Nizhne Kalinovski. Manstein aims to launch WINTER-STORM on the 12th, Hoth has at his disposal the 23rd Panzer Division with 30 tanks and the 6th Panzer with 160 panzers and 40 self-propelled guns. The VI Rumanian Corps covers the left flank with the 7th Rumanian Corps protects the right. Behind the armored wedge is the lifeline of the 6th Army, a fleet of 800 lorries loaded with 3,000 tons of supplies. Hoth's force amounts to 30,000 men, with which he is to punch through the 51st Army, cross 80 miles of Steppe and link up with the 6th Army. Army Group P begins its withdrawal from the Caucasus. Heavy fighting erupts along the Terek as the Germans fall back to the Mozdok-Elitsa line. |
| [ December 10th - December 12th] |