December 1942

Eastern Front

Badanov's II Guards Tank Corp is under sustained attack at Tatsinskaya, suffering heavy casualties. Vatutin gives permission to launch a breakout attempt.

Kotelnikovo falls to the 2nd Guards Army. Other units of the army advance upon Zimovniki, having taken Sovetnoye. On the flanks of the LVII Panzer Corps, the VI and VII Rumanian Corps cease to exist after bitter fighting.

With the situation in the Don bend desperate, Hitler agrees to the withdrawal of Army Group A from the Caucasus but insists upon the retention of the Kuban bridgehead.