January 1943

Eastern Front

The 3rd Shock Army demands the surrender of the much-reduced garrison of Velikiye Luki but is refused. Only the citadel still remains in German hands, the remainder of the town having been overwhelmed.

With the reduction of Paulus' 6th Army imminent, the Stavka reorganize its southern commands. Eremenko's Stalingrad Front is renamed the South Front and is deployed along the outer ring. Rokossovsky's Don Front now takes complete responsibility for the pocket, taking the 62nd, 64th and 57th Armies under its command. In Stavka reserve a new 1st Tank Army is raised while the 2nd Tank Army is created around the core of the 3rd Reserve Army.