January 1943

Eastern Front

The 60th Army forces the VII Corps out of Voronezh. Elements of the 40th Army begins their attack against the southern wing of the 2nd Army in the midst of a blizzard and with temperatures at -20 degrees. Despite these difficulties the Soviets break the German front and introduce their IV Tank Corps to batttle. To the south, Starobelsk, former headquarters of Army Group b, falls to the Soviet 6th Army.

Hitler decides to pull the 1st Panzer Army out of the Caucasus and back to the southern Ukraine to support Manstein's weakened forces. However, the southern flank of the 1st Panzer is still as far south as Armavir, which has just been given up to the Trans Caucasus Front, and the bulk of the 17th Army if falling back into the Kuban.

The Northern Group of the Trans Caucasus Front, in recognition of its staunch defense in the Caucasus, is elevated to front status, becoming the North Caucasus Front under Maslennikov. The Stavka orders that the German 17th Army be isolated in the Kuban with the 2nd Guards, 51st and 28th Armies of the Southern Front. The 44th and 58th Armies are to attack Bataisk while the 9th and 37th Armies are to cooperate with the Black Sea Group.

Inside Stalingrad the battle for the city enters its final stage. Paulus agains request that he be allowed to surrender but again Hitler refuses and orders 6th Army to fight to the last man and the last bullet. Manstein also asks Hitler to let 6th Army surrender but receives the same response.