March 1943

Eastern Front

German forces north and south of Sumy counterattack. The refreshed and redeployed LII Corps, with 4 infantry divisions, and 3 divisions of the VII Corps, attack elements of the 40th Army, forcing it out of Lebedin. The Grossdeutschland Division, with an infantry division in support to its left, attack toward Valki after repulsing a 40th Army counterattack around Bogodukhov. To the north, 2 more infantry divisions drive to the northeast toward Kotelva nad Akhtyrka in order to establish contact with the XI Corps on their left. The XI has recently been re-formed following its destruction at Stalingrad.

The SS enter the suburbs of Kharkov, Das Reich penetrating from the west while Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler pushes north and Totenkopf capture Dergachi. Late in the afternoon elements of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler enter the northeast suburbs. The XLVIII Panzer Corps continues its attack along the line of the Mzha.