March 1943

Eastern Front

Bogodukhov falls to Grossdeutschland after a brief struggle. Bitter fighting rages through Kharkov as the SS Panzer Corps plunges deep into the urban sprawl. Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler penetrates into the city center, Das Reich is involved in heavy fighting as it penetrates from the west, while SS Totenkopf captures Krasnokutsk and Murafa, deepening the crisis between 69th and 3rd Tank Armies.

In an effort to prevent the continued deterioration of the situation, the Stavka orders 1st Tank and 21st Armies to deploy north of Belgorod and begin the movement of the 64th Army west from the reserve.