September 1943

Eastern Front

Stalino falls as Fretter Pico's XXX Corps completes its evacuation. The 5th Shock Army moves into the ruined city. Krasnoarmyansk also falls to the 3rd Guards.

Manstein and Kleist again meet with Hitler at Zaporoshe. Manstein asks permission to pull back to the Dniepr but Hitler refuses. However, he does confirm his decision to abandon the Kuban but this is of little help to Army Group South as the men of the 17th Army would go into the Crimea, not the main line.