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Voronezh–Kharkov offensive

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Voronezh–Kharkov offensive
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II

Eastern Front 1942-11 to 1943–03
DateJanuary 13 to March 3, 1943
Location
Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
 Germany
 Hungary
 Italy
 Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Nazi Germany Maximilian von Weichs
Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946) Gusztáv Jány
Fascist Italy Italo Gariboldi
Soviet Union Filipp Golikov
Soviet Union Max Reyter
Soviet Union Nikolai Vatutin
Units involved
Nazi Germany Army Group B
Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946) 2nd Army
Fascist Italy 8th Army
Soviet Union Voronezh Front
Soviet Union Bryansk Front
Soviet Union Southwestern Front
Strength
30 divisions 502,400 men
Casualties and losses
321,000
246,000 killed and captured
75,000 wounded or sick, 3,400 artillery pieces, 578 tanks
[1]
153,561[2][3]
55,475 killed or missing
98,086 wounded/sick

The Voronezh–Kharkov strategic offensive operation was a successful strategic offensive operation of the Red Army's Voronezh, Bryansk and South-Western fronts, carried out from January 13 to March 3, 1943 with the aim of defeating the German Army Group B and liberating a large territory and the important industrial and administrative centers Voronezh, Kursk, Belgorod and Kharkov.

Prelude

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In the winter of 1942/43, the Red Army launched several large offensives on the southern part of the Eastern Front in the wake of the Battle of Stalingrad. In late December, at the same time as the German 6th Army was increasingly enclosed in Stalingrad by the troops of Konstantin Rokossovsky, the troops of the Southwestern Front defeated the Italian 8th Army as part of the Operation Little Saturn and reached the line Novaya Kalitwa – Markovka – Volozhin – Chernikovsky.

The Stawka planned in the course of these successes a major strategic operation, which aimed at cutting off all German forces in the Caucasus, by taking Rostov-on-Don. At the same time, the Voronezh Front, in cooperation with the left wing of the Bryansk Front and the right wing of the Southwestern Front, was tasked with a strong offensive towards Voronezh and Kursk, which aimed to retake Kharkov.

The Voronezh-Kharkov strategic offensive operation had three phases:

The operation took 50 days. The width of the front of hostilities was between 250–400 km. The depth of advance of Soviet troops was between 360–520 km, or an average daily advance of 7–10 km.

Order of battle

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USSR

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Nazi Germany

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Army Group B (Field Marshal Maximilian von Weichs):

Results

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The Voronezh-Kharkov Operation was a clear defeat for Army Group B. The 8th Italian Army and the 2nd Hungarian Army were almost completely destroyed.
Several large cities were liberated: Voronezh, Kursk, Belgorod, Kharkov, Rossosh, Valuyki, Ostrogozhsk, Kastornoye, Stary Oskol, Novy Oskol, Shchigry, Oboyan, Bogodukhov, Akhtyrka and Sevsk.

In the ensuing Third Battle of Kharkov, German troops recaptured Kharkov (March 16) and Belgorod (March 18) from the overstretched Soviet Army.

During the operation, the Soviets lost in total: 153,561 soldiers, of which 55,475 were killed and 98,086 people were wounded.

References

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  1. ^ 9 мая 1945 года – Воспоминания, Составители: В. Д. Вознесенский Д. Б. Рубежный. Под редакцией члена-корреспондента АН СССР А. М. Самсонова.— М.: Наука, 1970 – К. С. Москаленко, В боях рождалась Победа
  2. ^ Г. Ф. Кривошеев, Россия и СССР в войнах XX века – Потери вооруженных сил – Статистическое исследование, Москва, Олма, 2001
  3. ^ General-Lieutenant G.F.KRIVOSHEYEV (1993). "SOVIET ARMED FORCES LOSSES IN WARS,COMBAT OPERATIONS MILITARY CONFLICTS" (PDF). MOSCOW MILITARY PUBLISHING HOUSE. p. 164. Retrieved 2015-06-21.