The Great Patriotic War
1943 - The Tide Turns

 A historical overview of the Great Patriotic War.

This section will focus on a the events of the Great Patriotic War, as well as the costs in men and equipment. It should be noted that no other war in history involved as many men and as many vehicles as this one.  It required every effort of the Soviet people along with the resources and equipment sent to them by the United States and England to bring victory.

1943

 

 

 

 

 

3 January

German forces begin to withdraw from the Caucasus.

 

8 January

General Rokossovsky issues surrender demand to General Paulus' 6th Army.

  10 January First Soviet attacks on Stalingrad pocket from west.
   13 January The Red Army captures Karpovka airfield.
  17 January Pitomnik and four other airfields are taken by the Red Army, German pocket is reduced to half its former size.
  22 January General Rokossovsky begins final phases of his attack on Stalingrad.
  24 January German high command refuses to allow General Paulus to attempt Operation Thunderclap (the breakout).
  26 January The German 6th Army is split into two pockets.
  31 January General Paulus is promoted to Field Marshal.  A detatchment of the 38th Motor Rifle Brigade accepts Paulus' surrender.
  2 February German forces in the northern pocket of Stalingrad surrender.
  3 February In Germany, three days of mourning are declared in honor of the 6th Army.
  5 February General Rybalko's 3rd Soviet Tank Army reaches the frozen Donets river, but is stopped by SS Leibstandarte AH division.
  7 February Forward elements of the 2nd Guards Army and 5th Shock Army reach a point 30 miles from Rostov.
  11 February German SS Leibstandarte division attacks Soviet forces outside of Kharkov.
  14 February Gerneral Lelyshenko's 3rd Guards Army clears Voroshilovgrad.
  19 February General Hausser's 2nd SS Panzer Corps attacks Soviet 6th Army under General Kharitonov.
  22 February The 48th Panzer Corps and SS Panzer Corps meet and take 9,000 prisoners.
  4-6 March General Hoth's 4th panzer Army regroups and attacks Voronezh front near Kharkov.
  12 March Fighting reaches the streets of Kharkov.
  14 March Kharkov is encircled by Soviet forces.
  18 March Belogorod is taken by the German Grossdeutschland division.
  29-31 March General Guderian visits General Manstein, the Grossdeutschland division, and Leibstandarte division in preparation for Operation Citadel.
  11 April General Guderian meets with Hitler at Obersalzberg.
  May Operation Citadel is discussed with Hitler, and Generals Kluge, Manstein, Zeitzler, and Guderian.  General Guderian discusses Panther tank production.
  4 July German troops launch Operation Citadel at 1500 hours and begin the Kursk campaign.
  6 July German 4th Panzer Army pushes towards Oboyan.
  7 July 48th Panzer Corps and 2nd SS Corps continue to push towards Oboyan.   3rd Panzer Army advances rapidly along the flank of General Shumilov's 7th Guards Army.
  11 July Germans break off attacks in Kursk region.
  12 July Soviet counter-offensive begins against General Model's 9th Army.
  17 July General Tolbukhin's South Front and General Malinovsky's South-West Front make probing thrusts towards Mius.
  5 August Belgorod is taken as Soviet armored forces advance 70 miles in five days.
  7 August Bogodukhov falls.
  13-16 August Malinovsky's South-West Front goes onto the offensive in the Donets Basin.
  18 August Tolbukhin's South-Front attacks across the Mius.
  23 August Wehrmacht withdraws from Kharkov to avoid becoming trapped.
  26 August Rokossovsky attacks Army Group Center with 60th and 65th Armies.
  31 August Manstein withdraws 6th Army and part of 1st Panzer Army.
  3 September Soviet troops cross the Desna river on a 60-mile front.
  6 September General Chernyakhovsky's 60th Army takes Konotop.
  8 September Stalino and Krasnoarmenskoe are liberated by the Red Army.
  9- 10 September Bakmach and Maripol are liberated by the Russians.
  21-30 September Soviet troops reach the Dniepr river.  Red army crosses the Dniepr on a 300 mile front.  Central, Voronezh, Steppe, and South-West Fronts cross the river Dnieper at this time.
  9 October German forces complete evacuation of Taman.
  16-19 October Red Army launches heavy attacks on 48th Panzer Corps at Bukrin.  These attacks result in high Soviet losses.
  30 October Mackensen is replaced by Hube as commander of the 1st Panzer Army.
  3 November Soviet forces attack out of the Lyutezh bridgehead.
  6 November 38th Army liberates Kiev.
  12 November Zhitomer is liberated.
  17 November Soviet 60th Army enters railway junction at Korosten.
  18 November German forces re-capture Zhitomir.
  28 November Rokossovsky's Byelorussian front liberates Gomel.
  1 December The Crimea is isolated.  Northern bend of Dniper river is now in Soviet hands.
  29 December Manstein order's 1st Panzer Army out of the Dniper bend without Hitler's permission to avoid their being encircled.

 

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