In the spring of 1943 the Soviets lifted the siege of Stalingrad and drove the Germans out of the Caucuses and deep into the Ukraine. The German A and B groups were in a difficult situation and those that had managed to escape the Soviet route came together to reform the South Group again. The Soviet army pressed on as their Command wanted to reach the Dnepr on the backs of the retreating army. The Germans didn't have the resources to set up reliable defenses along the entire front.

The Soviets, however, had pushed too far ahead of their rear echelons and were stretched thin. The German command soon realized this and decided against setting up a defense in favor of launching a counter strike with their battle-ready units and reserves. To avoid losing the decisive moment they didn't wait to concentrate their forces, instead putting available troops on the offensive and throwing in the reserves immediately as they arrived. Without losing a minute, the German command moved troops along the front line to those sections were chances of success were higher. Thanks to skilful timing and selection of strike points, the Germans managed to crush the mobile groups of the Voronezh and Southwestern fronts.

After the Kharkov counter-strike the Germans not only stopped the opposition's offensive, but took back the cities of Kharkov and Belgorod. They regained the initiative and put the Soviets back on the defensive, creating the conditions for Operation Citadel, also known as the Battle of Kursk, in the summer.

Air & Armour