The Second Battle of Kharkov - Printable Version +- Forums (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards) +-- Forum: The Parade Ground (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards/forumdisplay.php?fid=2) +--- Forum: General Games (https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards/forumdisplay.php?fid=295) +--- Thread: The Second Battle of Kharkov (/showthread.php?tid=75541)

The Second Battle of Kharkov - DogWon - 05-17-2022 Getting into Operational level war games is also having the side-effect of teaching me a bit of history.  This battle happens to be the opener/point in time Unity of Command #1 jumps in with its campaign where you can choose to be either the Allies or Axis. The mission description/blurb got me interested so I went and researched it on the net. Holy cheese on a pogo stick, talk about disaster! I've not read or heard about such a lop sided massacre before. Sure, maybe between an army that has guns vs an army that has spears (Battle of Blood River etc), but this.... this was nuts. Twenty thousand or so casualties on the German side and almost a third of a million dead on the Russian side.  From what little I've read it appears that Stalin screwed the pooch big time here (or at least his generals blamed him). Completely underestimated the German strength, left flanks glaringly unprotected and not nearly enough reserves in place for oopsies.  What is your take on this battle? Is this holy and solely Stalin's fault, or are there alternative sources out that there reveal more? While we're at it, does anyone know if any war film (documentary or normal) ever depicted this battle? EDIT: Oops, this should have gone under 'Historical Discussion'. Apologies moderators, if you could move the thread that would be great.