Lunge To Krasnoarmeyskoye - PzC 03 Kharkov '42

South of Kharkov, February 10, 1943: Operating Gallop, launched in conjunction with Operation Star as follow ups to Little Saturn which had destroyed much of the 8th Italian Army and sealed the fate of the 6th Army at Stalingrad, was aimed at the Sea of Azov and the Dnepr River to isolate the bulk of the German and allied forces still withdrawing from the Caucasus and the vicinity of Rostov. This offensive, begun at the end of January, 1943 became stuck in static fighting in its advance toward the Sea of Azov at Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. Vatutin ordered a flanking movement to seize the rail junction at Krasnoarmeyskoye, far in the German rear area and on the rail line for supply back to Dnepropetrovsk for the entire southern wing of the German forces. This led to a series of battles between the exhausted forces of each side throughout the area, with the Soviets first halted and then thrown back with heavy losses at Krasnoarmeyskoye. This battle helped set the stage for Manstein's counterattack.