Against all odds - Red Victory

25 FEBRUARY 1943, BARVENKOVO, 30KM SOUTHEAST OF KHARKOV: After the fall of Kharkov the Russian high command concluded, wrongly, that such an important junction would only have been abandoned under Hitler's express order and that Army Group South must therefore be in full retreat. Based on this assumption STAVKA ordered Voronezh Front to continue its pursuit towards the Dnyepr River. Despite frantic efforts to stabilize the frontline there was still a huge gap between 1st Panzer Army and Army Detachment Hollidt along the Mius River. Mobile Group Popov thrust into this gap and advanced south through Krasnoarmeyskoye towards Stalino. German command blocked Popov's path with the battle weary 40th Panzer Korps. On 18 February, Manstein ordered the first moves of his counteroffensive, orchestrated attacks on Mobile Group Popov's flanks by the 7th and 11th Panzer Divisions, slowly bottlenecking the red armor. As late as the 21st of February, Russians still believed that German Army was in full retreat. By the 23rd, the last resistance of Popov's forces trapped in the Krasnoarmeyskoye area had been broken and remnants of the Mobile Group started a retreat northwards. At this point Manstein committed the 5th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Wiking" on Barvenkovo axis to pursuit and isolate the retreating enemy. Exhausted from continuous fighting in the Caucasus and having only a couple of PzIII and Marders, "Wiking" continued its push towards Barvenkovo.