General Von Manstein had the task of slowing the Soviet Winter Offensive around  
Kharkov.  Forming  Kampfgruppe from the II SS Panzer Korp, General Hausser (Manstein's  
sector commander) used them to hunt down and destroy the armored thrusts of General V. V.  
Popov's Third Tank Army.  Moving southeast toward Jeremejewska, Kampfgruppe Peiper  
stumbled into a Russian Column.  Both sides were caught off guard, but Major Peiper  
immediately ordered his PzKw IV's and Tiger's to attack.
