Flashing Sword of Retribution

[herr_oberst]

Another day of fighting ends in the Southern Front.



The Soviet armored formations which tried to encircle Das Reich east of Volchansk were in their time trapped between Grossdeutschland infantry and the SS Panzers and destroyed, the germans wielding for the time being the "sword of revenge".
Nevertheless, the infantry assault (especially their Kathyushas) proved to costly for the defenders, and the Division is repositioning to move away from the range of the big guns, with another victory to celebrate, although the pinning down of Das Reich permitted the advance of the northern thrust of the Russian advance towards Belgorod.

Finally, the expected attack on Belgorod began, overrunning the poor Hungarian infantrymen on the city outskirts. Measures had been taken to protect this important point.

A most notable encounter occurred in the south. There is a big bend of the Dnepr pointing to the east (in orange in the map) where 11º Panzer Division was to be established, well protected by the river, to attack the Soviet rearguard and supply line whenever they attack Kharkov.
It seems that this place was selected too by a Russian Guards Motorized Division for infiltration -supposedly to kill Hitler when he arrives-
11º Panzer quickly surrounded and destroyed five Infantry Battalions of -I think- the Russian elite.