On August 3, 1943, the Belgorod-Kharkov offensive operation began (Operation Rumyantsev). The operation was carried out by the forces of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts, with the aim of defeating the Belgorod-Kharkov group of the German army, liberating the Kharkov industrial region, creating the prerequisites for the final liberation from the invaders of the Left-Bank Ukraine. The Voronezh and Steppe Fronts, as well as the 57th Army of the Southwestern Front, took part in the operation: more than 980 thousand people, over 12 thousand guns and mortars, about 2.4 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 1.5 thousand. aircraft. In total, by the beginning of the offensive on August 3, the troops of the Voronezh and Steppe Fronts had 50 rifle divisions, 8 tank corps, 3 mechanized corps, several separate tank regiments and self-propelled artillery regiments.
From the side of the Wehrmacht, the 4th Panzer Army, the Kempf Army Group and the 4th Air Fleet participated in the battle: about 300 thousand people, more than 3 thousand guns and mortars, about 600 tanks and over 1 thousand aircraft (according to Soviet data); 200 thousand people and 210 tanks (according to German data). The Wehrmacht had 15 infantry divisions in this direction and 4 tank divisions in the operational reserve (6th, 7th, 11th and 19th). Already during the battle, the German command transferred from the Donbass and the Oryol direction, the SS Panzer Division "Viking" and the 17th Panzer Division, the SS Panzer Divisions "Grossdeutschland", "Reich", "Dead Head" and the 3rd Panzer Division. The Kharkov group was also reinforced with three infantry divisions.
It is officially believed that the beginning of the offensive operation of the Soviet troops on the southern face of the Kursk Bulge began on August 3, but this is not entirely true. As early as July 16, the German command, fearing that the troops in the Prokhorovka area would fall victim to the flank attacks of the Red Army, ordered to begin retreating to their original positions under the cover of strong rearguards. The offensive of the Western and Bryansk fronts, which began on July 12, and on July 15 of the Central Front on the Oryol Bulge, also played its role. The troops of the Voronezh Front went on the offensive on July 16. On July 17, units of the 5th Guards Army and the 5th Guards Tank Army were able to push the German rearguards and advance 5-6 kilometers. On July 18–19, the 6th Guards Army and the 1st Tank Army joined the offensive. Tank formations advanced 2–3 km.
On July 18, the Steppe Front under the command of Ivan Konev was also supposed to enter the battle, but until the end of July 19 he was engaged in a regrouping of forces. Only on July 20, the troops of the Steppe Front managed to advance 5–7 km. On July 22, units of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts launched a general offensive and by the end of the next day, having knocked down German barriers, they generally reached the positions occupied by Soviet troops before the start of Operation Citadel on July 5. However, the further advance of the Soviet troops was stopped by the German forces, which relied on the former defensive lines and received reinforcements. The headquarters offered to immediately continue the offensive, but for its success it was necessary to regroup the forces and replenish the units with personnel and equipment. Having listened to the arguments of the front commanders, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command postponed the further offensive until early August.
Artillerymen of a fighter brigade (combined arms type) are pursuing a retreating enemy (Photo by RGAKFD).
Plans of the Soviet command, preparation of the operation
The plan of the offensive operation was prepared by the headquarters of the Voronezh Front on the instructions of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command. The operation was named "Commander Rumyantsev", in honor of the great Russian commander of the 18th century, the winner of the Prussian troops Frederick the Great and the Turkish troops at Larga, Cahul. The first version of the operation provided for the encirclement of the entire Belgorod-Kharkov enemy grouping. The commander of the Voronezh Front, Nikolai Vatutin, wanted to conduct a classic version of the encirclement and destruction of enemy troops with converging strikes (“cannes”). They planned to inflict one strike in the Krasnopolye area, the other in the Chuguev area. One strike force was supposed to bypass Kharkov from the south, advancing to the west. The second grouping was to advance from north to south, bypassing Kharkov from the west. If the operation had been successful, the 4th Panzer Army and the Kempf group, that is, almost the entire Belgorod-Kharkov group of the Wehrmacht, would fall into the "boiler". The second scenario was less ambitious and ambitious. It was proposed to deliver the main strikes from the Proletarsky - Krasnaya Yaruga and Chuguev area. If the operation was successful, the entire Kempf group and most of the 4th Panzer Army were to be surrounded.
However, in order to implement both variants of the offensive operation, it was necessary to concentrate large strike groups on the flanks, which would break the enemy’s defensive formations and break through to a depth of 250 km. To create them, it was necessary to carry out a series of regroupings of forces, which took a lot of time. In addition, the possibility of detecting these regroupings by German intelligence increased. Such a development of events did not suit the bet. Stalin gave about 8 days for the replenishment of units, the supply of ammunition and rest. The current situation required a strike as soon as possible. Soviet intelligence reported to the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command that the Belgorod-Kharkov group at that time was seriously weakened. The 2nd SS Panzer Corps was transferred to the Donbass, and the SS Panzer Division "Grossdeutschland" - to the Oryol direction. This was caused by the offensive of the Southern and South-Western Fronts in the Donbass and the Western and Bryansk Fronts in the Oryol Bulge. However, both offensives of the Soviet troops were already running out of steam, and it was necessary to hurry, while the German selected divisions were tied up in battles in the Donbass and in the Orel region. In addition, after Operation Citadel, a significant number of German tanks and assault guns were under repair. There was a replenishment of equipment of armored units. So in the Army Group South on July 31, 1942, there were 625 combat-ready tanks, 633 were under repair, 190 were on the way, 251 combat-ready assault guns, 84 were under repair, 11 were on the road. Most of the equipment needed short-term repairs lasting 6 to 21 days. If the preparation of Operation Rumyantsev had dragged on for a longer period, the Army Group South would have seriously strengthened its anti-tank potential.
The blow had to be delivered as quickly as possible, until the German troops recovered from Operation Citadel. Based on the instructions of the Headquarters, an offensive plan was developed. The main blow was delivered by the adjacent flanks of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts, bypassing Kharkov from the west. This plan gave a significant gain in time, since it was not necessary to regroup forces. On the left flank of the Voronezh Front and the right flank of the Steppe Fronts, during the previous battles, there were already established strike groups. In addition, they planned to attack along the rivers, which weakened their defensive potential. After the shock groups of the two fronts entered the area west of Kharkov, the 57th Army of the Southwestern Front was supposed to launch an offensive towards them. As a result, the idea of encircling German troops was retained. But the encircled territory was smaller, and the strike force of the Voronezh Front was stronger than that of the Steppe Front. The offensive plan included very high rates of movement of strike groups. In 3-4 days they had to advance 100-120 km. Such a swift throw was supposed to lead to the defeat of the Belgorod-Kharkov group before the arrival of German reserves. From the air, the Voronezh Front was supported by the 2nd Air Army (753 aircraft), the Steppe Front - by the 5th Air Army (769 aircraft).
For such an offensive, fresh forces were needed. The Voronezh and Steppe fronts withstood the German offensive, but suffered serious losses. However, the Headquarters had reserves. Even during the preparation of the defensive operation on the Kursk Salient, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command formed very powerful reserves in case of a negative development of the situation. Even if the German armies had been able to cut off the Kursk salient, surrounding the significant forces of the Voronezh and Central fronts, the disaster would not have occurred. The Soviet command had a whole new front that could close the gap. Partial reserve armies had to be used during the defensive stage of the Battle of Kursk, the 5th Guards and 5th Guards Tank Armies were thrown into battle.
But most of the reserves were kept. They were used during Operation Rumyantsev. The steppe front was reinforced by the 53rd army under the command of Ivan Managarov. The Voronezh Front received the 27th Army under the command of Sergei Trofimenko and the 47th Army of Pyotr Kozlov (from August 3, the army was headed by Pavel Korzun). The 4th Guards Army of Grigory Kulik remained in reserve, they planned to use it to develop success or parry enemy attacks. In addition, the 1st Tank Army and the 5th Guards Tank Army, which suffered significant losses in defensive battles, received reinforcements.
Konev put Managarov's 53rd army at the forefront of the front, it was supposed to deliver the main blow. Vatutin did not transfer fresh armies to the strike force, there were already serious forces there - the 5th and 6th guards armies, the 1st tank army and the 5th guards tank army. Therefore, the 27th Army was to advance together with the 40th Army, to the west of the main grouping of the Voronezh Front. Their strike was aimed at the southeast, in the Grayvorona region. The 47th reinforced the 38th Army on the western flank of the front.
In addition, the auxiliary strike force from the 40th and 27th armies solved the problem of possible German counterattacks against the main grouping of the Voronezh Front. If German troops tried to strike at the base of the Soviet strike force, then the 40th and 27th armies would have to take the hit. If the German reserves attacked the Soviet tank armies advancing in the vicinity of Kharkov, they would, in turn, be under attack by the 40th and 27th armies leading the offensive. To parry possible German attacks, these two armies received three tank corps (more than 400 tanks). Thus, the armored potential of the 40th and 27th armies was comparable to an entire tank army (the 1st tank army had 450 tanks). In addition, the 4th Guards Army was located in their rear.
Before the offensive, the Voronezh Front carried out an operation to mislead the enemy in relation to the area where the Soviet troops would strike the main blow. To the west of the assembled strike force, in the area of Sudzha, they simulated the concentration of large armored and rifle formations. For camouflage, 8 radio stations, 450 tank models and 500 gun models were used. Radio stations imitated the work of radio tank formations. The infantry moved towards the front. These activities have been successful. The German command concentrated the 7th Panzer Division to protect this direction. The activity of German aviation in the Sudzha region also intensified, which began to bombard the "clusters" of Soviet troops.
German defense
The Belgorod-Kharkov group consisted of 15 infantry and 4 tank divisions. The German infantry divisions suffered serious losses in Operation Citadel and had not yet had time to fully restore their combat potential. The German panzer divisions received reinforcements and, having repaired the damaged tanks, were in good condition.
After the withdrawal of troops to their original positions, the Germans went on the defensive in well-fortified positions. The main line of defense was 6-8 km wide and consisted of two positions, which had strong points connected by trenches and communications. The second defensive line was located 2-3 km from the front line, having various engineering, defensive structures and long-term firing points. The total tactical defense zone of the German troops was 15-18 km. All settlements in the defensive zone were prepared for all-round defense. The powerful strongholds - Tomarovka and Borisovka - were of particular importance. Belgorod was a powerful center of defense. At 50-60 km from the front line of defense, through Bogodukhov, Zlochev, Kazachya Lopan, Zhuravlevka and Vesyoloye, an operational rear defensive line passed. Near Kharkov, the Wehrmacht created two ring defensive lines.
Belgorod was turned into a powerful defense center. Many strongholds were built on its territory. Around the city, defending the near approaches to it, an external defensive bypass was created. On the outskirts of the city, a significant number of long-term firing points were built, stone buildings were turned into strongholds. The city was prepared for street fighting. Crossroads were blocked by barricades, they were shot through by machine guns. Many buildings and streets were mined. The northern and eastern parts of the city were covered with strong minefields.
Operation start. Liberation of Belgorod
On August 2, the troops of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts took up their starting positions for the offensive. For the headquarters of Army Group South, the Soviet offensive on this sector of the Eastern Front came as a surprise. The German command believed that the strike capabilities of the Soviet troops in this direction were depleted by Operation Citadel. The Germans did not expect the Soviet troops to go on the offensive so soon.
On August 3, from 05:00 to 05:05, a short artillery raid of all fire weapons of the fronts continued along the front line of the German defense. A pause was taken until 5.35, and then a full-fledged artillery preparation began, which lasted three hours. From 0755 to 0815 all barrels again fired powerfully at the German front line, at the same time the Soviet infantry, behind the fire shaft, began advancing towards the first German trench. By 8.15 the fire began to move deep into the German positions. Simultaneously with the artillery preparation, Soviet aviation in groups of 20-30 aircraft bombed and fired at German positions with machine guns and cannons. Aviation also ironed the locations of German artillery and reserve forces.
At 0815, the Soviet infantry, supported by tanks, broke into the enemy's forward trenches. At 13.00, when the rifle units of the 5th Guards Army wedged into the main enemy defensive zone for about 2 km, the 1st Tank and 5th Guards Tank Armies were thrown into battle. Tank formations were supposed to complete the breakthrough of the German defense and enter the operational space. Tanks were introduced into the gap in a narrow 5-kilometer section, it was a grandiose accumulation of armored vehicles.
The troops of the Voronezh Front on the very first day broke through the German defenses to the entire tactical depth. The arrows of the 5th and 6th Guards armies advanced 8-12 km. The 1st Panzer Army, which was forced to participate in the breakthrough of the second line of defense of the Wehrmacht, advanced 12 km and reached Tomarovka. The tankers of the 5th Guards Tank Army achieved the greatest success, advancing to a depth of 20-25 km. The operation went well, but not as planned. Tankers advanced 20 km, and not 40 km as originally planned.
The offensive of the troops of the Steppe Front also developed quite successfully. The artillery of the front dealt a powerful blow to the German defensive positions. Initially, however, the German troops withstood the blow. Then significant masses of aviation were thrown into battle. Stormtroopers and bombers dealt heavy blows to the German centers of resistance. For the final breakthrough of the German positions at 15.00, the 1st mechanized corps was brought into battle. During the first day of fighting, units of the 53rd Army and the right flank of the 69th Army advanced 7-8 km.
Forcing the Seversky Donets by soldiers of the 7th Guards Army. Belgorod. July 1943
On the second day of the operation, the first hitches began. The commander of the 6th Panzer Corps, Hetman, did not comply with Katukov's order - not getting involved in the battle for the well-fortified Tomarovka, bypass it and move on, inserting a barrier. In the morning, the hetman began the battle for the German stronghold, the corps lost 21 vehicles. Only the personal intervention of Katukov forced Hetman to continue the offensive in the afternoon, bypassing Tomarovka from the east. A motorized rifle brigade was left as a barrier. The 5th Guards Tank Corps, which was operationally subordinate to Katukov, also took part in the frontal attacks on Tomarovka. The corps lost 23 vehicles without success. As a result, two tank corps lost time, only Krivoshein's 3rd mechanized corps developed the offensive. The 31st Panzer Corps was in reserve.
On the same day, the situation in the air changed. Luftwaffe activity in the Belgorod region increased dramatically. German attack and bomber aircraft began to inflict heavy blows on Soviet mechanized columns. Mobile formations began to suffer heavy losses in people and equipment from the effects of enemy aircraft.
However, despite these interferences, Katukov's 1st Panzer Army was able to pass about 20 km that day. German reserves did not get in the way of Katukov's army. The 19th Panzer Division was transferred to Tomarovka, and the 6th Panzer Division to the Belgorod area. The 3rd mechanized corps was able to wedge between two German mobile formations without getting involved in battle with them. Soviet tanks continued to move south and southwest.
Rotmistrov's 5th Guards Tank Army was less fortunate on the second day of fighting. The guards entered the battle with the 6th Panzer Division of the enemy, which took up defensive positions prepared in advance in the area of Orlovka and Bessonovka. The terrain was difficult to access for tanks, with a large number of ravines, beams, rivers. German troops occupied the heights, preparing positions for tanks and anti-tank artillery. The approaches to them were mined. The German defense was also strengthened by the 503rd battalion of heavy tanks (6 "Tigers"). Egorov's 18th Panzer Corps ran into the German defenses and, having no opportunities for flank maneuver, stopped.
The 18th and 29th tank corps of Rotmistrov's army, after a tense first day of the offensive, had limited supplies of fuel and ammunition. We decided to bring into battle, which was in the second echelon, the 5th Guards Mechanized Corps. However, an order was received from Vatutin to send part of the army's forces to storm Belgorod, to help the troops of the Steppe Front. The mechanized corps had to be sent to the east. As a result, on August 4, Rotmistrov's army passed 10 km. Komfronta was angry. Vatutin threatened Rotmistrov with a lawsuit for exposing the flank of Katukov's army.
On August 5, the battles for Belgorod began. Konev sent the strong 53rd Army around the city from the west, while the 69th Army entered the city from the north. Parts of the 7th Guards Army crossed the Seversky Donets and reached the eastern outskirts. From the west, the offensive was supported by units of the 1st Mechanized Corps (as part of the 53rd Army). The city was in a semi-encirclement and was attacked from three directions. The Wehrmacht offered stubborn resistance, clinging to every block and stronghold. The German command wanted to keep this powerful knot of resistance in their hands. However, the German troops could not withstand such a massive blow. As a result, by 18 o'clock Belgorod was completely cleared of the Germans. The Steppe Front solved the problem of liberating Belgorod. The turn of the 5th Guards Mechanized Corps from Rotmistrov's army did not have a decisive impact on the collapse of the defense of the Belgorod resistance center. The steppe front coped quite well on its own.
On August 5, the offensive of the 27th and 40th armies began. As early as August 4, their forward formations conducted reconnaissance in force, probing the enemy's defenses. On the morning of August 5, a powerful artillery strike was inflicted on enemy positions, after which the armies went on the offensive. The defense of the 11th Panzer Division of the enemy was broken through on a 26-kilometer section. Soviet troops advanced 8-20 km in a day. From the complete collapse of the German defensive orders in this direction saved the entry into the battle of the 7th Panzer Division.
After the introduction of the 27th and 40th armies into battle, the Tomarov grouping of the enemy was under the threat of complete encirclement. In Tomarovka, the formations of the 255th, 332nd infantry and 19th tank divisions held the defense. The German troops held back the onslaught of the 6th Guards Army and the 6th Tank Corps, but now they were surrounded on both flanks. There was only one way to retreat - to Borisovka. On the night of August 6, the Wehrmacht left the fortified point. By the morning of August 6, Tomarovka was liberated from the enemy.
The 1st Tank Army of Katukov, due to the delay of the 5th Guards Tank Army, was forced to leave two brigades of the 3rd Mechanized Corps to cover its left flank. Which reduced the strike capabilities of the tip of the advancing forces. On this day, the tank army experienced the greatest resistance from the German aviation, and not from the enemy ground forces. In general, Katukov's army showed good results that day and covered about 30 km.
By July 23, 1943, the Soviet troops had basically restored the position that they had occupied before the start of the Kursk defensive operation, and began preparing an offensive in the Belgorod-Kharkov direction. They were opposed by the 4th Panzer Army, the Kempf task force (since 16.0S.1943 - the 8th field army). They were supported by the aviation of the 4th Air Fleet of Army Group South (Field Marshal E. Manstein). German troops numbered up to 300 thousand people, over 3 thousand guns and mortars, up to 600 tanks and assault guns, and more than 1 thousand aircraft. The enemy occupied a defense well prepared in terms of engineering, which included seven defensive lines with a total depth of up to 90 km. The desire of the enemy command to keep the Belgorod-Kharkov bridgehead was explained by the fact that it covered the Donbass grouping from the north and was considered by the Nazi strategists as a gate blocking the exit to Ukraine.
Despite the fact that the plan for an offensive operation in the Belgorod-Kharkov direction was developed even before the start of the Battle of Kursk, with the completion of the defensive battle, the Voronezh and Steppe Fronts were unable to proceed to its implementation without an operational pause. They suffered heavy losses, spent and a significant part of the reserves and materiel. In this regard, the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command gave the front commanders time to prepare the troops for the offensive.
The idea of the operation was to break through the enemy defenses northwest of Belgorod and , developing success with mobile formations on Bogodukhov, Vatki, Novaya Vodolaga, cut the enemy grouping into parts, followed by envelopment and defeat of all the main forces in the Kharkov region. An auxiliary strike around Kharkov from the south was delivered by the 57th Army of the Southwestern Front. To ensure the actions of the main grouping from the west, the Voronezh Front advanced on Akhtyrka with part of its forces.
The preparation of the offensive took place in an extremely limited time frame (10 days), which required great skill and strenuous efforts from the command and troops. It was completed in early August. By this time, the Voronezh and Steppe fronts included over 1.1 million people, more than 12 thousand guns and mortars, 2.4 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, 1.3 thousand aircraft. Soviet troops had superiority over the enemy in people by 3.3 times, artillery and tanks - by 4 times and aviation (taking into account 200 long-range aviation aircraft, part of the forces of the 17th Air Army of the South-Western Front and air defense aviation) - in 1 .5 times. On the directions of the main attacks of the fronts, thanks to the skillful massing of forces and means, this superiority was even higher. For the development of tactical success into an operational one, two tank armies were used at once as a mobile group of the Voronezh Front for the first time in the war. On the night of August 3, secretly from the enemy, Soviet troops took up their starting position for the offensive. The coordination of the actions of both fronts was carried out by the Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. The Soviet command manages to misinform the enemy, divert his attention to the Sumy direction and thereby ensure the surprise of the strike on the main (Belgorod) direction. The success of the operation was largely facilitated by the "Rail War" being carried out by the partisans at that time. The successful offensive in the Oryol and Belgorod-Kharkov directions, according to the plan of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, was to develop into a general offensive of the Red Army on the entire Soviet-German front.
The offensive on the Belgorod-Kharkov direction began early in the morning on August 3 after powerful artillery and aviation preparation. In the direction of the main attack, in the zone of the 5th Guards Army (Lieutenant General A.S. Zhadov), seven rifle divisions, an artillery breakthrough division, a guards mortar division (“Katyusha”), 14 artillery and mortar regiments, a tank brigade, five tank and self-propelled artillery regiments. The average density of tanks was 87 units per 1 km of the front, and in a breakthrough section 6 km wide, there were an average of 230 guns and mortars, 178 tanks and self-propelled guns per kilometer. Even higher densities of forces and means were created in the offensive zone of the 57th Army (Lieutenant General NA. Hagen) - over 300 guns and mortars per 1 km of the front. By 13:00, formations of the 5th Guards Army broke through the first enemy position, advancing to a depth of 4-5 km. The second echelons of the regiments entered into battle began to break through the second position of the main strip. By 2 p.m., in order to increase the rate of penetration of the defense, the commander of the Voronezh Front brought forward brigades of the 1st and 5th Guards Tank Armies into battle. Together with the rifle divisions, they completed the breakthrough of the first line of defense, which created the conditions for bringing the main forces of the tank armies into battle. By the end of the day, in cooperation with rifle formations, they broke the fierce resistance of the enemy, completed the breakthrough of his tactical defense zone and advanced to a depth of 30 km. On August 4, fierce fighting continued throughout the entire offensive zone of the Soviet troops. Operating in the same operational direction, two tank armies were, as it were, a kind of armored sword, cutting through the enemy's defenses to its entire depth. The massive use of tanks on a narrow sector of the front had a decisive influence on increasing the pace of the operation. Having broken through the tactical defenses and defeated the nearest operational reserves of the enemy, the strike groupings of the fronts proceeded to pursue him. The pace of their offensive gradually increased. The aviation of the 2nd (lieutenant general of aviation S.A. Krasovsky) and the 5th (lieutenant general of aviation S.K. Goryunov) air armies provided great assistance to the ground forces.
By the morning of August 5, the troops of the Steppe Front reached Belgorod and started fighting for the city. Formations of the 69th Army (Lieutenant General V.D. Kryuchyonkin) advanced on the city from the north, and the 7th Guards Army (Lieutenant General M.S. Shumilov) attacked the city from the east. The 1st Mechanized Corps (Lieutenant General M.D. Solomatin) bypassed Belgorod from the west. But, despite the threat of encirclement, the enemy will continue to hold the city. Fierce street fighting ended in the evening with the defeat of the German garrison and the liberation of Belgorod. In the battles for this ancient Russian city, the 89th Guards (Colonel M.P. Seryugin) and the 305th (Colonel A.F. Vasiliev) rifle divisions and the 23rd Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment (Major G.A. Shamraev) especially distinguished themselves. awarded the honorary title of Belgorod. In honor of the liberation of Belgorod and Orel, which the troops of the Bryansk Front captured on the same day, on the evening of August 5, an artillery salute was fired in Moscow for the first time during the Great Patriotic War, which then became a traditional commemoration of the major victories of the Red Army.
On August 5, the 27th (Lieutenant General S.G. Trofimenko) and 40th (Lieutenant General K.S. Moskalenko) armies of the Voronezh Front went on the offensive. The fascist German command, having discovered their miscalculation, began to hastily transfer formations from the Donbass and from the Oryol direction to the Kharkov region in order to stop the offensive of the Soviet troops. In turn, the Headquarters of the Supreme Command attracted aircraft from the Voronezh, Steppe, South-Western, Southern fronts and long-range aviation formations to strike at suitable enemy reserves. At the same time, she reassigned the 57th Army of the Southwestern Front and the 5th Guards Tank Army of the Voronezh Front to the Steppe Front.
Soviet troops continued to develop the offensive. By the middle of the day on August 6, the 1st Tank Army (Lieutenant General M.E. Katukov) advanced to a depth of 50-55 km. and the 5th Guards Tank Army (Lieutenant General P.A. Rotmistrov) eliminated a strong enemy resistance center in the Tomarovka area and rushed to Zolochev. It was already well past midnight when the combat vehicles of the 181st tank brigade of the 18th tank corps (Colonel A.V. Egorov) reached the outskirts of the city with their headlights off. Brigade commander lieutenant colonel V.A. Bubble will decide to attack the city on the move, using the element of surprise.
The engines roared - and Soviet tanks broke into Zolochev. Awakened by shooting, the roar of engines and the rattle of caterpillars, the half-dressed Nazis jumped out of their houses in a panic and fell directly under the fire of tank guns and machine guns. Moving along the streets), the tanks shot and crushed the equipment standing on the side of the road; trucks and staff vehicles, tractors, artillery guns, camp kitchens, etc. Captain Ya.P., Vergun and senior lieutenant E.V. especially distinguished themselves in this night battle. Shkurdalov. Both of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. But with the dawn, the resistance of the enemy increased sharply. Having understood the situation, the enemy moved on to active operations. The position of the brigade became much more difficult. But at this critical moment, the main forces of the corps came to the rescue. By evening, Zolochev was completely liberated from the enemy, and the remnants of his garrison were driven back to the southwest.
The 29th Tank Corps (Major General I.F. Kirichenko) of the 5th Guards Tank Army at that time was developing an offensive in the direction of the settlement of Kazachya Lopan. Enemy resistance here was also quickly broken.
On August 7, Soviet tankers liberated the city of Bogodukhov, breaking through the enemy defenses to its entire operational depth. The breakthrough front reached 120 km, and the depth -80-100 km. The Belgorod-Kharkov group of Nazi troops was, in essence, divided into two parts. Soviet aviation in a tense struggle won air supremacy. Only in the period from 3 to 8 August, she destroyed about 400 German aircraft. By August 2, the Voronezh Front left the right wing to Akhtyrka, and cut the Kharkov-Poltava railway with the left. The troops of the Steppe Front approached the outer defensive contour of Kharkov.
The Soviet command intended to capture Kharkov by delivering a concentric attack simultaneously from several directions. Four combined-arms and one tank armies advanced on the city. The Voronezh Front, with the forces of three armies, advanced on Akhtyrka, and part of the forces on Merefa, bypassing Kharkov from the west. To fulfill the tasks of the second stage of the operation "Commander Rumyantsev", he was reinforced by the reserves of the Headquarters - the 4th Guards and 47th combined arms armies. The Southwestern Front (General of the Army R.Ya. Malinovsky) dealt the main blow to Stalin (Donetsk), and part of the forces - to Merefa, towards the troops of the Voronezh Front. The headquarters of the Supreme High Command also included the Southern Front (Colonel-General F.I. Tolbukhin), advancing from the area south of Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk) in the general direction to Stalino, towards the troops of the Southwestern Front, to the operation. After the liberation of Kharkov, all fronts of the southwestern direction were to launch an offensive in the Left-Bank Ukraine - to the Dnieper.
In order to prevent the encirclement of the Kharkov grouping, the command of Army Group South, a few days before, began to urgently concentrate a strong counter-strike group south of Bogodukhov, the basis of which was the 3rd Panzer Corps (up to 400 tanks and assault guns). Although our aircraft inflicted significant damage on the advancing enemy reserves, slowing down their concentration, they were unable to disrupt the regrouping.
On August 11, the enemy's 3rd Panzer Corps counterattacked the 1st Panzer Army and the left flat of the 6th Guards Army (Lieutenant General I.M. Chistyakov).
In the area south of Bogodukhov, a counter battle unfolded, which was of an exceptionally tense and stubborn character. The enemy sought to cut off the 1st Panzer Army, which had pulled ahead, from the main forces of the front and defeat it. Using an almost triple superiority in tanks and strong air support, the Germans managed to push our tank formations 20 km to the north and recapture the section of the Kharkov-Poltava railway that they had cut. But to break through to the God-spirit; and even more so, the enemy failed to surround and defeat the tank army.
On August 13, the main forces of the left wing of the Voronezh Front entered the battle - the 5th and 6th Guards Armies, as well as the 5th Guards Tank Army turned by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command from the Kharkov direction. The main forces of front-line aviation were redirected to support them. After fierce fighting, the enemy's counterattack in the Bogodukhov area was repelled by the end of August 17. Having suffered heavy losses, the select formations of the Wehrmacht are the motorized divisions of the SS "Reich". "Viking" and "Dead Head" - were forced to stop attacks and go on the defensive.
But the German command did not abandon its plan. On the morning of August 18, the 48th Tank Corps (four tank, two motorized divisions and two separate battalions of heavy Tiger tanks) launched a counterattack in the Akhtyrka area. The enemy managed to break through the front of the 27th Army and advance in the direction of Bogodukhov to a depth of about 25 km. To repel this counterattack, the Soviet command advanced the 4th Guards Army (Lieutenant General G.I. Kulik), the 3rd, 4th and 5th Guards Tank Corps, as well as the main forces of the 1st Tank Army transferred from under Bogodukhov . By a powerful counterattack by the Soviet troops, the enemy offensive was stopped by August 20. As a result of the oncoming battle that unfolded east of the city of Akhtyrka, the enemy strike force suffered heavy losses and was forced to go on the defensive. Meanwhile, the armies of the right wing of the Voronezh Front - the 38th (Lieutenant General N.E. Chibisov), the 47th (Lieutenant General P.P. Korzun) and the 40th, which continued to successfully develop the offensive in the western direction, deeply covered from the north, the Akhtyrskaya enemy grouping and created a threat to its rear. In the stubborn battles that unfolded on August 22-25, the strike force of the Nazi troops in the Akhtyrka region was defeated, the formations of the Voronezh Front again captured this city. Thus, the attempts of the command of the Army Group "South" to stabilize the front line, by delivering strong counterattacks to stop the offensive of the Soviet troops and remove the threat to the Kharkov industrial region, failed.
While the armies of the Voronezh Front were repulsing the onslaught of German tank divisions near Bogodukhov and Akhtyrka, the troops of the Steppe Front were fighting a stubborn battle for Kharkov. The enemy resisted fiercely. fulfilling Hitler's order not to surrender the city in any case. The intensity of the struggle grew with each passing day.
On August 13, the troops of the Steppe Front broke through the outer, located 8-14 km from Kharkov, and four days later the inner defensive contours. Overcoming the fierce resistance of the enemy, repelling his continuous counterattacks, the Soviet soldiers stubbornly made their way to the city center. Troops of the 53rd (Lieutenant General I.M. Managarov). 7th Guards. The 69th and 57th armies captured Kharkov from three sides and squeezed the ring more and more. Finally, the enemy became convinced of the hopelessness of the situation and the withdrawal of the garrison troops began. In the afternoon of August 22, our ground and air reconnaissance discovered the beginning of the withdrawal of enemy troops from Kharkov. In order to prevent them from getting away from the blow, the front commander I.S. Konev in the evening of the same day gave the troops an order for a night assault on the city. Fierce street fighting went on all night in the city, ending by noon on August 23 with the liberation of Kharkov. In the evening of the same day, Moscow saluted the liberators of the largest political and economic center in the south of our country with 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns. The ten most distinguished formations in the battles for Kharkov were given the honorary name of Kharkov, several units and formations were awarded orders.
During the Belgorod-Kharkov operation, the troops of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts inflicted a heavy defeat on Army Group South and pushed it back in a south-westerly direction for 140 km. At the final stage of the operation, the width of the offensive front of the Soviet troops reached 300 km. Conditions were created for the liberation of the entire Left-bank Ukraine and access to the Dnieper.
The Belgorod-Kharkov operation is characterized by the preparation of troops for an offensive during a defensive battle in the shortest possible time with the successful implementation of operational camouflage measures. The experience of organizing operational interaction between the fronts, partisans and aviation was further developed. The operation is instructive by the massive use of aviation, which managed to gain air supremacy in the southern strategic direction. On the Voronezh Front, for the first time during the war, a second echelon consisting of two armies was created, as well as a mobile group consisting of two tank armies. Panzer armies of a uniform composition (including only tank and mechanized formations) were successfully used both in the completion of the breakthrough of the enemy's tactical defense zone and in operations in operational depth. Further development was the massive use of artillery.
But the fight against an experienced and strong enemy, who was fluent in the most advanced methods of warfare, was far from an easy task. The victory over him required enormous efforts and considerable sacrifices, for the enemy also fought to the last opportunity, even when his position was hopeless. It was this that explained the exceptional tension and bitterness of the struggle that unfolded at the final stage of the Battle of Kursk. Soviet troops in Belgorod with the co-Kharkov operation lost about 256 thousand people (including over 71 thousand people - irretrievably), more than 400 guns and mortars, about 1.9 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, over 150 aircraft.
The losses of the enemy were also great. In the battles near Belgorod, Bogodukhov, Akhtyrka and Kharkov, the troops of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts defeated 15 divisions, including four tank divisions. As a result of the defeat in the Battle of Kursk, the German troops were forced to switch to strategic and defensive positions along the entire Eastern Front.
The victory of the Red Army in the Battle of Kursk marked a turning point in the course of the war. Germany was dealt a blow of such force from which she could no longer recover.
The German Wehrmacht not only lost the strategic initiative, but also lost the opportunity to conduct active offensive operations on the Soviet-German front. From that moment on, all the efforts of the German command were concentrated on the defense.
This victory contributed to the rise of the international prestige of the Soviet Union in the West and the strengthening of the anti-Hitler coalition.
From now on, no one had any doubts about the outcome of the war.
The code name for the plan of the Belgorod-Kharkov strategic offensive operation, carried out on August 3-23, 1943 by the troops of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts, is an important stage.
The situation at the beginning of the operation
During the fierce defensive battles of the first period of the Battle of Kursk, the advance of the German troops was stopped, which created the preconditions for a strategic offensive operation. The Soviet command sought to liberate the Kharkov industrial region. In turn, this would allow the liberation of Left-bank Ukraine to begin.
The following Wehrmacht forces were located on the southern face of the Kursk Bulge: the 4th Panzer Army (commander - Colonel General G. Goth), the Kempf Army Group (commander - General of the Tank Forces V. Kempf), the 4th Air Fleet (commander - Field Marshal W. von Richthofen). All these formations were part of the Army Group South (commander - Field Marshal General). In total, the Belgorod-Kharkov group of the Wehrmacht consisted of up to 300 thousand soldiers and officers, more than 3 thousand guns and mortars, up to 600 armored vehicles, more than 1 thousand combat aircraft. 15 infantry and 4 tank divisions were in operational reserve. In this sector of the front, the German command, in an effort to preempt a possible strike by Soviet troops in a strategically important direction, deployed elite SS tank divisions: "Viking" (commander - SS Brigadeführer H. Gille), "Reich" (commander - SS Gruppenfuehrer W. Kruger), "Dead Head" (commander - SS Gruppenführer M. Simon).
German troops defended themselves on powerful lines 6-8 kilometers wide, equipped with fortified strongholds interconnected by communication lines. The most powerfully fortified defense center was the city of Belgorod, prepared for street fighting. Near Kharkov, on the orders of the command of the Wehrmacht, two annular defensive lines were created.
The offensive of the Soviet troops in the Oryol direction, which began on July 12, 1943, and the threat of flank attacks in the Prokhorovka area, forced Manstein to withdraw the troops to their original positions. On July 16, 1943, the troops of the Voronezh Front went on the offensive - the 5th Guards (commander - Guards Colonel-General A. S. Zhadov) and the 5th Guards Tank (commander - Lieutenant General of Tank Forces) armies, which, overcoming stubborn resistance enemy, managed to advance 5-6 kilometers. In the following days, the 6th Guards (commander - Guards Colonel General I. M. Chistyakov) and 1st Tank (commander - Lieutenant General of Tank Troops) armies were put into action. On July 20, 1943, the Steppe Front went on the offensive. The general offensive of the two fronts - the Voronezh and the Steppe - began on July 22, 1943. By the end of the first day of the offensive, they managed to reach the lines occupied before the start of the Battle of Kursk, but they failed to advance further. Realizing the need to regroup and replenish the troops, the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief decided to launch a decisive offensive in early August.
The critical situation in the Oryol direction forced Manstein to transfer part of his units there. In addition, tank units suffered heavy losses during Operation Citadel, many combat vehicles were either irretrievably lost or were under repair. All these factors created a favorable environment for an offensive operation.
Operation plan and preparation for it
The development of the operation plan, which received the code name "Rumyantsev", was carried out by the headquarters of the Voronezh Front. Initially, it was supposed to encircle the entire Belgorod-Kharkov grouping of the Wehrmacht, but for this it would be necessary to carry out large regroupings of troops, for which there was no time. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief gave only 8 days for the replenishment and rest of the units. The strike had to be delivered as soon as possible in order to prevent the enemy from regrouping and completing the repair of armored vehicles.
According to the final version of the Rumyantsev operation plan, the troops of the Voronezh (commander - Army General) and the Steppe Fronts (commander - Colonel General) struck with adjacent flanks, bypassing Kharkov from the west. From the south, the encirclement ring was to be closed by the 57th Army (commander - Lieutenant General N. A. Hagen) of the South-Western Front. The command set very high rates of advance - 100-120 kilometers in 3-4 days of the offensive.
The troops of the Voronezh and Steppe Fronts were involved in the operation, which, together with the 57th Army, numbered more than 980 thousand soldiers and commanders, more than 12 thousand guns and mortars, about 2.4 thousand tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 1.5 thousand combat aircraft. The command had at its disposal 50 rifle divisions, 8 tank and 3 mechanized corps, a number of separate units and formations. The concentration of such forces became possible thanks to the large reserves of the Stavka preserved during the defensive phase of the Battle of Kursk.
Before the start of offensive battles, measures were taken to misinform the enemy about the place of the main attack. To do this, an imitation of a cluster of Soviet armored vehicles was created, because of which Manstein transferred an additional tank division to the wrong area.
The course of hostilities
The offensive began on August 3, 1943 after massive artillery preparation and air raids. Enemy positions on the sector of the Voronezh Front were attacked by the 5th Guards, 6th Guards (commander - Lieutenant General of the Tank Forces A. G. Kravchenko), 1st Tank and 5th Guards Tank Armies. On the very first day, the German defense was broken through to a depth of 8 to 25 kilometers, but the pace of the offensive set by the plan was not maintained. The troops of the Steppe Front also carried out massive artillery preparation, after which the enemy was attacked by the 1st Mechanized Corps (commander - Lieutenant General of the Tank Forces M. D. Solomatin), 53rd (commander - Lieutenant General I. M. Managarov) and 69 I (commander - Lieutenant General V. D. Kryuchenko) of the army.
On August 4, 1943, the 5th Guards and 6th Tank Corps made several attempts to take the fortified point of Tomarovka, but, having suffered significant losses, withdrew. At the same time, the activity of the German Air Force sharply increased in the Belgorod region, which inflicted heavy blows on Soviet tank and mechanized columns. All this led to great losses. Nevertheless, the 1st and 5th Guards Tank Armies managed to move forward.
On August 5, 1943, the assault on Belgorod began. The 53rd Army bypassed it from the west, the 69th Army entered its outskirts from the north, and the 7th Guards Army crossed the Seversky Donets River and reached its eastern outskirts. Attacked from three directions, semi-encircled, the Belgorod garrison of the Wehrmacht offered fierce resistance, but by 18:00 the city was completely cleared. On the same day, in honor of the liberation of Belgorod and Orel, the first salute was given in Moscow.
On the same day, the 27th (commander - Lieutenant General S. G. Trofimenko) and 40th (commander - Lieutenant General) armies were introduced into battle, which created a threat of encirclement of the German group in the Tomarovka area. As a result, on August 6, 1943, Manstein withdrew the troops. From that moment on, his main task was to hold the Kharkov industrial region. The command of the Army Group "South" transferred tank divisions there, including the SS.
The Voronezh Front was actively advancing to the south and southwest. The troops of the 5th Guards and 27th Armies surrounded a large Wehrmacht grouping in the area of the village of Borisovka - 2 tank and 2 infantry divisions, and on August 7, 1943 they defeated it. The 4th Panzer Army of the Wehrmacht was saved from complete catastrophe only by the timely transfer of reserves. On August 9, 1943, after bloody three-day battles, the troops of the 5th Guards Tank Army liberated the city of Zolochev. After that, Rotmistrov's army, which suffered serious losses, was withdrawn to the reserve and transferred to the Steppe Front.
By that time, Katukov's army had made a wide gap in the German defenses and was successfully developing the offensive. The Germans made a desperate offensive attempt, forcing its units to go on the defensive, and then partially retreat and encircle a motorized rifle brigade in Vysokopolye, which lost up to half of its personnel. The powerful onslaught of the elite units of the Wehrmacht jeopardized the plan of the Soviet command to encircle Kharkov. On August 14, 1943, Rotmistrov's army crossed the Merchik River, but was soon also forced to go on the defensive near Bogodukhov, having suffered heavy losses in armored vehicles. German counterattacks continued until August 17, 1943, when the front stabilized.
At this time, a large enemy grouping accumulated in the area of the city of Akhtyrka. In order to defeat it, the 47th Army went on the offensive, which immediately broke through the German defenses and began moving inland. The enemy launched a series of fierce counterattacks, inflicting significant losses on the Soviet troops. Therefore, the Soviet command, almost in full force, transferred Katukov's army to this area. The divisions "Dead Head", "Reich", "Gross Germany" and other German units forced the attackers to go on the defensive, and the 4th and 5th Guards Tank Corps were surrounded - only Katukov's army arrived in time to release them. It was possible to push back the enemy and free Akhtyrka only after the capture of Kharkov, on August 24, 1943.
At this time, the Steppe Front was advancing on Kharkov, where the enemy had set up powerful defensive lines. The first line of defense - the outer contour - was located at a distance of 8-14 kilometers from the Kharkov outskirts. All the settlements included in it are Dergachi, Cherkasskoye, Lozovoye, Tsirkuny. Charming, Yuzhny, Vasishchevo - were turned into powerful nodes of resistance. Around Kharkov itself, another line of defense was equipped - stone buildings were turned into fortified positions, minefields were actively used. The city was defended by 7 infantry and 2 tank divisions, although they suffered certain losses in previous battles, but continued to maintain their combat effectiveness. In addition, SS and police units, as well as a number of other units redeployed from the Crimea, were deployed to help them. Hitler demanded that Manstein keep Kharkov at any cost.
The assault on the outer defensive bypass began on August 11, 1943, but only on August 13, 1943 it was broken through. Until August 17, 1943, there were fierce battles on the outskirts of the city - there were huge losses on both sides. On August 18-22, 1943, the 53rd and 57th armies tried to cover the city from the northwest and southeast, respectively, in order to surround the garrison. however, the objectives were not achieved. It was not possible to carry out the encirclement of Rotmistrov's army, which again suffered heavy losses. The Reich division, reinforced with tank units, attacked the Soviet troops. She failed to achieve significant success, but thanks to this blow, Manstein managed to withdraw many units from Kharkov. The general assault on the city took place on the night of August 22-23, 1943. By 12:00 Kharkov was completely liberated.
Operation results
During the three-week offensive, Soviet troops advanced 140 kilometers, defeated 15 divisions, including 4 tank divisions. German troops lost more than 10 thousand soldiers and officers killed, more than 32 thousand wounded. more than 9 thousand - missing. The Soviet units lost more than 43 thousand soldiers and commanders killed and missing, more than 134 thousand wounded. The liberation of Kharkov to a large extent contributed to the final liberation of Donbass and Left-bank Ukraine. A number of units received the honorary titles "Belgorod" and "Kharkov", were transformed into guards. More than 180 fighters and commanders were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Belgorod-Kharkov offensive operation (August 3 - 23, 1943)
At the very height of the battle near Orel, Soviet troops delivered a second crushing blow to the enemy, going on a counteroffensive on the southern face of the Kursk salient. The offensive of the Voronezh and Steppe fronts in the Belgorod-Kharkov direction began early in the morning on August 3 after powerful artillery preparation and air strikes.
In the direction of the main attack, in the zone of the 5th Guards Army in a section 16 km wide, the commander of the Voronezh Front N.F. Vatutin concentrated 7 rifle divisions, an artillery breakthrough division, a guards mortar division, 14 artillery and mortar regiments, a tank brigade, 5 tank and self-propelled artillery regiments. The average density of tanks in the zone of the 5th Guards Army was 87 units per 1 km of the front. And on a breakthrough section 6 km wide, there were an average of 230 guns and mortars, 178 tanks and self-propelled guns per 1 km. Even higher densities of forces and means were created in the offensive zone of the 57th Army. Here, on a 7-kilometer breakthrough section, artillery densities exceeded 300 guns and mortars per 1 km of the front. In the middle of the day, the commander of the Voronezh Front brought the 1st and 5th Guards Tank Armies into battle, which, in cooperation with the rifle formations of the 5th Guards Army, broke through the enemy defenses by noon on the second day of the operation and advanced to a depth of 30 km.
For the first time in the course of the war, advancing in one operational direction, 2 tank armies were a kind of armored sword, inflicting a deep cutting blow on the enemy. The massive use of tanks on a narrow sector of the front had a decisive influence on increasing the pace of the operation. Having broken through the tactical defenses and defeated the nearest operational reserves of the enemy, the strike groupings of the fronts proceeded to pursue him. The pace of their advance gradually increased. Already on the second day of the operation, tank armies fought their way to a depth of 50 km. The 2nd and 5th air armies provided great assistance to the ground forces.
Having broken the stubborn resistance of the enemy, the troops of the Steppe Front went to Belgorod and on the morning of August 5 started fighting for it. Formations of the 69th Army attacked the city from the north, and the 7th Guards Army from the east. The 1st mechanized corps bypassed Belgorod from the west. But despite the threat of encirclement, the enemy continued to hold the city. Fierce street fighting began, ending in the evening with the defeat of the German garrison and the liberation of Belgorod. In the battles for this ancient Russian city, the 89th Guards Rifle Division of Colonel M.P. Seryugin, the 305th Rifle Division of Colonel A.F. Vasiliev and the 23rd Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment, awarded the honorary title of "Belgorod", especially distinguished themselves.
The Voronezh and Steppe fronts continued to develop the offensive. Panzer armies moved swiftly. By the middle of the day on August 6, the 1st Tank Army advanced to a depth of 50-55 km, and on the right flank, the 5th Guards Tank Army eliminated a strong enemy resistance center in the Tomarovka area and broke through to Zolochev. It was well past midnight when the tanks of the 181st Tank Brigade of the 18th Tank Corps reached the outskirts of the city with their headlights off. Brigade commander lieutenant colonel V.A. Bubble decided to attack the city on the move, using surprise. Engines roared, and Soviet tanks broke into Zolochev. Awakened by gunfire, the roar of engines and the rattle of caterpillars, the half-dressed Nazis dazedly jumped out of their houses and fell directly under the fire of tank guns and machine guns.
Moving along parallel streets, the tanks shot and crushed equipment standing on the sidelines: trucks and staff vehicles, tractors, guns, field kitchens, etc. Captain Ya.P. Vergun and Senior Lieutenant E.V. Shkurdalov. Both of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. With dawn, enemy resistance increased sharply. However, the main body of the corps came to the aid of the brigade. In the evening, the city of Zolochev was completely liberated from the enemy, and the remnants of its garrison were driven back to the southwest.
The 29th Tank Corps of the 5th Guards Tank Army at that time was developing an offensive against Cossack Lopan. Enemy resistance here was also quickly broken. On August 7, the tank armies liberated Bogodukhov and Zolochev, completing the breakthrough of the enemy defenses to its entire operational depth. The breakthrough front of our troops reached 120 km, and the depth of 80-100 km. The Belgorod-Kharkov group of Nazi troops was, in essence, divided into two parts.
Soviet aviation in a tense struggle won air supremacy. Between August 3 and 8, she destroyed about 400 German aircraft. By August 11, the Voronezh Front reached its right wing to Akhtyrka, and its left wing to the Kharkov-Poltava railway. The troops of the Steppe Front approached the outer defensive contour of Kharkov. In order to prevent the encirclement of their Kharkov grouping, the command of the Army Group "South" began an urgent transfer of troops to this sector of the front from the Donbass and from under Orel. The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command instructed aviation to prevent the transfer of enemy operational reserves to the zones of the Steppe and Voronezh fronts. As a result of the continuous impact of Soviet aviation, enemy reserves suffered significant losses, and most importantly, they could not arrive in time in the designated areas. During the period of the most intensive transfer of enemy reserves, partisans struck at his railway communications. Their active actions significantly slowed down the pace of concentration of counterattack groups of the Nazis. However, our command failed to disrupt the regrouping of large enemy forces in the Kharkov region.
By August 10, the enemy defense in the Kharkov direction was finally cut into two parts. An almost 60-kilometer gap formed between the 4th Panzer Army and the German task force Kempf. Thus, conditions were created for the liberation of Kharkov and the development of an offensive in Left-Bank Ukraine. In accordance with the plan approved by the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, it was supposed to take Kharkov by delivering a concentric strike from several directions while simultaneously covering it in depth from the west. The 53rd, 57th, 69th, 7th Guards Combined Arms and 5th Guards Tank Armies were to attack Kharkov. The Voronezh Front, with the forces of 3 armies, was to advance on Akhtyrka, part of the forces - on Bogodukhov and further on Merefa, bypassing Kharkov from the northwest. To fulfill the tasks of the second stage of the operation "Commander Rumyantsev", the Voronezh Front was reinforced by the reserves of the Headquarters. Instead of the armies that had departed from its composition, new ones arrived - the 4th Guards and 47th armies.
The Southwestern Front dealt the main blow to Stalino, and part of its forces to Merefa in order to assist the Steppe Front in isolating Kharkov. The headquarters also included the Southern Front in the operation, which received the task of advancing from the area south of Voroshilovgrad in the general direction of Stalino towards the main blow of the Southwestern Front. After the operation to liberate Kharkov, all the fronts participating in it were to launch an offensive in the Left-Bank Ukraine, to the Dnieper.
On August 10, the troops of the Steppe Front launched a general offensive against Kharkov and the next day approached its outer defensive bypass. By this time, the troops of the Voronezh Front had liberated Akhtyrka and cut the Kharkov-Poltava railroad. There was a real threat of deep coverage by Soviet troops of the entire Kharkov grouping of the enemy. To prevent this, the command of the Army Group "South" secretly concentrated the 3rd Panzer Corps south of Bogodukhov, numbering up to 400 tanks and assault guns. On August 11, this corps launched a surprise counterattack on the 1st Tank Army and the left flank of the 6th Guards Army. In the Bogodukhov area, an oncoming tank battle unfolded, which was of an exceptionally tense and stubborn character. The enemy sought to cut off the 1st Panzer Army, which had rushed forward, from the main forces of the front and defeat it south of Bogodukhov. Using its almost triple superiority in tanks and strong air support, the enemy pushed our tank formations 20 km to the north and liberated the section of the Kharkov-Poltava railway that they had cut. But he failed to break through to Bogodukhov, and even more so to surround and defeat the tank army.
On August 13, the main forces of the left wing of the Voronezh Front, the 5th and 6th Guards Armies, as well as the 5th Guards Tank Army, entered the battle. The main forces of front-line aviation were redirected to support them. After fierce fighting, by the end of the day on August 17, the enemy's counterattack in the Bogodukhov area was repelled. Having suffered heavy losses, the elite formations of the Nazi Wehrmacht - the motorized divisions of the SS "Reich", "Viking" and "Dead Head", were forced to go on the defensive.
But the enemy command did not abandon its plan. On the morning of August 18, with the forces of 4 tank, 2 motorized divisions and 2 separate battalions of heavy tanks, it delivers a new counterattack on the troops of the Voronezh Front in the Akhtyrka area. The enemy, who concentrated large forces in a narrow sector, managed to break through the front of the 27th Army and advance 24 km in the direction of Bogodukhov. To repulse this enemy grouping, the 4th Guards Army was advanced, as well as the main forces of the 1st Tank Army transferred from near Bogodukhov. By a powerful counterattack by the Soviet troops, the enemy offensive was stopped by August 20. As a result of the oncoming battle that unfolded east of Akhtyrka, the enemy strike force suffered heavy losses and was forced to go on the defensive.
Meanwhile, the armies of the right wing of the Voronezh Front, which continued to successfully develop the offensive in a westerly direction, deeply enveloped the enemy's Akhtyrskaya grouping from the north and created a threat to its rear. In the stubborn battles that unfolded on August 22-25, the strike force of the Nazi troops in the Akhtyrka region was defeated, the formations of the Voronezh Front again captured this city. Thus, the attempt of the command of Army Group "South" to stabilize the front line and remove the threat to the Kharkov industrial region failed.
While the armies of the Voronezh Front were repulsing the frenzied onslaught of German tank divisions near Bogodukhov and Akhtyrka, the troops of the Steppe Front were fighting a stubborn battle for Kharkov. The enemy fiercely resisted, following Hitler's order not to surrender the city in any case. The intensity of the struggle grew with each passing day. On August 13, the troops of the Steppe Front broke through the outer defensive bypass, located 8-14 km from Kharkov, and after 4 days, having broken through the inner defensive bypass, started fighting on the northern outskirts of the city. Breaking the fierce resistance of the enemy, repulsing his continuous counterattacks, the Soviet troops successively broke through the outer and inner defensive lines around the city and engulfed it from three sides.
In the afternoon of August 22, ground and air reconnaissance discovered the beginning of the withdrawal of enemy troops from Kharkov. “In order to prevent the enemy from getting away from the blows,” Marshal of the Soviet Union I. S. Konev later wrote, “in the evening of August 22, I gave the order for a night assault on Kharkov. Throughout the night of August 23, street battles were going on in the city, fires were blazing, strong explosions were heard. The soldiers of the 531st, 69th, 7th Guards, 57th2 Armies and the 5th Guards Tank Army, showing courage and courage, skillfully bypassed the enemy strongholds, infiltrating his defenses, attacking his garrisons from the rear. Step by step, Soviet soldiers cleared Kharkov from fascist invaders. By dawn on August 23, the roar of the battle for the city began to gradually subside, and by noon Kharkov was completely cleared of the enemy. With the liberation of Kharkov and the Kharkov industrial region, the operation "Commander Rumyantsev" ended, and the Battle of Kursk along with it. On the evening of August 23, 1943, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, saluted the liberators of Kharkov, the largest political and economic center of the South of our country, with 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns. 10 formations that distinguished themselves in the battles for the city were awarded the honorary title of "Kharkov".
I. S. Konev
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