As you know, from the first days of the Great Patriotic War and for a few months the Soviet forces retreated across the length of the western border of the country.The first rapid pace of the enemy was stopped in November 1941, on the outskirts of Moscow.Then the cost of enormous efforts of the Red Army was able to throw the fascists.This has led the military commanders are confident in the readiness of troops to conduct offensive attacks.However, such misconceptions have led to the crash near Kharkov.
original plan
By the time when the attack of the German troops had been successfully stopped, and, moreover, the enemy was thrown back from Moscow borders on a pretty good distance, most of the industry was evacuated to the Urals, where some changes in mostenterprises conducted active production of military equipment.Receipt of weapons to the army returned to normal, in addition, significantly increased the personnel of the army.Already in the second quarter of 1942 it managed to create not only for replenishment of the army, but also the back-nine armies.
Based on these circumstances, the High Command has decided to develop a number of offensive operations in different areas of the front with the aim to demoralize the enemy, do not let him join their army, cut off the southern front of the Germans, and pressing them to destroy.Among the strategic operations and Kharkov boiler was listed in 1942.
composition of the future collision
On the Soviet side, it was decided to include in the battle the army of three fronts - the Bryansk, South-West and South.These included more than a dozen field armies, and seven armored corps and more than twenty separate tank brigades.In addition, the front line has been adjusted reserve, which consisted of additional armored formations.Kharkov boiler 1942 prepared carefully, so to take part in future battles were produced more than 640 thousand soldiers, including officers, and 1.2 thousand tanks.
command of the entire operation has also been entrusted with the first persons of the country's military leadership.Among the leadership was the head of the South-Western Front, Marshal Semyon Timoshenko, the headquarters headed by the commander Ivan Bagramyan and Nikita Khrushchev.At the head of the Southern front at that time was Lieutenant-General Rodion Malinovsky.Hitler's forces led by Field Marshal Fedor von Bock.Common forces numbered three armies, including six army Paulus.For his part, he called the Wehrmacht Kharkov boiler operation 1942 "Frederikus."
Preparations
In early 1942, Soviet troops began the preparatory maneuvers.Education began a foothold in parts of the Southwestern Front in the Kharkiv region in the town of Raisin, near the Seversky Donets River, on the west bank of which have managed to create and support a further attack on Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk.In particular, the Soviet army was able to cut the railways, which involves the supply of enemy units.However, spring and came with her slush on the roads intervened in the war plans - offensive had to stop.
proactive
According to the plans of the German High Command was assumed that the boiler Kharkov 1942 is initially expressed in the destruction of the Soviet army established a base, and then in the environment.Attack of the Nazis was to begin May 18, but the Red Army ahead of the Germans, began to attack six days earlier.The operation was launched with simultaneous attacks on enemy units from the north and south.According to the strategy of the Soviet command, the Sixth Army was to get into the environment - in Kharkov boiler.In 1942 from the beginning seemed quite promising - initially plans Soviet connection is successfully implemented.Five days later, they actually managed to press the Germans to Kharkov.
Simultaneously, on the southern side of the Germans thronged just three Soviet armies, who managed to break through the German defenses and bury in a small village, where he began long fierce fighting.In the north, as in the first days of the operation we were able to delve into the German defense on 65 kilometers.However, South-West and South front not shown themselves very active, which allowed the Germans time to sort out the situation and to regroup the troops, bringing the whole part with the attacked sites.
first failures - harbingers of disaster
Operation "Kharkov boiler" (1942) was held successfully for the Soviet side only in the first few days.By the end of the fifth day of fighting, it became clear that everything goes according to plan.By this time, the defense had to be pretty seriously breached and the Soviet troops - to move far ahead, but they are still stamped on the front line.On the northern section of defensive battles against the German attacks were tightened.Historians point out that in the first days of the attack from the south and north sides acted inconsistently.The compounds of the South and South-Western fronts and at all acted inconsistently, creating serious failures in the operation.
Also, do not form reserves, preparation of engineering structures and barriers has been extremely low.As a result, on the south side was not secured tight defense.This was partly the reason that the boiler Kharkov 1942 eventually turned a disaster for the Soviet troops.Do not forget that the command does not include the possibility of a German offensive during the operation.Such confidence inspired to establish a foothold.
Backlash
German troops had also planned to strike two blows to the south side of the springboard to further develop the offensive in the raisins.During this portion of the Ninth Army was responsible.It was planned that the Germans break through the defense of the Soviet troops and cut up into two parts in order to encircle and destroy them separately.Next supposed to continue the offensive to destroy the whole army group, sat down on the beachhead.
On the fifth day of the battle of the First Panzer Army managed to break through the defense and support of the Red Army to attack.We add that the first day they were able to cut off from the main forces of one of the armies of the Southern Front, and in ten days, they can not retreat to the east.Probably already Kharkov boiler 1942 (photo, unrelated to the events presented in the review) was doomed.Tymoshenko, realizing the desperate situation of Moscow asked permission to retreat.Although Alexander Vasilevsky, at that time already appointed chief of the General Staff, allowed Stalin said its categorical "no."As a result, have a greater number of May 23 was surrounded by Soviet troops.
enemy trap
Since then, the Red Army tried hard to break through the blockade.In particular, the German officers recalled the desperate attacks are incredibly intense and a lot of infantry.Attempts have not been particularly successful: three days from the beginning of the Soviet entourage were driven to a relatively small area near the small town of Barvenkovo.It was only the first phase of the Second World War.Kharkov boiler was only the logical consequence of a lack of training and lack of coordination.Due to the strong defense of the Germans to withdraw from parts of the Soviet encirclement failed.And Tymoshenko nothing else to do but to stop the offensive.
Nevertheless, attempts to withdraw from his entourage continued for several days.Despite the huge losses (literally endless list of victims was) Kharkov boiler managed to break through the little village near Lozovenka.However, escape from the trap could only have fallen by a tenth of it.It was a crushing defeat.Fatalities in Kharkov boiler in 1942 - 171,000 people - literally gave their lives just so we can say, because of the whim of Stalin.The total number of casualties has reached 270 thousand.
dire consequences
The most important consequence of the failure was the total weakening of Soviet defenses along the entire southern front.Quite a large force was invested in Kharkov boiler (1942).Frustration at the turning point in the war, it was too painful.Wehrmacht And this, of course, well-used.
Germans launched a massive offensive in the direction of the Caucasus and the Volga.Already at the end of June, after passing between Kharkov and Kursk, they broke through to the Don.Expensive cost Kharkov boiler 1942 - lists of the dead joined several senior military commanders, including commanders of armies and fronts.But during the retreat parts of the Southwestern Front, the losses were considerable.While the Germans took Voronezh and Rostov moved to the Soviet army lost prisoners from 80 to 200 thousand fighters.Taking Rostov closer to the end of July, early August the enemy came to Stalingrad - abroad, which the Germans will not be able to overcome.
about the situation in Kharkov is the last triumph of the Wehrmacht in the USSR, Konstantin Bykov wrote a book - "Kharkov boiler 1942".
Return to Kharkov
In fact, fighting in Kharkov borders were more than once.And this is understandable.Hitler launched his attack precisely with Belarus and Ukraine.On the approaches to Kharkov, Soviet troops have already started to learn to navigate and to repulse the enemy.Thus, the first boiler Kharkov 1941 "boiling" during the whole of October.Then the two sides fiercely fought for the industrial wealth of the city.However, by the time the city fell, most of the major productions or had already been exported or destroyed.
third clash of the same borders occurred a year after the second battle.Another Kharkov boiler - in 1943 - was formed in February and March in the territory between Kharkiv and Voronezh.And this time, the city has also been commissioned.Losses on both sides were more than impressive.
