First Battle of Kharkov

{{Expert-subject|Military history|date=March 2010}} {{Globalize/Germany|date=December 2010}} The '''1st Battle of Kharkov''' so named by [[Wilhelm Keitel]] was the 1941 tactical [[Wehrmacht]] battle for the city of [[Kharkiv]] ([[Ukrainian SSR]]) during the final phase of [[Operation Barbarossa]] by the German [[6th Army (Germany)|6th Army]] of the [[Army Group South]] on 20 October 1941. The Soviet [[38th Army (Soviet Union)|38th Army]] was ordered to defend the city while its factories were dismantled for relocation farther east. By 21 October, all of the factory equipment had been loaded on to rail trains. On this day the Germans closed to within 11 km of the [[Rail yard|railway yards]]. The German 6th Army executed a northern [[envelopment]] of the city while the 17th Army did the same from the south of the Soviet [[Defensive fighting position|defensive position]]s on 24 October. Although the city was taken by German troops on the same day, most of the rail transport was evacuated by the Soviet authorities. ===Kharkov's railroad system=== In autumn 1941, Kharkov was considered one of the Soviets' most important strategic bases for railroad and airline connections. It not only connected the east-west and north-south parts of Ukraine, but also several central regions of the USSR including the [[Crimea]], [[Caucasus]], the [[Dnieper]] region, and [[Donbas]]. ===Military Importance=== Kharkov was one of the largest industrial centers of the Soviet Union. One of its greatest contributions was the Soviet [[T-34 tank]] that was both designed and developed at the [[Kharkov Tractor Factory]]. It was considered to be the most powerful tank plant in the country. Other plants that were located in Kharkov included the Kharkov Aircraft Plant, Kharkov Plant of the [[NKVD]] (FED),and the Kharkov Turbine Plant. Military products that were in Kharkov before the battle started included: tanks, [[Su-2]], [[artillery tractor]]s, [[82-PM-41|82 mm mortars]], [[sub-machine guns]], ammunition, and other military equipment. The main objective for the German Nazi troops was to take over the railroad and military plants, thus they desperately tried to keep the industrial area of Kharkov intact. [[Adolf Hitler]] himself stressed the importance of those military plants stating: “… The second in importance is south of Russia, particularly the [[Donets Basin]], ranging from the Kharkov region. There is the whole basis of Russian economy; if the area is mastered then it would inevitably lead to the collapse of the entire Russian economy…“ ===Population of Kharkov=== Kharkov was the most populated Soviet city during [[World War II]]. The population of the city on 1 May 1941 was 901,000. In September 1941 the population skyrocketed to 1 million 500 thousand people, due to multiple evacuees from other cities. After multiple attacks and many deaths the population of Kharkov decreased to 180 – 190 thousand, which was the population after the liberation of the city in August 1943. ====Jewish Population==== Kharkov was one of the most important Soviet cities for the fleeing Jewish population. According to records, Kharkov had 10,271 people of Jewish ethnicity living in the city, 75% of which were women, children, and elderly. After the battle, many of them were either transferred to concentration camps or executed. ==Before the Battle== [[File:Map Operation Typhoon.jpg|thumb|left|350px|The German advances made from 26 August to 5 December 1941.]] ===The aftermath of Kiev=== After the [[Battle of Kiev (1941)|Battle of Kiev]] [[Army Group Centre]] was ordered to redeploy its forces for the [[Battle of Moscow|attack on Moscow]], and so the [[2nd Panzer Group (Germany)|2nd Panzer Group]] turned north towards [[Bryansk]] and [[Kursk]]. [[Army Group South]], and in particular [[Walther von Reichenau|von Reichenau's]] [[6th Army (Germany)|6th Army]] and [[Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel|von Stülpnagel's]] [[17th Army (Germany)|17th Army]] took the place of the Panzer Divisions. The main offensive formation of Army Group South, [[Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist|von Kleist's]] [[1st Panzer Army (Germany)|1st Panzer Group]], was in the meantime ordered south for a drive to [[Rostov-on-Don]] and the [[Caucasus|Caucasian]] oilfields, following [[Führer Directives|Führer Directive No. 35]]. The burden of processing Kiev's 600.000 POW's fell upon the 6th and 17th Armies, so while the 1st Panzer Group secured the German victory in the [[Battle of Melitopol]], those two armies spent the next three weeks regrouping. Meanwhile, [[Stavka]] needed to stabilise its southern flank and poured reinforcements into the area between Kursk and Rostov, at the expense however of its forces in front of [[Moscow]]. The [[Southwestern Front (Soviet Union)|Southwestern Front]], which had been completely destroyed during the battle of Kiev, was re-established under the command of Marshal [[Semyon Timoshenko]], one of the more capable [[Red Army]] commanders. The [[40th Army (Soviet Union)|40th]], [[21st Army (Soviet Union)|21st]], [[38th Army (Soviet Union)|38th]] and [[6th Army (Soviet Union)|6th]] [[List of Soviet armies|Armies]] were reconstituted almost from scratch. ===Approaching Kharkov=== With the Battle of Moscow under way, the Germans had to protect their flanks, and on [[October 6]] von Reichenau advanced through [[Sumy]] and [[Okhtyrka]] in the direction of [[Belgorod]] and Kharkov. On the same day, the 17th Army commenced its offensive from [[Poltava]] towards [[Lozovaya]] and [[Izyum]] to protect the lengthening flank of the [[1st Panzer Army (Germany)|1st Panzer Army]] (the renamed 1st Panzer Group). The Southwestern Front's 6th Army (commanded by [[Rodion Malinovsky]]) and 38th Army failed to conduct a coordinated defence and were beaten back. Because the situation at [[Vyazma]] and Bryansk left Stavka with no reserves, Timoshenko was forced to retreat to prevent a total collapse of the southern flank. [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L20721, Charkow, deutscher Einmarsch.jpg|thumb|right|350px|The German Army enters downtown Kharkov. Note that the divisions who performed the assault on Kharkov did not possess any armoured vehicles, and very few trucks. The regular infantry and light divisions of the German Army relied on horses for transport throughout the entire war.]] Although the main objectives of the German Army before winter fell were to capture Leningrad, Moscow and the approaches to the Caucasian oilfields, Kharkov was an important secondary objective. Besides the need to protect the flanks of its motorized spearheads, the [[OKH]] also saw the importance of Kharkov as an industrial centre and railroad hub. Capturing Kharkov meant that the Southwestern and [[Southern Front (Soviet Union)|Southern Front]] had to fall back on [[Voronezh]] and [[Stalingrad]] as their major transport hubs. When in the second week of October the dirty weather of the [[Rasputitsa]] and the poor logistics in the area between the [[Dnepr]] and the front (all the bridges had collapsed during combat and ice threatened the pontoons) caused the offensive to stall, Hitler personally allocated resources from the 17th Army to the 6th Army to ensure the capture of Kharkov. This, however, weakened the 17th Army's effort to protect the flank of the 1st Panzer Army and contributed to the German defeat at the [[Battle of Rostov (1941)|Battle of Rostov]]. After 17 October, night frost improved the roads but snow storms and the cold started to hamper the Germans, who were insufficiently equipped for winter operations (the German Army had planned that Barbarossa would be over before winter fell). ===Preparing to take the city=== The task of assaulting Kharkov itself was given to the [[LV Army Corps (Germany)|LV. Armeekorps]] commanded by [[General of the Infantry (Germany)|General der Infanterie]] [[Erwin Vierow]]. This corps had at its disposal the [[101st Jäger Division|101. Leichte-Division]], commanded by [[Generalleutnant]] [[Josef Brauner von Haydringen]] coming in from the north, the [[57th Infantry Division (Germany)|57. Infanterie-Division]], commanded by [[Generalmajor]] [[Anton Dostler]] coming in from the south, and the [[100th Light Infantry Division (Germany)|100. Leichte-Division]], who did not take part in the battle. [[Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 197]], commanded by [[Hauptmann]] [[Kurt von Barisani]] had two of its three batteries attached to the 57. Infanterie-Division to provide close fire support during the assault. For the defense of Kharkov, the [[216th Rifle Division]] had been reformed in Kharkov after its destruction at Kiev. It received little to no support from other divisions or from higher command echelons because the 38th Army was in the process of a strategic retreat and the defense of Kharkov was only necessary as long as its factory equipment had not been completely evacuated. [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-B13548, Charkow, Einmarsch deutsche Truppen.jpg|thumb|left|300px|German troops enter Kharkov from the West, crossing the main railroad running through Kharkov on the viaduct of Sverdlov Street. This street was used by [[199th Infantry Regiment (Germany)|199. Infanterie-Regiment]] of the 57. ID to enter the city.]] ====101th Light Division==== By 21 October the 101 Light Division had reached a line about 6 kilometers west of Kharkov. [[228th Jäger Regiment (Germany)|228th Light Regiment]] spearheaded the division, its 1st and 3rd [[batallion]] taking up defensive positions on the front and 2nd batallion in reserve. On 22 October the regiment was ordered to conduct [[reconnaissance]] to determine the enemy's strength. That same day at noon the regiment was attacked by a Russian infantry batallion supported by tanks. The attack was repulsed and two tanks were disabled. That night the recon information was transmitted by radio to the Division HQ. The 216th Rifle Division had occupied the western edge of the city, with MG nests, mortar pits and minefields in place. For the attack 3rd batallion (the regiment's right flank) was reinforced with two guns from the division's artillery , [[85th Artillery Regiment (Germany)|85th Artillery Regiment]], a company of engineers and an [[8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41|88 mm Flak gun]]. 2nd batallion received the same reinforcements, but without the AA gun. The 1st batallion acted as regimental reserve. The first batallion of the [[229th Jäger Regiment (Germany)|229th Light Regiment]] would protect left flank of the 228th. The attack hour was set at noon, in conjunction with the 57th Infantry Division. At 11:00 hours, a liaison was established between the 85th Artillery and the 228th Light Regiment. The artillery was not ready at the time, so the attack had to be postponed. In the meantime the AT-company, who had been stuck in the mud to the rear, finally arrived at the front and was ordered to assign one [[3.7 cm Pak 36|37 mm AT-gun]] [[platoon]] to every frontline batallion. At 14:25, the artillery was ready and the attack hour was set at 15:00. ===Assault of the city (23-24 October)=== The evacuation of enterprises started before the Nazis had a chance to attack. By 20 October 1941 evacuation of industrial facilities was virtually completed. Three-hundred and twenty trains were sent with the equipment from 70 major factories. Kharkov was taken by the German 6th Army, under the command of [[Walther von Reichenau]], on 24 October 1941. ==Occupation of Kharkov== [[File:1941oct25SumskayaStreetOccupation.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Sumskaya street in Kharkov, 25 October 1941.]] The city was subject to its first occupation during the war, which lasted until [[February 16]], [[1943]]. The city never became part of [[Reichskommissariat Ukraine]] because of its proximity to the front. The staff of the LV. Armeekorps acted as the occupational authority, using 57.ID as occupation force. Generalmajor Anton Dostler was Stadtkommandant until [[December 13]], when he was succeeded by Generalleutnant [[Alfred von Puttkamer]], and Kharkov was transferred to the [[Heeresgebiet]] of the 6. Armee and put under the joint authority of the Stadtkommandant and [[Feldkommandantur 757]]. German troops acting under the authority of the 'Reichenau-Befehl' of October 10 (effectively an order to kill anybody associated with [[communism]]) terrorized the population that was left after the battle. Many of the Soviet [[commanders]]´ corpses were hung off balconies to strike fear in the remaining population. Many people frantically began to flee, causing chaos. In the early hours of November 14, multiple buildings in the city centre were blown up by time-fuses left by the retreating Red Army. Casualties included the commander (Generalleutnant [[Georg Braun (general)|Georg Braun]]) and staff of the [[68th Infantry Division (Germany)|68. Infanterie-Division]]. The Germans arrested some 200 civilians (mostly jews) and hanged them from the balconies of large buildings. Another 1,000 were taken as hostages and interned in the Hotel International on [[Dzerzhinsky Square]]. All of these [[War crimes of the Wehrmacht|war crimes]] were committed by frontline [[Heer (1935-1945)|Heer]] commanders, and not by [[SS]] troops. On December 14, the Stadtkommandant ordered the Jewish population to be concentrated in a hut settlement near the Kharkov Tractor Factory. In two days, 20.000 Jews were gathered there. Sonderkommando 4a, commanded by SS-Standartenführer [[Paul Blobel]], of [[Einsatzgruppe]] [[Einsatzkommando#Einsatzgruppe_C|C]] started shooting the first of them in December, then continuing to kill them throughout January in a [[gas van]]. This was a modified truck that fitted 50 people in it; the van drove around the city and slowly killed the people that were trapped in it with [[carbon monoxide]] that was emitted from the car itself and channeled into an airtight compartment. The victims died by a combination of [[carbon monoxide poisoning]] and [[suffocation]]. The German Army confiscated large quantities of food to be used by its troops, creating acute food shortages in the Ukraine. By January [[1942]] around one-third of the cities 300.000 remaining inhabitants suffered from starvation. Many would die in the cold winter months. [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 169-0337, Charkow, Motorrad mit Beiwagen.jpg|thumb|left|300px|German soldiers inspect a motorcycle that has just been repaired in a Kharkov workshop.]] As a result of the battles in Kharkov, the city was left in ruins. Dozens of architectural monuments were destroyed and numerous artistic treasures taken. One of Russia’s known authors – [[Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy]], wrote: “I saw Kharkov. As if it were Rome in the fifth century. A huge cemetery…” ==Sources== * [http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=8908 First battle of Kharkov]. Retrieved 14-08-2011 * Glantz, David M. (2001). ''Before Stalingrad'', Tempus Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7524-2692-3 * [http://vecherniy.kharkov.ua/news/14899/ Kharkov News] * Kiessling, Hannes (2007-2011). [http://www.57id.de/index.php?title=Bericht_%C3%BCber_die_Einnahme_von_Charkow Bericht über die Einnahme von Charkow], ''57.Infanterie-Division''. Retrieved 14-08-2011 * Kirchubel, Robert (2003). ''Operation Barbarossa 1941: Army Group South'', Praeger Publishers. ISBN 0-275-98282-3 * Margry, Karel (february 2001). "Kharkov", ''After The Battle'', Issue 112, p. 3-45 * [http://memorial.kharkov.ua/history Memoir of Kharkov’s History] * [http://www.history.org.ua/JournALL/journal/1999/6/8.pdf Ukrainian Historical Journal] ==External links== {{Commons category|First Battle of Kharkov}} {{Coord missing|Ukraine}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Kharkov, 1st Battle Of}}