All the other mobile formations of 1st Guard Army and the Popov Shock Group had swept south and around that deep bend in the Donets, driving for Chuguyev and points south on the river. The sector near Chuguyev was defended by Korps Raus with the 106th and 320th Infantry Divisions, but the Russians had enough force to contest this whole segment of the river.
South of the 320th, they would find four minor bridges near Zimyev before the river turned southeast to make its way down through Andreyevka, Balakleya and eventually reach the major rail and road hub of Izyum. Those four crossing points were only defended by the nine battalions that made up the 2nd Luftwaffe Field Korps. Yet as the river ran on to the southeast again, there was virtually no defense at all. A single battalion, Feldersats C from Armeegruppe South, had the bridge at Bishkin some 12 kilometers from the Luftwaffe troops. The rest of the river, nearly 100 kilometers to Izyum, was being screened by two reserve infantry divisions, which had only six battalions each.
If the Soviets wanted to get over the Donets, they had plenty of opportunities to do so. The strongest attack began right there north of the big bend, on the southern end of Franek’s 196th Infantry, and against Himmler’s new volunteer Nordland Panzer Division. Wagner had neglected to blow the bridge at Martovaya, and the 48th Guards Rifle Division fought hard to gain a bridgehead there for the tank brigades of 3rd Corps right behind it. The Soviets had plenty of bridging equipment and they were soon swarming over the river at every site that looked crossable, slowly driving KG Wagner back.
It was soon clear to Wagner that it would be fruitless to try to defend the deep salient created by the river bend, and he gave orders for the division to fall back to a new line stretching between the two top ends of the big U formed by the river. There was heavy woodland in that area that offered better prospects for defense, and his line would be considerably shorter.
But fresh black uniforms and SS insignia do not make a division like those in Steiner’s Korps. The inexperience of the rank and file troops, their zeal for combat aside, was quite apparent. Wagner’s orders would be received, but not implemented in time to prevent the surge of 3rd Shock Army crossing the river along a wide zone between Pechengi and Chuguyev. Most of that sector was lightly screened by Wagner’s Recon battalion, a Panzerjager unit and one company of motorized infantry.
They were about to get steamrolled.
Zhukov and Vatutin new the terrain well, and they had planned this attack very carefully. They had no intention of trying to link up the two pincers, unless that opportunity presented itself. The breakthrough on the Oskol was so wide, and the ground so open to the west, that they had ample room to maneuver. In this event Zhukov wanted the strong infantry armies like 1st and 3rd Shock, and the 3rd Guards to cover the river and force crossing points.
“The big bend northeast of Chuguyev will be easy to take and hold,” said Zhukov. I want that area attacked by strong infantry, at least two armies. Once our guardsmen fight their way through the woods, then we can send armor through on the shortest route to Kharkov.”
“What about 1st Guard Tank Army and Popov’s group?” asked Vatutin. They’ll just have to sit there until the infantry gets us those bridgeheads.”
“No,” said Zhukov definitively. “I want them moving south, bypassing Chuguyev and looking for crossings near Zimyev. That failing, they can go for Andreyevka or Balakleya.”
Kuznetsov’s 1st Guard Tank Army went for Zimyev, and so Popov veered off south and reached the Donets late on the night of April 15th. His motorized infantry dismounted, rushing into the outskirts of Balakleya, and by sunrise, the Soviets would have that town secured.
Pushed out of the plusher quarters, the German defenders retreated over the Donets, demolish the bridges and counted themselves lucky to be still breathing.
Sepp Dietrich was on the telephone to Knobelsdorff as reports came flooding in from the south. The Russians had stormed the Saltov position, and had a bridgehead there three kilometers deep. They had also crossed well north of Martovaya, and at Pechengi to seize the entire Donets Bend near Chuguyev. Now the Luftwaffe at Zimyev reported a strong attack there.
“They are certainly persistent,” said Dietrich. “Do you still want this bridgehead at Volchansk? If we could get 4th Army back to the Donets we might shorten our lines and free up some troops to plug these holes. As it stands, the bulk of my troops are just sitting here.”
“Balck is coming up,” said Knobelsdorff.
“He won’t be enough on his own,” said Dietrich. “If I get over the river and join him, then we can do business.”
“What about Wagner?”
“That division is unreliable.” Dietrich stated the obvious. “It was sent here to get some seasoning, and instead it’s getting cooked!”
“I don’t have authority to order 4th Army to withdraw as you suggest.”
“Then pass it to Hoth…. Pass it up to Manstein,” said Dietrich. “We must do something. They’ll be on their way to Kharkov by this time tomorrow if we don’t.”
“Alright, I can give you authorization to abandon the bridgehead at Volchansk. Balck came up the road from Kharkov. He’s at Mikhaylovka. Take your division to Ternovka, but I don’t want them over the river behind you.”
“I’ll have to inform General Holts. He’s got the 161st just north of Volchansk.”
“Correct,” said Knobelsdorff, “and then he’ll have to inform the 168th on his left, and so on. We haven’t time to kick this can from Hoth to Manstein. We have to act. Get your division free for offensive action as soon as you can. Move tonight, and take the Reichsführer Brigades with you. I’ll speak with you in the morning.”
Knobelsdorff hung up the phone and then immediately informed his adjutant to get General Manstein on the line.
“Generalfieldmarshal,” he said, “It has become necessary to tighten the defensive shield around Belgorod, and to do so we needed to give the Russians Volchansk.”
“That is not a problem,” said Manstein. “We don’t need Volchansk. It’s on the wrong side of the river.”
“Dietrich agreed with that, and so I ordered him to pull out tonight. Balck is arriving, and I’m beginning to assemble my Korps between Ternovka and Mikhaylovka, northeast of Kharkov. I was planning to stop the incursion over the Donets at the Saltov position, and then reinforce that new SS division at the river bend. They’re getting quite an education.”
“Himmler paraded in to my meeting with the Führer thinking he was delivering Christ reincarnated with that unit. Well, they must learn their craft. Look after them. Tell Dietrich to take them under his wing and see what he can do with them.”
“Then Volchansk won’t be a problem?”
“Forget about it.”
“Good, and how are things coming along on the Don front?”
“Very odd. We identified their 1st Tank army here, but then it withdrew two days ago. I think they smelled Steiner and wanted no part of him. When the tanks pulled back, their infantry fell back as well. We mopped up yesterday, and I’m moving a few 6th Army divisions into the new line. I’ll be taking Grossdeutschland through Star Oblesk tonight. Steiner will move by rail from Millerovo and down through Krasny Liman. We should begin assembling in a day or so, between Izyum and the Oskol as it approaches the Donets.”
“Then that attack was just bait,” said Knobelsdorff.
“Apparently, and it pulled in some big fish down here. But that was Katukov. He slipped out the back door here, but rest assured, he’ll be delivering the mail somewhere else. Be wary.”