“What do we do now?” Speidel’s eyes played over the map.
“We could do nothing in the clinch near Kharkov,” said Manstein, but now, with Raus in position to hold the city, we can maneuver again. Even though it violates doctrine, I’m going to swing Steiner southwest and then hit the center of their breakthrough. We must not turn too early, because they have interior lines, and fast moving Mech units that could react. Then we would just have the battle we were fighting near the city back again. As we move southwest, the Guards infantry will not be fast enough to interfere, so we can choose any point of attack we might wish.”
“What if he realizes his dilemma and pulls 1st Guard Tank out to come after us.”
“That is what he should do, but it would mean he must end his attack on Kharkov from the south.”
“He could withdraw his guardsmen for that,” said Speidel.
“True, but that would take them two days, and it’s rather tricky to pull off, especially when facing an aggressive attack by the enemy. In any case, if Kuznetsov attempts that, he is dancing to our tune. Don’t you see? This move by Steiner gives us back the initiative. I will stop his attack on the southern segment of the city, not by fighting to the last man with Steiner, as Efendi might order, but by maneuver, and the indirect approach. This is what we are best at, and how we must fight now.”
“If we move southwest, where will we turn?”
“I think we will move through Valki, and them perhaps we can make a push for Novaya Vologda. After that, the ground is better, and note how all the watercourses move southeast, so they will not be obstacles. That will be the direction of our counterattack—to this place, Taranovka. If we get that far, we will have popped their balloon. From there we can threaten Zimyev from the southwest, or simply turn south and smash these forces facing off against the Wiking Division. This maneuver rides roughshod right through the heart of their breakthrough, and challenges Kuznetsov to break off his attack and come down to try and stop us.”
“What if he does something unexpected? He could attack through Yubotin after we have moved southwest, and continue his envelopment operation.”
“Let him try. This is why I think we must leave Das Reich behind in the city. It needs rest, and it could stand as a good mobile reserve. I’ll take Grossdeutschland, Leibstandarte and Totenkopf for this operation. Then we will see if they can dance.”
General Kuznetsov could see that something was amiss. The dark uniforms and distinctive insignia of the 1st SS Division he had been battling for days was now replaced with a fresh infantry division, the 7th. They have also pulled many other SS formations off the line and replaced them with infantry they brought down from the north. Wounded or not, this is still a dangerous bear, he thought.
“Some reconnaissance reports,” said a staff officer. “Artillery, a few tanks, and some recon elements a few kilometers north of Yubotin.”
“Any units identified?”
“No sir, the cloud cover is very thick this morning and this was all the air recon reported.”
“It could be a reinforcement, but I doubt that,” said Kuznetsov. The only rail movement spotted was the arrival of this infantry division. I think they need to rest their SS units in the city.”
“Yes sir, we do know that their 2nd SS is there. That unit was seen clear enough in these photographs. It could not be any other formation.” The officer pointed out the position, showing columns of AFVs moving towards the city from the northeast, and Kuznetsov nodded. He was a heavy-set man, thick cheeked, with short cropped grey hair, receding.
“General Burkov with 10th Tank Corps has come north,” said the officer, “but there is still nothing in front of him. He reached Fedorovka last night, and wants to know if he should push on to Valki and cut the road.”
Kuznetsov looked at the map. “He could not do so with any strength. Look—his Corps is spread out on too wide a front. Besides, they are not using that road. All their supplies and reinforcements are coming in by rail, which is something the air force should get after. No, just tell Burkov to watch these three roads as he is now.”
“Very good, sir.”
“What is 7th Tank Corps doing?” asked Kuznetzov.
“Still cleaning up the flank on the left. Their infantry line goes as far as these woods south of Yubotin.”
“They have been trying to keep this rail line open,” said Kuznetsov. “Otherwise anything coming from Poltava must take this junction west of Yubotin, and go all the way around through Dergachi. Let 7th Corps continue to clean up that flank, and then we will see about pushing on to Yubotin. As for today, we keep hammering their line at the edge of the city. Has the artillery been resupplied?”
“Two truck columns arrived last night under cover of darkness. More will be expected tomorrow.”
“Good. Tell them to use it. Let Steiner hear our guns again, even if he is resting in the city.”
“Will we take it sir? These infantry divisions make for a strong reinforcement.”
“They do, but don’t forget Katukov in the north. Is he advancing again?”
“Not yet, sir. He’s still engaged with their 11th Panzer Division.”
Kuznetsov inclined his head, thinking. He knew that division. It always seemed to turn up at any point of real crisis. Well, he thought, let Katukov worry about it.
Steiner was long gone, but General Kuznetsov did not know that. The thick cloud cover had hindered Soviet aerial recon missions, and the few units they had spotted were dismissed as minor rear area detachments. So taking every advantage of the heavy grey skies, Manstein ordered Steiner to move on the very road, through Valki, that Kuznetsov had dismissed as irrelevant. 3rd SS was through that afternoon. Grossdeutschland Division was moving on a parallel track, overland just a few kilometers to the north. They found the mud had dried up, and the ground was nice and firm for fast cross-country movement.
General Burkov was very lucky he got those orders to stay put, for if he had pushed out to Valki, he would have discovered what was happening, but much like a bear sticking its paw into a hornet’s nest. Manstein had requested heavy air cover from the Luftwaffe, and their aim was to keep prying eyes from seeing the movement. The column was now 20 kilometers long, three full divisions moving in daylight.
That afternoon, only a very few low-level recon missions got through, spotting recon vehicles, a company of motorcycle infantry, a regimental sized unit of mechanized grenadiers, and some bridging units. They were all on the main road to Valki, and late in the day, Burkov gave an order to fire off a salvo from his 10th Rocket Regiment, just for harassment. His widely scattered 10th Tank Corps was sitting no more than seven or eight kilometers from that road, but the lay of the land, with thick intervening woodland, masked the German movement. The distant sound of the Army artillery firing against the southern edge of Kharkov also muffled the movement of the long German column.
Kuznetsov continued to hammer at the city defenses, knowing that the strong 3rd Guards was making slow but steady progress to the north. When troops from the 2nd SS Division had to be sent in to shore up the line again, it only confirmed his assumption that Steiner was still there, his SS waiting unseen behind the infantry front to deliver these well-timed counterpunches. He had what he wanted, a battle of attrition, and was counting on Katukov solving his problem in the north and continuing his advance.