Kharkov, Battle of

In World War II, series of battles 1941-43 between Soviet and German forces over possession of Kharkov, the fourth most important city in the USSR, about 480 km/300 mi east of Kiev. The city changed hands several times before finally being recaptured by Soviet forces in August 1943.

Kharkov was initially taken by the German 6th Army on 24 October 1941 with little resistance. In May 1942 a Soviet ‘Front’ of 640,000 troops and 1,200 tanks set out to recapture the city, but two German armies attacked the flanks and cut off the spearhead, taking about 250,000 prisoners and destroying the remainder. It was re-taken by Soviet troops after their breakout from Stalingrad in February 1943 but was then recaptured by the German Army Group South on 15 March. It was finally liberated by General Rodion Malinovsky in August 1943, following the failure of the German offensive against Kursk.