Battle of Izium (1942)

Voroshilova offensive

Voroshilova, a miserable group of huts located on the northern slope of the Nikitino became a location with the most casualties for the Italians.^[10] In the meantime the commander of XIX Army Corps and Giovanni Messe were given the order of defending this location till the bitter end. On 23 January 1942 the 18th Bersaglieri Regiment was attacked by the Russians who were superior in number and were forced to retreat to Hill 311.7. A counteroffensive was executed by the Axis forces which failed, seeing the enemies had strengthened their positions the Axis forces also formed a defensive position at Hill 311.7 with both sides sustaining heavy casualties.^[11][9]

Battle of Samara

The Voroshilova offensive was pretty insignificant confrontation compared to the climax of Izium offensive which would start with the Battle of Samara on 21 January and eventually being fought until 28 May marking one of the deadliest battles fought in the Eastern front of Second World War.^[12] To demonstrate Italy's participation in this battle, Giovanni Messe created the "Musinu" formation named after Giuseppe Musinu who was also the commander of this new formation. The "Musinu" group was initially employed in patrolling but as the situation worsened it was put alongside other Italian deployment and the German Panzer Army at frontline against the Soviet Union.^[9]

Then formation sustained heavy casualties as the men were constantly called upon to make up for the lack of automatic weapons, mortars, and artillery. The Axis forces were sustaining heavy casualties during the battle despite this they were able to hold up the defense until winter and the Russians retreated again until reinforcements arrived.^[13]

Novaya Orlovka offensive

The first direct attacked on the Italians was launched on 22 February 1942 targeting specifically the Italian Units rather than German and Hungarian units but was resisted by the artillery from the Celere and Pasubio Divisions.^[14] On 6 March another attacked was made by the Russians on the Italians which also resulted in a failure. On 11 March the Russians focused their attacks on Pasubio and Torino Regiment but due to the intervention of the 79th Infantry Regiment this attempt of the Russians failed.^[15] A combined Italian–German who were later joined by the Hungarians was launched on 22 March. Under heavy artillery firing the Monte Cervino Battalion advanced towards Mogila Ostraja-Oikovatka, followed by the Torino Division. At this point, the Russians attempted a diversionary attack, engaging the 18th Bersaglieri Regiment, which, however, successfully held off the attack. Due to not resulting in a concrete outcome, the Russians were then retreating back to where they had started as another attempt at breaking out of Slavianka also failed. By the end of March as the thaw began both Russians and Germans made it known that they would no longer be able to affect the current situation to their advantage, and therefore all combat operations would cease.^[9]

Kharkov offensive

German close air support made its presence felt immediately on 15 May, forcing units such as the Soviet 38th Army onto the defensive. It ranged over the front, operating dangerously close to the changing frontline.^[16] Air interdiction and direct ground support damaged Soviet supply lines and rear areas, also inflicting large losses on their armoured formations. General Franz Halder praised the air strikes as being primarily responsible for breaking the Soviet offensive.^[17] The Soviet air force could do very little to stop Pflugbeil's 4th Air Corps.^[18] It not only attacked the enemy but also carried out vital supply missions. Bombers dropped supplies to encircled German units, which could continue to hold out until a counter-offensive relieved them.^[18] The 4th Air Corps anti-aircraft units also used their high-velocity 8.8 cm guns on the Soviet ground forces.^[19] Over the course of the 16-day battle the 4th Air Corps played a major role in the German victory, conducting 15,648 sorties (978 per day), dropping 7,700 tonnes of bombs on the Soviet forces and lifting 1,545 tonnes of material to the front.^[20] The Red Army routed several key German battalions, including many with Hungarian and other foreign soldiers. The success of the Southern Shock group, however, has been attributed to the fact that the early penetrations in the north had directed German reserves there, thus limiting the reinforcements to the south. But, by 14 May, Hitler had briefed General Ewald von Kleist and ordered his 1st Panzer Army to grab the initiative in a bold counteroffensive, setting the pace for the final launching of Operation Fridericus.^[21]

On 15 and 16 May, another attempted Soviet offensive in the north met the same resistance encountered on the three first days of the battle. German bastions continued to hold out against Soviet assaults. The major contribution to Soviet frustration in the battle was the lack of heavy artillery, which ultimately prevented the taking of heavily defended positions. One of the best examples of this was the defence of Ternovaya, where defending German units absolutely refused to surrender.^[22] The fighting was so harsh that, after advancing an average of five kilometres, the offensive stopped for the day in the north. The next day saw a renewal of the Soviet attack, which was largely blocked by counterattacks by German tanks; the tired Soviet divisions could simply not hold their own against the concerted attacks from the opposition. The south, however, achieved success, much like the earlier days of the battle, although Soviet forces began to face heavier air strikes from German aircraft.^[23]

Although Timoshenko's forces successfully regrouped on 21 May, he ordered a withdrawal of Army Group Kotenko by the end of 22 May, while he prepared an attack for 23 May, to be orchestrated by the 9th and 57th Armies. Although the Red Army desperately attempted to fend off advancing Wehrmacht and launched local counterattacks to relieve several surrounded units, they generally failed. By the end of May 24, Soviet forces opposite Kharkov had been surrounded by German formations, which had been able to transfer several more divisions to the front, increasing the pressure on the Soviet flanks and finally forcing them to collapse.^[24] The Battle of Izium could be considered concluded on May 28, 1942, with the annihilation of two Soviet armies.^[9]