Germans counter-attack on the Eastern front

6th December 1943: Despite all the reverses and retreats since Kursk the Germans can still mount a three Panzer Division counter-attack

Soviet Union-North, near Kirovograd. Column of Panzer IV, behind it two Panzer VI "Tiger I" of the II. SS-Pz-Korp "Das Reich" when driving on a path in snowy forest

Panzer IVs in Zhytomyr, November 1943

The Eastern Front had seen dramatic Soviet successes throughout 1943. After the disaster at Stalingrad, the Germans were pushed further and further back. Hitler's last throw of the dice at Kursk had been a costly failure, with the Soviet follow-up demonstrating that they were far stronger than expected. In the autumn, the Red Army re-occupied much of Ukraine.

The Russians were taken completely by surprise as they had seen absolutely nothing of our outflanking manoeuvre.