The Eastern Front, Part Two: The Decisive Battle

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Mussolini and Hitler visit their troops in the Ukraine. Picture courtesy of H

During World War Two, many consider there was no more a pivotal year then 1942.  An argument could be made that in fact there was no other year in the history of mankind were so much hung in the balance; no less then control of the world was at stake.  In the Pacific theater, the unchecked rampage of Imperial Japan was dealt a devastating blow with the defeat it suffered against the United States at the Battle of Midway.  The loss of four aircraft carriers in this encounter effectively took them off of the offensive, but the Japanese military was a long way from being defeated.

That fall on the island of Guadalcanal, American and Japanese troops would fight the first, but what many consider the most critical, land battle of the Pacific campaign.  A victory here by the United States and the looming threat the Japanese held over Australia and the Americans supply route to the Pacific would be eliminated.  If Japan’s Imperial troops could hold the island, the American drive might be stopped, or at least severely impeded, before it even got on the way.

In North Africa, the Italian and German troops under the leadership of Erwin Rommel had once again seized the initiative, and had driven deep into Egypt.  In their sights lay Cairo, and just beyond, the all important Suez Canal.  Seizing the canal would help lead to control of the Mediterranean Sea, and the possibility of Axis troops being able to sweep into Russia via an Asian route.  In their way stood The British 8^th Army led by Bernard Montgomery, and a date with destiny at El Alamein.

On the North African shore, the Americans would make their surprise landings in Algeria and Morocco, and start their drive east towards Tunisia in search of the Axis forces.  The world wondered how the green American troops would perform when pitted against seasoned forces that had been fighting for years.  Would they be able to adjust to modern warfare, or would they fold in the heat of battle.

On the Eastern Front, two of the largest armies the world would ever see stood across from each other ready to once again commence battle.   The previous year, Joseph Stalin’s military forces were able to rally and halt Adolf Hitler’s Wehrmacht a mere 25 miles from the gates of Moscow.  The Germans were able to eventually stop the Russian counter-attack here and stabilized the lines, setting the stage for the second round of fighting in 1942.

The Italians also had a presence in this theater.  Benito Mussolini had sent a 60,000 strong contingent called the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia to the Eastern Front the previous year.  They preformed well as they had moved across the Ukraine, with the high point of 1941 coming in their role in the seizure of the city of Stalino.  And in 1942 even more would be asked from them on the field of battle.

The Eastern Front will always be considered a German war from the Axis perspective, and rightfully so.  But the men who crossed the Russian Steppe to battle and die for Italy also earned their place in the annals of the conflict.  The fight, sacrifice, struggle, and blood given by the sons of Italy was no less so then anyone who fought in that terrible frozen war, and should never be forgotten by history. 

Both Mussolini and Hitler were confident that their troops would prove victorious in this new chapter of the campaign.  Their armies had made incredible progress during the first year of fighting, and both dictators were convinced that the ‘Soviet colossus’ was on it’s last legs.

The first weeks of the new year were mostly quiet for the Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia, but that would soon change.  They were called into action at the end of January as the Soviets launched an offensive to re-take the city of Isyum.  The Soviet attack began on January 21st, and the Russians were able to drive nearly 100 miles into the German lines before the advance started to falter. On January 28th, the Germans started their planed counter-offensive to cut off the Russian troops who had penetrated their lines by encircling them with German 17. Armee and 1. Panzerarmee.  In this encirclement they planned to slowly tighten the noose to eliminate all of the Russian troops caught in the bulge.

In this defensive scheme, elements of the Italian Expeditionary Corps were positioned on the railway that ran from Stalino to Grischino to help defend against a counter-attack by additional Russian forces who might attempt to try and break out their now trapped troops once the Germans initiated their encirclement .  The Italians had to fight off several attacks along their position using mostly mortar and small arms, but were triumphant in each encounter.  The German operation was successful and the Russian forces were eliminated; the lines in Southern Russia were once again stable for the Axis.

The Italian forces would now take up positions on the western bank of the Mius River between Kubyshevo and Debaltsevo in the spring, thus taking them further into the bowls of Russia. 

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Strong interest in WW2. My Father served in the Pacific with 710 Tank BTL at Anguar, Peleliu, and Philippines. Grandfather was in Italian Army shortly after WW1.

Peleliu81

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