Red Army Day, on February 23rd, was a short-lived celebration as German reinforcements assaulted the Southwest Front and sent it reeling back from the Dnepr to the Northern Donets. The 3rd Tank Army failed to slow the panzers' drive north, and the SS Panzerkorps smashed into Kharkov again, retaking the city by March 14th. Meanwhile, the Grossdeutschland Division, now equipped with the new Tiger tank, thrust into the gap between 69th Army and 40th Army, aiming for Belgorod. The tankers of the 5th Guards Tank Corps were hard pressed to defend themselves, much less the 40th Army.
Objectives: Your company must keep the south and west approaches to the village clear of any enemy for just a few minutes. Every enemy vehicle must be destroyed. One platoon is deployed west of the village behind an antitank screen, one platoon is deployed south of the village, also behind an antitank screen. Your platoon is deployed to the east of the village in reserve. Commit your platoon to the south and attempt to strike the enemy on the flank. If you encounter the Tiger, you must close to approximately 500 meters or less and achieve a flank shot to penetrate its armor.
