Forces of the Southwestern Front, May 12 in the morning, went on the offensive in the Kharkov area after air and artillery barrage. The strike was carried out simultaneously 28A and 38A from Belgorod-Volchansk direction in the north and 6A from the north face of Barvenkovskiy bulge in the south. 28A, the main strike group, breaks through the enemy defenses at the line Varvarovka - ht.198.3. 38A went on the offensive with the right flank in the area Nepokrytaya - Peschanoe, and holds defensive positions on the left flank. 36TBde units together with 226RD at 3:00 overrun the enemy combat outposts and captured a bridgehead on the west bank of Babka river near Fedorovka.
Plan of the attack of the right flank of 38A consisted of the following, at 7:30, 226RD with 36TBde attack 199.0 and then Nepokrytaya. At the same time, 124RD with 133TBde attack on Peschanoe, grove south-west of Peschanoe and further to Rogan.
Kharkov area is defended by units of the German 6A that provides stubborn resistance with fire and counterattacks for the advancing units, bringing up the reserves from Kharkov on vehicles.
- Four operations of 7-12 turns for each of the parties in May, 1942.
- Precisely recreated area of over 100 sq. km: hilly plains with harsh terrain and large settlements.
- Historical organizational structure of units at the time of the offensive.
