First Battle of Kharkov
In the fall of 1941, Kharkov stood as a vital rail and air link connecting Ukraine to Crimea, the Caucasus, the Dnieper region, and the Donbass. The city housed the Kharkov Tractor Plant, which designed and developed the Soviet T-34 tank. This facility was one of the largest industrial centers in the entire Soviet Union. Other critical factories included the Kharkov Aircraft Plant, the NKVD plant known as FED, and the Turbine Plant. These sites produced Su-2 aircraft, artillery tractors, 82mm mortars, submachine guns, and vast quantities of ammunition. Adolf Hitler recognized that the Donets Basin extending from Kharkov formed the foundation of the Russian economy. German forces set their sights on seizing these military installations to collapse the enemy's economic engine. By the 1st of May 1941, the population numbered 901,000 people. That number swelled to 1.5 million by September due to refugees fleeing other cities.
After the Battle of Kiev, the German Army High Command ordered the redeployment of forces for an attack on Moscow. The 2nd Panzer Group turned north toward Bryansk and Kursk. In its place, Army Group South took command of the Panzer divisions under Walther von Reichenau and Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel. Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist's 1st Panzer Group moved south toward Rostov-on-Don and the Caucasian oil fields. The burden of processing 600,000 Soviet prisoners of war fell to the 6th and 17th Armies. This resulted in a three-week regrouping period for those two armies. Stavka poured reinforcements into the area between Kursk and Rostov at the expense of forces near Moscow. Marshal Semyon Timoshenko rebuilt the decimated Southwestern Front almost from scratch. The 6th, 21st, 38th, and 40th Armies were reconstituted during this critical window. By October 6th, von Reichenau led an advance through Sumy and Okhtyrka toward Belgorod and Kharkov.
The German offensive was hampered by the Rasputitsa mud season between the Dnieper River and the front lines. All road bridges had collapsed, and ice posed a challenge to pontoon replacements. Night frosts improved road conditions after October 17th, but autumn-equipped Germans faced snow and cold. They had prepared under the expectation that the entire Barbarossa invasion would be completed before winter. Hitler diverted resources from the 17th Army to support the 6th Army. This weakened the 17th Army's efforts to protect the flank of the 1st Panzer Army. The logistical failures contributed to the German defeat at the Battle of Rostov. By the second week of October, the approach to the city slowed significantly due to these environmental factors. The threat of ice forced engineers to replace damaged infrastructure while combat operations continued nearby.
The task of attacking Kharkov itself was assigned to the German LV. Armeekorps under General der Infanterie Erwin Vierow. This corps consisted of three divisions: the 101st Leichte-Division, the 57th Infanterie-Division, and the 100th Leichte-Division. Hauptmann Kurt von Barisani's Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 197 attached two batteries to the 57th Infantry Division for close fire support. On the 21st of October, the 101st Light Division advanced to a position about six kilometers west of Kharkov. Around noon on the 22nd of October, a Soviet infantry battalion with tank support launched an attack against the regiment. The regiment successfully repulsed the attack and disabled two enemy tanks. Reconnaissance revealed that the 216th Rifle Division had taken up position on the western edge of the city. They reinforced their position with machine gun nests, mortar pits, and minefields. At 14:25 on the 23rd of October, artillery was fully prepared and the attack rescheduled for 15:00.
The evacuation of industrial plants began before the Germans arrived and was nearly complete by the 20th of October, 1941. A total of 320 trains transported equipment from 70 large factories. These trains moved machinery to more easterly locations away from the front lines. The Soviet 38th Army planned to defend Kharkov only until its factory equipment had been evacuated. By the 24th of October, 1941, Kharkov was captured by von Reichenau's 6th Army. Most of the city's industrial facilities were either evacuated or rendered useless by Soviet authorities. The rapid dismantling of these critical assets denied the Wehrmacht control over the production centers they sought to seize. This logistical feat preserved the Soviet Union's ability to continue manufacturing vital war materiel despite the loss of territory.
Following the battle's conclusion, Kharkov experienced its first occupation during the war, which lasted until the 16th of February 1943. German troops acted under the authority of the Reichenau-Befehl of the 10th of October to execute anyone associated with Communism. Several corpses of Soviet commanders were displayed on balconies to instill fear in those who remained. In the early morning hours of the 14th of November, several buildings in the city center were detonated by timer devices left behind by the retreating Red Army. Casualties included the commander and staff of the 68th Infantry Division. The Germans arrested about 200 civilians, mostly Jews, and hanged them from the balconies of large buildings. Another 1,000 people were taken hostage and interned in the Hotel International on Dzerzhinsky Square. Sonderkommando 4a began shooting Jews in December and continued killings throughout January using a gas van modified to hold 50 people.
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Common questions
What was the population of Kharkov by September 1941?
The population swelled to 1.5 million people by September due to refugees fleeing other cities.
When did German forces capture Kharkov during World War II?
German forces captured Kharkov on the 24th of October 1941 under von Reichenau's 6th Army.
Which Soviet factories were evacuated from Kharkov before the German arrival?
Evacuation efforts moved machinery from 70 large factories including the Kharkov Tractor Plant, the Kharkov Aircraft Plant, and the Turbine Plant using 320 trains.
Who commanded the German LV Armeekorps attacking Kharkov in October 1941?
General der Infanterie Erwin Vierow commanded the German LV Armeekorps which included the 101st Leichte-Division and the 57th Infanterie-Division.
How long did the first occupation of Kharkov last after its capture?
Kharkov experienced its first occupation during the war which lasted until the 16th of February 1943.