First Battle of Kharkov

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First Battle of Kharkov
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II
German infantry and armored vehicles battle Soviet defenders on the streets of Kharkov
Date 20–24 October 1941 Location Kharkov, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union Result German victory Territorial changes German forces occupy Kharkov
Belligerents
Germany	Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Erwin Vierow Anton Dostler	Viktor Tsyganov
Strength
Two divisions 1 Sturmgeschütz battalion 10,000–30,000 men (est.) 12 StuG III	One division [a]
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown [b]

The First Battle of Kharkov was a battle that took place from 20 to 24 October 1941 for control of the city of Kharkov,^[c] located in the Ukrainian SSR, during the final stage of Operation Barbarossa. The battle was fought between the German 6th Army, part of Army Group South, and the Soviet Southwestern Front. The Soviet 38th Army was tasked with defending the city while its factories were dismantled and moved to a more easterly location.

The main objective for the German 6th Army was to capture Kharkov, which would help them close the growing gap between themselves and the German 17th Army. By 20 October, the Germans had advanced to the western edge of the city, and by 24 October, the 57th Infantry Division was able to take control of Kharkov. By this time, however, most of the city's industrial facilities had been evacuated or rendered useless by Soviet authorities.
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