Third Battle of Kharkov takes place on WWII Eastern Front in 1943. A massive Red Army offensive threatens to collapse the entire German front, can you turn the dangerous situation around? From by Joni Nuutinen: by a wargamer for the wargamers since 2011. Updated on October 2025.

Fair warning: this is a tough scenario, the initial Red Army strike might seriously crush you.

After destroying the German 6th Army in Stalingrad, the Soviet high command hopes to end World War II in one decisive strike. The Russian plan, called Operation Star, aims to break through the thinly manned Axis lines towards Dnepropetrovsk via Kharkov to cut off over 1 million German soldiers located on the southern part of the Eastern Front.

Panicking German generals desperately try to find men to throw in front of the Soviet offensive to stop it. However, in a masterclass in strategy forever known in military history as Backhand Blow, Erich von Manstein, who is in charge of Army Group South, shockingly removes all Panzer divisions from the crumpling battleground and wishes the attacking Red Army ‘bon voyage'.

While a hopeful Stalin keeps phoning the Soviet commanders daily about the success of the attack, the looming encirclement of epic proportions, and the imminent end of the war, Manstein is gathering huge Panzer groups on both flanks of the Red Army offensive. When those Panzer Corps are finally unleashed, they annihilate the overstretched attacking Soviet armies, swiftly retake Kharkov, and turn the whole situation upside down, forcing Soviet commanders to throw every unit available in front of the advancing Wehrmacht to prevent collapse.

Do you have what it takes to switch the situation from a looming collapse to a stunning victory?


“No cold, no snow, no ice, no mud could break your will to win”
- Field Marshal Erich von Manstein to his troops after they had turned the looming disaster into a historic victory


FEATURES:

+ Historical accuracy: Campaign mirrors the historical setup, which in this case means that the beginning will be rough as the Red Army attacks.

+ Smart AI: Instead of just attacking on direct line towards the target, the AI opponent balances between strategic goals and smaller tasks like encircling nearby units.

+ Settings: A ton of options available to alter the look of the gaming experience: Change difficulty level, hexagon size, Animation speed, choose icon set for units (NATO or REAL) and cities (Round, Shield, Square, block of houses), decide what is drawn on the map, and much more.


"The Third Battle of Kharkov was a masterclass in German armored warfare. Our tanks and panzer divisions were able to maneuver and strike with devastating effect, and we were able to encircle and destroy large numbers of Soviet troops. The battle was a major victory for the Germans, and it showed that we were still a formidable force on the Eastern Front."
-- General Erich von Manstein in his book Lost Victories