#93 w/Panzer Keir - Battle of Kharkiv

This is a Japanese item and includes no English components unless noted in the condition note.

On November 19, 1942, the Soviet counteroffensive, Operation Uranus, was launched. The Soviets broke through the Romanian army on the flank of the German 6th Army with seven armies. The 6th Army in Stalingrad was quickly surrounded, and the offensive and defensive positions were reversed.
In response to this difficult situation, the German army's most intelligent general, Manstein, launched a rescue operation for the 6th Army, Operation Winterstorm, on December 12, and the German 57th Panzer Corps approached Stalingrad to within 50 km.

At this time, the Soviet army launched a major encirclement operation aimed at Rostov. The rescue operation was canceled, and the fate of the 6th Army was sealed. In the following year, 1943, the focus of the battle shifted from Stalingrad to Rostov. The Soviet army was approaching like a raging wave. Manstein deployed a mobile defense and successfully defended the Rostov Gate. The 1st Panzer Army retreated safely, and on January 31st, the last vehicle of the 4th Panzer Army, which had been protecting its flank and acting as the rear guard, crossed the Rostov Gate. On the same day, the 6th Army surrendered. Meanwhile, the German army was once again facing a crisis. The Soviet army was approaching Kharkiv and the Dnieper River. If the Soviet army were to cross the Dnieper River, the German southern army would be completely surrounded, and a tragedy even worse than Stalingrad would unfold....

However, Manstein bided his time. Even when the Soviet army recaptured Kharkiv and advanced to a point 60 km from the Dnieper River, he did not move. "All vehicles, stand still!" On February 28th, a telegram from the Soviet Popov Panzer Corps reached Manstein. At this time, he gave the order to his troops. "Counterattack!"