Description:

FRANZ HALDER'S WAR DIARY ENTRIES ON THE KURSK-OBOYAN OFFENSIVE

FH89b

A historically important set of handwritten notes in pencil, 20pp. 4to., [n.p.] January, 1942, taken from the ‘Kreigestagebuch' (daily war diary) of German General FRANZ HALDER (1884-1972) who planned 'Operation Barbarossa', the invasion of the Soviet Union. The notes, written in an unknown hand, apparently originated directly from, or on the authority of OKH, and chronicle the progress of the German Kursk-Oboyan offensive on the Southeastern Front following the failure of Operation Typhoon, the attempt to take Moscow. The review and analysis of the situation reads, in very small part: ‘...6th / 2nd Army January 1, 1942 On the northern flank, the 6th Army is experiencing thin replacements and a lack of sufficient local barracks. Further developments: Situation near the XXIX Army Corps: Enemy with stronger forces to the north and south of Rshawa has broken through – heavy fighting at Rshawa railway station – comprehensive attack near Bogdanovka. 6th Army High Command (AOK6): Enemy north of Rshawa railway station breaked through (estimated two regiments with 20 tanks) – reached the road to Oboyan and Subotnio. Own battalion encircled in Rshawa. Air supply. Further advance on Oboyan expected. Relief for the 6th Army: only 1 battalion from the 57th Infantry Division, 62nd Infantry Division only on January 6. The situation at Oboyan requires the immediate deployment of Army Group Center, including anti-tank support, from Kursk to Oboyan. The disruption of the Belgorod road to Kursk has serious consequences for the 6th and 2nd Armies. January 2, 1942: Actual situation: Northern flank of the 6th Army, thanks to excellent posture, the troops are relaxed. The XXIX Army Corps repelled several attacks and launched a successful counterattack against an enemy regiment advancing towards Oboyan. The Army High Command's view that the XXIX Army Corps should be tactically subordinated to the XXXXVIII Army Corps (unified command in the area near Oboyan) is rejected by the Commander-in-Chief of Army Group Center. Reasoning: The difficulties here do not lie in tactical command, but in the area of ??supply (which the Operations Department ("op. Abt") rejects). However, tactical command and supply cannot be separated here. Deploying forces around Kursk to the southeast to resolve the situation on the Oboyan-Solutsevo road is the only option! The 6th Army cannot prevent the enemy from breaking through to Kursk. The plan to withdraw the 2nd Army's southern flank to Kursk is not approved by the Army High Command. Full clearance is expected on January 3rd and 4th. After deployment, 1st Battalion of the 57th Infantry Division. The 88th Infantry Division Battalion (2nd Army), stationed at the Polyana sector, is to be brought forward to support the northern flank of the 6th Army. The possibility of an attack towards Kharkiv is worrying the Army High Command and Army Group. Rail transports from the northeast to Kupyansk! Our own forces in the Kharkiv area are weak. Kharkiv is occupied by only one regiment of the 57th Infantry Division, II Company of Infantry Regiment 183 (5 battalions), now Infantry Regiment 190, which has been moved to the area south of Kharkiv. January 3, 1942: Relief at Prokhorovka, but the enemy breaks through close to Oboyan. Relief is expected through a friendly attack to the northeast and around Solutsevo to the southwest. The XXIX Army Corps' attack on Oboyan is repelled. Battalion 88th Infantry Division on the Polyana sector and (by order of the Army High Command) subordinated to the 6th Army. Cooperation with the XXIX Army Corps remains open. January 4, 1942: Situation at Oboyan unclear. Locally tense, especially because the supply route south of Oboyan is also cut. XXIX The Army Corps intends to assemble an attack group in the Yakovkvo area from elements of the 62nd and 57th Infantry Divisions to attack northeast—but not before January 6th or 7th. January 5, 1942: Situation on the northern flank remains relaxed. Fighting continues eastward toward Oboyan. The XXIX Army Corps orders the separately fighting groups in the Oboyan area to link up by attacking. At present, the encircled Oboyan must be held. Air supply. January 6, 1942: Enemy attack against the Belgorod bridgehead, with a divisional force, is repulsed. On the northern flank, our own attack near Prokhorovka is advancing. Our own forces directed at Oboyan are approaching the city from the north and south. January 7, 1942: Attack on the Belgorod bridgehead. Repulsed. The encirclement of Oboyan has been broken from the north and west. Attack Group Dostler captured Oboyan Road, Yelnikovo Railway Station. Panzer Montfort Panzer Battalion is to be deployed to join the 6th Army on January 8th. -2- War Diary Army Group South 6th/2nd Army January 8, 1942: Enemy forced to abandon encirclement of Oboyan. Eastward Oboyan: Our attack gained ground to the northeast. January 9, 1942: Fighting continues at and eastward of Oboyan. XXIX Army Corps attacking eastward of Oboyan – Oboyan-Rshawa railway line reached. January 10, 1942: Favorable course of the fighting: A link-up of our flanks can soon be expected at Group Dostler and Group Neuling. - Still inconsistent with Army High Command 2: Withdrawal of Infantry Regiment 528 (299th Infantry Division) from Solutsevo to the Polyana sector. Renewed indication that the situation northeast of Oboyan will only be completely resolved if elements of the 2nd Army immediately launch an attack on Solutsevo. Uniting the outer wings of the XXIX and XXXXVIII Army Corps forward (to Solutsevo) is necessary. - Army Group requests relocation of the southern/central dividing line to the northern edge of Solutsevo, as the course of the fighting shows that unified command and supply north of Solutsevo from the south is not possible…' These diary entries are accompanied by a pencil map transparency depicting the region in question, with Kursk in the northwest at the top left corner, Charkow at the southwest, and Kupyansk at the southeast in the right-hand corner. Many of the locales discussed in these entries and shown on this map have more recently been the site of heavy fighting during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Shows some chips and folds to the edges overall, else in very good condition.

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April 21, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

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