Day-by-Day Timeline of Events
Sunday, March 1st - April 30th, 1942
Hitler and his commanders flesh out Operation Blue - in invasion of the oil-rich, Russian-held Caucasus.
Sunday, April 5th, 1942
Hitler issues the official Fuhrer Directive for Operation Blue.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
Operation Blue begins.
Friday, May 8th, 1942
German General Manstein leads his 11th Army onto the Kerch Peninsula towards the city of Sevastopol.
Tuesday, May 12th, 1942
Soviet ground forces launch a pre-emptive offensive against German-held Kharkov.
Tuesday, May 12th, 1942
German forces enact Operation Fridericus and attempt to take Izyum.
Saturday, June 27th, 1942
The Soviet Army is encircled and defeated at Kharkov, netting the Germans some 250,000 Soviet prisoners.
Saturday, June 27th, 1942
German forces complete their capture of Izyum.
Sunday, June 28th, 1942
The German Army turns its attention towards the Volga.
Sunday, June 28th, 1942
The German 2nd Army and 4th Panzer Army launch their attack towards Voronezh near Kursk.
Tuesday, June 30th, 1942
German General Paulus attacks at Belgorod.
Thursday, July 2nd, 1942
The Soviet city of Sevastopol officially falls to the Germans.
Monday, July 6th, 1942
The Soviet city of Voronezh falls to the German Army.
Monday, July 6th, 1942
The German 6th Army reaches the Don River.
Monday, July 6th, 1942
The German 6th Army moves on Stalingrad.
Tuesday, July 7th, 1942
German General Field Marshal List takes command of the new Army Goup A, made up of the 1st Panzer Army and the 17th Army.
Thursday, July 9th, 1942
The German Army begins its move towards Rostov.
Thursday, July 9th, 1942
German Army Group South is renamed Army Group B and placed under the control of Field Marshal von Bock.
Monday, July 13th, 1942
General von Weichs takes control of Army Group B from Bock.
Monday, July 13th, 1942
Adolf Hitler assigns General Paulus and his 6th Army to take Stalingrad.
Friday, July 17th, 1942
Hitler diverts the 4th Panzer Army away from Stalingrad and sends them towards the Caucasus.
Thursday, July 23rd, 1942
Rostov falls to the German Army Group A, netting some 83,000 Soviet prisoners as a result.
Thursday, July 23rd, 1942
Hitler issues a supplemental directive to Operation Blue requiring his 6th Army to take Stalingrad.
Sunday, August 9th, 1942
Army Group A captures the Maikop oil field on the Black Sea.
Sunday, August 23rd, 1942
Army Group B reaches the Volga River.
Tuesday, September 1st - September 30th, 1942
German progress throughout the Casucasus is slowed by Soviet resistance and fuel/supply shortages.
Sunday, November 15th, 1942
Army Group A reaches as far as Ordzhonikidze and Mt. Elbus.
Monday, November 30th, 1942
German General Paulus and his 6th Army is contained by the fierce resisting Soviets in Stalingrad, putting Hitler's plans on hold.