Mius–Donets offensive | |||||||
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Part of The Eastern Front of World War II | |||||||
The Soviet plan for the Donbas offensive (in German) | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Germany | Soviet Union | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Erich von Manstein |
Fyodor Tolbukhin Rodion Malinovsky | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
6th Army[1] 197,888 men 1st Panzer Army:[2] 240,000 men Total: 440,000 men |
Southern Front:[3] 443,021 men 8,919 guns and mortars 679 tanks Southwestern Front:[4] 565,000 men Total: 1,009,000 men | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
6th Army 3,298 [5] KIA 15,817[6] WIA 2,254[7] MIA 1st Panzer Army 19,930[8] KIA, MIA, WIA Total: 41,299 KIA, MIA, WIA |
Southwestern Front 19,029[9] KIA and MIA 51,757[10] WIA Southern Front 22,786[11] KIA and MIA 71,411[12] WIA Total: 164,983 KIA, MIA, WIA |
The First Donbas strategic offensive, also known as the Mius-Donets Offensive,[13] was a military campaign fought in the Donets Basin from 17 July to 2 August 1943, between the German and Soviet armed forces on the Eastern Front of World War II. The Germans contained the Soviet offensive in its northern portion after initial gains and pushed the southern portion back to its starting point.