Yes, Manstein bought a couple of months, but if Hitler had kept his SS troops in Kharkov ( Häusser ordered them to pull out against Hitler´s order ) the whole of AGS would have collapsed as practically all the German troops would have been captured. No wonder Häusser was not hanged in the end...Just think of that, no AGS...

And if Manstein could have waited a bit longer
( at least claimed by the man ) the Red Army losses would have been even bigger but Hitler wanted and ordered a counter attack to begin immediately ( as he always did ). the Red Army losses were terrible anyway.

Definitely the German Army losses were huge and could never be replaced during the war. No doubt about that. And stupid losses as well.

The question I wonder as many have is whether the Germans could have had more success if the "Zitadelle" had continued in May when the weather was fine again and not in July when the odds were totally against an attack for Germans.

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