The Totenkopf launches its attack

The Totenkopf's objective was a ridge line in the centre of the Russian position. A complete Soviet anti-tank brigade with scores of 76.2mm high-velocity anti-tank guns, supported by dug-in T-34s and elements of five infantry divisions, had had five days to turn the Waffen-SS division's objective into a fortress. Immediately to the south, Das Reich's Deutschland Panzergrenadier Regiment was to assault the heavily fortified town of Stepanovka, to seize a nearby hill which was the highest point in the Mius region. The Soviet defenders knew their trade, though, and they had created a mutually supporting network of pak-fronts, so any German tanks that tried to attack one anti-tank battery could be hit in the flank by accurate fire from another battery.

The Totenkopf's attack was to be spearheaded by SS Panzer Regiment 3, with its 49 Panzer IIIs, 9 Panzer IVs and 10 Tiger Is. The division's two panzergrenadier regiments, Theodor Eicke and Totenkopf, followed behind in echelon to clear out Soviet infantry positions. As usual, the Tigers were positioned at the front of the Totenkopf panzerkeil.

As the attack rolled forward just after dawn on 30 July, everything seemed to be going well until the panzers moved into range of the pak-fronts. A furious barrage of accurate heavy anti-tank rounds started to rain down on the German tanks. Russian infantry then joined in, with their anti-tank rifles aimed at the panzers' thinner side armour. To compound the problem, heavy artillery started to land among the attack formation, forcing the panzergrenadiers to run for shelter.

A storm of anti-tank fire

The Russian fire forced the panzers to try to take cover in ravines or folds in the ground. Each tank was now taking multiple hits, and it was difficult to find any cover from the fire, which was coming in from both the front and side. Whole Soviet anti-tank batteries were concentrating their fire on individual German tanks, until they either pulled back or were knocked out. Even the heavily armoured Tigers found they could not survive this ordeal. Then, the Totenkopf's tank crews found they had blundered into a minefield. Tank after tank had its tracks blown off, and the immobilized panzers were easily picked off. In less than two hours the attack had all but ground to a halt, with some 48 tanks, including 8 Tiger Is and scores of other light armoured vehicles, being put out of action.

It was now up to the panzergrenadiers to take the lead. Combat engineers came forward under heavy Soviet machine-gun and mortar fire to clear assault lanes through the minefields. Artillery and rocket fire was brought down on the Soviet line to cover the advance, but the fire support broke down when one of the Nebelwerfer launchers exploded, throwing the German fire base into confusion. Now Soviet Stormovik fighter-bombers appeared over the battlefield in large numbers to strafe the Waffen-SS attack troops.

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