The Soviet Fifty-Seventh Army was also pressing Kharkov from the southeast, and after it had cut the railway line into the city it was only a matter of time before it fell. By 21 August, the Kharkov garrison had all but exhausted its reserves of artillery ammunition. Manstein now gave the order to pull out of the city. During the early hours of 23 August, Soviet troops drove out the last German rearguards and raised the Red Banner over Dzerzhinsky Square.

The vicious fighting around Kharkov had exhausted both the Soviet and German armies. For three weeks the northern wing of Army Group South had been able to stabilize its front. In the south, the weak Sixth Army now became the focus of Soviet attention. It lasted only a few weeks under relentless pressure before its units were streaming westwards in disorder. This defeat exposed the northern wing of Manstein's army group. With no reserves available to plug the gap, Hitler reluctantly agreed on 15 September to allow Manstein to pull his troops back behind the Dnieper.

Ghost divisions

The Wiking, Das Reich and Totenkopf Divisions were now operating under the command of the Eighth Army (formerly Army Detachment Kempf) during the withdrawal back to the Dnieper at Kremenchug. The three SS panzer divisions were now badly weakened by three months of constant combat. They barely mustered 25 tanks and 12 assault guns each, while their panzergrenadier battalions often had no more than 100 men apiece.

In mid-October 1943, the Soviets renewed their offensive in the southern Ukraine. After crossing the River Dnieper, the Red Army rolled over the weak LVII Corps with another huge tank armada and headed westwards towards Krivoi Rog. Field Marshal Manstein again gathered his panzer fire brigade to stabilize the front. XXXX Panzer Corps, with the Totenkopf Division as its spearhead, scythed into the flank of the Soviet assault force. Six weak German panzer divisions smashed two Soviet tank corps and nine rifle divisions, taking 5300 prisoners and destroying 300 tanks in the process. The Totenkopf Division remained on station in the Dnieper bend for the remainder of 1943.

These battles cost the Totenkopf dearly, though, and by this time it was approaching breaking point. The Das Reich and Wiking Divisions were in a similar position. Das Reich was to be pulled out of Russia and rebuilt in France. SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinz Lammerding, however, remained behind with a kampfgruppe to help hold the Dnieper line to the south of Kiev. In only a few weeks it would find itself fighting for its life.

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