In May 1942, in the Kharkov region, the German army inflicted a colossal defeat on the Red Army. “Within three weeks, the Southwestern Front not only lost the half-won Kharkov operation, but also managed to surrender 18–20 divisions to the enemy,” said I. V. Stalin about these battles: “It is difficult to convey our state of mind in those days. After all, we only recently assumed that a radical turning point in the war had come, that the enemy would never again seize the initiative. And here again is a severe defeat, which could not but lead to the darkest consequences,” echoed Colonel S.P., a participant in the Kharkov battle. Ivanov.For decades now, military historians around the world have been asking the question: why did this catastrophe happen? This book, based on unique German documents, lifts the curtain on the secrets of the Kharkov battle and shows how German troops, taken by surprise by the Soviet offensive, managed to turn the tide of the battle and the scales of victory are on your side...