Challenge: 6th Kharkov 1944

With a POD no earlier than Jan 1, 1942 have Kharkov change hands so many times that when the city is finally liberated for good, the battle would be known as 6th Kharkov. If you choose to accept this challenge, the "battles" must have at least 150,000 combined casualties each so that there is a true battle occurring each time.
 
Oct 1941, 1st Kharkov - same as OTL

Jan 1942 - Hitler dies by choking on chicken bone

May 1942 - 2nd Kharkov, roughly similar to OTL

July 1942 - Stalingrad taken on the march

Nov-Dec 1942 - Russian counter - offensive fails

Jan 1943 - Germany withdraws from North Africa

Feb 1943 - Leningrad falls to Germany

June 1943 - Successful landings occur at Normandy, France

June 1943 - 3rd Kharkov, Russian military retakes the city after some bitter fighting as the Germans withdraw after massive counteroffensives that re-took Stalingrad and the Caucusus

Aug 1943 - 4th Kharkov, Manstein retakes the city in a coup de main, thanks to being freshly re-supplied and Russian logistics being horrifically stretched

Oct 1943 - Bitter fighting and lack of air supremacy leads to western allies withdrawing from Europe (other than a few Dodecanese islands) after Rommel heads a counter-offensive which drives the Allies to the beaches

Dec 1943 - 5th Kharkov, Soviets retake Kharkov in a coup de main, casualties are horrific as the Russians attacked into a fortified position. Germany nearly retakes city and pinches off Russian offensives, but Russia holds on by the skin of their teeth due to depleted German reserves from fighting in Western Europe and near Leningrad

June 1944 - Last great German offensive of the war, 1.2 million German and Axis troops attack into the teeth of 2 million Russians in a salient situated around Kharkov. Kharkov at this point is the most fortified position in the world. Germans, though out numbered in tanks and men have enough Panther tanks and up-gunned Panzer IVs to break through the initial defense lines. Russian reserves are simply too great and attrite the Germans in head-to-head battles of armor and men. Manstein's forces succeed in taking the last road between Kharkov and the east, threatening resupply, but German armor at this point is exhausted and after three days of horrific fighting are forced back. Fighting lasts until mid July with the Germans slowly forced back. In the meantime, German positions in Belarus collapse and a fresh allied landing in Cherbourg spell the beginning of the end for Germany.
 

Loghain

Banned
It takes place a year early due to withdrawal from North Africa and victory in Stalingrad and Leningrad. It forces the Wallies to turn up the dial on Germany to prevent Russia from dropping out.

THE SAME DAY ?!!!! BTW I LOVE HOW YOU EDITED THAT 6.June out.
 
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