This 120mm figure is among a number of figures sculpted by the very talented John Rosengrant and based on a selection of photos of grenadiers and panzer crew that were fighting on the Eastern Front, in Kharkov in the winter of 1943. The German army had a wide range of clothing at this time and along with sheepskin coats, winter parkas were the most commonly worn type in Kharkov, as can be seen in the accompanying reference photos on which John's figures are based. The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of battles on the Eastern Front during World War Two, fought by German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov between 19th February and 15th March 1943. The Germans knew this as the 'Donets Campaign', whereas the Soviets knew it as the 'Donbas' and 'Kharkov' operations. The German counter attack led to the destruction of around 52 Soviet divisions and the recapture of the cities of Kharkov and Belgorod. While the German Sixth Army was encircled in Stalingrad, the Red Army undertook a number of attacks against the rest of Army Group South. These reached a climax on 2nd January 1943 when the Soviets launched Operation Star and Operation Gallop, which between January and early February broke the German defences leading to the Soviet recapture of Kharkov, Belgorod, Kursk, Voroshilovgrad and Izium. However, the Russian victories caused the rest of the Soviet units involved to overstretch themselves.
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