Soviet war production is running in high gear now, in the third year of the war on the eastern 
front, turning out more more than 20.000 tanks and assault guns in 1943 alone.
This is twice the rate German Industry could produce.
But at this stage in the war Adolf Hitler had to contend not only with the red army but but also with Anglo-American forces in Italy and a huge posed allied invasion in France.

It is at this point that the Soviet High command launch a massive offensive to seize Kiev the Ukrainian capital. The brunt of the attack fell on the 11 Inf. Divisions of German fourth Pz. Army. They were completly deleted. Now more than 1000 Russian tanks are loose behind German lines, they threatened to turn south and roll up all of Fiel Marshall von Manstein army group.

Disaster looks certains if  action had no take fast.
Hitler had already relesed the 1st SS Pz. Div. (LSSAH) from his occupation duties in Italy for service on the Eastern front, the new crisis created a sense of urgency for the officers of the division. The terrain east of kiev was very difficult for tanks, with huge forests, small ukrainian towns sat on most of the road junction and around number of strategic bridges.

The Leibstandarte Division was to be one of two strike groups, which were going to cut into the flank of the Soviet 1st Ukrainian front to surround and destroy the Third Tank Army.
The Das Reich and 25Pz. Div. Were to screen the Leibstandarte as it move forward.
