Marshal Semyon Timoshenko's attempt to recapture Kharkov began to go wrong after only a few days. The German and Romanian forces held their positions on the "shoulders" of the penetration, and then began their own counter-offensive behind the Soviet armored spearheads. First Mountain Division, at the "hinge" of the southern attack, went forward with large-scale support from heavy artillery and dive bombers to make up for its lack of tanks.

The attack went off exactly as planned, and the Soviets fell back in some disarray. The jägers began their pivot to the west and took up positions to cover the flank and rear of the advancing 14th Panzer Division on their right. While the Soviet 9th Army command realized its danger, a German air raid struck its communications center just as the radiomen began to send out re-deployment orders and the Red Army's response was local and disjointed. Reinforcements that had been requested and approved never received marching orders.