Barbo' Group (named for its cavalry commander) provided Italy's contribution to the elimination of the Izyum salient. This mixed group was formed by the Monte Cervino battalion, a motorcycle company, and the Novara cavalry regiment, and had been stationed in the area almost since the outbreak of January's Soviet offensive. The group was positioned between the German 1st Mountain Division on the right, and a Romanian corps on the left. At 0430 on May 18th it was ordered to take the village of Klinievo, across the Samara River.

Despite increasing pressure from Soviet reinforcements, Klinovo was taken at 2030 hours by hand-picked assault troops. The Alpini moved beyond Klinovo next morning, prompting a serious reaction from the Soviets, who threw in more and more troops. A Soviet cavalry group moving in from the left of the Italian sector threatened to cut off Klinovo, so the Monte Cervino Battalion began an orderly withdrawal under cover of an Italian artillery barrage. During the withdrawal, the Soviets closed on the village of Brodny, which was Monte Cervino's local base of operations. But the German infantry, artillery and PAK units guarding Brodny dispersed the Soviet attack, and Monte Cervino reported a successful day's action, since they had been able to pin down a significant number of Soviet forces that could have been used elsewhere.