 III "Gruppe" spent the new year and spring supporting defensive operations around Taman, Rostov and Anastasiyevka (7–22 February) and its own base was bombed (7 February).On 23 February the group moved to Kirovograd to support Manstein's offensive at Kharkov until 14 March.On 18 March it bombed Belgorod and relocated back to Kirovograd to Samorsk in Crimea for operations over the Taman Peninsular from 5 April.