The nine armies amassed for the counteroffensive were the 24th Army , 65th Army , 66th Army and 16th Air Army from the north as part of the Don Front offensive and 1st Guards Army , 5th Tank , 21st Army , 2nd Air Army and 17th Air Army from the south as part of the Southwestern Front .
The nine armies used for the final attack were the 24th Army , 65th Army , 66th Army and 16th Air Army from the north as part of the Don Front offensive and 1st Guards Army , 5th Tank , 21st Army , 2nd Air Army and 17th Air Army from the south as part of the Soviet Southwestern Front .