 Complete the following phrase:  After the German invasion began in June, 1941, Tsyganov served as deputy chief of staff of the Southwestern Main Directions rear services in August and September, before taking command of 38th Army during its unsuccessful defense of Kharkov in late September and October. However, after his army helped halt the German advance in November, in the following month the STAVKA appointed him to command of Southern Fronts 56th Army, which participated in that Fronts successful winter counteroffensives. After assisting in driving 1st Panzer Army out of Rostov-on-Don in early December and back to the Mius River, 56th Army spent the rest of the winter and spring of 1942 on the southernmost sector of Southern Front, right down to the coast of the Sea of Azov. At the start of the 