The Battle of Stalingrad is the largest land battle in world history, which unfolded between the forces of the USSR and Nazi Germany in the city of Stalingrad (USSR) and its environs during the Patriotic War. The bloody battle began on July 17, 1942 and lasted until February 2, 1943.

The battle was one of the most important events of the Second World War and, along with the Battle of the Kursk Bulge, was a turning point in the course of hostilities, after which German troops lost their strategic initiative.

For the Soviet Union, which suffered heavy losses during the battle, the victory at Stalingrad marked the beginning of the liberation of the country, as well as the occupied territories of Europe, leading to the final defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

Centuries will pass, and the unfading glory of the valiant defenders of the Volga stronghold will forever live in the memory of the peoples of the world as the clearest example of courage and heroism unparalleled in military history.

The name "Stalingrad" is forever inscribed in the history of our Fatherland in golden letters.

“And the hour has struck. The first blow is struck
the villain backs away from Stalingrad.
And the world gasped, learning what loyalty means,
What does the rage of believing people mean ... "
O. Bergholz

This was an outstanding victory for the Soviet people. The soldiers of the Red Army have shown massive heroism, courage and high military skill. 127 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad" was awarded to over 760 thousand soldiers and home front workers. Orders and medals were received by 17,550 soldiers and 373 militias.

German soldiers in the summer company

During the Battle of Stalingrad, 5 enemy armies were defeated, including 2 German, 2 Romanian and 1 Italian. The total losses of the Nazi troops in killed, wounded and captured amounted to more than 1.5 million people, up to 3,500 tanks and assault guns, 12,000 guns and mortars, more than 4,000 aircraft, 75,000 vehicles and a large number of other equipment.

Helmets of German soldiers in winter

The corpses of soldiers frozen into the steppe

The battle is one of the most important events of the Second World War and, along with the battle on the Kursk Bulge, became a turning point in the course of hostilities, after which the German troops finally lost their strategic initiative. The battle included an attempt by the Wehrmacht to seize the left bank of the Volga in the Stalingrad region (present-day Volgograd) and the city itself, a confrontation in the city, and a counteroffensive by the Red Army (Operation Uranus), as a result of which the 6th Army of the Wehrmacht and other forces of Germany's allies inside and near the city were surrounded and partly destroyed, and partly captured.

The losses of the Red Army in the Battle of Stalingrad amounted to over 1.1 million people, 4341 tanks, 2769 aircraft.

The color of the Hitlerite Wehrmacht found a grave near Stalingrad. The German army has never suffered such a catastrophe ...

Historians believe that the total area on which hostilities took place during the Battle of Stalingrad is one hundred thousand square kilometers.

Prerequisites for the Battle of Stalingrad

The following historical events preceded the Battle of Stalingrad. In December 1941, the Red Army defeated the Nazis near Moscow. Encouraged by the success, the leaders of the Soviet Union gave the order to start a large-scale offensive near Kharkov. The offensive failed and the Soviet army was defeated. German troops then went to Stalingrad.

After the failure of the Barbarossa plan and the defeat near Moscow, the Nazis were preparing for a new offensive on the Eastern Front. On April 5, 1942, Hitler issued a directive that outlined the goal of the 1942 summer campaign, including the capture of Stalingrad.

The capture of Stalingrad was needed by the Hitlerite command for various reasons. Why was Stalingrad so important to Hitler? Historians point out several reasons why the Fuhrer wanted to seize Stalingrad at all costs and did not give the order to retreat even when the defeat was obvious.

• First, the seizure of the city, which bore the name of Stalin, the leader of the Soviet people, could break the morale of the opponents of Nazism, and not only in the Soviet Union, but throughout the world;
• Secondly, the capture of Stalingrad could give the Nazis the opportunity to cut off all communications vital for Soviet citizens that connected the center of the country with its southern part, in particular, with the Caucasus with its oil fields;
• There is a point of view according to which there was a secret agreement between Germany and Turkey to join the ranks of the allies immediately after the passage for Soviet troops along the Volga was blocked.

Battle of Stalingrad. Summary of events

The time frame of the battle: 07.17.42 - 02.02.43 years. Took part: from Germany - the reinforced 6th Army of Field Marshal Paulus and the Allied troops. From the side of the USSR - the Stalingrad Front, created on 12.07.42, under the command of first Marshal Timoshenko, from 23.07.42 - Lieutenant General Gordov, and from 09.08.42 - Colonel General Eremenko.

Battle periods:

• defensive - from 17.07 to 18.11.42,
• offensive - from 19.11.42 to 02.02.43.

In turn, the defensive stage is divided into battles on the long approaches to the city in the Don bend from 17.07 to 10.08.42, battles on the distant approaches between the Volga and the Don from 11.08 to 12.09.42, battles in the suburbs and the city itself from 13.09 to 18.11 .42 years.

To protect the city, the Soviet command formed the Stalingrad Front, headed by Marshal S.K. Tymoshenko. The Battle of Stalingrad began briefly on 17 July, when units of the 62nd Army engaged the vanguard of the 6th Army of the Wehrmacht in the Don bend. Defensive battles on the outskirts of Stalingrad lasted 57 days and nights.

On July 28, the People's Commissar for Defense JV Stalin issued Order No. 227, better known as "Not a Step Back!"

Defensive stage

• July 17, 1942 - the first serious clash between our troops and enemy forces on the banks of the Don tributaries.
• August 23 - enemy tanks came close to the city. German aircraft began to regularly bomb Stalingrad
• September 13 - the storming of the city. The glory of the workers of the Stalingrad factories and factories thundered all over the world, who repaired damaged equipment and weapons under fire.
• October 14 - The Germans launched an offensive military operation off the banks of the Volga with the aim of capturing Soviet bridgeheads.
• November 19 - Our troops launched a counteroffensive in accordance with the plan for Operation Uranus.

Stalingrad battle on the map

The entire second half of the summer of 1942 was a hot Battle of Stalingrad. The summary and chronology of defense events indicate that our soldiers, with a shortage of weapons and a significant advantage in manpower on the part of the enemy, did the impossible. They not only defended Stalingrad, but also launched a counteroffensive in difficult conditions of exhaustion, lack of uniforms and the harsh Russian winter. .

Offensive and Victory

As part of Operation Uranus, Soviet soldiers managed to encircle the enemy. Until November 23, our soldiers strengthened the blockade around the Germans.

• December 12, 1942 - The enemy made a desperate attempt to break out of the encirclement. However, the breakout attempt was unsuccessful. Soviet troops began to tighten the ring.
• December 17 - The Red Army recaptured German positions on the Chir River (the right tributary of the Don).
• December 24 - ours advanced 200 km into the operational depth.
• December 31 - Soviet soldiers advanced another 150 km. The front line stabilized at the Tormosin-Zhukovskaya-Komissarovsky line.
• January 10, 1943 - our offensive in accordance with the "Ring" plan.
• January 26 - The 6th German Army is split into 2 groups.
• January 31 - the southern part of the former 6th German army is destroyed.

Captive F. Paulus

• February 02, 1943 - the northern group of fascist troops was liquidated. Our soldiers, heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad, won. The enemy surrendered. Field Marshal Paulus, 24 generals, 2,500 officers and nearly 100,000 exhausted German soldiers were captured.

The Hitlerite government declared mourning in the country. For three days, the funeral ringing of church bells sounded over German cities and villages.

Then, near Stalingrad, our fathers and grandfathers again "gave a light".

Photo: captured Germans after the Battle of Stalingrad

Some Western historians try to belittle the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad, put it on a par with the Battle of Tunis (1943), at El Alamein (1942), etc. But they were denied by Hitler himself, who declared on February 1, 1943 at his headquarters:

"The possibility of ending the war in the East by offensive no longer exists ...".

Unknown facts about the Battle of Stalingrad

An entry from the "Stalingrad" diary of a German officer:

“None of us will return to Germany unless a miracle happens. Time has passed to the side of the Russians. "

The miracle didn't happen. For it was not only time that went over to the Russians ...

1. Armageddon

In Stalingrad, both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht changed their methods of warfare. From the very beginning of the war, the Red Army used flexible defense tactics with rejects in critical situations. The Wehrmacht command, in turn, avoided large, bloody battles, preferring to bypass large fortified areas. In the Battle of Stalingrad, the German side forgets about its principles and embarks on a bloody wheelhouse. The beginning was laid on August 23, 1942, when German aviation carried out a massive bombing of the city. Killed 40.0 thousand people. This exceeds the official figures for the Allied air raid on Dresden in February 1945 (25.0 thousand casualties).

2. Get to hell

Under the city itself there was a large system of underground communications. During the hostilities, the underground galleries were actively used by both Soviet troops and the Germans. And even local battles took place in the tunnels. Interestingly, from the beginning of their penetration into the city, German troops began to build a system of their own underground structures. Work continued almost until the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, and only at the end of January 1943, when the German command realized that the battle was lost, the underground galleries were blown up.

German medium tank Pz.Kpfw. IV with number "833" from the 14th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht in German positions in Stalingrad. On the tower, in front of the number, the tactical emblem of the division is visible.

So it remained a mystery what the Germans built. One of the German soldiers later ironically wrote in his diary that he had the impression that the command wanted to get to hell and call on the demons for help.

3. Mars versus Uranus

A number of esotericists claim that a number of strategic decisions of the Soviet command in the Battle of Stalingrad were influenced by practicing astrologers. For example, the Soviet counteroffensive, Operation Uranus, began on November 19, 1942 at 7:30. At that moment, the so-called ascendant (the ecliptic point rising above the horizon) was located in the planet Mars (the Roman god of war), while the setting point of the ecliptic was the planet Uranus. According to astrologers, it was this planet that ruled the German army. Interestingly, in parallel, the Soviet command was developing another major offensive operation on the South-Western Front - "Saturn". At the last moment, she was abandoned and carried out Operation Little Saturn. Interestingly, in ancient mythology, it was Saturn (in Greek mythology Kronos) who castrated Uranus.

4. Alexander Nevsky against Bismarck

Military actions were accompanied by a large number of signs and signs. So, in the 51st Army, a detachment of submachine gunners under the command of Senior Lieutenant Alexander Nevsky fought. The then propagandists of the Stalingrad Front launched a rumor that the Soviet officer was a direct descendant of the prince who defeated the Germans on Lake Peipsi. Alexander Nevsky was even nominated for the Order of the Red Banner.

And on the German side, Bismarck's great-grandson, who, as you know, warned "never to fight with Russia," took in the battle. A descendant of the German Chancellor, by the way, was captured.

5.Timer and tango

During the battle, the Soviet side applied revolutionary innovations to psychological pressure on the enemy. So, from the loudspeakers installed at the front line, favorite hits of German music were heard, which were interrupted by messages about the victories of the Red Army in the sectors of the Stalingrad front. But the most effective means was the monotonous beat of the metronome, which was interrupted after 7 beats with a commentary in German:

"Every 7 seconds one German soldier is killed at the front."

At the end of a series of 10 - 20 "timer reports", tango rushed from the loudspeakers.

German chief lieutenant with a captured Soviet PPSh machine gun on the ruins of Stalingrad

6. Revival of Stalingrad

In early February, after the end of the battle, the question was raised in the Soviet government about the inexpediency of restoring the city, which would have cost more than building a new city. However, Stalin insisted on the restoration of Stalingrad in the literal sense of the word from the ashes. So, so many shells were dropped on Mamayev Kurgan that after the liberation for 2 years, no grass grew on it.

Surviving civilians after the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. Spring-early summer 1943.

What is the assessment of this battle in the West?

In the mirror of the western press

What did the newspapers of the USA and Great Britain write in 1942-1943 about the Battle of Stalingrad?

“The Russians fight not only bravely, but skillfully. Despite all the temporary setbacks, Russia will withstand and, with the help of its allies, will eventually expel every last Nazis from its land ”(FD Roosevelt, US President,“ Conversations by the Fireplace ”, September 7, 1942).

But after the war and at the present time, Western historians and politicians write about Stalingrad and World War II in a completely different way, in fact falsifying history, but read about this in the second part of the Stalingrad battle.

The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point in the Great Patriotic War and in the entire Second World War. The battle is divided into two periods: the first, defensive, which lasted from July 17 to November 18, 1942; the second, offensive, - from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943

The defensive period of the Battle of Stalingrad

After the defeat at Moscow, Hitler and his command decided that during the new summer campaign of 1942 it was necessary to strike not along the entire length of the Soviet-German front, but only on the southern flank. The Germans did not have enough strength for more. It was important for Hitler to seize Soviet oil, the fields of Maikop, Baku, get bread in Stavropol and Kuban, take Stalingrad, which divided the USSR into central and southern parts. Then it would be possible to cut the main lines of communication that supplied our troops, and obtain the necessary resources for waging an arbitrarily long war. On April 5, 1942, Hitler's fundamental directive No. 41 was issued - an order to conduct Operation Blau. The German group was supposed to advance in the direction of the Don, Volga and Caucasus. After capturing the main strongholds, the German Army Group South was to split into Army Group A (advancing into the Caucasus) and Army Group B (advancing on Stalingrad), the main force of which was General Paulus's 6th Army.

Even before the start of the main attack in the south of the USSR, the Germans were able to achieve serious success. Our spring offensive operations near Kerch and Kharkov ended in major setbacks. Their failure and the large losses of the Red Army units that were surrounded, helped the Germans achieve a quick success in their general offensive. The Wehrmacht formations began to move forward when our units were demoralized and began to withdraw in the east of Ukraine. True, now, having learned from bitter experience, the Soviet troops tried to avoid encirclement. Even when they found themselves behind enemy lines, they seeped through the German positions before the enemy front became dense.

Soon heavy fighting began on the approaches to Voronezh and in the bend of the Don. The command of the Red Army tried to strengthen the front, bring up new reserves from the depths, and provide the troops with a larger number of tanks and aircraft. But in oncoming battles, as a rule, these reserves were quickly depleted, and the retreat continued. Meanwhile, Paulus's army was advancing. Its southern flank was to be covered by the 4th Panzer Army under the command of Goth. The Germans struck a blow at Voronezh - they broke into the city, but could not completely capture it. They managed to be detained on the banks of the Don, where the front remained until January 1942.

Meanwhile, the elite 6th German army, which numbered more than 200 thousand people, was inexorably advancing in the bend of the Don towards Stalingrad. On 23 August, the Germans carried out a fierce air raid on the city, which involved hundreds of aircraft. And although more than 20 cars were shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft gunners and air defense aviation, the city center, the station and the most important enterprises were virtually destroyed. It was not possible to take out civilians from Stalingrad on time. The evacuation was spontaneous: first of all, industrial equipment, agricultural implements, and cattle were transported across the Volga. And only after 23 August, the civilian population rushed east across the river. Of the almost half a million population of the city, only 32 thousand people remained in place after the fighting. Moreover, to the 500 thousand pre-war population it is necessary to add tens of thousands more refugees from Ukraine, from the Rostov region and even from besieged Leningrad, who, by the will of fate, ended up in Stalingrad.

Simultaneously with the fierce bombing on August 23, 1942, the German 14th Panzer Corps managed to make a march of many kilometers and break through to the Volga bank north of Stalingrad. Fighting took place at the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. From the south, German columns of the 4th Panzer Army, which had been transferred from the Caucasus, advanced towards the city. In addition, Hitler threw an Italian and two Romanian armies into this direction. Near Voronezh, positions were taken by two Hungarian armies, covering the attack in the main direction. Stalingrad from a secondary goal of the summer 1942 campaign became the main task for the German army.

A. Jodl, chief of staff of the operational leadership of the Wehrmacht, noted that the fate of the Caucasus is now being decided at Stalingrad. It seemed to Paulus that it was necessary to throw one more additional regiment or battalion into the breakthrough and he would decide the outcome of the battle in favor of the German army. But battalions and regiments left one after another into battle and did not return. The Stalingrad meat grinder ground the human resources of Germany. Our losses were also very large - the molokh of war was ruthless.

In September, protracted battles began in the quarters (or rather, in the ruins) of Stalingrad. The city could fall at any moment. The Germans had already reached the Volga in several places of the city limits. In fact, only small islands of resistance remained of the Soviet front. From the front line to the river bank it was often no more than 150-200 meters. But the Soviet soldiers held on. For several weeks, the Germans stormed individual buildings in Stalingrad. They resisted enemy fire for 58 days and the soldiers under the command of Sergeant Pavlov did not surrender their positions. The L-shaped house, which they defended to the last, was named "Pavlov's House".

An active sniper war also began in Stalingrad. To win it, the Germans brought from Germany not just aces in their field, but even the heads of sniper schools. But in the Red Army, wonderful cadres of well-aimed shooters have also grown up. Every day they gained experience. From the Soviet side, the fighter Vasily Zaitsev, who is now known throughout the world for the Hollywood film "Enemy at the Gates", distinguished himself. He killed over 200 German soldiers and officers in the ruins of Stalingrad.

Nevertheless, in the fall of 1942, the position of the defenders of Stalingrad remained critical. The Germans would certainly have been able to completely take the city, if not for our reserves. More and more units of the Red Army were thrown across the Volga to the west. One day, the 13th Guards Rifle Division of General A.I. Rodimtsev was also transferred. Despite the losses incurred, she immediately entered the battle and recaptured the Mamayev Kurgan from the enemy. This height dominated the entire city. The Germans also strove to master it by all means. The fighting for Mamayev Kurgan continued until January 1943.

In the hardest battles of September - early November 1942, soldiers of General Chuikov's 62nd Army and General Shumilov's 64th Army were able to defend the ruins remaining behind them, withstand countless attacks and tie up the German troops. The last assault on Stalingrad was carried out by Paulus on November 11, 1942, but it also ended in failure.

The commander of the 6th German Army was in a gloomy mood. Meanwhile, our command increasingly began to think about how to radically turn the tide of the battle for Stalingrad. A new, original solution was needed that would affect the entire course of the campaign .

The offensive period of the Battle of Stalingrad lasted from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943.

Back in mid-September, when the Germans were trying to destroy the Soviet troops in Stalingrad as soon as possible, GK Zhukov, who became the first deputy of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, instructed some senior officials in the General Staff of the Red Army to develop a plan for an offensive operation. Returning from the front, he, together with Chief of the General Staff A.M. Vasilevsky, reported to I. Stalin about the plan of the operation, which was supposed to tip the scales of the grandiose confrontation in favor of the Soviet troops. The first calculations were soon made. GK Zhukov and AM Vasilevsky proposed bilateral coverage of the enemy's Stalingrad grouping and its subsequent destruction. Having listened carefully to them, I. Stalin remarked that it is necessary first of all to keep the city itself. In addition, such an operation requires the attraction of additional powerful reserves, which will play a decisive role in the battle.

Reserves from the Urals, the Far East and Siberia were arriving in increasing numbers. They were not immediately put into battle, but were accumulated until the time "H". During this period, a lot of work was carried out at the headquarters of the Soviet fronts. The newly formed Southwestern Front of N.F. Vatutin, the Don Front of K.K.Rokossovsky, and the Stalingrad Front of A.I. Eremenko were preparing for the offensive.

And now the moment has come for the decisive throw.

On November 19, 1942, despite the fog, thousands of guns from the Soviet fronts opened fire on the enemy. Operation Uranus began. Rifle and tank units went over to the attack. Aviation waited for more favorable weather, but as soon as the fog cleared, it took an active part in the offensive.

The German group was still very strong. The Soviet command believed that in the Stalingrad area they were opposed by about 200 thousand people. In fact, there were over 300 thousand of them. In addition, on the flanks, where the main blows of the Soviet troops were made, there were Romanian and Italian formations. Already by November 21, 1942, the success of the Soviet offensive was marked, which surpassed all expectations. Moscow radio reported on the advancement of the Red Army over 70 km and the capture of 15 thousand enemy servicemen. This was the first time since the Battle of Moscow that such a major breakthrough of enemy positions was announced. But these were only the first successes.

On November 23, our troops took Kotelnikovo. The cauldron slammed shut behind the enemy troops. Its internal and external fronts were created. More than 20 divisions were surrounded. At the same time, our troops continued to develop the offensive in the direction of Rostov-on-Don. At the beginning of January 1943, the forces of our Transcaucasian Front also began to move. The Germans, unable to withstand the onslaught and fearing to find themselves in a new giant cauldron, began hastily to withdraw from the foothills of the Caucasus. They finally abandoned the idea of \u200b\u200btaking possession of Grozny and Baku oil.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Command Headquarters was actively developing the idea of \u200b\u200ba whole cascade of powerful operations that were supposed to crush the entire German defense on the Soviet-German front. In addition to Operation Uranus (the encirclement of the Germans at Stalingrad), Operation Saturn was planned to encircle the German armies in the North Caucasus. In the central direction, Operation Mars was being prepared - the destruction of the 9th German Army, and then Operation Jupiter - the encirclement of the entire Army Group Center. Unfortunately, only Operation Uranus was successful. The fact is that Hitler, having learned about the encirclement of his troops at Stalingrad, ordered Paulus to hold on at all costs, and ordered Manstein to prepare a deblocking strike.

In mid-December 1942, the Germans made a desperate attempt to free Paulus's army from the encirclement. According to Hitler's plan, Paulus should never have left Stalingrad. He was forbidden to strike towards Manstein. The Fuehrer believed that since the Germans entered the Volga bank, they should not leave. The Soviet command now had two options at its disposal: either to continue the attempt to cover the entire German group in the North Caucasus with huge ticks (Operation Saturn), or to transfer part of the forces against Manstein and eliminate the threat of a German breakthrough (Operation Little Saturn). We must pay tribute to the Soviet Headquarters - it quite soberly assessed the situation and its capabilities. It was decided to be content with a tit in the hands, and not look for a crane in the sky. A devastating blow to the advancing units of Manstein was delivered just in time. At this time, Paulus's army and Manstein's grouping were separated by only a few tens of kilometers. But the Germans were driven back and it was time to eliminate the boiler.

On January 8, 1943, the Soviet command offered Paulus an ultimatum, which was rejected. And two days later, Operation Ring began. The efforts undertaken by the armies of the Don Front of KK Rokossovsky led to the fact that the encirclement began to rapidly shrink. Historians today express the opinion that not everything was done ideally at that time: it was necessary to advance from the north and south in order to first cut the ring in these directions. But the main blow came from west to east, and we had to overcome the long-term fortifications of the German defense, relying, among other things, on positions built by Soviet troops on the eve of the Battle of Stalingrad. The fighting was fierce and continued for several weeks. The air bridge to the surrounded fell through. Hundreds of German aircraft were shot down. The food ration of the German military has fallen to a paltry level. All the horses were eaten. There have been cases of cannibalism. Soon the Germans lost their last airfields.

Paulus at that time was in the basement of the main department store of the city and, despite requests to Hitler for surrender, he did not receive such permission. Moreover, on the eve of the complete collapse, Hitler awarded Paulus the rank of field marshal. It was a clear hint: not a single German field marshal had yet surrendered. But on January 31, Paulus chose to surrender and save his life. On February 2, the last northern German grouping in Stalingrad also ceased resistance.

In captivity were taken 91 thousand soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht. In the city blocks of Stalingrad themselves, 140,000 corpses of German soldiers were subsequently buried. On our side, the losses were also great - 150 thousand people. But the entire southern flank of the German troops was now exposed. The Nazis began to hastily leave the territory of the North Caucasus, Stavropol, Kuban. Only a new counter strike by Manstein in the Belgorod area stopped the advance of our units. At the same time, the so-called Kursk ledge was formed, the events on which will take place already in the summer of 1943.

US President Roosevelt called the Battle of Stalingrad an epic victory. And King George VI of Great Britain ordered to forge a special sword with an engraving for the inhabitants of Stalingrad: "Citizens of Stalingrad, strong as steel." Stalingrad became the password of Victory. It was truly a turning point in the war. The Germans were shocked, in Germany declared a three-day mourning. The victory at Stalingrad also became a signal for the countries - allies of Germany, such as Hungary, Romania, Finland, that it is necessary to look for the fastest way out of the war.

After this battle, the defeat of Germany was only a matter of time.

M. Yu. Myagkov, Ph.D. n.,
Scientific Director of the Russian Military Historical Society

The Battle of Stalingrad is the largest land battle in world history, which unfolded between the forces of the USSR and Nazi Germany in the city of Stalingrad (USSR) and its environs during the Patriotic War. The bloody battle has begun 17 july 1942 years and lasted until 2 february 1943 of the year.

Causes and background of the Battle of Stalingrad

As everyone is well aware, the forces of Nazi Germany 22 june 1941 years began a massive offensive against the USSR and their troops advanced rapidly, crushing units of the Union's regular army one after another.
After the defeat in an attempt to seize Moscow, Adolf Hitler wished to strike where the Soviet leadership did not expect, this goal was the city of Stalingrad. This city itself represented an important strategic point, opening the way to oil deposits, as well as the Volga River - the main waterway of the USSR. Hitler understood that the seizure of Stalingrad would be a severe blow to industry for the Union.
After the defeat of the Red Army offensive near Kharkov in May 1942 years, the road to Stalingrad was completely open to the Germans. Hitler hoped, by capturing this city, to undermine the morale of the Soviet army and, most importantly, to motivate his regular units, because the city bore the name of the leader of the Soviet Union.

Composition of forces

Before the Battle of Stalingrad itself, the German had 270- three thousand soldiers, more than three thousand guns and almost a thousand tanks. The German army had air support in the form 1200 aircraft of the latest fighter models.
The number of Red Army soldiers before the start of the battle became almost 600 thousand soldiers, but a small number of equipment, guns and aircraft. The number of aircraft was more than two less, tanks, about a third.

The course of the battle of Stalingrad

The Soviet leadership, realizing that the German army would strike at Stalingrad, began preparations for the defense of the city. Most of the Union soldiers are recruits who have not yet participated in combat. In addition, some units suffered from the lack or small amount of weapons and ammunition.
The battle of Stalingrad has begun 17 July, when the advanced units of the Red Army clashed with the German vanguard. The forward detachments of Soviet soldiers held the defenses tightly and the Germans had to use in this sector in order to break their defenses 5 of 13 divisions. The Germans managed to defeat the advanced detachments only five days later. Then the German army advanced to the main defensive lines of Stalingrad. Seeing that the Soviet army was desperately defending itself, Hitler reinforced the Sixth Army with even more tanks and aircraft.
23 and 25 july the forces of the northern and southern groupings of the Germans launched a large-scale offensive. The Nazi army, thanks to technology and aviation, successfully pushed through the direction and took up positions in the Golubinsky area, reaching the Don River. As a result of a massive enemy attack, three divisions of the Red Army were surrounded, a catastrophic situation developed. A few days later, the Germans managed to push back the Red Army even further - now the defense of the Red Army was located behind the Don. Now the Germans needed to break through the defenses along the river.
More and more German forces gathered near Stalingrad, at the end july already there were desperate battles for the outskirts of the city. At the same time, an order came from Stalin, which said that Soviet soldiers should stand to death and not give the enemy not a centimeter of land without a fight, and anyone who refuses to fight and runs should have been shot without delay in the same place.
Despite the onslaught of the Germans, the soldiers of the Red Army firmly held their positions and the plan of the Germans - a swift, massive blow to immediately break into the city, did not work for them. In connection with such resistance, the German command somewhat revised the offensive plan and already 19 august the offensive began again, and this time successfully. The Germans succeeded in crossing the Don and fortifying themselves on its right bank. 23 august a powerful airstrike was inflicted on Stalingrad, the total number of German bombers' sorties became about 2 thousand, whole neighborhoods were badly destroyed or completely razed to the ground.
The massive attack on Stalingrad began 13 september and as a result the Germans managed to enter the city for the first time, Soviet soldiers did not expect such an onslaught and could not resist it, fierce battles began for every street and house in the city. In August-September, the Red Army made several attempts to organize a counterattack, but managed to break through only a few kilometers and with very heavy losses.
Before the Germans managed to break into the city, they managed to evacuate only a quarter of the entire population of the city (100 thousand from 400 thousand). Many women and children remained on the right bank and were forced to help organize the defense of the city. In a day 23 august German bombing claimed the lives of more 90 thousand civilians, this is a terrible figure, which was paid by the mistake in the evacuation of the city. In the city, especially in the central regions, terrible fires raged, caused by incendiary shells.
A fierce battle was fought for the tractor plant, where tanks were now being built. The defense and the work of the plant did not stop right during the battle, and the tanks released from the assembly line immediately went into battle. Often, even these tanks were allowed to go into battle without a crew (having only a driver) and without ammunition. And the Germans moved deeper and deeper through the city, but suffered heavy losses from Soviet snipers in assault groups.
FROM 13 september the Germans continue to mercilessly attack and by the end of the month completely push back 62- army and capture the river, now it is in full lumbago for the German troops, and the Soviet army has lost the ability to ferry its forces without huge losses.
In the city, the Germans could not fully use their ability to interact with different types of troops, so the German infantry was on a par with the Soviet and they had to fight for every room of a residential building without the cover of their powerful tanks, artillery and aircraft. In the fire of Stalingrad, a sniper Vasily Zaitsev was born - one of the most effective snipers in history, on his account more 225 soldiers and officers, of which 11 snipers.
While the fighting in the city continued, the Soviet command was developing a counter-offensive plan, which was named "Uranus". And when it was ready, the Red Army went on the offensive 19 November. As a result of this attack, the Soviet army managed to surround 6- th army of the Wehrmacht, which interrupted its supply of supplies.
In December, the German army launched a new offensive, but was stopped 19 december fresh Soviet forces. Then the offensive of the Red Army resumed with renewed vigor, and a few days later fresh tank troops were able to break through to 200 km, the German defenses began to burst at the seams. TO 31 january the Soviet army during Operation Ring managed to divide 6- the army of the Wehrmacht and take prisoners of Paulus. Was soon broken and the rest 6- th army and about 90 thousand soldiers were taken prisoner.
After the surrender of Paulus, almost all parts of the Wehrmacht began to capitulate, and the Soviet army liberated the city and the surrounding area inexorably, although some parts of the Germans were still firmly defended.

Battle results

The Battle of Stalingrad went down in history as the bloodiest battle in the history of mankind. Also, this battle was decisive during the Great Patriotic War, as well as during the Second World War. After this victory, the Soviet army continued to advance inexorably along the entire front, and the Germans could not stop this offensive and retreated to Germany.
The Red Army acquired the necessary experience of encircling enemy forces and then destroying them, which was later very useful during the offensive.
It's sad to talk about the victims of the Battle of Stalingrad - both the German and the Soviet side lost many of their best units, the amount of destroyed equipment went off scale, but besides this, the German aviation also weakened forever, which later had an excellent effect on the attack of the Soviet army.
The world highly appreciated the victory of the Soviet army. Also, for the first time during the Second World War, the German army suffered such a crushing defeat, and after all, it had previously won one victory after another. The world saw that the brilliant tactics of the Germans could crack. The leaders of many states (Churchill, Roosevelt) wrote to Stalin that this victory was simply brilliant.

While some may regard the day of the Allied landing in Europe as the moment of World War II, when its course changed in favor of the Allies, in reality the Nazis fizzled out and began to retreat even during the Battle of Stalingrad, which took place more than a year and a half before this event. Without a doubt, the Battle of Stalingrad was the most brutal battle of World War II and the fiercest battle in military history. The result of this battle buried Hitler's dream of a world empire and marked the beginning of the end for the Nazis. Without this battle, the landing of the allies in Europe might not have happened at all. Now let's take a closer look at some of the events of this battle.

1. Losses


To understand well the true scale, brutality and importance of the Battle of Stalingrad, we must start from the end - with losses. It was the bloodiest battle of the entire war, which lasted almost seven months, from mid-July 1942 to February 2, 1943, and in which not only the Red Army and Nazis participated, but also Romanians, Hungarians, Italians, as well as some Russian conscripts. In this battle, more than 840 thousand soldiers of the Axis countries died, disappeared or were taken prisoner, while the Soviet Union lost more than 1.1 million people. During the battle, over 40 thousand Soviet civilians were also killed. Stalin himself strictly forbade evacuation from Stalingrad, believing that Soviet soldiers would fight better, knowing that they also had to protect the city's inhabitants.

For comparison, during the landing of the Allies in Europe and the subsequent invasion of Normandy, about 425 thousand soldiers were killed or disappeared on both sides. At the same time, in Stalingrad, out of about 91,000 Germans who survived until February 2 and surrendered that day, only about 6,000 people returned home at all. The rest died of hunger and exhaustion in Soviet labor camps, even ten years after the end of World War II. The Axis forces trapped in Stalingrad - about 250,000 people - found themselves in dire conditions. With scarce supplies and lack of suitable clothing for the harsh Russian winter, many died of hunger or extreme cold. On both sides, many soldiers were forced into cannibalism in order to survive. The average life span of a recruit in Stalingrad was one day, while the captain could live there for three days. By far the Battle of Stalingrad is the bloodiest battle in human history, claiming more lives than many other wars combined.

2. A reason for pride


Today this city is known as Volgograd, but until 1961 it was called Stalingrad in honor of the Soviet leader. So, as you can understand, the city was of great importance to both Hitler and Stalin. Of course, the Germans sought to capture the city not only because of its name, but it had a role here. The main goal of the Battle of Stalingrad was to protect the northern flank of the German army sent south to the Caucasus Mountains in the direction of Baku and other oil-rich areas. Oil was, so to speak, the "Achilles' heel" of Germany, since more than 75% of oil came from Romania, the reserves of which were already running out by 1941. In this regard, in order to continue the war, the Nazis had to capture some oil regions. The Nazis called this search for oil "Operation Blau". It was part of the even larger Operation Barbarossa, which aimed to conquer the Soviet Union.

Encouraged by the initial victories and the rapid movement of the Axis forces across the territory of modern Ukraine and southern Russia, Hitler decided to split his southern armies. While his northern armies were mainly focused on the siege of Leningrad (present-day Petersburg) and the capture of Moscow, the southern group of forces was faced with the task of capturing Stalingrad and the Caucasus. Modern Belarus and Ukraine were important industrial zones for the Soviet Union, and if it also lost its oil fields, it would most likely capitulate. Since the Red Army had suffered heavy losses in previous battles, Hitler thought Stalingrad would be an easy target. By and large, Stalingrad was not of great strategic importance, but Hitler wanted to take the city because of its name. In turn, Stalin, for the same reason, wanted to keep the city at any cost. As a result, Stalin emerged victorious from this battle, which was the first major victory and a turning point in World War II. And since this victory took place in the city named after him, it was an important propaganda tool for Stalin until the end of the war and for the rest of his life.

3. Not a step back!


Signed by Joseph Stalin himself on July 28, 1942, order number 227 is better known as the order "Not one step back!" Amid the disastrous situation that developed during the Great Patriotic War, Stalin issued this decree to put an end to the mass desertions and unauthorized and chaotic retreats that had taken place up to that moment. The West of the USSR, which included modern Ukraine and Belarus, was the most industrialized part of the country, as well as the so-called granary of the Soviet state. Most of its civilians lived in these areas, therefore, even despite the vast territory of the USSR, a constant retreat was not a way out. This order meant that no military commander should give any orders to retreat, regardless of the situation, in the absence of appropriate orders from the higher command. Violators of this order were subject to a military tribunal.

On every front, including the Stalingrad front, there were to be penal battalions. These battalions consisted of approximately 800 mid-level commanders with disciplinary problems, as well as ordinary soldiers who were under their command. The latter also included deserters, so-called cowards, or other troublemakers. These battalions were placed in the front ranks and were always sent to the most dangerous battles. In addition, there were also detachments. Each army was supposed to have several such units, 200 soldiers each. Their task was to stand in the rearguard and turn or kill deserters or those who tried to retreat without appropriate orders. According to rough estimates, 13,500 "traitors to the Motherland" were killed in Stalingrad alone.

4. Tank T-34


Until 1942, the Soviet Union lagged behind the Germans, as well as their Western allies, in terms of armored vehicles. However, the development of the T-34 tank was started back in 1939. By June 1941, there were only 1,200 T-34 tanks on the Eastern Front. However, by the end of the war, their numbers had grown to over 84,000. The previous model of the Soviet tank, the T-26, could not compete with the German Panzer III tanks. It moved more slowly, had weaker armor, and much less firepower. In 1941 alone, the Nazis destroyed over 20,000 Russian T-26 tanks. But with the advent of the T-34, the situation changed, and Panzer III tanks were at a disadvantage.

The T-34 was not perfect by many standards, but it was a weapon to be reckoned with nonetheless. It was equipped with a V12 engine, which allowed it to reach speeds of up to 48 kilometers per hour, and could also operate in subzero temperatures. It also had a 76.2mm main gun and two machine guns. The T-34 tank had wider tracks than its predecessors and competitors, which made it more maneuverable in the sea of \u200b\u200bmud in autumn and spring and during heavy snowfalls in winter. But most notable about the T-34 was its sloped armor, which gave the tank the protection it needed without increasing its overall mass. As the Germans soon learned, most of their shells simply bounced off his armor. The T-34 tank was the main reason for the development of the German Panther tank. In fact, the T-34 tank could be destroyed by throwing a grenade at it at close range or damaging its engine. This could also be done with heavy anti-aircraft artillery.

However, the main advantage of the T-34 was the simplicity and low cost of mass production. As you might expect, it was uncomfortable and had a ton of imperfections. Many T-34 tanks were sent into battle straight from the factory assembly line. There was one such plant in Stalingrad itself. However, it was designed with the relatively inexperienced crew in mind. This was the main difference between the T-34 tank and its German counterparts. The first army of T-34 tanks was deployed in the counteroffensive preceding the Battle of Stalingrad on the banks of the Don.

As a result of this counter-offensive, the German army suffered heavy losses, and the offensive on Stalingrad was postponed for almost three weeks. It also diminished the resources of the Nazis and severely eroded their morale. The Germans did not expect a Soviet counteroffensive at this stage of the war, let alone the appearance of new tanks.

5. Rat War


The attack on Stalingrad began with heavy aerial bombardment that turned the city into heaps of charred ruins. It is estimated that about 40,000 soldiers and civilians were killed in the first week of the air attack. Soviet soldiers stubbornly refused to retreat to the eastern side of the Volga, knowing full well what this would mean both for their war effort and for their lives. Civilians, including women and children, dug trenches sometimes a dozen meters from the Germans. With constant shelling and aerial bombardment, the Battle of Stalingrad soon turned into a "rat war," as the Germans called it.

The battle for Stalingrad quickly turned into a fierce guerrilla war, in which countless soldiers on both sides died for every inch of city territory. Before moving forward, it was necessary to clear every street, every basement, room, corridor or attic of enemy troops. There were cases when in multi-storey buildings the floors were occupied by Germans or Russians in turn. They fired at each other through holes in the floor. It was nowhere safe. Fierce fighting took place in the streets, in trenches, in sewers, in blown-up buildings, and even on overhead industrial pipelines. The initial advantage of the Germans in armor and aviation diminished in this "rat war", which put the Russians in a better position.

6. Pavlov's house


The Pavlov House became a symbol representing the Russians' resilience to the constant attacks of the Germans during the Battle of Stalingrad. It was a four-storey apartment building overlooking the 9 January square. The house was of great strategic importance to the Russians, as it occupied a very advantageous position, which gave its defenders a large 800-meter line of sight in the west, north and south. The house was named after Junior Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, who became platoon commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Division after the deaths of all senior sergeants. Pavlov's platoon received reinforcements a few days after he took up his duties, and his number increased to 25 people. The platoon also received machine guns, anti-tank rifles and mortars.

Pavlov ordered his men to surround the building with four rows of barbed wire and mines and put a man with a machine gun in each window overlooking the square. Some mortars and anti-tank rifles were placed on the roof of the building. This turned out to be a great advantage, since German tanks trying to drive up to the building were knocked out from above with rifles. Tanks could not raise their guns to shoot at the roof. Nevertheless, the Germans stormed the building day and night, trying to capture it once and for all. At the same time, the Russians broke through the walls in the basement and connected it to a trench system that carried supplies from the other side of the river. However, supplies of water and food were limited.

Under the command of Yakov Pavlov, the platoon withstood German attacks for almost two months, from September 27 to November 25, 1942. The commander of the Soviet forces in Stalingrad, General Vasily Chuikov, jokingly said that the Germans had lost more soldiers and tanks in the attacks on Pavlov's house than in the capture of Paris.

7.Height 102


Closer to the center of Stalingrad is the Mamayev Kurgan, which is a 102-meter-high hill with a good view of the surrounding city and suburbs, as well as the opposite, eastern, bank of the Volga. And, of course, fierce battles were fought for him during the Battle of Stalingrad. The first attack on this hill (or Hill 102) took place on September 13, 1942. Before the German offensive, the Russians surrounded the hill with trenches of barbed wire and mines. Nevertheless, a day later both the hill and the railway station under it were captured. More than 10,000 Soviet soldiers died in this battle. And just two days later the Russians recaptured the hill. In fact, Mamaev Kurgan changed hands 14 times during the Battle of Stalingrad.

Towards the end of the fighting, the once steep hillsides were leveled off by almost continuous shelling. Throughout the winter, there was almost no snow on the hill due to the many explosions. Even in spring, the hill remained black, since no grass grew on the burnt ground. According to the available data, from 500 to 1250 metal fragments were found on each square meter of the hall. Even today, people find shards of metal and human bones on the hillsides. Mamayev Kurgan is also the burial place of more than 35,000 civilians who died in the city, and more than 15,000 soldiers who defended this position. Vasily Chuikov is also buried there. He became the first marshal of the Soviet Union not buried in Moscow. In 1967, a colossal 87 meters high monument was also erected on the hill, known as the Motherland Calls. (For comparison, the Statue of Liberty is only 46 meters high.)

8. Grain elevator

The southern outskirts of the city mainly consisted of wooden houses. After German air raids, during which thousands of incendiary bombs were dropped, these houses were left with heaps of debris with charred beams and brick chimneys. But among the wooden houses was a large, concrete grain elevator. The walls of this building were very thick and practically invulnerable to artillery fire. By September 17, the entire area was under German control - with the exception of the elevator and 52 Soviet soldiers who had settled in it. For three days, the Germans carried out at least 10 unsuccessful attacks per day.

During the day, the defenders of the elevator fired at the enemy from the roof with machine guns and anti-tank rifles. At night, they fought at the base of the tower, repelling attacks by German soldiers who were trying to get inside. On the second day, a German tank with a white flag drove up to the elevator. A German officer emerged from it and, through an interpreter, demanded that the Russians surrender. Otherwise, he threatened to wipe them off the face of the earth along with the elevator. The Russians refused to surrender and knocked out the driving off tank with several anti-tank shells.

9. Extraordinary Soviet heroes


Vasily Zaitsev is one of the most remarkable heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad (if you have seen the film "The Enemy at the Gates", this name should be known to you, as he is its main character). As a simple rural boy from the Urals, Zaitsev spent his childhood hunting deer and wolves in the mountains with his grandfather. After the German attack on the Soviet Union, Zaitsev volunteered for the front and, in the end, ended up in Stalingrad. He became the most famous among the snipers who participated in the battle for this city. He took a sight from an anti-tank rifle, installed it on his Mosin rifle and killed enemy soldiers while hiding behind walls. During the Battle of Stalingrad, he killed 225 Germans. He even organized a kind of sniper school in which he trained 28 snipers.
The 1077th Air Defense Regiment was doing something similar. When the Germans launched an offensive against Stalingrad from the north, the Russians experienced a great shortage of soldiers to repel it. And then the soldiers of this regiment lowered their guns as much as possible and began to shoot at the advancing Germans and held them in this way for two days. In the end, all 37 guns were destroyed, their positions were captured by the Germans, and the regiment suffered heavy losses. But only after the Germans finally overcame the resistance of the 1077th Air Defense Regiment, they learned that it consists of girls who had barely finished school.

10. Operation "Uranus"


Operation Uranus was launched in mid-November 1942 with the goal of encircling the 6th German Army in Stalingrad. The Soviet forces involved in this operation, numbering about a million soldiers, were supposed to strike from two directions instead of fighting the Germans right in the city. Soviet troops were to strike at the flanks of the German army, which were defended by the Romanians, Hungarians and Italians. They lacked ammunition and people, and the front line was too stretched. The Axis forces did not believe that the Russians were capable of such a powerful offensive, and were taken by surprise. Ten days after the start of the offensive, the two formations of Soviet troops met in Kalach, a city located about 100 kilometers west of Stalingrad, and the 6th Army was completely cut off. The German High Command urged Hitler to allow the army in Stalingrad to retreat and establish contact with the supply lines, but Hitler did not want to hear about it.

With the onset of winter, the supply of the cut off German army could only be carried out by air. This supply was far from sufficient. At the same time, the Volga was frozen and the Russians could easily supply their troops. In December, Hitler ordered the launch of Operation Winter Storm, which was an attempt to save the encircled army. Special military units were to approach from the west and break through to Stalingrad. However, Hitler forbade the forces in Stalingrad to attack from the east, and the operation failed. By January, the Germans were surrounded by six Soviet armies, and a month later the remnants of the German army surrendered.

One of the most ambitious battles of the Great Patriotic War was the Battle of Stalingrad. It lasted more than 200 days from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943. In terms of the number of people and equipment involved on both sides, world military history has not yet known examples of such battles. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe territory on which the intense fighting took place was more than 90 thousand square kilometers. The main result of the Battle of Stalingrad was the first crushing defeat of the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front.

In contact with

Preceding events

By the beginning of the second year of the war, the situation on the fronts had changed. The successful defense of the capital, the subsequent counterattack, made it possible to stop the rapid advance of the Wehrmacht. By April 20, 1942, the Germans were thrown back from Moscow by 150-300 km. For the first time, they encountered organized defenses on a large sector of the front and repelled our army's counteroffensive. At the same time, the Red Army made an unsuccessful attempt to change the course of the war. The attack on Kharkov turned out to be poorly planned and brought huge losses, destabilizing the situation. More than 300 thousand Russian soldiers were killed and taken prisoner.

With the arrival of spring, there was a lull on the fronts. The spring thaw gave a respite to both armies, which the Germans took advantage of to develop a plan for a summer campaign. The Nazis needed oil like air. The oil fields of Baku and Grozny, the capture of the Caucasus, the subsequent offensive into Persia - these were plans of the German General Staff... The operation was named Fall Blau - "Blue Option".

At the last moment, the Fuehrer personally made adjustments to the plan for the summer campaign - he divided Army Group South in half, formulating individual tasks for each unit:

The balance of forces, periods

For the summer campaign, the 6th Army under the command of General Paulus was transferred to Army Group B. It was she who was assigned key role in the offensive, on her shoulders lay the main goal - the capture of Stalingrad. To accomplish the task, the Nazis gathered huge forces. Under the command of the general were given 270 thousand soldiers and officers, about two thousand guns and mortars, five hundred tanks. Provided cover with the forces of the 4th Air Fleet.

On August 23, the pilots of this formation were practically wiped the city off the face of the earth... In the center of Stalingrad, after an air raid, a fire storm raged, tens of thousands of women, children, old people were killed, ¾ buildings were destroyed. They turned a flourishing city into a desert filled with fragments of bricks.

By the end of July, Army Group B had been supplemented by the 4th Panzer Army of Hermann Goth, which included 4 army motorized corps, and the SS Panzer Division Das Reich. These huge forces were directly subordinate to Paulus.

The Stalingrad Front of the Red Army, which was renamed South-West, had half the number of soldiers, was inferior in quantity and quality of tanks and aircraft. The formations needed to effectively defend a section of 500 km in length. The main burden of the struggle for Stalingrad fell on the shoulders of the militia. Again, as in the battle for Moscow, workers, students, yesterday's schoolchildren took up arms. The sky of the city was defended by the 1077th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, 80% of girls aged 18-19.

Military historians, analyzing the features of hostilities, conditionally divided the course of the Battle of Stalingrad into two periods:

• defensive, from July 17 to November 18, 1942;
• offensive, from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943.

The moment the next offensive of the Wehrmacht began came as a surprise to the Soviet command. Although such a possibility was considered by the General Staff, the number of divisions transferred to the Stalingrad front existed only on paper. In fact, their number ranged from 300 to 4 thousand people, although each should have more than 14 thousand soldiers and officers. There was nothing to repel tank attacks, since the 8th Air Fleet was not fully staffed, there was not a sufficient number of trained, trained reserves.

Long distance battles

Briefly, the events of the Battle of Stalingrad, its initial period, look like this:

Behind the mean lines that are in any history textbook, hidden thousands of lives of Soviet soldiers, forever remaining in the Stalingrad land, the bitterness of retreat.

The residents of the city worked tirelessly at factories converted into military ones. The famous tractor plant repaired and assembled tanks, which from the shops, under their own power, went to the front line. People worked around the clock, staying overnight at the workplace, sleeping 3-4 hours. All of this is under continuous bombardment. They defended themselves by the whole world, but the forces were clearly not enough.

When the advanced units of the Wehrmacht advanced 70 km, the command of the Wehrmacht decided to encircle the Soviet units in the area of \u200b\u200bthe villages of Kletskaya and Suvorovskaya, occupy the crossings across the Don, and immediately take the city.

For this purpose, the attackers were divided into two groups:

1. North: from units of the Paulus army.
2. South: from units of the army of Goth.

As part of our army there was a restructuring... On July 26, repelling the offensive of the Northern Group, the 1st and 4th Panzer armies launched a counterattack for the first time. There was no such combat unit in the staffing table of the Red Army until 1942. It was possible to prevent the encirclement, but on July 28 the Red Army left for the Don. The threat of catastrophe looms over the Stalingrad front.

No step back!

In this difficult time, the Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 227 of July 28, 1942, or better known as "Not a step back!", Appeared. The full text can be found in the article devoted to the Battle of Stalingrad on Wikipedia. Now it is called almost cannibal, but at that moment the leaders of the Soviet Union were not up to moral torment. It was about the integrity of the country, the possibility of further existence. These are not just dry lines, prescriptive or regulatory. He was an emotional appeal a call to defend the Motherland to the last drop of blood. A historical document that conveys the spirit of the era, dictated by the course of the war, the situation at the fronts.

On the basis of this order, penal units for soldiers and commanders appeared in the Red Army, barrage detachments from the soldiers of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs received special powers. They had the right to use the highest measure of social protection against looters and deserters, without waiting for a court verdict. Despite seeming cruelty, the troops took the order well. First of all, he helped to restore order, improve discipline in the units. Senior commanders now have full-fledged leverage on negligent subordinates. Anyone guilty of violating the Charter, failure to comply with orders could get into the penalty boxes: from a private to a general.

Fights in the city

In the chronology of the Battle of Stalingrad, this period is assigned a period from September 13 to November 19. When the Germans entered the city, its defenders fortified themselves on a narrow strip along the Volga, holding the crossing. By the forces of the troops under the command of General Chuikov, Hitler's units ended up in Stalingrad, in real hell. Every street had barricades and fortifications, every house became a focus of defense. To avoid constant German bombing, our command took a risky step: to narrow the battlefield to 30 meters. With such a distance between opponents, the Luftwaffe risked bombing on its own.

One of the moments in the history of defense: during the battles on September 17, the city station was occupied by the Germans, then our troops knocked them out. And so 4 times in one day. In total, the defenders of the station were changed 17 times. The eastern part of the city the Germans continuously attacked, defended from September 27 to October 4. The battles were fought for every house, floor, room. Much later, the surviving Nazis will write memoirs in which they will call the city battles the "Rat War", when a desperate battle is going on in the apartment in the kitchen, and the room has already been captured.

The artillery worked from both sides with direct fire, there were continuous hand-to-hand combat. The defenders of the Barrikada, Silikat, and tractor factories fiercely resisted. In a week, the German army advanced 400 meters. For comparison: at the beginning of the war, the Wehrmacht traveled up to 180 km a day inland.

During the street fighting, the Nazis made 4 attempts to finally storm the city. Once every two weeks, the Fuehrer demanded that Paulus put an end to the defenders of Stalingrad, who held a 25-kilometer-wide bridgehead on the banks of the Volga. With incredible efforts, spending a month, the Germans took the dominant height of the city - Mamayev Kurgan.

The defense of the mound went down in military history as an example of boundless courage, fortitude of Russian soldiers. Now a memorial complex has been opened there, there is a world-famous sculpture "The Motherland Calls", the defenders of the city and its inhabitants are buried in mass graves. And then it was a bloody mill, grinding battalion after battalion on both sides. The Nazis lost 700 thousand people at this time, the Red Army - 644 thousand soldiers.

On November 11, 1942, Paulus's army launched the last, decisive assault on the city. The Germans did not reach the Volga 100 meters when it became clear that their forces were running out. The offensive stopped, the enemy was forced to defend themselves.

Operation Uranus

Back in September, the General Staff began developing a counteroffensive at Stalingrad. The operation, dubbed Uranus, began on November 19 with a massive artillery barrage. Many years later, this day became the professional holiday of the gunners. For the first time in the history of the Second World War, artillery units were used in such a volume, with such a density of fire. By November 23, the encirclement was closed around Paulus's army and Hoth's tank army.

The Germans were locked in a rectangle 40 by 80 km. Paulus, who understood the danger of the encirclement, insisted on a breakthrough, the withdrawal of troops from the ring. Hitler personally, in a categorical manner, ordered to fight on the defensive, promising all-round support. He did not give up hope of taking Stalingrad.

Parts of Manstein were thrown to save the group, and Operation Winter Thunderstorm began. With incredible efforts, the Germans advanced forward, when 25 km were left to the encircled units, they faced Malinovsky's 2nd Army. On December 25, the Wehrmacht suffered a final defeat, rolled back to its original positions. The fate of Paulus's army was decided. But this does not mean that our units went forward without encountering resistance. On the contrary, the Germans fought desperately.

On January 9, 1943, the Soviet command presented Paulus with an ultumatum demanding unconditional surrender. The Fuhrer's soldiers were given a chance to surrender, to stay alive. At the same time, Paulus received another personal order from Hitler, requiring him to fight to the end. The general remained faithful to the oath, rejected the ultimatum, carried out the order.

On January 10, Operation Ring began to completely eliminate the encircled units. The battles were terrible, the German troops were split into two parts, held on firmly, if such an expression is applicable to the enemy. On January 30, Paulus received the rank of field marshal from Hitler with a hint that the Prussian field marshals would not surrender.

Everything has the ability to end, 31 at noon ended stay of the Nazis in the cauldron: the field marshal surrendered with his entire staff. It took another 2 days to finally clear the city of the Germans. The history of the Battle of Stalingrad is over.

The battle of Stalingrad and its historical significance

For the first time in world history, a battle of such duration took place, in which enormous forces were involved. The result of the defeat for the Wehrmacht was the capture of 90 thousand, the killing of 800 thousand soldiers. For the first time, the victorious German army suffered a crushing defeat, which was discussed by the whole world. The Soviet Union, despite the seizure of part of the territory, remained an integral state. In case of defeat at Stalingrad, except for occupied Ukraine, Belarus, Crimea, part of central Russia, the country was deprived of the Caucasus and Central Asia.

In terms of geopolitics, the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad can be briefly described as follows: the Soviet Union is able to fight with Germany, to defeat it. The allies stepped up aid, signed agreements with the USSR at the Tehran Conference in December 1943. Finally, the issue with the opening of the second front was resolved.

Many historians call the Battle of Stalingrad the turning point of the Great Patriotic War. This is not true so much , from a military point of viewhow much moral. For a year and a half, the Red Army retreated on all fronts, and for the first time it was possible not only to push the enemy back, as in the battle for Moscow, but to defeat him. Capture a field marshal, capture a large number of soldiers and equipment. People believed that the victory would be ours!