The layout of the locations mentioned in the article, in a German aerial photograph taken in March 1943: 1 - State Bank; 2 - ruins of the brewery; 3 - the NKVD complex; 4 - school number 6; 5 - the military exchange; 6 - "Zabolotny's House"; 7 - "Pavlov's House"; 8 - the mill; 9 - the "Milky House"; 10 - the "Railwaymen's House"; 11 - the "L-shaped house"; 12 - school number 38; 13 - the oil tanks (German strongpoint); 14 - the buttermaking plant; 15 - a factory warehouse. The positions of the units of the 13th Guards Rifle Division on September 25. In that basement[] there were still two hundred Germansdying of hunger and frostbite. The lull did not last long. [179], The USSR, according to archival figures, suffered 1,129,619 total casualties; 478,741 personnel killed or missing, and 650,878 wounded or sick. As General Chuikov acknowledged, "Remembering the defence of Stalingrad, I can't overlook the very important question about the role of women in war, in the rear, but also at the front. "[91], Many women fought on the Soviet side or were under fire. The next day he made a six-page situation report to the general staff. 4,341 tanks (~150 by Romanians) (2530% were total write-offs. [148], On 23 December, the attempt to relieve Stalingrad was abandoned and Manstein's forces switched over to the defensive to deal with new Soviet offensives. During their second and third assaults on the city, the Germans captured the workers' settlements "Red October" and "Barricades", the settlement of Rynok, Sculpture Park, the Mountain Settlement and the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. Each time German infantry or tanks tried to cross the square and to close in on the house, Pavlov's men laid down a withering barrage of machine gun and AT rifle fire from the basement, the windows and the roof. With the river at their backs, they fought street-by-street, house-by-house against the Wehrmacht. Germany, already operating on dwindling fuel supplies, focused its efforts on moving deeper into Soviet territory and taking the oil fields at any cost. When it became clear that from the upper floors of the house several German lines were visible, a communication line was installed in the building, and spotters settled in the attic. The initial objectives in the region around Stalingrad were to destroy the industrial capacity of the city and to block the Volga River traffic connecting the Caucasus and Caspian Sea to central Russia, as the city is strategically located near a big bend of the Volga. [112][113]:265, On 8 November, substantial units from Luftflotte 4 were withdrawn to combat the Allied landings in North Africa. Some bombers performed adequately the Heinkel He 111 proved to be quite capable and was much faster than the Ju 52.[138]. However, a number of German and Romanian units that were to take part in Blau were besieging Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula. Among the snipers of the 13th Guards Rifle Division was the commander of the department of the 39th Mountain Rifle Troop, Sergeant A.L. This would include the subsequent breakout of Sixth Army, in the event of a successful first phase, and its physical reincorporation in Army Group Don. Hitler believed that Paulus would either fight to the last man or commit suicide. It consisted of two Romanian cavalry divisions and the 23rd Panzer Division, which mustered no more than thirty serviceable tanks. Brick survived through the whole war, and in 1945 was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. [Note 3]. 2 Nomonhan: Japanese-Soviet Tactical Combat, 1939; MAPS, Meine Stalingradeinstze (My Stalingrad Sorties), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ4Jz0H4fAA, "Heeresarzt 10-Day Casualty Reports per Army/Army Group, 1943", "80 years ago, the Soviets began defending Stalingrad against Germany". According to Soviet intelligence documents shown in the documentary, a remarkable NKVD report from March 1943 is available showing the tenacity of some of these German groups: The mopping-up of counter-revolutionary elements in the city of Stalingrad proceeded. On the eve of that day the 295th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht received replenishment and the task to finally get to the Volga on its site. 691 were here. The fate of the division was hanging by a thread. The Austrian divisional commander, General Erhard Raus, was summoned to Manstein's royal carriage in Kharkov station on 24 November, where the field marshal briefed him. The Milk House is where we celebrate our family farm, the amazing Holstein cow and our southern Illin The Milk House | Greenville IL And, at the far end of the yard, besides the other cesspool, behind a low stone wall, the yellow corpses of skinny Germans were piled up men who had died in that basementabout a dozen wax-like dummies. In the early stages of the defense, Pavlov discovered that an anti-tank riflea PTRS-41he had mounted on the roof was particularly effective when used to ambush unsuspecting German tanks; once the tanks had approached to within range of the weapon, their thin turret-roof armor was exposed to AT rifle fire from above, and they were unable to elevate their weapons enough to retaliate.[6]. The tactical benefit of the house was its position on a cross-street, giving the defenders a 1km (0.6mi) line of sight to the north, south and west. Paulus chose the grain elevator and silos as the symbol of Stalingrad for a patch he was having designed to commemorate the battle after a German victory. The initial German attack on 14 September attempted to take the city in a rush. Chuikov, in a clear order, forbade offensive operations by whole units - companies or battalions - which would result in heavy losses. The destruction of 72 aircraft when the airfield at Tatsinskaya Airfield was overrun meant the loss of about 10 percent of the Luftwaffe transport fleet.[181]. [27], By the spring of 1942, despite the failure of Operation Barbarossa to decisively defeat the Soviet Union in a single campaign, the Wehrmacht had captured vast expanses of territory, including Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic republics. Fliegerkorps dispatched wave after wave of Stuka dive-bombers to prevent a breakthrough. Like pliers, Rodimtsev's division was clamped on both sides by German strongholds located in strong and tall buildings. [188] Weakened by disease, starvation and lack of medical care during the encirclement, they were sent on forced marches to prisoner camps and later to labour camps all over the Soviet Union. Romanian military actions in World War II. Soviet operations were constantly hampered by the Luftwaffe. Pavlov's "House" was rebuilt after the battle and is still used as an apartment building today. 114,000 Italians and 105,000 Hungarians were killed, wounded or captured (from December 1942 to February 1943). [1] [103], The German onslaught crushed the 37th Guards Rifle Division of Major General Viktor Zholudev and in the afternoon the forward assault group reached the tractor factory before arriving at the Volga River, splitting the 62nd Army into two. The battle commenced in August 1942 and finally ended in February 1943 when the last of the German forces surrendered. The Germans cut the pipeline from the oilfields when they captured Rostov on 23 July. "They'll be taken away tomorrow, I suppose." The wings of the 6th Army and the 4th Panzer Army met near Jablotchni along the Zaritza on 2 Sept.[67] By 1 September, the Soviets could only reinforce and supply their forces in Stalingrad by perilous crossings of the Volga under constant bombardment by artillery and aircraft. Inside the pocket (German: Kessel, literally "cauldron"), there were also around 10,000 Soviet civilians and several thousand Soviet soldiers the Germans had taken captive during the battle. Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group. Several rooms were covered with fire, a machine gun and 37-mm cannon were destroyed, and the advanced group engaged in a fire fight. On the night of September 29 scouts of the 39th Guards Sapper Regiment managed to stealthily get close to the building and shoved through the windows incendiary bottles. Delays in ending the siege pushed back the start date for Blau several times, and the city did not fall until early July. At this moment, Pavlov took a fateful decision - not only to explore the house, but also to try to seize it. The capture of Stalingrad would make the delivery of Lend-Lease supplies via the Persian Corridor much more difficult. The Boy from Stalingrad (Russian: ; Kyrgyz: ) is the first novel by Soviet writer Fedor Samokhin, published in 1954 by the Stalingrad Book Publishing House.It tells about the meeting in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan of the evacuated population from the western regions of the country during the Eastern Front of World War . The mill operated until a devastating fire in August 1907 destroyed the complex. A new building was built on the same site by May 1908. Despite being called a "mill", it served as a food processing complex, where in addition to the mill, there was also a smokery for fish, butter production facilities, a bakery, and warehouses for finished products. It took a few more days for them to prepare for the most savage offensive of all, which was unleashed on 14 October. [197], At this point, the British had won the Battle of El Alamein in November 1942. Germany's defeat shattered its reputation for invincibility and dealt a devastating blow to German morale. [Note 4], As historian Chris Bellamy notes, the Germans paid a high strategic price for the aircraft sent into Stalingrad: the Luftwaffe was forced to divert much of its air strength away from the oil-rich Caucasus, which had been Hitler's original grand-strategic objective. Stalingradskaya bitva, IPA:[stlnratskj bitv]; 23 August 1942 2 February 1943)[17][18][19] was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later renamed Volgograd) in Southern Russia. The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (present Volgograd) in Southern Russia, on the eastern boundary of Europe. [38], Similarly, on the southern flank of the Stalingrad sector, the front southwest of Kotelnikovo was held only by the Romanian 4th Army. The 25-year-old junior sergeant chose three soldiers from his section, - VS. Glushchenko, A.P. Out of the ruins, the Germans tossed TNT, grenades and bottles with a combustible mixture at the squatted guardsmen with. Several attempts to re-establish a defensive line failed when German units outflanked them. Tasked with holding the city at all costs,[49] Chuikov proclaimed, "We will defend the city or die in the attempt. Map of the night battle of the 13th Guards Rifle Division copied from the book of the General Staff "Battles in Stalingrad" of 1944, transferred to the aerial photo. ISBN: 9781472135216. Finally they managed to get in touch with the artillerymen on the other side of the Volga - the area of the Krutoy ravine, along which the Germans collected reinforcements, was enveloped in dust from bursts of large-caliber projectiles. Soon, it was joked, the Berlin to Stalingrad express would be up and running. In the very first nights, an impromptu garrison turned the house into a stronghold of defense (which in many ways contributed to its further successful defense): the approaches to the building from the side of German positions were mined, the house was surrounded by a wire fence, sheltered firing points were created outside the house, a deep passage was dug from the house to the positions of the regiment for the delivery of ammunition and A telephone line completely hidden under the ground, narrow embrasures were made for firing in the windows and in the walls, and the soldiers prepared several reserve positions for each firearm. The Soviet forces raced west and met on 23 November at the town of Kalach, sealing the ring around Stalingrad. A reconnaissance and assault group of four soldiers, led by Sergeant Pavlov (it included Red Army men A.P. On the left flank were the lines of the 39th Guards Rifle Regiment of Major S.S. Dolgov, in the center - the 42nd Guards Rifle Regiment of Col. IP. [123] The link-up of the Soviet forces, not filmed at the time, was later re-enacted for a propaganda film which was shown worldwide. This was the first major effort to clear the Milk House since mid-September. Equally with men they bore all the burdens of combat life and together with us men, they went all the way to Berlin. [82][83] Even the sewers were the sites of firefights. The first was not completed before the war except for the foundation and the northern wing. The sides of the building testify to the different intensities of mortar and artillery fire - minimal on the Volga side, on the other three sides traces of firing from all types of artillery can be seen, as well as loopholes in the window openings made by the defenders of the house. Under Section . In the post-war memories of Zhukov everything looks somewhat different. Thus, they converted multi-floored apartment blocks, factories, warehouses, street corner residences and office buildings into a series of well-defended strong-points with small 510-man units. [143], The toll on the Transportgruppen was heavy. Stalingrad has been described as the greatest defeat in the history of the German Army. By the end of October the enemy had almost completely occupied the "Barricades" and "Red October" factories. The preparations for the attack could be heard by the Romanians, who continued to push for reinforcements, only to be refused again. The shock groups of the 295th Infantry Division, having crushed through the defenses of the 34th Guards Rifle Regiment, reached the Volga near the mouth of the Krutoy ravine. "[139] The Luftwaffe was able to deliver an average of 85 tonnes of supplies per day out of an air transport capacity of 106 tonnes per day. Army Group South (B), including Friedrich Paulus's 6th Army and Hermann Hoth's 4th Panzer Army, was to move east towards the Volga and Stalingrad. [70] Deserters and perceived malingerers were captured or executed after fighting. The day October 1 almost became the last for the defenders of the small bridgehead. 6 and a five-story building of a military exchange. The civilians were often sent into battle without rifles. [195] In a speech on 9 November 1944, Hitler himself blamed Stalingrad for Germany's impending doom.[196]. These factors, taken together, prevented the Luftwaffe from effectively employing the full potential of its transport forces, ensuring that they were unable to deliver the quantity of supplies needed to sustain the 6th Army.[140]. [56] The exact number of civilians killed is unknown but was most likely very high. [40][41][42][43] Italian forces were generally held in little regard by the Germans, and were accused of low morale: in reality, the Italian divisions fought comparatively well, with the 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" and 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria" showing spirit, according to a German liaison officer. Lasting from August 1942 to February 1943, the Battle of Stalingrad was the largest battle of World War II and in the history of warfare. [93] Women staffed a great many of the anti-aircraft batteries that fought not only the Luftwaffe but German tanks. It uncovers the fact that much of the details of Pavlov's House written in the official histories are made up. [80][81], The Red Army gradually adopted a strategy to hold for as long as possible all the ground in the city. [37], Hitler intervened, however, ordering the Army Group to split in two. The huge ruins of buildings, open spaces and a stable front line contributed to the fact that the ruined city center became a suitable arena for sniper dueling. The other would start from the Chir front west of the Don, which was little more than 60 kilometres (40mi) from the edge of the Kessel, but the continuing attacks of Romanenko's 5th Tank Army against the German detachments along the river Chir ruled out that start-line. The Soviets did not bother employing tanks in areas where urban destruction restricted their mobility. [121] The operation was code-named "Uranus" and launched in conjunction with Operation Mars, which was directed at Army Group Center about 1,000 kilometres (620mi) to the northwest. Though initially successful, the German attacks stalled in the face of Soviet reinforcements brought in from across the Volga. [184], The bombing campaign and five months of fighting in the city had utterly destroyed 99% of the city, with the city being nothing more than a heap of rubble.[185]. In it the battle for the house was colorfully described, the initiative of the younger and the role of the senior command staff was noted, the international garrison stood out, and even its fighters were listed: "Russians: Pavlov, Aleksandrov, Afanasiev, Ukrainians: Sobgaid, Glushchenko, Georgians: Mosiyashvili, Stepanoshvili, Uzbek: Turgunov, Kazakh: Murzaev, Abkhazian: Sukba, Tajik: Turdyev, Tatar: Romazanov and dozens of their army buddies. " The commanders of the detachments literally pulled the abused soldiers from the trenches to the aid of the dying assault team, but it was too late. In keeping with Stalin's Order No. There were cases when German soldiers, in order to cross the shot area, changed into women's clothes. Based on the information of the expert Richthofen, he declared that contrary to the example of the pocket of Demyansk the permanent supply by air would be impossible. The Battle of Stalingrad: The Battle that Broke Hitler Stalingrad battle On September 27, 1942, as a result of bombing by German aircraft, the architect of the house, Sergei Voloshinov, and his pregnant wife were killed . The letter was signed by Colonel-General of Artillery Voronov and the commander-in-chief of the Don Front, Lieutenant-General Rokossovsky. Machine gun crew of Art. The speech contained an oblique reference to the battle, which suggested that Germany was now in a defensive war. In the Combat Journal of the 6th Army, the unsuccessful attack of the 295th Infantry Division is marked by few lines: "The offensive of the 295th Infantry Division with the support of the Stiotta group first had serious success, but then it was stopped under powerful fire. Biesinger (2006: 699): "On August 23, 1942, the Germans began their attack.". Most died of wounds, disease (particularly typhus), cold, overwork, mistreatment and malnutrition. Chekhov, with a gut wound, was literally forcibly transferred to a hospital on the right bank, but a few days later the sergeant reappeared at the regiment's positions and knocked off three more Germans by himself. It was the inability to provide for oneself in the conditions of a bridgehead cut off from the city that destroyed the 92nd OSBR in September. Battle of Stalingrad - Definition, Dates & Significance - History Before Operation Uranus, the 1st Romanian Armoured Division consisted of 121 R-2 light tanks and 19 German-produced tanks (Panzer III and IV). [30][31][32], On 23 July 1942, Hitler personally rewrote the operational objectives for the 1942 campaign, greatly expanding them to include the occupation of the city of Stalingrad. [1], It gained its popular name from Sergeant Yakov Pavlov, who commanded the platoon that seized the building and defended it during the long battle. Battle of Stalingrad | History, Summary, Location, Deaths, & Facts The series quickly became popular, and it was read on the radio by Yuri Levitan. They assembled tanks from leftover parts at the tractor factory. For a moment, I wished that the whole of Germany were there to see it. Of the 31 defenders of Pavlovs house, three were killed during his defense lieutenant mortarman A.N. British war correspondent Alexander Werth described the following scene in his Russia at War book, based on a first-hand account of his visit to Stalingrad on 35 February 1943, We[] went into the yard of the large burnt out building of the Red Army House; and here one realised particularly clearly what the last days of Stalingrad had been to so many of the Germans. On the right side of the map in the ravines show are the actions of parts of the 284th Rifle Division. [195] The Turkish Consul in Moscow predicted that "the lands which the Germans have destined for their living space will become their dying space". The destroyed wall of the plant is visible at the top of the cliff. [53], The Soviets had enough warning of the German advance to ship grain, cattle, and railway cars across the Volga out of harm's way, but Stalin refused to evacuate the 400,000 civilian residents of Stalingrad. In the foreground is Maria Ulyanova (Labychenkova), full-time nurse of the Pavlovs House garrison. The 6th Army now was beyond all hope of German relief. This page was last edited on 18 April 2023, at 20:24. Keystone/Getty Images. The Soviets burned large amounts of grain during their retreat in order to deny the enemy food. [62] The Soviets continued to pour aerial reinforcements into the Stalingrad area in late September, but continued to suffer appalling losses; the Luftwaffe had complete control of the skies. A few days later, a group of junior lieutenant A. Chernyshenko (4 soldiers and 2 company mortars ) arrived at the house . The inscription on the memorial wall reads: In this house, the feat of war and labor merged into one., Pingback: Gerhardt's Mill - Stalingrad WW2 Monument. Stalingrad, the 2013 film by Fyodor Bondarchuk, presents a Russian perspective on the fierce battle for the titular city with gratuitous special effects. Meanwhile, the Hungarian 2nd Army and the German 4th Panzer Army had launched an assault on Voronezh, capturing the city on 5 July.
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