What is the battle of Stalingrad famous for? They commanded fronts, armies in the battle of Stalingrad

Of course, 1 German soldier can kill 10 Soviet ones. But when the 11th comes, what will he do?

Franz Halder

Stalingrad was the main goal of the German summer offensive campaign. However, on the way to the city it was necessary to overcome the Crimean defenses. And here the Soviet command unwittingly, of course, but made life easier for the enemy. In May 1942, a massive Soviet offensive began in the Kharkov region. The problem is that this offensive was unprepared and turned into a terrible disaster. More than 200 thousand people were killed, 775 tanks and 5000 guns were lost. As a result, the complete strategic advantage in the southern sector of hostilities was in the hands of Germany. The 6th and 4th German tank armies crossed the Don and began to move inland. The Soviet army retreated, not having time to cling to the advantageous lines of defense. Surprisingly, for the second year in a row, the German offensive turned out to be completely unexpected for the Soviet command. The only advantage of the 42nd year was only that now the Soviet units did not allow themselves to be easily surrounded.

Beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad

On July 17, 1942, the troops of the 62nd and 64th Soviet armies entered the battle on the Chir River. In the future, it is this battle that historians will call the beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad. For a correct understanding of further events, it should be noted that the successes of the German army in the offensive campaign for 42 years were so amazing that Hitler decided, simultaneously with the offensive in the South, to intensify the offensive in the North, capturing Leningrad. This is not just a historical retreat, because as a result of this decision, the 11th German army under the command of Manstein was transferred from Sevastopol to Leningrad. Manstein himself and also Halder opposed this decision, arguing that the German army might not have enough reserves on the southern front. But this was very important, since Germany was simultaneously solving several problems in the south:

• The capture of Stalingrad as a symbol of the fall of the leaders of the Soviet people.
• The capture of the southern regions with oil. It was a more important and more mundane task.

July 23 Hitler signs directive number 45, which indicates the main goal of the German offensive: Leningrad, Stalingrad, the Caucasus.

On July 24, Wehrmacht troops captured Rostov-on-Don and Novocherkassk. Now the gates to the Caucasus were completely open, and for the first time there was a threat of losing the entire Soviet South. The 6th German Army continued its movement towards Stalingrad. Panic was noticeable in the Soviet troops. In some sectors of the front, the troops of the 51st, 62nd, 64th armies withdrew and retreated even when enemy reconnaissance groups approached. And these are only those cases that are documented. This forced Stalin to start shuffling the generals in this sector of the front and to engage in a general change in structure. Instead of the Bryansk Front, the Voronezh and Bryansk Fronts were formed. Vatutin and Rokossovsky were appointed commanders, respectively. But even these decisions could not stop the panic and retreat of the Red Army. The Germans were advancing towards the Volga. As a result, on July 28, 1942, Stalin issued Order No. 227, which was called "not one step back."

At the end of July, General Jodl announced that the key to the Caucasus was in Stalingrad. This was enough for Hitler to make the most important decision of the entire offensive summer campaign on July 31, 1942. According to this decision, the 4th Panzer Army was transferred to Stalingrad.

Map of the Battle of Stalingrad

Order "Not a step back!"

The peculiarity of the order was to combat alarmism. Anyone who retreated without an order was to be shot on the spot. In fact, it was an element of regression, but this repression justified itself in terms of the fact that it was able to inspire fear and make Soviet soldiers fight even more courageously. The only problem was that Order 227 did not analyze the reasons for the defeat of the Red Army during the summer of 1942, but simply carried out repressions against ordinary soldiers. This order emphasizes the hopelessness of the situation that prevailed at that time. The command itself emphasizes:

• Despair. The Soviet command now realized that the failure of the summer of 1942 threatened the existence of the entire USSR. Literally a few jerks and Germany will win.
• Contradiction. This order simply shifted all responsibility from the Soviet generals to ordinary officers and soldiers. However, the reasons for the failures of the summer of 1942 lie precisely in the miscalculations of the command, which could not foresee the direction of the enemy's main attack and made significant mistakes.
• Cruelty. According to this order, everyone was shot, indiscriminately. Now any retreat of the army was punishable by execution. And no one understood why the soldier slept - they shot everyone.

Today, many historians say that Stalin's order No. 227 became the basis for the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad. In fact, it is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. History, as you know, does not tolerate the subjunctive mood, but it is important to understand that by that time Germany was at war with almost the whole world, and its advance to Stalingrad was extremely difficult, during which the Wehrmacht troops lost about half of their regular strength. To this it must be added that the Soviet soldier knew how to die, which is repeatedly emphasized in the memoirs of Wehrmacht generals.

The course of the battle

In August 1942, it became absolutely clear that the main target of the German attack was Stalingrad. The city began to prepare for defense.

In the second half of August, reinforced troops of the 6th German Army under the command of Friedrich Paulus (then still just a general) and troops of the 4th Panzer Army under the command of Hermann Gott moved to Stalingrad. On the part of the Soviet Union, armies took part in the defense of Stalingrad: the 62nd under the command of Anton Lopatin and the 64th army under the command of Mikhail Shumilov. In the south of Stalingrad was the 51st Army of General Kolomiets and the 57th Army of General Tolbukhin.

August 23, 1942 was the most terrible day of the first part of the defense of Stalingrad. On this day, the German Luftwaffe launched a powerful air strike on the city. Historical documents indicate that more than 2,000 sorties were made on this day alone. The next day, the evacuation of the civilian population across the Volga began. It should be noted that as early as August 23, German troops in a number of sectors of the front managed to reach the Volga. It was a narrow strip of land north of Stalingrad, but Hitler was delighted with the success. These successes were achieved by the 14th Panzer Corps of the Wehrmacht.

Despite this, the commander of the 14th Panzer Corps, von Wittersgjen, turned to General Paulus with a report in which he said that it was better for the German troops to leave this city, since it was impossible to succeed with such enemy resistance. So strongly von Wittershyen was struck by the courage of the defenders of Stalingrad. For this, the general was removed from command immediately and was put on trial.

On August 25, 1942, fighting began in the vicinity of Stalingrad. In fact, the Battle of Stalingrad, which we briefly consider today, began on this very day. Fights were fought not only for every house, but literally for every floor. Often there was a situation when "puff pies" were formed: German troops were on one floor of the house, and Soviet troops were on the other floor. Thus began the urban battle, where the German tanks no longer have their decisive advantage.

On September 14, the troops of the 71st Infantry Division of Germany, commanded by General Hartmann, managed to reach the Volga in a narrow corridor. If we recall what Hitler said about the reasons for the offensive campaign of 1942, then the main goal was achieved - navigation along the Volga was stopped. However, the Fuhrer, under the influence of successes during the offensive campaign, demanded that the Battle of Stalingrad be completed with the complete defeat of the Soviet troops. As a result, a situation developed when the Soviet troops could not retreat because of Stalin's order 227, and the German troops were forced to advance because Hitler maniacally wanted this.

It became obvious that the Battle of Stalingrad would be the place where one of the army was completely killed. The general balance of power was clearly not in favor of the German side, since the army of General Paulus had 7 divisions, the number of which was declining every day. At the same time, the Soviet command transferred 6 fresh divisions here in full force. By the end of September 1942, in the Stalingrad area, 7 divisions of General Paulus were opposed by about 15 Soviet divisions. And these are only the official army units, which do not take into account the militias, of which there were a lot in the city.

On September 13, 1942, the battle for the center of Stalingrad began. Fights were fought for every street, for every house, for every floor. In the city there were no more not destroyed buildings. To demonstrate the events of those days, it is necessary to mention the summary for September 14:

• 7 hours 30 minutes. German troops came to the Academic street.
• 7 hours 40 minutes. The first battalion of the mechanized forces is completely cut off from the main forces.
• 7 hours 50 minutes. Fierce fighting is going on in the area of ​​Mamaev Kurgan and the station.
• 8 ocloc'k. The station was taken by German troops.
• 8 hours 40 minutes. We managed to recapture the station.
• 9 hours 40 minutes. The station is again captured by the Germans.
• 10 hours 40 minutes. The enemy is half a kilometer from the command post.
• 13 hours 20 minutes. The station is ours again.

And this is only half of one typical day in the battles for Stalingrad. It was a city war, for all the horrors that Paulus' troops were not ready for. In total, from September to November, it was reflected in more than 700 attacks by German troops!

On the night of September 15, the 13th Guards Rifle Division, commanded by General Rodimtsev, was transferred to Stalingrad. Only on the first day of the fighting of this division, she lost more than 500 people. The Germans, at that time, managed to significantly advance towards the city center, and also to capture the height of "102" or easier - Mamaev Kurgan. The 62nd Army, which fought the main defensive battles, these days had a command post, which was located at a distance of only 120 meters from the enemy.

During the second half of September 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad continued with the same ferocity. At that time, many German generals were already wondering why they were fighting for this city and for every street in it. At the same time, Halder repeatedly emphasized by this time that the German army was in an extreme degree of overwork. In particular, the general spoke of an inevitable crisis, including due to the weakness of the flanks, where the Italians fought very reluctantly. Halder openly addressed Hitler, saying that the German army did not have the reserves and resources for a simultaneous offensive campaign in Stalingrad and the northern Caucasus. On September 24, Franz Halder was removed from his post as Chief of the General Staff of the German Army. He was replaced by Kurt Zeisler.

During September and October, there was no significant change in the state of affairs at the front. Similarly, the Battle of Stalingrad was one huge cauldron in which Soviet and German troops destroyed each other. The confrontation reached its climax, when the troops were a few meters apart, and the battles went literally to the bayonet. Many historians note the irrationality of the conduct of hostilities during the Battle of Stalingrad. In fact, this was the moment when it was not military art that came to the fore, but human qualities, the desire to survive and the desire to win.

For the entire period of the defensive stage of the Battle of Stalingrad, the troops of the 62nd and 64th armies almost completely changed their composition. From what did not change, there were only the name of the army, as well as the composition of the headquarters. As for ordinary soldiers, it was later calculated that the lifetime of one soldier during the Battle of Stalingrad was 7.5 hours.

Start of offensive operations

In early November 1942, the Soviet command already understood that the German offensive against Stalingrad had exhausted itself. The Wehrmacht troops no longer had that power, and were pretty battered in battle. Therefore, more and more reserves began to flow to the city in order to conduct a counter-offensive operation. These reserves began to secretly accumulate in the northern and southern outskirts of the city.

On November 11, 1942, the Wehrmacht troops, consisting of 5 divisions, commanded by General Paulus, made the last attempt at a decisive assault on Stalingrad. It is important to note that this offensive was very close to victory. In almost all sectors of the front, the Germans managed to advance to such a stage that no more than 100 meters remained to the Volga. But the Soviet troops managed to hold back the offensive, and in the middle of November 12 it became clear that the offensive had exhausted itself.

Preparations for the counteroffensive of the Red Army were carried out in the strictest secrecy. This is quite understandable, and it can be clearly demonstrated with the help of one very simple example. Until now, it is absolutely unknown who is the author of the contour of the offensive operation near Stalingrad, but it is known for certain that the map of the transition of Soviet troops to the offensive existed in a single copy. Also noteworthy is the fact that literally 2 weeks before the start of the offensive of the Soviet troops, the postal communication between families and fighters was completely suspended.

On November 19, 1942, at 6:30 am, artillery preparation began. After that, the Soviet troops went on the offensive. Thus began the famous operation Uranus. And here it is important to note that this development of events was completely unexpected for the Germans. At this point, the disposition was as follows:

• 90% of the territory of Stalingrad was under the control of Paulus' troops.
• Soviet troops controlled only 10% of the cities located near the Volga itself.

General Paulus later stated that on the morning of November 19, the German headquarters was convinced that the Russian offensive was purely tactical. And only by the evening of that day, the general realized that his entire army was under the threat of encirclement. The response was lightning fast. An order was given to the 48th Panzer Corps, which was in the German reserve, to immediately advance into battle. And here, Soviet historians say that the late entry of the 48th Army into battle was due to the fact that the field mice gnawed through the electronics in the tanks, and precious time was lost for the period of its repair.

On November 20, a massive offensive began in the south of the Stalingrad Front. The leading edge of the German defense was almost completely destroyed thanks to a powerful artillery strike, but in the depths of the defense, the troops of General Eremenko met with terrible resistance.

On November 23, in the area of ​​​​the city of Kalach, a German group of troops with a total strength of about 320 people was surrounded. Later, within a few days, it was possible to completely surround the entire German grouping located in the Stalingrad region. Initially, it was assumed that about 90,000 Germans were surrounded, but it soon became clear that this number was disproportionately higher. The total encirclement was about 300 thousand people, 2000 guns, 100 tanks, 9000 trucks.

Hitler had an important task ahead of him. It was necessary to determine what to do with the army: leave it surrounded or make attempts to get out of it. At this time, Albert Speer assured Hitler that he could easily provide the troops that were in the Stalingrad encirclement with everything they needed through aviation. Hitler only waited for such a message, because he still believed that the Battle of Stalingrad could be won. As a result, the 6th army of General Paulus was forced to take up a circular defense. In fact, this strangled the outcome of the battle. After all, the main trump cards of the German army were on the offensive, not on the defensive. However, the German grouping, which went on the defensive, was very strong. But at that time it turned out that Albert Speer's promise to equip the 6th Army with everything necessary was unrealistic.

Capturing the positions of the 6th German army, which was on the defensive, turned out to be impossible. The Soviet command realized that a long and difficult assault was ahead. At the beginning of December, it became obvious that a huge number of troops, which had enormous strength, had fallen into the encirclement. In such a situation, it was possible to win only by attracting no less force. Moreover, very good planning was needed to succeed against the organized German army.

At this moment, in early December 1942, the German command created the Don Army Group. The command of this army was taken over by Erich von Manstein. The task of the army was simple - to break through to the troops who were surrounded in order to help them get out of it. 13 panzer divisions moved to the troops of Paulus to help. The operation, called "Winter Thunderstorm", began on December 12, 1942. Additional tasks of the troops that moved in the direction of the 6th Army were: the defense of Rostov-on-Don. After all, the fall of this city would speak of a complete and decisive failure on the entire southern front. The first 4 days this offensive of the German troops was successful.

Stalin, after the successful implementation of Operation Uranus, demanded that his generals develop a new plan to encircle the entire German group, located in the Rostov-on-Don region. As a result, on December 16, a new offensive of the Soviet army began, during which the 8th Italian army was defeated in the first days. However, the troops failed to reach Rostov, since the movement of German tanks towards Stalingrad forced the Soviet command to change its plans. At this time, the 2nd Infantry Army of General Malinovsky was withdrawn from its positions and was concentrated in the area of ​​​​the Meshkova River, where one of the decisive events of December 1942 took place. It was here that Malinovsky's troops managed to stop the German tank units. By December 23, the thinned tank corps could no longer move forward, and it became obvious that they would not get to Paulus's troops.

Surrender of German troops

On January 10, 1943, a decisive operation began to destroy the German troops that were surrounded. One of the most important events of these days refers to January 14, when the only German airfield was captured, which at that time was still functioning. After that, it became obvious that the army of General Paulus did not even have a theoretical chance of getting out of the encirclement. After that, it became absolutely obvious to everyone that the Battle of Stalingrad was won by the Soviet Union. These days, Hitler, speaking on German radio, announced that Germany needed a general mobilization.

On January 24, Paulus sent a telegram to the German headquarters, where he said that the catastrophe near Stalingrad was inevitable. He literally demanded permission to surrender in order to save those German soldiers who were still alive. Hitler forbade surrender.

On February 2, 1943, the Battle of Stalingrad was completed. Over 91,000 German soldiers surrendered. 147,000 dead Germans lay on the battlefield. Stalingrad was completely destroyed. As a result, in early February, the Soviet command was forced to create a special Stalingrad group of troops, which was engaged in cleaning the city of corpses, as well as mine clearance.

We briefly reviewed the Battle of Stalingrad, which introduced a radical change in the course of the Second World War. The Germans had not only suffered a crushing defeat, but they were now required to make incredible efforts in order to keep the strategic initiative on their side. But this has not happened.

For the German command, the capture of Stalingrad was of key importance. This city greatly interfered with the Nazi troops - in addition to the fact that there were many defense plants in it, it also blocked the path to the Caucasus, a source of oil and fuel.

Therefore, it was decided to capture Stalingrad - and with one swift blow, as the German command liked. Blitzkrieg tactics at the beginning of the war worked more than once - but not with Stalingrad.

July 17, 1942 two armies - the 6th German Army under the command of Paulus and the Stalingrad Front under the command of Timoshenko - met on the outskirts of the city. Fierce fighting began.

The Germans attacked Stalingrad with tank troops and air raids, and infantry battles raged day and night. Almost the entire population of the city went to the front, and the remaining residents, without closing their eyes, produced ammunition and weapons.

The advantage was on the side of the enemy, and in September the fighting moved to the streets of Stalingrad. These street battles went down in history - the Germans, accustomed to capturing cities and countries with swift throws in a couple of weeks, were forced to fight fiercely for every street, every house, every floor.

Only two months later the city was captured. Hitler had already announced the capture of Stalingrad - but this was somewhat premature.

Offensive.

For all their strength, the Germans had weak flanks. The Soviet command took advantage of this. Back in September, a grouping of troops began to be created, the purpose of which was to strike back.

And just a few days after the alleged "capture" of the city, this army went on the offensive. Generals Rokossovsky and Vatutin managed to surround the German forces, inflicting significant damage on them - five divisions were captured, seven were completely destroyed. At the end of November, the Germans tried to break the blockade around them, but failed.

Destruction of the army of Paulus.

The encircled German troops, who found themselves at the beginning of winter without ammunition, food and even uniforms, were asked to surrender. Paulus understood the hopelessness of the situation and sent a request to Hitler, asking for permission to surrender - but received a categorical refusal and an order to stand "to the last bullet."

After that, the forces of the Don Front almost completely destroyed the encircled German army. On February 2, 1943, the last resistance of the enemy was broken, and the remnants of the German forces - including Paulus himself and his officers - finally surrendered.

Significance of the Battle of Stalingrad.

The Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point of the war. After it, the Russian troops stopped retreating and launched a decisive offensive. The battle also inspired the allies - in 1944, the long-awaited second front was opened, and the internal struggle against the Nazi regime intensified in European countries.

Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad.

• Pilot Mikhail Baranov
• Pilot Ivan Kobyletsky
• Pilot Pyotr Dymchenko
• Pilot Trofim Voytanik
• Pilot Alexander Popov
• Pilot Alexander Loginov
• Pilot Ivan Kochuev
• Pilot Arkady Ryabov
• Pilot Oleg Kilgovatov
• Pilot Mikhail Dmitriev
• Pilot Evgeny Zherdiy
• Sailor Mikhail Panikakha
• Sniper Vasily Zaitsev
• And etc.

Few people in our country and in the world will be able to challenge the significance of the victory at Stalingrad. The events that took place between July 17, 1942 and February 2, 1943 gave hope to the peoples who were still under occupation. Next, 10 facts from the history of the Battle of Stalingrad will be given, designed to reflect the severity of the conditions in which the hostilities were fought, and, perhaps, to tell something new that makes you take a different look at this event from the history of World War II.

1. To say that the battle for Stalingrad took place in difficult conditions is like saying nothing. The Soviet troops in this area were in dire need of anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft artillery, and there was also not enough ammunition - some formations simply did not have them. The soldiers got what they needed as best they could, mostly taking it from their dead comrades. There were enough dead Soviet soldiers, since most of the divisions thrown to hold the city, named after the main man in the USSR, consisted either of unfired newcomers who arrived from the Stavka reserve, or of soldiers exhausted in previous battles. This situation was aggravated by the open steppe terrain in which the fighting took place. This factor allowed the enemies to regularly inflict heavy damage on Soviet troops in equipment and people. Young officers, who just yesterday left the walls of military schools, went into battle like ordinary soldiers and died one after another.

2. At the mention of the Battle of Stalingrad, images of street fighting, which are so often shown in documentaries and feature films, pop up in the minds of many. However, few people remember that although the Germans approached the city on August 23, they began the assault only on September 14, and far from the best Paulus divisions participated in the assault. If we develop this idea further, we can come to the conclusion that if the defense of Stalingrad had been concentrated only in the city, it would have fallen, and fallen quite quickly. So what saved the city and held back the enemy onslaught? The answer is continuous counterattacks. Only after repulsing the counterattack of the 1st Guards Army on September 3, the Germans were able to begin preparations for the assault. All offensives by Soviet troops were carried out from the northern direction and did not stop even after the start of the assault. So, on September 18, the Red Army, having received reinforcements, was able to launch another counterattack, because of which the enemy even had to transfer part of the forces from Stalingrad. The next blow was inflicted by the Soviet troops on September 24th. Such countermeasures did not allow the Wehrmacht to concentrate all its forces to attack the city and constantly kept the soldiers on their toes.

If you are wondering why this is so rarely mentioned, then everything is simple. The main task of all these counter-offensives was to reach the connection with the defenders of the city, and it was not possible to fulfill it, while colossal losses were incurred. This can be clearly seen in the fate of the 241st and 167th tank brigades. They had 48 and 50 tanks, respectively, which they pinned hopes on as the main striking force in the counteroffensive of the 24th Army. On the morning of September 30, during the offensive, the Soviet forces were covered by enemy fire, as a result of which the infantry lagged behind the tanks, and both tank brigades hid behind a hill, and a few hours later, radio communication with the vehicles that broke deep into the enemy defenses was lost. By the end of the day, out of 98 vehicles, only four remained in service. Later, two more damaged tanks from these brigades were able to be evacuated from the battlefield. The reasons for this failure, like all the previous ones, were the well-built defense of the Germans and the poor training of the Soviet troops, for whom Stalingrad became a place of baptism of fire. The chief of staff of the Don Front, Major General Malinin himself, said that if he had at least one well-trained infantry regiment, he would march all the way to Stalingrad, and that it’s not the enemy’s artillery that does its job well and presses the soldiers to the ground, but in the fact that at this time they do not rise to the attack. It is for these reasons that most writers and historians of the post-war period were silent about such counterattacks. They did not want to darken the picture of the triumph of the Soviet people, or they were simply afraid that such facts would become an occasion for excessive attention to their person by the regime.

3. The soldiers of the Axis who survived the Battle of Stalingrad, later usually noted that it was a real bloody absurdity. They, being by that time already hardened soldiers in many battles, in Stalingrad felt like rookies who did not know what to do. The Wehrmacht command seems to have been subjected to the same sentiments, since during urban battles it sometimes gave orders to storm very insignificant areas, where sometimes up to several thousand soldiers died. Also, the fate of the Nazis locked in the Stalingrad cauldron was not facilitated by the air supply of troops organized by order of Hitler, since such aircraft were often shot down by Soviet forces, and the cargo that nevertheless reached the addressee sometimes did not satisfy the needs of the soldiers at all. So, for example, the Germans, who were in dire need of provisions and ammunition, received a parcel from the sky, consisting entirely of women's mink coats.

Tired and exhausted, the soldiers at that time could only rely on God, especially since the Octave of Christmas was approaching - one of the main Catholic holidays, which is celebrated from December 25 to January 1. There is a version that it was precisely because of the upcoming holiday that Paulus' army did not leave the encirclement of Soviet troops. Based on the analysis of the letters of the Germans and their allies home, they prepared provisions and gifts for friends and waited for these days as a miracle. There is even evidence that the German command turned to the Soviet generals with a request for a ceasefire on Christmas night. However, the USSR had its own plans, so on Christmas the artillery worked at full strength and made the night of December 24-25 the last in their lives for many German soldiers.

4. On August 30, 1942, a Messerschmitt was shot down over Sarepta. Its pilot, Count Heinrich von Einsiedel, managed to land the plane with the landing gear retracted and was taken prisoner. He was a famous Luftwaffe ace from the squadron JG 3 "Udet" and "concurrently" the great-grandson of the "Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck. Such news, of course, immediately hit the propaganda leaflets, designed to raise the spirit of the Soviet fighters. Einsiedel himself was sent to an officer camp near Moscow, where he soon met with Paulus. Since Heinrich was never an ardent supporter of Hitler's theory of a superior race and purity of blood, he went to war with the belief that the Great Reich was waging war on the Eastern Front not with the Russian nation, but with Bolshevism. However, the captivity forced him to reconsider his views, and in 1944 he became a member of the anti-fascist committee "Free Germany", and then a member of the editorial board of the newspaper of the same name. Bismarck was not the only historical image that the Soviet propaganda machine exploited to boost the morale of soldiers. So, for example, propagandists started a rumor that in the 51st Army there was a detachment of submachine gunners commanded by Senior Lieutenant Alexander Nevsky - not just the full namesake of the prince who defeated the Germans under Lake Peipsi, but also his direct descendant. He was allegedly presented to the Order of the Red Banner, but such a person does not appear on the lists of holders of the Order.

5. During the Battle of Stalingrad, Soviet commanders successfully used psychological pressure on the sore points of enemy soldiers. So, in rare moments, when hostilities subsided in certain areas, propagandists through speakers installed not far from enemy positions transmitted songs native to the Germans, which were interrupted by reports of breakthroughs by Soviet troops in one or another sector of the front. But the most cruel and therefore the most effective was considered a method called "Timer and Tango" or "Timer Tango". During this attack on the psyche, the Soviet troops transmitted through the loudspeakers the steady beat of a metronome, which, after the seventh stroke, was interrupted by a message in German: "Every seven seconds, one German soldier dies at the front." Then the metronome again counted seven seconds, and the message was repeated. This could go on 10 – 20 times, and then a tango melody sounded over the enemy positions. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of those who were locked in the “boiler”, after several such impacts, fell into hysterics and tried to escape, dooming themselves, and sometimes their colleagues, to certain death.

6. After the completion of the Soviet operation "Ring", 130 thousand enemy soldiers were captured by the Red Army, but only about 5,000 returned home after the war. Most of them died in the first year of their captivity from illness and hypothermia, which the prisoners had developed even before they were captured. But there was another reason: of the total number of prisoners, only 110 thousand turned out to be Germans, all the rest were from among the Khiva. They voluntarily went over to the side of the enemy and, according to the calculations of the Wehrmacht, had to faithfully serve Germany in its liberation struggle against Bolshevism. So, for example, one sixth of the total number of soldiers of the 6th army of Paulus (about 52 thousand people) consisted of such volunteers.

After being captured by the Red Army, such people were already considered not as prisoners of war, but as traitors to the motherland, which, according to the law of wartime, is punishable by death. However, there were cases when captured Germans became a kind of "Khivi" for the Red Army. A vivid example of this is the case that occurred in the platoon of Lieutenant Druz. Several of his fighters, who were sent in search of the "language", returned to the trenches with an exhausted and mortally frightened German. It soon became clear that he did not have any valuable information about the actions of the enemy, so he should have been sent to the rear, but due to heavy shelling, this promised losses. Most often, such prisoners were simply disposed of, but luck smiled at this. The fact is that the prisoner before the war worked as a teacher of the German language, therefore, on the personal order of the battalion commander, they saved his life and even put him on allowance, in exchange for the fact that the Fritz would teach German scouts from the battalion. True, according to Nikolai Viktorovich Druz himself, a month later the German was blown up by a German mine, but during this time he more or less taught the soldiers the language of the enemy at an accelerated pace.

7. On February 2, 1943, the last German soldiers laid down their arms in Stalingrad. Field Marshal Paulus himself surrendered even earlier, on January 31. Officially, the place of surrender of the commander of the 6th Army is his headquarters in the basement of a building that was once a department store. However, some researchers do not agree with this and believe that the documents indicate a different place. According to them, the headquarters of the German field marshal was located in the building of the Stalingrad executive committee. But such a "defilement" of the building of Soviet power, apparently, did not suit the ruling regime, and the story was slightly corrected. True or not, perhaps it will never be established, but the theory itself has the right to life, because absolutely everything could happen.

8. On May 2, 1943, thanks to the joint initiative of the leadership of the NKVD and the city authorities, a football match took place at the Stalingrad Azot stadium, which became known as the “match on the ruins of Stalingrad”. The Dynamo team, which was assembled from local players, met on the field with the leading team of the USSR - Spartak Moscow. The friendly match ended with the score 1:0 in favor of Dynamo. Until today, it is not known whether the result was rigged, or whether the defenders of the city, hardened in battle, were simply used to fighting and winning. Be that as it may, the organizers of the match managed to do the most important thing - to unite the inhabitants of the city and give them hope that all the attributes of peaceful life are returning to Stalingrad.

9. On November 29, 1943, Winston Churchill, at a ceremony in honor of the opening of the Tehran Conference, solemnly presented Joseph Stalin with a sword forged by special decree of King George VI of Great Britain. This blade was given as a token of British admiration for the courage shown by the defenders of Stalingrad. Along the entire blade was an inscription in Russian and English: “To the inhabitants of Stalingrad, whose hearts are strong as steel. A gift from King George VI as a token of the great admiration of the entire British people."

The decoration of the sword was made of gold, silver, leather and crystal. It is rightfully considered a masterpiece of modern blacksmithing. Today, any visitor to the Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad in Volgograd can see it. In addition to the original, three copies were also released. One is in the Museum of Swords in London, the second is in the National Museum of Military History in South Africa, and the third is part of the collection of the head of the diplomatic mission of the United States of America in London.

10. An interesting fact is that after the end of the battle, Stalingrad could completely cease to exist. The fact is that in February 1943, almost immediately after the surrender of the Germans, the Soviet government was faced with the acute question: is it worth restoring the city, because after fierce fighting, Stalingrad lay in ruins? It was cheaper to build a new city. Nevertheless, Joseph Stalin insisted on restoration, and the city was resurrected from the ashes. However, the residents themselves say that after that, for a long time, some streets exuded a putrid smell, and Mamayev Kurgan, due to the large number of bombs dropped on it, did not grow grass for more than two years.

Seventy-one years ago, the Battle of Stalingrad ended - the battle that finally changed the course of World War II. On February 2, 1943, surrounded by the banks of the Volga, German troops capitulated. I dedicate this photo album to this significant event.

1. A Soviet pilot stands near a personalized Yak-1B fighter, donated to the 291st Fighter Aviation Regiment by the collective farmers of the Saratov Region. The inscription on the fuselage of the fighter: “To the unit of the Hero of the Soviet Union Shishkin V.I. from the collective farm Signal of the Revolution of the Voroshilovsky district of the Saratov region. Winter 1942 - 1943

2. A Soviet pilot stands near a personalized Yak-1B fighter, donated to the 291st Fighter Aviation Regiment by the collective farmers of the Saratov Region.

3. A Soviet soldier demonstrates to his comrades German sentry boats, captured among other German property near Stalingrad. 1943

4. German 75 mm gun PaK 40 on the outskirts of a village near Stalingrad.

5. A dog sits in the snow against the backdrop of a column of Italian troops retreating from Stalingrad. December 1942

7. Soviet soldiers walk past the corpses of German soldiers in Stalingrad. 1943

8. Soviet soldiers listen to the accordion player near Stalingrad. 1943

9. Red Army soldiers go on the attack on the enemy near Stalingrad. 1942

10. Soviet infantry attacks the enemy near Stalingrad. 1943

11. Soviet field hospital near Stalingrad. 1942

12. A medical instructor bandages the head of a wounded soldier before sending him to the rear hospital on a dog sled. Stalingrad region. 1943

13. A captured German soldier in ersatz boots in a field near Stalingrad. 1943

14. Soviet soldiers in battle in the destroyed workshop of the Red October plant in Stalingrad. January 1943

15. Infantrymen of the 4th Romanian Army on vacation near the StuG III Ausf. F on the road near Stalingrad. November-December 1942

16. The bodies of German soldiers on the road southwest of Stalingrad near an abandoned Renault AHS truck. February-April 1943

17. Captured German soldiers in the destroyed Stalingrad. 1943

18. Romanian soldiers near a 7.92 mm ZB-30 machine gun in a trench near Stalingrad.

19. An infantryman takes aim with a submachine gun the one lying on the armor of an American-made Soviet tank M3 "Stuart" with a proper name "Suvorov". Don front. Stalingrad region. November 1942

20. Commander of the XIth Army Corps of the Wehrmacht Colonel General to Karl Strecker (Karl Strecker, 1884-1973, standing with his back in the center left) surrenders to the representatives of the Soviet command in Stalingrad. 02/02/1943

21. A group of German infantry during an attack near Stalingrad. 1942

22. Civilians on the construction of anti-tank ditches. Stalingrad. 1942

23. One of the units of the Red Army in the area of ​​Stalingrad. 1942

24. colonel generals to the Wehrmacht Friedrich Paulus (Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus, 1890-1957, right) with officers at the command post near Stalingrad. Second from the right is Paulus' adjutant Colonel Wilhelm Adam (1893-1978). December 1942

25. At the crossing of the Volga to Stalingrad. 1942

26. Refugees from Stalingrad during a halt. September 1942

27. Guardsmen of the reconnaissance company of Lieutenant Levchenko during reconnaissance on the outskirts of Stalingrad. 1942

28. The soldiers take their starting positions. Stalingrad front. 1942

29. Evacuation of the plant across the Volga. Stalingrad. 1942

30. Burning Stalingrad. Anti-aircraft artillery firing at German aircraft. Stalingrad, Fallen Fighters Square. 1942

31. Meeting of the Military Council of the Stalingrad Front: from left to right - Khrushchev N.S., Kirichenko A.I., Secretary of the Stalingrad Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks Chuyanov A.S.tand commander of the front colonel general to Eremenko A.I. Stalingrad. 1942

32. A group of machine gunners of the 120th (308th) Guards Rifle Division, under the command of Sergeev A.,conducts reconnaissance during the street fighting in Stalingrad. 1942

33. Red Navy men of the Volga Flotilla during a landing operation near Stalingrad. 1942

34. Military Council of the 62nd Army: from left to right - Chief of Staff of the Army Krylov N.I., Army Commander Chuikov V.I., member of the Military Council Gurov K.A.and commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Division Rodimtsev A.I. District of Stalingrad. 1942

35. Soldiers of the 64th Army are fighting for a house in one of the districts of Stalingrad. 1942

36. Commander of the Don Front, Lieutenant General t Rokossovsky K.K. in a combat position in the region of Stalingrad. 1942

37. Battle in the area of ​​Stalingrad. 1942

38. Fight for the house on Gogol street. 1943

39. Baking bread on your own. Stalingrad front. 1942

40. Fighting in the city center. 1943

41. Storming of the railway station. 1943

42. Soldiers of the long-range guns of junior lieutenant Snegirev I. are firing from the left bank of the Volga. 1943

43. A military orderly carries a wounded soldier of the Red Army. Stalingrad. 1942

44. Soldiers of the Don Front advance to a new firing line in the area of ​​the encircled Stalingrad group of Germans. 1943

45. Soviet sappers pass through the destroyed snow-covered Stalingrad. 1943

46. Captured Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus (1890-1957) exits a GAZ-M1 car at the headquarters of the 64th Army in Beketovka, Stalingrad Region. 01/31/1943

47. Soviet soldiers climb the stairs of a destroyed house in Stalingrad. January 1943

48. Soviet troops in battle in Stalingrad. January 1943

49. Soviet soldiers in battle among the destroyed buildings in Stalingrad. 1942

50. Soviet soldiers attack enemy positions near Stalingrad. January 1943

51. Italian and German prisoners leave Stalingrad after the surrender. February 1943

52. Soviet soldiers move through the destroyed workshop of the plant in Stalingrad during the battle.

53. Soviet light tank T-70 with troops on the armor on the Stalingrad front. November 1942

54. German artillerymen are firing on the outskirts of Stalingrad. In the foreground, a dead Red Army soldier in cover. 1942

55. Conducting political information in the 434th Fighter Aviation Regiment. In the first row from left to right: Heroes of the Soviet Union Senior Lieutenant I.F. Golubin, captain V.P. Babkov, Lieutenant N.A. Karnachenok (posthumously), the commissar of the regiment, battalion commissar V.G. Strelmashchuk. In the background is a Yak-7B fighter with the inscription "Death for death!" on the fuselage. July 1942

56. Wehrmacht infantry at the destroyed plant "Barricades" in Stalingrad.

57. Red Army soldiers with an accordion celebrate the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad on the Square of the Fallen Fighters in the liberated Stalingrad. January
1943

58. Soviet mechanized unit during the offensive near Stalingrad. November 1942

59. Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division of Colonel Vasily Sokolov at the Krasny Oktyabr plant in the destroyed Stalingrad. December 1942

60. Soviet tanks T-34/76 near the Square of the Fallen Fighters in Stalingrad. January 1943

61. German infantry take cover behind stacks of steel blanks (blooms) at the Krasny Oktyabr plant during the battles for Stalingrad. 1942

62. Sniper Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Zaytsev explains to the newcomers the upcoming task. Stalingrad. December 1942

63. Soviet snipers go to the firing position in the destroyed Stalingrad. The legendary sniper of the 284th Infantry Division Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev and his students are sent into an ambush. December 1942.

64. Italian driver killed on the road near Stalingrad. Next to the truck FIAT SPA CL39. February 1943

65. Unknown Soviet submachine gunner with PPSh-41 during the battles for Stalingrad. 1942

66. Red Army soldiers are fighting among the ruins of a destroyed workshop in Stalingrad. November 1942

67. Red Army soldiers are fighting among the ruins of a destroyed workshop in Stalingrad. 1942

68. German prisoners of war captured by the Red Army in Stalingrad. January 1943

69. Calculation of the Soviet 76-mm ZiS-3 divisional gun at the position near the Krasny Oktyabr plant in Stalingrad. December 10, 1942

70. An unknown Soviet machine gunner with a DP-27 in one of the destroyed houses in Stalingrad. December 10, 1942

71. Soviet artillery fires on the encircled German troops in Stalingrad. Presumably , in the foreground 76-mm regimental gun model 1927. January 1943

72. Soviet attack aircraft Il-2 aircraft take off on a combat mission near Stalingrad. January 1943

73. exterminate pilot of the 237th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 220th Fighter Aviation Division of the 16th Air Army of the Stalingrad Front, Sergeant Ilya Mikhailovich Chumbarev at the wreckage of a German reconnaissance aircraft shot down by him with the help of a ram Ika Focke-Wulf Fw 189. 1942

74. Soviet artillerymen firing at German positions in Stalingrad from a 152-mm howitzer-gun ML-20 model 1937. January 1943

75. The calculation of the Soviet 76.2-mm gun ZiS-3 is firing in Stalingrad. November 1942

76. Soviet soldiers sit by the fire in a moment of calm in Stalingrad. The soldier second from the left has a captured German MP-40 submachine gun. 01/07/1943

77. Cameraman Valentin Ivanovich Orlyankin (1906-1999) in Stalingrad. 1943

78. The commander of the assault group of the marines P. Golberg in one of the shops of the destroyed plant "Barricades". 1943

79. Red Army soldiers are fighting on the ruins of a building in Stalingrad. 1942

80. Portrait of Hauptmann Friedrich Winkler in the area of ​​the Barrikady plant in Stalingrad.

81. Residents of a Soviet village, previously occupied by the Germans, meet the crew of a T-60 light tank from the Soviet troops - liberate lei. Stalingrad region. February 1943

82. Soviet troops on the offensive near Stalingrad, in the foreground the famous Katyusha rocket launchers, behind the T-34 tanks.

86. Soviet T-34 tanks with armored soldiers on the march in the snowy steppe during the Stalingrad strategic offensive operation. November 1942

87. Soviet T-34 tanks with armored soldiers on the march in the snowy steppe during the Middle Don offensive. December 1942

88. Tankers of the 24th Soviet tank corps (from December 26, 1942 - the 2nd guards) on the armor of the T-34 tank during the liquidation of the group of German troops surrounded near Stalingrad. December 1942 she and the major general) are talking with the soldiers at the German tank Pz.Kpfw captured near Stalingrad. III Ausf. L. 1942

92. A German tank Pz.Kpfw captured near Stalingrad. III Ausf. L. 1942

93. Red Army prisoners who died of hunger and cold. The POW camp was located in the village of Bolshaya Rossoshka near Stalingrad. January 1943

94. German Heinkel He-177A-5 bombers from I./KG 50 at the airfield in Zaporozhye. These bombers were used to supply the German troops encircled at Stalingrad. January 1943

96. Romanian prisoners of war taken prisoner in the area of ​​​​the village of Raspopinskaya near the city of Kalach. November-December 1942

97. Romanian prisoners of war taken prisoner in the area of ​​​​the village of Raspopinskaya near the city of Kalach. November-December 1942

98. GAZ-MM trucks used as fuel trucks during refueling at one of the stations near Stalingrad. The engine hoods are covered with covers, instead of doors - canvas valves. Don Front, winter 1942-1943.

99. The position of the German machine-gun crew in one of the houses in Stalingrad. September-November 1942

100. Member of the Military Council for the Logistics of the 62nd Army of the Stalingrad Front, Colonel Viktor Matveyevich Lebedev in a dugout near Stalingrad. 1942

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

Causes and background of the Battle of Stalingrad

As everyone is well aware, the forces of Nazi Germany launched a massive attack on the USSR on June 22, 1941, and their troops advanced rapidly, defeating units of the regular army of the Union one after another.
After the defeat in the attempt to capture Moscow, Adolf Hitler wished to strike where the Soviet leadership did not expect, this target was the city of Stalingrad. This city was an important strategic point that opened the way to oil deposits, as well as the Volga River, the main water artery of the USSR. Hitler understood that the capture of Stalingrad would be a strong blow to industry for the Union.
After the defeat of the Red Army offensive near Kharkov in May 1942, 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 army had 270 thousand soldiers, more than three thousand guns and almost a thousand tanks. The German army had air support in the form of 1200 aircraft of the latest fighter models.
The number of soldiers of the Red Army before the start of the battle became almost 600 thousand soldiers, but a small amount of equipment, guns and aircraft. The number of aircraft was more than two less, tanks, by about a third.

The course of the Battle of Stalingrad

The Soviet leadership, realizing that the German army would hit Stalingrad, began preparing for the defense of the city. Most Union soldiers are recruits who have not yet seen combat. In addition, some parts suffered from the absence or small amount of weapons and ammunition.
The Battle of Stalingrad began on July 17, when the advanced units of the Red Army clashed with the German vanguard. The forward detachments of Soviet soldiers held the defense tightly and the Germans had to use 5 out of 13 divisions in this area in order to break their defense. The Germans managed to break the forward detachments only five days later. Then the German army advanced to the main defensive lines of Stalingrad. Seeing that the Soviet army was desperately on the defensive, Hitler reinforced the Sixth Army with even more tanks and aircraft.
On July 23 and 25, the forces of the northern and southern groups 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 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 were converging near Stalingrad, at the end of July there were already 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 be 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 Germans' plan - a swift, massive blow to immediately break into the city, did not work out for them. In connection with such resistance, the German command somewhat reworked the offensive plan, and already on August 19 the offensive began again and this time successfully. The Germans managed to cross the Don and fortify themselves on its right bank. On August 23, Stalingrad was hit by a powerful air strike, the total number of German bomber sorties was about 2 thousand, entire neighborhoods were badly destroyed or completely wiped off the face of the earth.
A massive attack on Stalingrad began on September 13, and as a result, the Germans managed to enter the city for the first time, the Soviet soldiers did not expect such an onslaught and could not resist it, fierce battles ensued for every street and house in the city. In August-September, the Red Army made several attempts to organize a counterattack, but only a few kilometers were able to break through 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 out of 400 thousand). Many women and children remained on the right bank and were forced to help organize the defense of the city. On the day of August 23, the German bombardment claimed the lives of more than 90,000 civilians, a terrible figure paid by a mistake in the evacuation of the city. Terrible fires raged in the city, especially in the central regions, caused by incendiary shells.
A fierce battle was fought for the tractor factory, where tanks were now being built. Right during the battle, the defense and work of the plant did not stop, and the tanks released from the assembly line immediately went into battle. Often even these tanks went 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 September 13, the Germans continue to advance mercilessly and by the end of the month they completely push back the 62nd Army and capture the river, now it is in full fire for the German troops, and the Soviet army has lost the opportunity to transport 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 she had to fight for every room of a residential building without the cover of her powerful tanks, artillery and aircraft. In the fire of Stalingrad, sniper Vasily Zaitsev was born - one of the most productive snipers in history, he has more than 225 soldiers and officers, 11 of them snipers.
While the fighting in the city continued, the Soviet command developed a counteroffensive plan, which was called "Uranus". And when it was ready, the Red Army went on the offensive on November 19. As a result of this attack, the Soviet army managed to surround the 6th army of the Wehrmacht, which interrupted its supply of supplies.
In December, the German army went on a new offensive, but was stopped on December 19 by 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 a depth of 200 km, the German defense began to burst at the seams. By January 31, the Soviet army during the operation "Ring" managed to divide the 6th army of the Wehrmacht and capture parts of Paulus. It was soon defeated, and the rest of the 6th 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 its environs inexorably, although some parts of the Germans were still firmly on the defensive.

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 for itself the necessary experience of encircling enemy forces and their subsequent destruction, which later came in very handy during the offensive.
It’s sad to talk about the victims of the Battle of Stalingrad - both the German and the Soviet sides lost many of their best parts, the amount of equipment destroyed went off scale, but besides this, 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. It was also the first time during the Second World War that the German army had suffered such a crushing defeat, and in fact it had won one victory after another before. The world saw that the ingenious tactics of the Germans could crack. The leaders of many states (Churchill, Roosevelt) wrote to Stalin that this victory was simply brilliant.