DYN

World War II (WW II) –even it was over almost 60 years ago- never make people bore to see, hear and read the history.  It was the biggest war ever until now, involved millions of troops both from the Allies and the Axis. Now in the nuclear age probably there’s no chance a war could involve millions of troops.

One of the WW II’s greatest battle in Europe was The Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 – February 1943).  It is a clash between 2 military titans in the world, Germany versus Russian which happened in Stalingrad city. The Battle of Stalingrad was the decisive World War II Soviet victory that stopped the German southern advance and turned the tide of the war. At Stalingrad Soviet armies began the series of offensives that were to take them to Berlin.

The first onslaught of Operation Barbarossa in 1941 had carried the German armies to the outskirts of Moscow and Leningrad. In summer 1942 Hitler’s main target was the oil fields of the Caucasus - their capture would deprive the Russians of their fuel supply. An army was to advance down the Volga to Astrakhan and ultimately Baku. Simultaneously the German Sixth Army was ordered to take Stalingrad - ’smash the enemy forces concentrated there, occupy the town and block land communications between the Don and the Volga’. By July 1942 the oil fields seemed to be at Hitler’s mercy. Then he changed his mind and ordered part of the forces that were to occupy them to the siege of Stalingrad instead. By diverting them to this ultimately futile attack Hitler wrecked the Caucasus campaign, which had a good chance of success.

Stalingrad (now Volgograd) was a long urban strip strung out along the west bank of the Volga. Hitler was determined to capture it as it was a major manufacturing centre and the key to the communications system of southern Russia. In German hands it would block Russian attempts to destroy German armies between the Don and Caucasus. But Stalin was equally determined to defend it, not least as it bore his name. His order was read out to every Soviet soldier - ‘Not a step backwards!’. Hence the clash of the titans.

From August 23, when German Sixth Army forces, commanded by General Friedrich Paulus, reached the Volga at Stalingrad, Soviet and German infantry fought a long, house-to-house battle for the city. The occupying Russian army was fanatical. It contested every street and factory, whether still standing or totally destroyed. Territory which the Germans, with their superior fire power, had won by day was regained by night.

At the same time Soviet armies, ultimately numbering an estimated 1 million men, built up. On 19 November, preceded by an enormous barrage, forces under General Zhukov attacked on both German flanks. Within 5 days they had executed a pincer movement that encircled 250,000-300,000 German and satellite troops - the besiegers were besieged. Hitler forbade Paulus from attempting to break out to the rear, which he might have done early in the encirclement.

Goering promised him an airlift which never materialized. A relief army stalled in December and rations had to be reduced. Ammunition was running low. In January the Russians called on von Paulus to surrender. Hitler ordered him to refuse, made him a Field Marshal and informed him that no German Field Marshal had ever been taken alive.

The German position was now hopeless. Troops slowly froze, starved and ran out of ammunition. Paulus’s forces were divided into two parts by a Russian thrust. By 30 January he was trapped in the basement of the large department store in Stalingrad where he had set up his final HQ. To Hitler’s disappointment he preferred to surrender and live: on 2 February he and his staff gave themselves up. By then 70,000 Germans had died in Stalingrad. The Russians took 91,000 prisoners, including twenty-four German generals. Only 6000 ever returned. Hitler himself said, ‘The god of war has gone over to the other side’.

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 11th, 2005 at 3:51 pm and is filed under World War II. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.