A few days ago, i started re-reading a book which i had bought when i was still completing my A-levels. The best rm38.50 i had ever spent on a book, ive read this baby at least 4 times already.The title of this book is "Stalingrad" by Antony Beevor and it tells the story of the battle of stalingrad (duh!) which took place from July of 1942 right till February of 1943, in Stalingrad(duh again!) which is now known as Volvograd.
The book starts with the events way before the actual battle itself. The narration begins with the description of Operation Barbarossa- the Invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany. For those of you that are not familiar with World War 2 history, Germany and Russia were allies until Hitler decided that the resources in Russia was too great of an attraction to pass.So Hitler carried out one of the biggest backstabs (more like a back hack/slash/massacre)in history.
22 June 1941, roughly 4.5 million Axis soldiers along the Germany-Russia border,covering an area of roughly 2900km(thats like going from miri to kuching 4 times) began their assault on the Soviet Union.
German troops pouring into Russia from nazi Germany in 3 groups. Army group north, Army group center and Army group south.
The attack was brutal and swift, russian soldiers were ill prepared, outgunned and technologically inferior to the German army(In the begining lah..later on the russians created the T-36 , which was one of the most advanced and feared tank on the battlefield.). German tank formations, known as Panzer regiments,along with the German airforce(Luftwaffe) and the German ground forces( Wermacht, Waffen SS etc etc) carried out their infamous Blitzkrieg maneuvers, ripping the Soviet Union at an incredible rate, overunning vast amounts of area.
Scenes like these were pretty common throughout the front, summary executions of ideological enemies and ethinic cleansing.
The battle of stalingrad was one of the scenes of bloodiest fighting in the whole campaign. Stalingrad, an industrial city along the river volga was an important for a few reasons, namely due to its strategic importance as a supply route, as well as a critical area if Hitler were to continue his conquest of russia (The capture of stalingrad would allow for the strategic defense of the oil-rich caucasus region.)
The main Units involved:
Nazi Germany = 6th Army, Commanded by General Freidrich Paulus.
General Friedrich Paulus( Promoted to Field Marshall prior to the defeat of the 6th Army)
U.S.S.R= 62nd Guards Army, Commanded by General Vasily Chuikov
Vasily Chuikov(centre)in his command centre, east bank of the Volga, Stalingrad.
the total amount of men, tanks, aircraft used were mind boggling. At the peak of the battle, both sides had in excess of 1million soldiers and thousands of tanks,aircraft and artillery pieces.
the total amount of men, tanks, aircraft used were mind boggling. At the peak of the battle, both sides had in excess of 1million soldiers and thousands of tanks,aircraft and artillery pieces.
I can summarize the battle in one word. Savage.
Both sides had blatant disregard for human life, the Germans killed, the Soviets killed harder.All the while, civillians were still living inside the city. Daily bombing raids by stuka dive bombers, massive artillery bombardments, infantry advances, Panzer attacks. Repelled by waves of ill equiped russian soldiers, who were shot to death by their own officers if they retreated. The battle of stalingrad also saw some of the fiercest urban fighting in the history of warfare.
Mamayev Kurgan, also known as 'Height 103.0', is a mound overlooking the city of Stalingrad. Due to strategic importance, it was vicously fought for. Almost 90% The Soviet 13th Guards rifle division numbering 10,000 men were lost. 10,000 men. The hill itself changed hands regularly, up to 6 times within 12 hours.
Heavy weapon detachment from Rodminstev's 13th Guards fighting on Mamayev Kurgan
The russian defence of stalingrad was tenacious, and the advance of the German 6th Army came to a halt, with neither sides being victorious. The germans occupied the west side of the river volga, the russians were on the east.
This was the only way russians could reinforce the units on the western side of the Volga, by boat. The slow moving wooden flotillas were easy targets for the German air force, the Luftwaffe.
The russian defence of stalingrad was tenacious, and the advance of the German 6th Army came to a halt, with neither sides being victorious. The germans occupied the west side of the river volga, the russians were on the east.
This was the only way russians could reinforce the units on the western side of the Volga, by boat. The slow moving wooden flotillas were easy targets for the German air force, the Luftwaffe.
The deadlock in Stalingrad was the begining of the end for the 6th Army.Russian Army units soon launched a 2 pronged assault (Operation Uranus) from the North, and South of Stalingrad to aid the ailing 62nd Army. The end result: Total encirclement of Stalingrad and the German 6th army in it. They were totally cut off from the outside world, no supplies except through air drops.The 6th Army was going to starve to death.
This map basically shows the 2 pronged russian attack(grey arrows), meeting at a town called Kalach, effectively forming a 500mile diameter encirclement around Stalingrad, Trapping the German 6th army in it.
Both sides suffered untold horrors. Soldiers survived eating stale bread, wheat soup, some extremely thirsty even resorted to drinking sewage water, knowing very well the lethal effects of eating ice(which was in abundance during the cold russian winter). Germans which were desperate enough to collect air flown supply drops in broad daylight were easily shot by Russian snipers. Wounded men, some with no limbs, were left to die in the open. Most were shot mercifully.
This map basically shows the 2 pronged russian attack(grey arrows), meeting at a town called Kalach, effectively forming a 500mile diameter encirclement around Stalingrad, Trapping the German 6th army in it.
Both sides suffered untold horrors. Soldiers survived eating stale bread, wheat soup, some extremely thirsty even resorted to drinking sewage water, knowing very well the lethal effects of eating ice(which was in abundance during the cold russian winter). Germans which were desperate enough to collect air flown supply drops in broad daylight were easily shot by Russian snipers. Wounded men, some with no limbs, were left to die in the open. Most were shot mercifully.
With the encirclement of the 6th army, the soviets proceded by crushing the circle. They pushed all the way into the city of Stalingrad where the 6th army was holed up, and decimated the place. Field Marshall(was promoted to this rank just before the surrender) Friedrich Paulus, who was found in his headquaters in the basement of a grocery store, surrendered. The germans lost.
After almost one year of brutal fighting, the soldiers of Stalingrad embrace each other with joy.
After almost one year of brutal fighting, the soldiers of Stalingrad embrace each other with joy.
Field Marshall Paulus, along with General Schmidt, being escorted to their holding area after being captured in stalingrad.
The result:Decisive German defeat. A few million men, women and children on both sides killed wounded or missing.
The end of the battle marked the begining of the decline of Germany's attempt to attack east. By 1944, the German army was in great decline. 1945, Berlin fell,Japan was bombed, World war II ended.
This battle played a vital role in history, like many other key events in world war II. If Stalingrad had fallen, the Germans most likely would have conquered the whole of Russia by the end of 1942 or early 1943. Having unlimited natural resources at their disposal, Hitler's Germany would have been unstoppable. His dream of creating a Nazi Empire, The Third Reich of a thousand years would undoubtledly have come true.
In other words, If Chuikov and his 62nd Army along with the other detachments had not held Stalingrad long enough to ensure that Operation Uranus was a success, im pretty confident that we would all be speaking German and Japanese right now.
Only 6000 german soldiers from the battle of Stalingrad made it back to Germany after being released by Russia in the 1950's. 90% of the POW's died in Russian captivity.
The Motherland Calls! memorial on top of Mamayev Kurgan ,where the 13th guards rifle division was wiped out. Nearby is also the tomb of Marshall Chuikov, Hero Of The Soviet Union for his leadership during the battle.
-signing out-
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