The third assault followed on 1 November. From the OP actions of the small group were observed by battalion commander Zhukov, who earlier received orders from the regiment to seize the house in the square.Their group supported the whole regiment with machine-gun and mortar fire, then their neighbors on the right and left joined. [157] On 24 January, in his radio report to Hitler, Paulus reported: "18,000 wounded without the slightest aid of bandages and medicines. But it also describes the many instances of sacrifice, heroism, and suffering the men defending Stalingrad experienced. Poised in Eastern Ukraine, it was to spearhead the offensive. Only 27 of the latter were lost in combat, however, the remaining 54 being abandoned after breaking down or running out of fuel. The day October 1 almost became the last for the defenders of the small bridgehead. F. Pavlov was the commander of the assault group that seized the building, and the defense was led by senior lieutenant IF Afanasyev. Lieutenant General Alexander Rodimtsev was in charge of the 13th Guards Rifle Division, and received one of two Heroes of the Soviet Union awarded during the battle for his actions. [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. The film is the second German movie to portray the Battle of Stalingrad. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}484257.6N 443153.4E / 48.716000N 44.531500E / 48.716000; 44.531500, Pavlov's House (Russian: tr. Soviet offensives in the central and northern portions of the Eastern Front tied down Luftwaffe reserves and newly built aircraft, reducing Luftflotte 4's percentage of Eastern Front aircraft from 60 percent on 28 June to 38 percent by 20 September. Due to a limited number of available aircraft and having only one available airfield, at Pitomnik, the Luftwaffe could only deliver 105 tonnes of supplies per day, only a fraction of the minimum 750 tonnes that both Paulus and Zeitzler estimated the 6th Army needed. The Germans approached the positions of the company closely - only the railroad tracks crowded by wagons divided them from their opponents. German large-caliber artillery swept the wooden quarters of workers' settlements, high-rise buildings and huge workshops, and the aviation of the 4th Luftwaffe Air Force heavily bombed the positions of the Soviet troops during the October battles, causing huge losses as several divisions were burned up in few days: the 138th, The 193rd and 308th Rifle Divisions, and the 37th Guards Rifle Division During that time the Rodimtsevs division held the quietest place on the line of defense of the 62nd Army, and soon writers and journalists were drawn there. Continuing the offensive, the German infantry began to advance in two directions: to the north, where the headquarters of the 13th Guards Rifle Division was located, and to the south - to the mortar positions and the rear of the surrounded 39th and 42st Guards Rifle Regiments. The natural line of defence, the Don River, had never been properly established by the German side. Toe hold. How three million Germans died after VE Day. Unsuccessful, the surviving fighters of the assault group only managed to crawl back to their trenches at night. Keystone/Getty Images. Concluding its four-part series on the Battle of Stalingrad, Army University Press is proud to present Stalingrad: The Grain Elevator. [89], Richard Overy addresses the question of just how important the Red Army's coercive methods were to the Soviet war effort compared with other motivational factors such as hatred for the enemy. The battle was marked by fierce close-quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians in air raids, with the battle epitomizing urban warfare. [95] Many of the Soviet wireless and telephone operators were women who often suffered heavy casualties when their command posts came under fire. Yeryomenko and Commissar Nikita Khrushchev were tasked with planning the defence of Stalingrad. Some Soviet commanders adopted the tactic of always keeping their front-line positions as close to the Germans as physically possible; Chuikov called this "hugging" the Germans. The military political instructor wanted to wring capital writers necks, but they not only reassured him, but also persuaded him to publish his article in the central newspaper. [29] Stalin was expecting the main thrust of the German summer attacks to be directed against Moscow again. The REAL Story of Pavlov's House at Stalingrad - YouTube [2], The importance of the building has been contested. More than thirty civilians were also in the basements, some were seriously injured as a result of fires that broke out after the attacks of German artillery. The northern flank was defended by Hungarian and Romanian units, often in open positions on the steppes. Most importantly, the Soviets controlled the ferries to their supplies on the east bank of the Volga. "[46], The Germans formed bridgeheads across the Don on 20 August, with the 295th and 76th Infantry Divisions enabling the XIVth Panzer Corps "to thrust to the Volga north of Stalingrad." The operative report of the Don Front's staff issued on 5 February 1943, 22:00 said, The 64th Army was putting itself in order, being in previously occupied regions. Stalingradskaya bitva, IPA: [stlnratskj bitv]; 23 August 1942 - 2 February 1943) 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 . The USSR lost 4,341 tanks destroyed or damaged, 15,728 artillery pieces and 2,769 combat aircraft. Germany, already operating on dwindling fuel supplies, focused its efforts on moving deeper into Soviet territory and taking the oil fields at any cost. Choice Reviews Online, 27(05), pp.27-2848-27-2848. The 6th Army now was beyond all hope of German relief. The Soviet forces raced west and met on 23 November at the town of Kalach, sealing the ring around Stalingrad. Germany's defeat in the battle marked a turning . Photo from the collection of Dirk Jeschke (Dirk Jeschke) provided by Anton Jolie. Meanwhile, the Hungarian 2nd Army and the German 4th Panzer Army had launched an assault on Voronezh, capturing the city on 5 July. The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Heart of the The series quickly became popular, and it was read on the radio by Yuri Levitan. [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. Chuikov, in a clear order, forbade offensive operations by whole units - companies or battalions - which would result in heavy losses. [162], On the next day, the southern pocket in Stalingrad collapsed. Fliegerkorps dispatched wave after wave of Stuka dive-bombers to prevent a breakthrough. Paulus testified for the prosecution during the Nuremberg Trials and assured families in Germany that those soldiers taken prisoner at Stalingrad were safe. [79], German military doctrine was based on the principle of combined-arms teams and close cooperation between tanks, infantry, engineers, artillery and ground-attack aircraft. Paulus requested permission to surrender, but Hitler rejected Paulus' request out of hand. Many members of the house's garrison were killed and wounded whilst assaulting the German held "Milk House" on 26 November.[3]. [25]:498, Hitler decided that Germany's summer campaign in 1942 would be directed at the southern parts of the Soviet Union. Incredible Urban Combat Pictures From Stalingrad - Not One Step Back Yet despite the German onslaught, the soldiers of the Soviet 62nd Army doggedly maintained a 'toe hold' on the western bank of the Volga. Daily sorties decreased from 1,343 per day to 975 per day. [155], The Germans were now not only starving but running out of ammunition. The Soviets burned large amounts of grain during their retreat in order to deny the enemy food. 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. If you're looking for a detailed account of street fighting in Stalingrad or specifics on Pavlov's house, this book is not your answer. The first article about "Pavlov's House" appeared on 31 October 1942. Stalingrad: Experimentation, Adaptation, Implementation German archives do not support the claim for heavy fighting for the building, and Soviet military archives attach no particular importance to the house as a defensive structure. The increased strength and vibration resistance of the reinforced concrete frame, necessary for the operation of industrial equipment of the mill, helped the building to survive and not to be destroyed to the ground. Artillery spotters were an especially prized target for snipers. Fighting was so fierce and intense during one day that the railway station changed hands 14 times in six hours. The civilians were often sent into battle without rifles. Left in the photo is Grigory Evdokimovich Brick (post-war photo). [88] On the other hand, Beevor noted the often extraordinary bravery of the Soviet soldiers in a battle that was only comparable to Verdun, and argued that terror alone cannot explain such self-sacrifice. Very close to it were huge five and six-story buildings occupied by the German infantry - the "Railwaymen's House" and "L-shaped house". "[150], The Red Army High Command sent three envoys while simultaneously aircraft and loudspeakers announced terms of capitulation on 7 January 1943. The Soviet front's composition and names changed several times in the battle. The Germans set up a "mobile defence" of small units that were to hold towns until supporting armour arrived. Paulus had requested permission to "withdraw the 6th Army behind the Don," but was rejected. While the employees of GlavPU RKKA worked on the ideological front, Rodimtsev's division went on as usual. They are worthy of being told about. According to the author of the article, this series of photos of Zelma is a kind of reconstruction of the combat operations of the 13th Guards Rifle Division and was shot after the end of the battles, in the spring of 1943. 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]. It has been argued that whilst the house was heavily fortified, there were limited assaults against it and it was amongst the first buildings in Stalingrad to be restored after the war, having received comparatively limited damage. Only forty dead Soviet fighters were found, though the Germans had thought there were many more due to the intensity of resistance. On this day in the 13th Guards Rifle Division were awarded guards badges and distinguished fighters were rewarded , a divisional ensemble performed, in dugouts and basements of strong points meetings were held, on the beach the baths for fighters were organized and winter uniforms were issued. 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. [199], The news of the battle echoed round the world, with many people now believing that Hitler's defeat was inevitable. The German soldiers who had hidden themselves in huts and trenches offered armed resistance after combat actions had already ended. 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 defenders, as well as the civilians hiding in the basement, were eventually relieved by counter-attacking Soviet forces after holding out from 27 September to 25 November 1942. Chernyshenko, sergeant I. [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. Hait and private I. T. Svirin. Three days later, when the first trainload of Raus's division steamed into Kotelnikovo station to unload, his troops were greeted by "a hail of shells" from Soviet batteries. North of the Dolgiy and Krutoy ravines, near the oil tanks, a fierce exchange of fire was heard - the sailors from the 284th Rifle Division retook from the Germans the burning Oil Syndicate and Metalware Plant. Nevertheless, the fighting continued, especially on the slopes of Mamayev Kurgan and inside the factory area in the northern part of the city. Among the defenders of the garrison, who were in the building not constantly, but only periodically, were sniper sergeant Anatoly Ivanovich Chekhov and medical instructor Maria Stepanovna Ulyanova, who took up arms during the German attacks. This page was last edited on 18 April 2023, at 20:24. Sources differ on the number flown out: at least 25,000 to at most 35,000. Despite daily artillery and mortar shelling, life continued on the bridgehead. After a series of strong blows from two German divisions that reached their peak on September 22, the 13th Guards Division found itself in a very difficult situation. Stopping the retreating and demoralized fighters of the 3rd battalion, he led a counterattack on the Germans who had broken through to the headquarters of the division. Stalin rushed all available troops to the east bank of the Volga, some from as far away as Siberia. At four in the morning on 2 February, Strecker was informed that one of his own officers had gone to the Soviets to negotiate surrender terms. "They'll be taken away tomorrow, I suppose." Paulus himself also doubted the feasibility of such a breakout. Fighting within the ruined city was fierce and desperate. 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. On 5 September, the Soviet 24th and 66th Armies organized a massive attack against XIV Panzer Corps. Only on December 23, was Army Group A ordered to withdraw from the Caucasus to avoid from being trapped there. Number of pages: 368. I understand that everyone is familiar with the loadouts and tanks from the Western Front, so I understand why they have been included. Poor weather prevented effective air action against the Soviet offensive. The capture of Stalingrad would make the delivery of Lend-Lease supplies via the Persian Corridor much more difficult. "[118], During the siege, the German and allied Italian, Hungarian, and Romanian armies protecting Army Group B's north and south flanks had pressed their headquarters for support. [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. Yakov Pavlov left the Army in 1946 as a lieutenant and joined the Communist Party. Memory, Images from the Battle of Stalingrad (Getty), The photo album of Wehrmacht NCO named Nemela of 9. [163] When interrogated by the Soviets, Paulus claimed that he had not surrendered. What happened next is known only from the words of Yakov Pavlov himself. From that moment, Senior Lieutenant Afanasyev began to command the defense of the building. 114,000 Italians and 105,000 Hungarians were killed, wounded or captured (from December 1942 to February 1943). Any movement - whether a fighter, running from entrance to entrance, or a civilian in search of food - drew fire. Under Section . The Soviets responded by fixing fish hooks to the grenades so they stuck to the nets when thrown. Nevertheless, all the other components of the future legend were already in place, and this point was later corrected. A view from the German side. 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. The labyrinths of ruins, strong walls and huge cellars of the prison were well suited for city fighting, and the NKVD buildings became the core of the defense of Rodimtsevs division. Ninety percent of the living space in the Voroshilovskiy area was destroyed. The plan was to punch through the overstretched and weakly defended German flanks and surround the German forces in the Stalingrad region. The field at Zverevo was attacked repeatedly on 18 January and a further 50 Ju 52s were destroyed. The prisoners included 22 generals. One of the mortar companies was commanded by Lieutenant G.E. The strategic benefit of the house was that it defended a key section of the Volga bank. The authors are architect V. E. Maslyaev and sculptor V. G. Fetisov . Ice floes on the Volga now prevented boats and tugs from supplying the Soviet defenders. [citation needed] Fighting on and around Mamayev Kurgan, a prominent hill above the city, was particularly merciless; indeed, the position changed hands many times.[85][86]. [7] Supplies were brought in via the trench or by boats crossing the river, defying German air raids and shelling. [178], More Soviet tanks were destroyed as they overran the Romanian airfields. [70] Deserters and perceived malingerers were captured or executed after fighting. Out of the nearly 91,000 German prisoners captured in Stalingrad, only about 5,000 returned. [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. [132] Manstein was tasked to conduct a relief operation, named Operation Winter Storm (Unternehmen Wintergewitter) against Stalingrad, which he thought was feasible if the 6th Army was temporarily supplied through the air. He was lucky to survive the night battle on October 1, for which he was awarded the second class Order of the Red Star. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Salsk was abandoned in turn by mid-January for a rough facility at Zverevo, near Shakhty. It is preserved in its bombed-out state and is one of the main landmarks of the Battle of Stalingrad. The attacking Soviet units under the command of Gen. Nikolay Vatutin consisted of three complete armies, the 1st Guards Army, 5th Tank Army and 21st Army, including a total of 18 infantry divisions, eight tank brigades, two motorised brigades, six cavalry divisions and one anti-tank brigade. The Aftermath in Stalingrad The Site of One of Hitler's Greatest Defeats Soviet soldiers on the roof of a factory shop in Stalingrad in 1942 (Photo by Arkady Shaikhet - source) Bill Downs first arrived in the Soviet Union to cover the Eastern Front on December 25, 1942. - Real History Online, Your email address will not be published. Both Pavlov and Afanasyev were wounded, but both Pavlov and Afanasyev survived the war. The third battalion of the 39th Guards Rifle Regiment managed to advance and gain a foothold on the edge of Republican Street, and the soldiers of the 34th Guards Rifle Regiment managed to clear several wooden houses near the 2nd Embankment. The attached the 685th Rifle Regiment advanced towards the January 9 square and school No. Gerhardt's Mill (Russian: ) is a building of historical significance in the Battle of Stalingrad. Thinly spread, deployed in exposed positions, outnumbered and poorly equipped, the Romanian 3rd Army, which held the northern flank of the German 6th Army, was overrun. In October, two attempts to capture the "Railwaymen's House" ended in failure. [166], The central pocket, under the command of Heitz, surrendered the same day, while the northern pocket, under the command of General Karl Strecker, held out for two more days. The left flank of Rodimtsev's division rested on the Volga, where the high-rise buildings of the State Bank and the House of Specialists stood on a high cliff. Battle for Stalingrad - WAR HISTORY ONLINE

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