Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Concord Publications (6511) Battle of Stalingrad

    Uploaded by

    Samoht Racivcm
    23 views56 pages
    Concord

    Original Title

    Concord Publications [6511] Battle of Stalingrad

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    Concord

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    23 views56 pages

    Concord Publications (6511) Battle of Stalingrad

    Uploaded by

    Samoht Racivcm
    Concord

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    Download as pdf
    of 56
    6511 a / BpZ, 4 t fe Lid ol 6511 Battle of STALINGRAD Russia's Great Patriotic War Text by LM. Baxter Color plates by Ronald Volstad Editor: James R, Hil Copyright © 2004 by CONCORD PUBLICATIONS CO. 603-609 Castle Peak Road Kong Nam Industrial Building 10/F, B1, Tsuen Won New Territories, Hong Kong www.concord-publications.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any Means, electronic, mechanical, Photocopying or otherwise, without ‘the prior written permission of ‘Concord Publications Co, We welcome authors who can help expand our range of books. If you would like to submit material Pleose feel free to contact us. We ore always on the look-out for new, unpublished photos for this series. IF you have photos or slides or information you feel may be usefulto | future volumes, please send them to us for possible future publication, Full photo credits will be givan upon Publication. ISBN 962-361-082-3 Printed in Hong Kong N The terrain immediately surrounding the city of Stalingrad is a treeless, flat bleak steppe, which is hot and dusty in the summer and bitterly cold during the winter. By some fate, during 1942 this area covering some 60,000 square miles became the focal point for one of the most decisive battles of World War Two between Nazi Germany ‘and Soviet Russia, involving some one million or more 12,000 tanks, 25,000 artillery pieces, and 2,300 aircraft. For both the Germans and the Russians, the name of the city alone implied a personal contest between Hitler and Stalin. Hitler had made Stalingrad the goal of his grand summer offensive and would not claim success until he had captured it, Stalin felt that holding Stalingrad would give the Soviet command its last chance to demonstrate t0 the world that Germany was not an irrepressible foe, despite its string of victories. For both dictators, the battle at Stalingrad would decide the outcome of the war. Although the Red Army had suffered high casualties, Stalin called on every soldier and citizen alike to continue what he called the “patriotic war” and defend every brick and stone of the city until the invader had been vanquished The German advance on the city began on 17 July 1942, the day on which the Stalingrad Front had replaced the Southwest Front. Committed in this area were two newly created armies, the 62nd and 64th Armies, situated in the Don Bend. The forward element of both of these armies had attacked towards Rostov, driving 4.Panzer-Armee south, and leaving the overstretched and exhausted General von Paulus” 6.Armee to advance toward the city alone, By late July, 6.Armee had reported it had cleared most of the Don Bend during an impressive drive. But it suddenly ran out of steam, apparently after running low on fuel and ammunition. From south of Stalingrad, some 120 miles away, the 4.Panzer- Armee was now ordered to tun around and assist the 6.Armes n the attack on the city While the drive was on to reach Stalingrad, the Stavka (Soviet Supreme General Staff) committed the newly formed Ist and 4th Tank Armies against 6.Armee, But on 7 August 1942, the Ist Tank Army. together with the forward clements of the 62nd Army, were suddenly surprised by Paulus’ troops on the west bank of the Don, and were encircled during the course of the next few day's. The defeat west of Stalingrad caused consternation among the Soviet command, but they did not intend to allow their forces to repeat the same mistake inside Stalin’s city. Immediately they put General Andrei Yeremenko in command of both fronts, with Nikita Khrushchev as member of the Mili Council. On 24 August 1942, the Soviet 21st, 62nd, and Ist ‘ntroduction Guards Armies attacked 6.Armee. Following two days of brutal combat and bloody attrition, the Soviet forces appeared to be breaking under the ferocious might of the Germans. It was soon reported that soldiers of the 62nd Amy were falling back towards Stalingrad, enabling Paulus to strike further east to the gates of the city itself. It seemed Stalingrad was now well within his grasp. Inside the city on 25 August, a state of siege existed, and the total evacuation of the civilian population was ordered. With the exception of a few factories remaining open for military purposes, most of the city closed down, During early September, the 62nd and 64th Armies finally withdrew into the inner defenses of Stalingrad. But on the River Volga, the Ist Guards, 24th, and 66th Armies began a counterattack against 6.Armee, blunting their advance and temporarily keeping them preoccupied for several days. In the days that followed, 6.Armee attacked into the center of Stalingrad in a bloody. relentless struggle in which single blocks and buildings became major battlefields. But despite the ferocity of the invader, the situation favored the defender, as long as he was willing to pay the price in blood. During mid-September/early October, the 62nd Army eived reinforcements, which amounted to some two tank les, a rifle brigade, and nine rifle divisions, A number of alterations were also made to tighten command and infuse fanatical allegiance. Yeremenko took command of Southwest Front, renamed Stalingrad Front, and General Konstantin Rokossovsky assumed command of what now became known as the Don Front, By early October 1942, 6.Armee had effectively accomplished its objective as first set out by Hitler earlier that year. The Volga was closed and half the city was in German hands, while the rest could be razed by intensive aerial and ground bombardment. Hitler had always been concemed about wasting his soldiers in urban fighting. But now, with victory beckoning, he was determined to show Stalin his worth As 6.Armee continued to fight against stiff resistance, the season began changing dramatically. In early November a hard freeze set in, causing unprecedented complications in the Soviet defense lines. During the first week of November, General Vassili Chuikov’s hold on the city had been reduced further to two bridgeheads, one only a mile and a half deep and the other six miles wide, But despite these set backs to the south of the city, a new developing threat was about to be unleashed against the Germans. For weeks General Georgi Zhukov, known as the defender of Russia, was building up his forces for a new massive offensive. The plan ‘was to tie down 6.Armee on the front between the Don and the Volga and in Stalingrad, smash the Romanian forces on its left, and drive with all its might behind the army to sever its lines of communications across the Don. On 19 November 1942, the Russians finally opened up the offensive at Stalingrad. For nearly two hours hundreds of Soviet artillery pieces tore into German and Allied lines, and by daybreak the Sth Tank Army and 2st Army launched their infantry against the Romanian 3.Armee. Within hours the Romanians were brushed aside in the snow and literally battered to death. Simultaneously, the 65th Army began its attack, but it faced stiff opposition from German divisions that were not so eager to give up theit front lines, South of the Beketovka bridgehead, the Sst and S7th Army broke through the Romanian IV. Armee-Korps that had disintegrated with hardly a fight. All this merged into a sudden panic flight among the allies of the Germans that consequently helped in the pending encirclemer By 22 November, the encirclement of Stalingrad was virtually secured, Disbelief among the Germans added to the confusion. The Russians had never secured a successful breakthrough in depth. With the encirclement fully completed by the 23rd, the Russians devoted their main strength to fastening the hold on 6,Armee, By 28 November the Russians were concentrating some 94 brigades and divisions against some 49 opposing divisions that w badly equipped, under strength, exhausted, hungry, and lacking proper winter clothin In order to prevent any relief from reaching Stalingrad fon the Southwest Front Zhukov ordered a massive attack against the Italian Eighth and Romanian Third Army from Novaya Kalitva south of the mouth of the River Chir. Fighting in the area was fierce, and the German allies took the main brunt of the Soviet fury. By 16 December, the Soviet 6th Army broke through the Malian line east of Novaya Kalitva, almost smashing it to picees. In. the succeeding days, the Ist and 3rd Guards Armies broke through at the Don and advanced southward. By this time the temperature had dropped considerably By the beginning of 1943, little had been achieved by the Germans in the attempt to relieve 6.Armee. Paulus’ forces were still dying a lingering death from exhaustion and starvation. Inside the ravaged city of Stalingrad, remnants of the Soviet 62nd Army were also suffering from hunger, fatigue and the harsh weather conditions. Despite the terrible conditions inside the ruins, the Germans had somewhat of a small advantage. They had some shelter and could obtain wood for fuel from demolished buildings, while the Russians had none. During early January 1943, the Soviets resumed their offensive west of Stalingrad to further reduce the possibility of the enemy attempting a relief effort, hoping to starve 6.Armee out of existence. The strength of the Red Army during this period was very impressive. On the Don Front alone, for instance, they had almost 281,000 troops and 250 tanks. In total there were almost 700,000 Red Army troops fighting during the battle of Stalingrad in January 1943 Given this kind of strength, the 6.Armee had no prospect of holding out, let alone bre: ing out of the city and surviving, On 22 January, the Red Army moved in for the kill which marked the beginning of the end of 6.Armee. On a wide three-mile front, marching south with battle flags unfurled, Russian troops broke through into the city and then the outer ring of the Kessel. Fighting was bitter and bloody, with the Russians incurring more losses than the defenders. But the Red Army could afford to shed more blood since there were many thousands waiting in the ranks to replace those who fell Despite the superiority of the Red Army, on 31 January. in the north of the Stalingrad pocket around the tractor plant, some 23,000 soldiers from 6.Korps, under General der Infanterie Karl Strecker, were still holding out. The ve next day Hitler ordered this Korps to hold out to the last man. But they were already finished. They were s0 badly depleted and exhausted that they were unable to fight a defensive battle for long. The end had finally come, The Germans lost some 205,000 men in the Stalingrad pocket. Some 91,000 remaining troops were captured when Paulus finally surrendered on 1 February 1943. The Soviets did not make their own losses known, but they must have been substantial. According to some unofficial figures, the losses were more than 350,000 men lost, killed and wounded. Fighting had been fierce. with the ammunition expenditure reaching unprecedented levels during the last ‘two weeks of the battle. On the Don Front alone the Red Army used nearly one million artillery rounds of all calibers up to 203mm, nearly one million mortar shells, and multi million machire gun and rifle rounds, Although ‘he Russians had suffered terrible losses, the Patriotic war that had first been declared in July 1941 finally yielded success. Stalin had won his battle, and the Victorious cheers from Russia’s Patriotic War would resound at the very gates of Berlin two years later All images in this book are from the Imperial War Museum, Novosti Press Agency and the HITM Archive. Command Reconnaissance ( ‘majority of the 1500 of these vob Several Russian Hlowers. Unity among the Pussian together by @ war that Stain had char An office Russian mechs female. Not t Vehicles. The solders siting in the A group of Red Army tro Fiver hau a Maxim 1910 an embankment. The machin Sokolov mount, of which tho 6315). Note the who have crossed a P ts wheced lier carrying 0 — Diessed in summer uniforms, including piotka sidecaps. Sovt troops mako slow progress in an advance against the Getman imacers. The soldiers at lft are hauling a Maxim 1910, mache gun toward the front lines. Soldiors from the 62nd Army in late August 1942 Anough this propaganda picture. de solders vietoriously forging clements of 6Armee. All he men are armed with the Ubiquitous PPSh-41 submachine gun and are wearing Soliers ofthe 62nd Army advance afer beating back enemy 18 area. Although this picture depicts the Red Army as victors, they lly already cut fn the north by 6.Armee. Cea ineer = a ofthe troops appear ian Fucie Miia fas an air-cooled aingrad during late August are probably part of the 62nd 0 wearing the basic kt of a Soviet soldier The men are armed ched ina war of hatred and barbarism. Although the Ad 8 189 tha weighed 4g (8 80) empty anc ‘ 's), Although it was an okt weapon, cd fhe German crusade continued on win f Russian toops advance under fre on the Stalingrad Front In the ‘stance a F.3476 tank moves at speed to achieve Its ist tactical objective ‘Acomman Soviet tactic was to allow te infantry tide close tothe German pestons, clinging onto the sides of the tank, to help them destroy enemy, antvtank postions before the tanks made tho breakthrough. Howover, ths lacte normally resulted in unprecedented casualtes since the German machine guns olin cut down the troops belore they had tie to reach ther aijecve.On many occasions the soliors would get deliberatlyinloxcated lonVodka before being sen screaming ino atte against German postons eat Under intensive arilery tre tram superior German positons, three fusian soldiers crawl onward wile shells pounds the aroa ahead of them. Many Russian solders were astounded at the speed of the German {iaance on Stalingrad and the sudden collapse of their own ci. ‘Werenko had Sent his orces north o meet panzers rom 6 Armee coming ome vr Volga, but the battering ram of Paulus army was 100 strong for mtoatlect he situation decsvay. Wa es Soviet soldiers creep forward against @ selected target as part of a localized counterattack during the German aavance into the Stalingrad ar Feed Army ttoops were ordered to alack a multe of targets, especialy when it would’ cause inconvenience to the enemy, such as de bridges. Although attacks on bridges hindered the jorman advance and Feduced the mobilty considerably, they also caused probes forthe lca population ee “Troops and fatable boa 5 Lite Katy MI ton trucks. The a le and effective replaced wth the PPSh-41 submachine gun. Note met Degiyareva Pokotnil (OP) light The DP light machine 1999. The gun had a ‘A battery of 152mm (.98in) howitzers delivers a heavy, concentrated barrage on German postions north of S uns were more ten capable of ring 40kg (88b) high explosive shels or a Stkg (1721) sem-armor-pereing shols with a muzzie velocity of 422m/s (472yas/see), Each gun had {8 cr of seven. Working hard together, they could easly five three or our raunls every minute Soviet soldiers under fre near the yas area, spacing ol soldiers suggests 1 ris photograph, tke many" action photos taken by the Russians suring World War Two, was in fact a staged Picture The Photographer, who nas et taken ‘cover, would have beon csking his ite if this were areal attack ‘A good ciose-up view othe kit and weapon issued to Russian soldiers Ths solder carries the 762m Mosin Nagant M11891/30 bot-actin rifle. On his back tf sible te roled greateont and an atached mess try ovel soldiers prefered German mess tins over thee ‘oun aluminium pots. Other parts of his basic ts included a greatcoat or Blanket, haversack, and afd Wile efforts wore made to equip the Red Army sosdors with more practical winter clothing, tho wool | {featoat remained very mach in use until the end of the war. His rank of junior sergeant is indicated by the enameled triangle worn on the subdued collar patches. Beneath his overcaal would be worn the winter sue wool M1895 uniform. When weather dictated, the Ushanka winlr cap could be worn beneath the 11940 helmet although the ft was somewhat cums It has been said that the SVT4O automatic rile was issued primarily 10 NCOs however recent pholagraphic fercence shows that this weapon had ‘much wider usage. Apparently it was rerabo to dit and dust thus required ‘more care than the much more common bolt action rifles. Spare magazines were Carried in a leather pouch on the right of his bet while a canvas pouch on the other side carried three F-1 fragmentation grenades. A gasmask bag is slung over the right shoulder. ‘The quitod wintorjackot (telogreka) was a practical garment for winter combat, particulary for oops being transported on tanks Despite ther tile, Motor Rifles were constantly short a motor transport ‘and instead, rode T-34s into action as tankovy dsant, dismaunting to fight on foot when appropriate Early versions ofthe felogroka had a fall colar, but photos from Stalingrad show the "stand" colar aready in use. Matching padded trousers were produced but not always avalable, leaving winter weight sharovai trousers o sutice. Typ eat length boots are worn, I ‘may be interesting to note thatthe shaft of many such boot was ‘made of painted tarpaulin material rather than leather. The issuing of proper felt winter boots saeme to have been ‘reserved forthe harshest weather, During the winter of 1941, tho gray shapka-ushanka winter hat was fist issued. Oficers versions used real fur but tho enlisted men’s variant used synthetic ple rickramed "fish fur’. Generally, but not always, the “ted str’ was worn centered onthe front fap. Tpicaly, equipment is minimal. Tha web an leather bolt suppor his spare dum forthe PPSh. 41 and a grenace pouch for RGD-23 grenades. A scrounged SVT40 bayonet has also been stpped on the belt The shoulder straps indicate thatthe meshok rucksack is worn on his back. A Red Aimy sco Ines slong the Sta fmectine gun (Cremmembers of a Soviet 82-PM 36 82mm mor peetioned near Stalingrad await the order to tre, whi appears to be a hand signal from theic commander three men are wearing the shapka-ushanka fut cap, which was widely worn troughout the Red doting the winter months Soldiors attempt to push forward during intensh fighting northwest of Stalng change dramatically. Al the solders are wearing greatcoats provided by the Griish as part the Soviet Union. The solders called these o from the King of Engl plod {ton 4x4 Willys MA Jeep tows ‘Soviet ant-ian gun on the outskirts ‘advance of the Red Army was not normally conduc by vehicle. More ofton the troops traveled on horsebad fon the engine deck of tanks and assault vehicies, Captured vehicles, and on foot. Athough the US Je ‘vas unable to carry many passengers, the troop te to-eram an entire anti-tank erew on board this one, A solder prepares to fire a Manim 1910 machine (ge auing combat on he outsers of Stalingrad. The A vas far from easy to maneuver, even on its ied Sokolov mount. The heavy shold added to tho (Gene's misery every tine ha needed to move Ito a Gent postion. But the Maxim did not prove a gato in Stalingrad since it was used solely as a Gersve wespon anc cil ot reed to be laboriously fated tem one positon o another. However, folowing ‘eFussian vtory at Stalingrad, the machine gun was czedmare fie in ofensive roles, andthe heavy shield as subsoquenty romoved to reduce is weigh r . he overcoats and fur caps worn by these artlerymen indicate that winter has satin, Winter weather would make the hocible hgh for Stalingrad even sere righmanish to build an iron ring around Stalingrad. Zhukov ordered i are marched westward toa grim fale as stwe laborers, commanders to keep 1 er le in a Concentration camp ig gune on the east bar 5 of ground ing te lethal, Some uads oF snipers led a great number d ‘aly in relatively ope Kessel perimeter. Ths MIO42 Z1S-3 7émm gun normaly had a gun crew of ‘x oF Seven men, which would provide the maximum rato of tte. The gun which was mounted on a S7mm carnage, could fre a range of high explosive “and "armor" percng explosive (8.25 miles), This was considered mare than enough distance during urban combat In the headquarters of the 13th Guards Ale Divsion of Gene re marched westward toa grim fate as slave laborers, for worse, to end there in a concentration camp, Russian sé one of the ste Mary soldiers ‘ through the ruins since rewement af toot over exposed areas of ground in large ety street could be lethal. Som Gern 1 oF snipers roamed the city and killed a great number Soldiers, especialy in relatively ope ‘A Russian infanty gun opens the six or seven men, which would prove the maximum rate of fre, The. gun, which was mounted on a 57mm Carriage, could fre a range of high explosive and armor piercing attacks Resins They wore experts in urban fighting and ceess nga numberof areas inside the bitzed city. nd folowing & inside Stalingrad sted, bombed -out ‘A mortar crew fires salvoos at enemy pasion rom inside the burning wreck We Krasnty Octabar (Red October) Tory complex. The factory was detendod fcaly by the 13h Guards Dison, fing with the Tractor and Barrikady Stores fo the north, the Red Octobe’ telex would be the key to the delensive fn of Stalingrad and would prevent filmes from escaping across the Volga — Hat of Stangad solders Soviet sh ry fetes ofa wel gun nest Al femy dressed in winter cloth rung shapka-ushanka caps and ati isles. Judging bythe stocky fepearence of the men, they aro Prtely also wearing padded quited fee under toi greatcoats. oaher pho aharcng iva Arie comb ten ale bioed emerience ist nevraize aking out showed rem nating Fuss In defensive tactes and became more Dressed warmly the crew of a Model 1932 U46 anv-tank gun stoially awaits their chance to. combat the fenowned German Most ofthe oops seen here are armed with the ubquitous PPSh-41 submachine gun and are wearing the sh nanka cap ard padded sc, but doas give a 19 attacked inthe background. Tho enomy may be dead or ‘Stunned bythe ferocity of the assaul, Dut the smoke could also conceal the fenemy’s poston, making it ficult forthe stongpoint to be taken quicly land elfectvely. This was also the problem facad by both attackers and defenders inside the ruins of Stalingta ‘ordered to not even tke p Yard Fighting on the probably wel fe, 10. since rushing enemy kn fed trom the local pon The Soviets u Fang on the steppe on the Stak famber of weapons are at hand during ts Athe Puleme! Degiyareva Pekhoim (OP) light machinegun, This DP weapon fred ammunition from Sent ange of these subm Bred at he troop fice win note Bireth ther snow Eepkin jacket. packer an tere. Front, the 66th Army moves into action while heavier weapons cover its advance through a smoke screen. A 1 submactine gun the M1B91/30 rl, the Ni 1910 wator-cooled machine gun a 47-round drum magazine at 520 to 580 rounds a Once the Russian troops had crawled close enough to the German olenses thelr commander would scream out to atack. and the soldiers would pick themselves up trom the snow and begin charging, Rowing and cheering as they advanced, =i Fed Army tr00p6 i action dress in white camouflage mocks. Sov solders armed with submachine gu and rites developed a clover tech of crawling toward enemy bnes wh

    You might also like