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73 Years ago today: Battle of Stalingrad ends with the surrender of 6th Army
Posted on 2/2/16 at 8:59 am
Posted on 2/2/16 at 8:59 am
6th Army was regarded as the best field army of the Wehrmacht going into the Battle of Stalingrad. They reached the outskirts of the city in early August 1942. After three months of some of the most brutal fighting in history, the Germans had reached the Volga and controlled over 90% of the city. Hitler himself even declared the the city had been taken and would remain in German hands forever. But the Soviets had other plans, big plans in fact. On Nov. 19, 1942 the Soviets launched Operation Uranus, aimed at both the right & left flanks of the 6th Army which were held by less reliable Italian and Romanian armies. Within a week they had totally smashed the Italians and Romanians and 6th Army was completely surrounded in the ruins of Stalingrad.
At this early stage 6th Army probably could have fought it's way out but Hitler forbade it. Instead the Germans tried to keep 6th Army alive via air drop. but the Luftwaffe could not come close to meeting the supply needs of 6th Army. The Germans did finally attempt to relieve 6th army, sending LVII Panzer Corps northward towards the city in severe blizzard conditions in the middle of December. They got to within 30 miles when it's commander, Erich von Manstein sent word to 6th Army's commander Gen. Paulus asking him to break out of the city and attack towards him so they could join up and get 6th Army back to safety. Citing Hitler's orders, Paulus refused thus sealing 6th Army's fate.
The 6th continued to resist until Feb. 2, 1943 when Gen Paulus emerged from his headquarters in the basement of a bombed out department store to surrender the approximately 90,000 - 100,000 survivors to the Soviets. Fewer than 6,000 of them would ever see Germany again. The rest would die in Soviet captivity.
Here's what he city looked like before the Battle of Stalingrad...
Here's some views of the city after the battle
LINK
At this early stage 6th Army probably could have fought it's way out but Hitler forbade it. Instead the Germans tried to keep 6th Army alive via air drop. but the Luftwaffe could not come close to meeting the supply needs of 6th Army. The Germans did finally attempt to relieve 6th army, sending LVII Panzer Corps northward towards the city in severe blizzard conditions in the middle of December. They got to within 30 miles when it's commander, Erich von Manstein sent word to 6th Army's commander Gen. Paulus asking him to break out of the city and attack towards him so they could join up and get 6th Army back to safety. Citing Hitler's orders, Paulus refused thus sealing 6th Army's fate.
The 6th continued to resist until Feb. 2, 1943 when Gen Paulus emerged from his headquarters in the basement of a bombed out department store to surrender the approximately 90,000 - 100,000 survivors to the Soviets. Fewer than 6,000 of them would ever see Germany again. The rest would die in Soviet captivity.
Here's what he city looked like before the Battle of Stalingrad...
Here's some views of the city after the battle
LINK
20
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:02 am to Darth_Vader
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:02 am to Darth_Vader
The Nazis and the Soviets deserved each other.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:03 am to Darth_Vader
Is it Stalingrad or Leningrad where the citizens were fighting with household items?
I had a great history professor that was a German Jew who went to Harvard and she had a Russian grandfather that she said died fighting with a sharpened broom stick in that battle.
Always thought that was so badass
I had a great history professor that was a German Jew who went to Harvard and she had a Russian grandfather that she said died fighting with a sharpened broom stick in that battle.
Always thought that was so badass
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:03 am to Darth_Vader
And this guy 
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:03 am to Darth_Vader
Vasily Zaytsev was a badass.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:05 am to Darth_Vader
Paulus wouldn't do the obvious because Hitler said no retreat.
The Germans are considered to be a smart people, but how many blindly listened to this evil dictator even when it cost thousands and thousands of lives.
It's incredible to think about what the German people did and didn't do in Hitler's name.
Then you think of our country and how some blindly follow the leader. Makes you think.
The Germans are considered to be a smart people, but how many blindly listened to this evil dictator even when it cost thousands and thousands of lives.
It's incredible to think about what the German people did and didn't do in Hitler's name.
Then you think of our country and how some blindly follow the leader. Makes you think.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:12 am to Darth_Vader
If it weren't for the disasterous acts the Soviets committed during the war and in the decades after, Operation Uranus would be looked upon with the same valor and reverence as something like D-Day.
It was that gamechanging.
It was that gamechanging.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:13 am to Darth_Vader
German Army was stretched too far and Stalin had an unending supply of Soldiers.
Didn't he have about 15 million ready after the Battle of Stalingrad?
Is it true that before they marched the captive German Soldiers through Red Square they fed them some kind of soup that acts as an industrial laxative.They were shitting themselves while being forced to march.
Didn't he have about 15 million ready after the Battle of Stalingrad?
Is it true that before they marched the captive German Soldiers through Red Square they fed them some kind of soup that acts as an industrial laxative.They were shitting themselves while being forced to march.
This post was edited on 2/2/16 at 9:44 am
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:13 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
Operation Uranus
Posted on 2/2/16 at 9:39 am to Darth_Vader
I think you would love the "Ghosts of the Osfront" series by Dan Carlin. Don't think its offered for free anymore, though. Might have to buy it.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 10:04 am to Darth_Vader
The world would be a different place if the Nazis continued to Moscow instead of turning south to Stalingrad and the oil fields.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 10:09 am to Darth_Vader
white people cray
Posted on 2/2/16 at 10:10 am to Darth_Vader
The single biggest military disaster in history.
When a politician overrides military decision making, this is often the result. Of course, military genius Napoleon (arguably #1 of all time, certainly no lower than #5) made the same blunder in attacking and getting bogged down against the Russian army in winter time.
They are hard, indestructible people who thrive in battle in the cold and mud. I'm extremely happy that I never had to fight them.
When a politician overrides military decision making, this is often the result. Of course, military genius Napoleon (arguably #1 of all time, certainly no lower than #5) made the same blunder in attacking and getting bogged down against the Russian army in winter time.
They are hard, indestructible people who thrive in battle in the cold and mud. I'm extremely happy that I never had to fight them.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 10:14 am to Darth_Vader
One cannot understand WW 2 without understanding the German casualties in that battle and the effect of these losses for the remainder of the war. The Germans and their allies lost over 850,000 men at Stalingrad. In comparison, US casualties at the Battle of the Bulge, the greatest losses in any operation of that war were approximately 89,500. 'Catastrophic' doesn't come close.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 10:22 am to Darth_Vader
Rommels retreat from North Africa took place the year before, right? Paulus learned well from Rommels disobeying of Hitlers orders.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 10:35 am to Darth_Vader
If interested, William Craig's Enemy at the Gates is an excellent read. Craig spent considerable time researching the book, interviewing survivors on all sides shortly after the war ended.
Ignore the movie its hokum and dramatized for the Hollywood crowd. Also the movie is only a few pages in a couple of chapters in a book of almost 500pp.
Craig did an excellent job, interviewing and researching for this book. However, following the war it was easier to access those in the West than it was those in the East. So, he missed out slightly on the intimate Russian perspective that he was able to capture with the Germans.
Ignore the movie its hokum and dramatized for the Hollywood crowd. Also the movie is only a few pages in a couple of chapters in a book of almost 500pp.
Craig did an excellent job, interviewing and researching for this book. However, following the war it was easier to access those in the West than it was those in the East. So, he missed out slightly on the intimate Russian perspective that he was able to capture with the Germans.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 10:41 am to Darth_Vader
It seems like for a long long time the general public knew next to nothing about the Eastern Front. And still today mentions of it in the popular culture are few and far between - things like Enemy at the Gate being the exception.
It's understandable with the struggle against communism and all But there just seems to be such an untapped reservoir of history there.
It's understandable with the struggle against communism and all But there just seems to be such an untapped reservoir of history there.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 11:46 am to Darth_Vader
quote:
Soviets launched Operation Uranus, aimed at both the right & left cheeks of the 6th Army which were held by less reliable Italian and Romanian undies.
Posted on 2/2/16 at 12:37 pm to Darth_Vader
quote:
Gen Paulus
Promoted by Hitler to Field Marshal via radio just prior to 6th Army's surrender. Hitler did this in hopes of spurring von Paulus to fight to the death, as no German Field Marshal in history had ever been captured by the enemy.
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