On July 17, 1942, the vanguards of the divisions of the 6th German Army met at the turn of the Chir and Tsimla rivers with the forward detachments of the 62nd and 64th armies of the Stalingrad Front. The battles of the detachments marked the beginning of the great Battle of Stalingrad.

The heroic struggle of the Soviet soldiers continued for six days. With their perseverance and steadfastness, they did not allow the enemy to break through to Stalingrad on the move.

When, in the great bend of the Don, formations of the Stalingrad Front entered into single combat with the 6th German Army, the enemy realized that in this direction he would meet strong resistance from the Soviet troops. On July 23, the Nazi command issued Directive No. 45. It specified the tasks for the troops advancing towards the Volga and the Caucasus.

Army Group "B" (2nd, 6th German and 2nd Hungarian armies), which included 30 divisions, was ordered to defeat the grouping of Soviet troops in the Stalingrad region, capture the city and disrupt transportation to the Volga; subsequently strike along the river to the southeast and reach Astrakhan.

Army Group "A" (1st, 4th tank, 17th, 11th field armies), which had 41 divisions, was supposed to surround and destroy the forces of Soviet troops in the area

south and southeast of Rostov-on-Don, and cut the Tikhoretsk-Stalingrad railway with advanced units. After the destruction of the grouping of Soviet troops south of the Don, it was planned to develop an offensive in three directions for the complete mastery of the Caucasus.

More and more forces were consistently drawn into the battle for Stalingrad. If the enemy launched the first attack on Stalingrad with the forces of one 6th Army, then a week later he returned the 4th Panzer Army to this area. In September-November, these armies operated on a narrow front directly in the Stalingrad region. By that time, only two armies remained in the Caucasus - the 17th and 1st tank armies. Thus, in the course of the struggle on the Eastern Front, there was a redistribution of forces between the "main" - Caucasian and "providing" - Stalingrad directions.

The transformation of the Stalingrad region into the center of the struggle in 1942 did not take place according to the plans of the leadership of the Nazi Wehrmacht, but contrary to them, at the behest of the Soviet command. The Soviet Army forced the enemy to accept a decisive battle near Stalingrad, where he did not expect it and was not ready for it.

The growing resistance of the Soviet troops forced the enemy to significantly strengthen the 6th Army. It included the 14th Tank Corps, which was previously intended for an offensive in the Caucasian direction, and the 51st Army Corps was returned from the 4th Tank Army.

In total, by July 23, the enemy concentrated 26 divisions against the Stalingrad Front. The enemy had both a numerical advantage and an advantage in technology.

On July 23, enemy troops resumed their offensive. Inflicting enveloping blows on the flanks of the defending grouping of Soviet troops, the enemy hoped to encircle the 62nd Army, go to the Kalach region, and from there break through to the Volga.

The troops of the Stalingrad Front, defending in the great bend of the Don, during the first week of August fought fierce battles to hold bridgeheads on the right bank of the Don. However, under the pressure of superior enemy forces, they were forced to retreat to the defensive bypass of Stalingrad, and in some areas even leave this line.

On August 5, the Headquarters considered it necessary, in order to ensure firm command and control of the troops fighting defensive battles in a wide zone, to divide the Stalingrad front into two - Stalingrad and South-Eastern.

On August 10, the armies of the two fronts fought heavy and intense battles on the outer defensive contour. They were in the following position. The section from the mouth of the Ilovlya River to the area north of Vertyachego-Lyapichev is the 62nd Army. The 64th Army, leaving small detachments on the Aksai River, defended the Logovskaya and Plodovitoe sector with its main forces. The 57th Army was at the same frontier - from Plodovitoe to Raigorod. Northwest of Stalingrad along the middle reaches of the Don from

Pavlovskaya to the mouth of the Ilovlya River was defended by the 61st and 21st armies.

The main efforts of the Eighth Air Army, General T. T. Khryukin, were aimed at destroying enemy manpower and equipment on the battlefield, covering troops and important objects. The fight against the enemy in the air took place in difficult conditions. On the southwestern approaches to Stalingrad alone, the aircraft of the enemy's 4th Air Fleet made up to 1,000 sorties daily.

The number of sorties of the 8th Air Army, despite the great tension of its flight personnel, was usually 2.5 - 3 times less than that of the enemy.

In mid-August, the struggle near Stalingrad entered a new stage, the main content of which was the defensive battle of the Soviet troops on the Stalingrad contours created on the near approaches to the city.

The fascist German command, realizing that the 6th and 4th Panzer Armies, which had delivered strikes at different times, were unable to break through to Stalingrad, began preparations for a new offensive operation to capture the city as quickly as possible. The enemy regrouped troops, pulled up reserves.

In the course of preparing a new offensive, the aviation of the 4th Air Fleet was relocated to airfields located closer to the Volga, which allowed enemy aircraft to make several sorties a day.

On August 15, the Headquarters transferred the Stalingrad Military District to operational subordination to the commander of the South-Eastern Front in order to ensure the junction of the Stalingrad and Caucasian directions and defense on the approaches to the Volga in the Stalingrad-Astrakhan section.

By this time, the alignment of forces had changed slightly, but the position of the Soviet troops remained very difficult, and the enemy still dominated the air and with even greater force on the ground.

On August 15-17, fierce battles of the Soviet troops unfolded on the near approaches to Stalingrad, which continued with unrelenting tension until September 12.

In the battles on the near approaches to Stalingrad, the Nazi troops had to overcome the ever-increasing resistance of the Soviet troops. In order to advance 100-120 km, the Nazis had to fight intense battles for 63 days, during which time they lost 87 thousand soldiers and officers, over 350 tanks, 400 aircraft, but they could not take Stalingrad.

On August 21, heavy fighting broke out. Despite the strong opposition to the advancing enemy and the mass heroism of the Soviet soldiers, the Nazi troops managed to expand the bridgehead to 45 km by the end of the next day. Having concentrated on it 6 divisions, 250 - 300 tanks, a large number of artillery, the enemy, with the support of aviation on August 23, struck in the direction of Vertyachiy,

Borodin. This day was difficult and memorable for the defenders of Stalingrad.

On August 29, after regrouping, the enemy troops broke through the defense front of the 64th Army northwest of Abganerovo and, advancing to the north, created a threat to the rear of the 64th and 62nd armies. On this occasion, there is a remark from the guards lieutenant I.F. Afanasyev: “After the regrouping, the enemy undertook four strikes in four directions simultaneously on the defense front of the 57th and 64th armies.

The first blow was delivered through height 118, Solyanka in the direction of Krasnoarmeysk.

The second blow is to the south of the junction 55 kilometers, through the sheepfolds at the junction of the 57th and 64th armies in the direction of st. Tundutovo - Beketovka.

The third strike was from the Gromoslavka area in the direction of Zeta-Gavrilovka-Elkhi-Elshanka.

The fourth blow - from the area southwest of the Red Don in the direction of Buzinovka - Rokotino - Voroponovo.

Only on the second day of this offensive did the Nazis manage to break through the defenses of the 64th Army.

With the release of German troops to the inner contour, there was an immediate danger of their rush to Stalingrad. Urgent measures were required to divert part of the enemy forces from the city, to weaken his pressure on the heroically fighting divisions of the 62nd and 64th armies, to buy time to organize the defense of the city itself and pull up reserves from across the Volga.

In this situation, the Stavka decided to immediately strike at the enemy from the area north of Stalingrad, where in early September the 24th and 66th armies arrived from the Stavka reserve. The 1st Guards Army was re-equipped.

Significant assistance to unearthly troops was provided by the air force. In September, the 16th Air Army, newly created as part of the Stalingrad Front, began to operate. Long-range air strikes intensified.

On September 12, the defensive battle of the Soviet troops on the Stalingrad contours ended. In the course of it, the troops of the Stalingrad and South-Eastern fronts thwarted the plan of the fascist command with simultaneous attacks by the 6th and 4th tank armies to capture the city and stop the enemy in front of the positions of the city bypass. The situation remained extremely difficult. The enemy, covering Stalingrad from the northeast and southwest, was 2-10 kilometers from him.

On the same day, the commander of the 62nd Army, Lieutenant General V. I. Chuikov, was appointed. Having received a new appointment, Chuikov, having crossed the Volga from the front headquarters to the right bank, immediately went to the command post of the 62nd Army, which was at that time at an altitude of 102.0 - the Mamaev Kurgan that went down in history. At that time, Volgograd, or rather Stalingrad, was in a very difficult situation. People were starving, freezing, all houses, factories, hospitals and other institutions, if not turned into a handful of ashes or completely destroyed, were in a very difficult situation. The Soviet army also carried

huge losses, but stood to death, because everyone knew that there was nowhere to retreat further. If the enemy captures Stalingrad, then the Soviet army simply would not have any chances to win this battle, and if it did, it would be so meager that it would be almost impossible.

September 12 at a meeting at the headquarters of the Wehrmacht near Vinnitsa, Hitler strongly demanded at any cost and as soon as possible to capture Stalingrad. To storm the city, the troops of Army Group "B" were significantly strengthened by the transfer of formations from the Caucasian direction and the West. As a result, only during the first half of September, nine divisions and one brigade were sent to the Stalingrad region.

On the morning of September 13, the Nazi troops began an assault on the central part of the city, where the 62nd Army was defending, which General V. I. Chuikov took command of on September 12. The southern districts of the city were defended by the 64th Army of General M.S. Shumilova.

On September 14, the enemy managed to break through to the central part of the city near the Stalingrad-1 station. In order to destroy the enemy that had broken through, on the night of September 15, the 13th Guards Rifle Division under the command of General A.I. Rodimtsev was urgently transferred to the city. The guards went on the attack straight from the crossing. They stopped, and in some areas threw the enemy back, freeing several quarters from the Nazis.

The fascist German troops began the assault on the city on the morning of September 13. In the period from 13 to 26 there was a struggle for the central part of the city. From September 27 to November 8, battles unfolded for industrial settlements and in the Orlovka region, and from November 9-18 - for the Tractor Plant, the Barrikady and Krasny Oktyabr factories.

The names of the soldiers of the garrisons of the House of Sergeant Ya. F. Pavlov and the House of Lieutenant N. E. Zabolotny, whose exploits became a symbol of great courage and mass heroism of the soldiers of the Soviet army, received worldwide fame.

On the night of September 27, 1942, the reconnaissance group of the 7th company of the 42nd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 13th Guards Rifle Division, consisting of Sergeant Ya. F. Pavlov, knocked out the enemy from a 4-storey building on Penzenskaya Street and held him for almost three days.

The defense of this legendary house, which went down in the history of the Great Patriotic War as an immortal monument of military glory, lasted 58 days. And this is not the only case of heroism in the history of Stalingrad. The defenders of Stalingrad fought not only with amazing courage and self-sacrifice, but also with increasing skill.

In preparation for the general assault, the German command mobilized all possible forces. Almost all the replacements that arrived on the Soviet-German front were sent to Stalingrad.

The opponents intended to inflict the main blow on the tractor plant and the Barrikady and Krasny Oktyabr plants. Their actions were supported by up to 1 thousand aircraft.

On October 10, the Nazis launched violent attacks against the units defending the tractor factory. The attacks followed one after another, the German command planned to capture the Tractor Plant and, having dismembered the 62nd Army, destroy it.

Having suffered heavy losses, on October 15, the enemy captured the Tractor Plant and broke through to the Volga in a narrow 2.5-kilometer section. The position of the troops of the 62nd Army deteriorated significantly. Colonel Gorokhov's group was cut off from the main forces of the army. And yet, the Nazi generals and their divisions did not comply with the Fuhrer's order. Soviet soldiers thwarted the plan to capture the city.

At the final stage of the defensive battle, a struggle began for the Krasny Oktyabr and Barrikada factories, as well as in the area of ​​​​the Rynok village. The Soviet units lacked manpower, fire weapons, people were tired of continuous battles. The maneuver by the forces and means of the defending troops was limited. In this regard, most of the artillery had to be placed on the eastern bank of the Volga.

Meanwhile, the Nazis captured the dominant heights and shot through the area not only with artillery, but also with rifle and machine-gun fire to the entire depth of the defense. Thousands of aircraft stormed the positions of Soviet soldiers from the air. But the defenders of Stalingrad steadfastly held the line.

The whole world followed the course of the battle on the Volga with great attention. The word "Stalingrad" did not leave the pages of the press, it spread over all continents on the air. Everywhere people felt and understood that the outcome of the war was being decided in Stalingrad.

The whole country came to the aid of the defenders of Stalingrad. New units and formations of all types of troops were formed. More military equipment of new models began to arrive.

As a result of the strengthening of the power of the Soviet state, the army exhausted and bled the fascist hordes. This created the conditions for the transition of the Soviet troops to the counteroffensive, the beginning of which marks a new period in the Great Patriotic War.

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Attention! The slide preview is for informational purposes only and may not represent the full extent of the presentation. If you are interested in this work, please download the full version.

Target: to introduce students to one of the most important battles in the history of the Great Patriotic War, to determine the stages, to find out the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad during the Great Patriotic War.

Tasks:

• to acquaint with the main events of the Battle of Stalingrad;
• reveal the reasons for the victory of the Soviet people in the battle on the Volga;
• develop skills in working with a map, additional literature, select, evaluate, analyze the studied material;
• to cultivate a sense of patriotism, pride and respect for compatriots for a perfect feat.

Equipment: map "Battle of Stalingrad", handout (cards - assignments), textbook Danilova A.A., Kosulina L.G., Brandt M.Yu. History of Russia XX - the beginning of the XXI century. M., "Enlightenment", 2009. Video clips from the movie "Stalingrad". In advance, students prepare messages about the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad.

Predicted results: students must show the ability to work with a map, video clips, a textbook. Prepare your own message and speak to the audience.

Lesson plan:

1. Stages of the Battle of Stalingrad.
2. Results and meaning.
3. Conclusion.

DURING THE CLASSES

I. Organizational moment. Greeting students

II. New topic

The topic of the lesson is recorded.

Teacher: Today in the lesson we have to analyze the main events of the battle of Stalingrad; characterize the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad as the beginning of a radical turning point in World War II; to reveal the reasons for the victory of the Soviet people in the battle on the Volga.

Problem task: Slide 1. Some Western historians and military leaders claim that the reasons for the defeat of the Nazi army at Stalingrad are the following: terrible cold, mud, snow.
Can we agree with this? Try to answer this question at the end of the lesson.

Assignment to students: listening to the teacher's story, draw up a thesis plan for the answer.

Teacher: Let's look at the map. In mid-July 1942, German troops rushed to Stalingrad - an important strategic point and the largest center of the defense industry.
The Battle of Stalingrad is divided into two periods:

I - July 17 - November 18, 1942 - defensive;
II - November 19, 1942 - February 2, 1943 - counteroffensive, encirclement and defeat of German troops.

I period. July 17, 1942 Parts of the 62nd Soviet Army came into contact in the bend of the Don with the advanced units of the 6th Army of the German troops under the command of General Paulus.
The city was preparing for defense: defensive structures were built, their total length was 3860 m. Anti-tank ditches were dug in the most important areas, the city's industry produced up to 80 types of military products. So, the tractor supplied the front with tanks, and the Krasny Oktyabr metallurgical plant - with mortars. (Video clip).
In the course of heavy fighting, the Soviet troops, showing stamina and heroism, thwarted the enemy’s plan to capture Stalingrad on the move. From July 17 to August 17, 1942, the Germans managed to advance no more than 60-80 km. (See map).
But still the enemy, albeit slowly, was approaching the city. The tragic day came on August 23, when the German 6th Army reached the western outskirts of Stalingrad, surrounding the city from the north. At the same time, the 4th Panzer Army, together with the Romanian units, advanced on Stalingrad from the southwest. Fascist aviation subjected the entire city to a brutal bombing attack, making 2,000 sorties. Residential areas and industrial facilities were destroyed, tens of thousands of civilians were killed. Embittered fascists decided to wipe the city off the face of the earth. (Video clip)
On September 13, the enemy, having introduced an additional 9 divisions and one brigade into battle, began to storm the city. The direct defense of the city was carried out by the 62nd and 64th armies (commanders - Generals Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich and Shumilov Mikhail Stepanovich).
Fighting began on the streets of the city. Soviet soldiers fought to the death, defending every five Volga lands.
"No step back! Stand to death!" - these words became the motto of the defenders of Stalingrad.
The famous Pavlov's house became the embodiment of the courage of Stalingraders.

Student message:“There is no land for us beyond the Volga” - this phrase of sniper Vasily Zaitsev became winged.

Student message: In one of the battles in mid-October, the signalman of the headquarters of the 308th Infantry Division Matvey Putilov performed an immortal feat.

Student message: As a symbol of immortal glory, the name of the Marine Mikhail Panikakha entered the history of Stalingrad.

Student message: The height dominating the city - Mamayev Kurgan, during the Battle of Stalingrad - was the place of the most fierce battles, the key position of the defense, which appeared in the reports as height 102.

Student message: During the defensive stage, residents of the city showed perseverance in the struggle for the city.

Student message: Paulus launched his last offensive on November 11, 1942, in a narrow area near the Red Barricades plant, where the Nazis won their last success.
Find the results of the defensive period in the textbook, page 216.
By mid-November, the offensive capabilities of the Germans had dried up.

II. The counteroffensive of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad began on November 19, 1942. Within the framework of this strategic plan, an operation was carried out to encircle the Nazi troops near Stalingrad, code-named "Uranus".

Viewing a video clip. The children complete the task - fill in the gaps in the text. ( Appendix 1 )

Questions:

• Which fronts participated in Operation Uranus?
• At what city did the main parts of the Soviet army unite?

Field Marshal Manstein, an assault tank group, was supposed to help Paulus.
After stubborn battles, Manstein's divisions approached the encircled troops from the southwest at a distance of 35-40 km, but the 2nd Guards Army under the command of General Malinovsky, who approached from the reserve, not only stopped the enemy, but also inflicted a crushing defeat on him.
At the same time, the offensive of the army group Gota was stopped, which was trying to break the encirclement in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe city of Kotelnikov.
According to the “Ring” plan (General Rokosovsky led the implementation of the operation), on January 10, 1943, Soviet troops began to defeat the fascist group.
On February 2, 1943, the encircled enemy group capitulated. Its commander-in-chief, General Field Marshal Paulus, was also captured.
Viewing a video clip.
Exercise. Put on the map "The defeat of the German troops at Stalingrad" ( Annex 2 )

• The direction of the strikes of the Soviet troops;
• The direction of the counterattack of the Manstein tank group.

All actions of the Soviet troops during the Battle of Stalingrad were coordinated by Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.
The victory in the Battle of Stalingrad marked the beginning of a radical turning point in the course of not only the Great Patriotic War, but the entire Second World War.
- What is the essence of the concept of "radical change"? (The Germans lost their offensive fighting spirit. The strategic initiative finally passed into the hands of the Soviet command)
- Let's get back to the problem task: Some Western historians and military leaders say that the reasons for the defeat of the Nazi army at Stalingrad are the following: terrible cold, mud, snow.
slide 8.
– Can we agree with this? (Student answers)
Slide 9. “The Battle of Stalingrad is really a golden page in the military history of our people,” wrote the commander of the Stalingrad Front, General Eremenko. And one cannot but agree with this.

Poem(student reads)

In the heat of factories, houses, station.
Dust on a steep bank.
The voice of the Fatherland said to him:
"Don't hand over the city to the enemy!"
Rumbled in the bloody mist
Hundredth attack shaft,
Angry and stubborn, chest-deep in the ground,
The soldier stood to death.
He knew that there was no way back -
He defended Stalingrad...

Alexey Surkov

III. Outcome

To consolidate the material, complete the task on the cards (work in pairs).
(Annex 3 )
Stalingrad is a symbol of courage, steadfastness, heroism of Soviet soldiers. Stalingrad is a symbol of the power and greatness of our state. Near Stalingrad, the Red Army broke the back of the German fascist troops, and under the walls of Stalingrad, a foundation was laid for the destruction of fascism.

IV. Reflection

Grading, homework: p. 32,

Literature:

1. Alekseev M.N. Wreath of Glory "Battle of Stalingrad". M., Sovremennik, 1987
2. Alekseev S.P. A book to read on the history of our Motherland. M., "Enlightenment", 1991
3. Goncharuk V.A."Commemorative badges of cities - heroes." M., "Soviet Russia", 1986
4. Danilov A.A., Kosulina L.G., Brandt M.Yu. History of Russia XX - beginning of XX? century. M., "Enlightenment", 2009
5. Danilov A.A., Kosulina L.G. Workbook on the history of Russia Grade 9. Issue 2..M., "Enlightenment", 1998
6. Korneva T.A. Non-traditional lessons on the history of Russia of the twentieth century in grades 9, 11. Volgograd "Teacher", 2002

BATTLE OF STALINGRAD

On the eve of the summer offensive of 1942, the total strength of Army Group South was 68 divisions. For more efficient command and control of troops, Hitler on July 9, 1942 divided Army Group South into two parts: Army Group A (commanded by Field Marshal List) and Army Group B (commander Maximilian Weichs). The goal of Army Group A is to capture the Caucasus with its huge mineral resources. The task of Army Group "B" is to capture the so-called. the big bend of the Don, the ultimate goal is the capture of Stalingrad.

The significance of Stalingrad was determined by several factors:

Stalingrad was one of the largest industrial centers in the south of the USSR. Here were such gigantic enterprises as the Stalingrad Tractor Plant (produced half of all T-34 tanks), the Barrikady plant (produced artillery guns, anti-tank guns), the Stalingrad Shipyard (production of components, production of diesel engines and armored hulls for T- 34).

Stalingrad was a major transport center. The railway to the North Caucasus went through the city, the Volga flowed through the city

It was a city that bore the name of Stalin, who was one of its defenders during the civil war.

For the direct capture of Stalingrad, the 6th Army, commanded by Colonel General Paulus, was allocated from Army Group B. It numbered 270 thousand people, 3000 guns and mortars, about 500 tanks, from the air Paulus supported an air fleet of 1200 aircraft. To protect Stalingrad on July 12, 1942, the so-called. Stalingrad Front, whose first commander was Marshal Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko, but he was soon replaced. On March 23, Vasily Nikolaevich Gordov was appointed commander. The total number of front troops: 160 thousand people, armed with 2200 guns and mortars, 400 tanks.

The Battle of Stalingrad began on July 17, 1942. from the battles in the so-called. the big radiation of the Don. Already at the very beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad, the 62nd Army, which was defending here, fell into an operational encirclement, and there was a threat of its destruction. In such a situation, the front command decides to conduct a counterattack with all available tanks, which was done. Effects:

The 62nd Army was unblocked and was able to go beyond the Don to the east coast

The front lost almost all available tanks (350 out of 400).

By the end of July 1942, the situation in the Stalingrad region became so aggravated that the country's leadership was forced to take emergency measures:

- July 28, 1942 People's Commissariat of Defense issued order number 227 - “Not a step back”: the troops were strictly forbidden to leave their positions without an order, so-called. detachments (200 people each), who received the right to shoot the retreating on the spot

The so-called. penal companies and penal battalions (a total of 400 thousand people visited them during the entire war) - they were usually used as "cannon fodder".

There have been important personnel changes. General Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov became the new commander of the 62nd Army. The 64th Army was commanded by Shumilov.

Thanks to the measures taken in early August, the movement of the 6th Army towards Stalingrad stalled. To accelerate the fall of the city, Hitler ordered the deployment of the 4th Panzer Army (Hermann Gott) from the Caucasus to the Stalingrad direction. In early August, the tank units of Goth rushed to Stalingrad, passing 70-80 km per day. As a result, the Soviet command was forced to create another front - the South-East (commander Eremenko). This front lasted until the end of September, when it was renamed Stalingrad, and the former Stalingrad - Don.

The decisive turning point near Stalingrad for the Germans came August 23, 1942 Two important events took place on this day:

One of the German tank corps went to the Volga north of Stalingrad, thus cutting off the railway and road communication with the central regions of the country

German aviation made about 2000 sorties to Stalingrad.

September 13 fighting begins in Stalingrad itself. Already on the first day of the assault, the Germans achieved very serious successes: they occupied the railway station and captured Hill 102 (Mamaev Kurgan). For 135 days there were battles around this mound.

Rodimtsev's army was able to recapture Mamaev Kurgan. Thus, Germany's plans were thwarted. A protracted "street" war began. An example of the heroism of Soviet soldiers in Stalingrad is the defense of Pavlov's house, which was held by 24 Soviet soldiers under the command of Sergeant Yakov Pavlov for 58 days. The building was of great strategic importance, because. the butt end went out onto the square, a convenient sector of fire. This miniature garrison included representatives of 10-12 nationalities.

In the course of street fighting, the sniper movement gained wide scope. On both sides, there were a huge number of sniper groups hunting for officers. The most striking episode of the sniper war was the confrontation between the sniper Vasily Zaitsev and the German sniper Major Koennix. In total, Zaitsev destroyed over 200 Germans during the Battle of Stalingrad. In 1943, he came under mortar fire, as a result of which he lost his sight. Part of the vision was restored. They wanted to send Zaitsev on vacation, but he achieved reinstatement in the service.

By the end of September 1942, the Germans occupied almost the entire central part of the city, and were also able to reach the Volga on the southern outskirts of Stalingrad near the village of Kuporosnoye. In the first half of October, the Germans launched a powerful offensive in the northern industrial part of the city. As a result, they were able to capture almost the entire territory of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. The territory of the Krasny Oktyabr plant was completely captured. In some places, the Germans had 500-600 meters to the Volga.

The last offensive of the Germans began on November 11, 1942. The Germans were able to break through to the Volga already in the city itself. But the Germans failed to suppress the last pockets of resistance.

Thus, by mid-November, the offensive capabilities of the 6th Army in Stalingrad were completely exhausted. This created favorable conditions for a major Soviet offensive operation.

By the middle of the summer of 1942, the battles of the Great Patriotic War had reached the Volga.

In the plan for a large-scale offensive in the south of the USSR (Caucasus, Crimea), the German command also includes Stalingrad. Germany's goal was to take over an industrial city, the enterprises in which produced military products that were needed; gaining access to the Volga, from where it was possible to get to the Caspian Sea, to the Caucasus, where the oil needed for the front was extracted.

Hitler wanted to carry out this plan in just a week with the help of the 6th Paulus Field Army. It included 13 divisions, where there were about 270,000 people, 3 thousand guns and about five hundred tanks.

From the side of the USSR, the forces of Germany were opposed by the Stalingrad Front. It was created by decision of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command on July 12, 1942 (commander - Marshal Timoshenko, from July 23 - Lieutenant General Gordov).

The difficulty also lay in the fact that our side experienced a shortage of ammunition.

The beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad can be considered on July 17, when near the rivers Chir and Tsimla, the forward detachments of the 62nd and 64th armies of the Stalingrad Front met with detachments of the 6th German army. Throughout the second half of the summer, fierce battles were going on near Stalingrad. Further, the chronicle of events developed as follows.

Defensive stage of the Battle of Stalingrad

On August 23, 1942, German tanks approached Stalingrad. From that day on, fascist aviation began to systematically bomb the city. On the ground, battles did not stop either. It was simply impossible to live in the city - you had to fight to win. 75 thousand people volunteered for the front. But in the city itself, people worked day and night. By mid-September, the German army broke through to the city center, the battles went right on the streets. The Nazis stepped up their attack more and more. Almost 500 tanks took part in the assault on Stalingrad, German aircraft dropped about 1 million bombs on the city.

The courage of the Stalingraders was unparalleled. Many European countries were conquered by the Germans. Sometimes they needed only 2-3 weeks to capture the whole country. In Stalingrad, the situation was different. It took the Nazis weeks to capture one house, one street.

In the battles passed the beginning of autumn, mid-November. By November, almost the entire city, despite resistance, was captured by the Germans. Only a small strip of land on the banks of the Volga was still held by our troops. But it was still too early to announce the capture of Stalingrad, as Hitler did. The Germans did not know that the Soviet command already had a plan for the defeat of the German troops, which began to be developed even in the midst of the fighting, on September 12th. The development of the offensive operation "Uranus" was carried out by Marshal G.K. Zhukov.

Within 2 months, in conditions of increased secrecy, a strike force was created near Stalingrad. The Nazis were aware of the weakness of their flanks, but did not assume that the Soviet command would be able to gather the required number of troops.

On November 19, the troops of the Southwestern Front under the command of General N.F. Vatutin and the Don Front under the command of General K.K. Rokossovsky went on the offensive. They managed to surround the enemy, despite the resistance. Also during the offensive, five enemy divisions were captured and defeated. During the week from November 23, the efforts of the Soviet troops were directed to strengthening the blockade around the enemy. In order to remove this blockade, the German command formed the Don Army Group (commander - Field Marshal Manstein), however, it was also defeated.

The destruction of the encircled grouping of the enemy army was entrusted to the troops of the Don Front (commander - General K.K. Rokossovsky). Since the German command rejected the ultimatum to end resistance, the Soviet troops proceeded to destroy the enemy, which was the last of the main stages of the Battle of Stalingrad. On February 2, 1943, the last enemy grouping was liquidated, which is considered the end date of the battle.

Results of the Battle of Stalingrad:

Losses in the Battle of Stalingrad on each side amounted to about 2 million people.

Significance of the Battle of Stalingrad

The significance of the Battle of Stalingrad can hardly be overestimated. The victory of the Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad had a great influence on the further course of World War II. She stepped up the fight against the Nazis in all European countries. As a result of this victory, the German side ceased to dominate. The outcome of this battle caused confusion in the Axis (Hitler's coalition). There was a crisis of pro-fascist regimes in European countries.

How did the victory of the Soviet Union in the Battle of Stalingrad affect the course of the war. What role did Stalingrad play in the plans of Nazi Germany and what were the consequences. The course of the Battle of Stalingrad, losses on both sides, its significance and historical results.

The Battle of Stalingrad - the beginning of the end of the Third Reich

During the winter-spring campaign of 1942, the situation on the Soviet-German front was unfavorable for the Red Army. A number of unsuccessful offensive operations were carried out, which in some cases had a certain small-town success, but on the whole ended in failure. The Soviet troops failed to take full advantage of the winter offensive of 1941, as a result of which they lost very advantageous bridgeheads and areas. In addition, a significant part of the strategic reserve, intended for major offensive operations, was involved. The headquarters incorrectly determined the directions of the main attacks, assuming that the main events in the summer of 1942 would unfold in the northwest and center of Russia. The southern and southeastern directions were given secondary importance. In the autumn of 1941, orders were given to build defensive lines on the Don, the North Caucasus and the Stalingrad direction, but they did not have time to complete their equipment by the summer of 1942.

The enemy, unlike our troops, had full control of the strategic initiative. His main task for the summer - autumn of 1942 was to capture the main raw material, industrial and agricultural regions of the Soviet Union. The leading role in this was assigned to Army Group South, which suffered the least losses since the beginning of the war against the USSR and had the greatest combat potential.

By the end of spring, it became clear that the enemy was rushing to the Volga. As the chronicle of events has shown, the main battles will unfold on the outskirts of Stalingrad, and later in the city itself.

The course of the battle

The Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-1943 will last 200 days and become the largest and most bloody battle not only of World War II, but in the entire history of the 20th century. The course of the Battle of Stalingrad is divided into two stages:

• defense on the outskirts and in the city itself;
• strategic offensive operation of the Soviet troops.

The plans of the parties to the beginning of the battle

By the spring of 1942, Army Group South was divided into two parts - A and B. Army Group "A" was intended to attack the Caucasus, this was the main direction, Army Group "B" - to deliver a secondary blow to Stalingrad. The subsequent course of events will change the priority of these tasks.

By mid-July 1942, the enemy captured the Donbass, pushed our troops back to Voronezh, captured Rostov and managed to force the Don. The Nazis entered the operational space and created a real threat to the North Caucasus and Stalingrad.

Map of the "Battle of Stalingrad"

Initially, Army Group A, advancing on the Caucasus, was given an entire tank army and several formations from Army Group B to emphasize the importance of this direction.

Army Group "B" after forcing the Don was intended to equip defensive positions, simultaneously occupy the isthmus between the Volga and the Don and, moving in the interfluve, strike in the direction of Stalingrad. The city was instructed to take further mobile formations to advance along the Volga to Astrakhan, finally disrupting transport links along the main river of the country.

The Soviet command decided to prevent the capture of the city and the exit of the Nazis to the Volga with the help of stubborn defense of four unfinished lines in engineering terms - the so-called bypasses. Due to the untimely determination of the direction of the enemy's movement and miscalculations in the planning of military operations in the spring-summer campaign, the Stavka was unable to concentrate the necessary forces in this sector. The newly created Stalingrad Front had only 3 armies from the deep reserve and 2 air armies. Later, it included several more formations, units and formations of the Southern Front, which suffered significant losses in the Caucasus direction. By this time, major changes had taken place in command and control of the troops. The fronts began to report directly to the Stavka, and its representative was included in the command of each front. On the Stalingrad front, this role was performed by General of the Army Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.

The number of troops, the balance of forces and means at the beginning of the battle

The defensive stage of the Battle of Stalingrad began difficult for the Red Army. The Wehrmacht had superiority over the Soviet troops:

• in personnel by 1.7 times;
• in tanks by 1.3 times;
• in artillery by 1.3 times;
• in aircraft more than 2 times.

Despite the fact that the Soviet command continuously increased the number of troops, gradually transferring formations and units from the depths of the country, it was not possible to fully occupy the defense zone with a width of more than 500 kilometers. The activity of enemy tank formations was very high. At the same time, aviation superiority was overwhelming. The German Air Force had complete air supremacy.

Battle of Stalingrad - fighting on the outskirts

On July 17, the forward detachments of our troops entered into battle with the enemy's vanguard. This date was the beginning of the battle. During the first six days, the pace of the offensive was slowed down, but it still remained very high. On July 23, the enemy made an attempt to encircle one of our armies with powerful blows from the flanks. The command of the Soviet troops in a short time had to prepare two counterattacks, which were carried out from July 25 to 27. These strikes prevented the encirclement. By July 30, the German command threw all the reserves into battle. The offensive potential of the Nazis was exhausted. The enemy went over to a forced defense, waiting for reinforcements to arrive. Already on August 1, the tank army, transferred to Army Group A, was returned back to the Stalingrad direction.

During the first 10 days of August, the enemy was able to reach the outer defensive line, and in some places even break through it. Due to the active actions of the enemy, the defense zone of our troops grew from 500 to 800 kilometers, which forced our command to divide the Stalingrad Front into two independent ones - Stalingrad and the newly formed South-Eastern, which included the 62nd Army. Until the end of the battle, the commander of the 62nd Army was V. I. Chuikov.

Until August 22, hostilities continued on the outer defensive bypass. Stubborn defense was combined with offensive actions, but it was not possible to keep the enemy at this line. The enemy overcame the middle bypass practically on the move, and on August 23 the fighting began on the inner defensive line. On the near approaches to the city, the Nazis were met by the NKVD troops of the Stalingrad garrison. On the same day, the enemy broke through to the Volga north of the city, cutting off our combined arms army from the main forces of the Stalingrad Front. German aircraft inflicted enormous damage that day with a massive raid on the city. The central regions were destroyed, our troops suffered serious losses, including an increase in the number of deaths among the population. There were more than 40 thousand dead and died from wounds - the elderly, women, children.

On the southern approaches the situation was no less tense: the enemy broke through the outer and middle defensive lines. Our army launched counterattacks, trying to restore the situation, but the Wehrmacht troops methodically advanced towards the city.

The situation was very difficult. The enemy was in close proximity to the city. Under these conditions, Stalin decided to strike a little to the north in order to weaken the onslaught of the enemy. In addition, it took time to prepare the city defensive bypass for combat operations.

By September 12, the front line came close to Stalingrad and passed 10 kilometers from the city. It was necessary to urgently weaken the onslaught of the enemy. Stalingrad was located in a semicircle, covered from the northeast and southwest by two tank armies. By this time, the main forces of the Stalingrad and South-Eastern fronts occupied the city defensive bypass. With the withdrawal of the main forces of our troops to the outskirts, the defensive period of the Battle of Stalingrad on the outskirts of the city ended.

City defense

By mid-September, the enemy had practically doubled the number and armament of his troops. The grouping was increased due to the transfer of formations from the west and the Caucasian direction. A significant proportion of them were the troops of Germany's satellites - Romania and Italy. Hitler, at a meeting at the headquarters of the Wehrmacht, which was located in Vinnitsa, demanded that the commander of Army Group B, General Weikhe, and the commander of the 6th Army, General Paulus, take over Stalingrad as soon as possible.

The Soviet command also increased the grouping of its troops, pushing reserves from the depths of the country and replenishing the already existing units with personnel and weapons. By the beginning of the struggle for the city itself, the balance of power was still on the side of the enemy. If parity was observed in terms of personnel, then the Nazis outnumbered our troops by 1.3 times in artillery, 1.6 times in tanks, and 2.6 times in aircraft.

On September 13, with two powerful blows, the enemy launched an attack on the central part of the city. These two groups included up to 350 tanks. The enemy managed to advance to the factory areas and come close to Mamayev Kurgan. The actions of the enemy were actively supported by aviation. It should be noted that, having command of the air, the German planes inflicted enormous damage on the defenders of the city. Aviation of the Nazis for the entire period of the Battle of Stalingrad made an unimaginable number, even by the standards of the Second World War, sorties, turning the city into ruins.

Trying to weaken the onslaught, the Soviet command planned a counterattack. To accomplish this task, a rifle division was brought in from the Headquarters reserve. On September 15 and 16, its soldiers managed to complete the main task - to prevent the enemy from reaching the Volga in the center of the city. Two battalions occupied Mamaev Kurgan - the dominant height. On the 17th, another brigade from the Stavka reserve was transferred there.
Simultaneously with the fighting in the city north of Stalingrad, the offensive operations of our three armies continued with the task of drawing part of the enemy forces away from the city. Unfortunately, the advance was extremely slow, but forced the enemy to continuously condense the defenses in this sector. Thus, this offensive played its positive role.

On September 18, two counterattacks from the Mamaev Kurgan area were prepared, and on the 19th, two counterattacks were delivered. The strikes continued until September 20, but did not lead to a significant change in the situation.

On September 21, the Nazis resumed their breakthrough to the Volga in the center of the city with fresh forces, but all their attacks were repulsed. The fighting for these areas continued until 26 September.

The first assault on the city by Nazi troops from 13 to 26 September brought them limited success. The enemy reached the Volga in the central regions of the city and on the left flank.
From September 27, the German command, without weakening the onslaught in the center, concentrated on the outskirts of the city and factory areas. As a result, by October 8, the enemy managed to capture all the dominant heights on the western outskirts. From them, the city was completely visible, as well as the channel of the Volga. Thus, the crossing of the river became even more complicated, the maneuver of our troops was constrained. However, the offensive potential of the German armies was coming to an end. A regrouping and replenishment was needed.

At the end of the month, the situation demanded that the Soviet command reorganize the control system. The Stalingrad Front was renamed the Don Front, and the South-Eastern Front was renamed the Stalingrad Front. The 62nd Army, proven in battle in the most dangerous sectors, was included in the Don Front.

In early October, the Wehrmacht headquarters planned a general assault on the city, having managed to concentrate large forces on almost all sectors of the front. On October 9, the attackers resumed their attacks on the city. They managed to capture a number of industrial Stalingrad settlements and part of the Tractor Plant, cut one of our armies into several parts and reach the Volga in a narrow section of 2.5 kilometers. Gradually, the activity of the enemy faded. On November 11, the last assault attempt was made. After the losses suffered, the German troops went on the defensive on November 18. On this day, the defensive stage of the battle ended, but the Battle of Stalingrad itself was only approaching its climax.

Results of the defensive stage of the battle

The main task of the defensive stage was completed - the Soviet troops managed to defend the city, bled the enemy's strike groups and prepared the conditions for the start of a counteroffensive. The enemy suffered unprecedented losses before. According to various estimates, they amounted to about 700 thousand killed, up to 1000 tanks, about 1400 guns and mortars, 1400 aircraft.

The defense of Stalingrad gave invaluable experience to commanders of all levels in command and control. Methods and methods of conducting combat operations in the conditions of the city, tested in Stalingrad, subsequently turned out to be in demand more than once. The defensive operation contributed to the development of Soviet military art, revealed the military leadership qualities of many military leaders, and became a school of combat skill for every soldier of the Red Army without exception.

Soviet losses were also very high - about 640 thousand personnel, 1400 tanks, 2000 aircraft and 12000 guns and mortars.

The offensive stage of the Battle of Stalingrad

The strategic offensive operation began on November 19, 1942 and ended on February 2, 1943. It was carried out by the forces of three fronts.

To make a decision on a counteroffensive, at least three conditions must be met. First, the enemy must be stopped. Secondly, he should not have strong immediate reserves. Thirdly, the availability of forces and means sufficient to carry out the operation. By mid-November, all these conditions were met.

The plans of the parties, the balance of forces and means

From November 14, according to Hitler's directive, the German troops went over to strategic defense. Offensive operations continued only in the Stalingrad direction, where the enemy stormed the city. The troops of Army Group "B" took up defenses from Voronezh in the north to the Manych River in the south. The most combat-ready units were near Stalingrad, and the flanks were defended by the Romanian and Italian troops. In reserve, the commander of the army group had 8 divisions, due to the activity of the Soviet troops along the entire length of the front, he was limited in the depth of their application.

The Soviet command planned to carry out the operation with the forces of the Southwestern, Stalingrad and Don fronts. Their tasks were as follows:

• South-Western Front - a strike force consisting of three armies to go on the offensive in the direction of the city of Kalach, defeat the 3rd Romanian army and join forces with the troops of the Stalingrad Front by the end of the third day of the operation.
• The Stalingrad Front - a strike force consisting of three armies, go on the offensive in the north-western direction, defeat the 6th army corps of the Romanian army and unite with the troops of the South-Western Front.
• Don Front - by strikes of two armies in converging directions to surround the enemy with subsequent destruction in a small bend of the Don.

The difficulty was that in order to carry out encirclement tasks, it was necessary to use significant forces and means to create an internal front - to defeat the German troops inside the ring, and an external one - to prevent the release of those surrounded from the outside.

Planning for the Soviet counter-offensive operation began in mid-October, at the height of the battles for Stalingrad. By order of the Headquarters, the front commanders managed to create the necessary superiority in personnel and equipment before the start of the offensive. On the Southwestern Front, Soviet troops outnumbered the Nazis in personnel by 1.1, in artillery by 1.4 and in tanks by 2.8 times. In the zone of the Don Front, the ratio was as follows - in personnel 1.5 times, in artillery 2.4 times in favor of our troops, in tanks parity. The superiority of the Stalingrad Front was: in personnel - 1.1, in artillery - 1.2, in tanks - 3.2 times.

It is noteworthy that the concentration of strike groups took place covertly, only at night and in bad weather conditions.

A characteristic feature of the developed operation was the principle of massing aviation and artillery in the directions of the main attacks. It was possible to achieve an unprecedented density of artillery - in some areas it reached 117 units per kilometer of the front.

Difficult tasks were assigned to the engineering units and subdivisions. A huge amount of work had to be done to clear mine areas, terrain and roads, and build crossings.

The course of the offensive operation

The operation began as planned on 19 November. The offensive was preceded by a powerful artillery preparation.

In the first hours, the troops of the Southwestern Front wedged into the enemy defenses to a depth of 3 kilometers. Developing the offensive and introducing fresh forces into battle, our strike groups advanced 30 kilometers by the end of the first day, and thereby enveloped the enemy from the flanks.

Things were more complicated at the Don Front. There, our troops encountered stubborn resistance in conditions of extremely difficult terrain and saturation of the enemy defenses with mine-explosive barriers. By the end of the first day, the wedging depth was 3-5 kilometers. Subsequently, the troops of the front were drawn into protracted battles and the 4th tank enemy army managed to avoid encirclement.

For the Nazi command, the counteroffensive came as a surprise. Hitler's directive on the transition to strategic defensive actions was dated November 14, but they did not have time to go over to it. On November 18, in Stalingrad, the Nazi troops were still on the offensive. The command of Army Group "B" erroneously determined the direction of the main attacks of the Soviet troops. On the first day, it was at a loss, only sending telegrams to the Wehrmacht headquarters with a statement of facts. The commander of Army Group B, General Weikhe, ordered the commander of the 6th Army to stop the offensive in Stalingrad and to allocate the necessary number of formations in order to stop the Russian pressure and cover the flanks. As a result of the measures taken, resistance in the offensive zone of the Southwestern Front increased.

On November 20, the offensive of the Stalingrad Front began, which once again came as a complete surprise to the leadership of the Wehrmacht. The Nazis urgently needed to find a way out of the current situation.

On the first day, the troops of the Stalingrad Front broke through the enemy defenses and advanced to a depth of 40 kilometers, and on the second day to another 15. By November 22, a distance of 80 kilometers remained between the troops of our two fronts.

On the same day, units of the Southwestern Front crossed the Don and captured the city of Kalach.
The headquarters of the Wehrmacht did not stop trying to find a way out of a difficult situation. Two tank armies were ordered to be transferred from the North Caucasus. Paulus was ordered not to leave Stalingrad. Hitler did not want to put up with the fact that he would have to retreat from the Volga. The consequences of this decision will be fatal both for the army of Paulus and for all the Nazi troops.

By November 22, the distance between the forward units of the Stalingrad and Southwestern fronts had been reduced to 12 kilometers. At 16.00 on November 23, the fronts connected. The encirclement of the enemy grouping was completed. In the Stalingrad "cauldron" were 22 divisions and auxiliary units. On the same day, the Romanian corps numbering almost 27 thousand people were taken prisoner.

However, a number of difficulties arose. The total length of the outer front was very large, almost 450 kilometers, and the distance between the inner and outer fronts was insufficient. The task was to move the external front as far west as possible in the shortest possible time in order to isolate the encircled Paulus grouping and prevent its deblockade from the outside. At the same time, it was necessary to create powerful reserves for stability. At the same time, the formations on the internal front had to start destroying the enemy in the "cauldron" in a short time.

Until November 30, the troops of three fronts tried to cut the encircled 6th Army into pieces, while simultaneously squeezing the ring. To this day, the area occupied by enemy troops has decreased by half.

It should be noted that the enemy stubbornly resisted, skillfully using reserves. In addition, an assessment of his strength was incorrectly made. The General Staff assumed that there were approximately 90,000 Nazis surrounded, while the actual number exceeded 300,000.

Paulus turned to the Fuhrer with a request for independence in decision-making. Hitler deprived him of this right, ordered him to remain surrounded and wait for help.

The counteroffensive did not end with the encirclement of the grouping, the Soviet troops seized the initiative. Soon it was necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy troops.

Operation Saturn and the Ring

The headquarters of the Wehrmacht and the command of Army Group "B" began the formation in early December of the Army Group "Don", designed to release the group, which was surrounded near Stalingrad. This group included formations transferred from near Voronezh, Orel, the North Caucasus, from France, as well as parts of the 4th Panzer Army, which had escaped encirclement. At the same time, the balance of forces in favor of the enemy was overwhelming. In the breakthrough area, he outnumbered the Soviet troops in men and artillery by 2 times, and in tanks by 6 times.

Soviet troops in December had to start solving several tasks at once:

• Developing the offensive, defeat the enemy on the Middle Don - Operation Saturn was developed to solve it
• Prevent the breakthrough of Army Group "Don" to the 6th Army
• Eliminate the encircled enemy grouping - for this they developed the operation "Ring".

On December 12, the enemy launched an offensive. At first, using a large superiority in tanks, the Germans broke through the defenses and advanced 25 kilometers in the first day. For 7 days of the offensive operation, enemy forces approached the encircled grouping at a distance of 40 kilometers. The Soviet command urgently activated the reserves.

Map of Operation Little Saturn

In the current situation, the Headquarters made adjustments to the plan for Operation Saturn. The troops of the South-Western part of the forces of the Voronezh Front, instead of attacking Rostov, were ordered to move it to the southeast, take the enemy in pincers and go to the rear of the Don Army Group. The operation was called "Little Saturn". It began on December 16, and in the first three days it was possible to break through the defenses and penetrate to a depth of 40 kilometers. Using the advantage in maneuverability, bypassing pockets of resistance, our troops rushed behind enemy lines. Within two weeks, they fettered the actions of the Don Army Group and forced the Nazis to go on the defensive, thereby depriving the last hope of the Paulus troops.

On December 24, after a short artillery preparation, the Stalingrad Front launched an offensive, delivering the main blow in the direction of Kotelnikovsky. On December 26, the city was liberated. Subsequently, the troops of the front were given the task of eliminating the Tormosinsk grouping, which they coped with by December 31. From this date, a regrouping began for an attack on Rostov.

As a result of successful operations on the Middle Don and in the Kotelnikovsky area, our troops managed to thwart the plans of the Wehrmacht to release the encircled group, defeat large formations and units of the German, Italian and Romanian troops, move the external front from the Stalingrad "cauldron" by 200 kilometers.

Aviation, meanwhile, took the encircled grouping into a tight blockade, minimizing attempts by the Wehrmacht headquarters to supply the 6th Army.

Operation Saturn

From January 10 to February 2, the command of the Soviet troops carried out an operation code-named "Ring" to eliminate the encircled 6th Army of the Nazis. Initially, it was assumed that the encirclement and destruction of the enemy grouping would take place in a shorter time, but the lack of forces of the fronts affected, which on the move failed to cut the enemy grouping into pieces. The activity of the German troops outside the cauldron delayed part of the forces, and the enemy himself inside the ring had by no means weakened by that time.

The Stavka entrusted the operation to the Don Front. In addition, part of the forces was allocated by the Stalingrad Front, which by that time had been renamed the Southern Front and received the task of advancing on Rostov. The commander of the Don Front in the Battle of Stalingrad, General Rokossovsky, decided to dismember the enemy grouping and destroy it piece by piece with powerful cutting blows from west to east.
The balance of forces and means did not give confidence in the success of the operation. The enemy outnumbered the troops of the Don Front in personnel and tanks by 1.2 times and was inferior in artillery by 1.7 and aviation by 3 times. True, due to a lack of fuel, he could not fully use motorized and tank formations.

Operation Ring

On January 8, a message was brought to the Nazis with a proposal for surrender, which they rejected.
On January 10, under the cover of artillery preparation, the offensive of the Don Front began. During the first day, the attackers managed to advance to a depth of 8 kilometers. Artillery units and formations supported the troops with a new type of accompanying fire at that time, which is called the "barrage".

The enemy fought on the same defensive contours on which the Battle of Stalingrad began for our troops. By the end of the second day, the Nazis, under the onslaught of the Soviet army, began to randomly retreat to Stalingrad.

Surrender of the Nazi troops

On January 17, the width of the encirclement strip was reduced by seventy kilometers. A repeated proposal to lay down their arms followed, which was also ignored. Until the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, calls for surrender from the Soviet command came regularly.

On January 22, the offensive continued. In four days, the depth of advancement was another 15 kilometers. By January 25, the enemy was squeezed into a narrow patch measuring 3.5 by 20 kilometers. The next day, this strip was cut into two parts, northern and southern. On January 26, in the area of ​​​​Mamaev Kurgan, a historic meeting of the two armies of the front took place.

Until January 31, stubborn fighting continued. On this day, the southern group stopped resisting. The officers and generals of the headquarters of the 6th Army, led by Paulus, surrendered. On the eve of Hitler awarded him the rank of field marshal. The northern group continued to resist. Only on February 1, after a powerful artillery fire raid, did the enemy begin to surrender. On February 2, the fighting stopped completely. A report was sent to Headquarters about the end of the Battle of Stalingrad.

On February 3, the troops of the Don Front began to regroup for further actions in the direction of Kursk.

Losses in the Battle of Stalingrad

All stages of the Battle of Stalingrad were very bloody. Losses on both sides were colossal. Until now, data from different sources are very different from each other. It is generally accepted that the Soviet Union lost over 1.1 million people killed. On the part of the Nazi troops, the total losses are estimated at 1.5 million people, of which the Germans make up about 900 thousand people, the rest are the losses of the satellites. Data on the number of prisoners also vary, but on average their number is close to 100 thousand people.

Equipment losses were also significant. The Wehrmacht missed about 2,000 tanks and assault guns, 10,000 guns and mortars, 3,000 aircraft, 70,000 vehicles.

The consequences of the Battle of Stalingrad became fatal for the Reich. It was from this moment that Germany began to experience a mobilization hunger.

Significance of the Battle of Stalingrad

The victory in this battle served as a turning point in the course of the entire Second World War. In figures and facts, the Battle of Stalingrad can be represented as follows. The Soviet army completely defeated 32 divisions, 3 brigades, 16 divisions were severely defeated, and it took a long time to restore their combat capability. Our troops pushed the front line hundreds of kilometers away from the Volga and Don.
A major defeat shook the unity of the allies of the Reich. The destruction of the Romanian and Italian armies forced the leadership of these countries to think about withdrawing from the war. The victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, and then the successful offensive operations in the Caucasus, convinced Turkey not to join the war against the Soviet Union.

The Battle of Stalingrad, and then the Battle of Kursk, finally secured the strategic initiative for the USSR. The Great Patriotic War lasted another two years, but events no longer developed according to the plans of the fascist leadership

The beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad in July 1942 was unsuccessful for the Soviet Union, the reasons for this are well known. The more valuable and significant for us is the victory in it. Throughout the battle, previously unknown to a wide range of people, military leaders were becoming, gaining combat experience. By the end of the battle on the Volga, these were already the commanders of the great Battle of Stalingrad. The commanders of the fronts every day gained invaluable experience in managing large military formations, used new techniques and methods of using various types of troops.

The victory in the battle was of great moral importance for the Soviet army. She managed to crush the strongest opponent, inflict a defeat on him, after which he could not recover. The exploits of the defenders of Stalingrad served as an example for all the soldiers of the Red Army.

The course, results, maps, diagrams, facts, memoirs of the participants in the Battle of Stalingrad are still the subject of study in academies and military schools.

In December 1942, the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad" was established. Over 700 thousand people have been awarded with it. 112 people became heroes of the Soviet Union in the Battle of Stalingrad.

The dates of November 19 and February 2 have become memorable. For the special merits of the artillery units and formations, the day the counteroffensive began became a holiday - the Day of the Rocket Forces and Artillery. The day of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad is marked as the Day of Military Glory. On May 1, 1945, Stalingrad bears the title of Hero City.