The Battle of Stalingrad, the defense of Soviet troops. Battle of Stalingrad: course of hostilities, heroes, meaning, map Battle of Stalingrad counter-offensive map

July 17th 1942 At the turn of the Chir River, the advanced units of the 62nd Army of the Stalingrad Front entered into battle with the vanguard of the 6th German Army.

The Battle of Stalingrad has begun.

For two weeks, our armies managed to hold back the onslaught of superior enemy forces. By July 22, the 6th Army of the Wehrmacht was additionally reinforced by another tank division from the 4th Panzer Army. Thus, the balance of forces in the Don bend changed even more in favor of the advancing German group, which already numbered about 250 thousand people, over 700 tanks, 7,500 guns and mortars, and they were supported from the air by up to 1,200 aircraft. While the Stalingrad Front had approximately 180 thousand personnel, 360 tanks, 7,900 guns and mortars, about 340 aircraft.

And yet the Red Army managed to slow down the pace of the enemy’s advance. If in the period from July 12 to 17, 1942, the enemy advanced 30 km daily, then from July 18 to 22 - only 15 km per day. By the end of July, our armies began to withdraw troops to the left bank of the Don.

On July 31, 1942, the selfless resistance of Soviet troops forced the Nazi command to turn from the Caucasus direction to Stalingrad 4th Tank Army under the leadership of Colonel General G.Gotha.

Hitler's initial plan to capture the city by July 25 was thwarted; the Wehrmacht troops took a short break to gather even larger forces into the offensive zone.

The defense line stretched for 800 km. August 5 to facilitate the management of the decision of the Headquarters the front was divided into Stalingrad and South-Eastern.

By mid-August, German troops managed to advance 60-70 km to Stalingrad, and in some areas only 20 km. The city was turning from a front-line city into a front-line city. Despite the continuous transfer of more and more forces to Stalingrad, parity was achieved only in human resources. The Germans had a more than twofold advantage in guns and aircraft, and a fourfold advantage in tanks.

On August 19, 1942, shock units of the 6th combined arms and 4th tank armies simultaneously resumed the offensive on Stalingrad. On August 23, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, German tanks broke through to the Volga and reached the outskirts of the city. On the same day, the enemy launched a massive air raid on Stalingrad. The breakthrough was stopped by militia forces and NKVD detachments.

At the same time, our troops in some sectors of the front launched a counteroffensive, and the enemy was thrown back 5-10 km to the west. Another attempt by German troops to capture the city was repulsed by the heroically fighting Stalingraders.

On September 13, German troops resumed their assault on the city. Particularly fierce fighting took place in the area of ​​the station and Mamayev Kurgan (height 102.0). From its top it was possible to control not only the city, but also the crossings across the Volga. Here, from September 1942 to January 1943, some of the most fierce battles of the Great Patriotic War took place.

After 13 days of bloody street fighting, the Germans captured the city center. But the main task - to capture the banks of the Volga in the Stalingrad area - the German troops were unable to complete. The city continued to resist.

By the end of September, the Germans were already on the approaches to the Volga, where administrative buildings and a pier were located. Here stubborn battles were fought for every house. Many of the buildings received their names during the days of defense: “Zabolotny’s house”, “L-shaped house”, “milk house”, “Pavlov’s house” and others.

Ilya Vasilievich Voronov, one of the defenders of Pavlov’s House, having received several wounds in the arm, leg and stomach, pulled out the safety pin with his teeth and threw grenades at the Germans with his healthy hand. He refused the help of the orderlies and crawled to the first aid station himself. The surgeon removed more than two dozen shrapnel and bullets from his body. Voronov stoically endured the amputation of his leg and hand, losing the maximum amount of blood allowed for life.

He distinguished himself in the battles for the city of Stalingrad from September 14, 1942.
In group battles in the city of Stalingrad, he destroyed up to 50 soldiers and officers. On November 25, 1942, he took part in the assault on the house with his crew. He boldly moved forward and ensured the advance of the units with machine gun fire. His crew with a machine gun was the first to burst into the house. An enemy mine disabled the entire crew and wounded Voronov himself. But the fearless warrior continued to shoot at the resistance of the counterattacking Nazis. Personally, using a machine gun, he defeated 3 attacks of the Nazis, destroying up to 3 dozen Nazis. After the machine gun was broken and Voronov received two more wounds, he continued to fight. During the battle of the 4th counterattack of the Nazis, Voronov received another wound, but continued to fight, pulling out the safety pin with his teeth and throwing grenades with his healthy hand. Being seriously wounded, he refused the help of paramedics and crawled to the first aid station himself.
For the courage and bravery shown in battles with the German invaders, he is nominated for a government award with the Order of the Red Star.

No less serious battles were fought in other parts of the city defense - on Bald Mountain, in the “ravine of death”, on “Lyudnikov Island”.

The Volga military flotilla under the command of Rear Admiral played a huge role in the defense of the city D.D. Rogacheva. Under continuous raids by enemy aircraft, the ships continued to ensure the passage of troops across the Volga, the delivery of ammunition, food and the evacuation of the wounded.

How the victory of the Soviet Union in the Battle of Stalingrad affected 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, an unfavorable situation for the Red Army developed on the Soviet-German front. A number of unsuccessful offensive operations were carried out, which in some cases had some local success, but overall ended in failure. 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 large offensive operations, was activated. The headquarters incorrectly determined the directions of the main attacks, assuming that the main events in the summer of 1942 would unfold in the north-west and center of Russia. The southern and southeastern directions were given secondary importance. In the fall of 1941, orders were given for the construction of 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 complete control of the strategic initiative. His main task for the summer - autumn of 1942 was to capture the main raw materials, industrial and agricultural regions of the Soviet Union. The leading role in this was given 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 showed, the main battles would take place on the outskirts of Stalingrad, and subsequently in the city itself.

Progress of the battle

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

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

Plans of the parties for the start 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 was intended to deliver a secondary attack on Stalingrad. The subsequent course of events will change the priority of these tasks.

By mid-July 1942, the enemy captured Donbass, pushed our troops back to Voronezh, captured Rostov and managed to cross 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 into 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 crossing the Don, was intended to equip defensive positions, simultaneously occupy the isthmus between the Volga and Don and, moving between the rivers, strike in the direction of Stalingrad. The city was ordered to occupy and then advance with mobile formations along the Volga to Astrakhan, finally disrupting transport links along the main river of the country.

The Soviet command decided, with the help of stubborn defense of four unfinished engineering lines - the so-called bypasses - to prevent the capture of the city and the Nazis’ access to the Volga. Due to untimely determination of the direction of the enemy's movement and miscalculations in planning military operations in the spring-summer campaign, the Headquarters 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 Caucasian direction. By this time, serious changes had occurred in military command and control. The fronts began to report directly to Headquarters, and its representative was included in the command of each front. On the Stalingrad Front, this role was performed by Army General Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.

Number of troops, ratio of forces and means at the beginning of the battle

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

• in personnel by 1.7 times;
• in tanks 1.3 times;
• in artillery 1.3 times;
• on airplanes 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, the defense zone over 500 kilometers wide was not completely occupied by troops. The activity of enemy tank formations was very high. At the same time, air 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 vanguard. This date marked the beginning of the battle. During the first six days, we managed to slow down the pace of the offensive, but it still remained very high. On July 23, the enemy attempted to encircle one of our armies with powerful attacks 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 attacks prevented encirclement. By July 30, the German command threw all its reserves into battle. The offensive potential of the Nazis was exhausted. The enemy switched to a forced defense, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements. 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 perimeter and, in some places, break through it. Due to active enemy actions, the defense zone of our troops increased 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 Front, which included the 62nd Army. Until the end of the battle, V.I. Chuikov was the commander of the 62nd Army.

Until August 22, fighting continued on the outer defensive perimeter. Stubborn defense was combined with offensive actions, but it was not possible to keep the enemy at this line. The enemy overcame the middle line almost immediately, and on August 23, fighting began on the internal defensive line. On the near approaches to the city, the Nazis were met by NKVD troops from 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 aviation caused 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 those who died from wounds - old people, 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 somewhat to the north to weaken the enemy’s onslaught. In addition, it took time to prepare the city defensive perimeter for combat operations.

By September 12, the front line came very close to Stalingrad and passed 10 kilometers from the city. It was urgently necessary to weaken the enemy's onslaught. Stalingrad was in a semi-ring, surrounded 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 contour. With the withdrawal of the main forces of our troops to the outskirts, the defensive period of the Battle of Stalingrad on the approaches to the city ended.

City defense

By mid-September, the enemy had practically doubled the number and armament of its troops. The group was increased by the transfer of units from the west and the Caucasus. A significant proportion of them were troops of Germany's satellites - Romania and Italy. Hitler, at a meeting at the Wehrmacht headquarters, which was located in Vinnitsa, demanded that the commander of Army Group B, General Weihe, and the commander of the 6th Army, General Paulus, capture Stalingrad as soon as possible.

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

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

Trying to weaken the onslaught, the Soviet command planned a counterattack. To carry out this task, a rifle division was brought in from the General 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 city center. Two battalions occupied Mamayev Kurgan, the dominant height. Another brigade from the Headquarters reserve was transferred there on the 17th.
Simultaneously with the fighting in the city north of Stalingrad, the offensive operations of our three armies continued with the task of pulling part of the enemy forces away from the city. Unfortunately, the advance was extremely slow, but forced the enemy to continuously tighten their defenses in this area. Thus, this offensive played a positive role.

On September 18, preparations were made, and on the 19th, two counterattacks were launched from the Mamayev Kurgan area. The attacks continued until September 20, but did not lead to a significant change in the situation.

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

The first assault on the city by Nazi troops between September 13 and 26 brought them limited success. The enemy reached the Volga in the central areas of the city and on the left flank.
From September 27, the German command, without weakening the pressure 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 entire city was visible, as well as the bed of the Volga. Thus, crossing the river became even more complicated, and the maneuver of our troops was constrained. However, the offensive potential of the German armies was coming to an end. Regrouping and replenishment were needed.

At the end of the month, the situation required the Soviet command to 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.

At the beginning of October, the Wehrmacht headquarters planned a general assault on the city, managing to concentrate large forces on almost all sectors of the front. On October 9, the attackers resumed attacks on the city. They managed to capture a number of Stalingrad factory villages and part of the Tractor Plant, cut one of our armies into several parts and reach the Volga in a narrow area of ​​2.5 kilometers. Gradually, enemy activity faded away. On November 11, the last assault attempt was made. After suffering losses, German troops switched to a forced defense 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 phase of the battle

The main task of the defensive phase was completed - Soviet troops managed to defend the city, bled the enemy strike forces dry and prepared the conditions for the start of a counteroffensive. The enemy suffered unprecedented losses. 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 of troops. The methods and methods of conducting combat operations in urban conditions, 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 leadership qualities of many military leaders, and became a school of combat skills for each and every soldier of the Red Army.

Soviet losses were also very high - about 640 thousand personnel, 1,400 tanks, 2,000 aircraft and 12,000 guns and mortars.

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 forces of three fronts.

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

Plans of the parties, balance of forces and means

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

The Soviet command planned to carry out the operation with forces from the Southwestern, Stalingrad and Don fronts. The following tasks were identified to them:

• The Southwestern Front - a strike group consisting of three armies - should 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.
• Stalingrad Front - a strike group consisting of three armies to go on the offensive in a northwestern direction, defeat the 6th Army Corps of the Romanian Army and link up with the troops of the Southwestern Front.
• Don Front - strikes of two armies in converging directions to encircle the enemy with subsequent destruction in the 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 encircled from the outside.

Planning for the Soviet counteroffensive began in mid-October, at the height of the fighting for Stalingrad. The front commanders, by order of Headquarters, 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. In the Don Front zone the ratio was as follows: in personnel 1.5 times, in artillery 2.4 times in favor of our troops, in tanks there was parity. The superiority of the Stalingrad Front was: 1.1 times in personnel, 1.2 times in artillery, 3.2 times in tanks.

It is noteworthy that the concentration of strike groups took place secretly, 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 artillery density - in some areas it reached 117 units per kilometer of front.

Difficult tasks were also assigned to engineering units and units. A huge amount of work had to be done to clear mines from areas, terrain and roads, and to establish crossings.

Progress of the offensive operation

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

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

Things were more complicated at the Don Front. There, our troops faced stubborn resistance in conditions of extremely difficult terrain and the enemy’s defense was saturated with mine and explosive barriers. By the end of the first day, the depth of the wedge was 3-5 kilometers. Subsequently, the front troops were drawn into protracted battles and the enemy 4th Tank 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 move on to it. On November 18, in Stalingrad, Nazi troops were still advancing. The command of Army Group B mistakenly 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 stating the facts. The commander of Army Group B, General Weihe, ordered the commander of the 6th Army to stop the offensive in Stalingrad and 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 Wehrmacht leadership. The Nazis urgently needed to look for a way out of the current situation.

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

Units of the Southwestern Front crossed the Don on the same day and captured the city of Kalach.
The Wehrmacht headquarters did not stop trying to find a way out of the 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 accept the fact that he would have to retreat from the Volga. The consequences of this decision will be fatal both for Paulus’s army and for all Nazi troops.

By November 22, the distance between the advanced units of the Stalingrad and Southwestern fronts was reduced to 12 kilometers. At 16.00 on November 23, the fronts joined forces. The encirclement of the enemy group was completed. There were 22 divisions and auxiliary units in the Stalingrad “cauldron”. On the same day, Romanian corps numbering almost 27 thousand people were captured.

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 front was insufficient. The task was to move the external front as far to the west as possible in the shortest possible time in order to isolate the encircled Paulus group and prevent its release 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 begin destroying the enemy in the “cauldron” in a short time.

Until November 30, troops on three fronts tried to cut the surrounded 6th Army into pieces, while simultaneously compressing the ring. By this day, the area occupied by enemy troops had decreased by half.

It should be noted that the enemy stubbornly resisted, skillfully using reserves. In addition, his strength was assessed incorrectly. The General Staff assumed that there were approximately 90 thousand Nazis surrounded, while the real number exceeded 300 thousand.

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

The counteroffensive did not end with the group's encirclement; Soviet troops seized the initiative. The defeat of the enemy troops was soon to be completed.

Operation Saturn and Ring

The Wehrmacht headquarters and the command of Army Group B began the formation of Army Group Don in early December, designed to relieve the group that was encircled at Stalingrad. This group included formations transferred from Voronezh, Orel, the North Caucasus, from France, as well as parts of the 4th Tank Army that 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.

In December, Soviet troops had to begin solving several tasks at once:

• Developing the offensive, defeat the enemy in the Middle Don - to solve this, Operation Saturn was developed
• Prevent the breakthrough of Army Group Don to the 6th Army
• To eliminate the encircled enemy group - for this they developed Operation Ring.

On December 12, the enemy launched an offensive. At first, using their great superiority in tanks, the Germans broke through the defenses and advanced 25 kilometers in the first 24 hours. During the 7 days of the offensive operation, enemy forces approached the encircled group at a distance of 40 kilometers. The Soviet command urgently activated 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 and part of the forces of the Voronezh Front, instead of attacking Rostov, were ordered to move it to the south-east, 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 they managed to break through the defenses and penetrate to a depth of 40 kilometers. Using our advantage in maneuverability, bypassing pockets of resistance, our troops rushed behind enemy lines. Within two weeks, they pinned down the actions of Army Group Don and forced the Nazis to go on the defensive, thereby depriving Paulus’s troops of their last hope.

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 front troops were given the task of eliminating the Tormosinsk group, which they completed by December 31. From this date, a regrouping began for the attack on Rostov.

As a result of successful operations in the Middle Don and in the Kotelnikovsky region, our troops managed to thwart the Wehrmacht’s plans to release the encircled group, defeat large formations and units of German, Italian and Romanian troops, and push the external front away from the Stalingrad “cauldron” by 200 kilometers.

Aviation, meanwhile, put the encircled group in a tight blockade, minimizing the attempts of the Wehrmacht headquarters to organize supplies for 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 group would take place in a shorter period of time, but the lack of forces on the fronts affected them, and they were unable to cut the enemy group into pieces right off the bat. The activity of German troops outside the cauldron delayed part of the forces, and the enemy himself inside the ring by that time had not weakened at all.

The operation was entrusted by the Headquarters 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 was given the task of attacking Rostov. The commander of the Don Front in the Battle of Stalingrad, General Rokossovsky, decided to dismember the enemy group 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 times and in 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, the Nazis received a message with a proposal to 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, called the “barrage of fire.”

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

Surrender of Nazi troops

On January 17, the width of the encirclement was reduced by seventy kilometers. There was a repeated proposal to lay down the arms, which was also ignored. Until the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, calls for surrender from the Soviet command were received regularly.

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

Until January 31, stubborn fighting continued. On this day, the southern group stopped resisting. The officers and generals of the 6th Army headquarters, led by Paulus, surrendered. The day before, Hitler awarded him the rank of field marshal. The northern group continued to resist. Only on February 1, after a powerful artillery fire raid, the enemy began 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 regrouping for further actions in the direction of Kursk.

Losses in the Battle of Stalingrad

All stages of the Battle of Stalingrad were very bloody. The losses on both sides were colossal. Until now, data from different sources differ greatly from each other. It is generally accepted that the Soviet Union lost over 1.1 million people killed. On the part of the fascist German troops, the total losses are estimated at 1.5 million people, of which the Germans account for 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 was missing about 2,000 tanks and assault guns, 10,000 guns and mortars, 3,000 aircraft, and 70,000 vehicles.

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

Significance of the Battle of Stalingrad

The victory in this battle served as a turning point in the entire Second World War. In figures and facts, the Battle of Stalingrad can be represented as follows. The Soviet army completely destroyed 32 divisions, 3 brigades, 16 divisions suffered a heavy defeat, 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.
The major defeat shook the unity of the Reich's allies. The destruction of the Romanian and Italian armies forced the leadership of these countries to think about leaving the war. Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad and then 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 known. The more valuable and significant the victory is for us. Throughout the battle, military leaders previously unknown to a wide circle of people underwent formation and gained combat experience. By the end of the battle on the Volga, these were already the commanders of the great Battle of Stalingrad. Every day, front commanders gained invaluable experience in managing large military formations and used new techniques and methods of using various types of troops.

Victory in the battle had enormous moral significance for the Soviet army. She managed to crush the strongest enemy, inflicting defeat on him, from which he was never able to recover. The exploits of the defenders of Stalingrad served as an example for all soldiers of the Red Army.

The course, results, maps, diagrams, facts, memories of participants in the Battle of Stalingrad are to this day 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 it. 112 people became heroes of the Soviet Union in the Battle of Stalingrad.

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

Seventy-one years ago, the Battle of Stalingrad ended - the battle that finally changed the course of World War II. On February 2, 1943, German troops surrounded on the banks of the Volga capitulated. I dedicate this photo album to this significant event.

1. A Soviet pilot stands next to a personalized Yak-1B fighter, donated to the 291st Fighter Aviation Regiment by collective farmers of the Saratov region. The inscription on the fuselage of the fighter: “To the unit of the Hero of the Soviet Union Shishkin V.I. from the collective farm Signal of the Revolution, Voroshilovsky district, Saratov region." Winter 1942 - 1943

2. A Soviet pilot stands next to a personalized Yak-1B fighter, donated to the 291st Fighter Aviation Regiment by collective farmers of the Saratov region.

3. A Soviet soldier demonstrates to his comrades German guard boats, captured among other German property at Stalingrad. 1943

4. German 75-mm RaK 40 cannon on the outskirts of a village near Stalingrad.

5. A dog sits in the snow against the backdrop of a column of Italian troops retreating from Stalingrad. December 1942

7. Soviet soldiers walk past the corpses of German soldiers in Stalingrad. 1943

8. Soviet soldiers listen to an accordion player play near Stalingrad. 1943

9. Red Army soldiers go on the attack against the enemy near Stalingrad. 1942

10. Soviet infantry attacks the enemy near Stalingrad. 1943

11. Soviet field hospital near Stalingrad. 1942

12. A medical instructor bandages the head of a wounded soldier before sending him to a rear hospital on a dog sled. Stalingrad region. 1943

13. A captured German soldier in ersatz felt boots in a field near Stalingrad. 1943

14. Soviet soldiers in battle in the destroyed workshop of the Red October plant in Stalingrad. January 1943

15. Infantrymen of the 4th Romanian Army on vacation at the self-propelled gun StuG III Ausf. F on the road near Stalingrad. November-December 1942

16. The bodies of German soldiers on the road southwest of Stalingrad near an abandoned Renault AHS truck. February-April 1943

17. Captured German soldiers in the destroyed Stalingrad. 1943

18. Romanian soldiers with a 7.92 mm ZB-30 machine gun in a trench near Stalingrad.

19. Infantryman takes aim with a submachine gun the one lying on the armor of the American-made Soviet tank M3 “Stuart” with the proper name “Suvorov”. Don Front. Stalingrad region. November 1942

20. Commander of the XI Army Corps of the Wehrmacht, Colonel General to Karl Strecker (Karl Strecker, 1884-1973, standing with his back in the center left) surrenders to representatives of the Soviet command in Stalingrad. 02/02/1943

21. A group of German infantry during an attack in the Stalingrad area. 1942

22. Civilians at the construction of anti-tank ditches. Stalingrad. 1942

23. One of the Red Army units in the Stalingrad area. 1942

24. Colonel General to the Wehrmacht Friedrich Paulus (Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus, 1890-1957, right) with officers at the command post near Stalingrad. Second from the right is Paulus' adjutant, Colonel Wilhelm Adam (1893-1978). December 1942

25. At the crossing of the Volga to Stalingrad. 1942

26. Refugees from Stalingrad during a halt. September 1942

27. Guardsmen of Lieutenant Levchenko's reconnaissance company during reconnaissance on the outskirts of Stalingrad. 1942

28. The fighters take their starting positions. Stalingrad front. 1942

29. Evacuation of the plant beyond the Volga. Stalingrad. 1942

30. Burning Stalingrad. Anti-aircraft artillery fires at German planes. Stalingrad, "Fallen Fighters" Square. 1942

31. Meeting of the Military Council of the Stalingrad Front: from left to right - N.S. Khrushchev, A.I. Kirichenko, Secretary of the Stalingrad Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) A.S. Chuyanovand front commander Colonel General to Eremenko A.I. Stalingrad. 1942

32. A group of machine gunners of the 120th (308th) Guards Rifle Division, under the command of A. Sergeev,conducts reconnaissance during street fighting in Stalingrad. 1942

33. Red Navy men of the Volga military flotilla during the landing operation in the Stalingrad area. 1942

34. Military Council of the 62nd Army: from left to right - Chief of Army Staff N.I. Krylov, Army Commander V.I. Chuikov, member of the Military Council K.A. Gurov.and commander of the 13th Guards Rifle Division A.I. Rodimtsev. District of Stalingrad. 1942

35. Soldiers of the 64th Army are fighting for a house in one of the districts of Stalingrad. 1942

36. Commander of the Don Front troops, Lieutenant General t Rokossovsky K.K. at a combat position in the region of Stalingrad. 1942

37. Battle in the Stalingrad area. 1942

38. Fight for a house on Gogol Street. 1943

39. Baking your own bread. Stalingrad front. 1942

40. Fights in the city center. 1943

41. Assault on the railway station. 1943

42. Soldiers of the long-range gun of junior lieutenant I. Snegirev are firing from the left bank of the Volga. 1943

43. A military orderly carries a wounded Red Army soldier. Stalingrad. 1942

44. Soldiers of the Don Front are moving to a new firing line in the area of ​​​​the encircled Stalingrad German group. 1943

45. Soviet sappers walk through the destroyed snow-covered Stalingrad. 1943

46. Captured Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus (1890-1957) gets out of a GAZ-M1 car at the headquarters of the 64th Army in Beketovka, Stalingrad region. 01/31/1943

47. Soviet soldiers climb the stairs of a destroyed house in Stalingrad. January 1943

48. Soviet troops in battle in Stalingrad. January 1943

49. Soviet soldiers in battle among destroyed buildings in Stalingrad. 1942

50. Soviet soldiers attack enemy positions in the Stalingrad area. January 1943

51. Italian and German prisoners leave Stalingrad after the surrender. February 1943

52. Soviet soldiers move through a destroyed factory workshop in Stalingrad during the battle.

53. Soviet light tank T-70 with armored troops on the Stalingrad front. November 1942

54. German artillerymen fire on the approaches to Stalingrad. In the foreground is a killed Red Army soldier in cover. 1942

55. Conducting political information in the 434th Fighter Wing. In the first row from left to right: Heroes of the Soviet Union, Senior Lieutenant I.F. Golubin, captain V.P. Babkov, Lieutenant N.A. Karnachenok (posthumously), standing regiment commissar, battalion commissar V.G. Strelmashchuk. In the background is a Yak-7B fighter with the inscription on the fuselage “Death for death!” July 1942

56. Wehrmacht infantry near the destroyed Barricades factory in Stalingrad.

57. Red Army soldiers with an accordion celebrate victory in the Battle of Stalingrad on the Square of Fallen Fighters in liberated Stalingrad. January
1943

58. Soviet mechanized unit during the offensive at Stalingrad. November 1942

59. Soldiers of the 45th Infantry Division of Colonel Vasily Sokolov at the Red October plant in the destroyed Stalingrad. December 1942

60. Soviet T-34/76 tanks near the Square of Fallen Fighters in Stalingrad. January 1943

61. German infantry takes cover behind stacks of steel blanks (blooms) at the Red October plant during the battle for Stalingrad. 1942

62. Sniper Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Zaitsev explains the upcoming task to the newcomers. Stalingrad. December 1942

63. Soviet snipers take up a firing position in the destroyed Stalingrad. The legendary sniper of the 284th Infantry Division Vasily Grigorievich Zaitsev and his students go into an ambush. December 1942.

64. Italian driver killed on the road near Stalingrad. Nearby is a FIAT SPA CL39 truck. February 1943

65. An unknown Soviet machine gunner with a PPSh-41 during the battles for Stalingrad. 1942

66. Red Army soldiers fight among the ruins of a destroyed workshop in Stalingrad. November 1942

67. Red Army soldiers fight among the ruins of a destroyed workshop in Stalingrad. 1942

68. German prisoners of war captured by the Red Army in Stalingrad. January 1943

69. Crew of the Soviet 76-mm divisional gun ZiS-3 at a position near the Red October plant in Stalingrad. 12/10/1942

70. An unknown Soviet machine gunner with a DP-27 in one of the destroyed houses in Stalingrad. 12/10/1942

71. Soviet artillery fires at surrounded German troops in Stalingrad. Presumably , in the foreground is a 76-mm regimental gun of the 1927 model. January 1943

72. Soviet attack aircraft Il-2 aircraft fly out on a combat mission near Stalingrad. January 1943

73. exterminator pilot l 237th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 220th Fighter Aviation Division of the 16th Air Army of the Stalingrad Front, Sergeant Ilya Mikhailovich Chumbaryov at the wreckage of a German reconnaissance aircraft he shot down with a ram ika Focke-Wulf Fw 189. 1942

74. Soviet artillerymen fire at German positions in Stalingrad from a 152-mm ML-20 howitzer gun, model 1937. January 1943

75. The crew of the Soviet 76.2 mm ZiS-3 cannon fires in Stalingrad. November 1942

76. Soviet soldiers sit by the fire during a moment of calm in Stalingrad. The second soldier from the left has a captured German MP-40 submachine gun. 01/07/1943

77. Cinematographer Valentin Ivanovich Orlyankin (1906-1999) in Stalingrad. 1943

78. Commander of the Marine assault group P. Golberg in one of the workshops of the destroyed Barricades plant. 1943

82. Soviet troops on the offensive near Stalingrad, in the foreground are the famous Katyusha rocket launchers, behind are T-34 tanks.

83. Soviet troops are on the offensive, in the foreground is a horse-drawn cart with food, behind are Soviet T-34 tanks. Stalingrad front.

84. Soviet soldiers attack with the support of T-34 tanks near the city of Kalach. November 1942

85. Soldiers of the 13th Guards Rifle Division in Stalingrad during rest hours. December 1942

86. Soviet T-34 tanks with armored soldiers on the march in the snowy steppe during the Stalingrad strategic offensive operation. November 1942

87. Soviet T-34 tanks with armored soldiers on the march in the snowy steppe during the Middle Don offensive operation. December 1942

88. Tankers of the 24th Soviet Tank Corps (from December 26, 1942 - 2nd Guards) on the armor of a T-34 tank during the liquidation of a group of German troops surrounded near Stalingrad. December 1942

89. The crew of a Soviet 120-mm regimental mortar from the mortar battery of battalion commander Bezdetko fires at the enemy. Stalingrad region. 01/22/1943

90. Captured Field Marshal General

93. Captured Red Army soldiers who died from hunger and cold. The prisoner of war camp was located in the village of Bolshaya Rossoshka near Stalingrad. January 1943

94. German Heinkel He-177A-5 bombers from I./KG 50 at the airfield in Zaporozhye. These bombers were used to supply German troops surrounded at Stalingrad. January 1943

96. Romanian prisoners of war captured near the village of Raspopinskaya near the city of Kalach. November-December 1942

97. Romanian prisoners of war captured near the village of Raspopinskaya near the city of Kalach. November-December 1942

98. GAZ-MM trucks, used as fuel tankers, during refueling at one of the stations near Stalingrad. The engine hoods are covered with covers, and instead of doors there are canvas flaps. Don Front, winter 1942-1943.

Taking into account the tasks being solved, the peculiarities of the conduct of hostilities by the parties, the spatial and temporal scale, as well as the results, the Battle of Stalingrad includes two periods: defensive - from July 17 to November 18, 1942; offensive - from November 19, 1942 to February 2, 1943

The strategic defensive operation in the Stalingrad direction lasted 125 days and nights and included two stages. The first stage is the conduct of defensive combat operations by front-line troops on the distant approaches to Stalingrad (July 17 - September 12). The second stage is the conduct of defensive actions to hold Stalingrad (September 13 - November 18, 1942).

The German command delivered the main blow with the forces of the 6th Army in the direction of Stalingrad along the shortest route through the big bend of the Don from the west and southwest, just in the defense zones of the 62nd (commander - Major General, from August 3 - Lieutenant General , from September 6 - Major General, from September 10 - Lieutenant General) and the 64th (commander - Lieutenant General V.I. Chuikov, from August 4 - Lieutenant General) armies. The operational initiative was in the hands of the German command with an almost double superiority in forces and means.

Defensive combat operations by troops of the fronts on the distant approaches to Stalingrad (July 17 - September 12)

The first stage of the operation began on July 17, 1942 in the big bend of the Don with combat contact between units of the 62nd Army and the advanced detachments of German troops. Fierce fighting ensued. The enemy had to deploy five divisions out of fourteen and spend six days to approach the main defense line of the troops of the Stalingrad Front. However, under the pressure of superior enemy forces, Soviet troops were forced to retreat to new, poorly equipped or even unequipped lines. But even under these conditions they inflicted significant losses on the enemy.

By the end of July, the situation in the Stalingrad direction continued to remain very tense. German troops deeply engulfed both flanks of the 62nd Army, reached the Don in the Nizhne-Chirskaya area, where the 64th Army held the defense, and created the threat of a breakthrough to Stalingrad from the southwest.

Due to the increased width of the defense zone (about 700 km), by the decision of the Supreme High Command Headquarters, the Stalingrad Front, which was commanded by a lieutenant general from July 23, was divided on August 5 into the Stalingrad and South-Eastern fronts. To achieve closer cooperation between the troops of both fronts, from August 9, the leadership of the defense of Stalingrad was united in one hand, and therefore the Stalingrad Front was subordinated to the commander of the South-Eastern Front, Colonel General.

By mid-November, the advance of German troops was stopped along the entire front. The enemy was forced to finally go on the defensive. This completed the strategic defensive operation of the Battle of Stalingrad. The troops of the Stalingrad, South-Eastern and Don Fronts completed their tasks, holding back the powerful enemy offensive in the Stalingrad direction, creating the preconditions for a counter-offensive.

During the defensive battles, the Wehrmacht suffered huge losses. In the fight for Stalingrad, the enemy lost about 700 thousand killed and wounded, over 2 thousand guns and mortars, more than 1000 tanks and assault guns and over 1.4 thousand combat and transport aircraft. Instead of a non-stop advance towards the Volga, enemy troops were drawn into protracted, grueling battles in the Stalingrad area. The German command's plan for the summer of 1942 was thwarted. At the same time, the Soviet troops also suffered heavy losses in personnel - 644 thousand people, of which irrevocable - 324 thousand people, sanitary 320 thousand people. The losses of weapons amounted to: about 1,400 tanks, more than 12 thousand guns and mortars and more than 2 thousand aircraft.

Soviet troops continued their offensive

178. A Soviet machine gun crew changes its firing position in a broken house in Stalingrad. 1942

179. Soviet soldiers hold the line in a broken house in Stalingrad. 1942

180. German soldiers surrounded at Stalingrad.

181. Attack of Soviet soldiers on a destroyed house captured by German troops in Stalingrad. 1942

182. The assault group of the 13th Guards Division clears houses in Stalingrad, destroying enemy soldiers. 1942

183. Mortar men I.G. Goncharov and G.A. Gafatulin fire at German positions in the Stalingrad area from a 120-mm mortar. 1942

184. Soviet snipers take up a firing position in a destroyed house in Stalingrad. January 1943

185. Commander of the 62nd Army of the Stalingrad Front, Lieutenant General t Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (with a stick) and member of the military council of the Stalingrad Front, lieutenant general t Kuzma Akimovich Gurov (on the left hand of Chuikov) in the Stalingrad area. 1943

186. German prisoners on the streets of Stalingrad.

187. German prisoners walk past the frozen corpse of a German soldier. Stalingrad. 1943

188. German self-propelled gun Marder III abandoned near Stalingrad. 1943

189. Soviet signalmen are laying a telephone line in the Stalingrad area. 1943

190. A Soviet officer inspects a German tank Pz.II Ausf. F, captured by Soviet troops at the Sukhanovsky farm. Don Front. December 1942

191. Member of the Military Council N.S. Khrushchev inspects a captured German tank Pz.Kpfw. IV in Stalingrad. 12/28/1942

192. German artillerymen move a LeIG 18 gun during the battle in Stalingrad. September 1942

193. Railway platforms with Soviet air bombs found by the Germans in the courtyard of one of the destroyed factories in Stalingrad. November 1942

194. The corpse of a German soldier near direction signs near Stalingrad. February 1943

195. A crashed German fighter Messerschmitt Bf.109 near Stalingrad. 1943

196. Captured German aircraft at Stalingrad and... a samovar. 1943

197. Romanian prisoners of war captured near the village of Raspopinskaya near the city of Kalach. On November 24, 1942, the troops of the Southwestern Front, having defeated the Romanian troops surrounded there, took 30 thousand prisoners and captured a lot of equipment.

198. Soviet assault group before the attack in Stalingrad. 1942

199. Soviet soldiers in battle in Stalingrad. Autumn 1942

200. A line of German prisoners of war near Stalingrad. February 1943

201. A German soldier cleans his carbine during a short break between battles in Stalingrad. Autumn 1942.

202. Soviet soldiers on the street of Stalingrad, hiding under a tarpaulin. February 1943

203. The frost-covered bodies of two German soldiers in a position near Stalingrad. 1942

204. Soviet aircraft technicians remove machine guns from a German Messerschmitt Bf.109 fighter. Stalingrad. 1943

205. German assault group on the ruins of a factory in Stalingrad. Late September - early October 1942.

206. The first Heroes of the Soviet Union in the 16th Air Army, awarded on January 28, 1943. From left to right: V.N. Makarov, I.P. Motorny and Z.V. Semenyuk. All of them served in the 512th Fighter Wing.

207. Killed German soldiers in the Stalingrad area, winter 1942-1943.

208. Nurse girl The teacher accompanies a wounded soldier in Stalingrad. 1942

209. Soviet soldiers in battle among destroyed buildings in Stalingrad. 1942

210. Soviet troops in battle in Stalingrad. January 1943

211. Killed soldiers of the 4th Romanian Army near Lake Barmatsak, Stalingrad area. November 20, 1942

212. The command post of the 178th artillery regiment (45th rifle division) of Major Rostovtsev in the basement of the calibration shop of the Red October plant. December 1942

213. A German Pz.Kpfw tank captured in good condition. IV. The territory of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. 02/01/1943

214. Retreat of German units of Army Group Don after an unsuccessful attempt to relieve Stalingrad. January 1943

215. Stalingrad after the end of the Battle of Stalingrad. The wreck of a downed German He-111 bomber from the KG.55 “Greif” bomber group (griffin on the emblem). 1943

216. Field Marshal General Schal Friedrich Paulus (left), commander of the 6th Army of the Wehrmacht surrounded in Stalingrad, chief of his staff, lieutenant general t Arthur Schmidt and his adjutant Wilhelm Adam after surrender. Stalingrad, Beketovka, headquarters of the Soviet 64th Army. 01/31/1943

217. Fight in one of the workshops of the Red October plant. December 1942

218. Taking the oath at the banner by marching reinforcements in the 39th Guards Rifle Division on the banks of the Volga, behind the Red October plant. On the left is the commander of the 62nd Army, Lieutenant General t V.I. Chuikov (the 39th Division was part of the 62nd Army), the banner is held by the division commander, Major General S.S. Guryev. December 1942

219. Gun crew of Sergeant A.G. Serov (45th Rifle Division) in one of the workshops of the Red October plant in Stalingrad. December 1942

220. Commander of the 65th Army of the Don Front, Lieutenant General t P.I. Batov with officers in the Stalingrad area. Winter 1942/43.

221. A front-line road near the village of Gorodishche in the Stalingrad region, an abandoned armored car and a dead German soldier.

222. Evacuation of wounded Soviet soldiers. Factory "Barricades", Stalingrad. December 1942

223. German prisoners from the 11th Infantry Corps Colonel General ka Karl Strecker, who surrendered on February 2, 1943. Area of ​​the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. 02/02/1943

224. German Ju-52 transport aircraft captured by Soviet troops near Stalingrad. November 1942

225. Warming up Ju-52 engines using a heat gun at the Pitomnik airfield (Stalingrad area). January 1943

226. The reconnaissance group of the 39th Guards Rifle Division is leaving for a combat mission. Factory "Red October". Stalingrad. 1943

227. Rally in liberated Stalingrad. February 1943

228. Crew of the Soviet 14.5 mm Degtyarev PTRD-41 anti-tank rifle in the Stalingrad area. 1943