Chronology of the battle for Stalingrad. Battle of Stalingrad: causes, course and consequences

Battle of Stalingrad
	Stalingrad, Stalingrad region, USSR
	The decisive victory of the USSR, the destruction of the 6th Army of Germany, the failure of the Axis offensive on Eastern Front
Opponents
	Germany
	Croatia
	Finnish volunteers
Commanders
A. M. Vasilevsky (Representative of the Stavka)	E. von Manstein (Army Group Don)
N. N. Voronov (coordinator)	M. Weichs (Army Group B)
N. F. Vatutin (Southwestern Front)	F. Paulus (6th Army)
V. N. Gordov (Stalingrad Front)	G. Goth (4th Panzer Army)
A. I. Eremenko (Stalingrad Front)	W. von Richthofen (4th Air Fleet)
S. K. Timoshenko (Stalingrad Front)	I. Gariboldi (Italian 8th Army)
K. K. Rokossovsky (Don Front)	G. Jani (Hungarian 2nd Army)
V. I. Chuikov (62nd Army)	P. Dumitrescu (Romanian 3rd Army)
M. S. Shumilov (64th Army)	C. Constantinescu (Romanian 4th Army)
R. Ya. Malinovsky (2nd Guards Army)	V. Pavicic (Croatian 369th Infantry Regiment)
Side forces
By the beginning of the operation, 386 thousand people, 2.2 thousand guns and mortars, 230 tanks, 454 aircraft (+200 self. YES and 60 self. Air defense)	By the beginning of the operation: 430 thousand people, 3 thousand guns and mortars, 250 tanks and assault guns, 1200 aircraft. On November 19, 1942 ground forces more than 987.300 people (including):
Additionally, 11 army directorates, 8 tank and mechanized corps, 56 divisions and 39 brigades were introduced from the Soviet side. On November 19, 1942: in the ground forces - 780 thousand people. Total 1.14 million people	400.000 soldiers and officers
	143.300 soldiers and officers
	220.000 soldiers and officers
	200.000 soldiers and officers
	20.000 soldiers and officers
	4,000 soldiers and officers, 10,250 machine guns, guns, and mortars, about 500 tanks, 732 aircraft (402 of them are out of order)
1 129 619 people (irretrievable and sanitary losses), 524 thousand units. shooter weapons, 4341 tanks and self-propelled guns, 2777 aircraft, 15.7 thousand guns and mortars	1,500,000 (irretrievable and sanitary losses), approximately 91,000 captured soldiers and officers 5,762 guns, 1,312 mortars, 12,701 machine guns, 156,987 rifles, 10,722 machine guns, 744 aircraft, 1,666 tanks, 261 armored vehicles, 80,438 vehicles, 10,679 motorcycles, 240 tractors, 571 tractors, 3 armored trains and other military equipment

Battle of Stalingrad- a battle between the troops of the USSR, on the one hand, and the troops of Nazi Germany, Romania, Italy, Hungary, on the other, during the Great Patriotic War. The battle was one of major events World War II and along with the Battle of Kursk was a turning point in the course of hostilities, after which the German troops lost their strategic initiative. The battle included an attempt by the Wehrmacht to capture the left bank of the Volga near Stalingrad (modern Volgograd) and the city itself, a confrontation in the city, and a counteroffensive by the Red Army (Operation Uranus), which resulted in the 6th Army of the Wehrmacht and other German allied forces inside and around the city were surrounded and partly destroyed, partly captured. According to rough estimates, the total losses of both sides in this battle exceed two million people. The Axis powers lost large numbers of men and weapons and subsequently failed to fully recover from the defeat.

For Soviet Union who also carried big losses during the battle, the victory at Stalingrad marked the beginning of the liberation of the country, as well as the occupied territories of Europe, leading to the final defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

Previous events

On June 22, 1941, Germany and its allies invaded the territory of the Soviet Union, rapidly moving inland. Having suffered defeat during the battles in the summer and autumn of 1941, the Soviet troops counterattacked during the battle for Moscow in December 1941. Exhausted German troops, poorly equipped for combat operations in winter and with extended rears, were stopped on the outskirts of the capital and thrown back.

In the winter of 1941-1942, the front finally stabilized. Plans for a new attack on Moscow were rejected by Hitler, despite the fact that his generals insisted on this option - he believed that an attack on Moscow would be too predictable.

For all these reasons German command considered plans for new offensives in the north and south. An attack on the south of the USSR would ensure control over the oil fields of the Caucasus (the regions of Grozny and Baku), as well as over the Volga River, the main transport artery connecting the European part of the country with the Transcaucasus and Central Asia. A German victory in the south of the Soviet Union could seriously damage the Soviet war machine and economy.

The Soviet leadership, encouraged by the successes near Moscow, tried to seize the strategic initiative and in May 1942 threw large forces into the offensive near Kharkov. The offensive began from the Barvenkovsky ledge south of Kharkov, which was formed as a result of the winter offensive Southwestern Front(a feature of this offensive was the use of a new Soviet mobile unit - tank corps, which, in terms of the number of tanks and artillery, approximately corresponded to the German tank division, but was significantly inferior to it in terms of the number of motorized infantry). The Germans, at that time, were simultaneously planning an operation to cut off the Barvenkovsky ledge.

The offensive of the Red Army was so unexpected for the Wehrmacht that it almost ended in disaster for Army Group South. However, the Germans decided not to change their plans and, thanks to the concentration of troops on the flanks of the ledge, they broke through the defenses of the Soviet troops. Most of The Southwestern Front was surrounded. In the subsequent three-week battles, known as the "second battle for Kharkov", the advancing units of the Red Army suffered a heavy defeat. According to German data alone, more than 200 thousand people were taken prisoner (according to Soviet archival data, the irretrievable losses of the Red Army amounted to 170,958 people), a lot of heavy weapons were lost. After that, the front south of Voronezh was practically open (See map May - July 1942). The key to the Caucasus, the city of Rostov-on-Don, which in November 1941 managed to defend with such difficulty, was lost.

After the Kharkiv disaster of the Red Army in May 1942, Hitler intervened in strategic planning by ordering Army Group South to split in two. Army Group "A" was to continue the offensive on North Caucasus. Army Group "B", including the 6th Army of Friedrich Paulus and the 4th Panzer Army of G. Hoth, was to move east towards the Volga and Stalingrad.

The capture of Stalingrad was very important to Hitler for several reasons. It was the main industrial city on the banks of the Volga and a vital transport route between the Caspian Sea and northern Russia. The capture of Stalingrad would provide security on the left flank of the German armies advancing into the Caucasus. Finally, the very fact that the city bore the name of Stalin - Hitler's main enemy - made the capture of the city a winning ideological and propaganda move.

The summer offensive was codenamed Fall Blau. "option blue"). The 6th and 17th armies of the Wehrmacht, the 1st and 4th tank armies participated in it.

Operation "Blau" began with the offensive of the Army Group "South" on the troops of the Bryansk Front to the north and the troops of the South-Western Front to the south of Voronezh. It is worth noting that, despite a two-month break in active hostilities, the result for the troops of the Bryansk Front was no less disastrous than for the troops of the South-Western Front, battered by the May battles. On the very first day of the operation, both Soviet fronts were broken through tens of kilometers inland and the Germans rushed to the Don. Soviet troops could only oppose weak resistance in the vast desert steppes, and then they began to flock to the east in complete disarray. Ended in complete failure and attempts to re-form the defense, when the German units entered the Soviet defensive positions from the flank. In mid-July, several divisions of the Red Army fell into a pocket in the south of the Voronezh region, near the village of Millerovo.

One of the important factors that thwarted the plans of the Germans was the failure offensive operation to Voronezh.

Easily capturing the right-bank part of the city, the enemy was unable to develop success and the front line was leveled along the Voronezh River. The left bank remained behind the Soviet troops and repeated attempts by the Germans to drive the Red Army from the left bank were unsuccessful. The German troops ran out of resources to continue offensive operations and the battles for Voronezh moved into a positional phase. Due to the fact that the main forces of the German army were sent to Stalingrad, the attack on Voronezh was stopped, the most combat-ready units were removed from the front and transferred to the 6th Paulus Army. Subsequently, this factor played an important role in the defeat of the German troops near Stalingrad (see Voronezh-Kastornenskaya operation).

After taking Rostov, Hitler transferred the 4th Panzer Army from Group A (advancing into the Caucasus) to Group B, aiming east towards the Volga and Stalingrad.

The Sixth Army's initial offensive was so successful that Hitler intervened again, ordering the Fourth Panzer Army to join Army Group South (A). As a result, a huge "traffic jam" was formed, when the 4th and 6th armies needed several roads in the zone of operations. Both armies were firmly stuck, and the delay turned out to be quite long and slowed down the German advance by one week. With the slow advance, Hitler changed his mind and reassigned the target of the 4th Panzer Army back to the Stalingrad direction.

The alignment of forces in the Stalingrad defensive operation

Germany

• Army Group B. For the attack on Stalingrad, the 6th Army was allocated (commander - F. Paulus). It included 13 divisions, in which there were about 270 thousand people, 3 thousand guns and mortars, and about 500 tanks.

The army was supported by the 4th Air Fleet, which had up to 1200 aircraft (fighter aircraft aimed at Stalingrad, in the initial stage of the battles for this city, consisted of about 120 Messerschmitt Bf.109F-4 / G-2 fighter aircraft (various domestic sources give numbers ranging from 100 to 150), plus about 40 obsolete Romanian Bf.109E-3s).

the USSR

• Stalingrad Front (commander - S. K. Timoshenko, from July 23 - V. N. Gordov). It included the 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 21st, 28th, 38th and 57th combined arms armies, the 8th air army (the Soviet fighter aircraft at the beginning of the battle here numbered 230-240 fighters, mainly Yak-1) and the Volga military flotilla - 37 divisions, 3 tank corps, 22 brigades, in which there were 547 thousand people, 2200 guns and mortars, about 400 tanks, 454 aircraft, 150-200 long-range bombers and 60 air defense fighters.

Beginning of the battle

By the end of July, the Germans pushed back the Soviet troops beyond the Don. The defense line stretched for hundreds of kilometers from north to south along the Don. In order to organize a defense along the river, the Germans had to use, in addition to their 2nd Army, the armies of their Italian, Hungarian and Romanian allies. The 6th Army was only a few dozen kilometers from Stalingrad, and the 4th Panzer, south of it, turned north to help take the city. Further south, Army Group South (A) continued to deepen further into the Caucasus, but its advance slowed down. Army Group South A was too far south to support Army Group South B in the north.

In July, when the German intentions became quite clear to the Soviet command, they developed plans for the defense of Stalingrad. Additional Soviet troops were deployed on the eastern bank of the Volga. The 62nd Army was created under the command of Vasily Chuikov, whose task was to defend Stalingrad at any cost.

Battle in the city

There is a version that Stalin did not give permission for the evacuation of the inhabitants of the city. However, no documentary evidence of this has yet been found. In addition, the evacuation, albeit at a slow pace, but still took place. By August 23, 1942, out of 400 thousand inhabitants of Stalingrad, about 100 thousand were evacuated. On August 24, the Stalingrad City Defense Committee adopted a belated decision to evacuate women, children and the wounded to the left bank of the Volga. All citizens, including women and children, worked on the construction of trenches and other fortifications.

Massive German bombardment on August 23 destroyed the city, killed more than 40,000 people, destroyed more than half of the housing stock of pre-war Stalingrad, thereby turning the city into a vast area covered with burning ruins.

The burden of the initial struggle for Stalingrad fell on the 1077th Anti-Aircraft Regiment: a unit staffed mainly by young female volunteers with no experience in destroying ground targets. Despite this, and without the proper support available from other Soviet units, the anti-aircraft gunners remained in place and fired on the advancing enemy tanks of the 16th Panzer Division until all 37 air defense batteries were destroyed or captured. By the end of August, Army Group South (B) reached the Volga to the north of the city, and then to the south of it.

On the initial stage Soviet defense relied heavily on the "People's Militia of Workers", recruited from workers not drawn into war production. Tanks continued to be built and manned by voluntary crews, consisting of factory workers, including women. The equipment was immediately sent from the conveyors of factories to the front line, often even without painting and without sighting equipment installed.

By September 1, 1942, the Soviet command could provide its troops in Stalingrad only with risky crossings across the Volga. In the midst of the ruins of the already destroyed city, the Soviet 62nd Army built defensive positions with gun emplacements located in buildings and factories. The battle in the city was fierce and desperate. The Germans, moving deeper into Stalingrad, suffered heavy losses. Soviet reinforcements crossed the Volga from the east bank under constant bombardment by German artillery and aircraft. The average life expectancy of a newly arrived Soviet private in the city sometimes fell below twenty-four hours. The German military doctrine was based on the interaction of military branches in general and especially close interaction of infantry, sappers, artillery and dive bombers. To counter this, the Soviet command decided to take the simple step of constantly keeping the front lines as close to the enemy as physically possible (usually no more than 30 meters). Thus, the German infantry had to fight on its own, or be in danger of being killed by its own artillery and horizontal bombers, support was possible only from dive bombers. A painful struggle went on for every street, every factory, every house, basement or stairway. The Germans, calling the new urban war (German. Rattenkrieg, Rat War), bitterly joked that the kitchen had already been captured, but they were still fighting for the bedroom.

The battle on Mamayev Kurgan, the blood-soaked height overlooking the city, was unusually merciless. Height changed hands several times. At the grain elevator, a huge grain processing complex, fighting passed so tightly that the Soviet and German soldiers could feel each other's breath. The fighting at the grain elevator continued for weeks, until the Soviet army gave up its positions. In another part of the city, an apartment building defended by a Soviet platoon in which Yakov Pavlov served was turned into an impregnable fortress. Despite the fact that this building was subsequently defended by many other officers, the original name was assigned to it. From this house, later called "Pavlov's House", one could observe the square in the city center. Soldiers surrounded the building with minefields and set up machine gun positions.

Seeing no end to this terrible struggle, the Germans began to bring heavy artillery to the city, including several giant 600-mm mortars. The Germans made no effort to get their troops across the Volga, allowing the Soviet troops to erect a huge number of artillery batteries on the opposite bank. Soviet artillery on the eastern bank of the Volga continued to calculate German positions and work them with increased fire. The Soviet defenders used the emerging ruins as defensive positions. German tanks could not move among piles of cobblestones up to 8 meters high. Even if they could move forward, they came under heavy fire from Soviet anti-tank units located in the ruins of buildings.

Soviet snipers, using the ruins as cover, also inflicted heavy damage on the Germans. The most successful sniper (known only as "Zikan") - he had 224 people on his account already by November 20, 1942. Sniper Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev during the battle destroyed 225 enemy soldiers and officers (including 11 snipers).

For both Stalin and Hitler, the Battle of Stalingrad became a matter of prestige in addition to strategic importance. The Soviet command moved the reserves of the Red Army from Moscow to the Volga, and also transferred air force from almost the whole country to the region of Stalingrad. The tension of both military commanders was immeasurable: Paulus even developed an uncontrollable nervous tic of the eye.

In November, after three months of carnage and a slow, costly advance, the Germans finally reached the banks of the Volga, capturing 90% of the ruined city and splitting the surviving Soviet troops in two, causing them to fall into two narrow pockets. In addition to all this, a crust of ice formed on the Volga, preventing the approach of boats and supplies for the Soviet troops in a difficult situation. In spite of everything, the struggle, especially on Mamaev Kurgan and in the factories in the northern part of the city, continued as furiously as before. The battles for the Krasny Oktyabr plant, the tractor plant and the Barrikady artillery plant became known to the whole world. Bye soviet soldiers continued to defend their positions, firing at the Germans, the workers of factories and factories repaired damaged Soviet tanks and weapons in the immediate vicinity of the battlefield, and sometimes on the battlefield itself.

Preparing for a counteroffensive

The Don Front was formed on September 30, 1942. It included: 1st Guards, 21st, 24th, 63rd and 66th Armies, 4th Tank Army, 16th Air Army. Lieutenant General K.K. Rokossovsky, who took command, actively began to fulfill the "old dream" of the right flank of the Stalingrad Front - to surround the German 14th Panzer Corps and connect with units of the 62nd Army.

Having taken command, Rokossovsky found the newly formed front on the offensive - following the order of the Headquarters, on September 30 at 5:00, after artillery preparation, units of the 1st Guards, 24th and 65th armies went on the offensive. Heavy fighting went on for two days. But, as noted in the TsAMO document f 206, parts of the armies had no advances, and moreover, as a result of German counterattacks, several heights were left. By October 2, the offensive had fizzled out.

But here, from the Stavka reserve, the Don Front receives seven fully equipped rifle divisions (277, 62, 252, 212, 262, 331, 293 rifle divisions). The command of the Don Front decides to use fresh forces for a new offensive. On October 4, Rokossovsky instructed to develop a plan for an offensive operation, and on October 6 the plan was ready. The operation was scheduled for October 10th. But by this time, several things have happened.

On October 5, 1942, Stalin, in a telephone conversation with A. I. Eremenko, sharply criticizes the leadership of the Stalingrad Front, and demands that immediate measures be taken to stabilize the front and subsequently defeat the enemy. In response to this, on October 6, Eremenko made a report to Stalin on the situation and considerations for the further actions of the front. The first part of this document is justification and blaming the Don Front (“they had high hopes for help from the north”, etc.). In the second part of the report, Eremenko proposes to carry out an operation to encircle and destroy German units near Stalingrad. There, for the first time, it is proposed to encircle the 6th Army with flank attacks on the Romanian units, and after breaking through the fronts, unite in the Kalach-on-Don area.

The Headquarters considered Eremenko's plan, but then considered it unfeasible (the operation was too deep, etc.).

As a result, the Headquarters proposed the following option for encircling and defeating the German troops near Stalingrad: the Don Front was asked to deliver the main blow in the direction of Kotluban, break through the front and go to the Gumrak area. At the same time, the Stalingrad Front was conducting an offensive from the Gornaya Polyana region to Elshanka, and after breaking through the front, units advanced to the Gumrak region, where they connected with units of the Don Front. In this operation, the command of the fronts was allowed to use fresh units (Don Front - 7th Rifle Division, Stalingrad Front - 7th St. K., 4 Kv. K.). On October 7, General Staff Directive No. 170644 was issued on conducting an offensive operation on two fronts to encircle the 6th Army, the start of the operation was scheduled for October 20.

Thus, it was planned to encircle and destroy only the German troops fighting directly in Stalingrad (14th Panzer Corps, 51st and 4th Infantry Corps, about 12 divisions in total).

The command of the Don Front was dissatisfied with this directive. On October 9, Rokossovsky presented his plan for an offensive operation. He referred to the impossibility of breaking through the front in the Kotluban region. According to his calculations, 4 divisions were required for a breakthrough, 3 divisions for the development of a breakthrough, and 3 more to cover from enemy attacks; thus, seven fresh divisions were clearly not enough. Rokossovsky proposed to strike the main blow in the Kuzmichi area (height 139.7), that is, everything according to the same old scheme: surround the units of the 14th Panzer Corps, connect with the 62nd Army, and only after that move to Gumrak to join units of the 64th th army. The headquarters of the Don Front planned 4 days for this: from October 20 to 24. The "Orlovsky ledge" of the Germans haunted Rokossovsky since August 23, so he decided to first deal with this "corn", and then complete the complete encirclement of the enemy.

The Stavka did not accept Rokossovsky's proposal and recommended that he prepare an operation according to the Stavka's plan; however, he was allowed to conduct a private operation against the Oryol group of Germans on October 10, without attracting fresh forces.

On October 9, units of the 1st Guards Army, as well as the 24th and 66th armies launched an offensive in the direction of Orlovka. The advancing group was supported by 42 Il-2 attack aircraft, under the cover of 50 fighters of the 16th Air Army. The first day of the offensive ended in vain. The 1st Guards Army (298th, 258th, 207th Rifle Divisions) had no advance, while the 24th Army advanced 300 meters. The 299th Rifle Division (66th Army), advancing to the height of 127.7, having suffered heavy losses, had no advances. On October 10, offensive attempts continued, but by the evening they finally weakened and stopped. Another "operation to eliminate the Oryol group" failed. As a result of this offensive, the 1st Guards Army was disbanded due to the losses incurred. Having transferred the remaining units of the 24th Army, the command was withdrawn to the Headquarters reserve.

Alignment of forces in the operation "Uranus"

the USSR

• Southwestern Front (commander - N. F. Vatutin). It included the 21st, 5th tank, 1st guards, 17th and 2nd air armies
• Don Front (commander - K.K. Rokossovsky). It included the 65th, 24th, 66th armies, the 16th air army
• Stalingrad Front (commander - A. I. Eremenko). It included the 62nd, 64th, 57th, 8th air, 51st armies

Axis powers

• Army Group "B" (commander - M. Weichs). It included the 6th Army - Commander General of the Tank Forces Friedrich Paulus, 2nd army commander Infantry General Hans von Salmuth, 4th Panzer Army - Commander Colonel General Herman Goth, 8th Italian Army - Commander General of the Army Italo Gariboldi, 2nd Hungarian Army - Commander Colonel General Gustav Jani, 3rd Romanian Army - Commander Colonel General Petre Dumitrescu, 4th Romanian Army - Commander Colonel General Constantin Constantinescu
• Army Group "Don" (commander - E. Manstein). It included the 6th Army, the 3rd Romanian Army, the Goth army group, the Hollidt task force.
• Two Finnish volunteer units

The offensive phase of the battle (Operation Uranus)

The beginning of the offensive and counter-operation of the Wehrmacht

On November 19, 1942, the offensive of the Red Army began as part of Operation Uranus. On November 23, in the Kalach area, the encirclement ring around the 6th Wehrmacht Army closed. It was not possible to complete the Uranus plan, since it was not possible to divide the 6th Army into two parts from the very beginning (by a strike by the 24th Army in the interfluve of the Volga and Don). Attempts to liquidate those surrounded on the move under these conditions also failed, despite the significant superiority in forces - the superior tactical training of the Germans affected. However, the 6th Army was isolated and supplies of fuel, ammunition and food were progressively reduced, despite attempts to supply it by air, undertaken by the 4th Air Fleet under the command of Wolfram von Richthofen.

Operation Wintergewitter

The newly formed Wehrmacht Army Group "Don" under the command of Field Marshal Manstein attempted to break through the blockade of the encircled troops (Operation "Wintergewitter" (German. Wintergewitter, Winter Thunderstorm)). Initially, it was planned to start on December 10, but the offensive actions of the Red Army on the outer front of the encirclement forced the start of the operation to be postponed until December 12. By this date, the Germans managed to present only one full-fledged tank formation - the 6th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht and (from infantry formations) the remnants of the defeated 4th Romanian Army. These units were under the control of the 4th Panzer Army under the command of G. Goth. During the offensive, the group was reinforced by the very battered 11th and 17th tank divisions and three airfield divisions.

By December 19, units of the 4th Panzer Army, which had actually broken through the defensive orders of the Soviet troops, collided with the 2nd Guards Army under the command of R. Ya. Malinovsky, which had just been transferred from the Stavka reserve. The army consisted of two rifle and one mechanized corps. During the oncoming battles, by December 25, the Germans retreated to the positions in which they were before the start of Operation Wintergewitter, losing almost all equipment and more than 40 thousand people.

Operation "Little Saturn"

by design Soviet command, after the defeat of the 6th Army, the forces involved in Operation Uranus turned to the west and advanced towards Rostov-on-Don as part of Operation Saturn. At the same time, the southern wing of the Voronezh Front was attacking the 8th Italian Army north of Stalingrad and advancing directly to the west (towards the Donets) with an auxiliary attack to the southwest (toward Rostov-on-Don), covering the northern flank of the South-Western front during a hypothetical offensive. However, due to the incomplete implementation of "Uranus", "Saturn" was replaced by "Small Saturn". A breakthrough to Rostov (due to the lack of seven armies pinned down by the 6th Army near Stalingrad) was no longer planned, the Voronezh Front, together with the South-Western and part of the forces of the Stalingrad Front, had the goal of pushing the enemy 100-150 km west of the encircled 6- th Army and defeat the 8th Italian Army (Voronezh Front). The offensive was planned to begin on December 10, however, the problems associated with the delivery of new units necessary for the operation (available on the spot were connected near Stalingrad) led to the fact that A. M. Vasilevsky authorized (with the knowledge of I. V. Stalin) the transfer of the start of the operation to 16 December. On December 16-17, the German front on Chir and on the positions of the 8th Italian Army was broken through, the Soviet tank corps rushed into the operational depth. However, in the mid-20s of December, operational reserves (four well-equipped German tank divisions) began to approach Army Group Don, originally intended to strike during Operation Wintergewitter. By December 25, these reserves launched counterattacks, during which they cut off the tank corps of V. M. Badanov, who had just broken into the airfield in Tatsinskaya (86 German aircraft were destroyed at the airfields).

After that, the front line temporarily stabilized, since neither the Soviet nor the German troops had enough strength to break through the tactical defense zone of the enemy.

Fighting during Operation Ring

On December 27, N. N. Voronov sent the first version of the Koltso plan to the Supreme Command Headquarters. The headquarters in directive No. 170718 of December 28, 1942 (signed by Stalin and Zhukov) demanded changes to the plan so that it provided for the division of the 6th Army into two parts before its destruction. Appropriate changes were made to the plan. On January 10, the offensive of the Soviet troops began, the main blow was delivered in the zone of the 65th Army of General Batov. However, the German resistance turned out to be so serious that the offensive had to be temporarily stopped. From January 17 to January 22, the offensive was suspended for regrouping, new strikes on January 22-26 led to the division of the 6th Army into two groups (Soviet troops united in the Mamaev Kurgan area), by January 31, the southern group was liquidated (the command and headquarters of 6 th Army, led by Paulus), by February 2, the northern group of the encircled under the command of the commander of the 11th Army Corps, Colonel General Karl Strecker capitulated. Shooting in the city went on until February 3 - the "Khivi" resisted even after the German surrender on February 2, 1943, since they were not threatened with captivity. The liquidation of the 6th Army, according to the "Ring" plan, was supposed to be completed in a week, but in reality it lasted 23 days. (The 24th Army on January 26 withdrew from the front and was sent to the Stavka reserve).

In total, more than 2,500 officers and 24 generals of the 6th Army were taken prisoner during Operation Ring. In total, over 91 thousand soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht were taken prisoner. Trophies of the Soviet troops from January 10 to February 2, 1943, according to a report from the headquarters of the Don Front, were 5762 guns, 1312 mortars, 12701 machine guns, 156,987 rifles, 10,722 machine guns, 744 aircraft, 1,666 tanks, 261 armored vehicles, 80,438 vehicles, 10,679 motorcycles , 240 tractors, 571 tractors, 3 armored trains and other military property.

Battle results

The victory of the Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad is the largest military and political event during the Second World War. The great battle, which ended in the encirclement, defeat and capture of a select enemy group, made a huge contribution to achieving a radical change in the course of the Great Patriotic War and had a decisive influence on the further course of the entire Second World War.

In the Battle of Stalingrad, new features of the military art of the Armed Forces of the USSR manifested themselves with all their might. Soviet operational art was enriched by the experience of encircling and destroying the enemy.

The victory at Stalingrad had a decisive influence on the further course of World War II. As a result of the battle, the Red Army firmly seized the strategic initiative and now dictated its will to the enemy. This changed the nature of the actions of the German troops in the Caucasus, in the regions of Rzhev and Demyansk. The blows of the Soviet troops forced the Wehrmacht to give the order to prepare the Eastern Wall, on which they intended to stop the offensive of the Soviet Army.

Exodus Battle of Stalingrad caused confusion and confusion in the Axis. A crisis of pro-fascist regimes began in Italy, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. The influence of Germany on its allies sharply weakened, and the differences between them became noticeably aggravated. In political circles in Turkey, the desire to maintain neutrality has intensified. Elements of restraint and alienation began to prevail in the relations of the neutral countries towards Germany.

As a result of the defeat in front of Germany, the problem of restoring the losses incurred in equipment and people became. The head of the economic department of the OKW, General G. Thomas, stated that the losses in equipment are equivalent to the number of military equipment of 45 divisions from all branches of the armed forces and are equal to the losses for the entire previous period of fighting on the Soviet-German front. Goebbels at the end of January 1943 declared "Germany will be able to withstand the attacks of the Russians only if it manages to mobilize its last manpower reserves." Losses in tanks and vehicles amounted to a six-month production of the country, in artillery - three months, in rifle and mortars - two months.

Reaction in the world

Many government and politicians praised the victory of the Soviet troops. In a message to I. V. Stalin (February 5, 1943), F. Roosevelt called the Battle of Stalingrad an epic struggle, the decisive result of which is celebrated by all Americans. On May 17, 1944, Roosevelt sent a letter to Stalingrad:

British Prime Minister W. Churchill, in a message to I. V. Stalin dated February 1, 1943, called the victory of the Soviet Army at Stalingrad amazing. The King of Great Britain sent a gift sword to Stalingrad, on the blade of which in Russian and English engraved inscription:

During the battle, and especially after it, the activities of public organizations in the United States, Britain, and Canada, which advocated more effective assistance to the Soviet Union, intensified. For example, New York union members raised $250,000 to build a hospital in Stalingrad. The chairman of the United Union of Garment Workers stated:

American astronaut Donald Slayton, a participant in World War II, recalled:

The victory at Stalingrad had a significant impact on the lives of the occupied peoples and gave them hope for liberation. A drawing appeared on the walls of many Warsaw houses - a heart pierced by a large dagger. On the heart is the inscription "Great Germany", and on the blade - "Stalingrad".

Speaking on February 9, 1943, the famous French anti-fascist writer Jean-Richard Blok said:

The victory of the Soviet Army greatly raised the political and military prestige of the Soviet Union. Former Nazi generals in their memoirs recognized the enormous military and political significance of this victory. G. Dörr wrote:

Defectors and prisoners

According to some reports, from 91 to 110 thousand German prisoners were taken prisoner near Stalingrad. Subsequently, 140 thousand enemy soldiers and officers were buried on the battlefield by our troops (not counting the tens of thousands of German soldiers who died in the "boiler" for 73 days). According to the testimony of the German historian Rüdiger Overmans, almost 20 thousand "accomplices" captured in Stalingrad - former Soviet prisoners who served in auxiliary positions in the 6th Army - also died in captivity. They were shot or died in the camps.

In the handbook "Second World War”, published in Germany in 1995, indicates that 201 thousand soldiers and officers were captured near Stalingrad, of which only 6 thousand people returned to their homeland after the war. According to the calculations of the German historian Rüdiger Overmans, published in a special issue of the historical journal Damalz dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad, about 250 thousand people were encircled near Stalingrad. Approximately 25 thousand of them managed to be evacuated from the Stalingrad pocket and more than 100 thousand soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht died in January 1943 during the completion of the Soviet operation "Ring". 130 thousand people were captured, including 110 thousand Germans, and the rest were the so-called "voluntary assistants" of the Wehrmacht ("Hiwi" is an abbreviation for the German word Hilfswilliger (Hiwi), the literal translation is "voluntary assistant"). Of these, about 5 thousand people survived and returned home to Germany. The 6th Army had about 52,000 Khivs, for whom the headquarters of this army developed the main directions for training "voluntary assistants", in which the latter were considered as "reliable comrades-in-arms in the fight against Bolshevism."

In addition, in the 6th Army ... there were about 1 thousand people of the Todt organization, consisting mainly of Western European workers, Croatian and Romanian associations, numbering from 1 thousand to 5 thousand soldiers, as well as several Italians.

If we compare the German and Russian data on the number of soldiers and officers captured in the Stalingrad region, then the following picture appears. IN Russian sources all the so-called "voluntary assistants" of the Wehrmacht (more than 50 thousand people) are excluded from the number of prisoners of war, whom the Soviet competent authorities never classified as "prisoners of war", but considered them as traitors to the Motherland, subject to trial under the laws of wartime. As for the mass death of prisoners of war from the "Stalingrad cauldron", most of them died during the first year of their captivity due to exhaustion, the effects of cold and numerous diseases received during the period of being surrounded. Some data can be cited on this score: only in the period from February 3 to June 10, 1943 in the camp of German prisoners of war in Beketovka (Stalingrad region), the consequences of the "Stalingrad cauldron" cost the lives of more than 27 thousand people; and out of 1800 captured officers stationed in the premises of the former monastery in Yelabuga, by April 1943 only a fourth of the contingent survived.

Members

• Zaitsev, Vasily Grigorievich - sniper of the 62nd Army of the Stalingrad Front, Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Pavlov, Yakov Fedotovich - commander of a group of fighters, which in the summer of 1942 defended the so-called. Pavlov's house in the center of Stalingrad, Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Ibarruri, Ruben Ruiz - commander of a machine gun company, lieutenant, Hero of the Soviet Union.
• Shumilov, Mikhail Stepanovich - Commander of the 64th Army, Hero of the Soviet Union.

Memory

Awards

On the front side of the medal is a group of fighters with rifles at the ready. Above a group of fighters, on the right side of the medal, a banner flutters, and on the left side, the outlines of tanks and aircraft flying one after another are visible. In the upper part of the medal, above a group of fighters, there is a five-pointed star and an inscription along the edge of the medal "FOR THE DEFENSE OF STALINGRAD".

On the reverse side of the medal is the inscription "FOR OUR SOVIET MOTHERLAND". Above the inscription are a sickle and a hammer.

The medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad" was awarded to all participants in the defense of Stalingrad - soldiers of the Red Army, Navy and troops of the NKVD, as well as civilians who were directly involved in the defense. The period of the defense of Stalingrad is considered July 12 - November 19, 1942.

As of January 1, 1995, approximately 759 561 human.

• In Volgograd, a huge wall panel depicting a medal was installed on the building of the headquarters of military unit No. 22220.

Monuments of the Battle of Stalingrad

• Mamaev Kurgan - "the main height of Russia." During the Battle of Stalingrad, some of the fiercest battles took place here. Today, a monument-ensemble "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" has been erected on Mamaev Kurgan. The central figure of the composition is the sculpture "The Motherland Calls!". It is one of the seven wonders of Russia.
• Panorama "The defeat of the Nazi troops near Stalingrad" - a painting on the theme of the Battle of Stalingrad, located on the Central embankment of the city. Opened in 1982.
• "Lyudnikov Island" - a territory of 700 meters along the banks of the Volga and 400 meters in depth (from the river bank to the territory of the Barrikady plant), the defense sector of the 138th Red Banner rifle division under the command of Colonel I. I. Lyudnikov.
• The destroyed mill is a building not restored since the war, an exhibit of the Stalingrad Battle museum.
• "Wall of Rodimtsev" - a mooring wall that serves as a shelter from the massive bombing of German aircraft to the soldiers of the rifle division of Major General A. I. Rodimtsev.
• The "House of Soldier's Glory", also known as "Pavlov's House" - a brick building that dominated the surrounding area.
• Alley of Heroes - a wide street connects the embankment to them. 62nd Army near the Volga River and the Square of the Fallen Fighters.

• On September 8, 1985, a memorial monument dedicated to the Heroes of the Soviet Union and full cavaliers Order of Glory, natives of the Volgograd region and heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad. Artwork made by the Volgograd branch of the RSFSR Art Fund under the direction of the chief artist of the city M. Ya. Pyshta. The team of authors included the chief architect of the project A. N. Klyuchishchev, architect A. S. Belousov, designer L. Podoprigora, artist E. V. Gerasimov. On the monument are the names (surnames and initials) of 127 Heroes of the Soviet Union, who received this title for heroism in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-1943, 192 Heroes of the Soviet Union - natives of the Volgograd region, of which three are twice Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 28 holders of the Order of Glory of three degrees.
• Poplar on the Alley of Heroes - a historical and natural monument of Volgograd, located on the Alley of Heroes. Poplar survived the Battle of Stalingrad and has numerous evidence of military operations on its trunk.

In the world

Named in honor of the Battle of Stalingrad:

• Stalingrad Square (Paris) - a square in Paris.
• Stalingrad Avenue (Brussels) - in Brussels.

In many countries, including France, Great Britain, Belgium, Italy and a number of other countries, streets, squares, and squares were named after the battle. Only in Paris the name "Stalingrad" is given to a square, a boulevard and one of the metro stations. In Lyon, there is the so-called "Stalingrad" brackant, where the third largest antique market in Europe is located.

Also in honor of Stalingrad is named the central street of the city of Bologna (Italy).

Starting the war against the USSR, the German command planned to complete the hostilities during one short campaign. However, during the winter battle of 1941-1942. the Wehrmacht was defeated and was forced to surrender part of the occupied territory. By the spring of 1942, in turn, the counter-offensive of the Red Army had stopped, and the headquarters of both sides began to develop plans for summer battles.

Plans and forces

In 1942, the situation at the front was no longer as favorable for the Wehrmacht as in the summer of 1941. The surprise factor was lost, and the overall balance of forces changed in favor of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA). An offensive along the entire front to a great depth, similar to the 1941 campaign. became impossible. The Wehrmacht High Command was forced to limit the scope of operations: in the central sector of the front it was supposed to go on the defensive, in the northern it was planned to strike around Leningrad with limited forces. The main direction of future operations was the south. On April 5, 1942, in Directive No. 41, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Adolf Hitler outlined the goals of the campaign: "Finally destroy the manpower that still remains with the Soviets, deprive the Russians of as many of the most important military and economic centers as possible." The immediate task of the main operation on the Eastern Front was determined by the exit of German troops to the Caucasus Range and the capture of a number of economically important areas - primarily the oil fields of Maikop and Grozny, the lower reaches of the Volga, Voronezh and Stalingrad. The offensive plan was codenamed "Blau" ("Blue").

Army Group South played the main role in the offensive. She suffered less than others during the winter campaign. It was reinforced with reserves: fresh infantry and tank formations were transferred to the army group, part of the formations from other sectors of the front, some motorized divisions were reinforced by tank battalions seized from Army Group Center. In addition, the divisions involved in Operation Blau were the first to receive modernized armored vehicles - medium tanks Pz. IV and StuG III self-propelled guns with enhanced armament, which made it possible to effectively fight against Soviet armored vehicles.

The army group had to operate on a very wide front, so the contingents of Germany's allies were involved in the operation on an unprecedented scale. The 3rd Romanian, 2nd Hungarian and 8th Italian armies took part in it. The allies made it possible to hold a long front line, but they had to reckon with their relatively low combat effectiveness: neither in terms of the level of training of soldiers and the competence of officers, nor in terms of the quality and quantity of weapons, the Allied armies were on the same level with either the Wehrmacht or the Red Army. For the convenience of managing this mass of troops, already during the offensive, Army Group South was divided into Group A, advancing on the Caucasus, and Group B, advancing on Stalingrad. The main striking force of Army Group B was the 6th Field Army under the command of Friedrich Paulus and the 4th Panzer Army of Hermann Goth.

At the same time, the Red Army was planning defensive actions in the southwestern direction. However, the Southern, Southwestern and Bryansk fronts in the direction of the first blow "Blau" had mobile formations for counterattacks. The spring of 1942 became the time for the restoration of the tank forces of the Red Army, and before the campaign of 1942, tank and mechanized corps new wave. They had fewer capabilities than the German tank and motorized divisions, had a small artillery fleet and weak motorized rifle units. However, these formations could already influence the operational situation and provide serious assistance to rifle units.

The preparation of Stalingrad for defense began as early as October 1941, when the command of the North Caucasian Military District received instructions from the Headquarters to build defensive lines around Stalingrad - lines of field fortifications. However, by the summer of 1942 they were never completed. Finally, supply problems seriously affected the capabilities of the Red Army in the summer and autumn of 1942. The industry has not yet developed a sufficient amount of equipment and consumables to cover the needs of the army. Throughout 1942, the consumption of ammunition by the Red Army turned out to be significantly lower than that of the enemy. In practice, this meant that there were not enough shells to suppress the defense of the Wehrmacht with artillery strikes or to counter it in counter-battery combat.

Battle in the bend of the Don

On June 28, 1942, the main thing began summer offensive German troops. Initially, it developed successfully for the enemy. Soviet troops were thrown back from their positions in the Donbass to the Don. At the same time, a wide gap appeared in the front of the Soviet troops to the west of Stalingrad. In order to close this gap, on July 12, the Stalingrad Front was created by the directive of the Stavka. For the defense of the city, mainly reserve armies. Among them was the former 7th reserve, after entering into active army received a new number - 62. It was she who was to defend Stalingrad directly in the future. In the meantime, the newly formed front was advancing to the line of defense to the west of the big bend of the Don.

The front initially had only small forces. The divisions that were already at the front managed to suffer heavy losses, and part of the reserve ones only followed the assigned lines. The mobile reserve of the front was the 13th Panzer Corps, which was not yet equipped with equipment.

The main forces of the front advanced from the depths and had no contact with the enemy. Therefore, one of the first tasks assigned by the Headquarters to the first commander of the Stalingrad Front, Marshal S.K. Timoshenko, consisted in sending forward detachments towards the enemy 30-80 km from the front line of defense - for reconnaissance and, if possible, occupying more advantageous lines. On July 17, the forward detachments first encountered the vanguards of the German troops. This day marked the beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad. The Stalingrad front collided with the troops of the 6th field and 4th tank armies of the Wehrmacht.

The battles with front-line forward detachments lasted until July 22. It is interesting that Paulus and Goth were not yet aware of the presence of large forces of Soviet troops - they believed that only weak units were ahead. In reality, the Stalingrad Front numbered 386 thousand people, and numerically inferior to the advancing troops of the 6th Army (443 thousand people as of July 20). However, the front defended a wide strip, which allowed the enemy to concentrate superior forces on the breakthrough sector. On July 23, when the battles for the main line of defense began, the 6th Wehrmacht Army quickly broke through the front of the Soviet 62nd Army, and a small “cauldron” formed on its right flank. The attackers were able to reach the Don north of the city Kalach. The threat of encirclement hung over the entire 62nd Army. However, unlike the encirclement of the autumn of 1941, the Stalingrad Front had a maneuverable reserve at its disposal. The 13th Panzer Corps of T.S. was used to break through the encirclement. Tanaschishin, who managed to pave the way to freedom for the encircled detachment. Soon, an even more powerful counterattack hit the flanks of the German wedge that had broken through to the Don. To defeat the German units that had broken through, two tank armies were thrown - the 1st and 4th. However, each of them consisted of only two rifle divisions and one tank corps capable of participating in a counterattack.

Unfortunately, the battles of 1942 were characterized by the advantage of the Wehrmacht at the tactical level. German soldiers and officers had, on average, the best level of training, including in technical terms. Therefore, the counterattacks launched from two sides by tank armies in the last days of July crashed against the German defenses. The tanks advanced with very little support from infantry and artillery, and suffered unnecessarily heavy losses. There was undoubtedly an effect from their actions: the forces of the 6th Field Army, which entered the breakthrough, could not build on the success and force the Don. However, the stability of the front line could only be maintained until the forces of the attackers were exhausted. On August 6, the 1st Tank Army, which had lost almost all its equipment, was disbanded. A day later, units of the Wehrmacht surrounded the large forces of the 62nd Army west of the Don with a blow in converging directions.

Surrounded by troops, several separate detachments managed to break out of the ring, but the battle in the bend of the Don was lost. Although the fierce resistance of the Red Army is constantly emphasized in German documents, the Wehrmacht managed to defeat the opposing Soviet units and force the Don.

Fight on the defensive contours of Stalingrad

At the moment when the battle was developing in the big bend of the Don, a new threat loomed over the Stalingrad front. She came from the southern flank, occupied by weak units. Initially, the 4th Panzer Army of Hermann Hoth did not aim at Stalingrad, but stubborn resistance on the Don forced the Wehrmacht command to turn it from the Caucasian direction to the rear of the Stalingrad Front. The reserves of the front were already involved in the battle, so the tank army could rapidly attack the rear of the defenders of Stalingrad. On July 28, the Headquarters ordered the new commander of the Stalingrad Front, A.I. Eremenko to take measures to protect the south-west of the outer defense bypass. However, this order was somewhat late. On August 2, Goth's tanks reached the Kotelnikovsky district . Due to the dominance of German aviation in the air, Soviet reserves were crushed on the approaches, and entered the battle already seriously battered. On August 3, the Germans, having easily broken through the front, rushed to the northeast and deeply bypassed the positions of the defenders of Stalingrad. It was possible to stop them only in the Abganerovo region - geographically it is already to the south, and not west of Stalingrad. Abganerovo was held for a long time thanks to the timely approach of reserves, including the 13th Panzer Corps. Corps T.I. Tanaschishin became the "fire brigade" of the front: the tankers for the second time eliminated the consequences of a severe failure.

While the fighting was going on south of Stalingrad, Paulus was planning a new encirclement, already on the eastern bank of the Don. On August 21, on the northern flank, the 6th Army crossed the river and began an offensive to the east, to the Volga. The 62nd Army, already battered in the "cauldron", could not hold back the blow, and the Wehrmacht vanguards rushed to Stalingrad from the northwest. If the German plans were implemented, the Soviet troops were to be surrounded west of Stalingrad and die in the flat steppe. So far, this plan has been carried out.

At this time there was an evacuation of Stalingrad. Before the war, this city with a population of more than 400 thousand people was one of the most important industrial centers of the USSR. Now the Stavka faced the question of evacuating people and industrial facilities. However, no more than 100,000 Stalingraders were able to cross the Volga by the time the fighting for the city began. There was no talk of a ban on the export of people, but a huge number of goods and people awaiting the crossing had accumulated on the west bank - from refugees from other areas to food and equipment. The capacity of the crossings did not allow everyone to be taken out, and the command believed that they still had time left. Meanwhile, events developed rapidly. Already on August 23, the first German tanks reached the northern outskirts. On the same day, Stalingrad was subjected to a devastating air strike.

As early as July 23, Hitler pointed out the need for the "advance" destruction of Stalingrad. On August 23, the Fuhrer's order was carried out. The Luftwaffe struck in groups of 30-40 vehicles, in total they made more than two thousand sorties. A significant part of the city was made up of wooden buildings, they were quickly destroyed by fire. The water supply was destroyed, so the fire brigades could not fight the fire. In addition, as a result of the bombing, oil storage facilities ignited. (On this day?) about 40 thousand people, mostly civilians, died in Stalingrad, and the city was almost completely destroyed.

Since the Wehrmacht units reached the city in a quick spurt, the defense of Stalingrad was disorganized. The German command considered it necessary to quickly link up the 6th Field Army, which was advancing from the northwest, and the 4th Panzer Army, from the south. Therefore, the main task of the Germans was to close the flanks of the two armies. However, the new environment did not take place. Tank brigades and front corps launched counterattacks against the northern strike force. They did not stop the enemy, but allowed the main forces of the 62nd Army to be withdrawn to the city. To the south, the 64th Army was defending. It was they who became the main participants in the ensuing battle in Stalingrad. By the time the 6th field and 4th tank armies of the Wehrmacht joined, the main forces of the Red Army had already got out of the trap.

Defense of Stalingrad

On September 12, 1942, a major personnel reshuffle took place: the 62nd Army was led by General Vasily Chuikov. The army retreated into the city seriously battered, but it still had more than 50 thousand people in its composition, and now it had to hold a bridgehead in front of the Volga on a narrow front. In addition, the German advance was inevitably slowed down by the obvious difficulties of street fighting.

However, the Wehrmacht was not at all going to get involved in two-month street battles. From the point of view of Paulus, the task of taking Stalingrad was solved within ten days. From the standpoint of post-knowledge, the Wehrmacht's persistence in destroying the 62nd Army seems difficult to explain. However, at that particular moment, Paulus and his staff believed that the city could be taken within a reasonable time with moderate losses.

The first assault began almost immediately. During September 14-15, the Germans took the dominant height - Mamaev Kurgan, joined the forces of their two armies and cut off the 62nd Army from the 64th operating south. However, in addition to the stubborn resistance of the city's garrison, two factors influenced the attackers. Firstly, reinforcements regularly came across the Volga. The course of the September assault was broken by the 13th guards division Major General A.I. Rodimtseva, who managed to regain part of the lost positions by counterattacks and stabilized the situation. On the other hand, Paulus did not have the opportunity to recklessly throw all available forces into the capture of Stalingrad. The positions of the 6th Army north of the city were subjected to constant attacks by Soviet troops, who were trying to build a land corridor to their own. A series of offensive operations in the steppe northwest of Stalingrad turned out to be heavy losses for the Red Army with minimal progress. The tactical training of the attacking troops turned out to be poor, and the superiority of the Germans in firepower made it possible to effectively disrupt the attacks. However, pressure on the army of Paulus from the north did not allow him to concentrate on the main task.

In October, the left flank of the 6th Army, drawn far to the west, was covered by Romanian troops, which made it possible to use two additional divisions in a new assault on Stalingrad. This time, the industrial zone in the north of the city was attacked. As in the first assault, the Wehrmacht ran into reserves coming from other sectors of the front. The headquarters closely monitored the situation in Stalingrad and transferred fresh units to the city in a dosed manner. Transportation went in an extremely difficult situation: the boats were attacked by artillery and aircraft of the Wehrmacht. However, the Germans did not succeed in completely blocking traffic along the river.

The advancing German troops suffered high losses in the city and advanced very slowly. Extremely stubborn battles made Paulus' headquarters nervous: he began to make frankly controversial decisions. The weakening of positions beyond the Don and their transfer to the Romanian troops was the first risky step. The next is the use of tank divisions for street fighting, the 14th and 24th. Armored vehicles did not have a significant impact on the course of the battle in the city, and the divisions suffered heavy losses and got involved in a hopeless confrontation.

It should be noted that in October 1942, Hitler already considered the goals of the campaign as a whole achieved. The order dated October 14 stated that "the summer and autumn campaigns of this year, with the exception of individual operations still ongoing and planned offensive actions of a local nature, have been completed."

In fact, the German troops did not so much complete the campaign as they lost the initiative. In November, freezing began on the Volga, which greatly worsened the position of the 62nd Army: due to the situation on the river, it was difficult to deliver reinforcements and ammunition to the city. The defense zone in many places narrowed to hundreds of meters. However, the stubborn defense in the city allowed the Headquarters to prepare a decisive counteroffensive of the Great Patriotic War.

To be continued...

The Battle of Stalingrad lasted from July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943, and is considered the largest land battle in the history of mankind. This battle marked a turning point in the course, during this battle, the Soviet troops finally stopped the troops of Nazi Germany, and forced them to stop the offensive on Russian lands.

Historians believe that the total area on which hostilities unfolded during the Battle of Stalingrad is equal to one hundred thousand square kilometers. It was attended by two million people, also two thousand tanks, two thousand aircraft, twenty-six thousand guns. The Soviet troops eventually defeated the huge fascist army, which consisted of two German armies, two Romanian, and another Italian army.

Background of the Battle of Stalingrad

The battle of Stalingrad was preceded by others historical events. In December 1941, the Red Army defeated the Nazis near Moscow. Encouraged by the success, the leaders of the Soviet Union gave the order to launch a large-scale offensive near Kharkov. The offensive failed, and the Soviet army was defeated. German troops then went to Stalingrad.

The capture of Stalingrad was needed Hitler's command for different reasons:

• Firstly, the capture of the city, which bore the name of Stalin, the leader Soviet people, could break the morale of the opponents of fascism, and not only in the Soviet Union, but throughout the world;
• Secondly, the capture of Stalingrad could give the Nazis the opportunity to cut off all communications vital for Soviet citizens that connected the center of the country with its southern part, in particular, with the Caucasus.

The course of the Battle of Stalingrad

The Battle of Stalingrad began on July 17, 1942 near the Chir and Tsimla rivers. 62nd and 64th Soviet armies met with the vanguard of the sixth German army. The stubbornness of the Soviet troops made it impossible for the German troops to break through to Stalingrad quickly. On July 28, 1942, an order was issued by I.V. Stalin, in which it was clearly said: "Not a step back!". This famous order was discussed many times later by historians, and there were different attitudes towards it, but it had a great impact on the masses.

The history of the Battle of Stalingrad was briefly largely determined by this order. According to this order, special penal companies and battalions were created, which included privates and officers of the Red Army, who were guilty of something before the Motherland. Since August 1942, the battle has been taking place in the city itself. On August 23, a German air raid takes the lives of forty thousand people in the city, and turns the central part of the city into burning ruins.

Then the German 6th Army begins to break into the city. She is opposed by Soviet snipers and assault groups. A desperate fight takes place for every street. In the second half of September, German troops push the 62nd Army and break through to the Volga. At the same time, the river is controlled by the Germans, and all Soviet ships and boats are fired upon.

The significance of the Battle of Stalingrad lies in the fact that the Soviet command managed to create a superiority of forces, and the Soviet people, with their heroism, were able to stop the powerful and technically well-equipped German army. On November 19, 1943, the counter-offensive of the Soviet troops began. The onslaught of the Soviet troops led to the fact that part of the German troops was encircled.

More than ninety thousand people were taken prisoner - soldiers and officers of the German army, of which no more than twenty percent returned to Germany. On January 24, the commander of the German troops, Friedrich Paulus, who was later promoted by Hitler to the rank of Field Marshal, asked the German command for permission to declare surrender. But he was categorically denied this. Nevertheless, on January 31, he was forced to announce the surrender of German troops.

Results of the Battle of Stalingrad

The defeat of the German troops caused the weakening of the fascist regimes in Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, and Romania. The result of the battle was that the Red Army stopped defending and began to advance, and the German troops were forced to leave to the west. The victory in this battle was in the hands of the political goals of the Soviet Union, and accelerated many other countries.

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.

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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 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. Organizing time. 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.
"Not one 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. ( Attachment 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.
The task. Put on the map "The defeat of the German troops at Stalingrad" ( Appendix 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