German commanding officer paulus.At the beginning of the stalingrad campaign Germans were in the belief that the they will win the battle easily.
Tag: Battle of stalingrad
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Stalingrad 2nd Feb 1943: Rare images of the City that crushed Wehrmacht.
The famous pic from Stalingrad statue showing children dancing around a crocodile in the initial days of heavy German bombing. German troops in action in August 1942 when they believed that they will decimate red army easily. The famous Stalingrad tractor factory which was one of the few targets of German’s and was captured in initial days as it was producing tanks in large nos. German troops capturing civilians. Nazi troops in action. Soviet troops in action.During the starting days of conflict Soviets only wanted to hold on nothing more. Soviet troops guarding a building.As the Soviet resistance got strength severe house to house battle ensued. Civilians of Stalingrad digging small trenches to halt German tanks. Arial reconnaissance of stalingrad. Stalin’s pipe organ Katyusha’s in action during operation uranus.It had a strong phycological impact upon German troops as they feared it the most.Its launching sound was enough to make german troops shiver in fear. After the success of operation Uranus Soviets started believing that they could now win this war and mounted strong offensive upon Germans. Now Soviets have to clear Germans house to house. Finally on 2nd Feb 1943 Germans surrendered.Germans were so exhausted that they even didn’t have strength to burry dead bodies. Even the Soviets were astonished to see such a large no of German troops that they have captured. Finally the city was liberated on 2nd Feb 1943. -
Crossing Volga:14th September 1942 Stalingrad.
By September 1942 Germans had reached Stalingrad and had started assault in the inner part of the city and by 13th they were about to capture vital banks of Volga,the banks that were very essential for the Soviets to maintain there resistance as these banks was used for supply line upon realising the seriousness of the situation and to secure the banks that were used to maintain supply.Commander of the 62nd army chuikov understood this very well.
Aleksandr Rodimtsev So,chuikov called in Aleksandr Rodimtsev of 13th guard rifle division and asked him to cross Volga to reinforce the Soviet resistance and to halt the German progress and it was to be done in daylight. Crossing Volga at that period of war was considered dengerous even at night hours & in day hours it was suicidal.
Out of every 100 Soviet troops that tried to cross Volga only 10 reached the opposite bank. German aircrafts unleased a hailstorm upon crossing army with aircraft mounted machine guns and aireal bombardment.
Still the Soviets were determined and transported thousands of men across volgawith innumerable casualties and by evening banks were secured by the soviets.
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The house that could not be destroyed: Pavlov’s house.
During the German mayhem of Stalingrad there was a four storey building which miraculously survived initial German heavy ariel bombardment.it was situated at a pivotal location at the banks of river Volga overlooking 9th January square and giving a clear sight of approx 1 km toward north,south,west as the house was placed at the crossing.
In September 1942 after heavy fighting the house was taken over by a small group of Soviet soldiers commanded by sergeant yakov pavlov.Immedaitly after the siege house was quickly fortified.Machine guns were placed at all windows and an anti tank gun was position at top of the building.
After this followed subsequent countless German attacks to take over the building.
But Pavlov’s men stood there ground and effectively repulsed all German attack. The Anti tank gun positioned at the top of the building was very effective as the German tanks were unable to elevate their guns and became easy prey.Artilery support from opposite bank was also very effective to guard the building.Further Pavlov and his men took order no 227 to their heart and further fortified the area with barbed wire and land mines. Germans had marked the house as fortress in their map and were also determined to take over the building as it’s location was vital.They launched more vicious assaults.All forms of attack was used ariel, artillery,tanks,infantry every thing that they got but still Pavlov’s men effectively repulsed all attack’s and we’re able to hold on.
Finally after two months of bitter fighting the house was liberated by Soviets and it is famously said by a Soviet top general that the no of Germans died attacking Pavlov’s house is higher than the nos died capturing the whole of France.
Present day Pavlov’s house. After the war the house was rebuilded as an war memorial and the bricks of the old house were used as claddings as a symbol of Soviet victory.