turning point during World War II was the great Battle of Stalingrad.Summary of events can not convey the special spirit of solidarity and heroism of the Soviet soldiers who participated in the battle.
Why Stalingrad was so important to Hitler?Historians have identified a number of reasons that the Fuhrer in whatever was wanted to seize Stalingrad and did not give the order to retreat, even when defeat was obvious.
large industrial city on the banks of the longest river in Europe - Volga.Transport hub of important river and land routes uniting center of the country to the southern regions.Hitler seized Stalingrad, not only to cut an important transport artery of the USSR and has created serious difficulties in the supply of the Red Army, but also firmly closed to the advancing German army in the Caucasus.
Many researchers believe that the presence of the name of the town named after Stalin made it important to capture Hitler's propaganda and ideological point of view.
There is a point of view that there was a secret agreement in Germany with Turkey on joining the ranks of its allies as soon as will be blocked passage for Soviet troops on the Volga.
Battle of Stalingrad.Summary of events
- Timeframe battles: 07/17/42 - 02/02/43 years.
- took part: from Germany - reinforced the 6th Army Field Marshal Paulus and allied troops.On the part of the Soviet Union - the Stalingrad Front, created 12/07/42 years, first under the command of Marshal Timoshenko, with 07/23/42 - Lieutenant General Gordov and from 08.09.42 - Colonel General Eremenko.
- periods Battle: defensive - to 17.07 on 11/18/42, offensive - to 19.11.42 on 02.02.43 year.
In turn, the stage is divided into a defensive battle on the distant approaches to the city in the Don bend to 17.07 on 08/10/42, the battle on the distant approaches between the Volga and the Don to 11.08 on 09/12/42, fighting in the suburbs and the city with11.18.42 at 13.09 years.
Losses on both sides were enormous.The Red Army lost nearly 1.13 million men, 12,000 guns, 2,000 aircraft.
Germany and the allies lost nearly 1.5 million soldiers.
Defensive stage
- July 17 - the first serious clash of our troops from enemy forces on the banks of the tributaries of the Don.
- August 23 - enemy tanks came close to the city.The German air force began regular bombing of Stalingrad.
- September 13 - assault on the city.The whole world thundered glory workers Stalingrad factories and plants that are under attack by repairing damaged equipment and weapons.
- October 14 - the Germans launched an offensive military operation off the coast of the Volga with the aim of capturing the Soviet bridgehead.
- November 19 - Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive in accordance with the plan of operation "Uranus".
entire second half of the summer of 1942 was hot battle of Stalingrad.Summary and chronology of Defense indicate that our soldiers with a shortage of weapons and considerable superiority in manpower on the part of the enemy's done the impossible.They not only defended Stalingrad, but also launched a counteroffensive in the difficult conditions of exhaustion, lack of uniforms and harsh Russian winter.
offensive and the victory
As part of the operation "Uranus" Soviet soldiers managed to surround the enemy.Up until November 23 our soldiers reinforced the blockade around the Germans.
- December 12 - the enemy made a desperate attempt to break out of encirclement.However, the attempt failed breakout.Soviet troops began to compress the ring.
- December 17 - The Red Army won over the German positions on the Chir (right tributary of the Don).
- December 24 - our advanced 200 km into the operational depth.
- December 31 - Soviet troops advanced a further 150 km.The front line stabilized at the turn-Zhukovska Tormosin-Komissarovsky.
- January 10 - our offensive in accordance with the plan of the "Ring."
- January 26 - 6th Army Germans divided into 2 groups.
- January 31 - destroyed the southern part of the former 6th German Army.
- February 2 - eliminated the northern faction of the fascist troops.Our soldiers, the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad, won.The enemy surrendered.The prisoner was taken by Field Marshal Paulus, 24 generals, 2500 officers and nearly 100 thousand German soldiers exhausted.
immense destruction brought the Battle of Stalingrad.Photos war correspondents captured the ruins of the city.
heroism of Soviet soldiers
All the soldiers who participated in the landmark battle, proved to be courageous and brave sons of the motherland.
sniper Vasily Zaitsev, Hero of the Soviet Union, aimed shots killed 225 enemies.
Nikolai Panikahi - threw himself under enemy tank with a bottle of fuel mixture.Sleeps eternal sleep on Mamayev Hill.
Nikolay Serdyukov - a closed recess enemy bunker, silencing the firing point.
Matvei Putilov, Vasily Titanium - signalers, who have established the connection, holding the teeth ends of the wire.
Gulya Koroleva - nurse, made from the battlefield of Stalingrad dozens of seriously wounded soldiers.She took part in the attack on the heights.The deadly wound is not stopped brave girl.She continued to shoot until the last minute of life.
names of many heroes - infantry, artillery, tank and pilots - gave the world the Battle of Stalingrad.Summary course of combat operations is not able to perpetuate all the feats.Entire volumes of books written about these brave men who gave their lives for the freedom of future generations.Their names are named streets, schools, factories.Heroes of Stalingrad battle should never be forgotten.
Significance of the Battle of Stalingrad
battle was not just grandiose scale, but very weighty political importance.Continued bloody war.The Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point of her chief.Without exaggeration, we can say that it was after the victory at Stalingrad humanity gained the hope of victory over fascism.
