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Flt Sgt Jones · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:11 pm Post subject: Stalingrad

The famous battle over the winter of 42-43 where millions of Russian and German soldiers fought over the city of Stalingrad on the Volga river in Russia.

The Germans made a massive mistake of sending in their army into a battle they weren't trained for. The Wehrmacht was trained for Blitzkrieg not for urban battle's. The Russians however used the problem faced by the Germans to great effect. The Germans bombed the city, but this just gave the Russians massive amounts of cover to ambush the Germans etc.

The Russian winter played hell with the Germans as they were still in Summer dress as the Generals and Hitler hoped to capture the city before the winter set in, so more ammo was sent instead. They also used their weaker allies so protect the flanks around Stalingrad, which was a baaaaaaaaaad mistake!!! As the Russian Counter-offensive destroyed this flank and quickly surrounded the city and also carried on the offensive which quickly created a massive gap between German forces in Stalingrad and German forces not 'caught in the net'

In the end Russia won and Hitler was upset Smile

luke481 · Commanders of the Allies Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 85

So it was mainly arrogancy that lost hitler the eastern front!
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Flt Sgt Jones · Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 9:03 am Post subject:

yup, he told the German commander that they should fight to the last man... while he was safe thousands of miles away, so they ignored him and surrendered

with Stalingrad it was a presonal duel between Hitler and Stalin, if the city could be captured then Hitler would use it for a massive propaganda campaign against the Russians as they captured their 'bosses' city

squarehead666 · Lance Corporal Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 12 Location: UK

It is a little known fact that the Germans actually won the 'Battle of Stalingrad'! Their assault pioneers battled their way through to the banks of the Volga, effectively siezing the city in November 1942.

Unfortunately for the Germans, at almost the exact same time the Soviet counterattack 'Operation Uranus' kicked off, smashing through the weak Romanian forces guarding Paulus' flank and encircling the whole of the city and 6th Army!

For what it's worth & all the best