The significant events in WWII history are discussed in the month in which they occurred. February 1943 is the surrender at Stalingrad
“The Russians can never penetrate our position!”
-Fuehrer Order No.2
(Battle of Stalingrad)
In hindsight the German surrender at Stalingrad has been hailed as one of, if not the most significant, major turning point of World War II. When the battle began it certainly did not appear that the mighty German war machine would be halted at the banks of the Volga. It was more likely that Stalingrad would suffer the same fate as Sevastopol which fell on July 4, 1942. The offensive on Stalingrad began on August 19, 1942.
After being stymied in the north at the gates of Moscow, Hitler turned his attention further south to the rich oil fields of the Caucasus. The victories in Sevastopol and elsewhere bolstered Hitler’s confidence but he also knew that he must secure the left flank of the Wehrmacht if complete victory was to be had. This meant destroying Stalingrad. Not that Hitler minded Stalingrad was also a key industrial center for the Russians and it bore the name of his hated nemesis.
The attack began with aerial bombardment of the city by the Luftwaffe and many civilians, who were ordered by Staling to remain in the city, died. Much of the defense fell initially to these citizen militias while the city was reinforced by dangerous crossings of the Volga. By September 1, 1942 the Germans were inside Stalingrad proper and the “rat war” of street to street and house to house urban warfare began.
In November the Germans reached the banks of the Volga and ninety percent of the city, and victory itself, was in their grasp. Nevertheless the Russians dug into two slivers of city turf and would not let go. Whereas in the past battles were named after regions or at the very least a village, at Stalingrad battles went down in history based upon factories. The battles for the Red October Steel Factory, the Dzerzhinsky tractor factory and the Barrikady gun factory became symbols of Russian determination. All the while the Germans were believing the Russians were on their last legs, General Zhukov was quietly bringing up reinforcements and hatching a plan.
On November 19, 1942 General Zhukov struck, quickly overran ill equiped Romanian and Italian troops maintaining a defensive line to the north and completely encircled the German Sixth Army of 250,000 soldiers. It was the beginning of the end for the German forces. Attempts were made to reach them by land to provide reinforcements and the Luftwaffe attempted to supply them by air. The weakened German land forces could not break through the stronger Russian defensive lines and the Luftwaffe was woefully inadequate to supply such a large army. Hitler’s stubborn refusal to allow the Sixth Army to break out or retreat doomed them to the inevitable surrender which occurred this month in 1943.
