In the foreground is Maria Ulyanova (Labychenkova), full-time nurse of the Pavlovs House garrison. In battle, the commander and commissar of the 2nd Battalion were killed. It is well known that for 58 days the multiethnic garrison held the building in the city center, repulsing numerous attacks by the Germans. Soon Rodimtsev lost contact with the rest of the division - the Germans cut the cable along the shore. It was only of importance as a convenient place, in the bottleneck between Don and the Volga, where we could block an attack on our flank by Russian forces coming from the east. By right this became Junior Sergeant Pavlov. [163] When interrogated by the Soviets, Paulus claimed that he had not surrendered. The VVS bases in the immediate area lost 201 aircraft between 23 and 31 August, and despite meagre reinforcements of some 100 aircraft in August, it was left with just 192 serviceable aircraft, 57 of which were fighters. Here is a recent article I have translated from Russian which describes the true story of Pavlov's House and the struggles of the 13th Guards Rifle Division in Stalingrad in the Autumn of 1942. More than thirty civilians were also in the basements, some were seriously injured as a result of fires that broke out after the attacks of German artillery. Across the streets and open spaces, barricades and communications were being built, and minesmen were mining dangerous routes. The condition of the troops that surrendered was pitiful. By that time the buildings had repeatedly changed hands, but on September 22 they were again captured by the Germans. "[119], Because of the total focus on the city, the Axis forces had neglected for months to consolidate their positions along the natural defensive line of the Don River. The Battle of Stalingrad: The Battle that Broke Hitler On this day in the 13th Guards Rifle Division were awarded guards badges and distinguished fighters were rewarded , a divisional ensemble performed, in dugouts and basements of strong points meetings were held, on the beach the baths for fighters were organized and winter uniforms were issued. [177] In addition, an unknown amount of Hungarian, Italian, and Romanian materiel was lost. Army Group South was selected for a sprint forward through the southern Russian steppes into the Caucasus to capture the vital Soviet oil fields there. Pavlovs House Companion | PDF | Battle Of Stalingrad | Military - Scribd In the early stages of the defense, Pavlov discovered that an anti-tank riflea PTRS-41he had mounted on the roof was particularly effective when used to ambush unsuspecting German tanks; once the tanks had approached to within range of the weapon, their thin turret-roof armor was exposed to AT rifle fire from above, and they were unable to elevate their weapons enough to retaliate.[6]. A hundred meters from the State Bank were the ruins of the brewery, where the soldiers of the 39th Guards Regiment occupied positions. The 25-year-old junior sergeant chose three soldiers from his section, - VS. Glushchenko, A.P. Based on the information of the expert Richthofen, he declared that contrary to the example of the pocket of Demyansk the permanent supply by air would be impossible. The 4th Panzer Army, ordered south on 13 July to block the Soviet retreat "weakened by the 17th Army and the 1st Panzer Army", had turned northwards to help take the city from the south.[47]. With the restoration of the house, the Cherkassov movement began. Like pliers, Rodimtsev's division was clamped on both sides by German strongholds located in strong and tall buildings. at Stalingrad Catherine Merridale notes that, seemingly paradoxically, "their response was frequently relief. Battle of Stalingrad, (July 17, 1942-February 2, 1943), successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd), Russia, U.S.S.R., during World War II. The State Bank could not be captured, many old fighters, well-respected scouts, were killed. The mill provided a vital role in the Defense of Stalingrad. Among the defenders of the garrison, who were in the building not constantly, but only periodically, were sniper sergeant Anatoly Ivanovich Chekhov and medical instructor Maria Stepanovna Ulyanova, who took up arms during the German attacks. The official restoration of the house began on June 9, 1943. "[168], Around 91,000 exhausted, ill, wounded, and starving prisoners were taken. These raids caused little damage and were of nuisance value only. [21] Blocks and buildings would change hands numerous times through intense hand-to-hand fighting. The German offensive started well. By 12 September, at the time of their retreat into the city, the Soviet 62nd Army had been reduced to 90 tanks, 700 mortars and just 20,000 personnel. Pavlov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his actions. Data on the number of defenders range from 24 to 31 (about 50 people once claimed the name of the Unknown Soldier who defended the House of Soldiers Glory). According to Paulus's comments to his adjutant Wilhelm Adam, "There is still the order whereby no commander of an army group or an army has the right to relinquish a village, even a trench, without Hitler's consent."[120]. Stopping the retreating and demoralized fighters of the 3rd battalion, he led a counterattack on the Germans who had broken through to the headquarters of the division. A battle ensued under the steep bank of the river, where the warehouses and quays of the buttermill plant and the coastal railway were located. [197] At the time, the global significance of the battle was not in doubt. The Soviets were successful in denying the Germans the ability to resupply through the air which strained the German forces to their breaking point. Ice floes on the Volga now prevented boats and tugs from supplying the Soviet defenders. Several rooms were covered with fire, a machine gun and 37-mm cannon were destroyed, and the advanced group engaged in a fire fight. [69] Amid the debris of the wrecked city, the Soviet 62nd and 64th Armies, which included the Soviet 13th Guards Rifle Division, anchored their defence lines with strong-points in houses and factories. The He 111 gruppen lost 165 aircraft in transport operations. The Soviets built up a large number of artillery batteries on the east bank of the Volga. In the turmoil of the battle, dodging from crater to crater, the four fighters crossed the distance from the military exchange houses to the four-story building and disappeared into the aperture of the entrance. If Stalingrad is one of the most significant symbols of the Great Patriotic War, then Pavlov's House is the cornerstone of thatsymbol. As the senior in rank, the commander was Senior Lieutenant Afanasyev. All enemy concentration, field kitchens and water sources became the objects of close attention for well-aimed marksmen from both sides. Location of army's units is as it was previously. The small bridgehead of the 13th Guards Rifle Division in the end turned out to be away from the main events, literally in the backyard of the epochal battle for Stalingrad. The destruction of an entire army (the largest killed, captured, wounded figures for Axis soldiers, nearly 1million, during the war) and the frustration of Germany's grand strategy made the battle a watershed moment. Sergeant Yakov Fedotovich Pavlov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on June 27, 1945 by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for a feat accomplished back in Stalingrad. This armed resistance continued until 15 February and in a few areas until 20 February. David Glantz indicated[52] that four hard-fought battles collectively known as the Kotluban Operations north of Stalingrad, where the Soviets made their greatest stand, decided Germany's fate before the Nazis ever set foot in the city itself, and were a turning point in the war. The Stukas claimed 41 of the 106 Soviet tanks knocked out that morning, while escorting Bf 109s destroyed 77 Soviet aircraft. The Soviets were initially surprised by the number of Germans they had trapped and had to reinforce their encircling troops. Soviet operations were constantly hampered by the Luftwaffe. Writing in his diary on 1 January 1943, British General Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, reflected on the change in the position from a year before: I felt Russia could never hold, Caucasus was bound to be penetrated, and Abadan (our Achilles heel) would be captured with the consequent collapse of Middle East, India, etc. Bric. On 23 August the 6th Army reached the outskirts of Stalingrad in pursuit of the 62nd and 64th Armies, which had fallen back into the city. From that moment, Senior Lieutenant Afanasyev began to command the defense of the building. The Austrian divisional commander, General Erhard Raus, was summoned to Manstein's royal carriage in Kharkov station on 24 November, where the field marshal briefed him. Historical Accuracy at Stalingrad :: Hell Let Loose General Discussions The exhausted opponents dug themselves deeper into the ground. [189] He remained in the Soviet Union until 1952, then moved to Dresden in East Germany, where he spent the remainder of his days defending his actions at Stalingrad and was quoted as saying that Communism was the best hope for postwar Europe. In the first case, with the support of artillery and mortar fire, the assault team was able to reach the building and even penetrate inside, having had a grenade fight. The other would start from the Chir front west of the Don, which was little more than 60 kilometres (40mi) from the edge of the Kessel, but the continuing attacks of Romanenko's 5th Tank Army against the German detachments along the river Chir ruled out that start-line. The offensive was repelled. The prestige of Stalin, the Soviet Union, and the worldwide Communist movement was immense, and their political position greatly enhanced.[201]. The USSR lost 4,341 tanks destroyed or damaged, 15,728 artillery pieces and 2,769 combat aircraft. The 369th (Croatian) Reinforced Infantry Regiment was the only non-German unit[57] selected by the Wehrmacht to enter Stalingrad city during assault operations. VIII. [40][41][42][43] Italian forces were generally held in little regard by the Germans, and were accused of low morale: in reality, the Italian divisions fought comparatively well, with the 3rd Infantry Division "Ravenna" and 5th Infantry Division "Cosseria" showing spirit, according to a German liaison officer. This slowed the German advance and reduced the effectiveness of the German advantage in supporting fire. Keystone/Getty Images. Anatoly Nikolaevich Kuryshov, who defended the legendary Pavlov House at the age of 11, is the only living hero out of 25 who took part in this event now living in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
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