WW2/Battles of WW2/Date-by-Date/Eastern Front • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
The turning-point battle in which the German 6th Army was drawn into brutal house-to-house fighting for the city, then encircled by a Soviet pincer and forced to surrender. (23 August 1942 – 2 February 1943)
Chronological Storyline (24 Milestones)
Aug 23, 1942 CE
Luftwaffe devastates Stalingrad
The German Luftflotte 4 launched a massive aerial bombardment of Stalingrad, killing tens of thousands of civilians and destroying much of the city, setting the stage for ground assault. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_bombing_during_World_War_II
Captions and Titles from Published Works 2003: One of the most famous images of World War II shows The Sandman, piloted by Robert Sternfels, as it emerges from a pall of smoke during the TIDALWAVE mission.[1] 2002: The Sandman barely clears the stacks of the Astra Romana refinery.[2] 1944 (unreversed):Note 1 HITLERS NO. [sic] 1 oil source, Ploesti, Rumania, was bombed Aug. 1, 1943, by a large force (177) of B-24s which came in at smokestack level, braved oil and bombs exploding close beneath them to hit refineries, tanks, cracking plants. 53 aircraft and 660 air crewmen were lost.[3] By Jerry J. Joswick, the only survivor of the 16 cameramen of the operation[4] - National Museum of the US Air Force http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/photos/media_search.asp?q=ploesti http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/070802-F-1234S-006.jpg, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3288407Hitlers Biggest Defeat: The Battle of Stalingrad
Aug 25, 1942 CE
City placed under martial law
Soviet authorities declared martial law in Stalingrad as German panzer units reached the Volga north of the city, forcing all able-bodied citizens into defensive labor or combat roles. Source — Wikipedia:
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Sep 12, 1942 CE
Chuikov takes command of 62nd Army
General Vasily Chuikov assumed command of the Soviet 62nd Army with orders to hold Stalingrad at all costs, adopting close-quarters tactics to negate German air and artillery superiority. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Chuikov
Маршал Советского Союза, дважды Герой Советского Союза Василий Иванович Чуйков By Министерство обороны СССР - https://pamyatnaroda.mil.ru/commander/1358/, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47276922
Sep 13, 1942 CE
German assault on city center begins
The German 6th Army launched a major offensive into central Stalingrad, attacking the Mamayev Kurgan hill and the main railway station in fierce, close-quarters combat. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/62nd_Army_(Soviet_Union)
Sep 15, 1942 CE
Mamayev Kurgan bitterly contested
Soviet and German forces fought viciously for control of Mamayev Kurgan, the strategic height overlooking the city, with the summit changing hands multiple times over several days. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamayev_Kurgan
Mamaev Kurgan with the monument "The Motherland Calls" Volgograd, 1984 Мамаев курган с монументом "Родина-мать зовёт!", Волгоград, 1984 год By Leo Medvedev/Лев Леонидович Медведев - Leo Medvedev’s Archive, CC-BY-SA-4.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81582257
Sep 19, 1942 CE
Soviet counterattacks from north fail
Soviet forces launched coordinated attacks from north of Stalingrad to relieve pressure on the 62nd Army, but German defenses repelled the assaults with heavy Soviet casualties. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Sep 27, 1942 CE
Germans renew push to the Volga
Paulus launched a renewed offensive aimed at splitting the 62nd Army and reaching the Volga in the southern sector, forcing Soviet defenders into an ever-shrinking perimeter. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Oct 7, 1942 CE
Tractor Factory district attacked
German forces assaulted the Red October and Barrikady factory districts in northern Stalingrad, engaging Soviet defenders in brutal industrial combat amid the ruins. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Oct 14, 1942 CE
Major German offensive on factories
Hitler ordered a decisive push, and the 6th Army launched its largest assault in Stalingrad, focusing on the tractor factory and inflicting heavy losses on Chuikov's depleted divisions. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Oct 25, 1942 CE
Soviet 13th Guards hold tractor factory
Remnants of the Soviet 13th Guards Rifle Division and other units continued to hold sectors of the tractor factory ruins, denying the Germans full control despite overwhelming firepower. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_Guards_Rifle_Division
«Guards patch» to military personnel serving in Guards units, Guards formations, or Guards troops of the Red Army, version 1942. By Andrey S. Polyakov - Own work, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3152846
Nov 11, 1942 CE
Paulus launches final city assault
Paulus committed five divisions to a final effort to overrun the remaining Soviet pockets, capturing much of the factory district but failing to push the 62nd Army into the Volga. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Nov 19, 1942 CE
Operation Uranus begins
Soviet forces launched Operation Uranus, a massive counter-offensive north and south of Stalingrad, shattering Romanian armies guarding the German 6th Army's flanks. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Uranus
Operation Uranus. Campaign counterattacked and surrounded the enemy of the Soviet Army at Stalingrad, 19 to 30 November 1942 A: Army (infantry) TA: Tank army BA: Aviation army AK: Infantry corps TK: Tank corps KK: Cavalry corps MK: Motorized corps ПД: Infantry Division TД: Tank Division MД: Motorized Division KД: Cavalry Division Bф: Groupe Aviation army By Lưu Ly - Own work Vẽ lại dựa vào nguồn tham khảo http://victory.mil.ru/war/maps/023.jpg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10483516
Nov 20, 1942 CE
Southern pincer of Uranus launched
The Soviet 51st and 57th Armies attacked south of Stalingrad, rapidly crushing Romanian 4th Army defenses and advancing deep into the Axis rear toward Kalach. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Uranus
Operation Uranus. Campaign counterattacked and surrounded the enemy of the Soviet Army at Stalingrad, 19 to 30 November 1942 A: Army (infantry) TA: Tank army BA: Aviation army AK: Infantry corps TK: Tank corps KK: Cavalry corps MK: Motorized corps ПД: Infantry Division TД: Tank Division MД: Motorized Division KД: Cavalry Division Bф: Groupe Aviation army By Lưu Ly - Own work Vẽ lại dựa vào nguồn tham khảo http://victory.mil.ru/war/maps/023.jpg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10483516
Nov 23, 1942 CE
German 6th Army encircled at Kalach
Soviet spearheads met at Kalach-on-Don, completing the encirclement of the German 6th Army and parts of two Romanian armies, trapping over 290,000 Axis troops in the Stalingrad pocket. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Uranus
Operation Uranus. Campaign counterattacked and surrounded the enemy of the Soviet Army at Stalingrad, 19 to 30 November 1942 A: Army (infantry) TA: Tank army BA: Aviation army AK: Infantry corps TK: Tank corps KK: Cavalry corps MK: Motorized corps ПД: Infantry Division TД: Tank Division MД: Motorized Division KД: Cavalry Division Bф: Groupe Aviation army By Lưu Ly - Own work Vẽ lại dựa vào nguồn tham khảo http://victory.mil.ru/war/maps/023.jpg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10483516
Nov 24, 1942 CE
Hitler forbids breakout from pocket
Hitler ordered Paulus to hold the Stalingrad pocket and await resupply by air, rejecting recommendations for a immediate breakout toward the German lines. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Nov 30, 1942 CE
Luftwaffe airlift falls short
The Luftwaffe's airlift to the Stalingrad pocket delivered far fewer supplies than required, as harsh weather and Soviet anti-aircraft fire took a mounting toll on transport aircraft. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Dec 12, 1942 CE
Operation Winter Storm launched
Field Marshal Manstein launched Operation Winter Storm, a relief attack by German panzer divisions from the Kotelnikovo area toward the encircled 6th Army at Stalingrad. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Winter_Storm
Operation Winter Storm launched By Kamm, Richard - This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive., CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5412283
Dec 19, 1942 CE
Relief force stalls at Mishkova
Manstein's relief column reached the Myshkova River, some 48 km from the pocket, but was halted by stiffening Soviet resistance and could advance no further without 6th Army breaking out. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Winter_Storm
Relief force stalls at Mishkova By Kamm, Richard - This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation only using the originals (negative and/or positive), resp. the digitalization of the originals as provided by the Digital Image Archive., CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5412283
Dec 24, 1942 CE
Soviet Operation Little Saturn advances
The Soviet Operation Little Saturn forced Manstein to divert forces and abandon the relief effort, leaving the 6th Army trapped as Red Army units drove toward the Don and Rostov. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Little_Saturn
Operation Little Saturn. World War Two, Eastern front. By Operation_Little_Saturn.png: ShadeOfGrey derivative work: Chumwa - This file was derived from: Operation Little Saturn.png:, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28962814
Jan 10, 1943 CE
Soviet Operation Ring begins
The Red Army launched Operation Ring (Koltso), a final offensive to annihilate the encircled German 6th Army, with massive artillery barrages hitting the western pocket. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Koltso
Карта на бойните действия по време на операция Пръстен. Битка за Сталинград. By Operation_Ring.png: Original uploader was ShadeOfGrey at bg.wikipedia derivative work: Luigi Chiesa (talk) - Operation_Ring.png, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8870805
Jan 17, 1943 CE
Pitomnik airfield lost
Soviet forces overran Pitomnik, the main airstrip inside the Stalingrad pocket, crippling the Luftwaffe's ability to evacuate wounded and deliver supplies to the trapped army. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitomnik_Airfield
Jan 22, 1943 CE
Gumrak airfield captured
The Red Army seized Gumrak, the last operational airstrip in the pocket, ending all meaningful air resupply and evacuation for the remnants of the 6th Army. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
Jan 31, 1943 CE
Paulus surrenders southern pocket
Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus surrendered the southern pocket of Stalingrad, having been promoted the day before; he became the first German field marshal captured in battle. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Paulus
FRIEDRICH PAULUS (1890-1957). German field marshal. By Unknown author - https://wwii.space/%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE-%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D1%86%D1%8B-%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C-6/2/, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=181351636
Feb 2, 1943 CE
Northern pocket surrenders, battle ends
The remaining German forces in the northern pocket capitulated, ending the Battle of Stalingrad; over 91,000 Axis troops entered Soviet captivity, marking a decisive turning point in the war. · Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
Расчет советской 76,2-мм пушки ЗиС-3 ведет огонь в Сталинграде By Unknown author - http://aloban75.livejournal.com/564228.html, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36936658
![Captions and Titles from Published Works 2003: One of the most famous images of World War II shows The Sandman, piloted by Robert Sternfels, as it emerges from a pall of smoke during the TIDALWAVE mission.[1] 2002: The Sandman barely clears the stacks of the Astra Romana refinery.[2] 1944 (unreversed):Note 1 HITLERS NO. [sic] 1 oil source, Ploesti, Rumania, was bombed Aug. 1, 1943, by a large force (177) of B-24s which came in at smokestack level, braved oil and bombs exploding close beneath them to hit refineries, tanks, cracking plants. 53 aircraft and 660 air crewmen were lost.[3]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/The_Sandman_a_B-24_Liberator%2C_piloted_by_Robert_Sternfels.jpg/500px-The_Sandman_a_B-24_Liberator%2C_piloted_by_Robert_Sternfels.jpg)
