Spartakovka Salient

The Germans were advancing headlong toward Stalingrad. Elements of the Soviet 62nd Army were in disarray from the speed at which the German 6th Army was advancing. The German VIII Fliegerkorps had laid waste to much of the suburbs and …

1942-08-23

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The Germans were advancing headlong toward Stalingrad. Elements of the Soviet 62nd Army were in disarray from the speed at which the German 6th Army was advancing. The German VIII Fliegerkorps had laid waste to much of the suburbs and command & control areas. Against this backdrop of confusion, panzergrenadiers of the 16th Panzer Division launched their attack at first light to reach the Volga. Defending the area near the town of Spartakovka was a mixed force of militia, rear area units along with hastin arrived reinforcements. Their task was simple: Stop the Germans from reaching the Volga river.

Spartakovka, Russia

In the Battle of Stalingrad, Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in Southern Russia. Marked by fierce close-quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians in air raids, it is one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare, with an estimated 2 million total casualties. After their defeat at Stalingrad, the German High Command had to withdraw considerable military forces from the Western Front to replace their losses. The German offensive to capture Stalingrad, a major industrial and transport hub on the Volga River that ensured Soviet access to the Caucasus oil wells, began in August 1942, using the 6th Army and elements of the 4th Panzer Army. The attack was supported by intense Luftwaffe bombing that reduced much of the city to rubble. The battle degenerated into house-to-house fighting, as both sides poured reinforcements into the city. By mid-November, the Germans had pushed the Soviet defenders back at great cost into narrow zones along the west bank of the river.

Wikipedia: Battle of Stalingrad

German

Russians