Rattenkrieg

The war in Stalingrad evolved into a bitter, dirty fight in the rubble. The Germans called it the ‘Rattenkrieg’ or ‘War of the Rats’. Small groups of soldiers fought for only meters of precious space. The Russians carried out the …

1942-09-24

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The war in Stalingrad evolved into a bitter, dirty fight in the rubble. The Germans called it the ‘Rattenkrieg’ or ‘War of the Rats’. Small groups of soldiers fought for only meters of precious space. The Russians carried out the fight using small units known as Shock groups to capture and hold buildings. Two Shock groups from the 62nd Army attack German units of the 7lst Infantry Division to take control of the block.

Stalingrad, 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

Russian