The Grain Elevator

On September 14, 1942, the 24th Panzer Division received orders to launch a surprise assault into southern Stalingrad. A strong kampfgruppe would follow the railroad line north of the El’shanka River towards Stalingrad Station no. 2, wheel northwards then advance …

1942-09-14

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On September 14, 1942, the 24th Panzer Division received orders to launch a surprise assault into southern Stalingrad. A strong kampfgruppe would follow the railroad line north of the El’shanka River towards Stalingrad Station no. 2, wheel northwards then advance along the main railroad line to capture the railroad bridge across the Tsaritsa River. While the 24th Panzer Division linked up with the 71st Infantry Division north of the Tsaritsa River to contain the Soviet forces surrounded in the suburbs to the west, the 94th Infantry Division would advance on the right flank and clear the area between the railroad line and the Volga River.

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

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