STALINGRAD THEME

In January 1943 German forces were finally

halted and defeated in the battle of Stalingrad.
It was the turning point of the German
invasion of the Soviet Union in WW II and one
of the decisive engagements in military history.
The Russian defence has been recorded in the
annals of history as one of the classic examples
of fortress defence. The defenders not only
thwarted repeated and desperate attempts by
the Germans to seize the city but also
succeeded in causing such great attrition on
the enemy that it ultimately resulted in the
capitulation of the German Sixth Army. Carry
out a detailed analysis of the battle of
Stalingrad with a view to highlighting factors
that contributed towards a successful defence

STALINGRAD

INTRODUCTION
21 August 1942 2 February 1943
1.7 to 2 million casualties estimated
Destruction of the German 6th Army
Axis suffered 850,000 casualties
478,741 Soviet soldiers died
Number of civilian dead unknown

AIM
Carry
out
a
detailed
analysis of the battle of
Stalingrad with a view to
highlighting factors that
contributed towards the
successful defence of the
city and draw pertinent
4

SEQUENCE
Topography and prelude to the
battle Maj Mark
Opposing forces and plans
Maj Mark
Conduct of the battle Maj
Shehzad
Analysis Maj Farrukh
Lessons Learnt and Conclusion
Maj Asad
5

TOPOGRAPHY

GROUND IN
GENERAL
BERLI
N

MOSCOW

1435 Miles

565 Miles

STALINGRAD
Sea of
Azov

Caspian Sea

GROUND IN DETAIL
RIVER DON

TARTAR DITCH

RIVER VOLGA

STALINGRAD

KALACH-NA-DONU

RIVER KARPOVKA

RIVER VOLGA

RIVER DON
45 Miles
8

Gumrak
Airfield

River
Tsaritsa

Tractor
Factory

Barrikady Metal
Works
Krasny Oktyabr
Factory
INDUSTRIAL
AREA
Mamayev Kurgan
STALINGRA
D
Docks

RESIDENTIAL
AREA

Krasnaya
Sloboda
River Volga

PRELUDE TO THE
BATTLE

10

OPERATION
BARBAROSSA

11

3 MILLION SOLDIERS
100,000 VEHICLES
3350 TANKS
2000 AIRCRAFT

12
12

LENINGRAD

XXXXX

MOSCOW

NORTH

LEEB
5 DEC 41

XXXXX
CENTRE

BOCK
STALINGRAD

XXXXX
NORTH

ROSTOV

RUNDSTEDT
26 AUG 41
22 JUN 41

13

BARBAROSSA
CULMINATES
The Siberians Attack

14

OPERATION FALL BLAU

15

400 Miles

28 JUN 42
XXXXX
B
WEICHS

Voronezh

Kursk

23 JUL 42
Kharkov

XXXXX
A
List

Stalingrad
Kalach
Rostov

18 NOV
42

Astrakhan

Caspian
Oilfields

16

OPPOSING
FORCES

17

OPPOSING FORCES
Axis Powers

Soviet Forces

6th Army
4th Panzer Army
3rd Romanian Army
Italian 8th Army
Hungarian 2nd
Army
14th Panzer Corps

21st Army
24th Army
57th Army
62nd Army
64th Army
65th Army
66th Army
18

FORCE TOTALS
Directly
Opposed

Reserve Total
s

Axis
434,800
Powers

434,800

Soviet 818,250
Forces

561,050 1,379,30
0

19

AXIS PLAN
XXX

XXXX
6

14

TARTAR
DITCH
XXXX
6

KALACH-NADONU

STALINGRAD
XXXX

XXXX

4
4

20

SOVIET PLAN

XXXX
5

RIVER VOLGA

TARTAR
XX
DITCH
X

XX
X

XX

XXXX

XX

XX

64
XXXXX

XXX

KALACH-NADONU

XXXX

DON

62
XX
X

XX
X

XXXX
57

Representative, not exact

21

CONDUCT OF THE
BATTLE

22

BATTLE FOR
STALINGRAD

23

INVESTMENT
Luftloffe 4 Air Raids sets
Stalingrad ablaze.
40,000 civilians die in the
first raids.

24

PERILOUS CROSSINGS
OVER THE VOLGA

25

BREAK IN BATTLE

26

CITY REDUCED TO
RUBBLE

27

MOVEMENT PROBLEMS
Open spaces canalised the
Germans into Killing Areas

28
28

GERMAN SUCCESS
80% of the city in German
hands by the end of October

29

FIGHT THROUGH

30

CHUIKOVS INSTRUCTION
In Stalingrad everyman must be
his own General

31

RATTENKRIEG

32
32

Animals flee this

burning hell of a city

the hardest stones do
not last for long. Only
men endure

33

12 SEP 42
Tractor
Factory

XXXX
6

Metal
Works
Krasny Oktyabr
Factory
Mamayev
Kurgan

21 NOV
42

13 OCT 42

XXXX
4

Landings

Krasnaya
Sloboda

26 SEP
42

34

SOVIET COUNTER
OFFENSIVE

35

OPERATIONS
URANUS AND SATURN

36

OP URANUS
Zhukov aimed to fix 6th
Army in Stalingrad.
Strike at the weak flank.
Over 1 million troops
assembled.
Secrecy was paramount.
37

ARTILLERY
Great Soviet God of War

38

SOVIETS SEIZE
KALACH
The Germans are
surrounded and 40 miles
from their own front lines
39

German flank collapses.

Paulus request to withdraw
dismissed by Hitler

40

OP WINTERGERWITTER
FAILS

41

BATTLE OF
ANNIHILATION

42

PAULUS MESSAGE
The troops are out of
ammunition and food
further defence senseless
collapse inevitableArmy
requests permission to
surrender.
43

SIXTH ARMY
SURRENDERS

44

Only 90,000 survivors

45

ANALYSIS

46

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO
GERMAN FAILURE

47
47

COMMAND FAILURES
Failure to maintain the aim.
Centralized command.
Lack of joint command
structure.

48

MANOEUVRE AND
FIREPOWER
RESTRICTED
Ground severely hampers
German manoeuvre

49

PROTECTION
Lack of uncommitted reserves
due to attrition and allied
counter intelligence

50

PROTECTION
Weak Axis flanks precipitate a
collapse

51

INTELLIGENCE FAILURES
Warnings about huge Soviet
build up not heeded by OKW

52

LOGISTIC FAILURES
Axis ill prepared for the Soviet
winter. Logistic re-supply grinds
to a halt

53

LOGISTIC FAILURES
Lack of POL delays the advance
by 18 days allowing the Soviets
to consolidate in Stalingrad

54

AIR BRIDGE FAILS

Only 10% of the 6th Armys
supplies delivered before
ceasing all together

55

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING
TO SOVIET SUCCESS

56

DEFENCE IN DEPTH
Strong Points and Centres of
Resistance

57

MUTUAL SUPPORT
50,000 volunteer for the
Peoples Guard. 75,000 join
the 62nd Army

58

MOBILE RESERVE
5th Tank, 1st Guard, 2nd Guard
and 3rd Guard Armies held as
an operational reserve

59

ALL ROUND DEFENCE

Strong points linked into
defensive complexes

60

OFFENSIVE SPIRIT
Active counter attacks at all
levels

61

OFFENSIVE SPIRIT
Cultivated through information
operations

62

PAVLOVS HOUSE

63

DECEPTION AND
CONCEALMENT
To surprise is to conquer
Maskirovka hides Soviet
intentions

64

LESSONS LEARNT

65

LESSONS LEARNT
Tactical lessons of Stalingrad
still applicable.
Chechen tactics in Grozny 1995.
Operational and doctrinal
lessons of greatest efficacy

66

FLEXIBILITY
Soviets adapt to German
methods to achieve
greater force utility
through the use of new
tactics
67

MISSION COMMAND

68

UNITY OF EFFORT
Ideology and nationalism
combine

69

DECENTRALIZED
COMMAND

70

MUTUAL
UNDERSTANDING
Understand the
environment, your own and
enemys doctrine
71

TRUST
Political and strategic
commanders had to trust
subordinates to achieve
operational and tactical success

72

WILL OF THE PEOPLE

Increased industrial capacity
created the conditions for
operational success

73

THE TRINITY
A balance of all three elements
of Clauswitzs trinity central to
operational success

74

CONCLUSION
One of the bloodiest
campaigns in history.
Industrial war at its height.
Tactical lessons vis--vis
defence still pertinent.
Operational and strategic
lessons increasingly valuable.
75

QUESTIONS ?

76