The Eastern Front in 1942

Germany renews its attacks on Russia, this time concentrating their attacks on Southern Russia, capturing the Crimea and Sevastopol after a seige.  This is one of the few times their huge barrage gun, Big Bertha, is ever called into use.  The ultimate plan is the capture of the oil fields in the Caucus.  Sixth Army, 320,000 men strong, under the command of General Von Paulus, drives into Stalingrad, a city on the Volga named after the Russian leader.  Stalingrad becomes one of the biggest killing grounds of World War 2, as the name and strategic importance drive both Hitler and Stalin into a huge conflict.

Tactically, street-to-street fighting suits the Russians far better than the Germans, who from a strategic point of view would have been far better off to ignore it and starve it into submission.  Another clear example of Hitlers overriding of his generals advice.  The Germans drive through to within 100 yards of the Volga, where they are stopped by suicidal Russian attacks, often by men sharing one gun between six soldiers, such is the Russian desperation and seemingly endless supply of manpower.

Finally, with some military leadership that knows what it is doing, the tide turns and Russia is able to conduct serious counterattacks under General Zhukov.  German generals call for a withdrawal from Stalingrad, before the sixth army is cut off.  Hitler refuses, insisting that the army remain and be supplied from the air.  This turns out to be a forlorn hope, with only a fraction of the supplies needed getting through and despite some serious counterattacks, the Russian encirclement is complete.   It is now only a matter of time before Sixth Army meets its fate.

Just before the end, Hitler promotes Von Paulus to field-marshall, with the message that no Field-Marshall of the German army has ever surrendered to the enemy.  The implication is clear, suicide or a fight to the death is expected.  Von Paulus ultimately ignores this advice and surrenders anyway, along with a final 12,000 bedraggled and starved German soldiers.   In the end, 100,000 German prisoners are marched Eastward to forced labour in the Siberian gulags.  Less than 10,000 of them will ever live to see Germany again.

While both sides suffer huge losses in Stalingrad, it is Germany that cannot afford the manpower and military equipment loss suffered.  Russia by now is rolling thousands of tanks, planes and guns off its production lines, much of the material is well-designed and of superior quality, including the T-34 tank, the best tank of the whole war.  Many of germany's top generals such as Model and Guderian see Germany's only chance now as fluid, mobile defense.  Hitler cannot be persuaded, however.