The
First Act. Case Blue - Germans-
The situation in which Germany was in the spring of 1942 was very different from that of the previous year. In 1941, his armies were accumulating victories throughout; but in 1942, the Wehrmacht was rather clogged. In Russia many men and resources had been in use and the campaign was lengthened, the lack of supplies begins to threaten to the German troops. For it, Hitler gave the orders to conquer the petroliferous fields of the Caucasus, turning into the principal aim of the war in 1942.
The
Second Act. Operation Uranus - Soviets-
On November 19 1941, the Russians counter-attack to the north and to the south of Stalingrad in order to make a detour to the German troops of the VI Army. The southwestern Front (supervised by Vatutin) and the Front of the Don (supervised by Rokossovsky) had to move from the north of the Don towards the south and intercept to the German troops placed between this river and the Volga. On the following day, Stalingrad's front (supervised by Eremenko) had to attack in direction west, join the assault of the north and to complete this way the fence in of the Germans in Stalingrad.
The
Third
Act. Winter Storm - Germans-
At the beginning of December, The 11st Army of von Manstein was displeased of the front of Leningrad with the intention of opening a corridor for 6 º Army (Paulus) and of opening the terrestrial lines of supply as well as the original front. Manstein's plans, dictated largely directly for the Führer, were to attack Stalingrad's front defending by Eremenko, to be folded rapidly and to return to attack again together with Paulus, who would have attack from Stalingrad the Don's front defending by Rokossovsky.
The
Fourth Act. Small Saturn - Soviets-
In the second part of December and in order to debilitate moreover the German lines of support, the Soviets throw an offensive which cross the Don and reach the river Donetz. The thickness of Manstein's troops still is bottled in the operation "Winter Storm" and will have retired to avoid to be trapped by the flanks. The disaster of the VI Army is already inevitable.
The
Final Act. Operation Ring - Soviets-
During January 1943, the troops of the axis trapped in Stalingrad, closed at the end of a nightmare. From Berlin, Paulus is ordered to resists up to the penultimate bullet, even will be converted Field Marshall and Hitler will promise him the necessary help to break the fence. Nevertheless, already nothing stays for doing; Stalingrad stays very far. The High Soviet Control throws his offer of surrender, the Germans refuse and then begins the assault to "Stalingrad's fortress".
®Grafic Behaviour
