Stalingrad Holdouts

[Mister D]

Interesting video. Thousands of German troops did not surrender on 2 February, 1943 but took to the city sewers and engaged in "running gun battles" with the NKVD (Soviet security forces) well into March 1943.

[Peter1469]

That was a hell of an attack the Russians launched.

[Perianne]

Great video, Mr. D.

[Perianne]

Great video, Mr. D.

To be honest, I never understood Hitler's determination to capture Stalingrad until I watched that video.

[Peter1469]

To be honest, I never understood Hitler's determination to capture Stalingrad until I watched that video.

The oil fields.

[Mister D]

That was a hell of an attack the Russians launched.

The Romanian and Italian units holding the flanks of 6th Army had very few anti-tank guns and were more or less underequipped for waves of T-34s. The Germans had been stripping more reliable and experienced formations for weeks to fight in the city. When the tidal wave came there just wasn't much there to stop it. Still, the Russians suffered over a million casualties between August and February. It's insane.

[Mister D]

The oil fields.

That was the other prong of the offensive. The object at Stalingrad, aside form the assuaging the egos of both dictators) was to cut north/south shipping along the Volga River.

[Peter1469]

The Romanian and Italian units holding the flanks of 6th Army had very few anti-tank guns and were more or less underequipped for waves of T-34s. The Germans had been stripping more reliable and experienced formations for weeks to fight in the city. When the tidal wave came there just wasn't much there to stop it. Still, the Russians suffered over a million casualties between August and February. It's insane.

And some Americans whine about a few thousand deaths in Afghanistan over the course of two decades.

[Perianne]

The Romanian and Italian units holding the flanks of 6th Army had very few anti-tank guns and were more or less underequipped for waves of T-34s. The Germans had been stripping more reliable and experienced formations for weeks to fight in the city. When the tidal wave came there just wasn't much there to stop it. Still, the Russians suffered over a million casualties between August and February. It's insane.

What does that part mean? Can you state it in a different way? (remember, I am blonde )

Edit. I read it again. I understand now.

[Peter1469]

What does that part mean? Can you state it in a different way? (remember, I am blonde )

Edit. I read it again. I understand now.

The Germans took parts of those units to shore up defenses elsewhere. Probably the good parts.