Stalingrad (1/3) : The Assault

For educational purposes

With the dimensions of Russia in mind, the rapid advance of the German army to the Volga was no extraordinary feat - given the low population density.

It was much more difficult to ensure sufficient supplies, but the German army leadership had not reckoned with the continental winter and the tenacious and clever resistance of the defenders.

Red Army soldiers bitterly defended every house, every cellar, every shelter.

In mid-November 1942, the attackers were surrounded by a surprise Soviet counter-offensive. It was the beginning of the end of the 6th Army.

Until now, the Battle of Stalingrad has mostly been portrayed from a national perspective. Today - on the 60th anniversary of the catastrophe - a trilogy begins in which contemporary witnesses from both sides describe what happened in the Stalingrad pocket.