Russia at war 1941-1945

I could not leave this without doing something about it... A few hours later when Colonel Voskoboinikov came to himself, I called in to see him, the chief of staff and the head of the division's political department. I ordered all three to establish contact with the troops scattered between Zhutovo and Abganerovo, and to take up

firm defensive positions on the north side of the Axai river.

Despite heavy losses among the Russian troops, Chuikov succeeded in organising a

defence line on the Axai river, and, on August 6, launched some successful counter-

attacks against the Germans and Rumanians.

As a result of this battle of August 6, the enemy suffered heavy losses. We captured eight guns and many small arms. I found that the scattered troops I had assembled during the retreat, had not lost their fighting spirit, and fought well. They boldly went into attack, and did not panic when the enemy counter-attacked. That was themain thing.

Farther east, at Abganerovo and Tundutovo, where other units of the 64th Army were

now concentrated, the Germans had also failed to break through. On that day, Chuikov was also glad to learn that Gordov had been replaced by Yeremenko as commander of the Stalingrad Front—though later he was not to remain on the best of terms with him.

The German advance on Stalingrad from the south and south-west was being slowed

down; but other difficulties were still in store. A large ammunition dump south of

Stalingrad had been destroyed by the German bombers, and the troops were, before long, to experience a serious shortage of ammunition. Even so, Chuikov, assisted by Ludnikov and other future heroes of the defence of Stalingrad, held the Axai line for over a week; but with the Germans outflanking all these troops from the east, they were ordered to withdraw north to the next natural defence line, the Myshkova river, some forty miles south of Stalingrad. During this fighting in the country between Don and Volga, virtually on the outskirts of Stalingrad, despite all the setbacks suffered inside the Don Bend, the Russians began to fight as seldom before. Chuikov gives many examples of suicidal

resistance when Russian soldiers, with grenades tied round them, would throw

themselves under enemy tanks. Many of the fresh troops that had only recently been

incorporated in the 62nd and 64th Army were "acquiring new experience every day, and were rapidly turning into mature and hardened troops". The German plan—to break through to the Volga and at the same time to encircle both the 62nd and 64th Army—

failed. These two armies were to bear the brunt of the Stalingrad fighting, the former inside Stalingrad, the latter south of it.

Hitler had ordered that Stalingrad be taken on August 25. On the tragic day of August 23

the Germans broke through to the Volga north of Stalingrad, on a five-mile front; on the same day, 600 planes attacked the city, killing some 40,000 civilians.

The enormous city, stretching for thirty miles along the Volga, was enveloped in

flames. Everything around was burning and collapsing. Sorrow and death entered

into thousands of Stalingrad homes.

Many thousands of civilians fled across the Volga; but Chuikov stresses the

determination shown by both the army and the civilian authorities to save Stalingrad at any price. North of the city, the Germans failed to widen their five-mile salient, while, in the south, the 64th Army was still preventing them, at that stage, from breaking through to the Volga.

But, during the days that followed, the German pressure grew worse and worse.

The troops of the 62nd and 64th armies were retreating towards their final