The encirclement of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad in
mid-November 1942 and its final collapse in February 1943 was a
signature defeat for Hitler, as more than 100,000 of his soldiers
were marched off into captivity. Frank Ellis tackles this oft-told
tale from the unique perspective of the German officers and men
trapped inside the Red Army's ever-closing ring of forces. This
approach makes palpable the growing desperation of an army that
began its campaign confident of victory but that long before the
end could see how hopeless their situation had become.
Highlighting these pages are three previously unpublished German
army division accounts, translated here for the first time by
Ellis. Each of these translations follows the combat experiences of
a specific division--the 76th Infantry, the 94th Infantry, and the
16th Panzer--and take readers into the cauldron (or Kessel) that
was Stalingrad. Together they provide a ground-level view of the
horrific fighting and yield insights into everything from tactics
and weapons to internal disputes, the debilitating effects of
extreme cold and hunger, and the Germans' astonishing sense of duty
and the abilities of their junior leaders.
Along with these first-hand accounts, Ellis himself takes a new
and closer look at a number of fascinating but somewhat neglected
or misunderstood aspects of the Stalingrad cauldron including
sniping, desertion, spying, and the fate of German prisoners. His
coverage of sniping is especially notable for new insights
concerning the duel that allegedly took place between Soviet sniper
Vasilii Zaitsev and a German sniper, Major Konings, a story told in
the film Enemy at the Gates (2001). Ellis also includes an incisive
reading of Oberst Arthur Boje's published account of his capture,
interrogation, and conviction for war crimes, and explores the
theme of reconciliation in the works of two Stalingrad veterans,
Kurt Reuber and Vasilii Grossman.
Rich in anecdotal detail and revealing moments, Ellis's
historical mosaic showcases an army that managed to display a vital
resilience and professionalism in the face of inevitable defeat
brought on by its leaders. It makes for compelling reading for
anyone interested in one of the Eastern Front's monumental
battles.
General
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