"The Russians are attacking with great ferocity, and in some places we are fighting almost inch by inch." Moder reported with a serious expression: "The battle is very cruel, and the attack of some troops is simply calculated in meters. ”

"It was all expected." Wang Weiyi behaved very calmly: "Stalingrad is the most important city for the Russians, and they will definitely defend it at any cost. According to our previous intelligence, the whole of Stalingrad has been turned into a fortress, and all the forces that can be mobilized have been mobilized...... How's our outside line? ”

"On the outer front, the Soviet troops under Budyonny's command were actively trying to move closer to Stalingrad, but they were dealt a heavy blow by us, and Marshal Manstein's troops began to take the initiative and inflict heavy casualties on Budyonny!"

"Then, we can devote all our energy to Stalingrad......" Wang Weiyi nodded with great satisfaction.

"Ah, Marshal, I just received a battle report...... Meristre did a good job, his commandos posed as Russians and took down a secret ammunition warehouse......"

"Oh, where?" Wang Weiyi became interested all of a sudden.

"Right here." Modell gestured to the map.

Wang Weiyi seemed to be extremely interested in the location of Mylistre's assault, his eyes fell on the map and remained motionless, and after a long time, he said slowly: "General Modell, Mylistre's bold action has given us a chance, you see. Is he now very close to the port of Stalingrad? ”

Modell leaned in, looked closely, and nodded. Suddenly, he seemed to understand something: "Marshal, are you going to seize the port of Stalingrad?" ”

"Yes. It is the most important base for Stalingrad to get supplies......" Wang Weiyi smiled: "According to the plan, we can't capture it for the time being, but now Mylistre's operation has put such an opportunity in front of us!" ”

"Marshal, if the port can be captured, then the Russians in Stalingrad will be largely deprived of supplies. It will also be of great help to us to win the victory, but ......" Moder hesitated for a moment, but said, "I think there will be no less defense there......"

"Don't forget. We also have a trump card. Wang Weiyi smiled and said: "After the battle of the Terek River, Colonel Lykov with a large number of soldiers of the Russian Free Army disguised as the Soviet army has retreated to Stalingrad, and he and his troops are currently on guard duty near the port of Stalingrad......"

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The Battle of Stalingrad began on the first day. It is necessary to make the city forever remembered in history.

Stalingrad was formerly known as Tsaritsyn. Now known as Volgograd. It was by no means an ordinary Soviet city. In the 19th century, Tsaritsyn was an extremely prosperous city as an important trading center on the banks of the Volga River and a transport hub connecting the northernmost and southernmost points of the Romanov dynasty. In addition, it is closely linked to the October Revolution in Russia in 1917 and the civil war of 1918-1921, and was one of the battlefields in which the Russian Red Army won a decisive victory over Denikin's White Guards. When Stalin came to power in 1925, the history of the Soviet Revolutionary War and his place in history was rewritten. Although Stalin did not play a very large role in the struggle of the Bolsheviks to seize power, the current "Comrade Stalin" became the hero of the decisive role played by the Red Army in the victory of Tsaritsyn. 1925 year. Stalin renamed Tsaritsyn after himself, dooming the city of Stalingrad to take its place in Soviet history. And to assume a great historical role as a mainstay in the future war against Nazi Germany.

In 1924, Lenin, the teacher of the Soviet revolution, died, and Stalingrad was designated by the Soviet authorities as an important symbol and model city in the history of the Soviet revolution. Stalingrad, with a population of 600,000, played an important role in the industrialization that Stalin carried out in the thirties of the twentieth century. Located on the banks of the Volga River, Stalingrad was an important part of the Soviet oil industry, and in the event of war, its factories would become an integral part of the Soviet war economy. Stalingrad was of great value as an economic, military, and ideological goal, and the capture of Stalingrad threatened to bring the Soviet Union to its knees.

In addition, Stalingrad was an ideal place to conduct a war of annihilation.

Stalingrad was an easy and difficult position to defend, and in the center of the city was a hill formed by the tombs of ancient Tatars, known as the Mamayev Hills......

To the north of Stalingrad there are famous factories——— Dzerzhinsky Tractor Plant, the Barricade Arsenal and the Red October Iron and Steel Plant. To the south of the Red October Iron Works is the Lazul Chemical Plant, and directly in front of the "Barricade" Arsenal is the Silicut Factory. These factories were connected to workers' housing estates, forming a large criss-crossed, heavily fortified area.

When the Germans tried to destroy the well-walled defenders on the right flank of the Soviet defensive positions, these factories and residential areas became the battleground for fierce battles.

At that time, Luftwaffe air strikes wreaked havoc and left the area unrecognizable, full of trenches, potholes and ruins, which was a nightmare for the Soviets.

The Tsaritsa River separates the north and south of Stalingrad and flows into the Volga River from west to east to the Stalingrad No. 1 railway station. On the southern bank of the Tsaritsa River were Minina and Yershangka, where the 64th Army under the command of Shumilov was deployed, responsible for protecting the left flank of the 62nd Army. To the east of railway station No. 1 was a trestle bridge that connected the Soviet troops on the west bank with the reserves on the east bank of Krasnayas Roberta, while providing supplies. The wide Volga River meanders through the middle of the battlefield.

For the Soviet defenders of Stalingrad, the Volga River was a lifeline, although it threatened to kill them......

Although any part of Stalingrad could be used as a defensive position, many Soviet commanders were frustrated with the outcome of the war. Deep down there was fear, including the commander of the 62nd Army, General Lopatin. Although General Lopatin fought bravely, he was pessimistic about the future. The will to fight is depressed. On April 12, Lopatin was replaced by a representative figure in the defense of Stalingrad: Vasily. Ivanovich. Lieutenant General Chuikov.

Chuikov was 42 years old at the time and had fought in the Russian Civil Revolutionary War. Since the outbreak of war on the Eastern Front in June 1941, he has served as the Soviet Army attaché in China. In June 1942, Chuikov returned to the front and once commanded the 64th Army and a commando team. In August 1942, the German 4th Panzer Army was dealt a heavy blow. At that time, due to the successive crushing defeats of the Soviet army, many commanders were dismissed one after another. But. Chuikov was not affected by this atmosphere of despair,

Chuikov is short but extremely athletic, straightforward but extremely scruffy, strong and optimistic but ruthless. This is well known. Compared to Paulus, who was cautious by nature. He was born a boxer and a fighter.

Shouldering heavy responsibilities, he had already made up his mind to die here with his own troops for the crazy attack of the German army......

On 18 April, the Germans gathered their forces and resumed the offensive. After eliminating a large number of Soviet civilian units, the Germans began to concentrate on attacking the 62nd Army to ensure that Stalingrad could fall into German hands as soon as possible.

At 6:30, hundreds of German artillery, aircraft and tanks launched a fierce attack on the Soviet 62nd Army.

In fact, Chuikov had intended to launch a series of small counteroffensives against the Germans first. However, it was preempted by the German Alko cluster, which launched a two-way attack on northern Stalingrad and the city center. On the south bank of the Tsaritsa. The 4th Panzer Army launched an offensive against Shumilov's 64th Army. With three infantry divisions at the forefront, the Arko cluster launched an offensive in the southeastern direction.

At the same time, on the south bank of the Tsaritsa, SS Skeleton and Velvetsch German divisions launched an offensive through the outskirts of Minina. To its right, the Hungarian Panzer Division and the 29th Motorized Division advanced from the outskirts of Yelshanka towards the Volga.

It was clear that the Germans were trying to encircle the enemy in two directions, and they even hoped to achieve this effect in street fighting.

The 9th Panzer Army, under the personal command of General Moder, tried to form a small encirclement south of the Tsaritsa River, eventually advancing to the Volga. The Arko cluster will achieve the same goal on its way north and capture Mamayev Heights.

Subsequently, the attacking Germans combined their forces and advanced along the banks of the Tsaritsa River until they reached the central trestle. After occupying this important point, the Germans would cut off the 62nd Army on the west bank from the supply lines on the east bank.

By about 15 p.m., Chuikov's headquarters, which was located at the top of the Mamayev post, had been destroyed by the Germans, and the 62nd Army was unable to exercise effective command and control.

Due to heavy German artillery fire, the Soviets retreated into bunkers before engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the German infantry. However, the attacking Germans advanced in the direction of the Volga one by one, and they advanced across the Mamayev Gang towards the Stalingrad 1 railway station and their final goal——— the trestle.

Soviet shells on the east bank flew across the Volga, trying to destroy the Germans, but to no avail.

At this point, Chuikov was on the verge of losing control of the battle. Under the cover of a smoke screen, he moved his command to what became known as the "Tsaritsyn Cave" on the north bank of the Tsaritsa River, from which Chuikov was able to estimate the intensity of the German offensive and realize the difficulty of the battle.

As soon as the Germans captured the pier and continued to isolate the 62nd Army, the Battle of Stalingrad would have ended before it really began.

Chuikov threw his last tactical reserve, a tank brigade of only 19 tanks, into battle with an order to stop the Germans.

At dusk, at the request of Chuikov, the commander of the South-Eastern Front, Yeremenko, sent Alexander . Ilyich. The 13th Guards Division of Major General Rodimtsev, crossing the Volga under the cover of night.

Now the Soviets will not allow any more mistakes.

The 13th Guards Division moved quietly along the eastern bank of Red Sloboda, and none of them had any illusions about what might be confronted. As we marched, the sound of guns and cannons in the city echoed along the riverside, and the silhouette of Stalingrad was clearly visible in the light of flames and artillery fire. Although the strength of the 13th Guards Division amounted to more than 10,000 people. But there is a lack of heavy weapons.

At 19 o'clock, Chuikov informed Rodimtsev that he should command his men to prepare for battle. Launch a fierce assault on the banks of the river, capture the trestle and retake Mamayev Hill and Railway Station No. 1.

But in fact, these goals are unrealistic for them. After the landing craft landed, the 1st Battalion of the 42nd Regiment of the 13th Guards Division, led by Cherjekhov, launched a fierce attack on the Germans, regaining the initiative and creating a bridgehead.

The rest of the 13th Guards Division quickly rushed through the streets of Stalingrad and occupied the left flank of the Mamayev Gang and various positions around the railway station.

At dawn. The 13th Guards Division was attacked by the Germans in a frenzy. At this time, the 9th Panzer Army continued to advance south of the Tsaritsa River.

On 19 April, the 13th Guards Division encountered a frontal German attack. The battle for the railway station was extremely fierce, with both sides attacking and defending each other. The railway station changed hands four times in one day, and again fell into the hands of the Soviets at dusk. On the same day, the control of the railway station continued to change constantly. There were as many as 15 times before and after.

April 20th. The 13th Guards Division regained the initiative from the Germans, cleared the Germans of the trestle and its environs, regained control of the railway station. However, by April 21, as the German Guo Yunfeng battle group entered the battle, the advantage once again shifted to the German side, which gradually gained the upper hand.

On this day, the Germans again occupied the railway station. and a non-stop assault on the trestle. On April 22, the 13th Guards Division suffered heavy casualties under the German attack. Only 2,700 remained.

The battle for the Mamayev Gang was also fierce. On 19 April, in order to occupy this most important position, the German Großdeutsche Regiment launched a fierce offensive. On that day, the division had already destroyed Chuikov's headquarters at Mamayev Gang and had placed the entire heights under offensive fire.

On its left flank, Colonel Sologub's 112th Division and the 9th Motorized Rifle Brigade were also fighting to the death, desperately in need of friendly support.

Mamayev Hill is a unique tactical battlefield of extraordinary importance, with a clear view of the defensive posture of the left and right flanks of the 62nd Army, as well as a bird's-eye view of the movement of the reserve forces and the movement of supplies from the east bank. The capture of Mamayev would allow for a precise artillery attack and direct the Air Force to provide precise air support for a sustained, direct artillery bombardment of the Volga crossings, which would inflict heavy damage on the 62nd Army.

In addition, the Mamayev Hill is of great psychological importance to the armies of both sides fighting in the city, as neither side wants the other side to be condescending to see its own actions.

Worried, Chuikov told his subordinates: "I was worried all night about the fate of Mamayev Height, and if the enemy took it, they would be able to control the entire city and the Volga. ”

At dawn on April 20, Chuikov ordered two regiments——— the 42nd Regiment of the 13th Guards Division and the 46th Regiment of the 112th Division under the command of Colonel Sologub——— to charge at Mamayev Heights, demanding that they hold this vital position at any cost.

After 10 minutes of artillery preparation, the 42nd and 46th regiments attacked the north and northeast of the heights, respectively. Despite heavy casualties, the Soviets bravely advanced to the heights, but were immediately counter-attacked by the Luftwaffe and German forces on the ground.

In the battle for Stalingrad, the Germans continued to launch fierce attacks on the Mamayev Heights, but for the time being, they did not achieve decisive results, and hand-to-hand combat and grenade throwing at close range often took place. Chuikov vowed that "no matter what happens, we will defend the Mamayev post."

However, on 21 April, when the Germans stormed Mamayev Heights, the positions of the 13th Guards Division began to crumble, and the 62nd Army was in dire need of reinforcements.

Until dawn on 22 April, the fighting showed no signs of abating or suspending it. As usual, the battle began again with a massive air raid by the Luftwaffe.

At the moment, the situation in Stalingrad demanded that they must act urgently. The Soviets concentrated a large number of troops and launched an attack on the Germans on a 32-kilometer position. The offensive had two purposes: first, to relieve the pressure of the 62nd Army, and secondly, to join up with the right flank of the 62nd Army.

At 5:30, after a barrage of fire, the Soviet army launched an attack on the German army, but at this time the German army had a tactical advantage in the high ground, and the Soviet artillery attack did not achieve any substantial results, but the Soviet assault force was violently suppressed by enemy artillery, anti-tank guns and machine gun fire.

Due to the coordinated counteroffensive of the Soviet army led by the German army with the air force first, the advance of the Soviet attacking troops was very difficult and the advance was extremely slow, resulting in a greatly reduced coordination between the Soviet armored forces, artillery and infantry.

The Stalingrad Front fought hard for several days and, with heavy casualties, did not achieve any tactical objectives other than to temporarily contain the Luftwaffe offensive.

The situation is becoming more and more critical for the Russians, and an even more deadly crisis is quietly approaching the Russians.

That was the Myristel commando, which was rapidly advancing towards the port of Stalingrad.

Boldly campaigning, they will soon give the Russians a taste of defeat. And for this reason, although the number of this German commando team was not very large, it was enough to make them a decisive force.

Stalingrad, this group of German soldiers will be remembered! (To be continued......)