by James D. Hoyer

Created on: May 07, 2010   Last Updated: June 20, 2010

           On June 12th 1942 Hitler’s #1Genral Field Marshal Von Reichenau was leading the battle hardened 6th Army to do battle with the Russians in Stalingrad, while flying to inrout to the front he a suffered a heart attack then, to top that of his airplane crashed so that left the command of the 6th Army to General Paulus,  Even though he had never a combat in,  he is getting batiism under fire now he found himself squaring of with Marshal Zhukov.Marshel Zhukov was war harden smart solider, General Paulus was going to his hands full. Even though he had never held a combat command he had a lot of common sense and worked on the general staff for strategy and logistics. But that just wasn’t a good but he was totally loyal, and to Hitler that meant everything.But to his troops it meant,starvation, and freezing to death along with other methods of dyeing.

         I   read that Zhukov had deployed 7000 snipers in and around Stalingrad; the Germans called it the rats’ war. There was little or no hope for the German Army Hitler had promised them he would resupply them by air, but that didn’t happen. General Paulus ask Hitler for permission to breakout but got an absolutely not. So they fought on, no food, no cold weather, gear, and running out of ammunition, Hitler’s reply was stay and fight until you shoot your very last round of ammo is gone.

.        On Feb 2 1942 Zhukov isued an automation surrender or face complete annihilation. That was the surrendered that led up to the Stalingrad death march! of 90 000 prisoners only 9000 lived to ever seen home.

         The Batten death march was won with a bad reputation but the numbers compare it had out of 74000 out 54000 reached their destination. The Japs were cruel, but who knows what those Germans went throughh  The battle for Stalingrad was one for the ages. It was hell on Erarh, Hitler would have stayed out of it the, entire out could, come completely, through such ungodly suffering, but they also they would have lived to have fought another day. Or maybe they might have even made it home.

                   In a way it is to sad to write about. All the civilians no home, to go, no heat, the whole rotten affair, and when it was all over” for what”! The Germans were fighting a sort of a conventional war. And Zhukov was more like an organized street fighter. Plus he was being resupplied by the way of the river Volga. An ice road and it help, but Germany would have lost any way.

During  the battle of Stalingrad Russians,450  dead..

Gemans dead. 350,000

Italians  dead.  50,000

Romanies  dead. 50,000

  

         

         

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