161 - Stalingrad, Factory by Factory, Room by Room - WW2 - September 25, 1942

by Panzer
But they were best pals! Okay, he doesn't have pals...
What about Röhm? Yeah, but look what happend to him! Okay,
whatever. I mean they’ve been through like everything together, you know! Man, okay
so who gets the job now? Zeitzler
Who? Zeitzler
Doesn’t ring any bells. Alright see ya.
September 25, 1942
Last week the Battle for the inner city of Stalingrad began. Now, each week I begin the
episode with a “hook”, something new or gripping or important that happens in the war, right?
Well, what more can I say this week- it’s still the Battle of Stalingrad.
I’m Indy Neidell; this is World War Two.
Last week a Japanese sub sank an American carrier,
but the American Marines on Guadalcanal were reinforced anyhow. The Japanese were defeated
both on Guadalcanal and the Kokoda Trail, and the Axis forces advanced in the Caucasus,
and began the deadly, brutal, and grinding attacks on the inner city of Stalingrad.
The Soviets are, however, making serious attacks of their own.
62nd Army Commander Vasily Chuikov plans his first attack this week to flow from Mameyev
Kurgan toward the central railway station to cut off those German units that are advancing in the
city center. It is timed for noon the 19th. Georgy Zhukov’s forces are attacking as well,
southward from the northwest to try to cut off the invaders and ease pressure on the city. However…
(Erickson) “The second attack launched by the Stalingrad Front with 1st Guards,
66th, and 24th armies, also timed for noon September 19th,
failed again. The German bombers duly turned away from Stalingrad, but by the early evening
they gathered in their accustomed numbers over the city and Chuikov knew the worst.”
His attack does make some progress, but does not relieve German pressure on the city center.
On the 20th, German dive bombers blow up much of what’s left of the railway station, and the
battalion from Soviet 13th Guards that had been doing the fighting to hold it then cross to the
square opposite the station and occupy a building on the corner, which they call the Nail Factory
because they find loads of nails there. They don’t have water and they aren’t getting any sleep.
That night the Germans blow up a wall and throw in hand grenades.
On the 21st those that are still alive are split in two forces. The battalion HQ is now
pinned down near the department store Univermag,
inside of which hand to hand combat with the enemy soon takes place
and where the HQ staff is killed, while the rest of the battalion pulls back toward the Volga step
by step, with 40 men and a heavy machine gun occupying a three story building on the corner
of Krasnopiterskaya and Komsomolskaya 200 m from the water. There they hold the rest of the week,
destroying a column of Germans and running out of ammunition. Spolier- tomorrow German tanks
knock the building to the ground. Six Guardsmen will escape the rubble and make it to the river.
Okay, that’s the micro level.