Stalingrad

[Zeppelin]

Stalingrad! I want to know everything about it! If anyone could please give me some usefull information or direct me to a website that could teach me a lot. Thanks.

[Run N Gun]

I want to know if the russian officers really did shoot their men for retreating.

[KriegsmarineFreak]

Russian officers did really shoot their men if they retreated or fell back. In some of the Call of Duty shooting games it shows this. If the men were to run away from a German MG gun that was mowing down dozens of their comrades their officers would be waiting behind and would shoot them on the spot. It was suicide to be in a position like that. Many of the German soldiers who witnessed this happening even felt sorry for the Russians who were shot for being "cowards" and "traitors" just for falling back to try to save themselves.

Zeppelin, here's a great website on the battle of Stalingrad. It has a lot of photos. Link: Stalingrad battlefield information

Stalingrad is probably one of the most famous battles of WW2. Lots of books and movies have been made about the pivotal battle. Thousands of soldiers along with civilians died there. There's a famous book about Stalingrad called, "Enemy At The Gates" which, tells the history of the battle.

[Roddoss72]

Originally Posted by Run N Gun

I want to know if the russian officers really did shoot their men for retreating.

Absolutely correct, they were termed execution squads, and to my surprise many in those squads were women and they were assigned to Penal Divisions whos orders were simple shoot any convict soldier who retreated in the face of the enemy, also they were put into ordinary units this was to enforce Stalins order "Not one step backwards", and if i am correct it was first used in Stalingrad, if not can someone let me know.

[KriegsmarineFreak]

I'd have to agreee with you Roddoss72 on that Stalingrad was the first place where Russian officers killed deserting soldiers. Stalin wanted the city named after him to not be caught that everyone was required to fight using whatever weapons they could find. They would not let the Germans take a yard without a fight and if a Russian soldier was killed the Germans would have ten times that ammount of their soldiers killed. Stalin vowed there would not be a step backwards. Also he said in his speech that all deserters and traitors would be shot. There would be no mercy for "cowards." Stalingrad was the place were this policy was sadly enforced. Wonder how many soldiers were killed because of this policy by Stalin? I can only imagine how high the numbers were!

[T-34]

Originally Posted by KriegsmarineFreak

... I can only imagine how high the numbers were!

no doubt you can...
however, don't let your imagination take you too far away from reality.

[Za Rodinu]

Zeppelin, here's something for you to read for starters:

Battle of Stalingrad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stalingrad battlefield information
Military History Online - Battle of Stalingrad

And The Battle for Stalingrad is especially good.

There is also the movie "Enemy at Gates". While completely worthless in historical terms, it does provide you with a good visual impression. The initial river crossing sequence is makes you wish you were somewhere else.

The correct term would be not "execution squad" but "blocking detachment". Nothing like a little incentive to put a spring in your step

[Gibbo]

My understanding is that the blocking detachments were part of the NKVD & that it would generally be them rather than the men's own officers who carried out the shooting of alleged deserters.

[Za Rodinu]

Originally Posted by Roddoss72

...and to my surprise many in those squads were women ...

I'd be surprised too. Women served as auxiliaries (comms specialists, medics, traffic controllers, AA gun crews, etc.) and there are also cases of a few serving as snipers. In the air force they served as mechanics, armourers, etc., and there were a few front line pilots as well. As Gibbo says, the blocking detachments were NKVD troops, male only.

Here is the White Rose of Stalingrad
WW II ACE STORIES
WW II ACE STORIES

[Gotthard Heinrici]

I think it was a missed opportunity myself. Initially the city was ripe for the taking but Hitler Vacillated and that hesitation cost him dearly. It was a case of trying to take too much and hence ending up with nothing. A decision should have been made at the start of the campaign as to the specific objectives but these were shifting sands with Hitler -subject ot change at a moments notice. Another example of this was at Barbarossa - objectives were constantly changed.