 Soldier of the 62nd Army waves a flag over the liberated still burning ruins of Stalingrad. |
Project 60: A Day-by-Day Diary of WWII
Remembering the First Fight Against Fascism |
 Survivors of the German 6th Army march into captivity. Of 90,000 prisoners, only 5000 would see home again. |
The final assault at Stalingrad took
place. The German perimeter had been reduced to a small area of the wrecked city
around the Tractor Factory complex. The Soviets massed over 300 guns per
kilometer of front and smashed the German positions under a massive barrage. The
survivors surrendered. Of the more than 280,000 men surrounded at Stalingrad,
160,000 had been killed in action, or died of starvation or exposure. 34,000,
mostly wounded men, had been evacuated. 90,000 German soldiers marched off into
captivity. Most would die in the march from the city or in captivity. Only 5000
of these men would see Germany again, the last returning 12 years later in 1955. American forces advance along the coast of Guadalcanal in pursuit of the retreating Japanese, crossing the Bonegi River. Hitler,
in a national broadcast from his headquarters, announced to the nation that the
6th Army had been destroyed at Stalingrad, saying that "the
sacrifice of the Army, bulwark of a historical European mission, was not in
vain." Four days of national morning were declared. Soviet forces make an
large scale amphibious landing at Novorussisk in the Black Sea behind the German
17th Army in the Kuban. The attack was designed to unhinge the strong
German mountain positions east of the city but quick reactions from the Germans
turned the tiny bridgehead into a charnel house. British 8th
Army forces cross the Libyan border into Tunisia. A force of one
cruiser and 22 destroyers led by Admiral Koyanagi rescues 5000 Japanese troops
from Guadalcanal. Four of the ships were damaged in the action. Soviet forces capture
Staryy Oskol and Izyum, but the landings at Anopa are repulsed. Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed Commander in Chief of all Allied forces in
North Africa. Soviet forces capture Azov and the mouth of the Don River and in the Ukraine, Kramatorsk is liberated. Orde Wingate launches
the first Chindit raid in Burma. The specially trained 77th Brigade
starts out from Imphal, India and heads for Tamu, Burma, deep in the Japanese
rear area. The last Japanese
soldiers on Guadalcanal, some 2000 in all, are evacuated on 18 destroyers. Kursk is liberated by
advancing Red Army columns. Organized
Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal came to an end. In all, the Japanese lost
10,000 men killed and the Americans 1,600. Guadalcanal was the first strategic
defeat for the Japanese in the war. Belgorod,
northeast of Kharkov, is liberated. Volchansk and Chuguyev are taken by the Red Army. Soviet forces are only 20 miles from Kharkov. Lozovaya is captured by Vatutin’s Southwest Front. Krasnodar in the Kuban is captured by Red Army forces. Forces west of the Don River liberate Shakhty, Kommunarsk and Krasnoarmeskoye. The Soviets forces take Novocherkassk. A major German attack
is launched into the US 2nd Corps. The Americans, positioned poorly
between Faid and Sbeitla break retreat in disorder as General Arnim’s forces
led by the 10th and 21st Panzer Divisions shatter their
lines. The Americans suffer heavy losses. Russians
recaptured Rostov, cutting off the German 17th Army in the Kuban
peninsula forcing the Germans to lines of communications west over the Kerch
Straits into the Crimean Peninsula. The Soviets now control the entire length of
the rail line from Vornezh to Rostov. Drasnyy Sulin and Shakhty are also
liberated. Rommel’s forces join the attack in Tunisia against the Americans at Kassarine as elements of 15th Panzer Division attack and capture Gafsa. The bulk of Rommel’s forces have taken up strong positions to the east as the last forces from Libya enter the Mareth Line. 1941 Archive: 1942 Archive: 1943 Archive: Special Editions: Editor's Corner Archive: Hitler's Angle "The story of Prescott Bush and his association with the Nazis begins just before the end of World War I..." The Past Through Tomorrow "It is quite frightening to realize just how similar our nation’s actions have been and appear to be heading when compared this way..." Afghanistan and Vietnam: When the “war against terrorism” began, many knowledgeable people warned that our operations in Afghanistan would turn into another Vietnam. Want to Win - Think Before You Lash Out - "If we are serious about taking the war to the enemy, it is time to look ..." The First Fight Against Fascism - We must remember the Spanish Civil War also. Arguing Victory - "... Each nation who fought against fascist tyranny in WWII brought with it part of whole needed to defeat that evil..." War, Glory, Honor and Remembrance - "War is a brutal and savage insult on human society..." The First
Casualty... in time of war, those in power are even more inclined to
hide the truth, since that truth is often manifest in the most gruesome and
terrible acts. Those wishing to contribute items. stories or comments should contact D.A. Friedrichs |