Stalingrad

Stalingrad, Battle of, marked a turning point in the course of the Second World War. The German troops, who had advanced as far as River Volga on August 23, 1942 and had conquered large parts of the town were encircled on November 22, 1942 by a Soviet counteroffensive. What was left of the Sixth Army, which comprised 250,000 soldiers, 140,000 of whom had fallen, capitulated on January 31, 1943. Only 6,000 of the total of around 110,000 prisoners of war returned home after 1945. There were many Austrians among the victims (44^th Infantry Division "Hoch- und Deutschmeister"), but exact figures are not available.

Literature: M. Kehrig, Stalingrad, Analyse und Dokumentation einer Schlacht, ³1979; S. Karner, Im Archipel GUPVI, Kriegsgefangenschaft und Internierung in der Sowjetunion 1941-56, 1995.