Nolloff Posted November 29, 2002 Share Posted November 29, 2002 In the afternoon of August 23rd 1942 the 2. Panzerregiment of 16th Panzerdivision (XIV. Panzerkorps) reached the Volga in the area of Rynok, a northern suburb of Stalingrad. Russian counterattacks from the North cut through the small corridor to the West the Germans had opened and the XIV. Panzerkorps got encircled for a week or more, defending against strong Russian counterattacks (one source mentions first Russian attacks with American tanks). So far my books and Google searches. Does anyone have some additional info, maybe maps of the area around Rynok and more on the encircled German forces? What I´ve found so far describes Rynok as something like a Garden of Eden with vineyards etc. etc. in comparison to the Steppe from where the Germans where coming. There seems to have also been a large railway ferry across the Volga in this area but I haven´t been able to locate it on maps. Thanks Nolloff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxx Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 No maps, but in 'Stalingrad - The Fateful Seige' Anthony Beevor says "Like the other panzer commanders, Captain Freytag-Loringhoven stood on top of his tank to gaze through binoculars across the wide Volga river. The view was excellent from the much higher western bank. 'We looked at the immense, immense steppe towards Asia, and I was overwhelmed,' he remembered. 'But I could not think about it for very long because we had to make an attack against another anti-aircraft battery that had started firing on us.'" also... "We had to fight, shot for shot, against thirty-seven enemy anti-aircraft positions, manned by tenacious fighting women, until they were all destroyed." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 Ugh - if that is Beevor at his best, I think I give it a miss Terrible, those Russki women... Stephen Walsh's coffee-table 'Stalingrad - Die Hoelle im Kessel' (can be picked up for €10 in German cheapo bookstores) has some info but no maps. According to him the division was commanded by Generalmajor Hube, and got into really dire straits, being attacked in its forward position by '62nd Army, militia battalions, and T34 straight from the production line'. The Corps commander of XIV. Panzerkorps (to which Walsh assigns 16.PD), von Wietersheim, approached Paulus asking for permission to withdraw but was denied. After five days of fighting, Hube authorised a breakout to the west because of a lack of ammunition and fuel, and relieved his officers from their oath to Hitler. Before that breakout occurred, 3. ID (mot.) made it through and opened the encirclement. As for Rynok, the movie I talk about in the other thread says it was an industrial suburb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxx Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 There is a general map with Rynok visible here and here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolloff Posted November 30, 2002 Author Share Posted November 30, 2002 Originally posted by Andreas: ... Ugh - if that is Beevor at his best, I think I give it a miss Terrible, those Russki women... ... by '62nd Army, militia battalions, and T34 straight from the production line'... ...As for Rynok, the movie I talk about in the other thread says it was an industrial suburb.On Beevor and women: I found the mentioning of female workes from Red Barricade gun plant manning the flak at various places. The Russians placing AA batteries on the high bank of the Volga makes sense. Von Strachwitz must have made extremely good progress. 45km in one day starting at the Don to reach the Volga only 10km north of Stalingrad doesn´t sound like much resistance but mucho surprise. Russian forces attacking the corridor from the north would be 1. Guards Army and/or 66. Army according to what I´ve read elsewhere. The availability date of the Sherman in CMBB matches with the account from 2. Panzerregiment. Not sure what sources CMBB uses to determine the Sherman availability though. I´ll have to look for that other thread. Could you give me a hint where it is please? Thanks for the other answers, links etc. Personally I find what happened before the fight for the city/factories and the encirclement of 6th Amry incredibly interesting. Unfortunately it seems there´s not that much info on the earlier part of the battle. Cheers! Nolloff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolloff Posted November 30, 2002 Author Share Posted November 30, 2002 hmmm - maybe 1. Guards Army = 1. Tank Army then the American tanks would rather have been Lees which would fit a description of bulky, easy targets. Nolloff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andreas Posted November 30, 2002 Share Posted November 30, 2002 My movie recommendations It is almost certainly 1st Tank Army, according to Walsh, undertaking the counterattacks. Walsh has an aerial photograph that gives you a hint of contours, I may get around to scanning it sometime and will email it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolloff Posted November 30, 2002 Author Share Posted November 30, 2002 Thanks again. The scan would be great! The last picture at this location www.stalingrad-info.com seems to be the whole Volga bank from (left to right/south to north) northern city center, the two-pronged east-west riverbed which might be the Krutoi ravine, oil refinery, hill 102/Kurgan to the south-east of the tennis racket, tennis racket, another Balka and there must a huge viaduct or bridge crossing it to the right of the tennis-racket,Red October, Red Barricade, tractor works, the joining of the river-beds of the Mokraja Metschetka and Orlovka (seems to be deeply cut-in) and leading to the Volga and finally Spartakowka suburb on the far right. Rynok must start just where the picture ends. Nolloff [ November 30, 2002, 06:17 AM: Message edited by: Nolloff ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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