Operation Winter Storm

Operation Winter Storm
Part of the Battle of Stalingrad during the Eastern Front of World War II

A German Tiger tank and knocked-out Soviet T-34 tank during the fighting in the southern Soviet Union.
Date12–23 December 1942
Location
Southwest of Stalingrad
Result Soviet victory
Belligerents
 Soviet Union  Germany
 Romania
 Italy
Commanders and leaders
Soviet Union Andrey Yeryomenko
Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky
Soviet Union Aleksandr Vasilevsky
Nazi Germany Erich von Manstein
Nazi Germany Hermann Hoth
Nazi Germany Karl-Adolf Hollidt
Kingdom of Romania Petre Dumitrescu
Fascist Italy Italo Gariboldi
Strength
115,000 personnel
329 tanks
1,133 artillery guns
220 aircraft[1]
124,000 personnel
211 tanks
852 artillery guns
500 aircraft[1]
Casualties and losses
Unknown 15,751 casualties[a]
  • 3,700 killed
  • 10,874 wounded
  • 1,086 missing

Operation Winter Storm (German: Unternehmen Wintergewitter), a German offensive in December 1942 during World War II, involved the German 4th Panzer Army failing to break the Soviet encirclement of the German 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad.

In late November 1942 the Red Army had completed Operation Uranus, encircling some 300,000 Axis personnel in and around the city of Stalingrad. German forces within the Stalingrad pocket and directly outside were reorganized (22 November 1942) into Army Group Don and placed under the command of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein. The Red Army continued to allocate as many resources as possible to the planned Operation Saturn to isolate Army Group A from the rest of the German Army. To remedy the situation, the Luftwaffe attempted to supply German forces in Stalingrad through an air bridge. When the Luftwaffe failed and it became obvious that a breakout could succeed only if launched as early as possible, Manstein decided on a relief effort.

Originally, Manstein was promised four panzer divisions. Due to German reluctance to weaken certain sectors by redeploying German units, the task of opening a corridor to the encircled German 6th Army fell to the depleted 4th Panzer Army, under the command of Hermann Hoth. The German force was pitted against several Soviet armies tasked with the destruction of the encircled German forces and their offensive around the lower Chir River.

The German offensive caught the Red Army by surprise and made large gains on the first day. The spearhead forces enjoyed air support and defeated counterattacks by Soviet troops. By 13 December, Soviet resistance had slowed the German advance considerably. Although German forces took the area surrounding the town of Verkhne-Kumskiy [ru] and crossed the river Myshkova. However, on 16 December the Red Army launched Operation Little Saturn and crushed the Italian 8th Army on Army Group Don's left flank, threatening the rear of Manstein's force. Faced with mounting casualties and stiff Soviet opposition, the 4th Panzer Army continued its attempt to open a corridor to the 6th Army on 18–19 December, but was unsuccessful.

Manstein called off the assault on 23 December and by Christmas Eve the 4th Panzer Army began to withdraw to its starting position. Due to the failure of the 6th Army to break out from the Soviet encirclement, the Red Army could continue the "strangulation" of German forces in Stalingrad.

  1. ^ a b Самсонов А. М. Сталинградская битва. Гл. 8, таб. 11
  2. ^ "1942". Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2017.


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