The Battle of Stalingrad
August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943
August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943
The German defeat at Stalingrad was the culmination of Hitler's great summer offensive of 1942. The Wehrmacht's goal was to conquer the Caucasus and quench Germany's thirst for oil but the battle of the city bearing Stalin's name ultimately became Hitler's obsession. An entire army (6. Armee) and parts of a second (4. Panzerarmee) were absorbed into an urban slugfest. In November 1942, the Red Army encircled the Germans in the city and its surroundings and ultimately squeezed them to death. Roughly 91,000 soldiers surrendered by February 2, 1943. The Wehrmacht would never be the same again.
Ludwig Meyer was born in July 24, 1918 in the town of Neuwied on The Rhine River, just north of Koblenz. He worked on the West Wall in 1940 and ultimately served as a Wachmeister with Artillerie-Regiment 179, 79. Infanterie-Division. The division saw light action against the French Campaign in 1940 and served in France on occupation duty until mid-1941 when it was attached to Army Group South in July for the push into Russia. The division fought through the campaign's first year and, on October 6, 1941, Meyer was decorated with the Iron Cross Second Class, (likely) for actions during the push east from Kiev to Kharkov.
Serving with 6. Armee, 79. Infanterie-Division was part of the push toward Stalingrad in the summer of 1942. The division was engaged in fighting outside the city until it was ultimately committed to the city fighting in October as reinforcements for the assaults on the city's factory district. By late September, much of the city fighting was concentrated to the north in front of the three main factories - the Barrikady Arms Factory, the Red October Steel Factory, and the Stalingrad Tractor Factory. The division was thrown into bitter fighting for the Krasny Oktyabr (Red October) Steel Factory and suffered heavy casualties on a daily basis as the men fought within the industrial ruins. Crucial to the advance of the infantry were the organic artillery units within the division in their fire support. In recognition of multiple engagements, Meyer was decorated with the General Assault Badge, effective November 4, 1942.
Serving with 6. Armee, 79. Infanterie-Division was part of the push toward Stalingrad in the summer of 1942. The division was engaged in fighting outside the city until it was ultimately committed to the city fighting in October as reinforcements for the assaults on the city's factory district. By late September, much of the city fighting was concentrated to the north in front of the three main factories - the Barrikady Arms Factory, the Red October Steel Factory, and the Stalingrad Tractor Factory. The division was thrown into bitter fighting for the Krasny Oktyabr (Red October) Steel Factory and suffered heavy casualties on a daily basis as the men fought within the industrial ruins. Crucial to the advance of the infantry were the organic artillery units within the division in their fire support. In recognition of multiple engagements, Meyer was decorated with the General Assault Badge, effective November 4, 1942.
|
By the end of the month, the German 6. Armee was surrounded at Stalingrad and the plight of the soldiers worsened as conditions deteriorated, and the pocket shrank. Trapped within the “Kessel”, Meyer wrote to his family regularly. Even as he faced the horror of combat, cold, hunger and the unknown, Meyer kept the negative details at a minimum when writing to his family. As late as the first week of January 1943, Meyer was still sending letters home as the postal system between in an out of the pocket began to break down. On a few occasions, likely out of boredom while trapped in the pocket, he traced/impressed his General Assault Badge on a separate piece of paper, cut it out, and attached it to the letters to his family. Meyer, however, was ultimately lost in the pocket, reportedly killed on January 20, 1943, less than two weeks before the end of the German position at Stalingrad. His actual badge was likely lost in the ruins of the city, but his award document and an impression of his badge survive today and are representative of some of the heaviest fighting in one of the most famous battles in history.
|
|
|
|
Shown above are the letter with General Assault Badge tracing to Meyer's parents, along with the award document dated November 4, 1942, awarded at Stalingrad. Other stories of soldiers who fought during the fateful siege are shown below.