Eastern Front - Battle of Stalingrad 1942/1943
Stalingrad
One of the largest , costliest and most ferocious Battles in History and arguably the turning point of the Second World War.
In early 1942 two events took place which were to set in motion one of the greatest single Battles in History and the greatest ever disaster for German Armed Forces in the Field.
Firstly in early January 1942 after the Commander in Chief of the 6th Army Field Marschall Von Reichenau has been given command of Army Group South by Hitler , Reichenau saw to it that his replacement was his former Chief of Staff Friedrich Paulus. Paulus had never even Commanded a Division or a Corps before he was catapulted up the Army list to General der Panzertruppe and given Command of the 6th Army one of the Largest and most powerful formations of the Wehrmacht.
Secondly On 5th April 1942 Adolf Hitler issued Fuhrer Directive no 41 the order for the German Summer Offensive of 1942 which directed the Wehrmacht and the 6th Army and 4th Panzer Army in particular to advance towards the Volga and into the vast region of the Kalmuk Steppe into the Caucasus to the Black Sea , capturing the Oil fields at Maikop and Grosny finally ending in Baku.
This order led the 6th Armee and part of 4th Panzer Armee to the City of Stalingrad on the banks of the Volga river ( modern day Volgograd ) and it’s destruction in the ruins of the city and the surrounding Steppe . One million men and women became casualties on both sides of the Battle and the names of Paulus , Vasilky Chuikov, Konstantin Rokossovsky and Vasily Zaitsev became part of History.
This Tour is designed to tell the story of the Battle from start to finish , the costly fighting in the Great Bend of the River Don and the Kalmyk steppe in the hot , dusty summer of 1942 , the crossing of the River Don by the Germans and the advance to the Volga on 23/8/1942 , the ferocious close quarter fighting in the ruins of the Cities buildings and large factory complexes , the massive Russian counterattacks of Operation Uranus and the surrounding of the German forces in the Stalingrad Kessel to the final capitulation on 2/2/1943.
We will visit all the famous locations in the Don and Kalmuck Steppe , both North and South of the City and of course in the City and along the banks of the great Volga river itself. Our Tour will also take you to the areas where the combat actually took place where trenches and old bunker lines can still be seen.
The Tour will include the strategic situation on the Eastern Front in 1942 leading up to the Battle of Stalingrad and an exclusive insight into the Russian point of view , we will show why the Germans eventually lost the Battle and how the Russians won it , both opposing sides tactics , successes and mistakes will be presented during the tour.
Included as part of the Tour are a Volga Boat ride and the opportunity to carry out Battlefield Archaeology and meet local Archaeologists working in the field together with Russian veterans of the Battle who will accompany us to some locations and join in our discussions .
This Tour is run in conjunction with our expert local guides who we have no hesitation in recommending as the most experienced and knowledgable in the City. The Tour is conducted in the English language.
The Tour cost covers Airport Transfers to and from the Hotel, Transport throughout the duration of the Tour , Hotel accommodation including Breakfast ( Due to the fact that the accommodation is located in a modern city with many Bars / Restaurants of all types evening meals are at the discretion of the client ,which will give you the opportunity to sample Russian or any other cuisine should you require ) Full guiding services for the duration of the Tour , entrance fees to all Museums and Lunch provided whilst out in the Field.
The Hotels will be 3* located in the City Centre and are all of an excellent standard, with private bathroom, toilet, television and telephone in all rooms, buffet breakfast is included. The tour cost DOES NOT include the flight to and return from Volgograd , Visa for Russia or Travel insurance.
Our tour can operate with up to 40 Guests on any given Tour , however we will consider any size of group up to that number and any guest requested time period. All applications are dealt with on an individual basis.
Please note that the price quoted is for Tours of at least 5 people and above. The deposit for the Tour is £ 100 and the full amount will be due two months before the departure date. If for any reason you need to cancel the booking we will refund deposits as long as the cancellation is not within four weeks of the departure date. Cheques should be made payable to Frontline Battlefield Tours. We do not at present accept credit cards.
Tour dates 24th-29th September 2010
Please contact us for more information on any aspect of our Tours either by the onsite contact page ,by Telephone 0191 3864731 / Fax 0191 370 9413
or via e mail paulfrontlinebattlefieldtours@yahoo.co.uk