Trap at Stalingrad
immediately. In any event, only the understrength 48th Panzer Corps was available in the area to counter the Soviet thrust. When the southern attack opened on the morning of November 20th, against the Rumanian 3rd Army, only the German 29th Motorized Infantry Division was available to block the inevitable breakthrough.
On November 23rd, the Soviet pincers linked up and the encirclement of the Axis forces in Stalingrad was complete. Soviet intentions at this point were to reduce the Stalingrad pocket before proceeding with further offensive operations towards the west, however, they severely underestimated the size of the surrounded German and allied forces. Stavka estimated that they had surrounded a force of about 85,000 men when in fact the figure was closer to 300,000.
The copyright of the article Trap at Stalingrad in World War II is owned by Ralph Zuljan. Permission to republish Trap at Stalingrad in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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