September 1942

Eastern Front

North of Stalingrad, Moskalenko's 1st Guards Army attacks at 0700 hours, hitting the XIV Panzer Corps with the 24th and 116th Rifle Divisions and the VII and XVI Tank Corps. The 1st launches its atttacks earlier than the 66th and 24th Armies at Stalin's orders for action to relieve the pressure upon the 62nd and 64th Armies. Moskalenko's attack is badly coordinated and visible to the Germans on the high ground to the south, XIV Panzer bringing down concentrated artillery fire and aerial attacks upon the tightly-packed Soviet forces. After just a few thousand yards, the attack grinds to a halt. Stalin presses Zhukov to continue the attacks. Zhukov reports that the armies are not yet ready to attack in force and wand to wait until September 5. Stalin agrees reluctantly.

Leading elements of the 4th Panzer and 6th Armies link up at Pitomnik but fail to isolate the 64th and 62nd Armies outside Stalingrad, the Soviets having withdrawn closer to the city. German attacks press toward Stalingrad on a broad front, pushing the Soviets into the suburbs rather than encircling them on the steppe. In a massive show of strength, the Luftwaffe again bombs Stalingrad, reducing more buildings to rubble. All this achieves thouth is the formation of ready-made barricades across the streets running to the Volga, with the 6th Army will later have to fight bloody battles to overcome.

Heavy fighting rages to the south as the 17th Army presses the 47th Army back into Novorossiysk. Meanwhile, the 1st Panzer Army claws its way closer to Grozny but is reaching the end of its strength.

Paulus' failure to isolate the 64th and 62nd Armies west of Stalingrad was a basic error. His uninspired leadership enabled the Red Army to escape an obvious trap. Had the Germans isolated the Soviet defenders on the steppe west of the city, it is doubtful Stalingrad would have held and German forces would have dominated the lower Volga, securing the rear of their forces in the Caucasus.