September 1942

Eastern Front

Men of the 92nd Rifle Brigade, newly committed to the battle, take up positions in the grain eleator, opening a savage 3-day battle for the building. Repeated German attacks are repulsed by the small bank of Soviet defenders.

Chuikov signals the Front headquarters that he needs reinforcements, requesting 2 or 3 divisions. High Command commits the 92nd Rifle and 137th Tank Brigades, element of the former having already started to cross the Volga and enter the battle. The 92nd begins to take up positions to the left of the 13th Guards, while the 137th Tank is to the right, in the Tennis Racquet railway yards.

Under heavy German fire, Chuikov is again forced to relocate his headquarters, moving from the Tsaritsyn bunker to the north of the Krasnyi Oktyabr factory. Unbeknownst to the Soviets, the oil storage tanks on the hills over the headquarters are still full of fuel.