October 1942

Eastern Front

An eerie lull begins to settle over Stalingrad as the Germans wear themselves out. Both armies take the opportunity to rest and recuperate their exhausted units after the furious fighting of the previous month. Fighting continues in various sectors of the city but without the ferocity of the last few days.

Chuikov redeploys his battered divisions to face what he expects will be the next phase of German attacks. The 95th Rifle Division, with 3,000 men, is moved from the Mamayev Kurgan northwest into the factories, taking up positions between the 37th Guards and the 308th Rifle Divisions in the Red October. The 42nd Rifle Brigade, down to 900 men, is subordinated to the 95th Rifle Division. Chuikov also moves the 112th Rifle Division, with 2,300 men, into the Tractor factory.

Order No. 307 restores unitary authority to the Red Army. Party representatives remain part of divisional and army staffs for the rest of the war but are used to extol the party line than directly command military operations.

Yet again Paulus had failed to smash the 62nd Army. Despite massive losses in men, material and crucially territory, the Soviet defenders refused to give in to the German juggernaut. Chuikov's task now was now to hold German attention while the Stavka assembled its forces in secret against the exposed flanks of the Stalingrad salient.