The Tragic History of the 16. Pz.-Div. during the Battle of Stalingrad December 1942 - Volume 1

From the vast yet extensive literature on the history of the Battle of Stalingrad, here is a comprehensive study of a German armoured division engaged against a Soviet army north of Stalingrad. This sector, named "The Stalingrad Barrier", was defended by the soldiers and tank crews of the 16. Pz.-Div. from late August 1942 until 2 February 1943, the date of their surrender.

Of the 16,000 Germans committed, only 126 returned after their captivity, in 1955. Despite the difficulty of finding witnesses, the author uncovered nearly thirty deeply moving testimonies, sometimes harrowing accounts of events endured. All these accounts have been placed in their historical context during the last two months of the battle.

Each action is described day by day and illustrated with more than thirty previously unpublished maps, making the text considerably easier to follow. Finally, the author reviewed his entire work once the German side was complete, revisiting it from the Russian perspective with a wealth of additional detail.

Each of the Soviet divisions making up the 66th Army is analysed using recovered war diaries. Whether Russian or German, they must fight for inexcusable political causes that banish all humanity, where death gradually becomes the only escape from suffering.

This saga is presented in two parts: the first covers December 1942 and the second covers January 1943 and the first two days of February 1943.