Lodieu, Didier La Tragique Histoire de la 16. Pz.-Div. durant la Bataille de Stalingrad Décembre 1942. Volume 1

From the quite extensive literature on the history of the Battle of Stalingrad, here is a comprehensive study of a German armoured division deployed against a Soviet army north of Stalingrad. This area, known as the "Stalingrad Barrier", was defended by soldiers and tanks of the 16th Panzer Division from the end of August 1942 until 2 February 1943, the day of its surrender. Of the 16,000 Germans deployed, only 126 returned after their captivity in 1955. Despite the difficulties in finding witnesses, the author discovered almost 30 poignant, sometimes unbearable accounts of the fates suffered. All of these accounts were placed in their historical context during the last two months of the battle. Each of the actions is described day by day and illustrated with over 30 unpublished maps, making the text much easier to understand. Finally, the author has revised his entire work after completing the German side to add a wealth of detail on the Russian side. Each of the Soviet divisions that made up the 66th Army is analysed on the basis of the marching diaries found. This battle saga is offered in two parts, the first covering the month of December 1942 and the second the month of January 1943 and the first two days of February 1943.