Operation Wintergewitter

Operation Winter Storm

Part of Battle of Stalingrad, Eastern Front, World War II

A German Tiger tank and knocked-out Soviet T-34 tank during the fighting in the southern Soviet Union.

Date

12–23 December 1942

Location

Southwest of Stalingrad

Result

Soviet victory

Axis failure to rescue 6th Army in Stalingrad pocket

Belligerents

Soviet Union

Germany

Romania

Commanders and leaders

Strength

(On 23 December)
150,000 personnel
630 tanks
1,500 artillery guns

est. 50,000+ personnel
250 tanks

Soviet victory

Operation Winter Storm (German: Unternehmen Wintergewitter) was a German offensive in World War II in which the German 4th Panzer Army unsuccessfully attempted to break the Soviet encirclement of the German 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad.

In late November 1942, the Red Army completed Operation Uranus, encircling some 300,000 Axis personnel in and around the city of Stalingrad. German forces within the Stalingrad pocket and directly outside were reorganized under Army Group Don, under the command of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein. Meanwhile, the Red Army continued to allocate as many resources as possible to the eventual launch of the planned Operation Saturn, which aimed to isolate Army Group A from the rest of the German Army. To remedy the situation, the Luftwaffe attempted to supply German forces in Stalingrad through an air bridge. When the Luftwaffe proved incapable of carrying out its mission and it became obvious that a successful breakout could occur only if launched as early as possible, Manstein decided on a relief effort.

Originally, Manstein was promised four panzer divisions. Due to German reluctance to weaken certain sectors by redeploying German units, the task of opening a corridor to the German 6th Army fell to the 4th Panzer Army. The German force was pitted against several Soviet armies tasked with the destruction of the encircled German forces and their offensive around the lower Chir River.

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Wikipedia