the horrors of stalingrad

"In one camp along the Volga, we were in bunk beds. I slept in a lower bed with eight guys. We were like sardines in a can. In the morning when the Russians came into the barracks, they counted how many people were there and how many were dead. We would hold a dead man up in front of us and act as if he was alive, so we would get a portion of his food. Every night, six to eight men died and the Russians would say, 'It's still too few. More of you must die." - German POW captured during the fighting in Stalingrad.

nearly 91,000 germans were taken prisoner during the battle of stalingrad— about 5,000 of them returned home. the guerilla style, urban warfare lasted for a little over 5 months and claimed 2.2 million casualties. the firefights took place in basements, houses, factories, and even the sewers. the close combat fighting often resulted in deaths at point blank range— the average lifespan of a soldier entering stalingrad was 24 hours. both the soviets and the germans issued orders of no retreat under the penalty of death— nobody was allowed to leave the city, including children. with supplies unable to reach stalingrad, cannibalism became common— as did protein consumption from rats & horses. with the destruction of the 6th german army, the battle became a major turning point for the entire war— stalingrad should serve as a reminder for what man is capable of.