2012 - October - "Enemy at the Gates" by William Craig

[David A]

I'm on the last 30 pages or so. The remnants of the Sixth Army are scurrying into the cellars and ruins of Stalingrad. Reading such terrible happenings cannot really convey the sheer terror these men must have gone through.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That's very true David, nothing can really convey the terror and fear that these men must have suffered from in the closing moments of Stalingrad.

[David A]

Yes Aussie Rick. You know the feeling you get when you miss the last bus or metro home? Just imagine the feeling of watching the last Ju-52 fly out from Gumrak knowing there won't be any more. I really can't begin to imagine the utter despair this must have caused.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

The stories of those soldiers who tried to cling onto the wings and part of the fuselage of those JU-52's flying out of The Kessel I suppose give us an idea of how desperate those men really were - very sad indeed!

[David A]

Yes terrible desperation. Imagine the pilot and what he had no choice but to do to lift off.

[carl]

in the movie stalingrad, which had a variety of
good & poorly shot scenes, the roiling mass of
men at Gumrak did show the desperation;
various soldiers jockeying to get their wounded
friends on planes, dealing abruptly with those
even suspected of self induced wounds,
chaos not usually associated with a German
army under any conditions.

[David A]

thats correct Carl and i was thinking of that scene from the film stalimgrad as I read Craig's account.

[A.L.]

I hope it's not cheating, but I keep looking up what happens to people in the epilogue as I read about them, rather than waiting until the end. (I would never do that for fiction, but nonfiction involving so many people is a different story).

I'm not very far into the book yet, but I am impressed with all the information Craig found, and with the way he puts it down on paper. I enjoy his writing style.

[David A]

Nope i dont think its cheating A.L. Reading the book whatever way you want to read it so as to get the most out if it is a good thing. It was except lay researched bearing mind the book was not published until 1972 so he did not had access to all the later records we are familiar with now.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Glad to hear you have started the book A.L. I am sure you will enjoy the story although there are parts that are terrible to read about.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

After finishing reading Enemy at the Gates and as a result of our discussions here it reminded me that I am yet to read my copy of the book below which offers first-hand accounts from this terrible battle.

(PB) or (HB) by Jonathan Bastable
Description:
No previous work about Stalingrad places such emphasis on the experience of ordinary fighters and civilians. This volume of human history and military strategy includes fresh translations from original sources describing this pivotal event of World War II as told by the German and Soviet soldiers who fought the battle, Russian civilians who watched the enemy at the gates as well as Western diplomat and newspaper correspondent onlookers.

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Added. After Enemy at the Gates, this has to add more depth to stories already told.

[Wade]

This brings to mind the book entitled 900 Days by H.Salisbury, passages in Mr.Salisbury also cover cannibalism during the siege of St.Petersburg(Lenningrad)....ohhh,man!

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Wade wrote: "This brings to mind the book entitled 900 Days by H.Salisbury, passages in Mr.Salisbury also cover cannibalism during the siege of St.Petersburg(Lenningrad)....ohhh,man!"

Hmmm, I read The 900 Days: The Siege Of Leningrad ages ago. Lost the book along the way, maybe I need to find a new copy and reread.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

It's a very good account Mike, well worth the investment for a second hand replacement copy for your library. I think it's still considered the classic account on Leningrad.

[David A]

Just finished the book. I forgot how detailed it was. The last few chapters about the struggle for survival in soviet captivity did not make for pleasant reading. Big Q is now what to read next????

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Always the same problem eh!

[David A]

I know. But I have settled on either or . Haven't decided yet. But as I haven't read much Overy before it will be one of these two

[David A]

So overall what were others people's impressions of the book? I enjoyed reading it again after so long. It does seem a bit dated since recent works which featured sources from the presidential archives which were opened in the 1990's with glasnost and other sources becoming available. Still I very much liked Craig's writing style and the way he could make the story flow.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Totally agree with you David, although dated in regards to research & sources the book is still one of the best in regards to conveying the experiences of the soldiers involved in the battle for Stalingrad. In that respect I don't think it has been bettered. What do others think?

[Wade]

David A wrote: "I know. But I have settled on either or . Haven't de..."

I really enjoy reading this particular book--it is one of my favourites-the book (for me) David just has a great flow about it.I tend to gravitate to the older works on WW2,they may no be as popular today as once they were..however i believe one would be hard pressed to find a better book on Stalingrad (considering the research known at the time of publishing...than Enemy At The Gates....i own a 1973 HB copy and the dust jacket is a photograph of the children/crocodile sculpture at Barmaley fountain....extremley haunting!

[David A]

I'm the same Wade. It has to rank as my top book of the eastern front. I love Craig's writing style. You and Aussie Rick are correct, it has not been bettered. I appreciate the research he had to conduct to tell the full story from both perspectives. Amazing giving the dearth of available sources at the time. I understand he interviewed a huge number of people, on 3 continents, and some who took a LOT of persuading to tell their story. Craig's book is a testament to their suffering both during the war and in soviet captivity and for their comrades who didn't survive to tell their own story as well as the soviet soldiers who fought to save their homeland. A marvellous work all round especially given that the soviets were still not comfortable with the full truth being out there for all to see.

[David A]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Totally agree with you David, although dated in regards to research & sources the book is still one of the best in regards to conveying the experiences of the soldiers involved in the battle for St..."

Yes, Aussie Rick he does brilliantly convey the experience of the soldiers who lived through it all. I don't exaggerate when i say while reading the accounts, i felt i was almost there. Imagine the updated version he would produce today were he alive.

[David A]

How's the book going A.L.? Hope you're "enjoying" it

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

For those who recently finished reading Enemy at the Gates and what to watch a detailed documentary on the battle with interviews with surviving Russian and German soldiers should check out this 3 part series:

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/22680/...

and

http://docuwiki.net/index.php?title=S...

Also posted in the movie & documentary thread in this group.

[A.L.]

David A wrote: "Nope i dont think its cheating A.L. Reading the book whatever way you want to read it so as to get the most out if it is a good thing. It was except lay researched bearing mind the book was not pub..."

That's one thing I've found, that if you really want to understand a topic, it's nice to pick up a book written after stuff was declassified. Like D-day--I loved The Longest Day, but would recommend also reading something written after Ultra was declassified because it had such a huge effect on that campaign.

[A.L.]

David A wrote: "How's the book going A.L.? Hope you're "enjoying" it"

I'm still working on it. My kiddos aren't giving me a lot of reading time, so the Soviets haven't even started their counteroffensive yet. But I am "enjoying" it. It is sad to read about such a horrible battle, but I enjoy learning more about what happened, especially since most of my previous reading is about fronts/battles/events involving Americans.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Glad to hear you are enjoying the book A.L., it only gets better :)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Strangely enough I came across a first-edition (English 1948) of Theodor Plievier's classic account of Stalingrad which I read many years ago and still have the PB edition but I couldn't go past this lovely old hardback for only $10.00.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_...

[Geoffrey]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "It's a very good account Mike, well worth the investment for a second hand replacement copy for your library. I think it's still considered the classic account on Leningrad."

I agree with Aussie Rick that Harrison Salisbury's 900 Days (1969) is a great book and still worth reading even though many new sources have become available during the last 40 years. A worthy successor in many ways is Anna Reid's Leningrad: Tragedy of a City under Siege (2011) but the book doesn't capture the epic dimension of the story as well as Salisbury. My review of Reid's book is here: http://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/...

Geoffrey Roberts

[David A]

Geoffrey wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "It's a very good account Mike, well worth the investment for a second hand replacement copy for your library. I think it's still considered the classic account on Leningrad."
..."

Must def check it out so. Looks a good read. Thanks for the heads up Geoffrey and Mike

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Geoffrey, thanks for the link to your review of Anna Reid's Leningrad: Tragedy of a City under Siege. I actually have a copy but am yet to read it.

by Anna Reid

You'll be happy to know that I recently purchased a copy of your latest book on Zhukov.

by Geoffrey Roberts

[A.L.]

David A wrote: "Hey all, I'm reading the 1972 coronet edition. If anybody is reading or has read a newer edition, does it have the "epilogue: among the survivors" section and has it been updated ( as in dates of d..."

I just finished the 2000 edition, and the epilogue had references to East and West Germany, and people still working who I would expect to be retired by 2000, so no updates.

I "enjoyed" the book. It's not a happy read, but I'm glad I read it. I feel sorry for the Russians, of course, but also for the poor soldiers "left to rot on the steppe" by Hitler.

The book left me with lots of "what if" questions. What if Paulus had been in Africa and Rommel in Stalingrad? If Heinrici had been in command, would he have disobeyed Hitler about Stalingrad the way he disobeyed Hitler in the closing weeks of the war? Even the weather played such a role in the battle. What would have happened if the Volga stayed clear of ice chunks longer, or froze over sooner? And one last question, were there rats at the POW camps? And if so, wouldn't they have made a better meal than dead POWs?

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi A.L.

Glad to hear you enjoyed reading the book and I liked your "what if" questions. In regards to rats I think they were the first thing eaten by the POW's leaving only humans as a source of 'fresh' meat. I'd think that if Rommel was in command of the 6th Army he may have ignored Hitler's stand fast order like he did at El Alamein but who knows ....

[David A]

A.L. wrote: "David A wrote: "Hey all, I'm reading the 1972 coronet edition. If anybody is reading or has read a newer edition, does it have the "epilogue: among the survivors" section and has it been updated ( ..."

Glad u enjoyed the read A.L. and they are v interesting Q's posed by you. It would be fascinating to see what Rommel would hae done but like Aussie Rick's belief I think he would have ignored Hitler order to stay fast.

[Chris]

I'm going to end up finishing in November as I still have 50 pages to go and have to devote my entire day to cramming for a major test tonight. But I've enjoyed this book and learned a lot, seeing as how this book is my first introduction to the Eastern Front basically. I'm glad this was a group read :)

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Glad to hear you have been enjoying the book Chrissy. It was the same for me, this book introduced me to the Russian Front and it's now one of my favourite subjects, I can't get enough books to read on the Eastern Front!

[Wade]

I too am glad "Enemy" was a good group lead--it is a very good intro. for those unfamilier with the absolute total war of annialation between USSR and Third Reich. OK lets bring on--Market-Garden.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hope to see you over in A Bridge Too Far thread soon then Wade :)

[Wade]

GERONIMO!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

For those who may still be reading Enemy at the Gates of even those who have finished may like to read the journal of Wilhelm Hoffman who was a soldier in the 267th Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry, German 6th Army who chronicled the Battle of Stalingrad until his death in the city. His journal was used in the TV series The World at War for the episode on Stalingrad.

EXCERPTS FROM THE DIARY OF A GERMAN SOLDIER AT STALINGRAD (1942)

Today, after we'd had a bath, the company commander told us that if our future operations are as successful, we'll soon reach the Volga, take Stalingrad and then the war will inevit­ably soon be over. Perhaps we'll be home by Christmas.

July 29 (1942). …The company commander says the Russian troops are completely broken, and cannot hold out any longer. To reach the Volga and take Stalingrad is not so difficult for us. The Führer knows where the Russians' weak point is. Victory is not far away….

August 2. …What great spaces the Soviets occupy, what rich fields there are to be had here after the war's over! Only let's get it over with quickly. I believe that the Führer will carry the thing through to a successful end.

August 10. ...The Führer's orders were read out to us. He expects victory of us. We are all convinced that they can't stop us.

August 12. We are advancing towards Stalingrad along the railway line. Yesterday Russian "katyushi" [small rocket launchers] and then tanks halted our regiment. "The Russians are throwing in their last forces," Captain Werner explained to me. Large-scale help is coming up for us, and the Russians will be beaten.

This morning outstanding soldiers were pre­sented with decorations…. Will I really go back to Elsa without a decoration? I believe that for Stalingrad the Führer will decorate even me….

August 23. Splendid news--north of Stalingrad our troops have reached the Volga and captured part of the city. The Russians have two alternatives, either to flee across the Volga or give themselves up. Our company's inter­preter has interrogated a captured Russian offi­cer. He was wounded, but asserted that the Russians would fight for Stalingrad to the last round. Something incomprehensible is, in fact, going on. In the north our troops capture a part of Stalingrad and reach the Volga, but in the south the doomed divisions are continuing to resist bitterly. Fanaticism….

August 27. A continuous cannonade on all sides. We are slowly advancing. Less than twenty miles to go to Stalingrad. In the day-time we can see the smoke of fires, at nighttime the bright glow. They say that the city is on fire; on the Führer's orders our Luftwaffe [air force) has sent it up in flames. That's what the Russians need, to stop them from resisting….

September 4. We are being sent northward along the front towards Stalingrad. We marched all night and by dawn had reached Voroponovo Station. We can already see the smoking town. It's a happy thought that the end of the war is getting nearer. That's what everyone is saying. If only the days and nights would pass more quickly….

September 5. Our regiment has been ordered to attack Sadovaya station--that's nearly in Stalingrad. Are the Russians really thinking of holding out in the city itself? We had no peace all night from the Russian artillery and aero­planes. Lots of wounded are being brought by. God protect me….

September 8. Two days of non-stop fighting. The Russians are defending themselves with in-sane stubbornness. Our regiment has lost many men from the "katyushi," which belch out terri­ble fire. I have been sent to work at battalion H.Q. It must be mother's prayers that have taken me away from the company's trenches….

September 11. Our battalion is fighting in the suburbs of Stalingrad. We can already see the Volga; firing is going on all the time. Wher­ever you look is fire and flames…. Russian cannon and machine-guns are firing out of the burning city. Fanatics….

September 13. An unlucky number. This morning "katyushi" attacks caused the com­pany heavy losses: twenty-seven dead and fifty wounded. The Russians are fighting desper­ately like wild beasts, don't give themselves up, but come up close and then throw grenades. Lieutenant Kraus was killed yesterday, and there is no company commander.

September 16. Our battalion, plus tanks, is attacking the [grain storage] elevator, from which smoke is pouring--the grain in it is burning, the Russians seem to have set light to it themselves. Barbarism. The battalion is suf­fering heavy losses. There are not more than sixty men left in each company. The elevator is occupied not by men but by devils that no flames or bullets can destroy.

September 18. Fighting is going on inside the elevator. The Russians inside are condemned men; the battalion commander says: "The com­missars have ordered those men to die in the elevator."

If all the buildings of Stalingrad are defended like this then none of our soldiers will get back to Germany. I had a letter from Elsa today. She's expecting me home when victory's won.

September 20. The battle for the elevator is still going on. The Russians are firing on all sides. We stay in our cellar; you can't go out into the street. Sergeant-Major Nuschke was killed today running across a street. Poor fel­low, he's got three children.

September 22. Russian resistance in the eleva­tor has been broken. Our troops are advancing towards the Volga….

…Our old soldiers have never experienced such bitter fighting before.

September 26. Our regiment is involved in constant heavy fighting. After the elevator was taken the Russians continued to defend themselves just as stubbornly. You don't see them at all, they have established themselves in houses and cellars and are firing on all sides, including from our rear-barbarians, they use gangster methods.

In the blocks captured two days ago Russian soldiers appeared from somewhere or other and fighting has flared up with fresh vigour. Our men are being killed not only in the firing line, but in the rear, in buildings we have already occupied.

The Russians have stopped surrendering at all. If we take any prisoners it's because they are hopelessly wounded, and can't move by themselves. Stalingrad is hell. Those who are merely wounded are lucky; they will doubtless be at home and celebrate victory with their families….

September 28. Our regiment, and the whole division, are today celebrating victory. To­gether with our tank crews we have taken the southern part of the city and reached the Volga. We paid dearly for our victory. In three weeks we have occupied about five and a half square miles. The commander has congratulated us on our victory….

October 3. After marching through the night we have established ourselves in a shrub-covered gully. We are apparently going to attack the factories, the chimneys of which we can see clearly. Behind them is the Volga. We have entered a new area. It was night but we saw many crosses with our helmets on top. Have we really lost so many men? Damn this Stalingrad!

October 4. Our regiment is attacking the Barrikady settlement. A lot of Russian tommy­gunners have appeared. Where are they bring­ing them from?

October 5. Our battalion has gone into the attack four times, and got stopped each time. Russian snipers hit anyone who shows himself carelessly from behind shelter.

October 10. The Russians are so close to us that our planes cannot bomb them. We are preparing for a decisive attack. The Führer has ordered the whole of Stalingrad to be taken as rapidly as possible.

October 14. It has been fantastic since morn­ing: our aeroplanes and artillery have been hammering the Russian positions for hours on end; everything in sight is being blotted from the face of the earth….

October 22. Our regiment has failed to break into the factory. We have lost many men; every time you move you have to jump over bodies. You can scarcely breathe in the daytime: there is nowhere and no one to remove the bodies, so they are left there to rot. Who would have thought three months ago that instead of the joy of victory we would have to endure such sacrifice and torture, the end of which is nowhere in sight? […]

The soldiers are calling Stalingrad the mass grave of the Wehrmacht [German army). There are very few men left in the companies. We have been told we are soon going to be withdrawn to be brought back up to strength.

October 27. Our troops have captured the whole of the Barrikady factory, but we cannot break through to the Volga. The Russians are not men, but some kind of cast-iron creatures; they never get tired and are not afraid of fire. We are absolutely exhausted; our regiment now has barely the strength of a company. The Russian artillery at the other side of the Volga won't let you lift your head….

October 28. Every soldier sees himself as a condemned man. The only hope is to be wounded and taken back to the rear….

November 3. In the last few days our battalion has several times tried to attack the Russian positions …to no avail. On this sector also the Russians won't let you lift your head. There have been a number of cases of self-inflicted wounds and malingering among the men. Every day I write two or three reports about them.

November 10. A letter from Elsa today. Everyone expects us home for Christmas. In Germany everyone believes we already hold Stalingrad. How wrong they are. If they could only see what Stalingrad has done to our army.

November 18. Our attack with tanks yesterday had no success. After our attack the field was littered with dead.

November 21. The Russians have gone over to the offensive along the whole front. Fierce fighting is going on. So, there it is--the Volga, victory and soon home to our families! We shall obviously be seeing them next in the other world.

November 29. We are encircled. It was an­nounced this morning that the Führer has said: "The army can trust me to do everything neces­sary to ensure supplies and rapidly break the encirclement."

December 3. We are on hunger rations and waiting for the rescue that the Führer prom­ised. I send letters home, but there is no reply.

December 7. Rations have been cut to such an extent that the soldiers are suffering terribly from hunger; they are issuing one loaf of stale bread for five men.

December 11. Three questions are obsessing every soldier and officer: When will the Rus­sians stop firing and let us sleep in peace, if only for one night? How and with what are we going to fill our empty stomachs, which, apart from 3 1/2 - 7 ozs of bread, receive virtually nothing at all? And when will Hitler take any decisive steps to free our armies from encirclement?

December 14. Everybody is racked with hunger. Frozen potatoes are the best meal, but to get them out of the ice-covered ground under fire from Russian bullets is not so easy.

December 18. The officers today told the soldiers to be prepared for action. General Manstein is approaching Stalingrad from the south with strong forces. This news brought hope to the soldiers' hearts. God, let it be!

December 21. We are waiting for the order, but for some reason or other it has been a long time coming. Can it be that it is not true about Manstein? This is worse than any torture.

December 23. Still no orders. It was all a bluff with Manstein. Or has he been defeated at the approaches to Stalingrad?

December 25. The Russian radio has an­nounced the defeat of Manstein. Ahead of us is either death or captivity.

December 26. The horses have already been eaten. I would eat a cat; they say its meat is also tasty. The soldiers look like corpses or lunatics, looking for something to put in their mouths. They no longer take cover from Russian shells; they haven't the strength to walk, run away and hide. A curse on this war!


Or view the journal online along with some other first-hand accounts:

http://cbweaver.wikispaces.com/file/v...

[Helen]

WOW!!! To see into a German soldier's psyche, without time, or any post-war apologies to burnish it-- this is raw and extraordinary. On one page, the whole cycle of Germany's psychological approach to the war, from cheerful optimism of an easy victory and confidence in Hitler, to bewilderment that the Russians really can and will fight, to a kind of unease, to facing the harsh and terrible reality that Germany is going to be crushed. Thanks for posting this, Rick!

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

My pleasure Helen. His journal enteries are used as a voice over in The World at War and with the visual images from the fighting at Stalingrad its very effective.

[Christie]

Read and finished the book over the summer. It was my first introduction to the Russian front and the battle of Stalingrad. I couldn't put it down. The movie was outstanding and the book filled in more of the gaps in my knowledge. I've picked up a copy of The 900 Days: The Siege Of Leningrad as I'm now very anxious to read and learn more about the war in the East. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

Hi Christie, well you have picked up two excellent books so far in regards to the Eastern Front. The 900 Days is a great account covering Leningrad.

by Harrison E. Salisbury

One of my favourite first-hand accounts covering the fighting in Russian by a German soldier is this book:

by Gottlob Herbert Bidermann

You could also try any of Michael Jones' books as he offers a nice mix of first-hand accounts and a good general history.

& & by Michael Jones

[Mike, Assisting Moderator US Forces]

Speaking of Leningrad, I'm on a quick business trip to Virginia and stopped in at a second hand store to find:



Have read through the first few pages and it looks very good. A survival story of a young girl and her mother.

['Aussie Rick', Moderator]

That looks like a pretty good book Mike, let us know what you think of it as I might have to acquire a copy as well :)

[Christie]

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Hi Christie, well you have picked up two excellent books so far in regards to the Eastern Front. The 900 Days is a great account covering Leningrad.

sounds especially good!

[Christie]

Mike wrote: "Speaking of Leningrad, I'm on a quick business trip to Virginia and stopped in at a second hand store to find:


..."

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "That looks like a pretty good book Mike, let us know what you think of it as I might have to acquire a copy as well :)"

It has good reviews Mike and Rick. I added that to my wishlist as well!

[Athens]

I have no idea how i missed this read... My fault. What a great book, in my view. 2 months behind is late start, but insanity may prevail.