With the conscious superiority in the directions of the main attacks, the forces of the 6th field army of Verrmaht, supported by the active movement of the aviation, laid out their advance at the soviet forces of the Stalingrad front. Because of the massive usage of tanks in the major directions in the strict accordance with the dive-bombers and artillery, which were literally clearing the way for the tanks, the German fascist forces succeeded in reaching the victorious results. The fierce battles in the south-west directions lasted for three weeks, since the 17th of July to the 10th of August, their aim was to deprive the forces of Verrmaht of their initiative in the whole south-west direction. But despite the soviet forces’ resistance, perseverance and courage, the armies of the Stalingrad front failed to crush the inclined groups of Verrmaht, and they had to move back to the close approaches to the city.

But the German command also didn’t manage to fulfill all of its goals. Even though they had the advantage of turning round the 4th tank army away from the Caucasus direction the German forces didn’t succeed to break through the soviet tank defense and develop their advance at Stalingrad. Moreover, intensive battles at the far approaches to the city had undermined the advancing opportunities of the 6th field and the 4th tank armies of Verrmaht.

After the appearance of the two armies of Verrmaht at the Stalingrad defense pass-by the German and the Soviet sides began the preparation activities for the following operations.

On the 16th of August the German fascists recommenced their advance, aspiring to capture Stalingrad with the help of the simultaneous attacks from the west and the south-west. The 6th field army of Verrmaht managed to burst to the Volga in the north of Stalingrad on the 23rd of August, after that they made an attempt of capturing the city by their attack from the north along the river banks. Here they encountered the soldiers of the 10th rifle division of People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs and the armed workers of the Stalingrad factories and plants. The attempt of the German tanks to break into the city was torn down. An important role here belonged to the anti-aircraft forces of the Stalingrad regional corps of the air defense. Soviet Headquarters put forward the 24th and 66th armies out of reserve, which, joined by the armies of the Stalingrad front, imposed flanking counterblows on the fascists from the north. By that the part of the forces of the 6th field army got drawn away and it had alleviated the state of the Stalingrad defenders. The divisions of Verrmaht were restrained at the north-west suburbs of the city. In the beginning of August the German command, continuing to increase forces, introduced the 8th Italian and, later in September, the 3rd Romanian armies into the battle in the north-west of Stalingrad. The core forces of the 6th field army were concentrated for the battle for the city itself. By the end of September more than 80 German fascists divisions composed the “B” group of armies.

On the 13th of September, when the divisions of Verrmaht started the onslaught of the city, the soviet forces of the 62nd army of the general-lieutenant V. Tchuikov and of 64th army of general-major M. Shumilov received the primary attacks. Violent street fights had been laid out in the downtown. Soviet soldiers of the 62nd army were persistently defending themselves, forcing the enemy to participate in the most difficult kind of combat – the close combat. On the 14th of September the German fascists forces busted through the soviet defense, captured the village of Kuporosnoe and came out to the river Volga in the south part of Stalingrad. The 62nd soviet army got isolated from the other forces of the Stalingrad front. The continuing counterblows of the 1st guards army, 24th and 66th armies in the north of the city turned out to be of a great aid to the defenders of Stalingrad. Sizable forces of the enemy were chaining up the 57th and 51st armies operating in the south of Stalingrad.

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