The eastern front of the European battlefield of World War II was simply a purgatory on earth. Due to the differences in religious beliefs and national consciousness between the Soviet Union and Germany, coupled with the accumulation of hatred in history, the anger of both sides grew like snowballs. The Soviets hanged two German prisoners, and the Germans would in turn burn three Soviet prisoners to death in return. As the two sides continued to ferment during the war, this hatred eventually developed into a human tragedy.
Take the battle of Stalingrad on the Eastern Front of World War II as an example, we can know how tragic the Eastern Front was during World War II. Why should Stalingrad be given as an example alone, because it is one of the most representative battles on the Eastern Front. This is a battle like a meat grinder, no matter how much troops you put in, it can always eat him up, like a bottomless pit.
In this war that lasted nearly 200 days, the two sides invested a total of more than 2 million troops. On average, one division’s force is eaten every three days. In such a high-intensity battle, it is almost impossible for soldiers to get rest. Four hundred people die every hour, and the average survival time for soldiers is average. It’s 24 hours. Once you close your eyes and rest, I’m afraid it will sleep here like a corpse on the ground wrapped in white snowflakes. As for the commander on the front line, he is lucky if he can survive seven days.
The German army originally planned to take Stalingrad before the arrival of the cold winter, but the will of the Soviet army was too strong. The Germans were dragged into the attrition war abruptly, and they used their flesh and blood to draw one after another strange symbols on the snow. Because of the weather, the German armored units are basically in a state of lying down and can only rely on soldiers in exchange for tactical victory.
The soldiers who survived the war had no life at all. They witnessed the constant death of their comrades in arms, and they hated the cruelty of the war. They hid behind the bunker and used a daze to pass the boring time. Most of them were yellow-faced and thin, with a stench all over their bodies. Although the soldiers always face the dilemma of not being able to supply food, the dead corpses are cheaper than rats, big and small, and they shuttle around every dead body.
In addition to facing hunger, the soldiers also had to face the severe cold weather. Many soldiers lost their combat ability in the cold winter due to lack of warm clothing. Because the rear did not expect Stalingrad to be so difficult to eat, they prepared for the winter. There were not many items. When the two sides were stuck together, the German logistics could not reach the front line for various reasons. This also directly caused many soldiers to suffer from frostbite and snow blindness, and their combat effectiveness was greatly affected.
The most tragic battle of Stalingrad was the street fighting. Because the German armored forces were blocked, street fighting became the best battlefield for the Soviets to resist the Germans. In the narrow battlefield with broken walls, the German and Soviet forces are usually separated by a wall, and the two sides can even hear each other’s breathing. There is a joke circulating in the army: I have occupied the kitchen, but the living room is still in the hands of the enemy. It is due to the restriction of the terrain that every inch of land in street fighting has become a battleground for military strategists.
Facing the fierce German offensive, although the Soviet army lacked excellent weapons, they did not choose to retreat. Instead, relying on a tenacious fighting will to hold their ground, the German army had to pay huge sacrifices every step of the way. They are rooted on the walls of every alley like grassroots, no matter how fierce the German offensive is, they can’t even uproot them at once. The German blitzkrieg thus declared bankruptcy in the street fighting.
When the Sude fight was in full swing, the Stalingrad factory did not rest. They were working day and night, and many workers carried guns on their backs. They were afraid that the Germans would break in in the next moment. Tanks are often driven out of the assembly line, even painting and sights are not even installed.
In addition to the military factory, which is a must for both sides, the same is true for the railway station. They fought for 13 times here, and each time one party hurriedly left the field with a pile of corpses in embarrassment. After the long scramble, there is a long-lasting defense and scramble. Such things still happen on the Mamayev Heights. As the highest point in the city, there is no need to say more about the military significance. Even though this war has passed for many years, this highland that has been cut short by half a hill by artillery is still barren, and it seems to be quietly telling the cruelty of the war.
By the end of the war, the soldiers on both sides entered a period of weakness. They are fighting with their muscle memory and instinct. They are always maintaining a high level of tension. They dare not sleep, smoke, or make any noise. They are afraid that the enemy will secretly deliver an explosive package to them at night, and they are afraid of being named by a distant sniper in the dark. The night is the best place for the two sides to compete quietly. In this bloody night, only staying awake is the best choice.
The war will naturally bring a large number of disabled people, but the 64th Army of the Soviet Army stationed in Stalingrad has only one health company, which consists of 100 doctors and nurses. Many of them have not undergone systematic training, and have been temporarily arranged for rescue. It was also the first time that they faced the cruelty of war. They faced all kinds of wounded. Some of them didn’t even know how to wrap gauze. As the number of wounded continues to increase, the hospital has run out of medicines. Some patients can only die on the sickbed without assistance.
What about the German army? They were no better than the Soviets in this war? Because of the large number of injured people, there are not enough military doctors to treat them one by one. Some seriously injured can only lie on the ground and wailing, calling their teammates to give him a shot. Such scenes continue to happen everywhere in the battlefield.
So what is the fate of the ordinary people in this battle? They were devastated by the war. The 800,000 residents who originally lived in the Stalingrad area were only 7,500 left after the war. In the Battle of Stalingrad, in order to resist the German army, the Soviet army would forcibly recruit civilians into the army. Sometimes in the face of an emergency, they would also draw women into the army, and these forcibly drawn civilians could not escape the battle, otherwise they would face a temporary situation. The ruling of the military court.
The civilians not only had to avoid the forced conscription by the Soviet army, but also the German reconnaissance. For this reason, they chose dark underground tunnels as their habitat. They did not know that these places were the rest places and kitchens of the German army. In this way, civilians were used by the German army. They were forced by life, often a piece of bread and a bottle of water. Will be bought by the German army, they acted as running dogs on the German battlefield, helping to carry the dead body, search for supplies. And the Soviet army in the war would not hesitate to pull the trigger when seeing civilians working hard for the German army, and cursed inwardly, damn lackey! Who is truly innocent in the war?
