The 6th Army order for the attack on Stalingrad

Top Secret

Sixth Army Command    
           Ops. Dept. Nr. 3044/42. t.s.           
Army Hq. 19th of August, 1942
1845 hrs.
11 copies
Copy No. 9

Army Order for the Attack on Stalingrad

(Map 1 :100,000)

I. The Russian enemy will defend the Stalingrad area stubbornly. He holds the high ground on 
the east bank of the Donand west of Stalingrad and has built defensive positions there in great depth.

It must be assumed that he has assembled forces, including armoured brigades, ready to
counter-attack, both in the Stalingrad area and in the area north of the isthmus between 
Don and Volga.

Therefore in the advance across the Don towards Stalingrad the Army must reckon with 
enemy resistance in front and with heavy counter-attacks against die northern flank of our 
advance.

It is possible that the annihilating blows struck during the past few weeks will have destroyed
the enemy's means for fighting a determined defensive action.

2. Sixth Army will occupy the isthmus between Don and Volga north of the railway line 
Kalatch-Stalingrad and will protect its own northern and eastern fronts.

With this intention the Army will cross the Don between Peskovatka and Ostrovskii. Point 
of main effort, on either side of Vertiatchi. With standing protection being provided along the
northern flank, armoured and motorised formations will advance over the high ground between 
the Rossoshka and the sources of the Karennaia into the area immediately north of Stalingrad, 
and then to the bank of the Volga, while at this same time forces will be detached to fight their 
way into and occupy Stalingrad from the north-west.

This advance will be accompanied by a subsidiary advance on the southern flank by a
detached force advancing along the central reaches of the Rossoshka. This force will establish 
contact south-west of Stalingrad with the mobile troops of the neighbouring army advancing
on that city.

Initially a weak covering force will hold a line facing south-west towards the area between the
lower reaches of the Rossoshka and the Kartovka rivers and the Don below Kalatch.
This area will be mopped up from the north-east as soon as the forces of the neighbouring army 
advancing towards the Kartovka shall have arrived.

With the progress of the advance on the east bank of the Don, the forces stationed along the
west bank of that river below Malyi will be steadily reduced in strength, since their task will
then be that of a security force. This force will later cross the river on both sides of Kalatch 
and participate in the destruction of the enemy forces in that area.

3. Objectives:

XXIVth Panzer Carps will hold the west bank of the Don from Army's right-hand boundary 
to Lutchinskoie (excl.) and, with the yist Infantry Division, will prepare to leave a minimum
security force to hold the Don while establishing a bridgehead on either side of  Kalatch from
which 71st Infantry Division will advance eastwards.

Release of this Corps headquarters for further employment elsewhere is to be prepared against.

LIst Army Corps will seize a further bridgehead across the Don on either side of Vertiatchi.
For this purpose the following units at present under XXIVth Panzer Corps will be temporarily
placed under command, viz.: artillery, engineer, traffic control, anti-tank and the necessary
signals units.

As soon as the XIVth Panzer Corps shall have advanced eastwards from the bridgehead. 
LIst Army Corps will become responsible for covering the right flank of the advance.

With this intention, the List Army Corps will attack across the Rossoshka between 
Nijni-Alexeievski and Bol. Rossoshka, will occupy the high ground west of Stalingrad, 
and will temporarily establish south-westerly contact with the advancing mobile forces of the
neighbouring army to our right.

The Corps will then capture and occupy the central and southern parts of Stalingrad. 
Meanwhile weak forces will form a covering line between Peskovatka and Nijni-Alexeievski.
A special Army order will decide when the time has come to annihilate the Russian forces
located south of this line and north of the Karpovka.

XIVth Panzer Corps, after the capture of the bridgehead by LIst Army Corps, will push
forward through the bridgehead, advancing eastwards over the high ground north of 
Malrossoshka and Hp. Konaia to the Volga north of Stalingrad. It will prevent
all river traffic and cut all rail communications immediately to the north of the city.

Elements of the Corps will attack Stalingrad from the north-west and occupy the northern
parts of the city. Tanks will not be used for this purpose. In the north a covering line will be
established running along the high ground south-west of Yersovka and south of the 
Gratshevaia stream. While so doing closest contact will be maintained with the VIIIth
Army Corps advancing from the west.

VIIIth Army Corps will cover the northern flank of the XIVth Panzer Corps. It will launch a 
sharp attack in a south-easterly direction from the bridgehead captured between Nijni-Geras-
sirnov and Ostrovskii, and then, swinging steadily north, will form a line, which must so far as 
possible be proof against attack by armoured forces, between Kusmitchi and Katchalinskaia.
Close contact will be maintained with XIVth Panzer Corps.

XIth and XVIIth Army Corps will cover the northern flank of the Army.

XIth Army Corps will hold the line of the Don from Melov-Kletskaia (excl.) to left Army
boundary.

Xlth Army Corps will release 22nd Panzer Division, as soon as possible, to Army reserve. 
This division will be assembled ready for action in area Dalii-Perekovskoie-Orekhovskii-
Sselivanov.

4. D-Day and H-hour will be announced in a special order.

5. Boundaries as given on map attached.

6. VIIIth Air Corps will give air support to the Army's attack, with point of main effort initially 
in LIst Army Corps' sector, later switching to line of advance of XIVth Panzer Corps.

7. Army HQ as of dawn, 21 August: Ossinovskoie.

8. Contents of this order may only be communicated to subordinate commands, and only such
parts as are relevant to the future operations by the subordinate command in question may
be communicated.

This order is not to be carried by plane. Attention will be drawn to the secret nature of such 
parts of this order as are communicated to subordinate commands.

The Commander in Chief.
Signed : PAULUS.