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German Field Marshal Fredrick Paulus surrenders to Soviet forces in Stalingrad. Two days later, the last remnants of the German 6th Army would also surrender to the Soviets. The 6 month Battle of Stalingrad was over. The cost of the Soviet victory was staggering. Over 1,129,000 Soviet soldiers killed missing or wounded. Also lost, 2,700 aircraft, 4,300 tanks and 15,000 artillery pieces. The Germans and their allies lost 868,000 men, 900 aircraft, 3,100 tanks and 5,700 artillery pieces. Of the 91,000 German prisoners captured by the Soviets, fewer than 6,000 would live to return to Germany. The Wikipedia article on...

MOSCOW, April 7 (Pyotr DUNAYEV, a war historian, retired colonel and World War II veteran, for RIA Novosti) - It was the last radiogram Paulus' staff received from Hitler. Chief of staff R. Schmidt handed it to Paulus saying: "Congratulations! You are General Field Marshal." Paulus was emotionless. The condition of his army group in Stalingrad was fatal. The staff located in the basement of a local department store was blocked, communication with German troops was lost and the snow-covered square was heaped up with bodies of dead German soldiers swarming with lice. I met veteran of the Battle of...