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42nd Rifle Regiment/13th Guards at Stalingrad

Discussion in 'Eastern Europe October 1939 to February 1943' started by Comrade General, Jun 11, 2015.

  1. Comrade General

    Comrade General Member

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    So I have been doing research on the 13th Guards Rifle Division at Stalingrad in September 1942 and have had trouble getting consistent information about the 42nd Rifle Regiment. I know the first battalion of this unit was the first to cross the Volga on September 14 and that they were tasked the next day with capturing the city center. General Chuikov personally tasked Lt Anton Kuzmich Dragan with taking the famous railroad station with a group of around 50 men. I know that Dragan's force took heavy casualties, and that Dragan was eventually promoted to battalion commander after the initial two died, but I am less clear on the fate of the overall battalion. Chuikov and Beevor both refer to Dragan finally leaving the front line with six surviving Guardsmen, although I am not sure if this means six survived from the platoon that took the railroad station or that only six survived from the entire battalion. The former seems more likely, but the mortality rate on the Eastern Front was so high that the latter is possible. Glantz in Armageddon in Stalingrad does not refer to Dragan by name, but does mention the 1st Battalion of the 42nd RR taking part in the fighting of late September when the German 71st infantry flanked the Soviet forces in central Stalingrad. This seems unlikely if the 1st battalion was just six men at that point. I know that Pavlov's House was defended by a platoon from the 42nd RR, but unsure if they were part of 1st battalion or if they were from the other battalions that initially defended Mamaev Kurgan and later were moved to the city center.

    Any help people can share on this specific unit would be helpful.
     
  2. Nordwind511

    Nordwind511 Member

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    Maybe this will help Stalingrad Assorted Maps/Russian Tactical Maps/Maps 13 Guards Rifle Division
    Especially map 10 shows the 42nd Rifle Regiment and it´s elements in the center of Stalingrad

    On 23 of september 42 the German 71st infantry division advancing against 13th Guards Rifle Division from the Krutoi Balka to the base of Kievskaia Street. The division (German 71st) suffered 14 NCOs/enlisted killed in action; 35 NCO´s/enlisted were wounded in action.
    On 24 of september the 71st division attacked in it´s zone, pushing toward Volga River on both sides of the Tasaitsa River, against 10th NKWD Division, the 244th Rifle Division, the13th Guards Rifle Division and the 115th Fortified Division.
    On 25th of september the 71st ID seizing the Communist party and government buildings near 9th of january square against the 13. Guards Rifle Division.
    On 26th of september the division attacked further in it´s zone, seizing the Gorky Theater and the Stalingrad Communist Party headquarters, and reaching the Volga shoreline by fighting against the 13 Guards Rifle Division.

    The 295th Infantrydivision prepared on this day (26th) to attack Mamayev Kurgan. It was defended by the 95th Rifle Division on this day (if they were elements of the 13th Guard I don´t know right now, but I will check it later (on 27th of september the division attempted to seize more of Mamayev Kurgan. They fought against 284th and 95th Rifle Division on this day. The 295th suffered 10 NCOs/enlisted killed in action and 48 NCOs/enlisted were wounded in action).
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2017
  3. Nordwind511

    Nordwind511 Member

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    On 27th the 71st attacked inzone to clear enemy forces from the north of the Tsaritsa River, heavy fighting occured at the House of Specialists and Pavlov´s House against the 13th Guard Rifle Division (which elements exactly I am not able to tell you at the moment).
     
  4. Nordwind511

    Nordwind511 Member

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    On the russian situation map of september 1942 (the URL I sent before) you will probably mention that the I. Bataillon is not fighting near the Pavlov´s house. On the map the house is in the fighting zone of the 2. and 3. Bataillon. I am sorry that I don´t know the exact date of this map ... so it´s naturally possible that the I. Bataillon fought near Pavlov House later too, but it seemed it were elements of the 3. Bataillon 42 RifleR which fought there 22nd/23rd of september ...
     

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