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Quiz about Stalingrad Not One Step Back
Quiz about Stalingrad Not One Step Back

Stalingrad: Not One Step Back Trivia Quiz


On their way to the Caucasus, the Germans encountered a city named after Stalin himself. Josef Stalin ordered "not one step back." Hitler responded with "never will we retreat." What followed was the bloodiest battle, ever. It would decide the war.

A multiple-choice quiz by Bertho. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
Bertho
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
188,039
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
9 / 15
Plays
5356
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 94 (9/15), Guest 87 (11/15), Guest 195 (12/15).
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Question 1 of 15
1. Founded in 1589, Tsaritsyn had seen its share of battles. The name was changed to Stalingrad by Josef Stalin to honour his personal contribution to the Russian civil war of 1918-21. In 1961, during the period of "de-Stalinization", Nikita Khrushchev gave the city yet another name, which it still has today. What name is it? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Ironically, the battle that turned the tide on Germany was not the initial objective. Two large German army groups were on route towards the Crimea and the Caucasus when Hitler ordered 6th army to take Stalingrad along the way. What was so important to Germany that he would send such a large force deep into Southern Russia? Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. When 6th Army closed in eastward towards Stalingrad, their first objective was to capture the west bank of a formidable river. Six months later the same river would act as a geographical boundary trapping them in the "kessel" around Stalingrad. What's the name of this river? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. Capturing Stalingrad was of a fairly minor strategic importance, though it did have some military value with large armament factories. More importantly it would allow the Germans to halt activity on the Volga. What body of water does the Volga empty into? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Hitler's fractured confidence in General Kleist and a quarrel with Field Marshal von Rundstedt led to the shock appointment of Friedrich Wilhelm Paulus as commander-in-chief of the 6th Army. What was surprising about the appointment? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. The defence of Stalingrad saw a new breed of Russian commander emerge - tactically adept and ruthless to the letter, as they needed to be to carry out Stalin's 'stavka' order. Three of the following generals were instrumental in keeping the defence going, another is fictitious. Who is the fictitious one? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. The Luftwaffe started proceedings with a five-day assault on the city. 1,200 bombers, dropping incendiary bombs and mines, reduced Stalingrad to rubble and buried 50,000 civilians. The man giving the orders as commander of the 4th Air Fleet was cousin to a WWI fighting ace. Who was he? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. After the artillery and bombing barrage, the ground forces and panzers moved in to begin the assault. The panzers were not very effective in this instance and were unable to effectively support the infantry. Why? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. 100 meters high, this hill was the only significant high ground in the city. If the Germans held it they would have a good firing position across the Volga. For that reason the Russians would not let it go. It changed hands eight times in the fiercest contest of blood and loss of life yet seen in the war. What was the name of the hill? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. A Russian sergeant and his platoon of 24 men held this four-storey apartment block for 59 days. Wave after wave of German infantry and panzer assaults were repelled under intense fire. It's an epic story of determination and desperation. The house remains today as a symbol of Russia's stubborn resistance. What name was given to the apartment? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. A new cult of fighting, 'sniperism', emerged within the rubble. 'Fritz'-hunting became a popular, sadistic, socialistic competition. Vasily Zaitsev was indeed the most popular sniper, but was he credited with the most kills?


Question 12 of 15
12. Due to Stalin's 'stavka' order, defections were a major ongoing concern for SMERSH units and the NKVD. However, they never fully appreciated the massive scale of those that crossed to the other side. The German word for these Russians was 'Hilfswillige,' meaning volunteer helpers. What was the common, shortened name? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. After months of bitter fighting and with the winter freeze setting in, German generals wanted to withdraw and prepare defences. Hitler refused. Despite reports of an enemy build up on the Stalingrad flanks, Paulus did nothing to reinforce them. On November 19, Zhukov launched his trap and Russians soon ran through the thin flanks. Which German ally was responsible for defending the flanks? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. By December, 300,000 Axis troops were cut off in Stalingrad and the surrounding "kessel". Hitler still refused to allow a breakout. His only concession was to allow an attempt to open a corridor to the stranded army from the west. Who orchestrated this ill-fated attempt? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Starved, covered in lice, frozen, exhausted and out of ammunition, Paulus surrendered his army on the 31st of January, 1943. The surviving Germans crawled out of cellars and bunkers and were marched of to captivity. Of the 300,000 men initially surrounded, how many were taken prisoner? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Founded in 1589, Tsaritsyn had seen its share of battles. The name was changed to Stalingrad by Josef Stalin to honour his personal contribution to the Russian civil war of 1918-21. In 1961, during the period of "de-Stalinization", Nikita Khrushchev gave the city yet another name, which it still has today. What name is it?

Answer: Volgograd

Tsaritsyn was a fortress town built to protect newly 'acquired' Russian boundaries along the lower reaches of the River Volga. It has fallen three times, in 1670 and 1774 to Cossack rebels, and again to Russian general Anton Denikin during the Russian civil war. Sited on the western bank of the Volga in Southern Russia, Stalingrad was, and still is, an important gateway for vital river traffic as well as a hub for rail connecting the Caucasus, the Donets Basin, Moscow, parts of Siberia, and also the Caspian Sea.
2. Ironically, the battle that turned the tide on Germany was not the initial objective. Two large German army groups were on route towards the Crimea and the Caucasus when Hitler ordered 6th army to take Stalingrad along the way. What was so important to Germany that he would send such a large force deep into Southern Russia?

Answer: Oil

Hitler needed oil, lots of it. For Hitler's mechanised armies, fuel was paramount. Hitler was quoted, as saying "if we fail to take the oil fields the war is lost." Taking the oil for Germany and drying up the Russian army was more important than sacking Moscow (to Hitler).
3. When 6th Army closed in eastward towards Stalingrad, their first objective was to capture the west bank of a formidable river. Six months later the same river would act as a geographical boundary trapping them in the "kessel" around Stalingrad. What's the name of this river?

Answer: Don

The River Don rises near Tula, southeast of Moscow and flows nearly 2000 kilometres to the Sea of Azov. It passes through Rostov (via the Donets) and its most eastern point is only 100 kilometres from the Volga. After the Stalingrad battle, captured Germans were set to work connecting the two rivers. The waterway is called the Volga-Don Canal and remains today as a major trading gateway.
4. Capturing Stalingrad was of a fairly minor strategic importance, though it did have some military value with large armament factories. More importantly it would allow the Germans to halt activity on the Volga. What body of water does the Volga empty into?

Answer: Caspian Sea

The River Volga was extremely important to Russia for ferrying foodstuffs and supplies to Moscow, as well as personnel and armaments back down from the north and the Urals. If the Germans could control the Volga, they would effectively hamper major Russian transport lines and literally split Russia in two.

It would open a backdoor into Moscow. Russian propaganda established the slogan: "there is no Russia east of the Volga."
5. Hitler's fractured confidence in General Kleist and a quarrel with Field Marshal von Rundstedt led to the shock appointment of Friedrich Wilhelm Paulus as commander-in-chief of the 6th Army. What was surprising about the appointment?

Answer: Paulus was a staff officer

With Rundstedt sent on a forced holiday, Hitler wanted the aggressive Field Marshall Reichenau to command both Army Group South as well as Sixth Army. Reichenau argued he could not run both headquarters and that his Staff General, Paulus, should take command of Sixth Army. Hitler reluctantly agreed. Paulus with his meticulous nature was an excellent and well respected staff officer.

However, he was a cautious planner not a front-line leader, and had never led men into battle, let alone an entire panzer army group.
6. The defence of Stalingrad saw a new breed of Russian commander emerge - tactically adept and ruthless to the letter, as they needed to be to carry out Stalin's 'stavka' order. Three of the following generals were instrumental in keeping the defence going, another is fictitious. Who is the fictitious one?

Answer: General Ivanov Kuzovlev

Chuikov came into the defence only moments before the attack on Stalingrad, throwing his inexperienced 64th into the fight for the Don and to slow down the German advance. He would soon command all ground forces in the city. Zhukov, perhaps Russia's greatest general in WWII, needs little introduction.

He was responsible for creating the trap that circled the Sixth Army. Yeremenko was commander of the southern front and thanks to Chuikov's delaying tactics, was able to form an ad hoc defence in Stalingrad, threadbare, but enough to check the Germans long enough to allow reinforcements to arrive.
7. The Luftwaffe started proceedings with a five-day assault on the city. 1,200 bombers, dropping incendiary bombs and mines, reduced Stalingrad to rubble and buried 50,000 civilians. The man giving the orders as commander of the 4th Air Fleet was cousin to a WWI fighting ace. Who was he?

Answer: Colonel-General Freiherr von Richthofen

For the first few months of the battle, 4th Air Fleet enjoyed near total air superiority over Stalingrad. Their Russian counterparts, far fewer in numbers, feared the experienced Luftwaffe pilots in their superior machines and rarely engaged them. Richthofen, a cousin of the Red Baron, was intelligent, arrogant and ruthless.

He was commander of VIII Air Corps, which destroyed Belgrade in 1941 killing 17,000 civilians.
8. After the artillery and bombing barrage, the ground forces and panzers moved in to begin the assault. The panzers were not very effective in this instance and were unable to effectively support the infantry. Why?

Answer: They could not manoeuvre in the rubble

With over 80% of Stalingrad now rubble, the panzers lacked their needed manoeuvrability. In some cases they couldn't even traverse their guns and were still targets for the many anti-tank guns scattered throughout the ruins. The German infantry called it a 'rattenkrieg' offense as they went from destroyed room to room.

Their grim humour would report, "We have captured the kitchen, but are still fighting for the living room." Ironically, military historians have claimed that 4th Panzer could have sacked Stalingrad on their own before the offensive started in a pincer move surrounding the city.

This would have cut off retreating Russians from entering the city and they would have been mopped up by the advancing Sixth.
9. 100 meters high, this hill was the only significant high ground in the city. If the Germans held it they would have a good firing position across the Volga. For that reason the Russians would not let it go. It changed hands eight times in the fiercest contest of blood and loss of life yet seen in the war. What was the name of the hill?

Answer: Mamayev Hill

The battle for Mamayev Kurgan was unbelievable. It initially required 7 German divisions and over 500 tanks to capture the hill. Division after division of Russians, straight from the Volga barges, marched up the hill to take it back. Historians estimate the fighting on Mamayev claimed 300,000 soldiers on both sides.

The hill was ploughed after the battle and up to 1250 shrapnel splinters were found in every square meter. Now the hill is a memorial. A 52-meter tall statue of Mother Russia stands watch over Volgograd and the grave of its stubborn defender Vasily Chuikov, the first Marshal of the Soviet Union to be buried outside of Moscow.
10. A Russian sergeant and his platoon of 24 men held this four-storey apartment block for 59 days. Wave after wave of German infantry and panzer assaults were repelled under intense fire. It's an epic story of determination and desperation. The house remains today as a symbol of Russia's stubborn resistance. What name was given to the apartment?

Answer: Pavlov's House

It's been said that sergeant Yakov Pavlov and his men killed more Germans than all of those that died capturing Paris. The defenders, without resupply for over a month resorted to shooting drainpipes to retrieve drops of water. Pavlov's House, in the centre of Stalingrad, overlooked the '9th of January Square,' and on German maps was marked as a fortress, a fortress bunkering a mere 25 brave men.
11. A new cult of fighting, 'sniperism', emerged within the rubble. 'Fritz'-hunting became a popular, sadistic, socialistic competition. Vasily Zaitsev was indeed the most popular sniper, but was he credited with the most kills?

Answer: No

A Russian known as Zikan was credited with 224 kills by the 20th of November. Zaitsev was credited with 149. There was no shortage of Russians wanting to be a sniper and Zaitsev was put in charge of sniper school, training young Russians in the art. Snipers developed their own styles.

Some would construct a series of levers and ropes connected to helmets and flags in neighbouring trenches where they would pick off any Germans who stuck their head out for a better look. 40 kills would give a sniper the title 'noble sniper' and the 'For Bravery' medal.
12. Due to Stalin's 'stavka' order, defections were a major ongoing concern for SMERSH units and the NKVD. However, they never fully appreciated the massive scale of those that crossed to the other side. The German word for these Russians was 'Hilfswillige,' meaning volunteer helpers. What was the common, shortened name?

Answer: Hiwis

There is no solid number for Hiwis attached to the Sixth Army, but it's estimated that over 70,000 Russians joined the Wehrmacht around Stalingrad. Many were given uniforms and took up firing positions in the German lines and performed well. Not all Hiwis were deserters.

Many volunteered to go to front line positions from the prison camps on the simple promise of better rations. SMERSH labelled the Hiwis as 'former Russians.' It was a death sentence that would claim hundreds of thousands of Russians before the war was over (and after).
13. After months of bitter fighting and with the winter freeze setting in, German generals wanted to withdraw and prepare defences. Hitler refused. Despite reports of an enemy build up on the Stalingrad flanks, Paulus did nothing to reinforce them. On November 19, Zhukov launched his trap and Russians soon ran through the thin flanks. Which German ally was responsible for defending the flanks?

Answer: Romanians

Hitler dismissed the reports of a build up as 'impossible' and Paulus simply failed to recognise and prepare for the threat, including reinforcing the flanks. The Romanian defenders were stretched across a 200-mile flank and had inadequate weapons to deal with a thousand T-34's and hundreds of thousands of Russians who were about to run them over. If the German army was to survive, a breakout to the west had to be immediate. Again, Hitler refused, and the fate of 300,000 German soldiers was sealed.
14. By December, 300,000 Axis troops were cut off in Stalingrad and the surrounding "kessel". Hitler still refused to allow a breakout. His only concession was to allow an attempt to open a corridor to the stranded army from the west. Who orchestrated this ill-fated attempt?

Answer: Field Marshal Erich von Manstein

Manstein's relief attempt came close. By Christmas Eve they were a mere 50km (30 miles) from Stalingrad, but Hoth's panzers didn't have the strength or the fuel to meet the relief force mid "kessel". Zhukov had anticipated the attempt and had placed 1st Guards and 5th Tank armies to check the attempt in a southward sweep.

The relief force was soon fighting a withdrawal and the sixth army were left to starve and freeze to death in the minus 30 degrees centigrade, Russian winter.
15. Starved, covered in lice, frozen, exhausted and out of ammunition, Paulus surrendered his army on the 31st of January, 1943. The surviving Germans crawled out of cellars and bunkers and were marched of to captivity. Of the 300,000 men initially surrounded, how many were taken prisoner?

Answer: 91,000

A day before Paulus surrendered, Hitler promoted him to Field Marshal. No Prussian or German Field Marshal had ever surrendered before, and Hitler expected him to commit suicide. As the Germans were marched off to captivity through the ruins of Stalingrad, a Russian soldier screamed at the captives "Berlin will look like this!" Two years later it did. Of the 91,000 prisoners, 55,000 would be dead three months later. Only 5,000 survived and were returned to Germany, the last in 1955. Quiz references include; Anthony Beevor's novel "Stalingrad", www.stalingrad.com.ru and also www.blease.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk and www.wikipedia.org
Source: Author Bertho

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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