A main technique of the Germans was also lost to the small debris filled streets of Stalingrad; their blitzkrieg maneuvers. The Germans' style of lightning-fast, devastating attacks was halted by the very small area they had to fight in. It was clear that Paulus's rapid war movement was over. The Germans began to address the war as Rattenkrieg, or the war of the rats. The Russians were able to position themselves in city buildings which gave them a distinct tactical advantage over the Germans who were advancing into the city on foot, under a constant bombardment of Soviet artillery fire.
Even with the tremendous losses, the Germans kept advancing through Stalingrad, leveling blocks with decisive attacks and Stuka dive-bombers. The bulk of the Russian civilians surged forward to attempt to hold the city against the Germans; the Krasny Oktyaber plant continued producing Russian T-42 tanks and sending them straight into battle, sometimes driven by the same civilians that built them. Russian women even defended certain positions along the Soviet line, and all of Stalingrad began to lash back at the harsh German attacks. (Yoder, “Death of a City”)
Despite all the men and women fighting against Hitler and his legions, the German army would still surge forward; that is not to say, however, that the Russian civilian's movements and decisions were useless during the first days of the fight. The intense nationalism felt by the Russians allowed them to fight with enough gusto to hold off the Germans from taking over important tactical areas such as the ferry landing in central Stalingrad.
The time that the Germans lost to the tightly packed and guarded streets was priceless, and it allowed the Russian armies to mount counter attacks with Yak 1 airplanes, and well calculated strikes against the Germans. While the Russian civilians and troops had made a large dent in the German offensive, it would not be an army that would damage the Germans next, but nature; the Russian winter had arrived, and it was to be the coldest ever to hit Russia in 140 years.
The Russian winters were known for their bitterness, and the one that hit Stalingrad in 1942 was no exception to this reputation; by the end of the war, over 100,000 cases of frostbite were recorded. However, the harsh Russian winter meant more to the clashing armies than losing fingers and toes; each army relied on supply chains vital to their survival that could be jeopardized by the freezing conditions. Not only that, but troops and their duties were greatly hindered by the conditions. Troops went mad with the cold, and abandoned vehicles and weapons in search of warmth, or some relief from the driving winds.
The winter did not favor sides however, and even the Russians who were used to this type of biting cold suffered greatly. Chuikov knew that he had to wait for the great Volga River to freeze before he could re-supply his army. Chuikov had to wait for three weeks before the Volga froze; until that time all he could do was stock pile ammunition, husband his reserves and save his rations of chocolate. Until the Volga froze, a Russian soldier's life was brutal.
At one point, half of a chocolate bar was the total daily ration for a Russian soldier. Paulus knew he had to act quickly if he was to overtake Stalingrad; if he was able to mount a large attack against the weakened, starving Russian soldiers, it would mean victory for his troops. However, Paulus had problems of his own. He had taken on staggering amounts of casualties due to the harsh fighting on the streets of Stalingrad, and the winter was beginning to take a toll on his own men as well.
Paulus was still confident that he could take Stalingrad, as he now controlled up to 90% of the city. Paulus was in control of the great hill Mamaev Kurgan, the southern residential suburbs, and had broken through to the Volga in downtown Stalingrad. Chuikov now only held downtown Stalingrad, the ferry landing, and Barrikady metal works, and feared that the harsh conditions would end him and his command. (Yoder, “Rattenkrieg”)
The weather would have great consequences for both great armies; Paulus knew that he could not maintain his army in the bombed out deserted city through the entire winter, and he would soon find that supplying his army would become very difficult as he tried to attack Stalingrad with haste. Before mounting an attack, Paulus had some troops of his army “written out” of the battle. (Maule, 61) This meant that many troops were still stationed in Stalingrad with civilian status, and therefore not allowed the soldiers' rations. After cutting his losses, Paulus requested several battalions of elite combat engineers known as Pioneers.
