On July 17, 1942, the battle of Stalingrad began. Marked by fierce close quarters combat and direct assaults on civilians by air raids, it is often regarded as one of the largest and bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. It heralded total defeat of Nazi troops and full victory over Nazism, after which German forces never regained the initiative in the World War II. TASS remembers the Battle of Stalingrad in this photo gallery.
Stalingrad: Remembering the bloodiest battle of World War II
Historic battle of Stalingrad fought between July 17, 1942 and February 2, 1943 heralded total defeat of Nazi troops and full victory over Nazism
Photo {{sliderIndex+1}} from 13
Soldiers during street fighting at Stalingrad
© Fotokhronika TASS Air strike on Stalingrad by Nazi German forces
© Fotokhronika TASS/Stepan Kurunin People leaving destroyed city, 1942
© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin Soviet soldier during shelling in Stalingrad, 1942
© Fotokhronika TASS/Georgy Zelma Arial view of the ruined city
© Fotokhronika TASS Symphony orchestra musician in Stalingrad, 1942
© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin Centre of Stalingrad damaged after attack of Nazi troops, 1943
© Fotokhronika TASS Fountain at the railway station square damaged after attack of German air force
© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin German soldiers on their way to captivity
© Fotokhronika TASS The Red Army soldiers demonstrating German ersatz boots at one of the liberated districts of Stalingrad
© Fotokhronika TASS/Emmanuil Yevzerikhin German fighter aircraft Me-109 shooted down in the centre of the riuned city
© Fotokhronika TASS/Nikolai Surovtsev German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus (front) and members of his staff moving towards the headquarters of the Soviet Army
© Fotokhronika TASS/Georgy Lipskerov Soviet soldier waving Soviet Banner of Victory over the central square in Stalingrad
© Fotokhronika TASS/Georgy Zelma