Mass Graves Russian Soldiers & Tank Memorial

These mass grave contains the remains of 70 (of whom 63 unknown) soldiers and officers of the 1st Tank Army, who fell during the battle of Kalach (26 July - 10 Ausgust 1942). A few meters away from the graves stands a IS-2 heavy tank and there is also the chassis of a downed PE-2 bomber. There are two plaques on the site, providing background information. The first plaque reads:

"Here, in the big bend of the river Don, soldiers of the 1st Tank Army fought heroically in the summer of 1942. They withstood the spearhead of the 6th German Army, bleeded it to death and aborted Hitler's plans to cross the Don and take the city of Stalingrad.
Stalningrad withstood and vanquished.
The 14th, 23th and 28th Tank Corps, the 131th and 399 Rifle Division and the 158th Independent Heavy Tank Brigade exceeded during the battle.
Fame and eternal memory to the tank soldies!"

The second plaque reads:

"The heavy tank "IS"
Placed in memory of the fallen soldiers of the 1st Tank Army (the 13th, 23th and 28th Tank Corps, the 158th Independent Heavy Tank Brigade, the 131th Rifle Division, two AA-gun regiments and an ant-tank gun regiment), which dealt a deadly blow to the fascist 6th Army, after impeding this army for a month.
The memorial was erected on the 50th anniversery of the Battle of Stalingrad, on 22 December 1992, on the initiative of the following participants of the battle: A.V. Kozlov, I.S. Artamonova en S.I. Jakovleva, with the co-operation of N.A. Goerbenko, V.S. Kamysjanova, V.I. Nogina en V.N. Sjevtsjenko."

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Kaj Metz
• Photos: Auke de Vlieger

< >