November 14, 1942: TThe night remains quiet. The commander of 79. Infanterie-division met with the commander of Grenadier Regiment 517 (295. Infanteriedivision), and discussed a possible attack to reach the Volga bank on 17 November. The regiment was so weak, that they could only muster one assault company with some heavy weapons, so the plan was aborted.
II Battalion/Grenadier Regiment 576 with pioneer support under Hauptmann Kemper finally took the remaining parts of the “Red Barrikady”. The most vicious fighting occurred in the underground tunnels of the factory. For about three days only the heavy use of flamethrowers, explosives and hand grenades finally secured the German victory. The Germans themselves lost about 60% of their assaulting forces in this sector. The 650th and southern part of the 768th Rifle Regiments (138th Rifle Division) were driven towards the Volga bank.
The message came as good news in the headquarters of LI Armeekorps. Von Seydlitz-Kurzbach was very pleased and believed from this point (until the catastrophic 19 November) that “his” pioneers would take Stalingrad….
Tschuikov contacted his front headquarters and complained that for three days he hadn’t received any supplies and was running out. What he did not mention was that despite the emergency he had 12 tons of chocolate on hand. According to the calculations of his supply officer, if they handed out ½ bar per day per man, they could hold out another two weeks.
The day remained, compared to the previous days, quiet….
The picture… was not as happy as… von Seydlitz-Kurzbach wanted it to be. Although his pioneers reached several points of the Volga bank, encircled the main defensive forces and partially split Tschuikov's 62nd Army into isolated islands and pockets, he lacked the forces to eliminate the defenders altogether. The pioneers had to be used to cover their own flanks and the lately formed infantry assault companies were suffering high casualties holding ground against the constant Soviet counterattacks.
