Photos of Stalingrad

Below are some of the photos from the Stalingrad Factory event. Istochnik portrayed the 1st Battalion, 650th Rifle Regiment apart of the 138th Rifle Division. They defended the “П” house (main administrative building) of the Barricades Ordnance Factory on November 10-12, 1942. 

The 138th Rifle Division was originally formed in September 1939. By December they were already engaged in Finland on the Karelian Isthmus. When war broke out, they were shifted into the Crimean Front. They were nearly destroyed near Kerch in May 1942. Upon refitting, they were engaged heavily in Operation Blue. On the night of October 16th-17th, they were ferried across the Volga into the Barrikady Ordnance Factory in Stalingrad. Building by Building, the Germans pushed them out of the Barrikady Factory until, by November 10th, 1942, only a foothold remained.

During the Actions of November 11th-13th, the elements of the 650th Rifle Regiment in the Apothecary and the “П” house were eliminated with very few escaping survivors. The Germans drove a wedge in the Soviet Defences, reached the Volga on a narrow salient, and put direct small arms fire on the 138th Division Headquarters. Of the ~80 defenders of the “П” House, only 6 survived November 13th, 1942. Of those 6, only 2 were able to continue fighting.