November Competition result

The memorial to the battle of Stalingrad, overlooking the city.

Congratulations to Hannah Scott of County Durham who wins the November WW2History.com competition. She was the first person picked at random from the list of WW2History.com subscribers who gave the correct answer to the question: who commanded the Soviet 62nd Army at the battle of Stalingrad?

The correct answer was Vasily Chuikov. And a signed copy of Antony Beevor’s ‘Stalingrad’ as well as a DVD of the documentary ‘Stalingrad’ is on its way to our lucky winner.

Chuikov was an extraordinary military commander. He didn’t just lead his troops at Stalingrad with a determination and ruthlessness that staggers the imagination, he also – as I learnt first hand from a former officer under his command – treated his own immediate subordinates with considerable brutality. When, for example, an officer reported bad news, Chuikov was quite capable of beating him up with his fists or with a stick. It was a tough life in the 62nd… But then, I guess it had to be if they were to hold Stalingrad.