The German Sixth Army, in pursuit of two fleeing Russian forces, reaches the outskirts of a town called Stalingrad. It's of no special significance to them - 'It was no more than a name on the map' said one officer later - but it is to become the scene of the bloodiest battle in history. And one of the most decisive: after it's over, Hitler will blame the defeat of the Third Reich on the events that are about to take place.
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