Originally posted by Farin
- point out that the town was - from an objective, millitary point of view - rather unimportant, sure there was an Production facillity (\"red mill\") but nothing crucial. But the town was a huge symbol, due to its name and a victory would have been important for the moral and the propaganda on both sides.
good luck
This is incorrect, but what else would you expect from propaganda
While propaganda value of the city name is undeniable it was much more important for Hitler, who, by several accounts was obsessed with whole idea of taking \"STALIN\"grad then for Stalin and Russians who had more important problems to worry about. If you look at the map of Russia with the front line on say August 1942 you would notice that Volga that remained the only major way of transportation from North to South. Rail roads to the Est of the river were inadequate (Map is here http://history.sandiego.edu/cdr2/WW2Pics/81735.jpg)
So, blocking the river, let alone crossing it would result in cutting the major north-south transportation line creating logistical nightmare of biblical proportions. Volga in this area is 2-3km wide waterway taking it back again would be a military nightmare.
In addition to this one must remember that airplanes during WWII had a range. Airfields near Stalingrad would allow for unimpeded strikes even those meager and inadequate railways that were available to the east of Volga. Again, just to remind you, Southern root was vital for the delivery of western aid and war materiel from Iran and Oil from Caucasian fields.
While rewriting history is commendable task, the Geography is rather hard to argue against and at this point of the war it was rather more important
