Special: End of the Battle of Stalingrad

Pilots,

One can’t really talk about the battles of WWII without mentioning the Battle of Stalingrad – one of the biggest and most brutal clashes between the Soviet and German forces in modern history. Both belligerents poured enormous resources into the conflict, fuelling it for months with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and several hundred aircraft, tanks and other heavy equipment. Its outcome is deemed by many historians as the single most important event that turned the tide of the war. This week, we want to pay tribute to all the people that participated in this famous battle and tell you their unforgettable story as we dish out helpful discounts for your own in-game engagements. 

In-Game Offers

50% discount on equipment

Make your planes that little bit more efficient by installing the right equipment piece!

50% discount on the following planes:

						Focke-Wulf Fw 190 V
						Messerschmitt Bf 109 E
						Lavochkin LAGG-3
						Yakovlev Yak-7
						Yakovlev Yak-1
						Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3

Thousands of planes participated in the air battle for Stalingrad. Get some of them for less today!

30% discount on the following planes:

						Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5
						Messerschmitt Bf 109 F
						Lavochkin La-5
						Yakovlev Yak-9
						Yakovlev Yak-1M
						Mikoyan-Gurevich I-210

 
Work your way into the higher tiers, where stronger enemies and greater challenges await!

Special Missions

Two extra missions will make it easy for you this week to get pumped about our newest history special.

History Flashback

Soviet soldier waving the red flag, proclaiming victory after the Battle of Stalingrad.

In September 1942 the German Army had pushed forward across the USSR to reach the city of Stalingrad. Despite the city not being a tactical objective, the German High Command decided to attack it because it was named after Joseph Stalin. They thought that conquering the town would result in huge morale losses for the Soviet forces, and bring a sense of pride to those back home in Germany.

What resulted was one of the biggest and most brutal battles ever, not just of World War II, but in the entirety of human history. Over the next few months, throughout the freezing winter, bitter fighting took place across the city, much of it at close quarters in the narrow streets. Both the Germans and the Soviets threw everything they had into the fight – troops, tanks, planes, artillery and more. Each side fielded over a million soldiers in addition to the vehicles and equipment, which included more than 1,000 planes for each army.

The conflict moved back and forth, but ultimately it was the Soviets who emerged victorious. The winter of 1942-1943 was extremely cold and the Soviets were more accustomed to the conditions and hence better equipped for them. By the end of January 1943, the German forces were ready to surrender but the German High Command refused, ordering them to fight to the last bullet. On 26th January, the remaining Germans divided into two forces to try and take strategic objectives, but even this ultimately failed.

On 31st January, the southern group surrendered, and a few days later on February 2nd, the northern group followed.  The Soviets took over 91,000 prisoners. Losing the battle dealt a huge blow to the German war effort. As well as the loss in manpower and equipment, it was also the first truly major defeat for the Germans and left them woefully underprepared for the Soviet advance back towards Germany.

It was the beginning of the end, and marked the turning of the tide of the war in favour of the Allies. In modern times, the city of Stalingrad is now known by its original name of Volgograd. However, for six days each year, the name changes back to Stalingrad in honour of those who took part in one of the biggest battles in history.

Play on ‘Eastern Front’ and enjoy some nice history-themed battles this week, pilots!