Special: The End of the Battle of Stalingrad

Pilots,

The tale of war is always a sad one, but few stories are more tragic than what happened in 1942 in Stalingrad (now Volgograd) and the greater Don region. 71 years ago on this very day, the Battle of Stalingrad came to an end, claiming an estimated two million casualties in one of the most brutal and relentless campaigns of WWII. Let’s remember this historic event to honour the important role it played in determining the outcome of the war, as we present you with yet another in-game special.

Run to your planes and prepare for the following bonuses in the game during this week’s special:

Triple experience for the first victory of the day

What’s the one thing that decides the outcome of battles in most cases? You guessed it: experience!

50% discount on ammunition

Make some savings this week!

50% discount on the following planes:

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

The biggest battle in history between the Axis and the Red Army warrants the biggest clash of German and Soviet planes in the game!

30% discount on the following planes:

						Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5
						Messerschmitt Bf 109 F
						Lavockin La-5
						Yakowlew Yak-9
						Yakovlev Yak-1M

The biggest battle in history between the Axis and the Red Army warrants the biggest clash of German and Soviet planes in the game! 30% discount on the following planes:Take your battle to the next level by climbing one more tier in the tech tree right now!The special will run from Monday February 3^rd at 07:00 until Thursday February 6^th at 06:30 CET (GMT+1). 

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 26^th January, the remaining Germans divided into two forces to try and take strategic objectives, but even this ultimately failed. On 31^st January, the southern group surrendered, and a few days later on February 2^nd, 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 this week and relive the Battle of Stalingrad for yourselves, pilots!