Historical photograph by Geller from September 1942 showing German soldiers of the 24th Panzer Division fighting near the Stalingrad-II railway station.
German Infantry with MP40 Submachine Guns on Vokzalnaya Street in Stalingrad (September 15, 1942)
This widely published and intense archival photograph, captured by war photographer Geller on September 15, 1942, freezes a moment of brutal urban combat during the height of the Battle of Stalingrad.
A feldwebel and a stabsfeldwebel belonging to the German 24th Panzer Division are seen hugging the ground inside a bomb crater on Vokzalnaya Street, aggressively firing their MP40 submachine guns against defending Red Army units. In the background, the distinct silhouette of the Stalingrad-II railway station (Tikhoretsky station) looms through the smoke and dust.
The Grinding Reality of the Battle for Stalingrad
By mid-September 1942, the German 6th Army had battered its way into the sprawling industrial city, expecting a quick collapse:
- The Urban Meat Grinder: What the German command envisioned as a swift breakthrough turned into a months-long nightmare of close-quarters combat block by block, house by house.
- The Elusive Volga: Despite boasting advanced tactical equipment and submachine gun-heavy infantry squads, the German forces spent agonizing months trying to cross the final few blocks to the Volga river banks—a goal they ultimately failed to secure before being encircled.
- Archival Trace: Preserved in the federal archives (Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-218-0524-25) and originally featured in wartime publications like the Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, this image encapsulates the desperate, up-close nature of the fighting around Stalingrad's vital transport hubs.
📍 Location: Stalingrad, USSR
📅 Date: September 15, 1942
📷 Photographer: Geller
📰 Primary Source: Bundesarchiv (Bild 101I-218-0524-25) / commons.wikimedia.org
Recommended reading:
- The 24th Panzer Division in Stalingrad: From the steppes to the railway station
- Fighting for Stalingrad-II: Tactical battles around the city's key rail terminals in September 1942
- Urban Warfare Tactics in 1942: How infantry adapted to the ruins of Stalingrad