The Battle of Stalingrad and the Battle of Manila

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

 

The Battle of Stalingrad is considered the most bloody battle of all time. It started in Aug 1942 and ended in Feb 1943 with the German surrender of the 6th Army. Over 850,000 Germans and 1.2 million Russians died. The battle was so bitter that by the end both sides had resorted to cannibalism. The Germans lost 1000 planes, 1500 tanks, 6000 artillery pieces, 6 months of war production. Over 90,000 Germans surrendered but only about 1500 made it home from Russian prisons ten years later.



The ruins of Manila; Second only to the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Manila saw the worst urban warfare of the Second World War, with house for house being fought for and civilians slaughtered.