Thousands of our fellows countrymen were fighting in Stalingrad in different units and divisions.
In May 1942 Bashkiria sent 3745 komsomol girls who stood behind antiaircraft guns, machine-guns, searchlights, communication equipment and worked as medical nurses.
In January 1943 the history witnessed an unforgettable act of bravery by 13 Soviet soldiers from Guard rifle division No. 44. They occupied three houses near a village upon the railway and were holding out throughout the day resisting an outcompeting infantry troop and enemy’s tanks. The Nazi besieged the houses, put straw around and set them on fire. The soldiers died in fire yet they didn’t give in. The heroic squad contained the two originating from Bashkortostan. These were Zubay Utyagulov from Meleuzovskiy district and Timiray Kubakaev, a farmer from Kaltasinskiy district. All heroes of that event were entitled as Heroes of the Soviet Union.
Soviet Army counter-attack in Stalingrad was participated by the outstanding Bashkir Cavalry division No. 112. Between the 19th and 25th of November 1942 units of this division were fighting for Oblivskaya station and eventually retook 10 settlements. On the 26th of November they covered over 300 kilometres, captured or eliminated 3000 soldiers and officers, over 100 tanks and 500 vehicles of the enemy.