December 20th,1942  With Montgomerys return to Command of the 8th it was also decided that Auchinleck who had been replaced was to be given another chance. The 31st Army was assigned to 'Sir Claude' and He was to attack Sid Rahman removing one of the last Axis strongholds in the Sand. Axis forces had seen their numbers dissipating and the Air owned by the Allies gave them little respite that 'Better Day's were ahead. From Berlin and Rome were rumours that the Forces would soon be out of the Sand. Events of course in Russia around Stalingrad was Hitlers prime interest now. Time and time again it seemed the city was ready to fold but somehow the 'Ivans' held just enough to prevent that. The German intelligence finally realized that the Russians had pulled them into a trap and even with Goerings statement 'they can be supplied by air' most in the German High Command including Hitler realized a disaster was unfolding. On the 18th the Fuehrer gave orders for the attack to cease, the Panzers at the sacrifice of the infantry to head back West before the 'Circle' closed completely. So Stalingrad was either going to be the death of a Major German Panzer Force or a race for the Panzers Salvation at the expense of the infantry.
