When dealing with the Battle of Stalingrad, one hardly knows whether the "whimper" is represented by 6th Army's surrender in February, 1943... or better represented by the mere 6000 survivors of 6th Army (out of 91,000 captured) who finally made it home in 1955.

But if the whimper can be debated, the final "bang" is certain... Wintergewitter. Operation "Winter Storm" began as the final relief effort of surrounded Stalingrad, with a scratch Panzer Korps made up of units from all over the theater (and the strongest, 6th Panzer Division, coming back from refit in France!). Supported by already shaken Rumanian units, the force had 110 kilometers, two rivers, and two Soviet armies to cross, compounded by unusually mild early winter conditions, with as much rain as snow. (That would change after the battle.) They made it over halfway to Stalingrad, with the attack called off when 6th Panzer had to be used to support an Italian collapse which threatened losses even more catastrophic than Stalingrad.