 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Mukati maAugust naSeptember, sezvo hondo yeguta reStalingradMauto e21 akaramba achimanikidza nzvimbo dze6th Army pamhenderekedzo yokurudyi yeDon. Muna Gumiguru, Mauto echitatu eRomania akatsiva zvikamu zveGerman zvaidzivirira chikamu chekuchamhembe kweDon bend, asi maRomania akatadza kudzivirira Mauto e21 kubva mukuwedzera kuwedzera Serafimovich bridgehead. Vakuru vakuru veSoviet vakanga vasarudza kushandisa Serafimovich bridgehead kuti vatange kurwisa kukuru zita rekodhi Uranus kumaodzanyemba kwakadziva kumabvazuva uko, pamwe nekurwisa kubva kunzvimbo dzeSoviet kumaodzanyemba kweStalingrad, kwaizorova kumativi eSvondo yeChitanhatu kupedza kukombwa kweguta. Pakutanga kwaNovember Major-General Ivan Chistyakov akatsiva Danilov semutungamiriri we21st Army. Penskovskii, akasimudzirwa muna October kusvika pachinzvimbo chaMajor-General, akaramba ari mukuru mukuru wemauto. Gare gare, 21st Army yakasimbiswa nechitima chematangi uye elite cavalry corps. Pakasvika nguva iyoyo musoro webhiriji wehondo pamhenderekedzo yokurudyi yeDon wakanga wakareba makiromita 50 uchibva kumadokero kweSerafimovich uchienda kumabvazuva kweKletskaya. Pakati paNovember, 21st Army yakasiya kutonga kweSerafimovich chikamu chebhiriji kune ichangobva kusvika 5th Tank Army. Iri uto rematanki uye mauto anofamba-famba e21st Army aifanira kutungamira kufamba kwekukomberedza kubva kuchamhembe. 