Kultura. The regiment attacked Proljet Kultura on 27 July 1942, but an overwhelming Soviet counterattack the next day killed 53 and wounded 186 Legion soldiers. The Legion's bravery and success was admired by General Paulus, leading him to select the Legion as the only non-German unit to enter Stalingrad. Battle of Stalingrad Along with the rest of the Croatian Legion, Mesić participated in the Battle of Stalingrad on the Eastern Front. Mesić had a short period of leave in October 1942, but returned to Stalingrad thereafter. By January 1943, the Croatian Legion had suffered heavy losses. Its duties consisting of mainly holding the famous Red October factory frontline, where the regiment suffered heavy casualties. Mesić and his artillery unit were stationed in and around the Stalingrad flight school runway known as Stalingradskaja. Mesić became the last commander of the Croatian Legion on 14 January 1943, after the resignation and disappearance of Colonel Pavičić, who recommended Mesić to General Sanne as his successor. The Legion surrendered to General Aleksandr Vasilevsky around 29 or 30 January 1943. After the surrender of the German Sixth Army by General Paulus on 2 February, Mesić became a prisoner of war, along with fifteen other officers, approximately 100 wounded combat soldiers, and 600 other members of the Croatian Legion. The regiment lost 175 soldiers during these last two weeks, or approximately twenty percent of their regiment. Presuming he was dead, German officials posthumously promoted Mesić to full colonel and awarded him the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Military Order of the Iron Trefoil with the rank of "Knight of Croatia" of the Independent State of Croatia. In an official report dated 30 June 1943, Lieutenant Rudolf Baričević commended Mesić's bravery and leadership, calling him "an exemplary officer" and "true soldier." The report did not mention the Legion's official commander, Colonel Pavičić. Mesić and the remaining members of the legion were first assembled at Beketovka on the Volga River, where they were joined by some 80,000 POWs, consisting mainly of Germans, as well as some Italians, Romanians, and Hungarians. The POWs were sent on a forced march to Moscow, where they were to be joined by their comrades from Light Transport Brigade assigned to Italian forces on the Eastern Front. Many died along the march due to typhoid, dysentery, anemia, and scurvy. Yugoslav Army In the summer 1943, Mesić, six officers, and 100 legionnaires were transferred