WhenFieldMarshalPaulus,whocommandedtheGermanSixthArmy'sassaultonStalingrad,surrenderedtotheSovietson31January1943,Hitlerwasfurious,andsaidthat"Paulusstoodatthedoorstepsofeternalglorybutmadeanabout-face".
Over11000GermanandAxissoldiersrefusedtolaydowntheirarmsattheofficialsurrender,believingthatfightingtothedeathwasbetterthanwhatseemedlikeaslowendinSovietcamps.TheycontinuedtoresistuntilearlyMarch1943,hidingincellarsandsewersofthecity,withtheirnumbersbeingdwindledatthesametimebySovietforces.Morethan2400ofthemwerekilled,and8646werecaptured.
Only5000ofthe91000Germanprisonersofwarsurvivedtheircaptivityandreturnedhome.
一九四三年一月三十一日，率領德國第六軍進攻斯大林格勒的陸軍元帥保羅斯向蘇聯軍隊投降。希特勒非常憤怒，說「保羅斯站在流芳百世的門前，卻掉頭而去」。
德軍和軸心軍有超過一萬一千人拒絕聽命投降放下武器，認為投降大概只會慢慢死在蘇聯集中營裏，不如戰鬥至死。他們躲在斯大林格勒的地窖和排水溝裏，繼續抵抗，但被蘇軍漸次剿滅，到一九四三年三月初全部削平，戰死者有二千四百餘人，被俘者有八千六百四十六人。
九萬一千個德國戰俘，只有五千人沒有死在戰俘營，得回故鄉。
【附注】About-face也作about-turn或volte-face，指一百八十度的轉向。