The Stalingrad Airlift January 1943

To supply Sixth Army with 300 tons a day, the absolute minimum amount demanded by the army
(which really needed 500 tons) would necessitate an average of 150 fully laden Ju 52s landing in 
the pocket
each day. (500 tons an average of 250 Ju 52s landing in the pocket, including loading,
unloading, losses, etc.  it would mean they needed 800 Ju 52s to realize the 500 tons each day.)

Of the six airfield inside the Stalingrad pocket, only Pitomnik was properly equiped to handle
large-scale operations. It even had lights, flare paths and signal equipments for night operations.

This is not complete, I tried to add as much info as I found. If someone can help me to complete,
please let me know. 

Ju 52 = Junker 52
He 111 = Heinkel 111
 
Date

 

Number and type

of airplanes flown in

 

Supply flown in

 

Kind of supply

 

1st 
Friday
? Ju 52 +  ? He 111
120 planes
230 tons
.
Ammo / Food
Medical supply
.
2nd 
Saturday
No flights
.
0 ton
.
No supply
.
.
3rd 
Sunday
? Ju 52 +  ? He 111
About 120 planes
250 ton 
.
Ammo / Food
Medical supply
.
4th
Monday
.
.
.
.
Fuel / Ammo 
Medical supply 
.
5th
Thuesday
21 He 111
.
40 tons 
.
Ammo / Fuel
Medical supply 
Too cold for the Junkers to start
 
6th
Wednesday
Fuel / Ammo 
Medical supply 
.
7th
Thursday
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
.
Friday 8th, 12.00 noon  ? Ju 52 + ? He 111    Ammo / Fuel
until Saturday 9th 12.00  ? Ju 52 + ? He 111  220 tons Medical supply 
For the first time a FW 200 'Condor' plane landed in the pocket. 7 of them arrived and took
156 wounded out of the pocket. The 7 FW 200 flew 22.5 tons of medical supply, 5 tons fuel
9 tons of ammo in the pocket.
.
10th
Sunday
Fuel / Ammo 
Medical supply 
For the first time a Junker 290 plane landed in the pocket. 78 wounded flew out with it.
A Junker 290 plane carried 10 tons of supply.
.
11th
Monday
No flights
.
0 ton
.
No supply
.
.
12th
Thuesday
Fuel / Ammo 
Medical supply 
.
13th
Wednesday
No flights
.
0 tons
.
No supply
.
.
Wednesday 13th - 14th
Thursday (at night)
45 Junker 52 
41 He 111 + ? Ju 290
160 ton
.
Ammo / Fuel
Medical supply 
A Ju 290 with 80 wounded on board crashed seconds after the take-off. Only one survided.
NCO Alfred Lutz. The pilot who flew the plane named Häning.
 
14th
Thursday
No flights
.
0 tons
.
No supply
.
.
15th
Friday
Fuel / Ammo 
Medical supply
.
16th 
Saturday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
About 39 planes
68.5 tons
.
Ammo / Fuel
Medical supply 
Pitomnik airstrip overran by the Soviet forces. Gumrak airstrip is now in use.
Until today + 20.000 wounded or sick soldiers were evacuated out of the Stalingrad pocket. 

NOTE :
Between the first of January 1943 and January 16th, 1943, 2325  tons of supply arrived.
An average of 145 tons a day.
17th 
Sunday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
About 45 planes 
About 82 tons
Flown in and dropped
28 t ammo / 48 t med. Food / 4.65 m3 fuel
The first planes landed on Gumrak airstrip.
.
18th
Monday
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
.
19th
Thuesday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
About 40 planes 
32 tons flown in
30 tons dropped 
Fuel / Ammo 
Medical supply 
.
20th
Wednesday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
57 planes - 25 landed
52.2 tons
Flown in and dropped
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
.
21st 
Thursday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111
100 planes 
About 200 tons
.
Fuel / Ammo 
Medical supply 
Soviet forces pressed in on Gumrak airstrip at night. The airfield is no longer available for the air-lift.
.
22nd
Friday
?
?
?
DROPPED 
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
The last available airstrip 'Stalingradski' is operational, 6 planes are crashing on the strip trying
to land.

.
.
23rd
Saturday
?
?
?
DROPPED 
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
Fall of  Gumrak and Stalingradski airstrip. No airstrips available anymore. 
From now on the supply needs to be dropped.

.
24th 
Sunday
3 Ju 52 + 4 He 111 
1 FW 190 / 8 planes
12.5 tons
DROPPED
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
Fog. Planes flew very low. About 50 meter above ground.
.
25th 
Monday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
7 planes
13 tons
DROPPED 
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
8 planes take-off.  -20 degrees Celcius 
.
26th 
Thuesday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
52 planes
46.3 tons
DROPPED
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
The 6th Army pocket is cut in two. The southern part is twice as big as the northern. Droppings 
above the two pockets.

27th
Wednesday
57 Ju 52 + 50 He 111 +
5 FW 200 
103 tons
DROPPED
Ammo 28 tons
Medical supply 75 tons
Droppings above the two pockets. 
28th
Thursday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
87 planes
83.1 ton
DROPPED
Ammo 
Medical supply 
The southern pocket is cut in two. Droppings above the 3 German pockets at Stalingrad. 

NOTE :
Between January, 17th and January, 28th, 790 tons of supply was flown in or dropped.

An average of 60.75 tons a day.

 
29th
Friday

Friday, 29th + 
Saterday, 30th (at night)

? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
109 planes 

? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
+ ? He 177 / 124 planes

108.8 tons
DROPPED

130 tons
DROPPED

Food / Ammo
Medical supply

Food / Ammo
Medical supply

Major General Pickert of the 9th Flak Division is dismissed by Milch. Droppings above the
3 German pockets at Stalingrad. 125 planes take-off. (day) 151 planes take-off. (at night)

30th 
Saturday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
+ ? He 177 / 85 planes
118 tons
DROPPED
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
Droppings above the 3 German pockets at Stalingrad. 89 planes take-off. (at night)
31st 
Sunday
? Ju 52 + ? He 111 
89 planes
72 tons
DROPPED
Food / Ammo
Medical supply
Southern and the center pockets surrenders to the Russians. Droppings only above the northern
pocket. 109 planes take-off but only 89 are able to reach the droppping zone. (at night)

Notes : 
-Several pilots / planes flew twice a day.
 

Sources : Books

Stopped at Stalingrad - Hayward
Luftbrücke Stalingrad - Franz Kurowski
The battle for Stalingrad - Rotundo (The 1943 Soviet General Staff Study)