The counteroffensive of the Red Army, successfully launched on November 19, 1942, made it possible to take into the ring the 300,000th army of Field Marshal Paulus, who had been trying to capture the city on the Volga since August 1942. But the situation around Stalingrad remained difficult. The enemy was strong and continued to defend stubbornly. In December, German troops attempted to release the encircled Paulus army, and this attempt was almost crowned with success.