... and officers and was declared a Hero of the Soviet Union. Envelopment and Destruction of Paulus's 6th Army During Operation "Ring," the Red Army encircled about 300,000 German soldiers. 91,000 soldiers surrendered, including Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus, marking the first instance of a German field marshal being captured in history. The encircled troops suffered from cold, lack of food, and ammunition, leading to mass surrender. Memory and Significance of the Battle Mamayev Kurgan is a memorial ...