On August 23, 1942, the German 6th Army initiated an offensive on Stalingrad, preceded by extensive bombing that caused significant damage to the city. The 16th Panzer Division advanced towards Gumrak Airport, located 15 kilometers northwest of the city, and encountered resistance from Soviet anti-aircraft guns.
According to the records of the 16th Panzer Division, they encountered determined opposition from tenacious female fighters manning 37 anti-aircraft positions, engaging in a fierce exchange of fire until those positions were destroyed.
The official Soviet historical account of the war acknowledges this event, stating that the anti-aircraft troops of the 1077th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, led by Colonel W. S. German, engaged the enemy's tanks and motorized infantry without immediate support from rifle units. The regiment fought alone for two days, successfully repelling the assaults of German submachine gunners. While engaged in combat, they managed to damage or destroy 83 tanks as well as 15 other vehicles carrying infantry. Additionally, the regiment neutralized over three battalions of assault infantry and shot down 14 enemy aircraft.
The 1077th Anti-Aircraft Regiment continued to serve in the Soviet forces until the end of the war. In May 1945, the regiment became part of the 86th Air Defense Forces Division, operating on the Southwestern Front. In 1945, the 86th Division was responsible for providing air defense support to the Kharkiv and Odessa Military Regions, as well as the Independent Coastal Army.