Throughout the summer of 1942 Strachwitz led his tanks in the advance to the Don River and across it to Stalingrad. At Kalach on the Don his regiment claimed the destruction of more than 270 Soviet tanks within 48 hours. His unit was the first to reach the Volga River north of Stalingrad on 23 August 1942. According to Williamson, it was during this campaign that Strachwitz gained the nickname "der Panzergraf" (the Armoured Count). By late August, the 16th Panzer Division was assigned to "General der Panzertruppe" Friedrich Paulus' 6. Armee, and Strachwitz had been promoted to command the entire "Panzer-Regiment" 2. During one engagement on the northern flank of the "Kessel", his unit claimed to have destroyed 105 T-34s.