Paulus's Late August Mistake? BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD E14
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Historians accuse Paulus of making a huge mistake outside Stalingrad, which may have contributed to the defeat of the 6th Army. This is certainly up for debate though, as we will see in this episode of Battlestorm. Looking at the maps, and examining the circumstances, it's doubtful that Paulus could be blamed for this, and that von Weichs, or Hoth may be the more appropriate targets for criticism. That said, Paulus has made a mistake, just not the mistake most historians point out at this time. Luckily for us, Russian historian Alexey Isaev has pointed out this error in his book "Stalingrad: City on Fire" (highly recommended).
(This was formerly S5/E14)
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The MAPs for this series were created by Terri Young, and the video was edited by her too. Check out her website www.terriyoung...
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📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES 📚
The specific Battlestorm Stalingrad bibliography docs.google.co...
Full list of all my sources docs.google.co...
⚔️ If you like Stalingrad, you may also enjoy historian Anton Joly's UA-cam channel "Stalingrad Battle Data". Link: / @armageddon4145
If you'd like to learn more about the 64th Army, check out Dann Falk's book on the 64th Army, and his website here: falkenbooks.com/
Historian Jason D. Mark also has a website where you can purchase his books from : www.leapinghor...
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📽️ RELATED VIDEO LINKS 📽️
The first episode of this series - BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD S1/E1 - The 6th Army Strikes! • BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD...
The series playlist • BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD...
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Goebbels on the German Food Crisis 1942-1943 • Goebbels on the German...
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My “Why I'm Passionate about HISTORY and What Got Me Into it” video
• Why I'm Passionate abo...
History Theory 101 • [Out of Date, see desc...
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ABOUT TIK 📝
History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.
This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.
Jokes apart, this episode was great. We get a very clear picture at all levels, from Grand Strategy to local tactics. Interesting as well, the analysis of Paulus's (in)decisions. He seems to have his hands tied, but it's yet a few days before all Soviet units fall back on the Volga, so he and Hoth still can try and catch them in their nets.
Five seasons before reaching the city... Here we can grasp the sheer dimensions of the campaign, and the significance of the fighting prior to Stalingrad itself.
Thank you sir! I've pinned your comment so I can remind everyone that Anton Joly has his own Stalingrad channel that you should all be watching too ua-cam.com/channels/Ik1QDvITjPOCsIRGGpSasA.html
Hitlers 'Broad Front' on the Ost Front...and 'The Bend In The River'.. arrogance at it's height.
Well said and yeah, big thank @TIK & Co for the detailed map and competent use of it: these moves, zooming and de-zooming are extremely useful.
My favorite Captain in history.
Captain Swearword job tvojemaj
Captain Swear word, a legendary commander of the Eastern Front.
To this day they are still afraid to utter his name
"I see a Focke attacking sir!" "Steady on old chap, watch your language!" Too late, for the algorithm sends private Tik to the glasshouse for insubordination.
And the famous American generals FUBAR and SNAFU were just as legendary......lol
Unfortunately, his legal name of Captain UA-cam Censorship prevented him from capitalizing on his battlefield fame in the future.
Marshal of Finland Soumi Perkele
from a recent Alexei Isayev's live Q&A stream:
- question: do you watch TIC? what do you think of him?
- Alexei: yes, I do, enjoy it. TIC is a really smart guy!
That's awesome!
If you speak to him, tell him I said: Thank you for writing such a great book on Stalingrad
@@TheImperatorKnight facebook.com/alex.isaev.923
This is his Facebook page, if you'd want him to contact for any reasons. He did recommend your Stalingrad series and promoted you personally on a couple of occasions.
Captain UA-camcensorship - i love that guy.
I don't! I wish he'd let us tell history as it should be - uncensored!
HAHAHAHAH I had to rewind that part and listen to it twice!
@@TheImperatorKnight Captein Fokin`s name is pronounced almost as Fawkin, so no censorship alert here.
@@TheImperatorKnight you're telling me the UA-cam bot thought you were swearing when you said a dude's name..... that's just pitiful
Whether TIK was right about Fokin or not, it was a great theatrical line. A moment of comic relief within a long, deep tragedy. What is Fokin wrong with that, I ask you!
DROP EVERYTHING!!! CANCEL ALL PLANS
BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD is on!!
That's what I did
@@serikaralbayev5979 GOOD!!! Now both of our wives are mad at us :D
Fasten all seat belts! Seal all entrances and exits! Close all shops in the mall! Cancel the 3-ring circus! Secure
all animals in the zoo....
@@moosemaimer don't forget. PANIC!!!
I was out working in the garden and my wife yelled "Honey, TIK just uploaded a video." I threw the shovel across the yard, sprinted in and clicked. Knee Deep, in Mud, stuck in a trench with no way out!
Well, I hope this episode was worth the sprint! :D
@@TheImperatorKnight Trust me, it was worth it! I nearly blew out my two knees out but I don't need me knees to watch your fantastic work! I admire your good work and extensive research! Keep up the glorious work brother TIK.
Thousands of machineguns, kept on firing through the night. Mortars blazed and wrecked the scene, guns in the fields that once were green.
@@Perkelenaattori Well said, we both love Sabaton so we're now friends lol but it's *Gone is the fields that's once were green. Not being a lyric police officer or anything but just to help a fellow brother. The Bismarck is an epic song too!
@@IrishTechnicalThinker Well I was just remembering out of memory so pardon me.. At least it wasn't like my friend who heard Toto's Africa and heard "I left my WoW raid in Africa."
Poor captain Fokin.
Fokin derives from the ancient Greek name Foka, Φωκάς, meaning "a seal" (sea mammal) and means simply Foka's son.
My great grandfather on my mothers side fought with the 40th army of the 2nd ukranian front from the very first day. Finished the war in Czechoslovakia, june 1945. Took part in over 180 battles, never seriously injured. Came out with a lot of medals, and still kept his smile and warm personality. Passed away in his early 50s (1968) as a lieutenant colonel 😪
after that he should have played the lottery daily lol
@E Fig yeah, he was a sapper too. The people that cleared minefields and unexploded devices.
My whole family tree is a statistical anomaly lol. Successful business people during Russian Empire, military veterans, cossacks, successful fighter pilots, etc.
@@keokijohnston6113 no lotteries in the soviet union sadly
Could you guys imagine if TIK did all of WWII chronologically like this? I feel like we knew nothing about Stalingrad until the visuals make it clear. Just imagine the whole eastern front getting done at this level of detail.
Tik does a great job. However what he says was known for years. Only it was in Russian and everyone trying to present this version of events would be called Kremlin troll and banned.
I really want the battle of Moscow hope it happens
@E Fig more frequently I come across selective scepticism. Which is a very bad thing.
Buddy, you would have grey hair by the time he was done.
@@YuryTimofeyev I'm calling bullshit that everyone who tried to say these things were "called a Kremlin troll and banned"
I appreciate you going out of your way to defend or at least explain Paulus' decisions. Give him his dues where its due, good and bad. Kinda similar to the Italians now that I think about it.
Yeah, I'm not doing that because I want to defend him necessarily, but to explain why he made those decisions. I personally think that most of the decisions he made are actually understandable in the circumstances. Yes he made mistakes, or questionable decisions, and I gave a good example of one in this episode. But I think a lot of the criticism laid against him isn't fair, and is actually being used to hide the faults of other generals (Hoth, von Weichs, Wietersheim, Hoth, Heim, Manstein...)
@@TheImperatorKnight I think that you forgot Hoth... you have to say the name three times or its service on the... good... ship Kamchatka for you!
Captain Swear Word, the man every soldier eventually meets and grows to love.
Every army has one, and they have a way of getting promoted.
I heard he got his start in the Navy...
That Brit army contingent/barracks . . that takes on the jokers & whips the devil out of them in the name of the crown
Everybody gangsta till Captain Swear Word shows up.
Stand by for lots of "Fokin" puns. I love 'em!
Sonic magic is an actual thing . . it's psychology (on the surface but it goes deeper)
7:36 - Falk on Fokin, or how to get banished from social media without actually violating policy
It's becoming ever more clear that 3 major factors keep emerging here: 1. Paulus, although competent, shouldn't have been in charge of arguably the most important army in southern Russia. He lacked initiative, foresight, and dash.
2. The supply situation was critical as to be comical as to be crucial to the outcome. If the Army Group had been sufficiently supplied ( as has been proven it could have been ) then Stalingrad may have been taken earlier.
3. The High Command OKH, OKW, was completely out of touch with the situation on the ground, and just as Prof Ian Kershaw said 'Hitler believed he simply had to wave his hand over the map and it would be so'.
This S5/E14 covers only August 31st events - one day event , which I am always fascinated. Two thumbs up again, TIK! As Glantz and House described the Great Patriotic War ( or Eastern Front) in October 1941, the same sentence could be applied to August 1942 for battle of Stalingrad.
" By late August 1942, the Wehrmacht (6th Army and 4th Panzer Army) and Red Army (62nd and 64th Army) resembled two punch-drunken boxers, staying precariously on their feet but rapidly losing the power to hurt each other. Like prize-fighters with swollen eyes, they were unable to see their opponents with sufficient clarity to judge their relative endurance. ( page 81-82, When Titans Clashed ; How the Red Army Stopped Hiter )
Tik I was just watching your Crusader Battlestorm and its great how your formula for battlestorm has improved from its begginings, cant wait to see how good they next one will be.
Thanks! I'm always trying to think of ways to improve the videos, so if you have any suggestions let me know!
TIK I dont know if you have considered using documentary footage to see some of the tanks and weapons in real footage but maybe there are some issues with copyright.
That's exactly why I haven't used it - copyright. I'm even reluctant to use pictures sometimes. Getty Images are ruthless, as are other companies. Personally, I don't think copyright should apply to historical pictures at all, but it does
Battlestorm: Bagration! Or maybe something a bit more esoteric like Operation Ichi-Go! Not sure if there's enough detailed sources for either though...
Another Battlestorm Stalingrad video is the perfect birthday present, thank you TiK.
Happy birthday Thranduil!
The futility and the ineptness of German command was highlighted to me -not by Glantz - but by Jason Mark. Specifically page 222 where a series of pictures show an advance across exposed/open ground where 24th Panzer Group Edelsheim was caught in a minefield. They advance across open ground... didn't reconnoiter... and didn't clear the minefield. Fail.
Tik is fantastic for the details. And his sources are impeccable. Off to his Patreon page now.
Glad to see you reading Jason D Mark :)
No one expects the Russian minefield. Then again, a surprise minefield also stopped von Arnim and the Afrika Corps during the Battle of El Guettar.
During the Kursk battle, the Soviets would conduct a so-called "impudent" mining right in front of the approaching panzers. Mobile sappers on trucks and horses would just roam around and mine every terrain suitable for tanks.
@Charles Yuditsky Well, there was probably some smoke AFTER the mines went off.
If you tried to clear every patch of ground in a country with vast distances like Russia, you would never get anywhere.
Best is to deal with obstacles as they arise.
Having a few day off from work, a cup of tea, a joint and a new battlestorm episode. Makes Monday's a really good day.
I'm with you... Greetings from Germany!
Typical full strength soviet infantry division after 1941 was 6-7 thousand men. In the chaotic circumstances of Stalingrad Battle there were fresh "divisions" of 3000 men or less thrown in the battle.
Great commentary and analysis! So actually the Soviet attacks on the pincer north of Stalingrad prevented an encirclement in the centre, as well as a rapid breakthrough into Stalingrad... It would have to be a hard slog.
While a new front against the southern pincer prevented other units being freed to support the central assault. Well what an entanglement. Who was being outmanoeuvred here? ;)
So there was some "writing on the wall" at this stage - for those who wished to see it.
The ongoing situation and the commentary are riveting! Just following this contest of wills is almost unbearable, I could not even begin to imagine what it must have been like for those involved. Only with this level of detail do we perhaps really begin to get some sort of feel for what the tension must have been like. Keep up the great work TIK! On the edge of my seat for the next instalment.
It's a classic. This series is top draw and well worth the $1 a month. When my wife insists we watch a comedy for £5.50 on sky... No Brainer. Keep it up, Keep me sain.
The Germans seemed pretty burned out by this point.
Wth r u doing here?
@@mr_brute8646 probably is interested in history.
@@mr_brute8646 Ten-year-old young ladies are welcome in our audience :)
@@altaiaurelius more like her father or mother
In the end of the video you can see how far Weichs is from the front. I would be surprised if he actually was in touch with the events at the front and wasn't giving stupid orders. I wish we could see his perspective and see if he was just moving units that were not there or maybe he thought that there were few soviet units in the area.
Agreed. And when you realize that he had 980,000 men under his command, and there was a delay before information reached him, plus the fact that intelligence on the enemy isn't particularly accurate, it's understandable why he may have been out of touch with what was happening hundreds of miles away
@@TheImperatorKnight Weichs must have had a bad internet connection. But seriously, if what I read in "The German Way of War" is correct, Weichs is actually doing something that German Staff Officers were not supposed to do, try to run the battle from a distance through their subordinates.
My girl told me it's either her or the Battlestorm series
Needless to say I'm waiting for the next episode while binging all of them since S1
A choice well made!
Here here, the video has arrived as fast as the relief force
First!
@@TheImperatorKnight he better be a patron otherwise i'm ashamed of me
@Ann Onymous - being second isn't bad! :)
@@QuizmasterLaw Unfortunately, I don't trust patreon
@@TheImperatorKnight I saw that "posted 37 seconds ago" and knew i was at least 30 seconds too late
btw lol@ "Captain Swearword" my next moniker
So i double checked the statistics of Messe (6000 Italian deaths, wounded and missed): the most modern books i use ("La Campagna di Russia", di Maria Teresa Giusti, and "La Croce di Ghiaccio" di Pierluigi Romeo di Colloredo) strangely don't report the losts of the Italian for the "first defensive Battle of the Don" , nonetheless the oldest "History of the Second World War" Italian edition confirm the data of Messe with around 6000 losts for the Italian troops, plus the UNIRR (the istitutional association of the Italian Veteran Soldier of the Russia front) official site report: 2.704 deaths and MIA, 4.212 wounded, for the operations between the August 20th e the 1st September.
Awesome! Thank you
On the subject of Italian troops: the 2nd Alpine Division ‘Tridentina’ (Gen. Reverberi) was not mounted. Yes, they used mules for logistics, but mules cannot be mounted and there were too few of them anyway.
Paulus. A general great enough to land himself and his army in the deepest of troubles.
Truer words have probably never been spoken.
I always thought the strike east to the Volga was a dead end. It locked up most of the mobile forces into static positions, trying to hold ground.
Can't wait to see how this turns out.
Loved the detail of the M3 tanks. It's easy to mock the M3 but for 1942 it had an always useful 37mm gun and a VERY useful 75mm gun. At this stage of the war an AFV that was half tank and half self-propelled artillery was quite valuable.
The M3 Lee/Grant was the definition of an ersatz tank. Putting the extra turret on top made it suicidally tall, and the position of the main gun meant the tank couldn't operate hull down. The Soviets were right to say 'Moar Valentines' - and the 2nd Guards Tank Army was using 37mm Valentines outside Berlin in 1945.
@@ianwhitchurch864 Are you sure about that 37mm gun? I thought it had the less versatile 2-pounder.
@@MakeMeThinkAgain Its the same gun, it's just the British had this thing about not making HE ammo
@@ianwhitchurch864 I think you'll find that the British 2-pounder is a higher velocity 40mm weapon. It would have had a reduced charge HE or canister round than the American 37mm, but I still think it would have been worth doing. The British military didn't agree.
@@Edax_Royeaux Infantry Branch, who were in charge of the tanks, demanded the 37mm ... but you're right. Backed by halftrack mounted 37mm tank destroyers, it would be been a better solution before they figure how to put a 75mm in a turret.
78 years on, almost to the day, but TIK has us living it as if it were happening in real time. Superb. 👏👏👏
Amazing series. Details are rich, gives a good authority on the subject.
I do see some logic behind setting farms on fire with tracers when you don´t know if there are enemy soldiers inside or not. it´s much safer than getting close and searching them after all. in Beevor´s Battle of the Bulge book, I read about american burning down barns with flamethrowers in Belgium, cause they though there might be Germans inside.
also, about the Soviet division losing all of its men (10,000 out of 10,000), not necessarily. there was a German penal unit (Dirlewanger Brigade maybe?) that suffered 300% losses during the Warsaw Uprising. maybe the same thing happened to this Soviet one, and they were constantly reinforcing it with whoever they could find, so that even if depleted, its total strength might still have been significant.
That was true but I think mostly in the fighting in the city not much before then.
Extremely interesting research, because you get into the weeds of the details. The broad strokes of history normally given to students. Never goes this deep into details of strategy or the struggles of the individual divisions Thank You for sharing TIK 👍
Your channel is my favorite historical channel on the whole of youtube. I have learned so much that it is unbelievable. Although I do have a question, if Paulus's force was to the Northeast. Why didn't they even think about linking up through that Northern gap in the lines? This series has taught me that they loved wide encirclements. So, why didn't they try, and would it even have been feasible? I've confused by this notion, and I'd like your opinion.
Ive been waiting on a new video,this series is a master piece. Thanks for the hard work and time you take for your followers to bad dvd are history you whould have made a lot for this series on dvd. anyway thanks, your loyal fan.
These videos reveal the scale and complexity of the battles. I cannot get how any of the senior commanders kept a grasp on the movement and changing state of their units. Given the radio communications at that time trying to keep up to date maps and logistics must have been a nightmare.
I love that the references are shown for each segment at the bottom of the screen. Excellent work.
People are finding this channel and series, I know I have been watching this series and trying to catch up!
I really enjoy your presentations.
As the War Progressed I think Germany knew things were bad. The failure in the beginning to get Stalin's government to collapse meant the strategy was a failure. They did an incredible job to move the front East to buy time. I suspect The German high command knew they were just delaying the end.
There is other later war story behind Steinhoff photo and that image is post war one. He was younger and less scared in 1942
Great video; can't wait for the next one....and then when the series is finished watch them all in quick succession.
A mysterious outbreak of tularemia occurred in the Stalingrad area in July 1942. It mostly affected German soldiers and this fact was noticed by doctors on both sides. Ken Alibek's book Biohazard talks about a biological weapons program by the Soviet Union and suggests that this illness was intentionally spread by them. This would make sense since the Soviet Union was the only country at that time which had a vaccine for that disease.
This series is amazing. Thankyou for the history lesson.
All your Videos on Stalingrad help us all understand what happened there
in 1942 and how the 6th German Army was Surrounded. As I sed in many of your Videos, if the Germans Attacked Russia in May 1942 with 4 Army Groups (12 Infantry Army's and 6 Panzer Grouppen). Plus 4 Air Army's (With 7000 War Playns)...
Then the Germans would of had about 2 Army Groups (With 6 Infantry Army's and 2 Panzer Grouppen). Plus 2 Air Army's (With 3500 War Playns). In the Veronese Area (AGS) and Stalingrad Areas (AGSE). At the Stalingrad Area, having 1 Army Group (With 3 Infantry Army's and 1 Panzer Grouppen). Plus 1 Air Army (With 1750 War Playns). In the Caucasus sending 3 Allie Infantry Army's (2 Rumanian,1 Italian,1 New German Formed Infantry Army and 1 Panzer Grouppen from AGC). Taking the Oil Fields in Baku in 1942. Having 4 + 4 + 5 (10 Infantry Army's and 3 Panzer Grouppen) then in the Area would of played a Large Different then. Having more Men to Fight. Letting the Germans Attack and then Counter Attack and Surround the Russians.
Another great video, thanks!
Btw, TIK, I don't know if you are aware, but A. V. Isaev, whose works you have referenced from time to time, being in my opinion the most objective and thoughtful Russian WWII historian, has in fact acknowledged your works as well.
In his own lecture on Kurland, in Q&A, he says: "There are a series of UA-cam videos in English on Kurland, which is highly recommended and are pretty much better than any book present". He does not state the name of the channel, maybe not remembering it off the top of his head, but I'm sure he meant "Battlestorm Kurland" by yourself, so I've mentioned it in the comment section there:
ua-cam.com/video/gQVMbleUv30/v-deo.html&ab_channel=%D0%AD%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B4
I love the way you don’t accept the narratives as they’re presented. I love how you use facts from several sources and common sense to contradict those who would use statistics to prove their points. This channel must be supported.
The eastern front is one of the most fascinating conflicts in history. I’m hooked on this Stalingrad series even if it is sometimes hard to keep up with everything that’s going on.
love your video!
we tied for second comment, suka!
Better luck next time
Really great work here TIK, enjoyed 99 percent of all your videos. In (12: 30) you had a Strategic map up of the southern Blau Operation in which the rules of war would dictate you can never be too strong at the focal point of a battle where everything is at stake! To not have the 11th Army go south along with a possible one more Army to the Stalingrad area in which 11 Divisions were taken away at the start of the operation seems criminally negligent on the High Command. Leningrad could wait, shortening the line at RZHEV could have helped as well if Moscow was not the main objective of 1942.
Captain "F", LOL.
F
Captain Swearword, LMAO 7:37 , that was, that caught me of guard but I lost it.
New patreon here
Thank you for your support!
Love this channel. So many little things that if either side had done the entire Stalingrad front could have had an entirely different outcome
Goddam, you took the one genuine laugh I had in two months time. Tanks for the content as always!
I would like to point out the entire point of the L6/40 was reconnaissance. to say thats all it was good for anymore implies it was designed for other roles which it wasn't.
-as for it being lightly armoured, it had 3cm of armour on the hull which was above average for light tanks at the time (see stuart and panzer II which were both 3cm), and was greater than the equivalent soviet (T-60) light tank, or any of the armored cars in use at the time. and its turret had 4cm of armour. its no medium tank, but its got above average light tank armour.
-as for its one man turret, the same aplies to panzer IIs or T-60/T-70, not great for combat but it wasn't meant for combat, and it allows a smaller vehicle (which is advantageous for recon)
-as for its cross country performance, it could climb a 60 degree gradient, the same as the panzer III. and could ford rivers of the same depth as the panzer III. and it could drive over obstacles 4inches taller than a panzer III could climb. its cross-country max speed was also faster than the panzer III (the L6/40 being 25kph cross-country while the panzer III was 18kph cross-country). *if the L6/40 had bad cross-country performance the panzer III was even worse....* (it also had supior obsticle clearance and crosscountry speed to the Panzer II)
so yeah, it was a bad combat tank (haveing only 3/4cm of armour and a 1-man turret 20mm autocannon), but its small size and decient cross-country mobility for a 1940/42 axis tank, combined with superior armour to most recon vehicles, made it a decent recon vehicle. which was unfortunately pushed into roles it wasn't meant for due to a lack of tanks on the front.
Fokin heck, that was a good episode. Maybe it's because if confirmation bias though.
I've long thought there were basic errors made at the conception of Fall Blau in the choice of targets and the force disposition. Firstly Hitler and his immediate advisors set too many goals for the forces available, to finish taking Crimea, then the Caucasus, Astrakhan, and Stalingrad was unrealistic. Secondly they placed too much emphasis on Stalingrad when it was the least important objective, threatening the city and destroying its industrial capacity from range would have used less resources and tied up Soviet forces in its defence.
Once it was clear resources had been stretched to thin the options were either to withdraw to defensible positions West and south of Stalingrad and shift units to mop up the Caucasus and push toward Astrakhan then back up the Volga, or to halt the Eastern push and bring units back to reinforce Hoth and Paulus. The better choice would appear to be to reinforce success and cut the Volga at its mouth rather than to reinforce failure at Stalingrad. To pick neither and insist Hoth and Paulus succeed with what they had shows errors of judgment so fundamental that it's clear the German High Command was not the much vaunted successor to Prussian military heritage that it is frequently painted but a politically captured leadership willing to do whatever Hitler wanted.
There are a lot of questions I have about the Luftwaffe field units, chief of which is why did the Luftwaffe have so many men in it that it didn't need? Those men would have been so much more useful in the army. Exactly why were they allowed to join the Luftwaffe in the first place and why did Hitler not force Georing to transfer them when it was obvious the Luftwaffe couldn't use them?
Here is some further information en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luftwaffe_Field_Divisions
@@caryblack5985 You misunderstood the question. What I am wondering is why Georing was allowed to recruit so many men he didn't need in the first place.
@@williamst.romain7393 Most likely becuase of his relationship with Hitler. Hitler still overlooked the in competence of Goering and when Goering said that he would turn the men into field divisions rather than turning them entirely to the army. Hitler excused Goering many times because of his loyalty during the rise to power of the Nazis.
I think your right to argue a strategic withdrawal from the North of the City in order to lay siege and conserve the massive gains already made in this sector was the common sense action to be taken...especially given the context of Leningrad (success) and Moscow (failure). The Red Army was clearly building up a massive force in this Region in preparation for a future attack so clearly trying to draw out these exhausted Red Army forces into more fruitless counterthrusts could have the effect of tying down millions in Red Army forces in this sector and relieving pressures across the entire Front most importantly in and around Voronehz and ultimately Moscow itself...still the ultimate goal of the Barbarossa Campaign. Paulus and Hitler had the advantage of time and space in this instance and were squandering both in spectacular fashion. All of the objectives of Case Blue of which Stalingrad was never one had already been achieved. "Melee attacks" upon the Kuban Steppe meant nothing as this was a strategic Victory by the German Wehrmacht of the first order as they had complete operation freedom of movement across the open range but in no way attempted to exploit this "Lost Victory" by drawing out the Red Army into the ultimate of killing fields.
The Stalingrad defensive lines are preserved. You can see them on Google maps. It is a massive belt around the city consisting of three trenches about a half of a mile apart.
The antitank ditch for Stalingrad North was not far out of the city. Some wartime aerial photos show it.
"There is so much wrong with this sentence, it's a mystery as to how it was conceived of in the first place" LOL
I can't believe the m3 Lee was the superior tank for once in a battle
Well they did pretty well in North Africa didnt they? ;-)
There was a time frame of about 6 months when the M3 Lee/Grant was one of the best tanks around. Had they been put to better use, they might have won one or two battles between May and September 1942.
So much of history is faceplaming, eye-rolling, and rage (granted with benefits of hindsight, and multiple sources giving us in the future a more omniscient viewpoint), and historians are far too knowledgeable about some of the most horrific ways to die, so the fact that you tossed in some humor in 'Captain Swear-word' and 'Captain UA-cam-censorship' is deeply appreciated and is a brief moment of levity in the regular moments of 'are you Fokin kidding me' through all of this. Keep up the good work, the Battle of Stalingrad is a particular interest of mine and this is incredibly fascinating. (Even if I do kick myself on occasion for my own paper - thankfully just undergrad! - not having some of these sources that you've cited.)
Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job pics/maps enabling viewers to better understand what/whom the orator was describing. Class A research project!!! Glantz was correct in his assessment of the disorganized communication/supplies/transportation and the likes. Eventually led to the German armies. Slowly losing control of the eastern front. Gen. Von Paulus usually added to the calamities. Being an inexperienced arm chair General.
Tik, My History teacher is a Holocaust and 9/11 denier, I am afraid he is forcing his views on students who tend to believe things they hear on face value, I need help to debunk his claims.
Thank you, Great videos as always!
Those Italian tanks look like a furnace on wheels. Not an industrial furnace but the kind you would see in a school basement. I think you could take one of those out with a slingshot.
"Captain Swear-Word" is going to be my new online handle... would also make a great superhero show on Netflix...
THANK YOU! One of the best videos I've seen on the Stalingrad campaign.
ive been watching this series now for the last month and were not even in stalingrad yet hahaha i love it
do look forward to Mondays...not so much most of my life...👍
Great Series worthy of Praise... because it's a Train Accident watched in nerve wrecking Slow Motion... Kudos...
It is almost as if the Soviet forces where retreating , or being defeated (you judge) , just slow enough to make German forces too exhausted for a decisive blow on S and the eastern front. Question: How much troops had already started to be accumulated on the east side if Volga? Had the Soviets alteady started to realize what they might be able to do in a few months?
No, they are still trying to defend the city, and are desperately trying to halt the German advance. The realization that they really have a shot at turning the tables won't really come about for a month or two yet.
this is bloody good hope you continue to work this series
Oh my god... Oh my god!
How am I only now finding this channel?! Instant sub, you sold me, where do I sign?
Welcome! I hope you enjoy the videos :)
Ever since I was 5 years old I have had a unconquerable interest in the Second World War. I have always been looking for people to help me go more in-depth in there was both on the combat side (as I intend on joining the forces) I found your channel in august and I found you are the most in-depth historian when it comes to the war and the context around it. I have always dis-like the United Nations (as they seem to fail in keeping their promise of piece) and by extension the League of Nations which was formed after WW1 I was wondering if you could give you Professional view on the effect of the League of Nations on the second world war And how this can compare to todays United Nations. Love your videos and I love how neutral you are compared to other historians.
sorry for not being a patron at the moment i don't have any money to spend but when i get into the forces i will be shore to donate.
Halder's voice is Fokin hilarious.
British Pilot „There was one Fokker in front, and then two more of the Fokkers behind me and then-„
„You mean the planes they used were Fokkers?“
„No, no, those Fokkers were Messerschmitts“
29th Motorised (Falcon Division) has held my interest for some time. Their outstanding performance later while holding the Stalingrad corridor open against overwhelming Soviet pressure is admirable, regardless of nationality.
Germans? Greatest warriors on earth
The last time I was this early Adolf still lived in Braunau am Inn.
What i find interesting is that it appears mostly on the german side, that the higher generals like Paulus and Weichs seem to want to focus solely on an objective without to much regard to the amount of forces needed to garrison the front.
Encirclements are good for a multitude of reasons but referring back to the lost bridgehead. In my opinion i think they could have better utilized that bridgehead to shorten and straighten the front line which would have allowed the redeployment of multiple units or sub units to be reserves or assist in guarding exposed positions in an encirclement style operation. Granted most of my knowledge on tactics comes from studying military history and comparing actions done to possible actions which could have been taken, so what i think could be found less. But its just food for thought tbh.
following this since E1 on google earth has been very interesting and brings more perspective to the whole battle. the land scars round Stalingrad is mental. i also think i found the main basing/harbour area of the 6th army once cut off. the defensive scars on the land cover a very large area with tank dug out trench systems etc etc all still visible from a top down view.
You know that a Division is actually a goesinta. 4 goesinta 8, etc. The only reason I complain about stuff is I watch you every day. So.....what do I know.....
On Aug 31st, 1942 with the E40 road cut off by Bon Broich, why not have Wietersheim attack south down the E119 ~10km to Gumrak and then hook west towards Pitomnik. This move could entirely surround Loptain? And link up 4th and 6th Armies .
Where were the Luftwaffe planes that bombed Stalingrad, and brought supples based at?
Robert E. Lee be like, "what the fuck am I doing here?"
Great video loving the content. Looking at the map surely it would have made more sense for the 14th to move South towards Gumrak, and for the 24th to push North East to link somewhere S of Gumrak, this looks like the weakest part of the line and would have cut off a large force to the west.
I think its wild how much scrutiny every decision Paulus had made is taken by every historian and arm chair general in outrage. Its pretty clear that the Wehrmacht had been overwhelmed and expected to do far more than they were capable. The Soviets were allowed so many more mistakes and still come out on top and that says a lot.
What was the name of the commander of the 154th Naval Rifles? Didn’t quite catch the pronunciation.
@ TIK...are thre any good books on Italian operations on the Ost Front?
Adventures of Steinhoff are really entertaining
I really need to read my three new history books for a terrible graduate class. But nah. I am going to sit down and watch Battlestorm.
WOW ,,I gotta admit ,
These diagrams of these units within their "Respective" areas,
It's like watching a chess game..
So enthralling !!!!!!
Funny side note. In German Pesch sounds like Pech which actually means something like bad luck or too bad. 15:00
Incredible job! Thank you so much!
Detailed and thorough; Thanks for posting.
What i Miss is a total Summary of troops and equipment of the whole Front from time to time.
I did not see the same situation, Paul has his Army To contine with, Wietershiem just had his Army Group to worry with.With Paulus coming to the rescue
Hey Tik,I'm not a patreon but if you read this I have a question.What was the state of developments of the oil fields in Libya during ww2.Also did the German regime not have oil men looking for new fields in their conquered territories.
Doesn´t the short 76mm outrange the german 50mm as well?
Not sure if it outranges, but according to the stats I have, the Panzer III's KwK L/48 actually has a higher armour penetration than the T-34's 76.2mm F-34 L/41.5 at both 500 and 1,000 yards (1km), so I would imagine it wouldn't.
@@TheImperatorKnight Well, the short 76 is not an AT gun really. But neither is american 75. Both are focused arround HE. The late war long barreled 45 is more of a soviet equivalent to the 50mm. I csn see the 50 being more precise than the 76 and 75 but you gotta remeber that smaller projectiles slow down more over distance
@@TheImperatorKnight soviet 76mm usually fire 76mm aphebc shell ...they have better armor penetration than aphe when facing armor angled at 50 or more degrees ...and has worse armor penetration against flat armor ...WTF i cant see any german tank with 70 degree armor
edit : worse than normal sharp ap and apcbc shells on flat armor
@@TheImperatorKnight 50 mm is very ineffective against sloped armor like any other small shell
50mm needs flat tungsten core shell (apcr) to pen t34 front at 500m someone said i heard