Reminder that the destruction of the 6th Army can be heavily

Holy fuck can ww2 niggers fuck off already? we have like 10 ww2 threads a day and it's always the same shit.

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CONT

>The sucess of Leyser's attack suggests that if Paulus had established a strong mobile reserve before the offensive, he could have struck south with it, a distance of little more than fifteen miles, and quite easily smashed the lower arm of the encirclement. On the following day, he could then have sent it north-westwards in the direction of Kalach to meet the main threat from the northern offensive. But this presupposed a clear appreciation of the true danger, which both Paulus and Schmidt lacked.

I feel that if a more dynamic and formidable general in charge this disaster would never have happened.

Unlike say Kursk, Stalnigrad could easily have been avoided.

>>3021042
Apologies. I'm not trying to be a Hitler weeb or Wehraboo

I genuinely want an intelligent discussion on a question that came across my mind recently.

>>3021042
>wahhh why are these people discussing one of the most important historical events on a history board

>>3021046
Did Paulus have enough men to spare to hold the city and defend the flanks?

As I understand it, Romanians were used because all of the Germans were already busy elsewhere.

>>3021046
And just where is he going to get that "strong mobile reserve" from? Of the troops that would eventually be pocketed, you had a grand total of 5 mobile divisions; all of them severely understrength (The entire Sixth Army had about 200 tanks between it by November 18th, 1942) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/tapKA18wDsABfm5abvzfykQ/htmlview#

The Soviets were attacking with about 70 divisions. The idea that a mobile reserve of what Paulus had available could cover everything that needed covering is absurd.

>>3021082
at the very least he had the 29 MOT INF division and the 48th Panzer Corps.

However both units were split up and the 48th Panzer corps was very under-manned. When in reality should have been given high priority in equipment

A german Panzer Corps at full strength was more than a match for a Soviet Tank Army but alas

>>3021095
The 29th Motorized Divison stopped the southern thrust singlehandedly.

A properly maintained reserve composing of this, the 48th Panzer and other units he could scrape together would probably have had a lasting impact.

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>>3021027
Von Paulus was a supply officer, which can be quite advantageous when you are at the end f a long supply chain. But unfortunately, he did not have the elan of a combat officer.

>>3021136
Paulus just seems like the sorta man who would do well commanding a Corps somewhere quiet

I just cant think of who would have been a better option

Maybe von Leeb after his dismissal from Army group North?

>>3021124
>The 29th Motorized Divison stopped the southern thrust singlehandedly.
That is simply wrong. They stopped the main body of the 57th army for about 8 hours. They didn't even engage the 64th or the 51st, which were a lot bigger (Although to be fair, the 64th was a lot less mechanized).

>A properly maintained reserve composing of this, the 48th Panzer and other units he could scrape together would probably have had a lasting impact.
No, it wouldn't have. Seriously look at the order of battle I provided you. The 29th Mechanized represented about 20-25% of the German armored strength in the area, and it barely managed to stop a single corps of the Soviets (and did not in fact knock them out of the fight; the 57th resumed its advance the next day) What the fuck are you going to do about the OTHER 8 armies that are all simultaneously attacking, with the possibility of a 9th if Chuikov's boys decide they want to come in and join the fun too? Bear in mind that each of the 5th and 21st armies alone are over twice as big as the 57th.

Look, I get it, you enjoyed Beevor's book, but this is stupid.

>>3021197
The soviets would have panicked and collapsed under any real counter-attack

If 1 Army collapses they all do

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>>3021858
We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.