With Paulus at Stalingrad by Wilhelm Adam & Tony Le Tissier

Author:Wilhelm Adam & Tony Le Tissier [Adam, Wilhelm]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2017-04-30T04:00:00+00:00

Army group sends a major

On the morning of the 18th December the airport commandant rang from Pitomnik. ‘The Ic of Army Group “Don”, Major Eismann, has just landed. He is asking for a vehicle to pick him up.’

Immediately a car from the stand-by pool was sent off. One hour later the major reported to General Paulus, and then to Major-General Schmidt. Thereafter followed a detailed discussion in Schmidt’s office involving both generals and the representative of the army group.

I got to know Eismann during our lunch together. My first impression was that he was still a very young officer, though clever and adroit. What task had brought him here? No word was spoken about it during the meal. I only heard that he had orders to fly back to the headquarters of Army Group ‘Don’ at Novotcherkask that same day. A flying visit, I thought. After the meal Eismann wanted to talk with Elchlepp and Kunowski. As usual, I escorted Paulus to his bunker. The commander-in-chief took me into his office. ‘Go ahead and ask what the short visit by the young general staff officer was about, Adam. Manstein had tasked him with briefing us on the overall situation. The Hoth army has come up against a very strong, overwhelming enemy. It is making hardly any progress. In the opinion of Army Group “Don” it is questionable whether Hoth can break through the encircling ring with the forces available to him. Manstein also considers an increase in air supply as out of the question. Therefore the 6th Army should prepare itself for a counterattack.’

‘I think, General, that we have made all the preparations necessary for it. When should we start? The most serious thing seems to me to be our fuel situation. Our few tanks can only go just 30 kilometres with the supplies available. Hoth’s spearheads are, however, more than 50 kilometres away from us. Has the army group at least arranged for fuel and ammunition to be flown in? Does Manstein know the fighting condition of our soldiers? Does he know that most are half-starving?’

‘You say yourself that our soldiers have been weakened and most of our divisions stand about 40 kilometres from the proposed breakthrough points. Think of the fate of the 94th Infantry Division that Seydlitz withdrew from the northern front on the 23rd November! Exactly so will the enemy drive into our emaciated, decimated troops and defeat them. No, under the present circumstances, giving the order to break out would be irresponsible. I must be certain that the outside encirclement will be broken or that Hoth is so close that we can meet up in one day. If anyone can make the preparations for the breakout possible, it is Manstein. Until now he has kept avoiding this decisive question. I have explained my position openly to Eismann and asked him to brief Manstein just as openly. The situation in the cauldron has basically changed in the last weeks. Our army is now very limited in its fighting capacity.

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