Panzer Commander Hermann Balck: Germany’s Master Tactician

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In particular, the Japanese map «Battle of Stalingrad: Phase 7 : 1942.12.8-12.18» allows to see a relief in area of bottom watercourse Chir: Obkivskaya – Surovikino – Sovkhoz 79 – Nezhne-Chirskaya. Glantz, David M.; House, Jonathan (2009). To the Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1630-5. The basic precondition of successful direction of troops - a correct estimation of the opponent. The Supreme command has broken this principle in the most irresponsible image. What, in effect it was possible to undertake now when the army actually is in an encirclement? Only one - to break on a southwest. For now it is necessary to keep bridgehead above Don to the east of Nizhne-Chirskaja. The commandant of station Chir any more does not answer. My linear patrols informing, that in a direction of the railway there is a strong rifle and machine-gun firing. While I yet do not know details. Operative group Mikosh has sent investigation to station Chir.

What was easy today, could cost a lot of blood tomorrow,” he said. “I walked off a distance, thought about it, and made a decision. We had to advance another ten kilometers into the enemy. My adjutant, Braune-Krikau, a resolute and courageous man with a keen military mind, said ‘sir, that would lead to the destruction of the regiment.’ ‘No,’ I replied. ‘It will lead to the destruction of the French.’” And so he was proven right. As any tank and any person from structure 1 Tank Corps in 3-rd branch of state farm ¹ 79 did not appear, neither up to nor after December, 8. Map 30 «Battler of the Chir River» On Dec 1942 Mell-PzBat-210-212-Map29-30.jpg (103.01 KiB) Viewed 42140 times F.W. von Mellenthin «Panzer Battles 1939-1945».Has a little told about this fight general-colonel Balk – at that time general-major the commander 11th Panzer Division. As we find out soon from indications captured, the division Germans named «Ghost». On 9 December 1942, the 7th Luftwaffe Field Division moved into position on the left (northwest) flank of the 336th Infantry Division, strengthening the front at the beginning of the difficult days from 9-17 December 1942. On the evening of 11 December 1942, elements of the 5th Tank Army, driven hard by its competent but stiff and unimaginative commander, General Romanenko, simultaneously broke through the left flank of the 336th Infantry Division at Nizhne Kalinovski and its center 15 miles southeast at Lissinski.

By 16 December 1942, 11th Panzer Division was prepared to advance the next day across the Don River as part of German Operation Wintergewitter - "Winter Storm" -- the relief of Stalingrad. [32] Diamonds on 31 August 1944 as General der Panzertruppe and acting commander of the 4. Panzerarmee [14] Here the real hell, - informed Shtreker, - unimaginable storm fire has fallen upon our positions. The Earth is literally ploughed up. At us significant losses. However the basic impact, probably, is put on Romanians. I have communicated on phone with the left neighbour, Romanian IV Army Korp. His chief of a staff is adjusted rather pessimistically. He is afraid of a panic in the armies. Our divisions keep firmly, but because of a blizzard very bad visibility. We shall report command on a course has put. element of surprise and about 800 broke through and escaped. But the Red Army crushed the two follow-on echelons and captured Pfeffer-Wildenbruch and the Hungarian I Corps’ Iván Hindy. (The Hungarian Communist government executed Hindy for treason in 1946; Pfeffer-Wildenbruch remained a prisoner in the Soviet Union until 1955 and died in a traffic accident in 1971.) Nevertheless, memoirs of colonel Adama are very useful, they enable to see the common picture of the events happened at the end of November and the beginning of December, 1942 in region of state farm 79.Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. On 23 November 1942, the Soviets completed the encirclement of the 6th Army by linking up at Sovetsky, 10 miles east of Kalach on the Don. [11] In the beginning of December more to the left of my battle group the 336-n infantry division has taken position. Besides to me have subordinated some companies of an airfield division (LFD). They have been excellently armed and equipped, and the main thing - at them was of what our soldiers most of all dreamed: winter regimentals. Clearly, that the mood of my infantrymen could not improve, when they have seen all these heaps fur coats, fur waistcoats, fur caps, valenki, winter warm mittens, padded cotton wool of camouflage suits with which soldiers of the air forces which are taking place under protection of Goering have been supplied. In addition still they have cut a poor figure in fight. The majority of officers kept arrogantly though had no any representation about operations of an infantry.

Let command of an army group understands it. I informed about having place. General Besler so hastened, that, probably, soon there will be. The chief of an operations section of 14-th Panzer Division has reported to Schmidt, that Besler already is in the machine on a way to station Chir. He at all did not consider necessary to wait arrival of the receiver. What shame, that such pettiness carries a rank of the general! In the early morning at Golubinskaja there has arrived the general of Hube, the commander of XIV Panzer Korp with the army headquarters. He has reported, that tank parts of 16-th and 24-th Pazer Divisions are taken off from front and in second half of day or will leave to Don in the evening. This news has installed in all of us vivacity. To Hube concerned in an army headquarters with the big respect. In fact he once in August has made the way with 16-th Panzer Division through enemy front from Don to Volga. Certainly, I knew, that tanks have had in battles for city the big losses. But, as if drowning grasping at a strow, I assigned big my hopes for Hube. Lieutenant General Paul Gorman, USA, J5 (Plans and Policy), Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Gorman formerly commanded the 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized) in V Corps and was one of the authors of the US Army's tactical doctrine as set forth in FM 100-5, Operations.

(1883 - 1982)

The division's arms and equipment were, however, much better than those of the ground forces divisions. But there was no one who knew how to handle the division's weapons. The soldiers were rather fine physical specimens; they were willing to fight, but they were completely untrained. They were nothing but pure, unadulterated cannon fodder. The division, holding a bridgehead across the DON east of VERKHNYAYA CHIRSKAYA, was the nucleus of the Corps in the corner formed by the DON and CHIR rivers. Adjoining on the right and extending up to the boundary there was a thinly-held line along the DON made up of 24 Pz Dw Division rear echelon elements. On the left there were those elements of the 338th Infantry Division that had arrived from the Hungarian Army sector by rail and on foot. in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941]. München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.