Comments by "Cary Black" (@caryblack5985) on "Halder blames Hitler and Paulus! BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD E18" video.

@steenkigerrider5340 Sounds like Trump and his handling of Covid.
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@QuizmasterLaw I don't understand. You mean that Stalin traveled to the front to meet with Zhukov? That can't be right. The meetings with the Stavka and Stalin were in Moscow.
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@TheNoonish Or maybe Paulus just said I( can take the city but I need reinforcement without giving a set timeframe.
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@QuizmasterLaw He had many conferences with Stalin both in person and over the phone and deeply involved in planning many of the Soviet army's operations.
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@QuizmasterLaw I don't think any one was eager to see Stalin unless he was successful. However if he was summoned he would go. Khruschev felt the same. However Vasilevsky who was part of the Stavka and frequently met with Stalin and was supervisor of a number of operations was never threatened. Once Stalin trusted a general he did not just say, you failed you are executed. That happened for the most part in1941. I think this is a notion that has been exaggerated because of what Stalin did in1941 but much less after that.
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They had not developed the tactical skills as yet. The Germans had more effective cooperation between armor infantry and air. This will change later on but it is a learning process.
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The large reserves were built well back from Stalingrad and you will see how the movements were well disguised when we get to the end of Oct beginning of Nov. However the Germans said over and over again the Russian is finished , he has no m,ore troops to attack. The intelligence of the Wehrmacht was pitiful.
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I believe it is likely that Paulus I can take the city but did not give ant commitment to a particular amount of time it would take. He may have just said if you give me reinforcements I can take Stalingrad. One thing that TIK did not mention along with postponing dealing with the forces of the Soviets north of the Don the war diary of the 6th army (Sept.13, 1941) states the army will have to forego the complete clearing of the SOUTHERN BANK of the Don along the left flank. On the 15th of Sept it was noted FOLLOWING the capture of Stalingrad the army must as quickly as possible attack the area between the Volga and Don to the north and destroy the forces there Isaev p99. In other words they have decided to leave the bridgeheads at Serifimovich and Kletskaya until after conquering Stalingrad. This will have dire consequences in November as the Romanians will be defending those bridgeheads when the counterattack begins.
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I have a somewhat different take. At the conference Halder is way over optimistic as usual and thinks Stalingrad can be taken in 10 days. Hitler agrees because it is just what he wants to hear and von Weichs agrees with his superiors. Paulus is more realistic and does not agree with ten days and says he needs additional troops. He must have agreed that he could take the city or they would have replaced him. The situation is this: the 6th army has taken many losses but they know the 62nd army is probably in worse shape. They haven't gone into the city yet but they know they have pushed the Soviets back in every action and repelled the attacks from north of the Don. Why would they not go into Stalingrad and assume they can take it with hard fighting? Is it likely they would not even try? After 2 weeks they have the south of Stalingrad in their hands. The commitment takes over and the mindset becomes one more push and we will have all of Stalingrad. Now at the end of the first push around Oct 1st is the time when they should have reevaluated and said this is costing us too much and the Soviets have reinforced. We need to take another look but by this time they and Hitler who gave a public speech Sept 30 that Stalingrad would be conquered, are committed.
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I think Hitler is ALSO to blame. I think Halder told Hitler what he wanted to hear and Hitler readily agreed.
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@pathfinder3754 Unfortunately his boss Stalin said attack. Just like Hitler told Paulus take the city.
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Lack of good sources and wishful thinking.
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have a somewhat different take. At the conference Halder is way over optimistic as usual and thinks Stalingrad can be taken in 10 days. Hitler agrees because it is just what he wants to hear and von Weichs agrees with his superiors. Paulus is more realistic and does not agree with ten days and says he needs additional troops. He must have agreed that he could take the city or they would have replaced him. The situation is this: the 6th army has taken many losses but they know the 62nd army is probably in worse shape. They haven't gone into the city yet but they know they have pushed the Soviets back in every action and repelled the attacks from north of the Don. Why would they not go into Stalingrad and assume they can take it with hard fighting? Is it likely they would not even try? After 2 weeks they have the south of Stalingrad in their hands. The commitment takes over and the mindset becomes one more push and we will have all of Stalingrad. Now at the end of the first push around Oct 1st is the time when they should have reevaluated and said this is costing us too much and the Soviets have reinforced. We need to take another look but by this time they and Hitler who gave a public speech Sept 30 that Stalingrad would be conquered, are committed.
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