Comments by "Cary Black" (@caryblack5985) on "The Turning Point? BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD E16" video.

Yes it would be impossible for the Wehrmacht to get oil in a single campaign. Not only the tremendous flanks but also the distances. They reached Rostov but could not hold it. Maikop is 207 miles (Not Kilometers) from Rostov. and the least of the oil centers. Grozny is 354 miles from Rostov and the big prize Baku is 883 miles from Rostov. To reach these and over the Caucasus in the fall and winter is impossible. If the USSR collapsed it might work but obviously they did not. Rommel had only 3 or 4 German divisions the rest of his troops were Italian. No way that would have made a difference.
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@dhardy6654 No I am not saying anything about the Artillery. I am saying the Germans had air superiority over Stalingrad and they used that in their attacks before and after they reached the city. The vast majority of Soviet artillery was located on the western bank of the Volga, not in the city. You said the Germans were totally deficient in air power and I pointed out that they had air superiority over Stalingrad.
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But why would they back off attacking Stalingrad when they had yet to attack the city? They couldn't know on Sept 8 that an attack on the city would fail. They attacked Sept13 and in two weeks they had the Southern half of Stalingrad under their control.
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@georgecromarty5372 I agree that the Wehrmacht was in a bad position and it would have been better to reconsider their objectives. I have to disagree regarding their just saying screw Stalingrad. They were under a dictatorship and they were an army. When you supreme commander (Hitler) and your chief of the general staff Halder says you have to take Stalingrad you are bound to do it. Paulus of course could resign but if he did not but refused to take Stalingrad he would be relieved and another general would take his place with the same objective. The problem goes right to the top and there was no change of objectives there. On Sept 12 a t a conference with Hitler, Halder and Paulus it was decided to take Stalingrad first which was expected to take 12 to14 days and then with the troops freed up attack Soviet forces at the bridgeheads and than to attack and destroy the Soviet forces North of the Don. In order to help with the attack the 4th panzer would be available for attack on Stalingrad itself and not just South of the city. This decision to delay clearing Kletskaya and Serafimovich would have dire consequences in the future. The optimism was obviously misplaced but until they attacked the city they would not know. If after the first attack or even the second it would have been the time for them to alter their objectives. They kept saying one more push and we will take the city and then our troops will be able to deal with the Soviets to the North.
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@georgecromarty5372 Hard to say. What if questions are always difficult to answer because even if the Germans did as you suggested we would have to also assume that the Soviets would react differently, attacking in a different section at a different time. That is what makes what if questions a lot trickier. The other side always has an opportunity to change the situation. And they react to what their opponents do. The actual situation was that there was no way that Hitler and Halder would allow Paulus to avoid going in to Stalingrad. Further Hitler made a speech in the Sportspalast on September 30 saying Soviets would never drive the Germans from Stalingrad. He was 100% committed and his reputation was at stake. It did not turn out as he expected but by this time, in Hitler's mind there was no turning back.
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The germans were plenty busy in holding off Soviet attacks in other areas. They were not sitting around doing nothing.
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The Soviets were not on a par with the Wehrmacht at this time. The Soviets fought with courage and tenacity and this with greater supplies and numbers made a difference. The Soviets were learning all the time and you will see the difference in1943 and onwards.
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To answer it very simply becasuse Hitler and Halder ordered them to do so. Poor planning inflexible decision making.
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I agree that the Wehrmacht was in a bad position and it would have been better to reconsider their objectives. I have to disagree regarding their just saying screw Stalingrad. They were under a dictatorship and they were an army. When you supreme commander (Hitler) and your chief of the general staff Halder says you have to take Stalingrad you are bound to do it. Paulus of course could resign but if he did not but refused to take Stalingrad he would be relieved and another general would take his place with the same objective. The problem goes right to the top and there was no change of objectives there. On Sept 12 a t a conference with Hitler, Halder and Paulus it was decided to take Stalingrad first which was expected to take 12 to14 days and then with the troops freed up attack Soviet forces at the bridgeheads and than to attack and destroy the Soviet forces North of the Don. In order to help with the attack the 4th panzer would be available for attack on Stalingrad itself and not just South of the city. This decision to delay clearing Kletskaya and Serafimovich would have dire consequences in the future. The optimism was obviously misplaced but until they attacked the city they would not know. If after the first attack or even the second it would have been the time for them to alter their objectives. They kept saying one more push and we will take the city and then our troops will be able to deal with the Soviets to the North.
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@samstewart4807 Well they were not out of men, tanks or ammo when they started the attack in the City of Stalingrad and in about two weeks they had conquered the Southern section of the city. They should have thought about what other plan they might try in October but did not. Hitler wanted the city and he and Halder set the objectives.
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@samstewart4807 Well you could read the German memoirs but I would not trust them unless you can verify them from another source. Hitler was supreme commander and if the generals did not agree with him he could replace them just as he did List. As for Hitler he thought his judgement was superior to his generals. So it was a question of obey or be fired.
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@samstewart4807 I know of no source that gives the opinions of Paulus' staff. It may be that there were those who thought the attack on Stalingrad would fail but I think most felt they would have a good chance to take the city. List thought they should resupply his troops and concentrate on Grozny. There were problems with the lack of forces for the campaign and poor supply so consolidating would make sense. I don't think the generals thought they could not succeed but they were more realistic about their problems then Hitler and Halder.
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You can't just attack in the South and have a huge flank and Soviet armies coming down on you from the North. Look at the size of the USSR and you can see what would happen. Also, falsely I believe, the Wehrmacht believed that if they were able to conquer Moscow the USSR would collapse.
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@celticman1909 They couldn't supply the armies in the USSR . They would have had even more trouble supplying all the troops in only one area, the South. The long flank would be very dangerous and very difficult to defend. The Wehrmacht reached Rostov but couldn't hold it and this was the beginning of winter. The Wehrmacht Would have to travel an additional 207 miles from Rostov the least of the oil centers Maikop. They would then try for Grozny which is 354 miles from Maikop. And the big prize is Baku which is 676 miles from Maikop. They would have to do this in the winter and over the Caucasus Mountains. This would be impossible in one campaign unless the USSR collapsed which they obviously never did.
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@dhardy6654 The Germans had air superiority over Stalingrad. The attacks of the Stukas were intense and were instrumental in breaking up Soviet counterattacks and German advances.
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@dhardy6654 I think the air superiority meant quite a bit in Stalingrad. Chuikov mentions the Stuka attacks a number of times and how they pinned his troops down. It is also mentioned that the Stuka attacks broke up may of the Soviet counterattacks. The troops on the ground seem to feel that the Stuka attacks and the air superiority of the Wehrmacht greatly aided the the attacks of the Germans. I hope your remark about peasant conscripts was not meant in a slighting way. Being bombed heavily by close support aircraft effects all soldiers, peasant conscripts or not. If you want to know more about artillery read Isaev Stalingrad City On Fire. He mentions the German weight of artillery used and particularly how the Germans had a considerable advantage in large caliber artillery over 76mm. By the way he mentions Stuka attacks.
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