General Friedrich Paulus
December 1940
Earlier in September, I was appointed Oberquartiermeister to draw up substantive plans for Barbarossa. After reading Marcks’ plan, it seemed that the plan is insufficient. More forces must be made available and the size of the reserves must be reduced. The available forces will be divided into three groups, North, Centre and South, and each to be conducted separately in the first stage of the invasion.
We will eliminate all Russian forces in western Russia with bold thrusts by columns of Penzer divisions, deep into Russian territories. Our main objective will be to cordon off Asiatic Russia along the general line Volga – Archangel, preventing the Red Army’s withdrawal and disabling the Russian air arm.
The first report has already been submitted to Halder and the accompanying maps completed. With the war games, we came to realize that the separate advancement of the three army groups would lead to gaps between them in Lake Ilmen-Veleiki-Luki and Gomel. However, keeping in mind of the priority of capturing Moscow, Army Group Centre should be kept at maximum strength. Army Group North and South will have to clear these gaps with their own forces.
Nonetheless, I believe that the superiority of our forces will be able to clear even the hardest obstacle. We must keep in mind that the Red Army is inferior in terms of armour, artillery, aircrafts and combat capabilities.
The primary assessment is that the decisive operation will be Moscow, upon which the success of Don Basin and Leningrad depends. But now we have a major problem on our hands. It is surprising that even before the war games and operational studies were complete that the draft was taken to the Fuhrer. Earlier this month, the Fuhrer expressed disapproval of Moscow being the primary objective. He assessed that Leningrad would be more important for it is the cradle of Bolshevism.
Changes must be made to incorporate Leningrad into the Deployment Directives
Heil Hitler!
Friedrich Paulus
