Stalingrad Is Out Of The Question (May 1942)

Stalin, Moscow

May 1942

Hitler had already failed in Moscow during the winter. The failure of the Operation Barbarossa had already taken its toll on the Nazi Army. Most of the German forces however remained on the Eastern Front. Hitler's objective remains, which is to capture Stalingrad After the U-turn he made on Leningrad and Moscow, and that winter is over, he will be focused on capturing Stalingrad itself. Zhukov shall prepare the forces. This time the offensive will not be a back door maneuvre, but a possible all out Axis invasion towards the city. It is our time to engender for ourselves a decisive victory and get the Nazis out of Russia once and for all. Both powers are in lull now. We will be ready for the Nazi belligerents!

We have taken them out initially by the end of 1941, after their cowardly act towards us at the end of June 1941. I will not stand for a ceasefire. They initiated the zero-sum nature of this war, and they will get it in return from the Soviet Red Army. Stalingrad will not be shaken. The Southern strategic direction is not of the greatest interest to Hitler anymore. Our forces are now not capable for another offensive, we will concentrate on strategic defenses.

We will not suffer another defeat and build upon the success of holding onto Moscow and Leningrad. This war is far from over, but it will be much closer after this final encounter. We will do what we can to knock Germany off their international advantage and assist our allies in defeating them ultimately.

Stalin, Moscow

Fuhrer's Speech (January 1942)

Move of Soviet Factories (January 1942)

Alexander Yakovlev, Soviet aircraft designer

1st January 1942

2 months ago, in November, the Defense committee has ordered the total production of 22000 planes from all the factories geared towards the production of aircraft. Production has been ongoing for the past few months. Since our perilous relocation to Siberia, combined with the difficulties of the move, especially the losing of equipment and manpower, we have focused intensively on the task of setting up whatever machinery required to produce now, the planes necessary for the Great War. Given that I designed the series of Yak fighter aircraft, any of which a match for whatever the Germans throw at us, our factory is now ordered to produce at much of my latest aircraft, the Yak-9, for our pilots to fly against the Nazi dogs. To my knowledge, we only have a few other designs besides my Yak-9, such as the Lavochkin La-5 fighter, so we must work hard to make up for the lack of variety with an overwhelming advantage in quality.

First Out of Ten (January 1942)

Zhukov, Moscow

January 1 1942

By the 16th of December, the First Shock counter-offensive worked like a charm, with Germans withdrawing and abandoning guns and vehicles from Kin and Solnechnogorsk. Engaging the air force instead of ground troops was a masterstroke in strategy. We pushed the Germans out of Kalinin, Klin and Yelets. By Christmas of 1941, we dealt devastating losses to the Germans after encircling elements of the Tenth Motorized Infantry Division. The threat that hung over Moscow had been lifted by the end of December. A decisive and punitive couple of weeks that saw the threat of Nazi Germany dissolved from our capital. We have for the first time dealt a great strategic defeat to a major German combat group. We must capitalise on this success and concentrate more forces to capitalise. What Hitler wanted to achieve in Russia, had been utterly obliterated by the Red Army. This decision to invade us will surely tip in our favour with regards to the World War.

Zhukov, Moscow

Dismissed (December 1941)

General Heinz Guderian

26^th December 1941

I was informed that Hitler had transferred me to the OKH officers’ reserve pool. My successor was to be General Rudolf Schmidt.

Heinz Guderian

Befuddled HQ (December 1941)

General Heinz Guderian

December 1941,

During Rastenburg airfield’s conference with Hitler, I described the situation of the 2^nd Panzer Army and 2^nd Army to Hitler and the officers of his entourage and about my decision for the withdrawal on 5^th December. When I spoke of my intention to withdraw both armies to the Susha-Oka position – which has already commenced and was approved by then Field-Marshal von Brauchitsch – Hitler shouted, “No! I forbid that!” I was certainly taken by surprise by his outburst of anger. I told him straight that the withdrawal has already commenced and reiterated the reasoning for withdrawal. He certainly did not get it. Here’s the conversation that ensued.

Hitler: “If that is the case they must dig into the ground where they are and hold every square yard of land!”

I: “Digging into the ground is no longer feasible in most places, since it is frozen to a depth of five feet and our wretched entrenching tools won’t go through it.”

Hitler: “In that case they must blast craters with the heavy howitzers. We had to do that in the First World War in Flanders.”

I tried to explain to him the shortage of ammunitions we are facing at the front but he failed to comprehend. He insisted on his order that we remain where we are.

Here stands a man who had never attended military school and does not understand the situation up front…

Heinz Guderian

Dire Situation (December 1941)

General Heinz Guderian

December 1941

I could not sleep well for the past few weeks. The situation here is grave.

December 5^th was the first time in this war that I gave the order for the advance units to withdraw and go into the defensive. Our flanks were exposed and the troops were immobile in this god-forsaken weather. Worse of all things, our attack was unsupported. I gave the orders and we withdrew to the general line of Upper Don-Shat-Upa.

Those ***German Vulgarities*** at the OKH and OKW, have totally no idea what’s going on up in the front. They keep sending us ridiculous orders and ignore all our requests and suggestions. Our attack on Moscow has come to a complete halt. All the sacrifices and endurance of our brave troops are in vain…

Heinz Guderian