Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East (75 page)

17
Ibid., p. 121 (26 July 1941).

18
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 48 (26 July 1941).

19
‘Kriegstagebuch der 10.Panzer Division Nr.5 vom: 22.5. bis: 7.10.41’ BA-MA RH 27–10/26a (26 July 1941).

20
‘Kriegstagesbuch Nr.2 des XXXXVI.Pz.Korps Teil II. 8.7.41 – 23.8.41’ BA-MA RH 24–46/8, Fol. 111 (26 July 1941).

21
Ibid., Fol. 115 (26 July 1941).

22
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fols. 49–50 (26 July 1941).

23
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 44,
War Diary
, p. 264 (27 July 1941); ‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fols. 168–169 (27 July 1941). Guderian's memoir puts the date at 26 July (Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 182).

24
For a Soviet soldier's account of attempting to escape encirclement see Nikolai I. Obryn'ba,
Red Partisan. The Memoir of a Soviet Resistance Fighter on the Eastern Front
(Washington DC, 2007)
Chapter 5
.

25
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 44,
War Diary
, p. 264 (27 July 1941).

26
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 183.

27
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 45,
War Diary
, pp. 264–265 (27 July 1941).

28
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 182.

29
Ibid., p. 183.

30
See Guderian's letter to his wife as cited by Hürter,
Hitlers Heerführer
, p. 286, footnote 28. The use of the term
Armeegruppe
(army group) is not to be confused with Bock's Army Group Centre. This was not an independent entity, but rather a new grouping of forces under Bock's overall command.

31
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fols. 44–45,
War Diary
, p. 264 (27 July 1941); ‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 66 (28 July 1941); Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, pp. 183–184. In Guderian's memoir he states that XX Army Corps was directed towards Yel'nya, but in fact it was IX Army Corps.

32
Klink, ‘Die Operationsführung’, p. 494.

33
Blumentritt, ‘Moscow’, p. 51.

34
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 45,
War Diary
, p. 265 (28 July 1941).

35
Ibid., Fol. 46, p. 266 (29 July 1941).

36
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fols. 13–14 and 17 (28 July 1941).

37
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 68 (28 July 1941).

38
Müller-Hillebrand,
Das Heer 1933–1945
, Band III, p. 205.

39
Underlining in the original. ‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 78 (29 July 1941).

40
Guderian's panzer group consisted of five panzer divisions, but the 10th Panzer Division did not submit figures because the entire panzer brigade was disabled for want of fuel and spare parts.

41
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fols. 78–79 (29 July 1941).

42
Ibid., Fol. 89 (30 July 1941).

43
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fols. 97–98 (27 July 1941).

44
Schmidt's letter cited by Hürter,
Hitlers Heerführer
, p. 290.

45
Underlining in the original. ‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fols. 99–100 (27 July 1941).

46
Underlining in the original. Ibid., Fol. 116 (30 July 1941).

47
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 185.

48
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fol. 126 (31 July 1941).

49
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 79 (29 July 1941).

50
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fol. 18 (28 July 1941) and Fol. 96 (29 July 1941).

51
‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fol. 175 (28 July 1941).

52
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fols. 46–47,
War Diary
, pp. 266–267 (29 July 1941).

53
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 78 (29 July 1941); Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 132 (30 July 1941).

54
‘Tagesmeldungen der Heeresgruppe Mitte vom 16.7.41 bis 5.8.41’ BA-MA RH 19 II/129, Fol. 163 (30 July 1941).

55
Geyer,
Das IX. Armeekorps im Ostfeldzug 1941
, pp. 97–98.

56
Ibid., p. 99.

57
Ibid., p. 92.

58
Ibid., pp. 95 and 97. Since the start of the campaign the IX Army Corps had suffered almost 5,000 casualties up until the end of July 1941 (p. 201).

59
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 47,
War Diary
, p. 267 (29 July 1941).

60
Muller,
German Air War in Russia
, p. 55.

61
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fols. 48–49,
War Diary
, pp. 268–269 (31 July 1941).

62
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 185.

63
‘Kriegstagesbuch Nr.2 des XXXXVI.Pz.Korps Teil II. 8.7.41 – 23.8.41’ BA-MA RH 24–46/8, Fol. 148 (31 July 1941). See also: ‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 101 (31 July 1941).

64
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 186.

65
Ibid.; Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 138 (1 August 1941).

66
Van Creveld,
Supplying War
, p. 158; Schüler, ‘The Eastern Campaign’, p. 213.

67
Guderian's letter as cited by Macksey,
Guderian
, p. 142.

68
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 49,
War Diary
, p. 269 (31 July 1941).

69
Instructive of how polarised the debate over Barbarossa's success has become is the conclusion of Heinz Magenheimer: ‘In its unparalleled drive to victory up to the end of July, the Wehrmacht had, in any event, achieved the preconditions for a successful continuation of the campaign. In detail this meant: In the north the capture of Leningrad and the union with the Finnish army; in the centre the destruction of the armies deployed for the defence of Moscow and the capture of the capital; in the south the rapid crossing of the Dnepr below Kiev with a subsequent advance in the eastern Ukraine and the Donetz basin. There was still enough time to attain these objectives’ (Magenheimer,
Hitler's War
, p. 86). In similar fashion Russel Stolfi has concluded: ‘The German army had the fundamental capability – the command style, the numbers of men and tanks, and the logistical system – to win World War II during this brief window of opportunity in July–August 1941 – and they would never have it again at any other time or place in the war’ (Stolfi, ‘Blitzkrieg Army’, pp. 163–164).

70
Interestingly this was the same complaint Halder made about Hitler.

71
Meyer,
Heusinger
, pp. 154–155.

72
Von Kotze (ed.),
Heeresadjutant bei Hitler 1938–1943
, p. 107 (28 July 1941); Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 185.

73
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 134 (30 July 1941).

74
Ibid. (30 July 1941).

75
Trevor-Roper (ed.),
Hitler's War Directives 1939–1945
, pp. 145–146.

76
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 137 (1 August 1941).

77
‘Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (Band August 1941) des Oberkommandos der Heeresgruppe Mitte’ BA-MA RH 19II/386, p. 219 (1 August 1941).

78
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fols. 127–128 (1 August 1941). See also: ‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fol. 180 (1 August 1941).

79
‘KTB 20th Pz. Div. vom 25.5.41 bis 15.8.41’ BA-MA RH 27–20/2, Fol. 67 (1 August 1941).

80
‘Kriegstagesbuch 19.Panzer-Division Abt.Ib für dir Zeit vom 1.6.1941 – 31.12.1942’ BA-MA RH 27–19/23, Fol. 23 (1 August 1941).

81
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 50,
War Diary
, p. 270 (1 August 1941); ‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fol. 128 (1 August 1941).

82
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 137 (1 August 1941).

83
Ibid. (1 August 1941).

84
‘Gen.Kdo.LVII.Pz.Korps Kriegstagesbuch Nr.1 vom 15.2. – 31.10.41’ BA-MA RH 24–57/2, p. 277 (1 August 1941).

85
Since 22 June the division had suffered 2,100 casualties. Hans Meier-Welcker,
Aufzeichnungen eines Generalstabsoffiziers 1939–1942
(Freiburg, 1982), pp. 125–126. See also Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 51,
War Diary
, p. 271 (2 August 1941).

86
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fol. 129 (2 August 1941).

87
The ring may not have even held for five days as Bock wrote that the village of Ratschino, where the Soviet breakthrough was centred, had been lost ‘probably three days ago’. Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fols. 50–51,
War Diary
, p. 271 (2 August 1941).

88
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 50,
War Diary
, pp. 270–271 (2 August 1941).

89
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 118 (2 August 1941).

90
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fol. 129 (2 August 1941); ‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fol. 185 (2 August 1941).

91
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 51,
War Diary
, p. 271 (2 August 1941).

92
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 109 (1 August 1941).

93
‘Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (Band August 1941) des Oberkommandos der Heeresgruppe Mitte’ BA-MA RH 19II/386, p. 230 (1 August 1941).

94
Ibid. (1 August 1941).

95
‘Kriegstagesbuch Nr.2 der XXXXVI.Pz.Korps Teil II. 8.7.41 – 23.8.41’ BA-MA RH 24–46/8, Fol. 148 (2 August 1941).

96
Ibid., Fol. 171 (3 August 1941).

97
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 146 (3 August 1941).

98
‘Kriegstagesbuch Nr.2 des XXXXVI.Pz.Korps Teil II. 8.7.41 – 23.8.41’ BA-MA RH 24–46/8, Fol. 158 (2 August 1941).

99
Ibid., Fol. 178 (4 August 1941).

100
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 146 (3 August 1941).

101
‘Kriegstagesbuch Nr.2 des XXXXVI.Pz.Korps Teil II. 8.7.41 – 23.8.41’ BA-MA RH 24–46/8, Fol. 171 (3 August 1941).

102
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 152 (4 August 1941).

103
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fols. 98 and 105 (31 July and 1 August 1941).

104
On 17 July the division had only 40 serviceable tanks from an original strength of 169, but by 30 July this had been more than doubled to 90.

105
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 188.

106
The operations of IX Army Corps are described in detail in Geyer's memoir (Geyer,
Das IX. Armeekorps im Ostfeldzug 1941
, pp. 101–115).

107
Ibid., pp. 112 and 114.

108
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 157 (6 August).

109
Ibid., p. 146 (3 August 1941).

110
This figure comes from the total figures given on 30 July (90 tanks) and 3 August (71 tanks); ‘Kriegstagebuch 4.Panzer-Division Führungsabtl. 26.5.41 – 31.3.42’ BA-MA RH 27–4/10, pp. 84 and 94 (30 July and 3 August 1941).

111
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 131 (3 August 1941).