THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958 - Vo n R i ch th o fe n h a d a r ov e d th e s e V I I A i r Co r s r e c o m m e n d PP P - a t i on s a n d f o r w a r de d a t e l e t yp e m e s s a g e to th at e ff e c t t o th e Six th A r m y . T h e a s s i gnm e nt o f a g e ne r a l o ffi c e r f r o m th e fl y i ng f o r c e s w a s c on s i de r e d e s s e nt ia l b y both V I II A ir Co r p s a nd th e F o u rth A i r F l e e t , s inc e a diffi c ult t yp e o f op e r a t i on w a s inv ol v e d , ca l l in g fo r s up e r v i s i on b y a h i gh l y q ua l i fi e d e x p e rt . G e ne r a l P a u l us , h o w e v e r , r e p l i e d th a t h e h a d a s s i gne d G e n e ra l P i ck e r t a s c o m m a n de r o f a l l L u ftw a f f e e l e m e nt s in th e p o ck e t - - th i s w a s do ne w ith o ut a i r fl e e t c on s ul ta t i o n - - a n d th e r e f o r e r e j e c t e d R i c hth o f e n ' s s ug g e s t io n th a t a noth e r g e ne ra l b e fl ow n in . T h i s de c i s io n , ob s t ina t e l y uph e l d b y P a ul us , w a s l a r g e l y r e s p on s ib l e f o r th e ex t r e m e l y p o o r s h ow in g o f th e a i r l i ft , a t l e a s t f r om a n o r ga n iz a - t io na l p o i nt o f v i e w J . u s t be f o r e th e e x t e rm in a t io n o f th e Six th A rm y , P a ul us c om pl a ine d t o th e L uftw a ff e tha t th e r e h a d b e e n n o g e ne ra l o f th e fl y in g fo r c e s i ns ide th e p o ck et Wh il . e h e w a s c o r r e c t in a s s um i ng th a t th i s w o ul d h a v e m a t e r ia l l y a s s i s t e d th e e nt i r e p r o g r a m of l o g i s t i c a l s up - p o r t it , s h o ul d b e not e d th a t P a ul u s no t onl y ne v e r r e q ue s t e d th e a s s i gn - m e nt of s uch a n o ff i c e r b , ut in , fa c t , tw i c e r e j e c t e d a tt e m pt s t o h av e s uc h a p e r s o n a s s i g ne d , T h i s s h ow s in e s s e n c e h o w f r i v o l o us w a s th e Si x th A r m y C o m m a n d 's b e l ie f in it s a b il ity t o de c i de a i r c om m a n d p r o bl e m s on it s o w n r e s p on s ib il ity . On 17 Ja n ua r y 19 4 3 num e r o us r a di o m e s s a g e s w e r e t ra ns m it e d c o nc e r ni ng th e s uit a b il it y o f th e Gum ra k a i r fi el d fo r l a n di n g . T h e S ix th A r m y m a i nt a i ne d th a t th e fi e l d w a s i n op e r a t i ona l c o ndit io n , s ta t in g th a t it h a d a l e n gth o f 3 , 30 0 f e e t a n d a w i dth o f 3 30 f e e t . L u ftw a ff e o ff i c e r s w e r e s e nt in t o a s c e rta in th e e x a c t s ta t e o f a f f a i r s . 9 9 A l th ou g h r ep o rt s h a d a l r e a d y c o m e b a ck t o th e V III A i r C o r p s t hat th e f ie l d w a s not s ui ta bl e fo r l a ndin g s , a i r c r e w s ha d t o m ak e th e e ff o rt t o la nd in o r d e r t o s u s t a i n th e a r m y a s l o ng a s p o s s ib l e C . o m pl et e fo r m a t i n s o f a i r c r a ft w e r e un - abl e t o u s e th e f i e l d , a nd , a lth o ugh s in gl e p l a ne s c o ul d l a nd , th e y c o ul d not do s o i n q uic k s uc c e s s i o n a s i s e s s e nt ia l f o r a i r l ift op e r a t i on s A t . th e m o s t tw , o o r th r e e p l a ne s c ou i d b e a c c o m m o da t e d o n th e s t r ip a t one t im e , a nd g r e at c a r e h a d t o b e t ak e n t o a v o i d g e tt i ng o ff th e r unwa y int o o ne o f th e num e r o u s s h e l l an d bo m b c r a te r s w h ich p o c k - m a rk e d th e e nt i r e a r ea O . nl y ex p e r i e nc e d p il o t s c o ul d s u c c e s s f ul l y l a nd on th e strip . On c l e a r n i ght s th e f ie l d w a s unde r c ons t a nt s ur v e il la nc e b y Sov i e t a i r m e n in h a r a s s i n g a i r c r a f t ( ge ne r a l l y U - 2 's ) , a n d e v e r y inc om in g p la ne a n d e v e r y m ov i n g th in g o n th e f i e l d w a s im m e di a t e l y b o m be d If . a l a ndin g o r tax ii n g a ir c ra ft w a s h it o n th e f i e l d th , e w r e cka g e s t opp e d a l ope ra t io n s fo r s ev e r a l h o ur s , c om p e l l i n g o th e r pl a ne s t o a i r - dr op th e i r s uppl ie s T h . e . l a n din g s t r ip w a s th us u s a bl e onl y dur i ng da yl i ght ho ur s , a n d s i n c e th e 3 17 THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958
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