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i s o l a t e d fr om th e o th e r , a n d al l o f th e m m il e s f r om A r m Y G r o uP D o n
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o l din g o ut in th e e x t r e m e no rth e r n s e c t o r w e r e w e a k r e m na nt s o f th e
b Oth M ot o r i z e d D iv i s i on ,
th e 16th a nd 2 4th P a nz e r D iv i s io n s ,
th e 38 9th
Infa nt r y D iv i s i on , a nd s om e s til l ba t t l e - u o r th y e l e m e nt s of th e 10 0th
L i ght Infa nt r y D iv i s i o n In .
th e m i ddl e p o ck et (th e no rth e r n p a r t of th e
fo r m e r s o uth e r n p o c k e t ) w e r e l o ca t e d pa r t s of th e ? bth 1 1 3th
, , a n d 30 5th
In fa nt r y D iv i s i on s 4 0 0
, m e n o f th e 38 4th In fa nt r y D iv i s i on , e l e m e nt s o f
th e 2 9 th a n d 3r d M ot o r i z e d D iv i s i o n s ,
th e IV C or p s ( wh i ch ex i s t e d in n am e
o nl y s inc e it h a d no m o r e di v i s i o n s )
, a nd th e V III Co r p s w ith e x t r e m e l y
w e ak r e m na nt s of th e 7 9th a nd 2 9 5th In fa nt r y D iv i s i on s .
T h e c om m a nd p o s t s of th e 7 1s t Inf a nt r y D iv i s i on ( unde r G e ne r a l
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m aj o r A l e x a n de r v o n H a rt m a nn ) a nd th e S ix th A r m y ( un de r G e n e r a l ob e r s t
P a ul u s ) «re r e s it uat e d in th e r ui n s o f a l a r g e Sta l in gr a d de pa r tm e nt s t o r e
o n R e d Sq ua r e T h
. e a pp r oa ch e s w e r e bl o c ke d b y s a n d ba g s , c r a t e s , a n d
ba r r i c a de s m a de o f s t r e e t l a m p p ol e s ba l
, c o ny ra il in g s i
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ba r b e d w i 1 15
r e ,
L uft w a f fe unit s s t ill t r ie d t o a i r - dr op s uppl i e s t o th e s e p o ck et s
On 2 9
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J a nua r y th e F ue h r e r ts h e a dq ua r t e r s r e c e iv e d a m e s s a g e fr o m th e
S ix th A r m y th at a ll a i r - dr op c o nta in e r s h a d be e n fo un d w ith th e e x c ep ti o n
o f ab o ut 2 0 t o n s F i
. e l d M a r s h a l M il ch a dde d a p o s t s c r ipt t o th e m e s s a ge
de
,
c l a r i ng :
Th i s i s f ur th e r p r o o f o f th e p r e c i s i o n w ith wh i ch s upp l i e s
a r e b e i ng a i r - d r opp e d , a n d o f th e fa c t th at p r e v i o u s l y th e a i r -
d r opp e d s upp l i e s la nd e d w ith i n th e f o rt r e s s a r e a , but w e r e no t
p r op e r l y r e c ov e r e d . 1 16
D ur i n g th e n i g h t o f 2 9 - 30 J a nua r y 19 4 3 , 1 5 1 L u ftw a ff e t r a ns p o r t s
t o ok o ff , a nd 1 32 s uc c e e de d i n a c c o m p l i s h in g th e i r m i s s i o n s , d r opp i n g a
t o ta l o f 1 30 t o n s o f s up p l i e s t o th e dw i n dl ing f o r c e s i n th e s ev e r a l
p o c k e t s . 1 1? N o m at t e r h ow c o l d it w a s , no r h ow d e ep th e s no w , no r h ow
E dit o r 's N ot e : H e i nz S ch r o e t e r g iv e s a g r ue s o m e de s c r ipt i o n of s o m e o f th e G e r m a n r e do ubt s in a nd a r o un d St a l in g r a d inc l
, udin g th e
c e l l a r o f th e m e r ch a nt S im o nov i ch i n wh i ch 8 0 0 s e r i o us l y w o un de d m e n
la y dy i ng Ra , nk h a d c om e t o m e a n n oth in g , a nd r e f e r e n c e s t o unit s a s
"c o rp s " "di
, v i s i o ns "
, a nd "r e g im e nt s " h a d no m e a nin g wh a t e v e r Se . e
St a l in gr a d b i s z ur l e t z t e n P a t ro n e (St a l i ng r a d U nt il th e L a s t Ca rt r i dge ) .
325
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