THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958 "B " w ith o ne Ge r m a n a r m y H itl . e r ' s o r de r o f 30 J ul y h , ow e v e r j , et i s o ne d th e l a s t s h r e d o f s t r at e g i c c o nc ept i on f , o r now tw o eq ua l l y s t r on g a r m y g r o up s w e r e t o ope r at e in dr iv e s a t r i ght a ngl e s t o ea ch oth e r T h . e s e m ov e s w e r e in no w a y c o r r e l a t e d w i th e a ch oth e r , s i nc e it w a s ne ith e r e s s e nt ia l t o s e i z e Sta l in gr a d if s e i z ur e o f th e Ca uc a s us w a s th e e nd obj e c t - iv e , n o r t o a tta c k th e C au c a s us i f Sta l in g ra d w a s t o b e th e o bj e c t iv e 12 9 . Sin c e th e tw o dr iv e s w e r e at r i gh t a n gl e s t o e a ch o th e r , a nd s i nc e b oth obj e c ti v e s w e r e t o b e s e i z e d s im ul ta ne o us l y , th e a r e a of op e r a t io ns e x p a nde d t o a s iz e tha t c o ul d not b e c ont r ol l e d b y th e a v a il a bl e m il it a r y fo r c e s Ca l . c ula t i on s m a de it c l ea r t o e v e r y l o g i c a l - m in de d m il i ta r y l e a de r tha t th e r e w a s a l s o no ch a nc e f o r th e G e r m a n H i gh Com m a n d t o s e c u r e f r om oth e r s o ur c e s th e r e q ui s it e f o r c e s f o r s u h a v ent ur e . Th e F o ur th A i r F l e et a s s i gne d it s IV a n d V III A i r C o r p s t o s upp o r t th e g r o un d off e n s i v e , wh i ch m e a nt th at th e F o ur th A i r F l e e t a l s o h a d t o s p r e a d it s av a il a bl e fo r c e s ov e r th e e nt i r e ope r at i ona l a r e a c ov e r e d b y th e a dv a n c e s of th e tw o a r m i e s T h . e r e a l dif f e r e nc e h , ow ev e r be , t w e e n th e L uftw a ff e a n d A r m y r e s p o n s ib il it i e s i n th i s in s ta nc e w a s th at th e F o ur th A i r F l e et ha d a n i nf in it e l y la r g e r a r e a o f r e s p o ns ib il it y th a n di d th e A rm y . T h i s a r ea c om p r i s e d th e B la c k Se a , th e Ca u c a s us th , e K ub a n a r e a , th e Ca s p ia n c o a s t l i ne , th e Ka l m yk St e pp e th , e Ur a l R iv e r , th e V o l ga R iv e r f r om Sa r a t ov t o th e r iv e r 's e s t ua r y , a n d th e D o n R iv e r e x t e ndi ng t o th e m o uth T h . e F ou r th A i r F l e e t s f r o nt th us e x t e nd e d fo r m o r e th a n 2 7 0 0 , m il 1 30 e s T h i . s fa c t , p l u s th e m a nif o l d ta s k s a s s i gn e d t o th e a i r f o r c e s , s h o ul d hav e m a de it obv i o u s f r o m th e o ut s e t th a t th e F our th A i r F l e e t c o ul d not a c c om pl i s h it s m i s s i o n w ith it s a v a ila bl e a i r p ow e r . B e f o r e th e s um m e r o ff e n s iv e w a s l a un ch e d , a n d th e r e f o r e p r io r t o th e p l a nn i ng s t a g e s , th e L uftw a f fe H i gh C o m m a nd s h oul d h a v e p e r f o r m e d it s dut y by i nf o r m in g H it l e r tha t it c o ul d not c a r r y o ut th e num e r o u s de fe n s iv e a n d o f fe n s iv e a s s i g nm e nt s in C om ba t Z o ne S o uth , na m e l y , s up - p o rt in g th e Se c o nd S ix , th E l , ev e nth , a nd Se v e nt e c nth G e rm a n A r m i e s , th e F i r s t a nd F o ur th Ge r m a n P a nz e r A r m i e s , on e H un ga r ia n a r m y , o ne Ita l i a n a r m y , a nd tw o R um a ni an a r m i e s A lt h . o u gh th e F o ur th A i r F l e e t a l w a y s e nde av o r e d t o dev e l op p ow e r c Qnc e nt r at i o ns i n th e e m pl o y m e nt o f it s f o r c e s it , w a s fa r t o o w e ak t o br e a k th e w a y f o r a ll un it s s p e a rh e a di n g th e a dv a nc e s o n th e g r o un d . It i s n ot kn ow n wh e th e r G o e r i ng t r i e d t o ex e rt a n infl ue n c e up o n th e p la nn i ng f o r th e a b ov e - m e nt i on e d o ffe ns iv e s H . ovve v e r in , v i ew of th e c us t om a r y a f fi r m a t iv e a tt it ude t ak e n by b oth G o e r in g a nd J e s ch onn ek w ith r e s p e c t t o H itl e r ' s pla n s it , c a n b e a s s um e d with c on s i de r a bl e c e rt a int y tha t ne ith e r o f th e m s ubm itt e d a ny s o l i d obj e c t i o ns on th i s o c c a s i on It . 333 THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958
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