THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958 A ir F l e e t f o r c om m itm e nt a t th e m o s t c r uc ia l p l a c e s Th i . s c oul d p r oba bl y h av e b e e n don e if , onl y t e m p o r a r i l y , a l th o ugh e x p e r i e n c e ha s s h ow n th a t unit s th u s t r a n s f e r r e d t o a noth e r c o m m a n d a r e us ua l l y r et a i ne d l on ge r th a n w a s o r i g ina l l y int e nde d b e c au s e o f s el fi s h r e a s o n s , o r be c a u s e ta ct i c a l dev e l op m e nt s in th e n ew a r e a h a v e t i e d th e m dow n It . a l s o f r eq ue nt l y o c c ur s th a t unit s w h i ch a r e t e m p o r a r il y t r a n s f e r r e d a r e s e r i o us l y r e duc e d in op e r - a t i o na l s t r e ngth dur in g th e s oj ou rn w ith th e ne w c om m a n d o r a r e w e ak e ne d a s a n e ff e c t o f th e t r a n s fe r it s e l f . A ne w ty pe of c o m m a n d o r ga niz a ti on w o ul d h a v e m a de it p o s s ibl e t o t r a n s f e r c e r ta i n e l e m e nt s f r om C om ba t Z o n e Ce nt e r t o th e s o uth e r n s e ct o r M . W ith th e o r ga n i z a t i on o f th e G e r m a n Com m a n d a s it w a s i n 194 2 , no p o s s ibi l i ty ex i s t d f o r b r in g in g a b o ut a ba s i ca l y diff e r e nt dis t r ib u t i on o f f o r c e s , a n 8 , w i th o ut a c h a ng e i n th i s di s t r ib ut i o n , no c o nc e nt r at i on o f a i r p ow e r c o ul d h av e b e e n c r e a t e d in th e s o uth e r n s e c t o r . T h e ov e r a ll m il it a r y s i t ua t i o n a n d the s i tuat i o n in th e E a s t e r n T h e a t e r of Op e r a t io n s m a d e s uch ba s i c c ha n g e s v i r t ua l l y i m p o s s ibl e . T h e c e nt r a l p r obl e m w a s , o f c ou r s e , th e fa c t th at th e L u ftw a ff e w a s num e r i c a l l y fa r to o w e a k f o r it s a s s i gn e d ta s k s . T h e F o u rth A i r F l e e t w a s c l e a r l y a w a r e o f th i s . D ur i n g th e e nti r e p e r i o d of op e ra t i o n s a ga i ns t Sta l in gr a d a n d a ga i ns t th e S ov i e t fo r c e s in th e Ca uc a s u s , v o n R i ch th o f e n h a d c o n s i s t e nt l y dr aw n G o e r in g 's a tt e nt i on t o th e ne c e s s it y o f de v e l op ing c l e a r - c ut a r e a s o f m a in e ff o r t a n d i , n th i s c o nn e ct io n, ha d r e p ea t e dl y a nd ur g e ntl y r e q ue s t e d th e r e i nf o r c e m e nt of both A r m y a nd L uftw a ff e Wh . e n P a ul us , a t Sta l i ng r a d , une x p e c t e dl y de c i de d t o h a l t a l l o ff e n s iv e op e ra t i on s p e ndin g a r r iv a l o f r e i nf o r c em e nt s an d th e r e g r o up i n g o f hi s a r m y R i , ch th o fe n r e pe a t e dl y b e g ge d f o r a de c i s i o n on th e di s p o s it i o n o f a i r fo r c e s in th e a r e a b , ut h i s e nt r e a t i e s m a dz l ittl e im p r e s s i o n on th e L uftw aff e H i gh Co m m a nd A . s a r e s ul t h , e de c i de d on h i s ow n t o m ov e h i s e nt i r e a i r fl e e t s o ut h a nd c o m m it it i n s upp o r t o f th e a dv a nc e o f th e Sev e nt e e nth A r m y unti l th e r e s um p ti on > o f th e a t ta c k a t Sta l i ng r a d A ft . e r ' th i s o r de r h a d b e e n gi v e n Go , e r in g i s s ue d a n e w di r e ct iv e , a ffi r m i n g th e pr im a c y o f th e St a l in gr a d e ff o r t no m a tt e r w ha t , w ith th e S ev ent e e nth A r m y a c t i on a t T uap s e b e in g c l e a r l y s e c o n da r y N . e v e rth el e s s R ic hth , o f e n s t u c k t o h i s de c i s i on t o s e n d s upp o rt t o th e S e v e nt e e nth A r m y 1 34 . , p n 1 5 O c to b e r 19 4 2 R i , chth o fe n a nd Go e r i n g , * Se e F i gur e 4 1 . E di t o r 's N ot e : T h i s w a s pr i o r t o th e e nc i r c l e m e nt o f th e S ixt h A r m y b y R u s s ia n f o r c e s , p r ob a bl y ab o ut 5 Oct ob e r 19 4 2 , wh il fo r t une s w e r e s t i l unt a r n i s h e d b y a m aj o r de e Ge r m a n f e at . , E dit o r ' s N ot e : E v e n w h e n t i m e w a s n ot a f a c t o r L u ftw a ff e c om - m a n d e r s i n th e fi e l d o ft e n h a d t o m a k e d e c i s i o n s o f a s t r at e g i c n atu r e be c a u s e of th e fa il ur e o f h i gh e r c o m m an ds t o a c t . 33? THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958
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