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THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958<br />
th e t a r g et s in th e Ca uc a s u s ,<br />
th e c r a di c a t i o n o f wh i ch w o ul d ha v e ha d a n<br />
i m p o r ta nt e ff e c t up o n th e s u c c e s s f ul o ut c om e of o pe r at i o ns .<br />
T h e N A i r Co rp s w a s unabl e t o a c c o m pl i s h e ith e r it s s t r a t e gi c<br />
m i s s io n o f i nt e r di c t i ng l o gi s t i c a l l if e l in e s of S ov i e t f o r c e s f r om Ir a n , o n<br />
th e Ca s p ia n S e a , a nd i n th e Ca uc a s u s , o r it s t a c t i c a l m i s s i on o f b r e a k i ng<br />
th e w a y fo r A r m y un it s th r o ugh th e m o unta i ns t o th e B l a ck a nd Ca s p ia n<br />
S e a s G<br />
. e ne r a l v on R i chth o fe n c om m itt e d th e c o nc e nt r a t e d p ow e r o f th e<br />
N A i r C o r p s a lt e r na t e l y b e fo r e th e Se v e nt e e nth A r m y i n th e w e s t e r n<br />
Ca uc a s us a n d b e fo r e th e F ir s t P a n z e r A r m y in th e e a s t e r n Ca uc a s u s .<br />
H ow e v e r ,<br />
th e s e m e th o ds h a d no de c i s iv e r e s ul t s .<br />
I n th e c l o s i ng da y s o f 19 4 2 , w h e n th e IV A i r C o r p s w a s r eq u i r e d<br />
t o s upp o r t th e r e l ie f a tta c k of th e F o ur th P a n z e r A r m y de , s i gne d t o f r e e<br />
th e e nc i r c l e d Six th A r m y , a ll a i r s upp o r t in th e Ca u c a s us c a m e t o a n e n d<br />
.<br />
F r om th at t im e o : ,<br />
th e R'u s s i an s h a d a c l e a r s up e r i o r it y ov e r th f e w<br />
G e r m a n h a r a s s i n g a i r un it s wh i ch w e r e l e ft in th e a r e a .<br />
In th e Do n R iv e r - Sta l in gr a d a r e a ,<br />
th e r el a t iv e l y m u ch s t r o n g e r<br />
fo r c e s o f t h e V I I A ir C o r p s , wh i ch w e r e e s p e c ia l y t r a i ne d a nd e qu ipp e d<br />
f o r s upp o r t m i s s i on s fl<br />
, e w i n s upp o r t o f A r m y fo r c e s a dv a n c in g at r i gh t<br />
a n gl e s t o th e Ca uc a s u s un i t s T h i<br />
. s a i r c o rp s w a s s o o n w o r n dow n b y it s<br />
c o n s ta ntl y cha ng in g m i s s io ns o f c l o s e s upp o rt a n d a i rl ift in g s uppl i e s f o r<br />
th e S ix th A 1 36<br />
'<br />
rm y .<br />
If f o r n o oth e r r ea s o n ,<br />
th e f a c t o r o f num e r i c a l s t r e ngth r ul e d o ut<br />
a ny p o s s ib i l it y o f a s s i gni ng s t r at e gi c m i s s io ns t o t h e V II I A i r Co rp s o r<br />
e l e m e nt s o f th a t c o rp s T h<br />
.<br />
e r s w e r e e no ugh s t r a t e g i c ta r g et s i n th e a r e a ,<br />
b ut th e c on s t a nt l y da n ge r o u s g r o un d s it ua t i on ne c e s s ita t e d th e c o nt inuo us<br />
e m p l o ym e nt o f a ll a i r p ow e r fo r t a c t i c a l op e ra t i o n s , m o s t o f w h i ch w e r e<br />
i n di r e c t s uppo r t o f th e A rm y .<br />
F r om th e o ut s et o f th e s um m e r o f fe n s iv e ,<br />
th e s t r at e gi c m i s s io n<br />
h e r e w o ul d ha v e be e n th e int e r di ct io n o f th e r a il a nd r o a d r o ut e s fr om th e<br />
S ov i e t b a ck a r e a s t o th e St a l i ng r a d a r e a , e s p e c i al l y a ft e r r ep e a t e d a e r ia l<br />
r e c o nna i s s a nc e h a d r e v e a l e d th e c on c e nt r a t i on o f s t r on g R us s i a n f o r c e s<br />
to th e w e s t a n d n o r thw e s t o f St a l i n g r a d . A s s zm i ng th a t th e Sov i e t C om -<br />
m a n d c o u l d c o n c e iv e p r op e r s t r a t e gi c p la ns - - th e y h a d g iv e n e v i de nc e o f<br />
th i s a bil it y v e r y o ft e n i n th e i r c o unt e r o f f e n s i v e s - - it h a d t o b e e x p e c t e d<br />
th a t th e y w o u l d la un c h a c o unt e r at t a c k fr om no rth w e s t o f St a l in g r a d . A<br />
dr iv e o f th i s na tur e w o ul d s t r ik e th e r e a r of th e Six th A r m y a n d m e et<br />
opp o s it i o n o nl y f r om R um a n ia n a nd Ita l ia n un it s , wh ich w e r e c on s i de r a bl y<br />
l e s s e ff i c i e nt i n c om ba t a n d l e s s ab l e by t ra in ing a n d e q uip m ent t o o f e r<br />
r e s i s t a nc e tha n w a s th e Weh r m a ch t In<br />
.<br />
s uch c i r c um s t a n c e s th e c o unt e r -<br />
a tta ck w a s l ik e l y to l e a d t o s uc c e s s A S<br />
. ov i et c o unt e r o ff e n s iv e fr om th e<br />
339<br />
THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958
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