, THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E0 12958 B e c a u s e J e s c h o nne k , a m a n i n a h i gh a nd r e s p on s ibl e p o s it i on fa il e d t o r ep o r t w ith f ul l e m pha s i s t o H itl e r c o nc e r n i n g th e v i e w s opp o s i n g a n a i r - l i ft , h e c a nn ot b e e x one ra t e d f r o m a s ha r e in th e bl am e fo r th at f at e ful de c i s i on t o t r y t o s upp l y th e Six th A r m y b y a i r . Ci r c um s t a n c e s w e r e di ff e r e nt in G o e r i ng s c a s e T h . e R e ich s - m a r s cha l ne v e r da r e d c o nt r a di ct H it l e r , a n d it s e e m s l ik e l y th a t h e f e lt c om p e l l e d t o m a k e h i s p r om i s e be c a u s e of t h e ov e rp ow e r i ng p e r s o na l it y a nd i nfl u e nc e o f th e F ueh r e r P . o s s ib l y G o e r i n g s us p e ct e d tha t H it l e r h a d a l r e a dy de c i de d t o l e a v e th e Six th A r m y i n Sta l i ng r a d i n a ny c a s e an d w a s n ot w i ll i n g t o r e c o n s id e r . It i s w e l k now n tha t Hi tl e r , s i nc e th e w i nt e r c r i s i s of 19 4 1 - 4 2 , r i g o r o u s l y a dh e r e d t o a ny de c i s i on , o nc e it w a s m a de , a n d ob s t ia a t e l y in s i s t e d up o n e x e c ut i o n o f h i s o r de r s o nc e th e y h a d b e e n i s s ue d . T h e o r de r t o "h ol d th e g r o und a t a ny c o s t " an d t o "r e s ol ut e l y h o l d th e fa rth e s t l in e o f a dv a nc e " h a d a lw a y s be e n th e F ue h r e r ' s l a s t r e s o r t Si . a c e th e s e m eth o ds h a d a ch i e v e d s uc c e s s b e fo r e M o s c ow i n th e w i nte r o f 19 4 1 , h e appl i e d th e m a s a ge ne r a l c ur e - a ll fo r ev e r y di s a s t e r in , c l udi n g St a l i n - g r a d i 52 H . o w e v e r h , e r e qu i r e d G o e r i ng s pr o m i s e a s a ba s i s f o r h i s de c i s i o n . T h a t th e F ue h r e r w a s de t e r m in e d t o h o l d th e St a l i ng r a d a r e a , e v e n if it m e a nt th e l o s s o f th e e nti r e Six th A r m y i s de m on s t r at e d b y h i s r e f us a l to app r ov e th e b r e a k o ut r e que s t s a t a t im e wh e n H oth s a r m y ha d dr iv e n w ith in r e a s o na bl e l im it s t o th e s o uth e r n p e r im et e r o f th e p o ck et i n an e ff o r t t o r e l i e v e P a ul us B . y th at t im e (a b o ut 2 0 D e c e m be r 19 4 2 ) it , w a s a l r e a dy ob v i o u s th a t on l y a n a de q ua t e s up pl y m ov e m e nt c o ul d s u s ta i n th e Six th A r m y , a nd th i s w a s c l e a r l y b e y o nd th e a bil it ie s o f th e L uftw a ff e t o p e r f o r m H it l . e r ' s c onfi de n c e in th e c a p a bi l it i e s o f th e L uftw a f e w a s ja r r e d b y it s fa il ur e to a c c o m pl i s h th e r e qui r e d a i r l ift m i s s i o n 15 3 b , ut w o r s e , pe r h ap s , w a s th e fa ct th at m a ny A r m y c om m an d s an d t r o op s a l s o l o s t c o n f i d e nc e in th e a i r f o r c e s . C on f ide n c e i s a l w a y s th e fi r s t c on dit i on fo r s uc c e s s in a r m y - a i r f o r c e c o op e ra t i o n It . w a s o nl y na tu ra l th a t m any t r o op s a n d unit c om - m a nde r s w e r e una bl e t o p rop e r l y un de r s t a nd wh y th e a i r l ift op e ra t io n h a d b e e n ho un d t o fa i l , o r h ow gr e at a n im pa c t th i s fa il u r e w o ul d ha v e up o n th e ov e r a l c o ur s e o f th e w a r , s inc e th e i r know l e dg e o f th e ba s i c fa c t o r s w a s s up e r f i c ia l a n d th e i r ex p e r ie nc e s in th i s a r e a l im it e d N . e v e rth e l e s s , c o n - s i de r a bl e h a r m w a s done t o th e gr o un d f o r c e - a i r f o r c e r e la t i on s hip . On c e G o e r i ng h a d g iv e n une q uiv o c a l a s s ur a n c e s to H itl e r tha t th e S ix t h A r m y c o ul d be s upp l i e d b y a i r , a l l m e a s ur e s s h o ul d h a v e b e en ta k e n 347 THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E0 12958
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