, ' . THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958 th e i r r a nk s p e r s o nn e l w h o h a d l ittl e o r no j um p t r a in in g F . ur th e r m i o r e n o r d , e r t o ha v e p ull e d th e m o ut of th e f r o nt , r epl a c e m e nt s w o ul d h av e be e n ne e de d , a nd th e s e w e r e s im pl y not av a il a bl e I . n a ny ca s e , t r o op m o v e m e nt s t o ne w a r e a s w o ul d h a v e ta k e n t im e j , us t a s ti m e w oul d hav e be e n r e q ui r e d f o r th e p r e pa r at i o n o f th e a i r b o r ne fo r c e s fo r th e i r ne w m i s s i on W ith . o ut s uch p r e pa r a t io n th e e nt i r e op e ra t i o n w o ul d h a v e b d e e n oo m e d f r om th e o ut s et It . m us t a l s o b e r e m e m b e r e d tha t th e e s s e nt ia l t r a nsp o r t a i r c ra ft ne e de d f o r a n a ir bo r ne un de r ta k in g of th i s m a gn it ud e w e r e la c k in g , A ll r e s o ur c e s a n d e v e r y r e s e r v e o f a i r c r a ft h a d a l r e a d b y e e n e x h a us t e d i n o r de r t o c ont i nue th e a i r m ov e m ent o f s uppl i e s t o th S e ix th A r m y M . o r e ov e r , s in c e th e s uppl i e s b r o ught in b y a i r fo r th e S ix t h A r m y w e r e s o fa r b c l ow th e m i nim um r e q ui r e d t onna g e s d , e s p it e t h e L uft - wa ff e ' s b e s t e f fo r t s unde r th e c o ndit i o n s it , w o ul d h av e b e e n utt e rl y im - p o s s ibl e t o ha v e r e l e a s e d an y o f th e t r a n s p o r t pl a n e s fr om th e a i r t r a n s p o rt un it s fo r u s e i n a n a i r b o r n e ope r a t io n T h . e r e f o r e th , e r e w a s n o p ra c t i c a l p o s s ib il i ty f o r th e e x e c ut i on o f a n a i r b o r ne e ffo rt . Un de r th e m o s t t r y i ng c o ndit io n s , th e L uftw a f fe di d it s j o b w e l l A ir a n d gr o un d . c r e w s w o r k e d a r o un d th e c l o ck in th e h op e t ha t th e i r e ff o r t s w o ul d s o m e ho w t ur n th e t i de o r e na bl e th e s ur r o un de d t r o op s t o b r e a k E o ut v e n in th e p o ck . e t G e r m a n a i rm e n c a r r i e d on t hi s t r a diti o n T h . e 9th F l D i ak v i s i o n f , o r e x a m pl e , c o nt r i but e d gr e a tl y t o the de f e n s e o f th e p o c ke t a n d de m o , ns t r a te d th e h i gh e s t s t a t e of c o m ba t r e a di n e s s a nd m o r a l e B . e tw e - e n 2 1 N ov e m be r 19 4 2 a nd 19 Ja nua r y 19 4 3 ba , t t e r i e s o f th i s di v i s i d o n e s t r o y e d 17 4 e ne m y t a nk s a nd 6 3 So v i e t pl a ne s 16 5 . A i r s i gna l unit s a l s o ex h ibit e d a n unti r i ng a n d m o s t c o m m e n da bl e w il l in gne s s t o w o rk un de r diff ic ult c o n di t i on s a nd t o im p r w i s e a l l s o r t s of s i g na l c om m uni c a t i o ns , t h e r e by m a inta in in g fi rm c o nta c t w ith f r i e ndl fo y r c e s o ut s i de t o th e v e r y e n d N . a v i ga t io na l fa c il it i e s p r ov i de d f or in in c o m g t r a ns p o - r t p la ne s w e r e not o nl y i n g e ni ou s b ut w e r e q uit e o ut s t a n di n g c on s i de r in g t h e a dv e , r s e c o ndit i o n s a nd th e a c ut e l a ck o f m a te ri a l s a t h a n d T h e s p i r it a nd ef f o r t s o f th . e s e s i gna l t r o op s w e r e ne v e r fo un d wa nt i t ng up o th e da y o f ca p it ul at i o n . Sta l in g r a d w a s not a n i m m o rta l e v e nt s uch a s th e h i s t or i c B att l e o f T h e r m opy la e , no r w a s it a c a s e o f w i ll in g s e l f - s a c r i fi c e , a s in th e c a s e o f N um a nt i a R . ath e r it i , s de s t i ne d t o g o dow n in h i s t o r y a s o ne of th e g r a v e s t m i s ta ke s e v e r m a de by a m i l ita r y c om m a nd , a c l a s s i c e x a m pl e 355 THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E 12958
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