THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E0 12958 unt il 1 5 J a n u a r y 19 4 3 . A ll o f th e s e m e n w e r e q ua l ifi e d in a v i at io n , a n d h a d b e e n e s p e c ia ll y t r a i ne d in c o o p e r at iv e e ffo rt s w ith g r o un d fo r c e s . T h e y w e r e th us w e l l e quipp e d t o unde r s ta n d th e r e q ui r e m e nt s a nd m e n - ta l it y o f th e g r o un d f o r c e s a n d th e c a r di na l op e r at i ng p r i n c i p l e s o f a i r unit s . T h e r e w e r e al s o s e v e r a l a ir s i gna l o ff i c e r s w ith in th e S ix th A r m y a r e a a nd a Ia r g e n um be r o f e x p e r ie nc e d N CO a i r c r e w m e n , m a ny o f th e m e n l i s t e d p il ot s o r t e c h nic al e x pe rt s w h o c o ul d h av e b e e n u s e d t o in s u r e a p r op e r e s ta bl i s hm e nt a nd op e r a t io n o f th e g r o un d s e rv i c e o r g a ni z a t i o n , )9 6 A lth o ugh it w o ul d h av e b e e n a dv i s a bl e a s a g e n e r a l m il ita r y p r in - c ipl e t o h av e a s e n io r fl i g h t o ffi c e r o f g e ne ra l 's r a nk w ith in th e p o ck e t , th e a uth o r b e l i ev e s th a t G e ne r a l P i c k e r t , d e s pit e h i s g o o d i nt e nt i o n s a n d a b il it i e s , c o ul d a o t h a v e in fl ue n c e d th e e x e c ut io n o f a i r op e r a t i o n s o r i g - i na t i n g f r om th e o ut s i de , o r d o ne a ny th i n g to i nc r e a s e th e a m o unt o f s upp l i e s fl ow n int o th e po c ket , th e a l l - im p o r t a nt r e qui r e m e nt f r o m th e S ix th A r m y 's v i e w p o int A . c tua l l y , a ny L uftw af fe g e ne r a l c oul d o nl y h a v e b e e n a s c a p e go a t f o r P a ul u s ' un r e a s o nabl e c o m pl a i nt s , m a de w i th o ut a ny a pp r e c ia t i o n o f e ith e r th e p o t e nt ia l it i e s o r c apa bil it i e s of a i r p ow e r ` . Q uit e a pa r t f r o m th e fa c t t ha t th e p r e s e n c e o f s uc h a g e ne ra l w o ul d m e r e l y s e rv e a s a "l i gh tn in g r o d" f o r P a ul ue ' a nx i et i e s a n d fa ul t - f i nding , wh at de c e nt , s ol di e r l y - th in k in g o ffi c e r c o ul d ha v e s t o o d up un de r the ne rv o us s t r a in o f th i s a b us e ? A l l h e c o ul d h a v e do ne w a s t o r e l a y b y r a di o th e c o n s ta nt , a nd j us t ifi a bl e de , m a nd b y th e de f e n de r s fo r m o r e s uppl ie s . H e r e a g a in h , o w e v e r , th e q ue s t io n a r i s e s wh e th e r th e G e r m a n H i gh C o m - m a n d w o ul d ha v e be e n s t im ul a t e d t o gr e at e r e ff o r t s by th e pl e a s o f th i s A i r F o r c e g e ne r a l , wh e n it ha d a l r e a dy r e c e iv e d i de nt i c a l r e p o rt s f r o m th e Six th A r m y Co m m a nd ? Wo ul d s u ch a g e n e r a l ha v e be e n abl e t o h av e im pa r t e d a n a dde d im pul s e t o th e H i gh Co m m a nd o f th e L uftw a ff e ? A v a il a bl e e v ide nc e in di c at e s th at th e L u ft w a f fe l e a de r s o ut s i de o f th e po c k e t w e r e f u l y a w a r e o f th e c r it i c a l na t ur e o f th e a i r l i ft op e r at i o n . On 1 3 J a nua r y 19 4 3 G e ne ra l F ie bi g m a de a c l e a r ex p r e s s io n o f th e L u ft - w a ff e 's de t e r m ina t i o n t o m a ke ev e r y e ff o r t t o h e lp th e b e l e a gue r e d S ix th A r m y : T h e S ix th A r m y i s fi gh t i ng it s l a s t battl e It . m i ght be an oth e r s ix days o r e v e n o nl y t w o da y s be fo r e th e e n d c om e s . ' E dit o r 's N ot e : T h e la r ge s t a i r de l iv e r y w a s on 19 D e c e m b e r 19 4 2 , wh e n 2 8 9 t o n s w e r e b r o u gh t i n t o th e p o ck e t S . e e G e ne r a l m a j o r H a n s - D e t l e f He rh u dt v o n R oh de n D i , e L uft w a f fe r in um St al i ng r a d (T h e A ir F o r c e C o nt e nds fo r St a l i ng ra d) Wi , e s b a de n : L im e s V e r l a g 19 5 0 , , PP 3 - 5 - 3 . 315 THIS PAGE DECLASSIFIED IAW E0 12958
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