Let's say von Bock was never sacked, operational command remained between Oberkommando and the General Staff, and Army Group South remained a single entity with Gruppe Kleist, Gruppe Hoth and Gruppe Ruoff as attachments, plus reserves. Let's say the objective was to destroy Stalingrad as a transportation and industrial centre and not occupy it. Let's say Maikop and Grozny were left to the Luftwaffe to bomb to oblivion back in July-August with forward bases secured by Gruppe Ruoff no farther afield than Stavropol (for the Grozny attack).
Then it still would've been a very difficult campaign with no assured victory.
I think this winter clothing issue is semantics and boredom. The whole 1942 Summer Campaign was faulty.
Stalingrad wasn't a David and Goliath battle with a predictable outcome, it was a toddler with a foam rubber bat going up against a pride of lions. It could've been won only if every single prerequisite for victory had not first been taken away before the Don bend was even reached.
Even von Kleist's Chief of Staff noted clearly in his diary the General Staff were of the opinion by July that Oberkommando had fully abandoned all precepts for the conduct of logical wafare for a personality cult with less than no chance of success.
That's from a member of the General Staff. Without them the entire Prussian system of wafare is defunct, the Wehrmacht useless. Hitler ignored them from day one like it was some sort of class struggle, he was a Corporal with an inferiority complex and career military ambitions by political means. The outcome of that, was indeed predictable I think.
Then it still would've been a very difficult campaign with no assured victory.
I think this winter clothing issue is semantics and boredom. The whole 1942 Summer Campaign was faulty.
Stalingrad wasn't a David and Goliath battle with a predictable outcome, it was a toddler with a foam rubber bat going up against a pride of lions. It could've been won only if every single prerequisite for victory had not first been taken away before the Don bend was even reached.
Even von Kleist's Chief of Staff noted clearly in his diary the General Staff were of the opinion by July that Oberkommando had fully abandoned all precepts for the conduct of logical wafare for a personality cult with less than no chance of success.
That's from a member of the General Staff. Without them the entire Prussian system of wafare is defunct, the Wehrmacht useless. Hitler ignored them from day one like it was some sort of class struggle, he was a Corporal with an inferiority complex and career military ambitions by political means. The outcome of that, was indeed predictable I think.