Göring promises airlift as 6th Army surrounded | BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD E38

Hermann Göring promises that the 6th Army can be supplied by the air in Stalingrad as the Red Army finally closes the ring around Paulus. Operation Uranus is a success, but an outer-encirclement ring has not yet been formed and German reinforcements begin to arrive. Can Paulus still organize a breakout? Let's find out!
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⚔️ If you like Stalingrad, you may also enjoy historian Anton Joly's KZbin channel "Stalingrad Battle Data". Link: / @armageddon4145
If you'd like to learn more about the 64th Army, check out Dann Falk's book on the 64th Army, and his website here: falkenbooks.com/
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Check out Egor Kobyakov's Stalingrad articles here - warspot.net/us...
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📽️ RELATED VIDEO LINKS 📽️
BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD S1/E1 - The 6th Army Strikes! • BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD...
BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD S1/E1 - The 6th Army Strikes! • BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD...
History Theory 101 • [Out of Date, see desc...
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ABOUT TIK 📝
History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.
This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.

[@lisbon1492]

I love that Goring went to Paris to talk to some art dealers while the Sixth Army was being encircled. Goring clearly had his priorities straight.

[@WagesOfDestruction]

What would you have him do? What could he do?

[@aleksazunjic9672]

Goring was pretty much figurehead during the war. Not on the level of Hess, but still ... all important decisions about Luftwaffe were made by Hitler with consultations of OKW and OKH. Operational decisions were made by Luftflotte commanders. All he could do was amassing his personal wealth and waiting for opportune moment to take over (and that did not come even in vanning days of the war :D )

[@WagesOfDestruction]

@@Edax_Royeaux Goring was against the invasion of Poland. He opposed all the extensions of the war. His most significant action in ww2 was to stop the invasion of Switzerland.

[@WagesOfDestruction]

@@Edax_Royeaux yes, but I do not see the relevance of this to the video.

[@WagesOfDestruction]

@@Edax_Royeaux Well as Switzland showed he was no stooge.

[@dingusdean1905]

These videos are genuinely some of the best modern historical content you can find. Not only are your sources so thoroughly cited and animations so well done, but you're also actually going through the sources to combat old myths that were previously considered facts and creating your own hypothesis. As I said earlier, this is unparalleled content.

[@SFJPMoonGames]

Completely agree, since primary school I have read, watched and listened to anything related to ww1 and ww2. However the source validation, sense checking and awareness of all aspects is of a level surpassing the established elite of historians.

[@huiyinghong3073]

Heck the nazis should have drop their sarin gas bombs or other Bio-weapons on the advancing Soviet troops at this critical juncture as the only way to saved their trapped sixth army

[@elliottbrown1329]

@@huiyinghong3073 Or they shouldn't have invaded in the first place.

[@huiyinghong3073]

@@elliottbrown1329 Nah the simplest way is just to retreat out of Stalingrad BEFORE the encirclement.

[@huiyinghong3073]

@@elliottbrown1329 The Nazis would still have lost the war eventually though, even if the sixth army managed to escape the Soviet encirclement intact.

[@caleymckibbin2304]

You are almost certainly right. Breakouts are a bad idea unless you have mobility advantage, and some supply is better than no supply.

[@cwolf8841]

What impresses me is the massive ‘unseen’ volume of fuel, ammo, parts, etc. that follows behind the advancing forces….. all the way back to the factories. Somebody had to make those millions of rounds of rifle ammunition, artillery shells, et al.

[@jeremyglass4283]

I love the "MADMEN GORING, GO TO STALINGRAD! (aka 'JAIL', or more accurately, a Prisoner of War camp, probably in Siberia), DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT ENOUGH RATIONS" card!

[@sylvainprigent6234]

I really like the "madman Goering go to Stalingrad, do not pass go, do not collect enough rations" card

[@alansewell7810]

You breathe life into an epic battle we've read about, but didn't experience developing in real-time, the way you present it. I like your pointing out how exhausted the Germans were from all those months of fighting, and then getting hit in the rear with fresh, well-fed, well-rested Soviet Armies. The Germans were probably doomed from the instant the Soviets broke through their lines, with no realistic hope of escaping the pocket.

[@putinugend]

"well-fed" is not about Soviet Armies, unfortunately. Yes, in comparison.

[@orclover2353]

And if you read soldier memoirs(Blood Red Snow), you will see how defunct the logistics were feeding into the region...partisan activity, and constant soviet air attacks on trains in the region meant reinforcements had to walk for days just to get to the region. And even if they had fuel, they likely couldn't get it to the troops, and even if they had troops they likely couldn't get them in any large numbers to reinforce. This would continue for the rest of the war as the Germans attempted to hold onto territory that they could not manage. Really illuminates the insanity of attacking Russia in the first place. Pretty much everything went perfect and they still got demolished.

[@petetirp9776]

"Breathe life into" is the best distillation I've read of TIK's ongoing brilliant work. It's a phrase that's easy to say but incredibly difficult to achieve. That's largely because any given day's fighting involves tens of thousands with hundreds of thousands viscerally aware that they could be involved at any moment. Any you're not looking at it as a well fed guy with a smart phone. You're almost certainly very hungry and have been for weeks. As has everyone you know. You have also seen death and injury on a scale beyond your previous imagination. TIK genius is his ability to show the big picture while consistently reminding the viewer of the horrors experienced by individuals. And the feedback loop that exists between strategies covering hundreds of kilometers that had to be attempted by hungry, freezing men aware that they were low on ammunition, fuel, food. No more than a handful of viewers have experienced or even seriously thought about what that would mean. That's where TIK's genius manifests itself. He combines visual, written and verbal analysis in a way that makes an unimaginable situation become far more 'real' to the viewer than would otherwise be the case. His willingness to commit to a commercially unappealing 38 episodes and counting should also be acknowledged. It hugely increases the viewer's 'feel' for the situation in a way that a 50 minutes video never could. It also, paradoxically and happily, draws the viewer in and makes a thinking g person want to know more. One of the marks of his success is that it seems very few people stop at one or two episodes. I firs saw one of the episodes in the middle as an excuse to avoid doing real work. It took no more than a few weeks for me to see all 38 in sequence. That a KZbin video could be called a magisterial work on a subject is an astonishing achievement. But that's what Battlestorm Stalingrad is.

[@huiyinghong3073]

Heck the nazis should have drop their sarin gas bombs or other Bio-weapons on the advancing Soviet troops at this critical juncture as the only way to saved their trapped sixth army

[@putinugend]

@@huiyinghong3073 Bio-weapon is a very problematic shit even today. The most important is the Red Army was well-equipped with modern gas masks. Hitler knew it well. Would these attacks be effective? There were doubts. Would the Red Army use its chemical weapon in response? Would British drop chemical bombs on German cities? Eventually those days only two nations were using chemical weapon: Japan and USA.

[@assenort]

Thank you, sir. Your Stalingrad series is one of my all-time favorite series on KZbin. I cannot even begin to imagine how much research, time and efforts you put into preparing these videos. Keep up the good work!

[@huiyinghong3073]

Heck the nazis should have drop their sarin gas bombs or other Bio-weapons on the advancing Soviet troops at this critical juncture as the only way to saved their trapped sixth army

[@adriaanalgoet6952]

@TIKhistory - Just to make sure: I believe that the picture shown of the commander of the 26th Tank Core is that of Georgy Rodin, which is incorrect as he was in fact the commander of 30th Tank Core - 26th Tank Core was led by Alexey Rodin who of course had a different likeness than that of Georgy Rodin - love the content and see you back soon!

[@cmanningdeal6228]

Frankly This explanation of the airlift [ the meeting occuring later , after the airlift started,] makes the most sense I've seen in 45 years of reading up on this battle..

[@sebastianucero7535]

What an amazing work you a done TIK. Is monumental. Thank You. This series should be preserved for posterity. Never before a battle was so well analized.

[@randomguy-tg7ok]

TIK is completely wrong with his account on the discussions about the airlift. It should be common knowledge by now that Goering was in possession of a prototypical teleportation device (a prototype of the kind that would later allow Nazi forces to retreat to the Arctic and later the Moon), which is why he was able to go from Paris to Hitler in East Prussia to reassure him that the airlift could be done.

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Ahh yes, I forgot about that teleportation device! It was one of the miracle weapons, along with their secret plan to lower New Zealand housing prices. I'll do better next time

[@diggydumbo9294]

I think this device was invented by Jimmy Newtron if I'm not wrong

[@Dilley_G45]

@@TheImperatorKnight wish the part about nz house prices was real

[@rcwagon]

Here, here. And FieldMarshalGoering gave up his plane to the transport/supply operation, forcing him to use the teleportation device. This moved him from swimming in a river (clearly, he was "in Seine") to Hitler's presence. What a blessing. Moving that girth must have overloaded the circuits rendering the teleportation device useless until late Spring 1945.

[@Dilley_G45]

@@rcwagon Göring so fat when he jumped into the Seine River he got stuck between the river banks. No need to swim. Göring so fat when he died the food shortage in the German Empire almost disappeared

[@overdose8329]

I love the little jokes and easter eggs you put in. The Goring monopoly card at 23:25 made me laugh for a solid minute.

[@jeg5gom]

Hilarious speech-bubble reference to “Oddball” / “Kelly’s Heroes” on 1:24. Oh, and the whole video is great too, per usual.

[@thegloriouspyrocheems2277]

Kids, what have we learned from today's episode: - Madman Hitler is still very much mad - Goring knows Scotty thus allowing him to teleport when Hitler needs him - Zeitzler pretty much sucks - Jeschonnek is pretty good at math

[@Token_Civilian]

Great episode. The detail is fantastic. It really brings home how well executed the Soviet counterstroke was, schedule difficulties notwithstanding. Note to self - never, ever, let myself get out on the end of an extended supply line with tenuous forces guarding the flank.

[@Snowwwwwwwwwwww]

Outstanding work! Your passion for this stuff shows man! I’m considering becoming a patron for the 1st time, that says a lot man! I’ve been a lurker on all kinds of channels for years. I just think this solid enough to take that step to encourage you to keep it up! Have a good week!

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Glad you're enjoying the videos! And thank you for considering supporting me :)

[@villemkukk5637]

I also made a patreon account only to subscribe to TIK.

[@erich6336]

@@villemkukk5637 same

[@johnwolf2829]

Agreed, this is some of the most innovative and accurate Documentary work I have seen in ages. A very unusual combination, to be sure!

[@huiyinghong3073]

Heck the nazis should have drop their sarin gas bombs or other Bio-weapons on the advancing Soviet troops at this critical juncture as the only way to saved their trapped sixth army

[@konst80hum]

I really like the fact that you bring to light the inconsistencies of the traditional narrative and then offer an alternate version that stands better to scrutiny.Keep going only a few more months left!

[@newsheed11]

this is probably the greatest documentary series ever created i love how you manage to include big picture - what was going on in the high command and so on

[@alt-monarchist]

I've seen better

[@alt-monarchist]

It's probably the best if English is the only language you speak, then yes, this might be the best documentary

[@Kriegter]

I've always wondered in encirclements like this, how two forces prevented friendly fire when linking up with each other. Well now it appears that they kinda didn't

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Using phase lines to plot your advance to a timetable is a method, or denote a line of demarcation beyond which neither is to advance. The US Army clearly marked the Elbe that way for US forces to wait and link up with Soviet forces. There is assigning liaison officers with the advancing armies, so they know via them where the other army is. And there is of course the usage of identification markers. British forces in Sicily and the early Italian campaign used a rectangle resembling the modern Canadian flag without the maple leaf, RAF roundels were painted on top of armor at that time too, and from D-Day onwards the US white star became an Allied white star painted on vehicles of all armies. In the Gulf War a black V was the ID marker and in the 2000's US and British forces in Iraq used rectangular panels, either flat or resembling a window blinder that show up on night vision gear. And still accidents happen.

[@sparkyfromel]

Flares ! , it wasn't a surprise either , both pincer were expecting each other

[@freetolook3727]

It happens.

[@CliftonHicksbanjo]

Fratricide was and is very common.

[@andrewblake2254]

@@sparkyfromel I don't know if you realise how little information soviet grunts had about the overall situation. They knew nothing, they were just ordered to advance.

[@JK-rv9tp]

This brought me back to your video from a while back breaking down the numbers situation with the Stalingrad Airlift and why it failed. Complete with Pareto charts, it made me think of being back in my old airline tech support engineering job, watching a specialist present a Powerpoint summary of some airline that was in trouble due to fleet maintenance and logistics problems. I really enjoyed that.

[@vipondiu]

I wonder if he is making these videos without much of an intro and outro so he can eventually join them all into a massive 27 hour masterpiece about the whole campaign

[@josiahstreetman8806]

That would be the greatest video on historytube hands down

[@michaeljfoley1]

That would be awesome, and I did recently listened through the whole Stalingrad playlist, and it certainly rolled along quite seamlessly. Epic series and great insightful commentary throughout.

[@scipioafricanus6417]

He probably will, with corrections etc, as he has done for other battlesrotm series.

[@burnstick1380]

I doubt that it's going to be a 27 hour masterpiece, it's going to be much longer....

[@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle]

I have watched the 6 hour Courland a couple of times!

[@elvisfifo]

This series is insane well done!

[@miru99de]

Hello TIK, I have been enjoying your videos for many years now and have recently become a Patreon. My own grandfather was the driver of a Sd.Kfz. 7/1 Flak during Fall Blau. I have talked a lot with him about the war but his anecdotes and some of his other statements (for example him being in the 167. Infantry-division) always left me puzzled because of their contradictions (the 167. was in the Netherlands at the time). This episode of the battlestorm Stalingrad series finally helped me to pin down his division: the 29. motorised division; more precisely: it's southern Kampfgruppe on the day of the encirclement. When you mentioned the village of Verkhne Tsaritsinkskii at 03:52 I was sure to have heard it somewhere before and indeed: in the recordings of my interviews with my grandfather he explained to me that his flak was tasked to cover the retreat of the Staff from "Zarizynskij". After a short engagement with the soviet spearhead his flak retreated, but he was so confused that he drove south istead of north like most of the Kampfgruppe; this mistake saved his life. Now, knowing his division I will finally be able to put all his anecdotes in chronological order. Thanks a lot for your passionate work and to the artist for her (his?) wonderful maps / inclusion of Verkhne Tsaritsinkskii. Keep up the good work.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

To clarify: the few German 7,5cm AT guns with Group Lascar were older French guns on German carriages and lacked overall performance compared to the German PAK 40. And there were so few of them, even any a better gun wouldn't have helped. That German "Army Command Tschir" was an incredible mish-mash of units and individuals. Soldiers returning to the front were taken out of the trains to form ad-hoc companies. Anybody resembling a tanker was pressed into a tank battalion that officially didn't exist and which was equipped with tanks from rear workshops and supply trains. Soldiers were "trapped" in supply depots and frontline theatres. However the formation barely reached corps level. Edit: You already did an excellent video on the airlift ! I think you should watch it again. 🙂 IIRC, the whole idea was to supply 6th Army until further measures, i.e. breaking INTO the pocket. German optimism was based on the successful air supply of the Demjansk and Cholm pockets last winter and spring. Even under perfect circumstances, that is with bombers dropping supplies, air supply could only barely keep 6th Army alive, which is not enough for a breakout. A lot of (transport) aircraft had to be diverted to Tunisia, which was another nail in 6th Army coffin. You imagine a real life situation when the CEO and head of sales ask you if a 10 day shipment is possible in 3 days. You explain to them that in a perfect world under perfect conditions their wishes may become true and they take that for granted. Bam.

[@kwestionariusz1]

TIK have mentioned this issue while explaining strenght of Romanian forces in Stalingrad theather

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Yeah I have mentioned the German-supplied French guns in a previous episode, but it's worth reminding people and new viewers. For anyone curious, they were the Pak 97/38's. As for the airlift, don't worry, we'll get to the tonnages and whatnot soon. The point in the video was to explain that they hadn't done the calculations yet, so they believed it was possible.

[@johnwolf2829]

Looks like my ideas about pulling a Panzer Corps back to Kalach were more spot-on than I could have imagined... but even at this point it still looks like the right idea, but in a new context. You can't break everyone out, but how about breaking SOME of them out? The Panzer & PGR Div.s were the most supply-hungry of them all, so getting them out of there would have been a huge relief for 6th army's Quartermasters and the LW men sweating over their slide-rules. The Panzers left behind in Depots coudl have been used to assemble a good KG.... if somebody kept priorities straight and brought in the correct spare parts. Some Divs should never have been in there in the first place.... 29th PGR, I'm looking at you, and having a (any!) Division in the Chir area would have been a tremendous thing in itself. the bulk of 14th & 16th Panzer could have made it out as well. Yes, I know ^th Armies lines would have been that much thinner, but with their units around Kalach getting over-run would anyone have been looking any where else? Anyway, that's my thought, remove 3 x Mechanized Divisions to ensure a better supply situation for the airlift and a better base for the counter-offensive. After all, the 11th was obviously in the wrong place and had to pull back to the main group anyway.

[@grueadn5429]

@@johnwolf2829 The panzers were misused during Operation Uranus. Their only mission had to be defending the Kerch Bridge and keep an exit point for the army.

[@ninianstorm6494]

@@TheImperatorKnight current ukraine gov is proxy since obama drew red line old russia not to interfere just like he did in syria arming rebels prior to zelensky ethnic cleanse donbass region 7y= kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpKclYqImKmIhqM wesley clark foreshadow reveal 2000 to 2012 all rig for kill iraq to syria kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo dnc kill 50 in vegas/portland, thugs attack with stand down cops san jose/charlotte, burn loot several months, sabotage afgan withdraw using russia bounty smear to give taliban equip, dnc crash car in to wisconsin parade thanks to nbc follow jury bus smearing ritten house too kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nSfWuqfbiUbck bush 14y ago saidd add ukraine to nato with nuland support = kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIW0ZHdnlpKdaJI

[@damyr]

Hands down, this series deserves a special category on its own. Maybe it could be called "super extensive documentary series". And you definitely deserve an Emmy for it.

[@andrewdelaix]

Notice how Goring's quotes never say that the airlift will succeed. It is all "we'll do our best" and such. As a manager this is a classic sign of an underling who knows he can't do the job but won't tell you that. It is clearly evasive if you read between the lines. I think your conclusion is correct. There was no other choice but to try the airlift even though it was clear that it was unlikely to work. What else could be done?

[@Comradez]

Yes, and if there was any misunderstanding, it was Hitler's fault for not pressing his subordinate with follow-up questions to really nail Göring down on an estimate of tons per day that could be delivered on average, or something else concrete that nobody could say afterwards they misunderstood.

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Well, it depends on who you believe. According to Zeitzler, Göring said: "Mein Führer, I assure you that the Luftwaffe can keep the Sixth Army supplied." Whereas Göring said his words were "Mein Führer, we’ll do the job!” I'm skeptical of both accounts if I'm honest, but of the two, I think Zeitzler's account is more suspicious. I've just seen that Hayward offers a slightly different account, and also says that the debate between Zeitzler and Göring couldn't have occurred before the 27th (although does say Göring visited Hitler at the Berchtesgaden). So by the time the debate occurs, the air lift has already started.

[@XHollisWood]

Very interesting research 🧐 Thank you for sharing

[@hansschonig2472]

best documentaries ever. really really good. this is really detailed. i love it. so professional. nothing to add ... please keep doing

[@RangaTurk]

35:46 Stacey Q "We Connect" Better disband those music corps in each division just like at Courland and send them to the medical corps to act as orderlies. Fly the nurses out and they did that part but I don't think anyone is sure on what days. The surgeons in the medical corps better be specialists in orthopedics, neurology, cardiothoracic surgery or gastroenterology. It's a meat grinder in there, probably operating in the basement of factories just like the 1993 movie about the whole saga if you like reading subtitles.

[@sorsocksfake]

On the "airlift debate" debate: we should consider that this wasn't a well-prepared debate, but closer to a crisis meeting where people spitball suggestions. Also note that they're not planning for a full-winter airlift, but just to supplement Paulus' supplies until Manstein can break the Soviet line. Likewise this isn't to keep Paulus operational, just to keep him alive. With that, it could well be that Jeschonnek just spitballs the idea of an airlift (but unsure how much it could actually do). HItler phones Goering to prepare it, and asks Jeschonnek to calculate. Then goes to East Prussia, where Zeitzler expresses his doubts and points out the calculations are a perfect-case scenario. From this, 6th army gets the estimate. This all seems reasonable enough. Jeschonnek isn't flipflopping, he's just offering help but unsure how much it will be worth. Finally, a part may be that they didn't have the same idea. Perhaps Hitler mainly thought of a short-term supply to keep Paulus' forces alive until Manstein got there, while Zeitzler was thinking of an airlift alike Demyansk that would last for months. We tend to take the latter view due to General Hindesichtes' information. I think that resolves most. The point of Goering agreeing with Jeschonnek may not be odd: it's not the first time Goering loses the war by overestimating his grandiose plans to win it.

[@sorsocksfake]

Likewise ambiguity may be the keyword regarding Paulus' views on a breakout. It wasn't a relevant question: either way he had to first get troops in the southwest part of the pocket, ideally save Kalach and delay the Soviet linkup, or at least keep that link weak. That would be true whether he would then use it as the breakout point, or, prepare it as the break-in point for Manstein. Perhaps the 'airlift' suggestion added more confusion, as it gave the impression 6th army would be a long-term strongpoint like had happened in the previous winter? At which point Paulus and his generals decide those supplies won't suffice and they have to break out.

[@aleksazunjic9672]

IMHO, at that point of time debate was already too late. Option of breakout on their own would be disastrous, since as TIK mentioned many times before Germans lacked both fuel and horses, plus Soviet pincers were practically closed. Even Paulus admitted they would lose most of heavy equipment and hoped to extract experienced fighters. Since they could not breakout, and break in had to be organized, airlift was a must even if they could not get enough supplies. It was better than nothing, just like those 5 Romanian transport planes.

[@sorsocksfake]

@@aleksazunjic9672 You're doing the very discussion that they should have had (and presumably, did have). :) Just to add: breakout is even worse. Not only would it spell doom for army group A, but it'd lose the Caucasus, and therefore likely the war. We tend to forget this. Even in our timeline, Paulus' resistance and Manstein's threat prevented operation Saturn, which would have been vastly worse. So yes, an airlift helped in any of the scenarios they most actively prepared for, even if it wasn't enough. Question was, what was the price of it?

[@aleksazunjic9672]

@@sorsocksfake I agree with your assessment, but the war was most likely already lost since Germans could not get the oil, had to withdraw from Caucasus, suffered defeat at El Alamein and Torch landings have begun. Question only remained how big and fast would their defeat be.

[@Casa-de-hongos]

General Rückblick is a very very german sounding general...

[@paulceglinski3087]

Clicked the like button before watching the video again, TIK. Your Battlestorm vids are the absolute best ever! Even a game developer friend, Joni Nuutinen, recommend your channel. I agree whole heartedly. Well done Lad, brilliant! Tried to binge the Crusader video, but that didn't go so well, but I rewatched it in parts (3) and I can't wait for the Stalingrad vids to become a massive 30 hour opus on this battle.

[@jonny-b4954]

Never knew the details surrounding Gorings promise of supplying 6th army via air transports. Very interesting video. Can't believe I'm still regularly watching Stalingrad videos yearsssss later. Hahah. I wish it was possible to have such a depth of knowledge and time to make more videos on another campaign. Loved the ones on North Africa. Starting to get burnt out especially knowing the outcome but videos like this revive my interests. Good stuff Tik

[@koxxy3749]

i really like the addition of adding more on screen animations to further help explain what you are talking about. I have found in the past me scanning quickly over the map finding what units you are talking about, sometimes not finding them, so this is a very great addition to the explanation. Thanks for all the great work

[@Tooglespark]

I really appreciated the breakdown of the events surrounding Hitler's decision-making at roughly the 20 minute mark. It really helped put the sequence of events into light. As always, thank you so much for your hard work, TIK!

[@rolandmittermayr3615]

Maybe it would be a good idea to make a short episode about the Demyansk Pocket. This experience from winter 1941 influenced some of the decision making on feasabiliy of breakout and airlift in the higher german commands.

[@andrewblake2254]

There are such YT videos out there if you look for them. Not to this standard though and more general in nature.

[@edcliff4627]

@@andrewblake2254 I've looked, I can only find ' wargames ' of the Demyansk pocket battle, any ' LINKS' to more serious histories ?

[@andrewblake2254]

@@edcliff4627 Search YT under "Demyansk history battle" and there are a few answers.

[@davidwallace3871]

Never stop! I hope you continue to make history docs for years to come

[@sah1746]

This series is probably the best thing I’ve ever or will watch. Fantastic stuff. Any chance of a weather icon above the time to show the type of weather and temperatures.

[@arclight0956]

Seriously love all your videos TIK, and have gotten my 13 year old son into watching them as well. Thanks for all you do, you make the work day fly by.

[@jameswyre6480]

Lunch is saved! These and other Tik videos are the highlight of my historical and political studies in leisure time as I have difficulty reading physical books due to eyesight issues.

[@perttilindroos9087]

I have been glued to this series, from the first episod since it started. And always, every monday waiting for the next episod ! Thx Tik !

[@stevelebreton3489]

Yeaaah ! Great Video as always ❤️

[@damienmiquel8513]

Fascinating work ! Thanks Tik.

[@DanteKenchi]

you are the best war historian on youtube, altough our opinions on mathers sometimes class, i still think you are great. The way you show evry unit on the maps in your videos is just awesome. Been following you for years now and you keep surprising me with the attention for details you have 👍👍👍

[@EgnachHelton]

Also it's interesting to see that even at the very last moment Soviet still couldn't break through the Kotluban.

[@kaletovhangar]

I'm really baffled how Goring hasn't yet become meme he rightly deserves to be,as large as his belly.He has potential to even outshine "Downfall" angry Hitler.

[@Ocodo]

I really enjoy this series. Well done Tik.

[@bentrig9128]

Hey Tik - apologies if someone has already asked this, but have you read Blood Red Snow by Gunther Koschorrek? It includes a very descriptive and harrowing account of one of those thrown together kampfgruppen set up in defensive positions around Rychkovskii as they tried to defend the train bridge over the Don. In any case, I hope this little area around the Chir gets some attention because I'd be fascinated to see the larger tactical situation surrounding his account. Amazing work as always, you are truly building something monumental here.

[@bufordghoons9981]

The Germans did everything within their power to save the 6th Army. Even if an airlift is considered futile, you have to make an attempt, cannot sit there and say, "Well, they're doomed, let's not try to help them." Everyone hoped that by keeping the 6th Army alive, even by sending at least some supplies, relief forces would be able to break the encirclement. Divisions were on the way, fingers were crossed, and everyone was hoping they could pull it off. Refusing to make an attempt was not an option. Another great video.

[@apocalypsebandit11]

So cool to have been watching from the beginning of the battle all the way to now, very satisfying!

[@РусланСоколов-ь7т]

One more great video. Thank you very much, TIK.

[@KaidenOZ]

man i must have checked your youtube an hour before you uploaded this last night looking for the next episode. amazing work as always

[@jakobgrimminger]

Absolutely brilliant series. I thought i knew a fair amount about Blau and the battle of Stalingrad, but there is so much information here, i'm loving it!

[@misterbaker9728]

Enjoying a number while I watch. Thanks bro!!

[@cjpdk2711]

Hi TIK, I enjoy the analytical rigor of your posts on KZbin. I have just listened to your post about the airlift to rescue the 6th Army from Stalingrad, who said what when, etc. As I listened to the episode, it occurred to me that other factors than mathematical calculations of tonnage could have influenced the decision to go ahead with the airlift in spite of its low chance of success: (1) No one wanted to be held responsible for dooming the 6th Army by opposing to at least start the airlift. (2) By prolonging the inevitable outcome for a few more weeks, more od the enemy could be killed or made casualties, and Soviet troops could be held in place a little longer rather than being available to fight elsewhere. (3) For as long as planes could land and take off, they could at least evacuate some of the "lucky" wounded, well-connected officers and anyone who could push and shove their way on to the departing planes, thereby at least saving a few more lives. (4) As a symbolic gesture to boost what must have been the sagging morale of the German troops in the pocket, and (5) Simply not wanting to incur Hitler's wrath and being subjected to accusations of being a 'defeatist'. Don't you think these factors could have had as much, if not more, of an influence on the decision to go ahead with the airlift in spite of its having almost no chance of success in the long term?

[@AndreLuis-gw5ox]

Thank you for such amazing work, TIK. The effort you put into your videos is inspiring, and the videos themselves are quite entertaining and informing

[@kernowpolski]

Amazing work TIK - you just get better and better - fascinating exposing many of the myths we have heard. Thanks you. Stephen

[@diegopagura421]

Best cliffhanger in the series! Remember reading about it in Beevor. Kudos to your work!

[@RAF-FIG]

Wonderfully done TIK.. Keep up the great work...!!!

[@gmac55]

Thank you TIK. I really enjoy these videos after my weekend. I feel sorry for the soldiers fighting these battles-it seems such a waste of life.

[@jamespfp]

23:06 -- Just to be fair and conscientious I didn't automatically hit the Thumbs Up Button for this video until I heard and saw the next 15 seconds of the video, at which point I conceded, Bloody Well Right. Well done once again, TIK!

[@LavrencicUrban]

I HAVE NEVER ENJOYED WATCHING ANY DOCUMENTARY AS MUCH AS I AM ENJOYING WATCHING THIS SERIES! I ALSO LIKE YOUR SPECULATION ON THE AIR LIFT BEGINNING; IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE!

[@carlredfern8067]

Thank you TIK, I so look forward to every instalment!

[@steve3291]

Been looking forward to this. I have so enjoyed the whole series and it has certainly changed some of my preconceptions about the Eastern Front..

[@Habdabi]

Just want to say thanks, it's been so interesting to see how this unfolded, the real reasoning behind decisions and debates on if there was a better option. Thanks again, keep it up.

[@jayjayson9613]

Thank you TIK! Mondays are the best days of the week knowing we have a great video to look forward to

[@eze8970]

Thanks TIK, more great work, which gives far more detail & true understanding of the situation! 🙏

[@jimmy1671]

Another brilliant video, I find myself counting the days down to the next battlestorms, I love how you break it down even by the hour.

[@Shrike58]

I was impressed with your hypothesis about the chain of events regarding the attempt to supply Stalingrad by air; sounds much more likely than any other accounting that I've heard, and I've read a lot of the same books you have. Things become much clearer once you factor in the self-serving nature of the German Army's high-tier cadres.

[@embee187]

I'm so happy to see you posted this. Time to sit down on the exercise bike and enjoyyyyyyyy! Thank you thank you I love these

[@staffanbergstrom2265]

A new episode released! What a day!!

[@selfaware3940]

wonderful effort, i always crave the next episode at the end. Additionally my son is learning about WW2 in school and have shown him some of your videos.. a gazillion times more engaging than what his teachers are showing them from his comments!

[@troyriser8074]

Amazing narrative, Tik. What a marvelous achievement.

[@winston_872]

thanks Tik!!!!! Much Appreciated!

[@catherineandpaulfuters2523]

Thank you once again for your work on this.

[@DRpokeme]

Again, brilliant IMO. Oddly you have lifted my spirits, listening to your analysis of this whole campaign for me is a break from the rather depressed situation in another area similar to 1942. Keep up the good work. 👍

[@karljohan3989]

Another fantastic episode ! What a ride for the Soviets. It seems like they suffered pretty significant casualties in the process though.

[@alt-monarchist]

Well it's war. Stuff like this happens in war. Is this not supposed to happen? The persistence of the enemy would not play a role in this???

[@serikaralbayev5979]

As always superb job. Thank u so much.

[@georgebeddows9696]

I'm pretty sure that TIK's mole holds more knowledge than 90% of the worlds population. Legendary work.

[@ronboots8525]

Awesome explaining and clearing up these days when the breakthrough happend. Absolutly love your work!!

[@adamokolicsanyi4774]

Love your videos TIK! Never stop!

[@paulpopescu2757]

7:07 "it met a local inhabitant, who informed". Amazing how individuals can make a difference in this epic campaign.

[@kaletovhangar]

There are many such figures through history.During Belgrade liberation in October 1944,some old Serbian dude with just an little axe cut of demolition charges from the vital bridge the Germans mined which allowed Red army and Yugoslav partisans to cross into the city.

[@cronoros]

I like the highlights of the areas that a unit is holding, good addition 👌

[@lloydchristmas1086]

Great video Tik. Thank you

[@garmonplays]

I have been waiting for this video for so long. Probs gonna watch it like 3 times today. Keep up the great work as usual TIK

[@lautarogrecom]

Admirable trabajo y dedicación. Pasión y certeza. Lo mejor de KZbin.

[@randyhavard6084]

Thank you for another great episode on the battle for Stalingrad.

[@weazels]

Best ww2 history channel on KZbin

[@andrewblake2254]

​@Ramesses II World War two is also most excellent series. It is a very different thing though, covering the vast scale of global operations in 15 mins or so per week. This is far more granular and gives far more insight into the daily business of war in Russia.

[@user-lq5yx1ke5k]

23:00 this point is fairly easy to explain. They had teleportation technology, have you ever played Call of Duty??

[@herpderp6705]

I guess the Luftwaffe operations during the Cauldron of Demjansk had an impact on the decissionmaking here. While it was not very successful overall, the airlift kept the about 7 divisions in there (somewhat) alive and able to keep up the fight until a tiny suppy road could be fought open in (I think) March 42. At the cost of 262 transport planes, it came at a heavy price and the airlift had to be kept up until October 42, when everything even remotely resembling a transport plane was moved to the Satlingrad area. On a sidenote, the "sch" in "Jeschonnek" can be pronounced like the english "sh".

[@philliprandle9075]

Great Video, all ways worth the wait. Keep it up.

[@c1berg451]

According to Albert Speer, during military conference at Rastenburg Hitler asked Goering : What about supplying Stalingrad by air? Goering answered : I personally guarantee the supplying of Stalingrad by air, you can rely on that.

[@nigellawson8610]

As far as the airlift was concerned, I was always led to believe that the 6th Army needed 750 tons of supplies to remain viable. In order to supply that tonnage the Luftwaffe would have had to fly in 1500 ton of supplies a day under the assumption that inclement weather would only allow the Luftwaffe to fly every other day. To carry out this feat the Germans needed to fly 750 sorties into the pocket. Assuming that 60% of the transport fleet were available for service each day, the Germans would have had to have had 1050 transports on strength. They would have also to make allowances for both operational and non-operational losses. If the loss rate was confined to 5%, over the course of a month of operations the Luftwaffe would need 562 replacement transports. Unfortunately for the airlift, in late 1942 the German aircraft industry could not make up this level of attrition. To complicate the airlift even more, the Luftwaffe would have to set up the necessary logistic infrastructure to support the airlift. The Germans would have needed to build fuel dumps, set up all weather servicing facilities, such as the provision of heated hangers, and stockpile an inventory of spare parts. The Germans would have also needed snowplows, fuel trucks, cold weather lubricants, and de-icing equipment to ensure that their transports and airfields remained operational. And the list goes on. This list does not include the escort fighters that would be needed to protect the transports as the flew supplies into the pocket. Nor the Flak and ground forces needed to protect the airfields. Furthermore, the Germans would have had to create the infrastructure to unload the transports within the Stalingrad pocket at the same time. In conclusion, the task of keeping the 6th Army supplied by air would have been akin to organizing the 1948 Berlin Airlift. Except unlike the Berlin Airlift, the Luftwaffe would have had to organize this operation on the fly without the necessary fixed infrastructure, skilled mechanics, and supplies, available to the Western powers in 1948.The Germans would also have to accomplish this Herculean feat in the teeth of the Russian winter while being pressed by the Red Army. In other words, this task was doomed from the start.

[@robertleache3450]

750 tons a day was the high-end figure, perhaps exaggerated by the 6th Army; in order to further their agenda on breaking out of the encirclement. The 750 tons per day was scaled back to a more realistic figure of 550 per day. That would have meant about 600 Ju -52's, given a tonnage capacity of 1.5 tons; to make the airlift work. I factured in an extra 100 planes for those shot down by the Russians and accidents due to bad flying weather. Did the Germans have enough planes to make the airlift work ? TK strongly implies they did. But that would have entailed abandoning the Demansk salient & freeing up the transport planes that were servicing the Demansk pocket.

[@fishodeath]

@@robertleache3450 Quick math says that would be a Ju-52 landing every 4 minutes, iirc Tik says they have 3 airfields, so either a takeoff or landing every 6 minutes. Seems a tall logistical order even if all the needed material was available.

[@robertleache3450]

@@fishodeath Good Points. But bear in mind, Luftwaffe General Milch said, after the fact, he had other resources in Germany from which to draw upon to make the airlift a success. What the Germans needed was an extra month AND for the vital airfield behind the Italian 8th Army to be held; in order for the airlift to have a fighting chance to succeed.

[@edcliff4627]

In his book 'Blood Red Snow', Günter K.Koschorrek says that on 24/25 October 1942 he was traveling to Stalingrad by train. Koschorrek says that the train was forced to reverse for 12 hours after partisans blew the tracks up. Later Koschorrek's train was attacked by a lone Il2, which does not seem to have pressed it's attack home due to 2 dual 20mm AA on the train. Koschorrek says that the engine hauling their train was struggling on inclines, after the IL2 attack the 320 replacements on the train had to push it up hill. More than 150km to the west of Stalingrad Koschorrek's unit had to abandon the train and march to the Kalach bridge on foot. I believe that the troops in Stalingrad needed 8 train loads of supplies per day, but were only getting 4 train loads of supplies a day. The Soviets seem to have been able to interdict the main supply railway more than 150km to the west of Stalingrad, using partisans and aircraft. Even if the Luftwaffe was able to muster enough aircraft to supply the troops in Stalingrad, would the railway(s) be able to deliver enough fuel and spares to the Luftwaffe to keep it airborne, and enough supplies for the 6th army in Stalingrad. If the Soviets had attempted to use aircraft to interdict the railway(s) to Stalingrad there must have been a large unreported air battle over these railway(s). Essay over, any comments ha!

[@Swellington_]

Great video as always 👍

[@jkcatawhompus]

You really are doing a great piece of work!

[@asullivan4047]

Interesting and informative. Excellent photography map pictures allowing the viewers to better understand what the orator was describing. Orator presented the documentary very well. Class A research project!!! Rough/fierce combat on on both sides. The disillusioned arrogant morphine addict goring as always wasn't overly concerned about a predicaments of the encircled 6th army's faltering situation. His false promise of the Luftwaffe delivering much needed critical supplies. Remember Dunkirk and his assurances of his Luftwaffe preventing the British from evacuating back to safety of England. It was always the pilot's fault for failed missions never his.

[@hermocrasbreadlord9557]

Youve done it again TIK! Now my back is itching for the Sequel Somewhere in my mind is hoping you have super human powers to make it tomorrow 🙏.

[@drivewaynats3696]

This is awesome - well worth the wait!

[@alonli5475]

Hey Tik, I want to point out something. A yes-no-yes-no thing sounds very realistic. Under so much pressure people make mistakes, think about it again, make another mistake and so on. I can totally see an officer panicking, making calculations, making a mistake, and then double check the math and finds the miatake