Seydlitz DOOMS the 6th Army! BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD E39

General Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach issued orders to retreat at Stalingrad, resulting in the collapse of the Northern Blocking Line and the ruin on the 94th Infantry Division. Yet it was General Paulus who got the blame! In this video we'll explore what happened, and also see the beginnings of the infamous Stalingrad airlift and discuss why it got off to a bad start.
Anton Joly's video with Colonel Selle speaking • Had Paulus to break ou...
Battlestorm Stalingrad playlist • BATTLESTORM STALINGRAD...
Additional Stalingrad 'Addendum' video playlist • Battlestorm Stalingrad...
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.
Follow me on Instagram / tikhistory
⏲️ Videos EVERY Monday at 5pm GMT (depending on season, check for British Summer Time).
The thumbnail for this video was created by Terri Young. Need awesome graphics? Check out her website www.terriyoung...
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📚 BIBLIOGRAPHY / SOURCES 📚
Full list of all my sources docs.google.co...
⚔️ 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/
Historian Jason D. Mark also has a website where you can purchase his books from : www.leapinghor...
Check out Egor Kobyakov's Stalingrad articles here - warspot.net/us...
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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.

[@moto-newbie]

Goes to show how wars are won by logistics. An eye-opener for those like me that never had anything to do with war.

[@gerardvandermeulen62]

"Amateurs do strategy, professionals do logistics". :)

[@angelachouinard4581]

Now you will see news of Ukraine through those open eyes, it's a big issue there.

[@moto-newbie]

,@@angelachouinard4581 I wouldn't compare the battle of Stalingrad with Ukraine. We are all here to learn history and hopefully how to avoid these horrific events from happening again (not very effective in doing that obviously). We can have a scientific stance when we talk about what happened in 1942. With the war in Ukraine, I feel like there are more than "units disappearing on a map". As Ray Dalio said, during the last stage of an Empire, other world powers are challenging them. Sadly we are the generation that is witnessing something that the world hasn't seen since 1944 with Bretton Woods etc. As TIK said, you can't stick to tanks when there's so much turmoil in the economy nowadays. There's so much more than a logistics issue in the world right now...

[@bigvinnie3]

@@gerardvandermeulen62 People say that alot but I think they're both very important. If you can't win a battle you're going to have a very hard time winning a war. But if you can't supply your army you also won't be able to win a war.

[@drencrum]

@@moto-newbie Yeah, the war in Ukraine is the first climate collapse war, you can’t really look at it as an east v west sword fight but instead as nations acting out on survivalist feelings in a world quickly on the verge of total collapse due to a lack of future material security. It’s such a different circumstance from world wars where the assumption is one side wins and then life goes on… this is very different and one where victory probably won’t come on the battle field but rather from the internal collapse of various actors leaving others alive but not necessarily stronger. It’s also one where multiple sides may simply run out of resources over time, so instead of an escalation culminating in a thundering triumph it might be one where sides use of their fireworks early on and then things slowly end in a whimper as logistics make fielding a modern army no longer possible. The US military itself said it wouldn’t be able to exist by 2040 and that may not even be optimistic as economies collapse faster than expected.

[@carleckel2877]

Glad to see this series is back! Again our condolences TIK

[@milosmevzelj5205]

Just watched this episode 39 and allready waiting for number 40. As allways, good job done. Greetings from Slovenia.

[@BR-uz9nj]

I appreciate how you lay out the information rationally. There are many things that I "believed" about Stalingrad, that have been challenged by this series and for the good! You have given me information that makes me step back and question and explore the historical narrative. This is one of the best KZbin/history series I have ever seen.

[@Markok1911]

No step back! :P I'm supporting what You wrote with all my hands and foots. Except the last sentence. It IS the best series we have ever seen.

[@gawdsuniverse3282]

Hitler is entirely to blame for the fiasco at Stalingrad. There was no strategic reason to take the city in its entirety, the river traffic on the Volga and the Don had been interdicted, making Stalingrad irrelevant. The strategic objectives were the oil fields, nothing else should have taken priority, and tieing down the best German formations in meat-grinding street battles where the German's greatest advantage was lost, mobile warfare was criminal incompetence by Hitler.

[@tonyromano6220]

Well stated.

[@mrmelmba]

Paulus despised the little corporal and placed _no_ value on his promotion to field marshal by this person of low stature that thugs had brought to power. His own heritage to which he owed his selection was that of aristocracy, _von_ Paulus. A staff officer to whom field commanders paid lip service, then went their own way said nothing of Paulus competence or lack thereof. Paulus was unsuited to the task of field command, lacked ruthlessness, wasted men and material and was otherwise _incompetent._ Hitler’s fatal mistake was that he had lost sight of his base of support and too soon wishing to cloak himself with a modicum of respectability chose _pedigree_ over _merit._ A skillful tactician would have enjoyed success and eluded entrapment. The war that Hitler was destined to win was lost at Stalingrad. The Soviets isolated and captured the 6th army in order to rescue Paulus. His imprisonment a thinly disguised vacation. The Soviets knew that Paulus was the weak link in the chain, a commander-by-entitlement devoid of battlefield acumen. POW Paulus was allowed to phone his colleagues, eroding and undermining their confidence and faith in Hitler. If Hitler’s downfall may be attributed to any single party that person should be Paulus. Without Paulus assuming command the probability is high that Hitler might have enjoyed at least a partial victory, being permitted to retain Russian territory west of the Volga River, in order to stem the flow of Communism westward, in exchange for withdrawing from France and the other European nations that he had conquered.

[@gawdsuniverse3282]

The little corporal is solely responsible for his own downfall and the defeat Germany and the Axis Allies suffered.

[@juliantheapostate8295]

Excellent work Lewis. Battlestorm is back and it was a great episode. Your new teammate must be working well for you

[@TheImperatorKnight]

They did do bits of this video, but they're not up to speed yet. It took me 5 months to learn Blender, so it'll take them a while to get used to it

[@michaelmccabe3079]

@@TheImperatorKnight So when do we get the "Penultimate Close Combat Game" video? ;)

[@michaelsemyanovsky9638]

@@TheImperatorKnight Blender? I thought that was 3D editing software... What an interesting choice

[@kylehillstead3365]

@@TheImperatorKnight hi tik you are doing an amazing job on stalingrad, if you have the time could you do a whole video on frances defeat by Germany or perhaps the German occupation of France keep up the good work.

[@ninianstorm6494]

@@TheImperatorKnight Nuland Hillary McCain podesta deeply involved start ukraine crisis strike first blood but use woman that put severed finger in wendy chili 2.0 tactic shameless blame russia, recall podesta on putin files when muller charge manafort for things nothing to do with russia hack but let podesta go for same reason =blackmail dc/Britain(thank Blair Iraq france stolen libya gold) to support blame russia to cover up fact 2 party system failed since mccain-hillary all did united fruit company scandal 2.0 but remain rich recall fbi never look at physical evidence just crowdstrike/hillary words, cia break glass 2017 inauguration with media claim russia stolen election left wing media give protest t-shirts to san quan mayor for lying about never receive maria supplies kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4rQdKePgapsoZI george bush 14y ago said add ukraine to nato foreshadow nuland f eu coup 2014 support = 1. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIW0ZHdnlpKdaJI 2001 pentagon memo kill occupy iraq to syria kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ7Ve4V-rMeJfZo current ukraine gov is proxy since obama drew red line just like did in syria earlier arming rebels telling russia not to interfere while zelensky ethnic cleanse donbass region 7y= 2. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpKclYqImKmIhqM 3. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3PIg3Vtp7yelZo

[@ias400]

Respect. So glad you are back; and back with a real wowzer!! The production quality of your videos has always been very high, this one has reached a new level. The new hire/partner/teammate seems to be a real asset. The map views, the unit highlighting (great feature), the analysis of the situation on the battlefield, and even more polished production values make the videos even better. I hope your RW life is going as well as your YT life seems to be. Welcome back.

[@edh9999]

An enlightening episode in terms of the factual logistics involved in the airlift.

[@chipseal9403]

No more apologies, Tik! Your content is well worth the wait.

[@petetirp9776]

One of the many wonderful aspects of your truly well researched narrative of the battle is that when you say something like "The most sarcastic note of the battle....." the viewer knows to pay attention. These bits of humor are all the more poignant because of the unwavering nightmare the participants are living in. It's a cliche but you really do make history come alive and I'm truly grateful for your work. In fact I may have to come out of retirement so I can become a patron. Cheers!

[@phildyrtt6433]

Always a TIKful joy to see our studied prof firmly saddle-seated anew.

[@1dcbly]

Great to have you back, Tik.

[@Swellington_]

damn,thats the best breakdown of what went wrong and with who or who not to blame for the failed airlift,i never even considered all the "little" yet critical details that were underlying factors for the failure,fantastic job TIK!!!

[@caryblack5985]

Jeschonnek first said the airlift would work but quickly changed his mind. Goring later assured Hitler it would work. Von Richtofen and Fiebig, the two Luftwaffe leaders at Stalingrad told the OKH that it would not work from the very day it was first considered.

[@Swellington_]

@@caryblack5985 yeah, that's what gets told all the time, I mean the part about the amount of aircraft, the amount air worthy, the amount of fuel that had to be taken for the aircraft itself making less room for the supplies needed in the pocket etc etc, those kind of statistics I've never heard before put together by one person at one time, and I assume theirs not a whole lot of people who have either besides teachers, professors, historians or someone digging it all up because it's their job or something But yeah, I know about Jeschonnek saying it could be done but after running some numbers realized it couldn't and all that stuff

[@overdose8329]

@@Swellington_ military history visualized has a video about it and i think TIK has an old video about it too

[@mathewm7136]

Another great video and thanks TIK! Congrats on 250k+ subs too. Well deserved!!

[@ZombieXee]

One of the best documentary series I've ever watched. You've done a fantastic job with your Battlestorm series. I am so hooked. Thank you TIK for producing this outstanding series.

[@ridethecurve55]

But I didn't catch what happened to Pavlov's dog? Did he stay in Pavlov's House?😂

[@sebastianbarton4391]

Any week that has a Battlestorm video is a good week

[@CatnicImprover]

34:30 The He111 is capable of carrying 1.2 tonnes of bombs but the problem is that bombs are a lot more dense than most of the supplies that the army needs. This means the bomb bays of these aircraft are only big enough to carry far less supply weight than their bomb capacity.

[@rosiehawtrey]

It's also a matter of centre of gravity. I seem to remember an Australian clapped out B17 that was so full of people and other crap it crashed, but the investigation found it was where things were put (balance, CoG) that caused it to stall out. Much like with that poor Aaliyah girl.

[@andrewrobertson3894]

@@rosiehawtrey How interesting that you reference Aaliyah's unfortunate demise. I didn't expect to see that in this comment section.

[@rosiehawtrey]

@@andrewrobertson3894 It's almost the exact same situation - overloaded aircraft, badly unbalanced, there were also suspicions that the engines weren't giving full power. I know more than I want to about her, her life is so much like my partners, years of sexual abuse and misery and she died young. Sasha from cancer and Aaliyah from "uncontrolled flight into terrain". I know which Sasha would have preferred 🥺😭. I just (13th October) had a second breast cancer surgery myself. There are times I wish I had a time machine and a H&K P90, so I could deal with the persons concerned before it happened. Oldest aircraft I've been in? A DH Dragon Rapide - 1928 - biplane twin airliner that starred in Torchwood. Quite comfortable and the engines are surprisingly unintrusive - probably because they're underslung below the lower wing. Only a single pilot. Very successful aircraft.

[@andrewrobertson3894]

@@rosiehawtrey Firstly, I'm sorry to hear of your loss and own subsequent battle. I once heard it said that cancer is among the worst word's in any culture's language and I tend to agree with that. Secondly, I've never been in any aircraft other than passenger jet & commercial helicopter so I'm a little freakin envious right now. It's slways nice to cross paths with a fellow eclectic.

[@anzaca1]

Not only that, but the bombs the He-111 carried were all rather small, so the individual bomb cells weren't suited to large items of cargo.

[@erynies7682]

I'm a simple woman. I see TIK puts out a stalingrad video I feel compelled to immediately watch such information rich content!

[@bkucinschi]

If you watch TIK , that means you are not "simple"😁

[@jankopransky2551]

I wait until I am sure I can enjoy the video without any disturbance. Otherwise the same!

[@jankopransky2551]

@Freedom For Our Sons Shut up.

[@jankopransky2551]

@Freedom For Our Sons Just shut up, stupid troll.

[@internetstrangerstrangerofweb]

@Freedom For Our Sons did you notice how you spent 3 comments talking to yourself?

[@Kriegter]

i can't believe we just saw a comeback of the legendary Dragan. Such an underrated character. Been through so much, yet still alive.

[@Centrodemasa]

Nice to see Stalingrad Battle serie again....thanks a lot TIK

[@LeicaFleury]

Every time TIK uploads another video I gasp like I've just discovered a treasure. I've been following you for years and I don't comment much, but I want to tell you that I love what you do and I massively appreciate you. I've learned lots of things from you and, more importantly, I appreciate your honesty and willingness to debate. Thank you for your hard work, and I hope this short message gives you just a little bit more strength to face the daily hurdles of life. Much love from argentina.

[@robertg1648]

In before the collapse of the 6th Army! Great job as always TIK!

[@imperialisticvonhabsburg3149]

I've been looking forward to this. It's been quite a while.

[@TheImperatorKnight]

It has, sorry about the delay for Stalingrad content

[@jonaspaulius2]

"Where's vodka?" line made me spit out my morning coffee. That was legendary line TIK!

[@endrankluvsda4loko172]

This is such an amazingly well-done series! I have some older family members super into history but not technology. If this was on TV or DVD, they'd watch this entire series over and over again.

[@BatmanSeRiedeTi]

Dude, your videos are a national treasure of the internet.

[@theblindlucario5093]

Nice work as always TIK! Always makes my day to see your progress!

[@brianarmentrout1216]

We ALL want to thank you for your hard work and time putting these videos together. THANK U..

[@juhovuolinko6446]

The great series returns with all the accuracy and quality it has carried from the start. Excellent vid TIK, good to have you back! o7

[@Winkie007]

Hi TIK Welcome back!!!🦢🦢🦢 Great episode. What sticks out is two fold: 1) VS acting unilaterally 2) VS destroying and burning his army's supplies. The latter doomed the entire 6th Army to starvation and capture.

[@bufordghoons9981]

I like the detail on the airlift. It reinforces the fact that the Germans had to send supplies to other forces who desperately needed them to stay in the field. You could not tell your troops in N. Africa, "Sorry, no food or ammunition for you, we have to supply Stalingrad. Maybe you could organize a massive fishing expedition in the Med or eat old boots leather for food?" Logistically, the Germans in Russia "bit off more than they could chew." Well done, another excellent video. I will remain a subscriber and fan no matter how many needful breaks and vacations Tik takes.

[@paulbabcock2428]

Thanks TIK. Perfect timing for me as my lunchbreak coincides perfectly w your video release.

[@MrModernKetchup]

I gotta say, I may not always have time to watch your videos, but I find the way you present and offer information is quite constructive. You handle the topics like you know them well, and offer them an interesting way. Thank you, for what you do

[@sevex9]

I just wanted to express my admiration and gratitude for you TIK.

[@Sargewashere]

Man there was two audio books I listened to about the fight across the Don. One as a tank driver and the other as a Infantryman on the outside of the pocket and escaping to the otherside. It was brutal. Listening to this helped put the scale and the two books into its place

[@mjs3343]

WELCOME BACK TIK!!! REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR DAY BY DAY DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EVENTS. SIMPLY EXCELLENT!!!

[@misterbaker9728]

Ha nice and chilly here in Cleveland. Bout to twist a number and enjoy. Thanks brother you always do great work. Glad to see you back

[@foxpedro001]

Great work TIK. Seeing that you posted a new video is always a joy

[@lorimeyers3839]

Sorry for your loss, buddy. Glad to finally see the latest episode.

[@loungelizard3922]

One of your best TIK. The Seydlitz drama cutting off Paulus's leadership and ability to mount a breakout is what really doomed the 6th army. How fortunes can change in a week. I didn't know the airlift was so close to possible. If they had thrown the kitchen sink at it and somehow held air superiority, with a synchronised break out and break in from Manstein.. nah they'd still be fucked without the oil.

[@therealuncleowen2588]

Excellent video, as usual. Glad to have you back.

[@USSTOLEDOSSN769]

Yes! Yes! Yes!! I've been waiting a long time for Episode 39 of the epic Stalingrad series.

[@captainhurricane5705]

The number of aircraft needed is something that can be argued over with back and forth, which is why some people have quoted up to 1050 aircraft needed; simply dismissing their argument based on one day's tonnage does not prove them wrong. One quote I have seen is that 6th Army stated it needed 250 tons of ammunition, 120 tons of fuel and 380 tons of food a day, in other words 750 tons per day. 300 tons would keep them on life-support as it were; anything less was a disaster. While there might have been '7 airfields' in the Stalingrad pocket, only Pitomnik was available at this point of time for supply operations. Barssagino was quickly constructed nearby to the southwest and that was then used too. Pickert says that only these two airfields were used until they were overrun. RIchtofen's diary: 21st November: '6th Army expects to be supplied by the Airfleet. We have done our utmost to prove to them that this is not possible, since we have not sufficient transport aircraft available. The same arguments were repeated to the Commander in Chief of the Airforce, and to Army HQ and Army Group. I spent the whole night telephoning to Corps to Jeschonnek, to Meister and various others.' 24th November: 'Russian fighters are interfering very seriously with the supply airlift. We have been forced to station some of our fighters in Stalingrad itself, and there of course their own needs have to be met from the supplies flown in for 6th Army. ' 25th November: 'All our Ju's employed today in flying in supplies. But we now have only 30 of them left...we have thus been able to fly in only 75 tons instead of 300 tons as directed from above. We simply have not got the transport aircraft to do it.' His final damning remark on the situation: 'The tragedy is that no local commander on the spot, even those who enjoy the Führer's confidence, can any longer exercise any influence. As things are, we commanders, from the operational point of view, are now nothing more than highly paid NCOs!'

[@Karelwolfpup]

didn't realise the Ju52s had to travel 2-300kms, certainly explains the complication, especially if staging aircraft so that they can land in good order in Stalingrad as well and not burn yet more fuel circling the airfields and being tempting targets for VVS fighters

[@uffa00001]

Very good work as usual. I would make a minor "remark". I liked it as it worked beforhand: when a unit was mentioned, it was emphasized in the graph with a yellow frame. This doesn't always happen this time and makes following the events a bit less easy (I see now that it happens in fact, but not always).

[@thek3317]

34:30 Looks like a little typo says "250 Ju 52s or 150 jus 52s" when if I understand correctly should be "250 he 111 or 150 ju 52s" Other than that great video keep the great stuff comming :D

[@jzxtrd337]

With my only indepth knowledge on WW2 being Antony Beevor's books its a blessing the amount of work you put into your research, the insights that are given to explain who, what, when, where and why. Immensely enjoyed your last Video pointing out the complete insanity behind the Nazi party too.

[@SepticFuddy]

​@Arbane's Sword of Agility That is a gross misrepresentation of Jewish beliefs. Firstly, the tripartite soul is kabbalistic in origin, so whether or not a Jew subscribes to it depends largely on their view of kabbalah (which varies widely, for instance I as a Karaite reject it entirely). Secondly, gentiles are not described as lacking the third layer "neshama". Neshama is supposed to coincide with intellect and connection to God, therefore it would be in some ways more developed among people who have knowledge of and are obedient to God's instruction, i.e. the Torah, which was directly given to the Jews. But there is no dispute that many Jews do not embody this, or that many gentiles do. Many will even happily describe righteous gentiles as having a "Jewish soul", though I and many others reject such categorization even if it is well-intended. Any Jew who claims that gentiles have no neshama is very fringe and in no way representative of prevailing Jewish beliefs. Various groups will have various explanations for why it is not an issue of superiority, but essentially all Jews will agree with that principle. Jews certainly do not see gentiles as inferior, with the possible exception of a few small fringe groups. Our chosen status and guarding of the Torah is a special task given to us as a people, not because of our own qualities, but because of our ancestor's special relationship with the Creator (Deuteronomy 7:7-8). In our own written histories we record ourselves as having failed to exemplify our charge more than we have succeeded. This is no secret. Our place is simply to provide a clear picture of what it looks like when a people have a strong and obedient relationship with the Creator vs. what it looks like when we turn away and rebel, and we have demonstrated both throughout the different eras of our history. The responsibility comes with blessings when we perform the former and special curses when we perform the latter (Deuteronomy 27-30). It means nothing regarding our supremacy as a people, it is simply a unique responsibility, the same way that the priests in Judaism have their own unique responsibilities without being in any way superior to other Jews. Numbers 26:16 clearly states that He is a God "of all flesh", and Deuteronomy 4:5-8 makes it clear that the purpose is to inspire the rest of mankind to strengthen their relationship with Him simply through us setting the example. That implies that the gentiles have the same capability to relate to the Creator that we do, which is the essence of the "neshama" in the kabbalistic tripartite soul concept. Exodus 12:48-49 dictates that any foreigner who converts becomes as a native Israelite, and that foreigners in our own land are subject to the same set of laws as ourselves, and thus have the same rights as equals. The only difference is whether or not one can consume the Passover sacrifice. Thus, none of this has anything to do with race whatsoever, as the Torah ultimately defines an Israelite according to their deeds and association, not their bloodline. Just as anyone can join themselves to Israel, there are certain offenses which cause one to be "cut-off"/exiled from Israel ("kareth"). And again, status as an Israelite is not an issue of supremacy or inferiority, only nationality and the associated national mission to set the example. Race is not in any way a biblical concept, despite the attempts of various racists to eisegetically insert the issue into the text. All are sons of Noah, period.

[@stug41]

Always worth the wait, great job!

[@TheSpaceHamster]

Another great video for an amazing series. Thanks for your hard work, TIK. Hope family is doing as well as possible.

[@tprski]

Welcome back Tik from a loyal viewer from Manitoba Canada.

[@tomskibowski8464]

TIK, good to see you in better mood. Great job, man!

[@captainfatfoot2176]

Loving this series. Thanks for all the hard work tik

[@markfutchll8141]

Glad you're back I miss this so much

[@markotisovic8233]

Good to see you back. Another great part of the series.

[@worththesqueeze1386]

Fine work, per usual, and if i may say that your energy was particularly good in this episode.

[@screeperz9965]

Glad you're back brother, great insight to the logistics of the operations on both sides of this conflict! 👍 Keep up the great work!

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Allot thanks (TIK ) for sharing this Full informative Episode .Good Done Sir Lewis ..your explaining of this complicate & horrible Circumstance was Excellent & considered as best evaluation....

[@Stewart1953]

that vodka joke was totally awesome. the episode was great

[@alansewell7810]

Thank you for keeping on digging into the details of those critical months at Stalingrad. They are interesting even to those of us who have read every book we could find about Stalingrad for 40 years. You make it sound like it's happening right now, and is not just an artifact in the historical record.

[@heftyjo2893]

You get a Kampfgruppe! And you get a Kampfgruppe! And you get a Kampfgruppe! Everybody gets a Kampfgruppe!

[@steve3291]

Loving this series. I know it will end eventually, but I'm learning so much that I just want it to keep going.

[@eugene1197]

Good to see you back, Tik!

[@dr69_420]

Hi Tik just wanted to say I hope you are doing better. And know that we the fans will continue to support you in both the success of your videos and the difficult times you face. Also where's vodka had me laughing

[@igorpipuk7754]

What happened?

[@rozkaz661]

Good to see another episode, hope you are doing alright

[@bernardorevez6614]

Thanks for your work, TIK. Greetings from Portugal.

[@Arwcwb]

Excellent Work. Thank you so much!

[@minhvo8009]

I swear the day you make a series for operation Bagration it is gonna be the most glorious day ever.

[@andrewblake2254]

Excellent work TIK, thank you.

[@DaveSCameron]

Love these, much appreciated Colin.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

Just by looking at the map, Seydlitz' retreat behind the Don ist fully justified in my opinion. Instead of 8 units holding an exposed pocket, a frontline along the river could be held by half the forces. Considering the weakness of any German division at Stalingrad a very thoughtful move. 170 tanks is what ONE Panzerdivision should have looked like on paper. That said, two out of three regiments in a Panzer division were mech./mot. infantry plus one recon and one pioneer battalion (another full regiment by numbers). The problem is that only a third of the forces in a (panzer) division are frontline fighters and these were literally non-existent anymore. Although I believe that an asap breakout was the only option for 6th Army, it would have been intersting to see how cooks, clerks and Russian Hiwis - not being trained in combined arms tactics - fought their way out. The big question is how they intended to survive on the frozen steppes with no wood for heating and still no food to eat.

[@captainhurricane5705]

Except it was not up to him to make the withdrawal without Army HQ permission. The fact that Paulus did nothing about it once again proves what a weak leader he was.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

@@captainhurricane5705 In my opinion, he out-smarted high command and did the practical thing and let facts speak. You could in many cases get away with insubordination in the Wehrmacht if you were successful; i.e. people like Rommel, Hausser etc. could "insubordinate" as much as they liked. The whole French campaign 1940 was based on insubordination. I agree that this it not a sound strategy. Paulus ... It's a mystery how somebody who never even commanded a battalion or regiment was made an army commander. He was a general staff officer and not the worst strategist, but he was no field commander. I assume he knew his weakness thus his corps commanders and staff officers had more freedom of action.

[@captainhurricane5705]

@@ottovonbismarck2443 Yes, Guderian for instance constantly ingored orders because 'I was out in my little car, I wasn't in the HQ' or whatever. But in this case it caught the attention of Hitler, which is why Paulus should have done something.

[@sylvainprigent6234]

Very nice to have you back

[@sah1746]

Nice one Tik been looking forward to this 👍🏻

[@fedecano7362]

Good to have you back TIK!

[@comiccollex958]

Fantastic! Thanks TIK I have never seen the airlift numbers explained so clearly

[@stevelebreton3489]

Thanks for the great video. Hope you're doing good

[@luigicarrasco4270]

As the fall comes, the fall of Stalingrand clarifies its end. Great job, TIK! The air supply issue and the attempt of breakout waiting von Manstein move... Can´t wait for more.

[@DressedForDrowning]

This is so compelling, I don't want to stop this episode ... 😀

[@morningstar9233]

Strong episode. Far and away the best analysis of the airlift question i've heard. I was (mostly) in the Impossible Task camp and (partly) in the Could Work as a Strictly Temporary Measure camp - either way a break in to rescue the those trapped in the pocket required asap. Cheers Tik

[@carlekdahl7507]

Woho Battlestorm is back. Can´t wait for the continuation of the Battlestorm Western Desert series. Can we expect a closing second video of the Korsun pocket this year? If I am not totaly wrong you spoke about East African campaign a time ago, is it planned after the Gazala Battles(Although playing out before Gazala) or be a total different Battlestorm series? Great videos, many thanks!

[@TheImperatorKnight]

Well, after all the complaints I got after the previous two North African Campaign videos, I'm reluctant to deviate from Stalingrad until this series is done and dusted. Then it's back to North Africa, although I do intend to do the second Korsun video too and have started to work on that, but again, it'll be after this series is done with. Not sure when I'll get to East Africa, but I want to focus on Gazala and then El Alameins first.

[@kevinbrown4073]

@@TheImperatorKnight have to give you credit 3 years and you are halfway through the battle.

[@Xechran]

@@TheImperatorKnight Enough tanks, stick to politics! (joke) Appreciate your work, *madman Hitler* needed to be put to bed decades ago. Thank you.

[@kevinbrown4073]

@@TheImperatorKnight if you are going to have a British emphasis any interest in CBI chindits

[@BlackMan614]

Battlestorm Smolensk!!!

[@SVP-uy9qb]

Amazing job as always, TIK.

[@kingjehukhan8541]

Yes! Thank you, for more great information and your dedication to history!

[@hattyfarbuckle]

uranus is back! Great work Tik after your difficult time

[@spirossaris308]

finally a new Stalingrad episode ! Thanks TIK !

[@j.granger1120]

The maps look great, great episode, thanks so much Lewis.

[@georgewilliams8448]

Thank you for another interesting and informative video!

[@georgepress1261]

As I say seem like every week, brilliant, just brilliant. Thank you for proving a lot of information on the aftermath of the Soviet pincers closing on 6 th army

[@antasena1219]

Thank you tik for uploading videos☺

[@davelauerman6865]

Welcome back to Stalingrad! Another entry in the list of reason why we loveTIK.

[@muskett4108]

Just gets better and better. Having done the long slog and all the detail, TIK's work does reflect the stark realities of those times, without much conjecture to fill any gaps. There are few gaps to fill, as it all there. Just brilliant. I wonder if the Ukrainians Generals have watched this?

[@Railman122]

great episode! thank you!

[@nicholasconder4703]

After the war, my mother met one of the transport pilots who participated in the Stalingrad airlift in 1942. He was wounded by a flak round that took out the back of his calf.

[@eze8970]

Thanks TIK, more great work! 🙏🙏

[@RAF-FIG]

I am so glue to your YOU TUBE videos. Thank you "TIK".. Hopefully I like to see you do a docu on the aftermath on what happened to "General der Infanterie Gustav Anton von Wietersheim" when he was removed from his Panzer command at Stalingrad... Added did he out rank GEN Manstein? General Gustav Anton von Wietersheim really got the shaft during the end of the war... Keep up the great work!!

[@XtReMz98]

This serie is such a treat!

[@bernarddobson9183]

Excellent and worth the wait.

[@ЕгорШель-ъ6м]

about Pavlov's house. There is a simple explanation of why only 54 or 58 days were counted. It would be strange to count a "defence" score after Uranus had succeded.

[@caryblack5985]

The Germans still launched attacks in the city even after the counterattack began although much reduced.

[@kernowpolski]

A wonderful return TIK - a masterful analysis of the airborne logistics from all the sources - another example of why your channel is so great. Many thanks. Stephen

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Excellent, I always eagerly wait for TIK videos. :D

[@cwolf8841]

First question is why wars are started…..oil, food, resources, etc. Then you develop strategies, tactics, weapons, logistics, etc. A unit in combat is basically a mobile city with all the subsystems a city needs (food, water, fuel, maintenance shops, hospitals, etc.). Basically Germany started more fronts than they could support.

[@scotthill8787]

The non-aggression pact signed in August, 1939 included a trade agreement exchanging Soviet raw materials, including oil, for German finished goods. A rail shipment of oil into the Reich was made just before Barbarossa began. Barbarossa was driven by Nazi ideology, not economic necessity.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Currently halfway up Glantz's 3rd book of the Stalingrad quadrilogy and like an act of serendipity TIK releases a video to stay just ahead of where I am in the book.

[@pablocandia6246]

good episode Tik! Thanks!!