Chapter 55 Phase One: The Struggle to Rescue the Sixth Army

The attempt to rescue the Sixth Army, or, so to speak, to enable it to escape from the Stalingrad pocket, was detailed in the previous chapter. In order to make this attempt a success, Army Group Don made a comprehensive effort and ventured to the maximum until the fate of the Sixth Army was sealed, that is, in 1944. At the end of December 2002, it left only a very small number of troops in the center and left flank of the front of the army group, which was only enough to form a thin protective barrier.Its aim was to delay as long as possible any decisive development in these areas until, in the area east of the Don, the fighting of the Fourth Panzer Army was sufficient to open a bloody path for the besieged army.

Only after all hope of contact between the Fourth Panzer Army and the Sixth Army had been given up, and at the same time the defeat of the Italian Army had exposed the western flank of Army Group Don and also opened the enemy's way to Rostow. The road to the Soviet Union was clear, so the army group gave top priority to maintaining the entire southern flank of the Eastern Front. All I have to say at this stage is that, on the one hand, the decision of the Sixth Army not to attempt a breakout, and, on the other hand, the developments on the left flank of Army Group B (Italian Army) resulted in a The situation of the Don Army Group is inevitably going from bad to worse.

Since the enemy continued to draw strong forces from the Stalingrad pocket to meet the Fourth Panzer Army, this placed the Army Group in a very difficult situation on the eastern flank of the Army Group.Its details have also been seen in the previous chapter.During the battle between Aksai and Kotnikov, and the rescue offensive of the 4th Panzer Army on the latter as a springboard, the Fifty-seventh Panzer Corps left Romania alone after its defeat , will inevitably suffer serious losses.The 23rd Armored Division, already severely weakened, was now especially hard hit.Since the reinforcements of Army Group A have not yet appeared, the Fourth Panzer Army is really unable to support itself, and it is even powerless to prevent the enemy from mobilizing a strong force to enter the rear of the First Panzer Army.

The developments in the rest of the Army Group's front were equally serious.In the area of ​​the Romanian Third Army, the retreat of the Fourth Panzer Army east of the Don enabled the enemy to be near Potmenginskaya and later Tsymlyanshaya. , Crossing the frozen river successively, threatening the side and rear of the Qier River position.On this front, General Mieth (Gen‧Mieth) has taken over the position of the Romanian Third Army Command at this time, and has assumed command responsibility.Since the Russians were attacking across the Don from the southeast, we initially had no choice but to order the Mieth Group to make a combative retreat to the rear of the Kagalnik River.

The situation on the left wing of the Army Group seems to be more serious.Although the divisions of the Romanian Army suffered heavy losses, the He Lide Army still withdrew its forces from the Zill River to the south.But a newly arrived division, ordered to defend the flank of the army on the Bystraya Gnilaya river, abandoned the crossing at Milyutinsky, albeit for good reason. .This allowed the enemy to reach Holliday's flank, as well as the important air base at Morosovsky. But the more serious fact is that the collapse of the Italian Army and the complete withdrawal of the Romanian troops (the Romanian 1st and 2nd Armies formed the left flank of Holliday's Army) made it possible for the enemy to reach Verges almost without hindrance. Various Don crossings in Tad, Kamensk and Froshirovgrad.Only in Mirirov, there was a newly formed Fretter|Pico Group on the right flank of Army Group B, standing like an island in a torrent, able to put up some resistance.But in any case, the enemy can still turn freely to the east, reach the rear of Holliday's army or the Mis group, or advance straight towards Rostov.

Therefore, the situation of the Don Army Group is very serious.Provided it retains its independent right of action, the only correct course for the solution of this crisis is to immediately put into practice the principle of the leapfrog, regardless of any other considerations.Fourth Panzer Army could, in a single operation, withdraw to Rostov and then be used to de-threat the army group's left flank and its westward communications.The forces of the Mis group and the He Lide Group Army, which are still fighting in the Great Bay of the Don River, should retreat to the Donets River. The main objection to this approach was the fact that Army Group A still held its positions in the Caucasus.If Army Group Don moves its forces to its western flank, the rear of Army Group A will be exposed, which is absolutely unacceptable.On the contrary, the responsibility of Army Group Don was not only to cover the rear of Army Group A, but also to try to keep its line of communication through Rostov unimpeded.

Therefore, at the present stage, it seems impossible to take the principle of moving the main force westward to prevent the enemy from cutting off the entire southern flank of the German army as the basis of the operational concept of Army Group Don.Especially in the first few weeks of taking over the command, the Don Army Group deliberately put this concept on hold for the sake of prioritizing the rescue of the Sixth Army.Now in the second stage, despite the increasing threat on its western flank, the army group will still be forced to fight helplessly so that the rear of the army group A will not be cut off.