Merry Christmas (in July)! This video is two weeks early, and it’s only been two weeks since the last Stalingrad episode. It’s only meant to be every 4 weeks, so why is this? Well it’s because my editor did extra overtime to get it done early so they could go away on holiday this week. Thus, the next Stalingrad video will be out in 5 weeks time, not 4.
This entire series is ground breaking.....truly ground breaking. It will have a permanent influence on how history is taught. Especially military history.
Yes he really is great. Watch his desert series. He puts all the best writers together and formulates a better picture of it all. It is outstanding work.
It should anyway, this is the exact type of content I've always wanted from history documentaries and things like "the history channel" but they usually fail to deliver anything as well detailed, thoroughly researched, and as well presented as this.
Greetings from Norway. I've been studying the Stalingrad campaign for over 40 years now (I've been there twice), and this is the first time it's been suggested that the reason supplies weren't getting through was that there weren't any supplies to send. The more I think about it the more sense it makes. The comparison to the Tunisian airlift was quite an eye opener. it's not every day you learn something totally new, so thanks for that! God sommer!
How does it feel standing on Mamayev Kurgan? I would also really like to go to the Stalingrad museum one day. Maybe after the terrible war in Ukraine is done.
Check out TIK's other videos on the Axis logistics situation if you haven't already. He's done some amazing work in opening up this area of inquiry and showing more than anyone I've ever read or watched how much that affected the overall course of the war. Been studying it for decades myself (including college) and every time I watch one of his episodes I learn something new or something that makes me rethink things I already thought I knew.
I can't help but think that the reason why the logistics at the airfields was never considered is because the German military has historically always been horrible with logistics. Doing proper logistics is a blind spot in their thinking. So all those German commanders and historians analyzing the battle afterwards and wonder why so few supplies got to the city immediately blamed the Luftwaffe, and never considered whether or not the Luftwaffe even got the supplies to fly to Stalingrad. And Western historians, only having the German sources on this issue, just took those Germans at their own worth.
@@rring44 Well, the view is amazing, so you could see why both sides thought it was so important. It's totally worth a visit, like you said, when this war is over.
Yes, this particular aspect of the supply problem was not something I'd fully recognised. Thought there was clearly some kind of ongoing organizational problem when the the 6th Army was receiving useless supplies such as condoms etc. Germany possibly had near adequate supplies but it seems after watching this video the problem was getting them to the planes via an inadequate rail link. While I knew the rail link was poor it's impact on the air drop as Tik explains has not been identified as significant a factor as it clearly was. Impressed you've visited the place twice btw! Many people visit the field of Waterloo but personally I'd like to see Austerlitz, Napoleon's nigh magical greatest victory - whatever the opinions of the man himself - it was a masterfully fought battle. Cheers!
@@defender714 And that column of Russian tanks being destroyed mainly by UK supplied Javelin/NLAW missiles. Make a great Clash song. "I fought the NLAW and the NLAW won." You might be onto something.😀🤭
@@geoffhynam7057If Lewis (TIK) were to cover the Russo-Ukrainian War, just imagine the sheer amount of British sarcasm at the mind-boggling level of Russian incompetence. “Meanwhile in the eastern front, the Russians ordered yet ANOTHER frontal assault on Avdiivka. Thirty-six time’s the charm?”
@@geoffhynam7057 Lewis: “Let us pan back AGAIN to Antonov Airport where the Russian commanders - for the 9th time - try to land troops. And just like the previous eight times…” Oh god, now I want him to make a series on the war one day. You can bet that numerous RUclipsrs are preparing to do so after it is over.
Last year I completed a thesis for a masters in public history. I did it in a lot shorter time than most people probably did and it about broke me I had to get an extension and it was a very tumultuous experience but it gives me some insight into how much work you have to put into these to make these high-quality videos and I wasn't even doing anything like an animation! The end is near since February 1943 is closing in, and the height of the fighting has died down it's only a simple matter of sixth army being destroyed you're so close.
@@floydlooney6837 Yeah. The Soviets didn't really need to launch an attack. By this stage all they needed was a blocking force. But they wanted to mak siccar.
Oh my God, It just clicked reading this, how did I Not think of this? OF COURSE THEY DONT HAVE SUPPLIES TO GIVE 6TH ARMY. They don't even have supplies for themselves much less a cut off, surrounded army.
it never occured to me that the bottleneck could have been the logistics *before* the airbases rather than the airlift itself. fascinating thought. 80 years later and we're still coming up with new research. love it
22:46 not gonna lie even i got emotional at Chuikov saying farewell to some of his commander, even us the watchers that see this series or even know quite a lot about the hellish battle in the city know how much suffering and struggle they feel, and just imagine how Chuikov and those men who participated in the battle must have felt when after those hellish experience, dozens of near death experience, seeing so many deaths themselves they are actually alive to the end.
What makes it hit harder is that most divisions have the faces of their commanders or at least their names on them. So following the series for however many years now, it's like when one of the long time secondary characters on a show gets killed and you suddenly recall all the times they've been there.
@@darthcalanil5333eah, Zholudev and 37th Rifle Guard Division is the one i knew the most among those 3 men and units, i knew him because his unit was the one that took the brunt of German attack in Stalingrad Tractor plant
The Stalingrad Madonna is a very touching bit of art made in Stalingrad during the battle for the Christmas celebration. If you havent seen it it is worth checking out.
how funny a religious Nazi, realizing that he will die in Stalingrad like a dog, remembers God and thinks that he is a victim of Nazism, he did not deserve this, he is a victim! It always annoys me when the Germans whine saying "why are they treating us like this? We are not wine? We are a victim of Nazism and communism - the Germans sent us by force to the front and the Russians forced us to work in labor camps. Freaks in a word.
It is interesting how mighty conquerors suddenly became so humble and religious when their own demise came near. Worth to mention that they actually did left many Soviet women and children in exactly that state of starving and huddling in the cold, before the fate struck them back.
From the overly exaggerated report of tankers, TIK opinion about the Airlift lacking supply seems real. After raided Tatsinskaya airport, 24th Tank Corps stormed Tatsinskaya station at 8:30 AM to support their 24th Motorized Rifle Brigade, they found mostly airplane parts, unloaded tanks and planes, with only small number of supply. Luftwaffe had more than enough airplane for the airlift, they had an airfield and a train station filled with planes, they simply had nothing to deliver to 6th army (except airplane parts)
@@SanarySeggnete Well, in real life this raid was not so dramatic (i.e. Germans did have about half a day time to retreat) , so I suppose that all the goods were flown out or destroyed before Soviets reached the airfield. Although TIK idea of not enough goods reaching airfields should be taken into consideration.
Hey TIK, just wanted to say thanks for the Battlestorm vids despite the situation. Regardless, I'm still happy to watch anything else you put out, and please don't destroy yourself in the name of content for us.
You don't havetp rush these Battlestorm videos, the quality is so good that when it is finished I'll binge watch them again. Thank you for still being here for us TIK.
Nice and steady TIK. No need to burn out. Your series is absolutely the best documentary on Stalingrad that has ever been. Quality like this takes time. We understand. Looking forward to the next E47.
I’ve studied WWII my whole life, with a particular focus on the eastern front and, more particularly, the Stalingrad campaign. After all this time (more than 50 years), I finally understand why the airlift failed. Thank you, TIK, and keep up the excellent work!
There is an error at 14:47 where the distance values displayed for Berlin to Stalingrad and Berlin to Tunisia are swapped. Otherwise this was an excellent video as always, keep it up.
Great insight on the supply bottleneck situation, awesome video as usual. Indeed these men were not saints, quite the opposite and were on the receiving end of what they had done to others. Mild sympathy is the most they could hope for.
Wow TIK - just wow! I think this is your finest episode yet. You have brought together all the elements of military history - lies of post conflict memoires, the massive importance and often subtlety of logistics, the emotion of despair and starvation against the evil of previous crimes committed. You have created something of enormous lasting value for history and human knowledge. I hope one day I can buy you the bigger drink ever created! Thank you from your loyal fan!
Been waiting for this episode. Spend some of my "misbegotten" youth watching a series called 'world at War', and the Stalingrad episode always had me fascinated. Thanks Tik :)
Oh, and when I was that young, I never gave it much thought. Now that I know just a little more, yeah, it's the Big 'L' ... Logistics. Can't fly in supplies and equipment (and hopefully evac the casualties) is there are no supplies to deliver. Hell, you can't fly is there is no fuel. Knowing how easier (relatively) the Tunisia airlift went, I am wondering if going through Egypt to the oilfields of Iran would have been the better thing to do before hitting into Russia. Thank goodness that Hitler was a madman. :)
TIK's work is like many classic movies & books. Not an initial overwhelming success, but instead gaining wider acclaim over time to stand head and shoulders above other more attention grabbing content. Thank you and your team for the serious amount of research and correlation that goes into these videos.
I have watched all the earlier episodes 3 times past this year, my wife is questioning my mental state and is already annoyed when she hears TIK's voice. I am obligated to use headphones now. It is the best documentary and easy step for further studies about Battle of Stalingrad and Case blue. Thank you TIK!
Your wife's just jealous you're spending more time with me than you are with her. But women can't compete with WW2 battle documentaries, so she has to step up her game, or get used to playing second fiddle 😂
Thanks for honest mention of war crimes. As for logistics, Germans had shortage of trucks, fuel and even horse wagons, and in situation of Soviet offensive, troops at Don were at highest priority to supply, followed by troops at Caucasus. 6th army was probably half written off from the start, so they got supplies if something remained.
Thank you TIK, VERY MUCH for new STALINGRAD EPISODE !!!!!.....Now 45 minutes I will watch with Chypsy in one, and beer in other hand...This will be veru JOYFULL afternoon....Wish you and your family good health and lots of happy days 👍👍👍
This continues to be the most significant and ground-breaking presentation of a brilliant piece of historical story-telling. You have truly set the bar not only with your fantastic presentation style, but, even more impressively, with the exhaustive research and great application of clear-minded critical analysis - as the issue of failed logistics in this episode so beautifully illustrates again. Massive respect and thanks should and will be with you for many years to come.
Unfortunately my Grandfather wrote an abbreviated memoir about his temporary assignment to the JU52/HE111 during the airlift with Verbindungskommando (S) 4. He most likely felt this was a dutiful experience from his Ergänzungsstaffel (Stuka)/VIII. Fliegerkorps based at Nikolayev-East, or just too pitiful on a day by day basis to remember the fluidity of supply logistics issues they encountered. Had he been asked immediately after the war to write down his experience in the Stalingrad airlift experience as an NCO crewman he probably could have added greatly to the breadth of research. I think he did mention off hand to my father about being one of the last JU52's to escape the tanks at a periled airfield (Tasinskaia?). Only I asked near the end for him to write his Luftwaffe experience down, he went to diligent work with hunt and peck typing on paper..... a few months later he died in 1985 but at least some of his recollections had been preserved.
10/10 thank you for doing this. We all know its taking a toll but finishing this series will be in the annals of history for decades. Its very important.
I have really enjoyed most of your work over the last few years since I found it on YT. Battlestorm is my favorite. I realize that this must take an enormous amount of time and effort to get out as often as you do. I wish that I had had access to this back when I used to argue with my history teacher about WW2 and this battle in particular ( he was a huge admirer of Manstein). Very interesting video. I particularly like the part where you pointed out how the Germans had behaved toward the civilian population during the campaign. I have always thought it interesting that none of the German accounts mention this. It was always blamed on the SS. Anyway, great video. Look forward to the next one.
@15:40 - "The planes couldn't take off at all due to icing, which doesn't make sense at all" According to "Stopped at Stalingrad" many of the transport planes being brought in were fresh from the African theater and either did not know about engine cold start procedures or didn't do them correctly; I think this does quite parsimoniously explain why it was only the transports that were affected. Not sure if this was the exact day mentioned but it was definitely a factor in general that worsened the already low serviceability rates seen at this time
If what you're suggesting is true, then that is MASSIVE historical shift. We're told that Goering's arrogance that the Stalingrad pocket could be properly supplied was fantasy based on the Luftwaffe's inadequacies. But if the situation was really that the physical supplies weren't being provided in sufficient quantities for the crews and pilots of the transport planes to deliver, then the onus shifts to whomever was in charge of logistics for this operation. Lay people will not understand how important this evidence is but there are people out there who appreciate how big this could be. Brilliant stuff as always.
To see the strategic situation unravel in to such a catastrophe is shocking. I have read numerous books on the campaign but this series of videos really brings it home. Thanks TIK!
I know this sounds corny but being an obsessed battle of Stalingrad student even before I found this channel its like a Xmas present each time I find a new video in your series. Thanks
I will watch the whole series. Then, after few months, I will bring along my best pals (Johnny, Jack, Jim and others) and enjoy the series again, episode after episode. This is piece of art. Big thank you, TIK.
Top form, Tik, top form! Applause for your mentioning to keep things in perspective regarding sympathy. Anyone who has a thorough reading of the German-Soviet war will understand the brutality by the German forces. Unspeakable for some, yet it must be reminded of and so you did. Also the small vignettes add so much to the story, e.g. Wuster flying back to the pocket on a one way ticket to Hades. I look forward to you mentioning the final riveting flights at Stalingradski airfield.
Your hint on the root cause of the failure of the airlift, that is, there was nothing meaningful to be lifted due to logistic issues, makes a lot of sense.
I really appreciate that little bit you did about not feeling to sympathetic to the soldiers in the pocket. It is true that they were in terrible living and fighting conditions. It is also absolutely true that these units committed transgressions and crimes beyond counting during their invasion of eastern Europe. Their is little justice in war but we can't say that many of the soldiers of 6th army didn't deserve their fates.
The war criminals of the 6th Army and 4th Panzer army got what they deserved. These were the people who came to get Lebensraum there. They got a good lesson.
I recently read Scheibert's "On to Stalingrad, Operation Winter Storm " and it basically seems like a constant back and forth fight for Verkhne Kumskii until they become so depleted and so much time passes that there is just no chance in hell that they're going to be able to reach the soldiers at Stalingrad. It seems as if they never had a chance.
Your channel has been basically the first place that has emphasized the effect that logistics has on warfare, and it's something that I'm always thinking about in regards to any war history topic. I had always had this question in the back of my mind "How are the supplies getting to the Luftwaffe bases in the first place so they can get them to the 6th Army?" I guess my question has been answered.
TIK, i just wanna say that i really, really appreciate this series. I hopped in to like and give a view but wont watch the video yet because im on episode 40 now. And i believe im not the only one that is still a bit behind so if you dont see the numbers it might be due to that. Regardless these videos are the best youtube literally has to offer. I applaud you for these amazing works of art.
Excellent and very much appreciated. Your struggles with these have made them extra precious. A data point for your consideration: You can't really look at a simple overview of the weather to judge icing circumstances. Cold droplets on a warm plane can cause icing, but warmer droplets on an ice cold surface can too. Trustworthy weather reports for their routes, not just at the origin and destination, would have been at a premium.
I’m beyond impressed. Weaving books and records into a spatial chronological action is amazing! BTW rail systems in Europe (not just Germany to Soviet) were not standardized. So, they had to constantly move goods from one train to a new train at every rail gauge change. So massively inefficient.
Excellent points about the failure of the airlift lying in the area of rear logistics rather then the air transportation itself. However, it is hard to beleive that Luftwaffe officers, doubtlessly under pressure, would fail to report upwards, including Hitler himself, that the failure was due to other peoples' faults and would instead take the blame and invent excuses such as weather/Soviet counter-action. It would be reaasonable to expect that if the airfields were poorly stocked by supplies, the Luftwaffe (especially the vocal von Richthofen) would make a ton of noise about it all over the place, including his diary. No doubt Goering would also not hesitate to deflect the blame. The fact that they did nothing of the kind, is circumstantial evidence that somehow Luftwaffe were to blame, or at the very least, could not grasp the problem and therefore could not report or publicise it. The problem might have been with the loading process, for example - maybe the goods were on the airfield, but the ground crews were unable to load them fast enough? That would also explain the half-empty transports arriving to Stalingrad, or transports arriving with the non-priority cargo (because of poor organisation of storage on the fields they may have loaded whatever was nearest, or even had no idea what they were loading at all)....
Yes I would agree. Difficulty in the arrival of supplies at the airport might be a contributing factor but not the sole one. Both von Richtophen and Fibbig made it clear from the beginning of the airlift that they could not see how they could deliver even the minimum of supplies. The various factors weather, anti-aircraft flak the Red Airforce and other problems they were aware of were taken into consideration and these problems were even worse than they anticipated. As with most failures there were multiple reasons but it was was very quickly evident from the first few days the airlift was not going to work.
i watch this series on and off. sometimes I adore the detail, sometimes I get overwhelmed by it. But, regardless, the amount of work and research is easily palpable. And I may not love it all the time, but I sure as heck respect the F out of you man! thank you!
Oh my gosh ! 0:50 in the video and the obligatory Madlad TIK Easter Egg hits me already. Augh, this song is in stuck my head now ! Who else would have dared to insert a Kim Wilde reference in a Stalingrad documentary? I'm dying. 🤣
You mentioned the railhead 300km from Stalingrad. Was there a surplus of supplies just sitting there with no way to be moved to the front? I would think there are enough people on the logistical side that would know the supplies, or lack there of, needed to get to the front. I am sure there was also an aviation fuel shortage as well, along with spare parts, etc.
Again, thank you for continuing the series and all of your hard work! I have been watching this series from the start and only the Stalingrad series and ww2 week by week keep me tuned in and ready for more!
Hey TIK, so i haven't watched this video yet but i will after writing this comment. I just want to thank you for sharing all this information with us. I've been watching your videos for a few weeks now and my thoughts and feeling about capitalism and socialism changed A LOT!! I'm 24 years old and i grew up in a family full of communists and socialists. They taught me that capitalism was the reason why people are dying of hunger/thirst/war etc. (you know.... those damnn capitalists...) and the only way out was socialism. I was a socialist too. When I started watching your videos a few weeks ago, I was skeptical, I didn't want to believe you but i chose to be open-minded. I didn't want to be like those viewers who throw disrespectful comments on comment sections. I really wanted to understand and learn the truth and I think i did (thanks to your videos). Please keep doing what you are doing, the people who are willing to learn will always find your work helpful. Have a great day 🙏
I wish more people were like you. Thank you for having an open mind, and I'm glad you commented because I often wonder if I've gotten through to people. It's really nice to know that I have 🙂
Amazing content. I know the Germans are considered the "bad guys", still the idea of being a German conscript, stuck in Stalingrad, freezing cold, slowly losing all hope and starving to death. What an awful existence. The young men that suffered through this war, truly saddening.
25:44 very courageous words TIK. I once compatis a lot with 6th Army soldiers but as tout said many (Not all of course) commited less or more sérieuses war crimes approaching the city in the surrounding villages and towns and inside the city. For me déclancher of more neutral view was a fact that a division of my native city of Gdańsk Danzig was there. I mean what was these German Danzigers were doing there, look at the map...
I loved reading the novel "The Forsaken Army" by Heinrich Gerlach, who had served in the battle as a German first lieutenant. Chapter 7 is titled "Black Christmas".
12:00 The red circle highlighted on the map and the text "all rail supplies... through Dněpropetrovsk" seem to be in conflict. The highlighted city is probably Stalino (modern day Donetsk), not Dnepropetrovsk that is significantly west of the spot shown on the Dnepr (Dnieper/Dnipro) river. As to the bottleneck on the rail roads it's probably the whole road between Stalino and Rostov(-on-Don).
Thank you! You very clearly explained everything that I had suspected about Staligrad in the depths of my soul, but which I could not formulate both on the issue of the air bridge and on Manstein's manipulations regarding the order to break through for the 6th Army. Once again many thanks!
Another great video, TIK. I would have liked to hear about how the Soviets at Stalingrad celebrated Christmas though. There probably isn't anything notable about it but it would've been nice to have the two celebrations presented side by side so that we can contrast the two.
Orthodox Christmas falls on a different day (usually January 7th) than Western Christmas. The Red Regime was waffling on it's official atheism at this time.
Considering that most of Soviet religious population was orthodox Christians,they would have (quietly)celebrated Christmas on 7th of January,not 25th of December.
Captivating as always. I learn so much about Stalingrad. Are you planning on making such in-dept series about other important battles? I can't imagine the amount of work that goes into each of these episodes so maybe in a few years or so? I'd love to see something similar on Citadelle or the Ardennes Offensive for example.
Hi Tik hi everyone...this is the first time i comment and it would be fair to say at least that it is a really great and tremendous thing you're doing here and it was a revelation to me when i discovered the channel a few years ago. Maybe everything can't be allways right but it is a normal thing because it is history we are talking about, but the general and basic idea is not just right but i think it is the only way and that is that history lies in the heart of debate. The reason i posted is regarding last three Stalingrad episodes(i watched almost every video but there is nothing like b.s. series🙂). After watching i took Manstein's book again to see some issues. First i wanna say if these things i am going to mention are lies then we should forget everything but i don't know how to check them, so if i said somenthing wrong it's because of the book and it is a free jail card for me😁. Yes he lied about the order that he gave it, we saw that from other sources, and he also didn't give the full truth or story about other things so that it misleads the reader, probably deliberately🙂. And yes he blamed Hitler for forbidding the abandoning of S. and Paulus for not trying to break out. They both wanted to do that but at the stage where it was up to Manstein to perform a miracle(i'll get back to this). Yes he should just say i could not achieve that at present time because it was too late and save us all a lot of discussion. But let's put the book away for a moment and try to see some things in the present time in the series. -why would Manstein(or any other officer in his place, i am not here to defend him)take on the blame or the majority of it for the failure of rescuing the 6th Army? Because it seemed like the conclusion was that it was up to him because he didn't get close enough so that OKH could issue the order for breakthrough and that he didn't give the clear order to Paulus and that is why they didn't acted. But it seems in that kind of narrative that they all wanted a guarantee from M. so that if anything goes wrong they are both(O.K.H. and Paulus)of the hook. But why should M.(or any other officer)do that and took the blame on him for something that is not his fault(he practically acted as fireman). Honestly i don't know would anyone do that. Yes you were fair and said it's not his fault for the situation and for the late arrival of forces and someone said that it was almost an impossible task with forces available. But there are some things in the book and generally i would like to clear up if possible. -it says in the book that he wanted to take the blame for decision of the 6th army's breakthrogh and take it on him(A.G. Don), if that is true(again i say i don't know how to confirm it, seems to me probably not true but i can not know)then it is a bit different situation because then Paulus wouldn't have to worry about disobeying? -the bigger issue is the O.K.H(or Hitler same thing at the moment). In the preparation for rescue(at least in the book)he asked for more forces before it started. The 17th p.d. which was deliberately stoped(to protect a potential flank threat when you allready have a real problem, i'll come to this)in the start and it's not that manstein wanted it few days before Little Saturn so that it ended up like his blunder. And the situation with 16th m.d. and the whole A.G. A at this point is questionable. The explanation for the 16th m.d. is that it is protecting the flank of the 4th R.A.. But what was the real threat for the 4th R.A. or at least how big was it or was it more important than the 6th A.? Now i am coming to the point and that is that at this point you have to choose what's the priority, and the point of A.G. A being where they were in this situation and not to release a panzer corps or one division because of the oil is like your house is on fire and you are worrying about food in it(and it is also questionable how much oil were they getting anyway at this moment). These are all insufficient or at least shallow explanations regarding general situation because i think these are key issues at the present time and i am saying this because M. offers some opinions that totally make sense in this crisis situation. -when you gambled already(referring to O.K.H/Hitler same thing at the moment)then why not gamble all the way? Because in this moment you can't have everything anymore(table started to turn), so why not weaken a certain part of the front to achive something(or at least increase the odds)and try to regain the initiative where it is most needed? It ended up like O.K.H. didn't want to give up on anything and instead lost everything(the caucasus, the 6th A., shattered A.G. B in retreat and A.G. A also in retreat narrowly escaping). They did a bit everywhere and in the end nothing all the way. Again i am not defending M. but for him(or anyone at his place) to do the task(which he said was the task in the book) of restoring the situation, to save the 6th A. and to regain lost ground (meaning take initiative again) and for A.G. A to stay on caucasus, with forces available is almost ridiculous. It's not a "free jail mad man hitler card" it' just impossible under the circumstances. The other thing would be if he got the whole part of the front, all three A.G. and freedom of operations, then it would be all his fault or responsibility. It is the only way to act and to be fully responsible. And the thing about asking for more forces, it is not to retreat to Berlin it's because he is not a miracle man it's just a nickname(probably added later). It is because that's what everyone is doing, that's why generals around Stalingrad are asking more forces to finish off 6th A., or why Montgomery is building up forces, not to retreat to Moscow or London, but because it's the only way when there is not an element of surprise or tactical or technical advantage(or at least a significant one)so the profession allways says the same, no one is a miracle man. -there is also in the book where M. says that before he got there from Vitebsk he send via teleprinter a request to A.G. B for the 6th A. to pull back it's forces to the Don and a crossing at Kalach and says he doesn't know was it ever forwarded to 6th A. I also don't know can we ever check that out or was it even possible to do that at but it seemed like an interesting remark. -you mentioned about six day preparation for the breakthrough that the 6th A. asked and that there is no explanation why M. objected that but he offered pretty reasonable explanation, at least to me(i can't say on what page because i didn't read english translation). And that is that it's almost impossible to be closely engaged and that the enemy wouldn't notice a six day movement. Of course they didn't say six days just like that but it makes sense what he said. And to talk about Paulus and breakthrough. I've already said too much, it will be up and down mixed up i am afraid. Yes M. lied that they waited on Myshkova until 25th., but it was already too late it would be a desperate attempt anyway so he really shouldn't have lied. But about Paulus knowing the situation, you said in one of the episodes(i can't remember when but it was weeks before Uranus)that he wanted to retreat(even said about the danger to Adam), so as soon as a retreat became a breakthrough it was too late and a totally different situation started. And for not acting instantly(like Seydlitz wanted for example)and waiting to see the full picture by that time it was also too late. Because there where not like five potential scenarios everyone knew about the danger on the flanks and what was the only threat. And regarding acting on your own(for example Hausser at Harkov, ok things where a little clearer then so it was maybe an easier decision but it was basically the same call),then you don't wait for order because then it is not "on your own". Again i am not blaming Paulus 'cause there is a chain of command and commanding responsibility and as i see it the majority should go to OKH(Hitler) and it is not a free jail madman card it is simple commanding responsibility(after all M. said in the book that Hitler took the blame for the whole thing so i don't think he was a mad man. Maybe he just wasn't fully aware of the situation for which the part of the blame could go to his closest staff). And another example you putted Hitler's picture beside A.G. A so i think that says it all. So Paulus is less to blame, after all he got into way of fighting which is not his speciality by listening orders, and to blame M.(again i am not defending)or any other officer in his place for not saving 6th A. with two and later additional one division is just wrong, it couldn't have been done. Anyway these are not critics just thoughts and questions. You are doing really a great job and i hope you will continue so, and especially videos about philozophy, economics, politics, religion, ideology...i voted for b.s. because only one could be chosen but i learned a lot from these other videos, some new things, some were falsely learned. It would now take me too much to talk about it all, i've already written a lot so let's keep something for next time...i wish you all the best...by for now🙂
Bro… much love and respect from Cleveland. These are so well done and interesting that you got me to order the Stalingrad series by Glantz. Also been reading Citino. I’m just 46 stoner… thanks again!! You’re doing amazing work
another great episode.. the dire state of the 6th Army. and good point raised by TIK about the record of the army in their drive to the Volga.. the Wehrmacht were very complicite in war crimes and the appalling treatment of civilians. Red Army troops who later liberated captured comrades found barely a handful of survivors among piles of bodies, starved and frozen to death.
There are so many variables at play. Dr Robert’s, Army War College, highlighted the injured soldiers returning to Germany from Russia in the winter were missing eyelids, noses, fingers, toes, etc. when they returned home to Germany. Apparently losing eyelids becomes a massive problem.
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
Merry Christmas (in July)! This video is two weeks early, and it’s only been two weeks since the last Stalingrad episode. It’s only meant to be every 4 weeks, so why is this? Well it’s because my editor did extra overtime to get it done early so they could go away on holiday this week. Thus, the next Stalingrad video will be out in 5 weeks time, not 4.
I study history and economics often. Your content provides assistance in the more abstract concepts which lead to epiphanies, which I seek. Ty
Guess TIK is going to ignore Bank Wars now since inflation is under control now, eh? lol
We love you Tik!! Best content of its kind on RUclips by far and away!!
Thank You both sooooo much, Stick to Tanks Stalingrad camp will feast today, meat is back on the menu boys!!! :P
Good. We can enjoy the Ardennes Offensive in December.
This could be the best chronological series on any event in WW2 on RUclips, period.
I agree
Me too
I agree but we need to keep TIK from doing something this BIG for a bit after stallingrad js finished or he may work himself to death.
Yes, I agree too.
@@gunny419 LMAO
This entire series is ground breaking.....truly ground breaking. It will have a permanent influence on how history is taught. Especially military history.
I consider this series as vital to WWII history documentation as was the World At War series.
Yes he really is great. Watch his desert series. He puts all the best writers together and formulates a better picture of it all. It is outstanding work.
It should anyway, this is the exact type of content I've always wanted from history documentaries and things like "the history channel" but they usually fail to deliver anything as well detailed, thoroughly researched, and as well presented as this.
I'd dearly love to comment honestly here however utoob has censored me once too often so I will leave you all with Best wishes 🙏
No doubt the definitive video series on the matter.
Greetings from Norway. I've been studying the Stalingrad campaign for over 40 years now (I've been there twice), and this is the first time it's been suggested that the reason supplies weren't getting through was that there weren't any supplies to send. The more I think about it the more sense it makes. The comparison to the Tunisian airlift was quite an eye opener. it's not every day you learn something totally new, so thanks for that! God sommer!
How does it feel standing on Mamayev Kurgan? I would also really like to go to the Stalingrad museum one day. Maybe after the terrible war in Ukraine is done.
Check out TIK's other videos on the Axis logistics situation if you haven't already. He's done some amazing work in opening up this area of inquiry and showing more than anyone I've ever read or watched how much that affected the overall course of the war. Been studying it for decades myself (including college) and every time I watch one of his episodes I learn something new or something that makes me rethink things I already thought I knew.
I can't help but think that the reason why the logistics at the airfields was never considered is because the German military has historically always been horrible with logistics. Doing proper logistics is a blind spot in their thinking. So all those German commanders and historians analyzing the battle afterwards and wonder why so few supplies got to the city immediately blamed the Luftwaffe, and never considered whether or not the Luftwaffe even got the supplies to fly to Stalingrad. And Western historians, only having the German sources on this issue, just took those Germans at their own worth.
@@rring44 Well, the view is amazing, so you could see why both sides thought it was so important. It's totally worth a visit, like you said, when this war is over.
Yes, this particular aspect of the supply problem was not something I'd fully recognised. Thought there was clearly some kind of ongoing organizational problem when the the 6th Army was receiving useless supplies such as condoms etc. Germany possibly had near adequate supplies but it seems after watching this video the problem was getting them to the planes via an inadequate rail link. While I knew the rail link was poor it's impact on the air drop as Tik explains has not been identified as significant a factor as it clearly was.
Impressed you've visited the place twice btw! Many people visit the field of Waterloo but personally I'd like to see Austerlitz, Napoleon's nigh magical greatest victory - whatever the opinions of the man himself - it was a masterfully fought battle. Cheers!
This Stalingrad series is where your brilliance lies. Well done.
I think he would do a great job at Ukraine 2023 too. 17 Leopard tanks gone in a heartbeat.
@@defender714 And that column of Russian tanks being destroyed mainly by UK supplied Javelin/NLAW missiles. Make a great Clash song. "I fought the NLAW and the NLAW won." You might be onto something.😀🤭
@@geoffhynam7057If Lewis (TIK) were to cover the Russo-Ukrainian War, just imagine the sheer amount of British sarcasm at the mind-boggling level of Russian incompetence.
“Meanwhile in the eastern front, the Russians ordered yet ANOTHER frontal assault on Avdiivka. Thirty-six time’s the charm?”
@@CMY187 😆😂
@@geoffhynam7057 Lewis: “Let us pan back AGAIN to Antonov Airport where the Russian commanders - for the 9th time - try to land troops. And just like the previous eight times…”
Oh god, now I want him to make a series on the war one day. You can bet that numerous RUclipsrs are preparing to do so after it is over.
Last year I completed a thesis for a masters in public history. I did it in a lot shorter time than most people probably did and it about broke me I had to get an extension and it was a very tumultuous experience but it gives me some insight into how much work you have to put into these to make these high-quality videos and I wasn't even doing anything like an animation!
The end is near since February 1943 is closing in, and the height of the fighting has died down it's only a simple matter of sixth army being destroyed you're so close.
If 1,800 men were dying daily without fighting, it definitely wouldn't take long.
@@floydlooney6837 That is 4 to 5 months at this rate.
@@floydlooney6837
Yeah.
The Soviets didn't really need to launch an attack.
By this stage all they needed was a blocking force.
But they wanted to mak siccar.
Whoa!! 9:20 They had planes, but no goods to deliver. This is why I love TIC! Out of the box explanations that explain so much of the evidence.
As much as I hate Nazis and Hitler, I like his Madman Hitler discussions. The German Generals deserve to be known as not amazing generals.
Yep a failure of logistics at every level
Oh my God, It just clicked reading this, how did I Not think of this?
OF COURSE THEY DONT HAVE SUPPLIES TO GIVE 6TH ARMY.
They don't even have supplies for themselves much less a cut off, surrounded army.
@@rring44there WERE some good German Generals though
@@rring44You think that german generals were not nazi? Your comment makes no sense.
it never occured to me that the bottleneck could have been the logistics *before* the airbases rather than the airlift itself. fascinating thought. 80 years later and we're still coming up with new research. love it
22:46 not gonna lie even i got emotional at Chuikov saying farewell to some of his commander, even us the watchers that see this series or even know quite a lot about the hellish battle in the city know how much suffering and struggle they feel, and just imagine how Chuikov and those men who participated in the battle must have felt when after those hellish experience, dozens of near death experience, seeing so many deaths themselves they are actually alive to the end.
What makes it hit harder is that most divisions have the faces of their commanders or at least their names on them. So following the series for however many years now, it's like when one of the long time secondary characters on a show gets killed and you suddenly recall all the times they've been there.
@@darthcalanil5333eah, Zholudev and 37th Rifle Guard Division is the one i knew the most among those 3 men and units, i knew him because his unit was the one that took the brunt of German attack in Stalingrad Tractor plant
The Stalingrad Madonna is a very touching bit of art made in Stalingrad during the battle for the Christmas celebration. If you havent seen it it is worth checking out.
how funny a religious Nazi, realizing that he will die in Stalingrad like a dog, remembers God and thinks that he is a victim of Nazism, he did not deserve this, he is a victim! It always annoys me when the Germans whine saying "why are they treating us like this? We are not wine? We are a victim of Nazism and communism - the Germans sent us by force to the front and the Russians forced us to work in labor camps. Freaks in a word.
Absolutely. It has such a strong message for peace and hope in times where there is none.
Requires go8ng to Terror Ruzzia. Not gonna f’n happen
@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle its in Berlin. But I meant looking it up online :-)
It is interesting how mighty conquerors suddenly became so humble and religious when their own demise came near. Worth to mention that they actually did left many Soviet women and children in exactly that state of starving and huddling in the cold, before the fate struck them back.
Man, the Panic in Tatsinskaya when Soviet Tank just blast their way into the airfield and blow everything they see must have been really horrifying
They knew what they're doing! Like deep recon in the Libyan-Egyptian Desert and destruction of air in the rear.
From the overly exaggerated report of tankers, TIK opinion about the Airlift lacking supply seems real. After raided Tatsinskaya airport, 24th Tank Corps stormed Tatsinskaya station at 8:30 AM to support their 24th Motorized Rifle Brigade, they found mostly airplane parts, unloaded tanks and planes, with only small number of supply.
Luftwaffe had more than enough airplane for the airlift, they had an airfield and a train station filled with planes, they simply had nothing to deliver to 6th army (except airplane parts)
I remember this from a video game
@@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle yes, call of duty finest hour
@@SanarySeggnete Well, in real life this raid was not so dramatic (i.e. Germans did have about half a day time to retreat) , so I suppose that all the goods were flown out or destroyed before Soviets reached the airfield. Although TIK idea of not enough goods reaching airfields should be taken into consideration.
We are so grateful for these episodes!
Hey TIK, just wanted to say thanks for the Battlestorm vids despite the situation. Regardless, I'm still happy to watch anything else you put out, and please don't destroy yourself in the name of content for us.
Finally someone that make’s sense. Logistics wins battles or in this case loses it. Thank you TIK!
it was all about the rail lines. Yep, you nailed it
Yay. Another episode of one of RUclips's most epic series.
Thanks TIK for continuing the Stalingrad series, this is the best place for WWII buffs.
You don't havetp rush these Battlestorm videos, the quality is so good that when it is finished I'll binge watch them again. Thank you for still being here for us TIK.
Nice and steady TIK. No need to burn out. Your series is absolutely the best documentary on Stalingrad that has ever been. Quality like this takes time. We understand. Looking forward to the next E47.
I’ve studied WWII my whole life, with a particular focus on the eastern front and, more particularly, the Stalingrad campaign. After all this time (more than 50 years), I finally understand why the airlift failed. Thank you, TIK, and keep up the excellent work!
There is an error at 14:47 where the distance values displayed for Berlin to Stalingrad and Berlin to Tunisia are swapped. Otherwise this was an excellent video as always, keep it up.
Yeah, I saw that too. No biggie. He stated the distances, we know what he was talking about
I can hear his groan from here.
Yeah, I was confused
I thought I went insane for a second.
Great insight on the supply bottleneck situation, awesome video as usual. Indeed these men were not saints, quite the opposite and were on the receiving end of what they had done to others. Mild sympathy is the most they could hope for.
Wow TIK - just wow! I think this is your finest episode yet. You have brought together all the elements of military history - lies of post conflict memoires, the massive importance and often subtlety of logistics, the emotion of despair and starvation against the evil of previous crimes committed. You have created something of enormous lasting value for history and human knowledge. I hope one day I can buy you the bigger drink ever created! Thank you from your loyal fan!
Been waiting for this episode. Spend some of my "misbegotten" youth watching a series called 'world at War', and the Stalingrad episode always had me fascinated.
Thanks Tik :)
Oh, and when I was that young, I never gave it much thought. Now that I know just a little more, yeah, it's the Big 'L' ... Logistics.
Can't fly in supplies and equipment (and hopefully evac the casualties) is there are no supplies to deliver. Hell, you can't fly is there is no fuel. Knowing how easier (relatively) the Tunisia airlift went, I am wondering if going through Egypt to the oilfields of Iran would have been the better thing to do before hitting into Russia.
Thank goodness that Hitler was a madman. :)
Lets go, yet another TIKhistory video, so glad I found this series it is truly a mountains work for every episode
TIK's work is like many classic movies & books. Not an initial overwhelming success, but instead gaining wider acclaim over time to stand head and shoulders above other more attention grabbing content.
Thank you and your team for the serious amount of research and correlation that goes into these videos.
I have watched all the earlier episodes 3 times past this year, my wife is questioning my mental state and is already annoyed when she hears TIK's voice. I am obligated to use headphones now.
It is the best documentary and easy step for further studies about Battle of Stalingrad and Case blue. Thank you TIK!
Your wife's just jealous you're spending more time with me than you are with her. But women can't compete with WW2 battle documentaries, so she has to step up her game, or get used to playing second fiddle 😂
Amazing job. You truly deserve an honorary degree in history just for this battlestorm series.
He absolutely does.
Thanks for honest mention of war crimes. As for logistics, Germans had shortage of trucks, fuel and even horse wagons, and in situation of Soviet offensive, troops at Don were at highest priority to supply, followed by troops at Caucasus. 6th army was probably half written off from the start, so they got supplies if something remained.
Thank you TIK, VERY MUCH for new STALINGRAD EPISODE !!!!!.....Now 45 minutes I will watch with Chypsy in one, and beer in other hand...This will be veru JOYFULL afternoon....Wish you and your family good health and lots of happy days 👍👍👍
This continues to be the most significant and ground-breaking presentation of a brilliant piece of historical story-telling. You have truly set the bar not only with your fantastic presentation style, but, even more impressively, with the exhaustive research and great application of clear-minded critical analysis - as the issue of failed logistics in this episode so beautifully illustrates again. Massive respect and thanks should and will be with you for many years to come.
Loved your Luke 16:21 reference in regards to how little they were being fed in Stalingrad.
Unfortunately my Grandfather wrote an abbreviated memoir about his temporary assignment to the JU52/HE111 during the airlift with Verbindungskommando (S) 4. He most likely felt this was a dutiful experience from his Ergänzungsstaffel (Stuka)/VIII. Fliegerkorps based at Nikolayev-East, or just too pitiful on a day by day basis to remember the fluidity of supply logistics issues they encountered. Had he been asked immediately after the war to write down his experience in the Stalingrad airlift experience as an NCO crewman he probably could have added greatly to the breadth of research. I think he did mention off hand to my father about being one of the last JU52's to escape the tanks at a periled airfield (Tasinskaia?).
Only I asked near the end for him to write his Luftwaffe experience down, he went to diligent work with hunt and peck typing on paper..... a few months later he died in 1985 but at least some of his recollections had been preserved.
Hi. I just want to say that this series is absolutely brilliant. Thank you.
10/10 thank you for doing this. We all know its taking a toll but finishing this series will be in the annals of history for decades. Its very important.
I have really enjoyed most of your work over the last few years since I found it on YT. Battlestorm is my favorite. I realize that this must take an enormous amount of time and effort to get out as often as you do. I wish that I had had access to this back when I used to argue with my history teacher about WW2 and this battle in particular ( he was a huge admirer of Manstein). Very interesting video. I particularly like the part where you pointed out how the Germans had behaved toward the civilian population during the campaign. I have always thought it interesting that none of the German accounts mention this. It was always blamed on the SS.
Anyway, great video. Look forward to the next one.
@15:40 - "The planes couldn't take off at all due to icing, which doesn't make sense at all"
According to "Stopped at Stalingrad" many of the transport planes being brought in were fresh from the African theater and either did not know about engine cold start procedures or didn't do them correctly; I think this does quite parsimoniously explain why it was only the transports that were affected. Not sure if this was the exact day mentioned but it was definitely a factor in general that worsened the already low serviceability rates seen at this time
If what you're suggesting is true, then that is MASSIVE historical shift. We're told that Goering's arrogance that the Stalingrad pocket could be properly supplied was fantasy based on the Luftwaffe's inadequacies. But if the situation was really that the physical supplies weren't being provided in sufficient quantities for the crews and pilots of the transport planes to deliver, then the onus shifts to whomever was in charge of logistics for this operation.
Lay people will not understand how important this evidence is but there are people out there who appreciate how big this could be.
Brilliant stuff as always.
Yes.
It's a very interesting suggestion.
It appears that The Luftwaffe has been scapegoated unreasonably even more than Paulus has.
To see the strategic situation unravel in to such a catastrophe is shocking. I have read numerous books on the campaign but this series of videos really brings it home. Thanks TIK!
This is the best video on all of RUclips right now, thank you for making this masterpiece.
I know this sounds corny but being an obsessed battle of Stalingrad student even before I found this channel its like a Xmas present each time I find a new video in your series. Thanks
Same here , I though I knew and now know five times more ,
why obsessed by 1 battle ?
@@lufasumafalu5069 The drama , the drama !!
it's WW2 in one single event
@@lufasumafalu5069 Stalingrad is a short view of all of WW2 in enhanced drama
@@sparkyfromel i thought normandy landing is what western ppl know since US destroy nazi with no help from soviets
I will watch the whole series. Then, after few months, I will bring along my best pals (Johnny, Jack, Jim and others) and enjoy the series again, episode after episode. This is piece of art. Big thank you, TIK.
Goes to show even in the worst times, you can still celebrate Christmas
Top form, Tik, top form! Applause for your mentioning to keep things in perspective regarding
sympathy. Anyone who has a thorough reading of the German-Soviet war will understand the brutality by the German forces. Unspeakable for some, yet it must be reminded of and so you did. Also the small vignettes add so much to the story, e.g. Wuster flying back to the pocket on a one way ticket to Hades. I look forward to you mentioning the final riveting flights at Stalingradski airfield.
Your hint on the root cause of the failure of the airlift, that is, there was nothing meaningful to be lifted due to logistic issues, makes a lot of sense.
It definitely does.
Unless they had gone insane The Luftwaffe wouldn't have been sending useless items if they'd had any food or fuel to send.
Really enjoyed the detail involved in this,
I wasn't expecting this 'till the end of July! Thanks Tik, feels like a Xmas present!
I really appreciate that little bit you did about not feeling to sympathetic to the soldiers in the pocket. It is true that they were in terrible living and fighting conditions.
It is also absolutely true that these units committed transgressions and crimes beyond counting during their invasion of eastern Europe. Their is little justice in war but we can't say that many of the soldiers of 6th army didn't deserve their fates.
The war criminals of the 6th Army and 4th Panzer army got what they deserved. These were the people who came to get Lebensraum there. They got a good lesson.
I recently read Scheibert's "On to Stalingrad, Operation Winter Storm " and it basically seems like a constant back and forth fight for Verkhne Kumskii until they become so depleted and so much time passes that there is just no chance in hell that they're going to be able to reach the soldiers at Stalingrad. It seems as if they never had a chance.
I look forward to this series even more than the next season of my favorite prime video series
Your channel has been basically the first place that has emphasized the effect that logistics has on warfare, and it's something that I'm always thinking about in regards to any war history topic. I had always had this question in the back of my mind "How are the supplies getting to the Luftwaffe bases in the first place so they can get them to the 6th Army?" I guess my question has been answered.
Thanks Tik, it's a class series. Kinda incredible that we are getting close to the end. Thank for the great work ❤
Amazing series, I look forward to each episode. Thank you TIK
After 46 of these I click play and immediately hit the like button. Not been disappointed yet 😀
TIK, i just wanna say that i really, really appreciate this series. I hopped in to like and give a view but wont watch the video yet because im on episode 40 now.
And i believe im not the only one that is still a bit behind so if you dont see the numbers it might be due to that.
Regardless these videos are the best youtube literally has to offer. I applaud you for these amazing works of art.
Excellent and very much appreciated. Your struggles with these have made them extra precious.
A data point for your consideration: You can't really look at a simple overview of the weather to judge icing circumstances. Cold droplets on a warm plane can cause icing, but warmer droplets on an ice cold surface can too. Trustworthy weather reports for their routes, not just at the origin and destination, would have been at a premium.
Fav series on RUclips. I love the neutral tone and mythbusting.
Much appreciated tik , you are a national treasure
I’m beyond impressed. Weaving books and records into a spatial chronological action is amazing!
BTW rail systems in Europe (not just Germany to Soviet) were not standardized. So, they had to constantly move goods from one train to a new train at every rail gauge change. So massively inefficient.
Oh man I love Battlefield Stalingrad. Thank you Tik and editor for this awesome series.
Excellent points about the failure of the airlift lying in the area of rear logistics rather then the air transportation itself. However, it is hard to beleive that Luftwaffe officers, doubtlessly under pressure, would fail to report upwards, including Hitler himself, that the failure was due to other peoples' faults and would instead take the blame and invent excuses such as weather/Soviet counter-action. It would be reaasonable to expect that if the airfields were poorly stocked by supplies, the Luftwaffe (especially the vocal von Richthofen) would make a ton of noise about it all over the place, including his diary. No doubt Goering would also not hesitate to deflect the blame. The fact that they did nothing of the kind, is circumstantial evidence that somehow Luftwaffe were to blame, or at the very least, could not grasp the problem and therefore could not report or publicise it. The problem might have been with the loading process, for example - maybe the goods were on the airfield, but the ground crews were unable to load them fast enough? That would also explain the half-empty transports arriving to Stalingrad, or transports arriving with the non-priority cargo (because of poor organisation of storage on the fields they may have loaded whatever was nearest, or even had no idea what they were loading at all)....
Yes I would agree. Difficulty in the arrival of supplies at the airport might be a contributing factor but not the sole one. Both von Richtophen and Fibbig made it clear from the beginning of the airlift that they could not see how they could deliver even the minimum of supplies. The various factors weather, anti-aircraft flak the Red Airforce and other problems they were aware of were taken into consideration and these problems were even worse than they anticipated. As with most failures there were multiple reasons but it was was very quickly evident from the first few days the airlift was not going to work.
What a pleasant surprise on a regular, boring evening, thank you TIK!!!
Hey Tik, just wanted to say thank I’m really glad your continuing this series. I really enjoy them and all the effort you put into it!
Tik you are the MVP GOAT i have never seen a more detailed analysis of an entire operation. Just hat off man
i watch this series on and off. sometimes I adore the detail, sometimes I get overwhelmed by it. But, regardless, the amount of work and research is easily palpable. And I may not love it all the time, but I sure as heck respect the F out of you man! thank you!
Tik you made my day w/episode 46. Many thanks. Take care of yourself!
Oh my gosh ! 0:50 in the video and the obligatory Madlad TIK Easter Egg hits me already. Augh, this song is in stuck my head now ! Who else would have dared to insert a Kim Wilde reference in a Stalingrad documentary? I'm dying. 🤣
Oh, there's numerous song lyrics in these videos, and there's a second one in this video too!
You mentioned the railhead 300km from Stalingrad. Was there a surplus of supplies just sitting there with no way to be moved to the front? I would think there are enough people on the logistical side that would know the supplies, or lack there of, needed to get to the front. I am sure there was also an aviation fuel shortage as well, along with spare parts, etc.
Again, thank you for continuing the series and all of your hard work! I have been watching this series from the start and only the Stalingrad series and ww2 week by week keep me tuned in and ready for more!
Damn this series is good! You are the number one YT-channel for history!
Hey TIK, so i haven't watched this video yet but i will after writing this comment. I just want to thank you for sharing all this information with us. I've been watching your videos for a few weeks now and my thoughts and feeling about capitalism and socialism changed A LOT!! I'm 24 years old and i grew up in a family full of communists and socialists. They taught me that capitalism was the reason why people are dying of hunger/thirst/war etc. (you know.... those damnn capitalists...) and the only way out was socialism. I was a socialist too. When I started watching your videos a few weeks ago, I was skeptical, I didn't want to believe you but i chose to be open-minded. I didn't want to be like those viewers who throw disrespectful comments on comment sections. I really wanted to understand and learn the truth and I think i did (thanks to your videos). Please keep doing what you are doing, the people who are willing to learn will always find your work helpful. Have a great day 🙏
I wish more people were like you. Thank you for having an open mind, and I'm glad you commented because I often wonder if I've gotten through to people. It's really nice to know that I have 🙂
Amazing content.
I know the Germans are considered the "bad guys", still the idea of being a German conscript, stuck in Stalingrad, freezing cold, slowly losing all hope and starving to death. What an awful existence.
The young men that suffered through this war, truly saddening.
Thank you for this epic series, next the 'prequel' Demyansk, hopes !
I do not see how you could possibly give this up !! It is a masterpiece....
25:44 very courageous words TIK. I once compatis a lot with 6th Army soldiers but as tout said many (Not all of course) commited less or more sérieuses war crimes approaching the city in the surrounding villages and towns and inside the city. For me déclancher of more neutral view was a fact that a division of my native city of Gdańsk Danzig was there. I mean what was these German Danzigers were doing there, look at the map...
I loved reading the novel "The Forsaken Army" by Heinrich Gerlach, who had served in the battle as a German first lieutenant. Chapter 7 is titled "Black Christmas".
Brilliant book yes! 📖
It's always a joy whenever I see a new Battlestorm Stalingrad popping up on my frontpage.
I'm glad that I've googled Tatsinskaia that you've mentioned in your previous episode. Pretty epic stuff.
The Tatsinskaia airfield evacuation is one of the craziest scenes I ever heard described this whole damn war.
12:00 The red circle highlighted on the map and the text "all rail supplies... through Dněpropetrovsk" seem to be in conflict. The highlighted city is probably Stalino (modern day Donetsk), not Dnepropetrovsk that is significantly west of the spot shown on the Dnepr (Dnieper/Dnipro) river. As to the bottleneck on the rail roads it's probably the whole road between Stalino and Rostov(-on-Don).
Thank you! You very clearly explained everything that I had suspected about Staligrad in the depths of my soul, but which I could not formulate both on the issue of the air bridge and on Manstein's manipulations regarding the order to break through for the 6th Army. Once again many thanks!
Brilliant, love your work.
Another great video, TIK. I would have liked to hear about how the Soviets at Stalingrad celebrated Christmas though. There probably isn't anything notable about it but it would've been nice to have the two celebrations presented side by side so that we can contrast the two.
Orthodox Christmas falls on a different day (usually January 7th) than Western Christmas. The Red Regime was waffling on it's official atheism at this time.
Considering that most of Soviet religious population was orthodox Christians,they would have (quietly)celebrated Christmas on 7th of January,not 25th of December.
Not getting shott ,😕Probly 🌿✍️👍
TIK is essentially a encyclopedia on ww2. The amount of research he does is mental
As usual, your conclusions are quite logical, compelling and supported by comprehensive objective data
Captivating as always. I learn so much about Stalingrad. Are you planning on making such in-dept series about other important battles? I can't imagine the amount of work that goes into each of these episodes so maybe in a few years or so? I'd love to see something similar on Citadelle or the Ardennes Offensive for example.
Fantastic. I've been waiting for this.
Another great episode in your excellent series with the expected slagging off of Manstein.
TIKhistory is the best channel on yt! Cheers from Croatia
Hi Tik hi everyone...this is the first time i comment and it would be fair to say at least that it is a really great and tremendous thing you're doing here and it was a revelation to me when i discovered the channel a few years ago. Maybe everything can't be allways right but it is a normal thing because it is history we are talking about, but the general and basic idea is not just right but i think it is the only way and that is that history lies in the heart of debate.
The reason i posted is regarding last three Stalingrad episodes(i watched almost every video but there is nothing like b.s. series🙂). After watching i took Manstein's book again to see some issues. First i wanna say if these things i am going to mention are lies then we should forget everything but i don't know how to check them, so if i said somenthing wrong it's because of the book and it is a free jail card for me😁.
Yes he lied about the order that he gave it, we saw that from other sources, and he also didn't give the full truth or story about other things so that it misleads the reader, probably deliberately🙂. And yes he blamed Hitler for forbidding the abandoning of S. and Paulus for not trying to break out. They both wanted to do that but at the stage where it was up to Manstein to perform a miracle(i'll get back to this). Yes he should just say i could not achieve that at present time because it was too late and save us all a lot of discussion.
But let's put the book away for a moment and try to see some things in the present time in the series.
-why would Manstein(or any other officer in his place, i am not here to defend him)take on the blame or the majority of it for the failure of rescuing the 6th Army?
Because it seemed like the conclusion was that it was up to him because he didn't get close enough so that OKH could issue the order for breakthrough and that he didn't give the clear order to Paulus and that is why they didn't acted. But it seems in that kind of narrative that they all wanted a guarantee from M. so that if anything goes wrong they are both(O.K.H. and Paulus)of the hook. But why should M.(or any other officer)do that and took the blame on him for something that is not his fault(he practically acted as fireman). Honestly i don't know would anyone do that.
Yes you were fair and said it's not his fault for the situation and for the late arrival of forces and someone said that it was almost an impossible task with forces available.
But there are some things in the book and generally i would like to clear up if possible.
-it says in the book that he wanted to take the blame for decision of the 6th army's breakthrogh and take it on him(A.G. Don), if that is true(again i say i don't know how to confirm it, seems to me probably not true but i can not know)then it is a bit different situation because then Paulus wouldn't have to worry about disobeying?
-the bigger issue is the O.K.H(or Hitler same thing at the moment). In the preparation for rescue(at least in the book)he asked for more forces before it started. The 17th p.d. which was deliberately stoped(to protect a potential flank threat when you allready have a real problem, i'll come to this)in the start and it's not that manstein wanted it few days before Little Saturn so that it ended up like his blunder. And the situation with 16th m.d. and the whole A.G. A at this point is questionable. The explanation for the 16th m.d. is that it is protecting the flank of the 4th R.A.. But what was the real threat for the 4th R.A. or at least how big was it or was it more important than the 6th A.? Now i am coming to the point and that is that at this point you have to choose what's the priority, and the point of A.G. A being where they were in this situation and not to release a panzer corps or one division because of the oil is like your house is on fire and you are worrying about food in it(and it is also questionable how much oil were they getting anyway at this moment).
These are all insufficient or at least shallow explanations regarding general situation because i think these are key issues at the present time and i am saying this because M. offers some opinions that totally make sense in this crisis situation.
-when you gambled already(referring to O.K.H/Hitler same thing at the moment)then why not gamble all the way?
Because in this moment you can't have everything anymore(table started to turn), so why not weaken a certain part of the front to achive something(or at least increase the odds)and try to regain the initiative where it is most needed?
It ended up like O.K.H. didn't want to give up on anything and instead lost everything(the caucasus, the 6th A., shattered A.G. B in retreat and A.G. A also in retreat narrowly escaping). They did a bit everywhere and in the end nothing all the way.
Again i am not defending M. but for him(or anyone at his place) to do the task(which he said was the task in the book) of restoring the situation, to save the 6th A. and to regain lost ground (meaning take initiative again) and for A.G. A to stay on caucasus, with forces available is almost ridiculous. It's not a "free jail mad man hitler card" it' just impossible under the circumstances.
The other thing would be if he got the whole part of the front, all three A.G. and freedom of operations, then it would be all his fault or responsibility. It is the only way to act and to be fully responsible.
And the thing about asking for more forces, it is not to retreat to Berlin it's because he is not a miracle man it's just a nickname(probably added later). It is because that's what everyone is doing, that's why generals around Stalingrad are asking more forces to finish off 6th A., or why Montgomery is building up forces, not to retreat to Moscow or London, but because it's the only way when there is not an element of surprise or tactical or technical advantage(or at least a significant one)so the profession allways says the same, no one is a miracle man.
-there is also in the book where M. says that before he got there from Vitebsk he send via teleprinter a request to A.G. B for the 6th A. to pull back it's forces to the Don and a crossing at Kalach and says he doesn't know was it ever forwarded to 6th A. I also don't know can we ever check that out or was it even possible to do that at but it seemed like an interesting remark.
-you mentioned about six day preparation for the breakthrough that the 6th A. asked and that there is no explanation why M. objected that but he offered pretty reasonable explanation, at least to me(i can't say on what page because i didn't read english translation). And that is that it's almost impossible to be closely engaged and that the enemy wouldn't notice a six day movement. Of course they didn't say six days just like that but it makes sense what he said.
And to talk about Paulus and breakthrough. I've already said too much, it will be up and down mixed up i am afraid.
Yes M. lied that they waited on Myshkova until 25th., but it was already too late it would be a desperate attempt anyway so he really shouldn't have lied. But about Paulus knowing the situation, you said in one of the episodes(i can't remember when but it was weeks before Uranus)that he wanted to retreat(even said about the danger to Adam), so as soon as a retreat became a breakthrough it was too late and a totally different situation started. And for not acting instantly(like Seydlitz wanted for example)and waiting to see the full picture by that time it was also too late. Because there where not like five potential scenarios everyone knew about the danger on the flanks and what was the only threat.
And regarding acting on your own(for example Hausser at Harkov, ok things where a little clearer then so it was maybe an easier decision but it was basically the same call),then you don't wait for order because then it is not "on your own". Again i am not blaming Paulus 'cause there is a chain of command and commanding responsibility and as i see it the majority should go to OKH(Hitler) and it is not a free jail madman card it is simple commanding responsibility(after all M. said in the book that Hitler took the blame for the whole thing so i don't think he was a mad man. Maybe he just wasn't fully aware of the situation for which the part of the blame could go to his closest staff). And another example you putted Hitler's picture beside A.G. A so i think that says it all. So Paulus is less to blame, after all he got into way of fighting which is not his speciality by listening orders, and to blame M.(again i am not defending)or any other officer in his place for not saving 6th A. with two and later additional one division is just wrong, it couldn't have been done.
Anyway these are not critics just thoughts and questions.
You are doing really a great job and i hope you will continue so, and especially videos about philozophy, economics, politics, religion, ideology...i voted for b.s. because only one could be chosen but i learned a lot from these other videos, some new things, some were falsely learned. It would now take me too much to talk about it all, i've already written a lot so let's keep something for next time...i wish you all the best...by for now🙂
Ps I'm keeping it short 🌿👍✍️
Blinding 👍🌿😟
Bro… much love and respect from Cleveland. These are so well done and interesting that you got me to order the Stalingrad series by Glantz. Also been reading Citino. I’m just 46 stoner… thanks again!! You’re doing amazing work
You spoil us TIK! Great work on this episode!
Nice to see you are still making the best WW2 content on utube, thank you for all the hard work.. L
Like your Stalingrad series. Keep up your good work.
another great episode.. the dire state of the 6th Army. and good point raised by TIK about the record of the army in their drive to the Volga.. the Wehrmacht were very complicite in war crimes and the appalling treatment of civilians. Red Army troops who later liberated captured comrades found barely a handful of survivors among piles of bodies, starved and frozen to death.
There are so many variables at play.
Dr Robert’s, Army War College, highlighted the injured soldiers returning to Germany from Russia in the winter were missing eyelids, noses, fingers, toes, etc. when they returned home to Germany. Apparently losing eyelids becomes a massive problem.
Outstanding stuff again Tik. Ridiculous amount of time and effort!
Yay! It always brightens my day when a new Stalingrad comes out.
keep going Tik the end is in sight thanks for your hard work
Great video as always. At the minute 31.45 it is shown that Italian 35th Corps is commanded by Giovanni Messe, but he left on November 1st
yay! thank you for a new episode. also your maps are incredible. great job
This series is top quality. Thank you!