Weichs

The Germans now had four separate army groups called North, Center, A, and B, but von Weichs, in charge of Army Group B, was told to divide his forces so as to execute another envelopment move.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

Although von Weichs, as a cavalry officer from the Great War, could justifiably be presumed to be the very man to direct such a bold foray, when one surveys the ranks of the senior German commanders, it would be difficult to find a general less suited to the task of conducting what was basically a cavalry raid on a colossal scale than Paulus.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

Hitler, after the successes of the summer in the south, having dispatched von Weichs in his drive to the Volga and the Don, had decided to deal with Leningrad as well, as that city remained one of the chief objectives of his senior generals; all the more so now that Moscow was out of reach.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

Army Group A, under the command of Sigmund Wilhelm List, would execute the southern side of the pincers, and B, under the command of Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von Weichs zu Glon, the northern.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

The point man for the northern side of the great pincer movement directed by von Weichs at Army Group B was Friedrich Paulus, commander of the 6th Army, a force that was comprised of four allied army groups: two Romanian, one Hungarian, and one Italian.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

Presumably a successful thrust would cut off Army Group North entirely and force a further withdrawal of Army Group Center, force Hitler to draw off armor from von Weichs and List, and give the Red Army time to build up its forces on the eastern bank of the Volga.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

The Germans now had four separate army groups called North, Center, A, and B, but von Weichs, in charge of Army Group B, was told to divide his forces so as to execute another envelopment move.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

Army Group A, under the command of Sigmund Wilhelm List, would execute the southern side of the pincers, and B, under the command of Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von Weichs zu Glon, the northern.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

Although von Weichs, as a cavalry officer from the Great War, could justifiably be presumed to be the very man to direct such a bold foray, when one surveys the ranks of the senior German commanders, it would be difficult to find a general less suited to the task of conducting what was basically a cavalry raid on a colossal scale than Paulus.

Deathride John Mosier 2010

But the lull, if indeed there was one, was caused simply by the slowness of Red Army deployments to meet the new threat posed by von Weichs, whose objectives were apparent to anyone looking at a map.

Deathride John Mosier 2010