RE: I knew Hitler was a back stabber but.
July 25, 2018 at 1:58 am
(This post was last modified: July 25, 2018 at 2:00 am by Anomalocaris.)
(July 25, 2018 at 1:41 am)Minimalist Wrote: It cost them too much materiel to get close and by then General Zhukov was sent to take command and later a whole shitload of Russian reinforcements arrived from the far east. And then, towards the latter part of October, the weather began to turn.
It didn’t cost them too much material to get close. They were close and in excellent shape 1 month into the Barbarossa campaign. Having gotten close at acceptable cost, the Germans then changed their minds and began to moved their material in the critical theater away hither and yon to pursue newly minted short term tactical objectives in Other theaters that were spectacular to achieve but ultimately contributed little to facilitating the knockout blow.
It was only in October, when their material, having gotten close 2 month ago but since suffered two more month of wear, tear and attrition pursuing tactical bragging rights in Ukraine, were found wanting for the purpose of a final push towards a decision at Moscow. Even then they were bidding fair to succeed, then it got cold abnormally early. Yet even so misused by Hitler and abused by weather the german army still came close in December.
If they attacked with clarity and consistency of purpose and appropriate amount of focus on achieving it, they could have taken Moscow by August or September and decapitated russia’s Rail network. Then Russian industry would not have been able to evacuate to the Urals and russia’s Ability to move large body of troops from one front to another would essentially be destroyed.
