Operation Barbarossa and Germany's Defeat in the East (89 page)

91
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 54,
War Diary
, p. 274 (6 August 1941); Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 158 (6 August 1941); Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 193.

92
Guderian's letter as cited by Macksey,
Guderian
, p. 144.

93
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 55,
War Diary
, p. 275 (7 August 1941).

94
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 186 (8 August 1941).

95
‘Kriegstagebuch 4.Panzer-Division Führungsabtl. 26.5.41 – 31.3.42’ BA-MA RH 27–4/10, pp. 96 and 101 (6, 7 and 9 August 1941).

96
‘Tagesmeldungen der Heeresgruppe Mitte vom 6.8.41 bis 26.8.41’ BA-MA RH 19 II/130, Fol. 27 (9 August 1941).

97
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 57,
War Diary
, p. 277 (9 August 1941).

98
Ibid., Fol. 57, p. 277 (8 August 1941).

99
Ibid., Fol. 59, p. 279 (10 August 1941); ‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 202 (10 August 1941).

100
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fols. 211–215 (11 August 1941); Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fols. 58–59,
War Diary
, p. 278 (10 August 1941).

101
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, pp. 194–195.

102
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 59,
War Diary
, pp. 278–279 (10 August 1941). Bock's assessment was supported by the OKH: see ‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 217 (11 August 1941).

103
‘Kriegstagebuch 4.Panzer-Division Führungsabtl. 26.5.41 – 31.3.42’ BA-MA RH 27–4/10, p. 103 (11 August 1941).

104
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 215 (11 August 1941).

105
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 60,
War Diary
, p. 280 (11 August 1941).

106
Lammers (ed.),
‘Fahrtberichte’
, p. 235 (12 August 1941).

107
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 237 (13 August 1941).

108
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 61,
War Diary
, p. 281 (13 August 1941).

109
Underlining in the original. ‘Kriegstagebuch 4.Panzer-Division Führungsabtl.26.5.41–31.3.42’ BA-MA RH 27–4/10, p. 109 (14 August 1941).

110
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 58,
War Diary
, pp. 277–278 (9 August 1941).

111
‘Kriegstagebuch Nr.2 XXXXVII.Pz.Korps. Ia 25.5.1941 – 22.9.1941’ BA-MA RH 24–47/2 (11 August 1941).

112
‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fol. 200 (11 August 1941).

113
Ibid., Fol. 207 (13 August 1941).

114
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 190.

115
‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fol. 207 (13 August 1941).

116
Müller, ‘Das Scheitern der wirtschaftlichen “Blitzkriegstrategie”’, p. 976.

117
Letter from Burmeister to Paulus dated 12 August 1941 as cited in Görlitz,
Paulus and Stalingrad
, p. 138.

118
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 170 (11 August 1941). See also Hürter,
Ein deutscher General an der Ostfront
, p. 71 (1 August 1941).

119
Halder, KTB III, p. 170 (11 August 1941).

120
‘Verlustmeldungen 5.7.1941 – 25.3.1942’ BA-MA RH 21–2/757, Fol. 1 (Casualty lists until 10 August 1941, report dated 14 August 1941). Exact figures: Officers fallen 359, wounded 881, missing 35. Non-commissioned officers and lower ranks, fallen 5,848, wounded 17,839, missing 1,268.

121
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fol. 49 (10 August 1941).

122
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 179 (15 August 1941).

123
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 209 (11 August 1941).

124
Ibid., Fol. 220 (11 August 1941).

125
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 61,
War Diary
, pp. 280–281 (12 August 1941).

126
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fols. 235–236 (13 August 1941).

127
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 62,
War Diary
, p. 282 (14 August 1941). See also Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 176 (14 August 1941).

128
‘Kriegstagesbuch Nr.2 des XXXXVI.Pz.Korps Teil II. 8.7.41 – 23.8.41’ BA-MA RH 24–46/8, Fol. 237 (13 August 1941).

129
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 240 (13 August 1941).

130
‘Kriegstagesbuch Nr.2 des XXXXVI.Pz.Korps Teil II. 8.7.41 – 23.8.41’ BA-MA RH 24–46/8, Fol. 238 (13 August 1941).

131
Ibid., Fol. 244 (14 August 1941).

132
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fols. 248–249 (14 August 1941).

133
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 63,
War Diary
, p. 283 (15 August 1941).

134
Ibid., Fols. 62–63, p. 282 (14 August 1941).

135
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 176 (14 August 1941); Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 195.

136
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 177 (14 August 1941).

137
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 62,
War Diary
, pp. 281–282 (14 August 1941).

138
Trevor-Roper (ed.),
Hitler's War Directives 1939–1945
, pp. 148–150.

139
Ibid., p. 150.

140
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 175 (13 August 1941).

141
Ibid., pp. 176–177 (14 August 1941).

142
Ibid., p. 178 (15 August 1941).

143
Ibid., p. 180 (15 August 1941).

144
Von Manstein,
Lost Victories
, p. 199. See also Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, KTB, p. 333 (15 August 1941).

145
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 180 (15 August 1941).

146
‘Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (Band August 1941) des Oberkommandos der Heeresgruppe Mitte’ BA-MA RH 19II/386, pp. 328–329 (15 August 1941).

147
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 64,
War Diary
, p. 283 (15 August 1941).

148
Franz Halder, KTB III, p. 180 (15 August 1941).

149
Ibid. (15 August 1941).

150
‘Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (Band August 1941) des Oberkommandos der Heeresgruppe Mitte’ BA-MA RH 19II/386, pp. 329–330 (15 August 1941). See also Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 64,
War Diary
, pp. 283–284 (15 August 1941).

151
‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fol. 211 (15 August 1941).

152
Ibid., Fol. 210 (14 August 1941).

153
‘Kriegstagebuch Nr.1 (Band August 1941) des Oberkommandos der Heeresgruppe Mitte’ BA-MA RH 19II/386, p. 330 (15 August 1941).

154
‘3rd Pz. Gr. KTB 25.5.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA Microfilm 59054, Fol. 212 (15 August 1941).

155
Ibid. (15 August 1941).

156
KTB OKW, Volume II, p. 1045, Document 91 (15 August 1941); Mendelssohn,
Die Nürnberger Dokumente
, p. 403.

157
Tobias Jersak, ‘A Matter of Foreign Policy: “Final Solution” and “Final Victory” in Nazi Germany’,
German History
21(3) (2003), 379. See also Tobias Jersak, ‘Die Interaktion von Kriegsverlauf und Judenvernichtung. Ein Blick auf Hitlers Strategie im Spätsommer 1941’,
Historische Zeitschrift
, Band 268 (1999), 311–374; Tobias Jersak ‘Holocaust im Krieg’ in Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt (ed.),
Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg
, Band IX, Erster Halbband:
Die Deutsche Kriegsgesellschaft 1939 bis 1945. Politisierung, Vernichtung, Überleben
(2004), pp. 275–318; Tobias Jersak, ‘Blitzkrieg Revisited: A New Look at Nazi War and Extermination Planning’,
Historical Journal
43(2) (2000), 565–582; Müller,
Der letzte deutsche Krieg 1939–1945
, p. 108.

158
Domarus,
Hitler
, Volume III, p. 1449. See also Domarus,
Hitler
, Volume IV, p. 2367.

159
Von Hassell,
Vom andern Deutschland
, pp. 217–218 (18 August 1941); von Hassell,
Diaries
, pp. 188–189 (18 August 1941).

160
Von Below,
Als Hitlers Adjutant 1937–45
, p. 287.

161
Jersak, ‘Die Interaktion’, p. 350.

162
Fröhlich (ed.),
Die Tagebücher von Joseph Goebbels
, Teil II, p. 259 (19 August 1941).

163
Ibid., p. 262 (19 August 1941).

164
Ibid., p. 263 (19 August 1941).

165
Ibid., p. 269 (19 August 1941).

166
Geoffrey Megargee has observed: ‘Some historians believe that Hitler made the decision to eradicate the Jews completely before the campaign even started, and that only tactical considerations, such as a shortage of shooters, limited the killing in the first weeks. Others maintain that he decided on extermination while the campaign was going on and communicated it to the units in the field through Himmler. Still others emphasize the role of field commanders themselves in instigating actions that Himmler and Hitler then approved and encouraged. There is no way to settle the debate with any degree of certainty – we have no written order’ (Megargee,
War of Annihilation
, p. 93). For a more in-depth investigation into the origins of the Holocaust see Christopher R. Browning and Jürgen Matthäus,
The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, September 1939–March 1942
(London, 2005); Peter Longerich,
Der ungeschriebene Befehl: Hitler und der Weg zur ‘Endlösung’
(Munich, 2001); Hilberg,
Destruction of the European Jews
.

167
Megargee,
War of Annihilation
, p. 95. For an excellent new study assessing the role of the German army in the mass killings now taking place in the east see Hürter,
Hitlers Heerführer
, Section II,
Chapter 5
, ‘Judenmord’.

168
As cited in Martin Gilbert,
The Holocaust. The Jewish Tragedy
(London, 1986), p. 186.

169
Trevor-Roper (ed.),
Hitler's Table Talk
, p. 28 (night of 19–20 August).

170
KTB OKW, Volume II, pp. 1054–1055, Document 94 (18 August 1941); Mendelssohn,
Die Nürnberger Dokumente
, pp. 404–405.

171
Italics in the original. KTB OKW, Volume II, pp. 1055–1056, Document 95 (18 August 1941); Mendelssohn,
Die Nürnberger Dokumente
, pp. 406–408.

172
Van Creveld,
Supplying War
, pp. 168–169.

173
Wagner reported to Halder on 15 August that over a period of ten days in the first half of August 22, seven trains a day were reaching Army Group Centre, but this has been challenged in recent research. See Schüler, ‘The Eastern Campaign’, p. 213, footnote 7; Klaus Schüler,
Logistik im Russlandfeldzug. Die Rolle der Eisenbahn bei Planung, Vorbereitung und Durchführung des deutschen Angriffs auf die Sowjetunion bis zur Krise vor Moskau im Winter 1941/42
(Frankfurt am Main, 1987).

174
Franz Halder, KTB III, pp. 178 and 183 (15 and 17 August 1941); Schüler, ‘The Eastern Campaign’, p. 213, footnote 7. See also van Creveld,
Supplying War
, p. 170.

175
‘KTB 3rd Pz. Div. I.b 19.5.41 – 6.2.42’ BA-MA RH 27–3/218 (18 August 1941).

176
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 296 (19 August 1941).

177
Ibid., Fol. 302 (20 August 1941).

178
‘Kriegstagebuch 4.Panzer-Division Führungsabtl. 26.5.41 – 31.3.42’ BA-MA RH 27–4/10, p. 115 (20 August 1941).

179
Guderian,
Panzer Leader
, p. 196.

180
‘KTB Nr.1 Panzergruppe 2 Bd.II vom 22.7.1941 bis 20.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–2/928, Fol. 302 (20 August 1941).

181
Fedor von Bock, KTB ‘Osten I’, Fol. 68,
War Diary
, p. 287 (20 August 1941).

182
Müller, ‘Das Scheitern der wirtschaftlichen “Blitzkriegstrategie”’, p. 979.

183
‘Panzerarmeeoberkommandos Anlagen zum Kriegstagesbuch “Berichte, Besprechungen, Beurteilungen der Lage” Bd.IV 22.7.41 – 31.8.41’ BA-MA RH 21–3/47, Fol. 53 (16 August 1941).