Panzer Commander Hermann Balck: Germany’s Master Tactician

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Glantz, David M.; House, Jonathan (2009). To the Gates of Stalingrad: Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1630-5. The purpose of the conference was to examine twentieth century German military experience in battle against Russian forces with the intent of developing insights useful in aiding our understanding of the challenges NATO faces today in Europe as it prepares to confront the Soviets in any future conflict. Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives[ The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. But it was necessary to hasten. All staff property has already been shipped on some tens motor vehicles. In view of affinity of the opponent I considered expedient to form five columns. Each of them was under command of the chief of a department, including the chief of engineering service of army of colonel Zelle and the chief of communication of colonel Arnold. I have headed the fifth column. We assumed after transition through Don to collect in Peskovatka at an army headquarters of 8-th army corps and therefrom together to move further. At the same time the 11th Panzer Division probably had a total of approximately 75 tanks. The division of course would never employ that number of tanks in an engagement because a significant percentage would always be down for repair, and, as the combat developed, manywould be destroyed or damaged in battle.

Diamonds on 31 August 1944 as General der Panzertruppe and acting commander of the 4. Panzerarmee [8] The division, holding a bridgehead across the DON east of VERKHNYAYA CHIRSKAYA, was the nucleus of the Corps in the corner formed by the DON and CHIR rivers. Adjoining on the right and extending up to the boundary there was a thinly-held line along the DON made up of 24 Pz Dw Division rear echelon elements. On the left there were those elements of the 338th Infantry Division that had arrived from the Hungarian Army sector by rail and on foot. In this particular area the sector of the 11th Panzer Division's reconnaissance battalion had been reinforced early in the day with several 8.8 cm antiaircraft batteries and the division's antitank battalion. While this was happening the Russians moved one tank brigade across the CHIR. Subsequent prisoner-of-war statements revealed that this brigade stood poised to strike at the sector of the reconnaissance battalion and that it was generally aimed at the Corps command post at TORMOSLIN, i.e., to the south. Near to hieroglyphs I have written on cyrillics and the latin alphabet the name of corresponding settlement, the river and battle group.Some lines field-marshal Manshtejn is literally has devoted to these events in the memoirs. That field marshal Manshtejn gives in one of appendices to the memoirs however is important result document very interesting to our case «The Estimation of conditions for December, 9, 1942». In this document field-marshal specifies forces of Soviet 5-th tank army.

The front has received also other desired help. The commander of a town garrison has reported, that on November, 22 there arrived to Nizhne-CHirskaja completely made up company bakery and a platoon of a field slaughterhouse. They have got away from tanks of the opponent, that at the created position it was difficult to blame him. I at once have included both these parts in structure of battle groups.I arrived at the command post of the XLVIII Panzer Corps in NIZHNYAYA CHIRSKAYA at approximately 1500 on 5 December 1942 having left the XXIV Panzer Corps. I immediately assumed command of the XLVIII Panzer Corps, taking over from Lieutenant General Kramer. The Corps Chief of Staff was a certain Lieutenant Colonel von Mellenthin, G.S.C., who himself had joined the Corps a few days before. Without hesitation I have decided, that itself I shall take part command by battle group. The general of Pauljus with whom at me wire communication, strangely enough, was still kept, has approved my decision.

The most full description of battle in area of Sovkhoz (State Farm) «Red Star» or the same, – Sovkhoz 79, - was given by the American historian professor Russel H.S. Stolfi The commandant of station Chir any more does not answer. My linear patrols informing, that in a direction of the railway there is a strong rifle and machine-gun firing. While I yet do not know details. Operative group Mikosh has sent investigation to station Chir. manded the SS’s police division. His IX SS Mountain Corps was holding Budapest with the weak 8th and 22nd SS Cavalry divisions and elements of the 13th Panzer Division, the 60th Panzergrenadier Division, and the 271st Volksgrenadier Division. The Hungarian I Corps, under the command of a former instructor of German at Hungary’s Ludovika Military Academy, General Iván Hindy, 54, fought alongside them. Altogether, the Axis had some 79,000 troops defending the city.Return translation from Russian on English will strongly distort the original English text. However it is better than is nothing also I there has risked to carry out translation of those places from Mellenthin's memoirs which concern battles on the river Chir.