The German troops closest positions to the encircled 6th Army were in the area of the Chir River (just 40 km away). Contents 1 German 2 Soviet Red Army 3 Romanian 4 External links German Soviet Red Army Romanian External links Persons Battle of Stalingrad" (nl.) 26. He was told that "The Luftwaffe doesn't have enough aircraft. [33], Of all the senior German officers held at Zavarykino, Schmidt was the most disliked by the Soviets; on one occasion he apparently reduced a mess waitress to tears during lunch, for which a Soviet officer, Lieutenant Bogomolov, made him apologise. "[33], Prior to Paulus's interrogation, Paulus asked Schmidt how he should respond, to which Schmidt replied, "Remember you are a Field Marshal of the German Army," apparently (according to the Soviet interrogator) using the intimate "du" form of address, although Captain Winrich Behr, who was familiar with the relations between the two men, considered this unlikely. A candle-end was burning on the table, illuminating an accordion lying on the couch. It appears the Storks only had the range to fly one way. It was still dark but day was dawning almost imperceptibly. He was told that "The Luftwaffe doesn't have enough aircraft." . Following his orders, Paulus prepared to break out of Stalingrad. was sent by VIII Air Corps to assess the runway at Gumrak and see whether further landings by Luftwaffe supply aircraft would be possible. Paulus was born in Guxhagen and grew up in Kassel, Hesse-Nassau, the son of a treasurer. Our soldiers were not beaten, let alone shot. During his captivity, according to General Max Pfeffer, Paulus said, "I have no intention of shooting myself for this Bohemian corporal." Gerhard Hindenlang was born 1916 in Berlin. [36], After Voikovo, Schmidt was held in the Lubyanka prison. Ignoring the German officers halfhearted request to hand over their weapons, the Soviet negotiators started going down to the basement where Friedrich Paulus had his HQ. A Gnther Angern D Alexander Edler von Daniels Heinrich-Anton Deboi Moritz von Drebber F Max Fremerey G Eccard Freiherr von Gablenz H Alexander von Hartmann Walter Heitz 4 posts Page 1 of 1 That danger is real. Arthur Schmidt (25 October 1895 - 5 November 1987) was an officer in the German military from 1914 to 1943. The rank of field marshal has been conferred upon you. [29] The signal sent from Sixth Army HQ on the evening of 30 January, that stated that soldiers were "listening to the national anthem for the last time with arms raised in the German salute", was, according to Beevor, much more likely to have been written by Schmidt than by Paulus. He took with him This policy can have no prospect of success unless it manages to stifle the national will of other peoples, to crush their independence. Behrs instructions were to ask In February 1938, Paulus was appointed Chef des Generalstabes to Gen. Heinz Guderian's new XVI Armeekorps (Motorisiert), which replaced Lutz's command. The anti-tank gunners (anti-tank rifle squads) fought to the last round, to the last grenade. He Schmidt joined the army as a one-year volunteer on 10 August 1914, attaining the rank of Leutnant on 8 May 1915. He crossed the Meuse river at Dinant. Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 1 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). Nachrichtenfhrer AOK 6, Private Laskin gave the driver a sign to slow down to allow the German commander to observe them closely and thoroughly. Armee whrend der Schlacht von Stalingrad.Paulus war von 1943 bis 1953 in sowjetischer Kriegsgefangenschaft und lebte danach bis zu seinem Tod in der DDR [15] Paulus and Schmidt started planning for the breakout that evening, despite receiving another message from Hitler that they must stand firm and await relief. German officers who flew out of the Stalingrad Paulus took part in the Poland and Low Countries campaigns, after which he was named deputy chief of the German Army General Staff. Having survived Winter Storm and not having heard the Thunderclap, the Soviet command calmly returned to drawing up its planned operation to split up and conclusively destroy the Paulus grouping - preparations for which had been interrupted by the German offensive. Then they left the room. On the afternoon of 22 November, Schmidt flew with Paulus to the new Sixth Army HQ at Gumrak. who took the 6. The commander of the encircled troops did not issue the order, however. Schmidt was appointed chief of staff to General Friedrich Paulus in Sixth Army on 15 May 1942, replacing Colonel Ferdinand Heim after the counter-attack against Marshal Semyon Timoshenko at the Second Battle of Kharkov. He studied philology at the University of Kyiv before World War II, and after the war he became an author.. Stalingrad truce First attempt. . While south of Stalingrad, some Soviet soldiers were holding back the onslaught from Hoths tanks, northwest of the city, in the area of the great bend in the Don River, their fellow servicemen were making short work of the Italian and Romanian divisions: They broke through the enemy front lines, advanced 340 km inside them and reached the rear of Army Group Don itself. "[31] Schmidt, together with Paulus and Colonel Adam, were taken to Don Front HQ at Zavarykino, where they were interrogated. According to Soviet statistics, from 1945 to 1956, over 580,000 people died in prison camps, over 356,000 of them Germans. Worse than a tram! On one of the final Luftwaffe flights out of Stalingrad, Paulus had sent his wedding ring to his wife. The department store building in Stalingrad. Upon finding out about Paulus' "surrender", Hitler flew into a rage and vowed never to appoint another field marshal again. The Red Army soldiers were well nourished, full of vigor and dressed in fine winter uniforms I was deeply moved by something else. Other historians, such as Mitcham, agree: As the situation in Stalingrad deteriorated, Paulus's self-confidence declined, and he allowed himself (and 6th Army) to be more and more guided by his chief of staff, until Arthur Schmidt was virtually conducting the battle for the German side. said the Soviet general through his interpreter. They all looked desperately frightened. He was not able to walk anymore and was He also said that 18,000 men were wounded and were in immediate need of medical attention. Juni 1942 zum Generalmajor ernannt und nahm an der Schlacht von Stalingrad teil. [29] The signal sent from Sixth Army HQ on the evening of 30 January, that stated that soldiers were "listening to the national anthem for the last time with arms raised in the German salute", was, according to Beevor, much more likely to have been written by Schmidt than by Paulus. Captured German generals before meeting with commander of the 64th Soviet Army general N. Shumilov. . Schmidt was appointed chief of staff to General Friedrich Paulus in Sixth Army on 15 May 1942, replacing Colonel Ferdinand Heim after the counter-attack against Marshal Semyon Timoshenko at the Second Battle of Kharkov. On that frosty morning in Stalingrad, it dawned on all the men of the Red Army and the overwhelming majority of the German soldiers that this was the beginning of the end for them and the start of our Victory.. Paulus Surrender? Hitler Unconvinced | World War Two Photographs The following excerpt covers the last two days in Stalingrad as Adam began to have doubts about the Chief of Staff to the 6th Army, Lieutenant-General Schmidt: Was Lieutenant-General Schmidt playing a double game? German officers who flew out of the Stalingrad pocket and became "[18], On 18 or 19 December, Major Eismann was sent by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein to brief Paulus and Schmidt on Operation Donnerschlag, Army Group Don's plan, not sanctioned by Hitler, for the Sixth Army to break out and incorporate itself in Manstein's Army Group. German soldiers fighting at Stalingrad, December 1942. Schmidt, confident of his own abilities, put many backs up within Sixth Army headquarters, although he also had his supporters. Unwashed, with unkempt beards, they wore comical-looking makeshift snow boots and were wrapped in towels and womens headscarves. [18], Paulus, a Roman Catholic, was opposed to suicide. Museum Memory. Stalingrad Department Store - Univermag Malinin looked 35, square-faced with hair in a short pompadour which stuck up like a schoolboy's. Paulus was asleep. A German officer who met the Soviet soldiers told them through an interpreter: Our top commander wants to talk to your top commander. To that, Ilchenko retorted: Well, our top commander has many other things to attend to. In November 1942, when the Soviet Red Army launched a massive counter-offensive, code-named Operation Uranus, Paulus found himself surrounded by an entire Soviet Army Group. "[9] At Nizhne-Chirskaya on 22 November, Schmidt told 8th Air Corps's commander, General Martin Fiebig, that Sixth Army needed to be resupplied by air. [19], Shortly before surrendering, Paulus sent his wedding ring back to his wife on the last plane departing his position. Battle Of Stalingrad: 36 Photos From WW2's Deadliest Clash However, after the attempted assassination of Hitler on 20 July 1944, he became a vocal critic of the Nazi regime while in Soviet captivity, joining the Soviet-sponsored National Committee for a Free Germany appealing to Germans to surrender. Dyatlenko was born in 1914 in the village of Kulichka in the Lebedin region, in present-day Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. He was a First Lieutenant in the 71 st Infantry Division that spearheaded the attack into Stalingrad in September 1942. They had huddled here to hide from the mortar fire, recalled the senior lieutenant. Dyatlenko had no doubt that Schmidt was "the eyes and hand of the Nazi Party" in the Sixth Army, because captured officers reported that "Schmidt was commanding the Army and even Paulus himself."[21]. [22] The envoys were even fired on; Paulus denied that he had ordered this, so it is possible that Schmidt might have issued the order. Stalingrad encirclement from Pitomnik airfield "[11] Schmidt maintained that the army, which would adopt a "hedgehog" defence, must be resupplied, but that the situation was not yet so desperate as there were plenty of horses left that could serve as food. On the night of January 31, 1943, units of the 64th Army's 38th. "[33], Prior to Paulus's interrogation, Paulus asked Schmidt how he should respond, to which Schmidt replied, "Remember you are a Field Marshal of the German Army," apparently (according to the Soviet interrogator) using the intimate "du" form of address, although Captain Winrich Behr, who was familiar with the relations between the two men, considered this unlikely. Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus, General Arthur Schmidt and Wilhelm Adam, adjutant to the 6th Army commander. Youll have to talk to me.. Everyone knows that our nation used to have great military experts, known all over the world, such as Clausewitz, Moltke the Elder, Schlieffen. A northern pocket centered on the tractor factory and a smaller southern pocket in the city center. sick. When World War I began, Paulus' regiment was part of the thrust into France, and he saw action in the Vosges and around Arras in the autumn of 1914. The main entrance to the cellar was closed and guarded by the Soviet soldiers. [30] When the forces defending Sixth Army HQ surrendered on the morning of 31 January, Schmidt discussed surrender terms with officers from General Shumilov's HQ, while Paulus waited unaware in a room next door. Arthur Schmidt (25 October 1895 5 November 1987) was an officer in the German military from 1914 to 1943. Stalin himself was pessimistic. Paulus awoke and sat up. "Award Document to General der Panzertruppe Paulus, Item Number: EU4642". eMedals, Web. The battle ended in disaster for the Wehrmacht when Soviet forces encircled the Germans within the city, leading to the ultimate death or capture of most of 265,000 6th Army personnel, their Axis allies and collaborators. jaundice. Amidst the ruins of their city which the Germans had destroyed, Soviet soldiers would pull a piece of bread or cigarettes or tobacco out of their pocket and offer them to the weary, half-starved German soldiers., Sergeant Pyotr Alkhutov was present when the German commander was taken prisoner: Paulus was haggard and clearly ill. [14] That evening the Soviet encirclement of Axis forces was confirmed in a signal Paulus sent to Hitler. Paulus led the drive on Stalingrad that summer. The battle of Stalingrad, fought between Stalin's Red Army and Hitler's forces from 23 August 1942 to 2 February 1943, is considered one of the major confrontations of World War II. According to Pois and Langer: [Paulus's] chief of staff, Arthur Schmidt, a committed National Socialist to the end, seemed to represent Hitler for Paulus, indeed, probably was Hitler at Stalingrad. [2] On 26 January 1942 he was awarded the German Cross in Gold.[3]. In November 1941, after German Sixth Army's commander Field Marshal Walter von ReichenauPaulus' patronbecame commander of the entire Army Group South, Paulus, who had never commanded a larger unit than a battalion, was promoted to General der Panzertruppe and became commander of the Sixth Army. [4], Despite Lieutenant-Colonel Niemeyer's frank and pessimistic area briefings, Schmidt severely underestimated the build-up and capabilities of Soviet forces at Stalingrad following the initial Axis successes, a failing that he unlike Paulus subsequently did not attempt to excuse. [6] Many false reports of the massing of Soviet forces were received from the Romanian sector, so when Stck radioed at 5 a.m. on 19 November that an offensive (marking the start of Operation Uranus, the Soviet encirclement of Axis forces) was about to begin, Schmidt, who was furious when disturbed by false alarms, was not informed,[7] although he was awoken twenty minutes later when it became clear that this was no false alarm. Category : German commanders at the Battle of Stalingrad If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material. Gaunt, pale and emaciated, the commander of the Wehrmacht's 6th Army looked like a hunted animal to the Soviet military commanders. 'Meeting The Victors', Sputnik Magazine, 1968, USSR; (English-language article). This website uses cookies. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! The question cannot be answered in military terms. The frontline was holding on with the last of its strength, banking on Hitler imminently, in the run-up to Christmas, fulfilling his promise of relief. [34] Unlike many German prisoners of war, such as Paulus himself and von Seydlitz-Kurzbach, Schmidt refused to co-operate with the Soviets, despite the NKVD's attempt to ingratiate themselves by serving him caviar and champagne in a luxury railway coach. Juni 1942 zum Generalmajor ernannt und nahm an der Schlacht von Stalingrad teil. [32] When their baggage was searched for sharp metal objects, Schmidt, referring to Paulus, snapped at the Soviet officers: "A German Field Marshal does not commit suicide with a pair of scissors. Almost 70% of deaths occurred in the winter of 1945-1946. Paulus was promoted to lieutenant general in August 1940. He remained there until 1955, when a visit to Moscow by West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer led to his release, together with the remaining high-ranking German prisoners.[35]. How the Germans tried to rescue their troops at Stalingrad (PHOTOS In this it would constantly face the danger that its southwesterly push could stall or the enemy could overwhelm its rear guard or flank defenses. But as soon as a tank passed over an entrenchment, our men - soldiers, sergeants and officers - got up again and opened fire on the departing armored vehicles.. They were all armed, some with weapons in their hands, some with them over their shoulders. [8], Paulus and Schmidt realised that Sixth Army was encircled on 21 November. Hitler expected the success to be repeated here and ordered Paulus to hold on in Stalingrad, while getting essential food, weapons and ammunition supplied by air. Battle of Stalingrad | History, Summary, Location, Deaths, & Facts In dieser Funktion wurde er am 1. It formed part of the German Third Army that enacted the attack on France and Belgium in August 1914 as part of the pre-war Schlieffen Plan. In 1953, Paulus moved to East Germany, where he worked in military history research. There, he would be interrogated by the Army commander Lt-Gen Mikhail Shumilov and the Don Front commander Lt-Gen Konstantin Rokossovsky. Hitler implied that if Paulus allowed himself to be taken alive, he would shame Germany's military history.[16]. [10] Later that day, Schmidt and Paulus held a conference attended by General Hermann Hoth and Major-General Pickert,[10] during which Schmidt "did much of the talking". Click here to find out more. Schmidt was not a man of great tactical skill, daring or initiative; rather he was characterised by a stubborn optimism, tenacity and a willingness to obey the orders of his superiors without question. Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. Here is a man who sees 50,000 or 60,000 of his soldiers die defending themselves bravely to the end. These characteristics of Paulus and Schmidt would prove fatal to the trapped garrison of Stalingrad. Aggressively ideological, his aggression would translate into a passive kind as he functioned as his chief's alter ego [] As late as mid-December, Paulus, even as illusions had all but vanished, would still not contradict Schmidt when he presented his tragically absurd hypotheses to visitors to the besieged and starving Sixth Army.[24]. Hitler, leery of the reasons for Paulus' transfer to Nizhne-Chirskaya, orders him to move his HQ again. November 1987 ebenda) war ein deutscher Generalleutnant. But I don't think I remained in this state for very long. Hearing the sound of gunfire, Ilchenko made a grab for his holster, but it only turned out to be suicides. [14][15] Schmidt contacted his corps commanders and, in defiance of Hitler's order to stand firm, they agreed with Schmidt that a breakout to the south was desirable. Paulus radioed Hitler once again for permission. [35] Together with most German officers, Schmidt was moved to Camp 48 at Voikovo, although he was kept away from Paulus by the NKVD, apparently because he was considered to be a bad influence on him. A shameful capitulation, the terrible tragedy of the soldiers. Oktober 1895 in Hamburg; 5. Arthur Schmidt (Offizier) - Wikipedia We reacted to this order with astonishment, since we had expected some sort of discussion with the Army Group, and were fairly certain of the breakout. It was some time before I could break out of the maze of thoughts and strange dreams that depressed me so greatly. Wilhelm Adam (28 March 1893 - 24 November 1978) was an officer in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. They need these forces for a big offensive against Army Group 'A' in the Caucasus and along the still-unstable front from Voronesh to the Black Sea. Hitler for permission for Paulus to. Nachdem er anstelle von Paulus im Keller des Kaufhauses Univermag die bergabeverhandlungen gefhrt und die Kapitulation der 6. [12] All the while, Paulus remained silent; the only time he spoke during the conference "was to agree with his chief of staff".[13]. The German troops sustained significant losses and found it difficult to make headway. He remained in that post until May 1939, when he was promoted to major general and became chief of staff for the German Tenth Army, with which he saw service in Poland. Click here to find out more. Nevertheless, the hope of a restoration of freedom and of deliverance from death or captivity would have given the troops the strength to make the impossible possible!. Interrogation of captured German officers led Soviet commanders to realise that, because of the toll of events on Paulus's nerves, Schmidt was the real commander of the defending forces. Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox. According to Beevor: [Soviet commanders] were increasingly convinced that Paulus was virtually a prisoner in his own headquarters, guarded by his chief of staff [Schmidt]. [13], The decision not to negotiate with the Soviet envoys who bore an ultimatum to Paulus on 8 and 9 January 1943, was, for example, made by Schmidt, not Paulus, as Colonel Wilhelm Adam told one of the envoys, Captain Nikolay Dyatlenko, during his post-battle interrogation. Telling Hitler that collapse was "inevitable," Paulus stressed that his men were without ammunition or food, and he was no longer able to command them. The unit was renamed the Sixth Army and engaged in the spring offensives of 1940 through the Netherlands and Belgium. [37] He died in Karlsruhe on 5 November 1987. Paulus fought in World War I and saw action in France and the Balkans. After his return to the German Democratic Republic in 1953, Paulus gave a press conference in Berlin on 2 July 1954 in the presence of Western journalists, titled "On the vital issues of our nation". [34] Unlike many German prisoners of war, such as Paulus himself and von Seydlitz-Kurzbach, Schmidt refused to co-operate with the Soviets, despite the NKVD's attempt to ingratiate themselves by serving him caviar and champagne in a luxury railway coach. The last German success in Operation Winter Storm was reaching the Myshkova River 48 km from Stalingrad on December 19. to solve several supply problems. [4] He tried, unsuccessfully, to secure a cadetship in the Imperial German Navy and briefly studied law at Marburg University. His final plan was to have two Stork aircraft towed by larger aircraft to Stalingrad, land and pick him up, then fly out of the pocket back to German lines. It stopped the German advance into the Soviet Union and marked . German hopes for the rescue of the encircled grouping were finally dashed by the Soviet Operation Little Saturn that started on December 16. with these words he opened the door and a Soviet general and his interpreter entered the room. [27], Thyssen comments that both Paulus and Schmidt seemed to have forgotten Fiebig's statements on 21 and 22 November that the Luftwaffe would not be able to supply Sixth Army in the Kessel.[28]. [c], Lieutenant General Friedrich Paulus (June 1942). Still, they believed that they could avoid disaster. Speaking about the surrender of Paulus, Hitler told his staff: In peacetime Germany, about 18,000 or 20,000 people a year chose to commit suicide, even without being in such a position. Stalingrad pocket to, received orders to Paulus surrendered in Stalingrad on 31 January 1943,[a] the same day on which he was informed of his promotion to field marshal by Hitler. Several hours later, accompanied by several colonels and lieutenant-colonels, Maj-Gen Ivan Laskin, chief of staff of the 64th Army, came down to the basement. Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (23 September 1890 - 1 February 1957) was a German field marshal during World War II who is best known for commanding the 6th Army during the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942 to February 1943). Panzer Korps, - Armee In these last days Schmidt also developed a lively busy-ness in other respects. Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus (* 23.September 1890 in Guxhagen; 1. Rudolf Schmidt - Wikipedia pocket and became General Officer The Germans had already had the successful experience of using an air bridge to resupply the 100,000-strong II Army Corps cut off near Demyansk at the beginning of the same year and successfully releasing it from its trap after several months of encirclement. How German Field Marshal Paulus was taken prisoner [22] The envoys were even fired on; Paulus denied that he had ordered this, so it is possible that Schmidt might have issued the order. When presented with the commander of 51st Corps General Walther von Seydlitz-Kurzbach's 25 November memorandum to Paulus, detailing plans for a breakout, Schmidt said: "We don't have to break the head of the Fhrer for him, and neither does General von Seydlitz have to break the head of [General Paulus]. After the Soviet troops opened intensive fire from machine guns and mortars on the building at about six oclock in the morning, the shooting from the German side stopped. 'One can't help feeling it's an invitation to suicide. Arthur Schmidt (general) | Military Wiki | Fandom Im Zweiten Weltkrieg hatte Schmidt mehrere Stabspositionen inne. Germans at the gates of Stalingrad, 1942-1943 The time has come for the old enmity that we have inherited and the many disputes to be buried once and for all. I placed my revolver on the table. Schmidt, confident of his own abilities, put many backs up within Sixth Army headquarters, although he also had his supporters. Battle of Stalingrad - Definition, Dates & Significance - History report to Hitlers headquarters to personally Finally, he supported former German Chancellor Heinrich Brning's appeal for a betterment of relations between West Germany and the Eastern Bloc, agreed with Brning's criticism of West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer's overtly pro-American policy, and expressed his hope for a German reunification: Chancellor Brning took a clear stand against Chancellor Adenauer's rigid orientation to the West, and practically against the EDC and the Bonn conventions. The recently formed Army Group Don under the command of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, reinforced with divisions transferred from the North Caucasus and Western Europe, was tasked with opening a corridor to the city. He attempted to conduct himself in a suitably dignified manner, but in his condition it was difficult for him to manage. I had the official seal with me. Later, Paulus briefly commanded a motorized battalion (193435) before being named chief of staff for Panzer headquarters in October 1935. ", "Battle of Stalingrad a summary History in an Hour", " . : (02/07/1954)". A car to the neighboring village of Beketovka, where the 64th Army HQ was stationed, awaited the Field Marshal. Februar 1957 in Dresden-Oberloschwitz) war ein deutscher Heeresoffizier (ab 1943 Generalfeldmarschall) und im Zweiten Weltkrieg Oberbefehlshaber der 6. He handed the colonel general a piece of paper and said: 'Congratulations. Hitler expected Paulus to commit suicide,[3] repeating to his staff that there was no precedent of a German field marshal ever being captured alive. Marshal Paulus and his generals after capture at Stalingrad - YouTube Climbing out of the cellar, I stood dumbfounded. At 9.00 sharp the HQ commander of the 6th Army arrived to take the commander of the vanquished German 6th Army and its staff towards the rear.