Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: djm@castle.ed.ac.uk (D Murphy) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Airborne Operations Message-ID: <1990Jul16.030902.5474@cbnews.att.com> Date: 16 Jul 90 03:09:02 GMT References: <1990Jul5.020552.14422@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul6.032827.27916@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul8.053535.8271@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul10.025028.10585@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul12.025834.19453@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: Edinburgh University Chemistry Lines: 32 Approved: military@att.att.com From: D Murphy In article <1990Jul12.025834.19453@cbnews.att.com> anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) writes: > > >From: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au (Anthony Lee) > > >Anyone remembered the German Sixth Army in Russia ? Apparently they >were trapped by the Russian. During the early stages of the encirclement >the Sixth Army was supplied by air. Did the German used guilders for that ? > >Anthony In an old history book of mine (History of WW2, ed. AJP Taylor, publ. UK by Octopus Books), the chapter covering the Stalingrad fighting says that the German forces were ill-equipped with transport aircraft, and accuses Goering of (amazingly) believing that bombers such as the He-111 could easily be used to resupply the surrounded troops. Even had the Germans had transports, the weather would most likely be against them. In addition, the Soviets at this time operated Hurricane fighters supplied by Britain, and might also (I don't know if they did, though) have had the good YAK-9 fighter. Considering the number of German supply aircraft which were shot down over the Mediterranean while trying to supply the Afrika Korps, the Soviets had the capability to deny much material to von Paulus' army. Murff...