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From: tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu (Tom Tedrick)
Newsgroups: net.crypt,net.politics
Subject: Engima and the Eastern Front
Message-ID: <12371@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Fri, 14-Mar-86 03:37:21 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.12371
Posted: Fri Mar 14 03:37:21 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 15-Mar-86 19:47:34 EST
Sender: usenet@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: tedrick@ernie.berkeley.edu (Tom Tedrick)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 61
Keywords: Stalingrad
Xref: watmath net.crypt:601 net.politics:13922

from Panzer Battles, by Major General F. W. von Mellenthin
(Ballentine paperback edition, printed 1984)
(First published 1956)

(a good book, by the way, for those interested in the subject)

[on the encirclemnt of German forces at Stalingrad, pages 201-203]

" ... meanwhile the Russian offensive had been launched with a
crushing superiority in numbers and all the advantages of
surprise."

"On 19 November General Rokossovsky's Tank Army attacked in
overwhelming strength ... in conjunction with an attack from
[another bridgehead] ... both blows fell on Rumanians ...
I pass in silence the scenes of panic and confusion produced
by this new Russian offensive; the two thrusts made rapid
headway ..."

[a frequent Soviet tactic was (and is :-) to attack the weakest
points, in this case the Rumanian armies, whose morale, training
and equipment was below the German standard. This illustrates
one way in which information about locations of enemy forces
is useful. Since voluminous reports were sent from the front
to Hitler containing such information, cryptographic intercepts
would have been particularly rich sources of such information.
Of course there are other ways of getting some idea of where
enemy forces are, but there is nothing like having the whole
thing handed to you on a silver platter via crypto intercepts.]

"On 20 November things began to happen around Stalingrad ...
 ... Something very serious must have happened."

 "On 21 November we heard from our supply troops ... that
 Russian tanks were approaching ... other supply units
 informed us by wireless that Russians were approaching ... "

[the point is that the Soviet attack went through an area without
regular troops, indicating that the Soviets knew where German
forces were located.]

"It was clear that the encirclement of Stalingrad would soon be
a reality ..."

"On 24 November it became very clear beyond any doubt that we had
been encircled by strong Russian forces."

"... Russian forces, ... had advanced ... from the south without
encountering any serious resistance, as there were no German fighting
troops in that sector, only supply units."

[again, the Soviets were able to attack at the weakest point, by
knowing locations of German forces.]

"At the end of November Colonel General Paulus, commander in chief
of Sixth Army, decided to launch an attack in a westerly direction
to break the encirclement ... but Hitler sent the order [via ENIGMA]
'Hold out. Relief will come from outside.'"

[being able to read such signals would obviously be of great help
to the Soviets]