Case Blue (German: Fall Blau) was the German codename used by the German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) for its 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia that lasted between 28 June and 19 August 1942. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 [1]
The offensive was so named because German military plans were "cases", or solutions to problems. The operation was a continuation of Unternehmen Barbarossa (Operation Barbarossa) and, in this case, Army Group South (Heeresgruppen Sud) of the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) was sub-divided into Army Groups A and B (Heeresgruppen A and B). Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II An army group is a Military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods Army Group South (Heeresgruppe Süd was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II. The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( Army Group A was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II. Army Group B was the name of three different German Army Groups that saw action during World War II. The German offensive faced two problems: the continued resistance of the Red Army which now occupied a defensive position west of the Volga river (a significant logistic waterway), and the demand by German dictator Adolf Hitler for securing the Caucasus oil fields. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately
The operation plan was challenging for the German army groups in that they were required to achieve two goals, in poorly developed area of operations thousands of kilometers from Germany and facing five Soviet Fronts (similar to a German army group). A Front (фронт was a major Military organization in the Soviet Army, roughly equivalent to an Army group in the military terminology of other countries These fronts, from north to south, were: Voronezh, Southwestern, Don, Stalingrad and Transcaucasian. The Voronezh Front (Воронежский Фронт was a front (military subdivision of the Soviet Union's Red Army during the Second World War The Southern Front was a Front - a roughly Army group sized formation - of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Transcaucasian Front or Transcaucasus Front (Закавказский Фронт was a Front (military subdivision of the Soviet Army during the The Baku oil fields had to be reached by crossing the Caucasus mountains. Azerbaijan produces about 800000 barrels of oil per day and 1 bcma of gas — a production that will grow to historical peak of 1 This article is about the terrestrial Eurasian mountain range
Initially the German offensive met with spectacular gains. However, the Red Army defeated the German Army at Stalingrad following operations Uranus and Saturn. The Battle of Stalingrad is a commonly used name in English sources for several large operations by Germany and its allies and Soviet forces conducted with the Operation Uranus was the Soviet encirclement of German forces in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War 2. Operation Saturn was a Red Army operation on the Eastern Front of World War II that led to battles in This defeat forced the Axis to retreat from the Caucasus for fear of being trapped themselves. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries The Battle of Caucasus is a name given to a series of German and Soviet operations in the Caucasus area during the Soviet-German War. Only Voronezh remained tentatively occupied by Axis troops. The Battle of Voronezh was a battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, fought in and around the strategically important city of Voronezh on the
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Background
The operation's original name was Operation Siegfried, after the mythical Teutonic hero. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Sigurd ( Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. However, Adolf Hitler, recalling the last grandiosely-named offensive operation in Russia, Barbarossa, and its results which had fallen short of German expectations, settled on the more modest name of "Blue".
Factors that led to the creation of Case Blue were:
- The expected success of the Sixth Army and other advanced units across much of Southern Russia (Ukraine). The 6th Army was a German Field army which saw action in World War I and World War II.
- Control of Odessa and Kiev as auxiliary points for naval and air support units. ODESSA which stands for the German phrase O rganisation d er e hemaligen SS - A ngehörigen which in turn translates Kiev, also known as Kyiv ( Ukrainian:, Kyiv, ˈkɪjiw Russian:, Kiyev; see also Cities' alternative names) is the
- Optimal weather and terrain conditions for the panzer and motorized units in the Kuban steppe southwest of Volga. A panzer, pronunced, is a German Tank, especially in the context of World War II. In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced
- Necessity to capture crude oil fields near the Soviet city of Baku (the capital of Azerbaijan in 1991), to supply German war effort. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South
- Capture the other industrialized areas of Soviet Union in Europe, comprehensively defeating USSR along with other projected successes, and completing original Operation Barbarossa goals.
The plan
The offensive was to be conducted across the the southern Russian Kuban steppe. Kuban ( Кубáнь) is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe The Army Group units participating in the offensive were:
- Army Group A, under Wilhelm von List (Caucasus campaign)
- Fourth Romanian Army
- First Panzer Army
- Seventeenth Army
- Eleventh Army
- Army Group B, under Maximilian von Weichs (Volga campaign)
The German plan was a three-pronged attack in Southern Russia. Siegmund Wilhelm List ( May 14, 1880 &ndash August 17, 1971) was a German Field marshal during World War II The 1st Panzer Army (1Panzerarmee was a German Tank army that was a large armoured formation within the Wehrmacht Heer field forces during World War II The German Seventeenth Army (German 17 Armee) was a World War II Field army. Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von Weichs zu Glon ( 12 November 1881 &ndash 27 June 1954) was a German The 2nd Army (German 2 Armee Oberkommando) was a World War I and World War II field army The Hungarian Second Army (Second Magyar Honved was a Hungarian field army which saw action during World War II. The 4th Panzer Army (German 4Panzer-Armee) was before being designated a full army the Panzer Group 4 ( Panzergruppe 4) a German Panzer The Italian Army in Russia ( Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR) was a unit of the Italian Royal Army ( Regio Esercito Italia) which The Romanian Third Army was a field army that fought as part of the German Army Group B during World War II, in Ukraine, Crimea, and
- Fourth Panzer Army, commanded by Hermann Hoth (transferred from Army Group North) and Second Army, supported by Second Hungarian Army, would attack from Kursk to Voronezh and continue the advance to anchor the northern flank of the offensive towards the Volga River. Hermann "Papa" Hoth ( 12 April 1885 - 25 January 1971) was an officer in the German Military from Army Group North ( Heeresgruppe Nord) was a strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War History KurskOld2jpg|thumb|200px|Pre-1917 view of Kursk]] Archaeology indicates that the site of Kursk was settled in the fifth or fourth century B Voronezh (Воро́неж) is a large city in southwestern Russia not far from Ukraine.
- Sixth Army, commanded by Friedrich Paulus, would attack from Kharkov and moving in parallel with German Fourth Panzer Army was to reach the Volga at Stalingrad. Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus ( 23 September 1890 &ndash 1 February 1957) was an officer in the German Military Kharkiv or Kharkov (Харків Харьков is the second largest city in Ukraine.
- First Panzer Army would strike south towards the lower Don River, with Seventeenth Army on the western flank and the Fourth Romanian Army on the eastern flank. The Don (Дон is one of the major rivers of Russia. It rises in the town of Novomoskovsk 60 Kilometres southeast from Tula, southeast
As before, these movements were expected to result in a series of great encirclements of Soviet troops.
Stavka was unable to find out the direction of the main German offensive of 1942 they were expecting. Stavka (Ставка was the term used to refer to command element of Armed forces from the time of the Kievan Rus′, more formally during the history Stalin was convinced the primary German strategic goal in 1942 would be Moscow, and over 50% of all Red Army troops were deployed in that region. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Only 10% of Soviet troops were deployed in southern Russia.
The offensive
On 28 June 1942, the German offensive began. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Everywhere the Soviet troops withdrew as the Wehrmacht forces advanced. By 5 July, forward elements of Fourth Panzer Army had reached the Don near Voronezh, and become embroiled in the battle to capture the city. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. The Red Army, by tying down Fourth Panzer Army, gained vital time to reinforce their defenses. As Wehrmacht pincers attempted to complete their encirclements, they found only stragglers and rear guards, which only served to convince Hitler the Red Army was down to the last of its reserves. Rear Guard is a game originally written for the 8-bit Atari computer and released in 1982 by Adventure International. However, the Red Army for the first time in the war were not fighting to hold untenable positions, but withdrawing in good order.
Early setbacks
Angered by the delays and believing the Soviet center had fallen apart, Hitler made a series of changes to the plan:
- reorganized Army Group South into two smaller Army Groups, A and B;
- tasked Army Group A with advancing to the Caucasus and capturing the oil fields;
- tasked Army Group B was with the offensive towards Volga and Stalingrad.
The success of the initial advance of Sixth Army was such Hitler now ordered Fourth Panzer Army south to assist First Panzer Army in forcing a crossing of the lower Don river. This sudden redeployment of an entire Army caused massive logistical problems, as the road network in this part of USSR was not well developed by German standards. The resulting traffic jams caused delays to both Army Group A and B's progress. It also removed vital tank support from Sixth Army, slowing its advance and giving the Red Army further time to consolidate their positions.
Success in Kuban
Army Group A captured Rostov on 23 July 1942. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, fighting a skillful rearguard action which embroiled the Germans in heavy urban fighting to take the city, the Red Army again evaded an encirclement. With the Don crossing secured and Sixth Army's advance flagging, Hitler sent the Fourth Panzer Army back to the Volga line.
In late July, Sixth Army resumed its offensive and by 10 August 1942 had largely cleared the Red Army from the west bank of the Don. Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. However, Soviet resistance continued in some areas further delaying Army Group B's eastward offensive.
In contrast, Army Group A, after crossing the Don on 25 July, fanned out on a broad front. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler The German 17th Army (with elements of Eleventh Army) maneuvered west towards the Black Sea's eastern coast, while First Panzer Army attacked southeast, sweeping through Kuban largely abandoned by the Red Army. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey On the 9 August First Panzer Army reached the foothills of the Caucausus range, having advanced more than 300 miles in less then two weeks. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus
Approach to Stalingrad
Sixth Army crossed the river Don on 21 August, allowing Army Group B to establish a defensive line on the bend of the Don river using the Hungarian, Italian, and Romanian armies, and within 60 km of Stalingrad. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. With the city within reach of forward air bases, Luftwaffe bombers attacked the city killing over 40,000 people and turning much of the city into rubble. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The ground attack on Stalingrad was two-pronged, with Sixth Army advancing from the north (Frolovo) while Fourth Panzer Army advanced from the south (Kotel'nikovo). Between these armies and in the area from River Don to River Volga, a salient had been created. Two Soviet Armies (62nd and 64th, each roughly equal to a German corps) were in the salient and on 29 August, Fourth Panzer Army conducted a major offensive through the southern base of the salient towards Stalingrad. This article is about a military unit For alternative meanings see Corps (disambiguation. Events 708 - Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708) The 6th Army was ordered to do the same, but a strong Soviet counterattack held up its advance for three vital days enabling the Soviet forces in the salient to escape encirclement and fall back towards Stalingrad once again.
Zhukov arrives
By this time, Georgy Zhukov had assumed command of the Stalingrad defence as Stavka representative with authority to coordinate planning of all three Fronts in the area, and in early September, he mounted a series of offensives which further delayed Sixth Army's attempt to seize Stalingrad.
Meanwhile Soviet forces continued to be sent south to bolster the city's defenses and to stage on the east side of the Volga in preparation for a counter-offensive. By mid-September, Sixth Army, after neutralizing the limited local Soviet counterattacks, once again resumed the offensive towards the city. On the 13 September the Germans reached Stalingrad's southern suburbs, beginning the epic Battle of Stalingrad that would end with the first German Army to ever surrender. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September The Battle of Stalingrad is a commonly used name in English sources for several large operations by Germany and its allies and Soviet forces conducted with the
Outcome
Hitler's plan for the strategic operation was overly ambitious, and was further complicated by his own interference in the execution as well as underestimation of the Red Army and its commanders. Although the surrender of Sixth Army was a serious blow to German moral in general and Hitler regarded it as a personal blow, the subsequent Soviet counteroffensives, Uranus and Saturn, only caused the Wehrmacht to retreat from the advance towards the Caucasus.
Popular culture
Case Blue has been the setting of several movies, novels, and other media. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story
Films
- Cross of Iron is a 1977 film directed by Sam Peckinpah and tells the story a squad of hard-pressed German soldiers after the fall of Stalingrad in 1943. Cross of Iron is a 1977 War film directed by Sam Peckinpah, featuring James Coburn, James Mason, Maximilian Schell David Samuel "Sam" Peckinpah (February 21 1925 &ndash December 28 1984 was an American Film director who achieved iconic status following the release
- The 1990 documentary Mein Krieg ("My War") [1] was created from 8mm footage taken by German infantry troops on the eastern front.
- The 1993 film Stalingrad depicts the battle through the eyes of German officer Hans von Witzland and his battalion. Stalingrad is a 1993 film by Joseph Vilsmaier, which depicts the horrors of combat on the Eastern Front of World War II in a realistic
Board games
- Case Blue was released by Multi-Man Publishing (MMP) in late 2007, and covers the entire campaign from October 1941 until May 1943.
- Enemy at the Gates was released by The Gamers in 1994, and covers the Soviet Uranus counteroffensive and Manstein's "Backhand Blow". Enemy at the Gates is a 2001 War film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Jude Law and Ed Harris set during the Battle This is an article about a wargaming company For the 2006 film see Gamers The Movie. Erich von Manstein ( November 24, 1887 &ndash June 9 1973) served the German military as a lifelong professional soldier
- Streets of Stalingrad, 3rd Edition was released by L2 Design Group in 2003, and covers the battle for the actual city, beginning Sept. L2 Design Group was established in 2001 Its primary business activity is to publish strategy games 13 and ending Nov. 18, 1942, just prior to the encirclement of 6th Army. The game depicts the battle at company level at a map scale of 300m per hex on a 3'x6' map.
Notes
- ^ pp. 58-59. Woods, Wiest, Barbier
References
- George M. Nipe Jr. (2000). Last Victory in Russia: The SS-Panzerkorps and Manstein's Kharkov Counteroffensive—February–March 1943. Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 0-76431-186-7.
- Erich von Manstein (2004). Erich von Manstein ( November 24, 1887 &ndash June 9 1973) served the German military as a lifelong professional soldier Lost Victories: The War Memoirs of Hitler's Most Brilliant General. Zenith Press. ISBN 0-76032-054-3.
- David M. Glantz (1998). David M Glantz (born 11 January 1942 in Port Chester, New York) is an American military historian and the editor of The Journal of When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler. University Press of Kansas. ISBN 0-70060-899-0.
- Timothy Woods, Andrew A. Wiest, M. K. Barbier, Strategy and Tactics Infantry Warfare, Zenith Imprint, 2002 ISBN 0760314012
External links
- Case Blue wargame published by Multi-Man Publishing
- Enemy at the Gates wargame
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