A Miracle of the Donetz

Sunday, July 17th, 2011

The German military writer, Ritter von Schramm, called the successful extrication of the Caucasus armies and the subsequent riposte to Kharkov a miracle, but von Mellenthin (Panzer Battles) considered it a victory gained through Manstein’s masterly judgment and calculation, particularly these four points:

  1. High level commanders did not restrict the moves of armored formations, but gave them “long range tasks.”
  2. Armored formations had no worries about their flanks, because the High Command had a moderate infantry force available to take care of flanks.
  3. All commanders of armored formations, including panzer corps, conducted operation not from the rear, but from the front.
  4. The attack came as a surprise regarding time and place.

Later in the war Manstein clashed with Hitler, as the master of maneuver wanted an “elastic” line that gave ground to draw the Soviets into vulnerable positions ripe for counter-attack, while the Führer demanded that they give no ground and fight to the last man.

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