115 - The Red Army must double in size... and now! - WW2 - November 7, 1941

by Panzer
Phone call (in German): is it your husband?
Your son?
Your brother?
Huh?
Oh, just something I heard on the radio.
There is a bit of a lull in the war in the Soviet Union just now, as autumn turns to
winter, but make no mistake- plans are afoot.
Plans for huge offensives, but they are everywhere- plans in Russia, plans in Africa, and plans
in Japan!
I’m Indy Neidell; this is World War Two.
Last week the German drive on Moscow, Operation Typhoon, was halted, in large part because
the autumn rains- the rasputitsa- had turned the Soviet roads into impassable mud.
The Germans were still advancing in the Crimea, though, and at sea a German U-Boat sank a
neutral American destroyer.
I ended last week with a quote by David Glantz about November 1, 1941, and just for “fun”
I’ll start today with another one about the same day.
“…German commanders and soldiers of all ranks tried to reconcile four contradictory
realities.
First… the Wehrmacht had won stunning victories across the entire front, which it was necessary
to exploit.
Second, the arrival of the rasputitsa, after which winter would surely follow, would complicate
that exploitation.
Third, the increasing debilitated state of the Wehrmacht, in particular its mechanized
forces…
Fourth, and most sobering… many Germans finally began to appreciate the resilience
and staying power of the Red Army and Soviet soldier.”
And all the victories and gains have come at a price.
By November 1st, the Germans have taken 686,000 casualties.
If you take the original attacking force June 22nd and add in all the replacements, that’s
20% of it.
Right now the Germans field 2.7 million men.
As for their equipment: just a third of the motor vehicles still run and the panzer divisions
are at 35% full strength.
Advancing even further eastward may bring more tactical victories, sure, but at what
further cost to logistics and supply?
It’s hard enough to bring in fuel and ammunition as is, but to continue over the winter would
mean bringing in winter clothing and supplies and all sorts of construction materials to
boot.
So, in light of all of this, on the 4th, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt asks that his AG,