How Hans Hube won the battle of Stalingrad

[Rubicon]

2nd Post I'm starting a timeline, am I insane or overly corageous ?

Note: The anglo-saxon language is not my native tounge, spelling and grammer is bound to suffer.

Stalingrad discussion https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=131862 which promted me to get my fingers out of my... and start this timeline.

Haubtquartier XIV Panzerkorps
Village of Erzovka, North west of Stalingrad
November 5th 1942, 07.35 local time

-Herr General, a couple of landsers from the 16th Kradschutzen battalion picked up an interesting tongue last night.

-Oh really? And tell me who is this tongue then, Wilhelm?

-A Major Mikhail Matushkin, a reconnaissance officer attached to the 58th Tank Brigade in the 66th Army, Herr General.

-So what is so special about this Major Matushkin from the 58th Tank Brigade?

-He apparently got lost in the dark while performing forward reconnaissance of our positions just north of here.

-Nasty habit that, Wilhelm, not a terrible bright idea to get lost in the dark. If you’re not careful you might get shot accidentally.

-Yes it is Herr General, now it is not so much what he does or know that is of particular interest to us, but rather what his brother-in-law do and know.

-Oh? And what is it this Major Matushkins brother-in-law do that is of any concern do us, Wilhelm?

-Major Matushkins brother-in-law is the 66th army’s quartermaster, Herr General, and two nights ago Matushkins brother-in-law had ‘requisitioned’ a bottle of vodka, which he in true communist camaraderie shared with his brother-in-law. The two got shit drunk and Major Matushkin was not only told about the current supply situation in the 66th Army but also of what the future requirements of the 66th army will be in the near future.

-And what is the future requirements Wilhelm? Enough for an Offensive to relieve the city?

-No Herr General, according to Major Matushkin the 66th Army will receive enough ammunition to conduct small scale offensive operations, enough to pin us in place.

-That is very interesting, Wilhelm, very interesting indeed. Now how much would you trust the gossip, drunken gossip of a Ukrainian peasant? Or worse the drunken gossip of a Ukrainian peasants brother-in-law?

-He is Belorussian Herr General, and normally I would agree, though it did pique my interest and it has been corroborated by some of the radio intercepts we have performed recently. But I’d like your permission Herr General to perform a few photo- reconnaissance mission.

-I don’t see why not Wilhelm. What do you make of this Major Matushkin then?

-To me Herr General he appears to be quite an intelligent fellow, he stood up to the first round of interrogations quite well, but folded quickly once we offered him some hot soup and some freshly baked bread. My instinct says he is reliable.

-Very well Wilhelm, but if the Reds don’t intend to attack my corps here head on to relieve the city, but instead to prevent us from being mobile they are likely up to some mischief elsewhere. Is the map inside the bunker up to date?

- Yes Herr General, or as up to date as we can make it.

-So tell me then Wilhelm, if the Reds were besieging Hitlerburg and you were in command, with resources and with the situation before us. What would you do?

-Well, Herr General, it’s quite obvious. The Romanian armies on this army’s both flanks are rather under strength and half starved to death, not to mention that they still only have ‘doorknockers’ to defend themselves with against tanks. I’d attack there.

-Yes I agree, Wilhelm, I would attack there myself, it is obvious, maybe to obvious. Our problem is what can we do about it? Hitler himself ordered me with my tanks to support the attacks on the factories. And Grofaz won’t change his mind on the word of a Ukrainian, sorry Belorussian deserter, and if he were to be told it was the drunken gossip from a Belorussian deserters brother-in-law, I’d be the laughing stock from here to Brest.
Get me any kind of tangible evidence of a Soviet offensive Wilhelm, and do it fast.

-Jawohl Herr General.

 

[Rubicon]

People read, but do not comment, that bad huh? Or is it the japanese treatment when silence is the greatest form of flattery?

I think I might have to draw a map of Stalingrad and the surrounding area, hard to find any good existing maps

3(F) Aufklärungsstaffel 10,
Southwest of Stalingrad
November 5th 1942, 08.17 Local time


- The weather boys have forecasted today to be partially cloudy, and if you all gentlemen were to take a quick peak outside you would find them to be quite correct. So I hope that it will be a slow day, no flights of high priority scheduled, the Russians are on their last legs anyway no urgent need to risk your precious necks when the war is almost over. On to business, Oberleutnant Karch and Ettel you have a flight to quadrant KH 67, Northeast of Stalingrad, the boys in the 51st Kampfgeschwader wants to know how accurate their bombing was on the rail lines. By my guess not very. Anyway Feldwebel Schmidt has your flightplan. Moving on Duelberg and …

-Forgive me herr Oberst, but a priority request from the XIV Panzerkorps just came in.

-Isn’t that just typical, here I was hoping for a slow day for once, very well Feldwebel hand it over.

-As you wish Herr Oberst.

-Slight change of plan then, Haubtman Huelshorstt and Major Rothenfelder your new objective is the town of Serafimovich and the village of Kletskaja or however they are pronounced, the Panzerboys want photographs of the villages and surrounding areas.

-Herr Oberst, isn’t that north of the lines of the Rumanian 4th and 5th corps ? What do the Panzerboys want with pictures from there?

-That Major Rothenfelder it doesn’t say, but it has been approved by the commanding officer of the XIV Panzerkorps Generalmajor Hube himself. So we do it and don’t ask any questions Major. Is that understood?

-Yes Herr Oberst.

-Good, now Haubtman Duelberg and Wiesenheid you are to take photographs around the villages of Tsatsa and Dubovyi Ovrag, God we need to change the names in this godforsaken country fast to something pronounceable, and before you ask that is just north of the Rumanian 6th and 7th corps.

-Herr Oberst, is something up? A new offensive?

-I do not know Rothenfelder, and even if I did know I wouldn’t tell you about it. Now submit your flight plans as soon as possible to Feldwebel Schmidt and get airborne immediately, understood?

-Jawohl Herr Oberst

 

[YLi]

Not bad. Let's see what happens here.

 

[BlairWitch749]

Hube was always an interesting character... i assume by this date he has taken over the corps from wietershiem. ( i know he was relived for defeatism)

a small criticism i think you may have your pod too late

hube's greatest chance to change the outcome of stalingrad would have been when he was commanding the 14th panzer division. he reached the volga at rynok well ahead of the rest of army. he brushed aside a few aa guns maned by female crews.

he then waited for the army to catch up while the russians invested themselves in and around the city. after waiting, the russians where too strong for hube to roll them up along the volga.

he should have launched an immediate crossing of the volga with his own engineers and rolled down the volga to eliminate all the artillery on the eastern bank thus assuring the fall of the city

 

[Rubicon]

Ooohh replies great As for the date it is carefully chosen, a few days earlier and well.... I won't spoil to much yet a few days later and it is too late Just because of the replies here is a small appetizer

Rote Falke, 3(F)Aufklärungsstaffel 10 Airborne
South of the town Serafimovich
November 5th 1942, 09.11 Local time

-Falke One to Falke Two, do you read over.

-Falke Two here, loud and clear, over.

-The cloud cover seem thick around here, I can see nothing of the ground, can you?

-The clouds are about as thick as that fat Bavarian girl you picked up on our last trip home.

-Maintain radio discipline Falke two and do not remind me of that incident, I wish to forget it altogether. Now stick to the task at hand, can you see the ground or not?

-No, to much clouds everywhere. Wait. Yes ten o’clock low, I think the cloud cover is breaking up there.

-I see it. Follow me in.

-Jawohl Herr Major.

 

[BlairWitch749]

i apologize for my typo he commanded the 16th panzer not 14th. im curious as to what his diminished corps can accomplish in november?

 

[Rubicon]

Not so much what his corps can accomplish, but what he can
Next installment might take some time, quite busy with drawing a map of Stalingrad and the surrounding terrain, might take a while

Haubtquartier XIV Panzerkorps
Village of Erzovka, North west of Stalingrad
November 5th 1942, 14.41 local time

-No I understand you perfectly, your German is very good. University of Leipzig you say? That explains it then. My brother went there between -32 and -36. You wouldn’t by chance have met him then? Ah I understand, no not a chance of you meeeting him there then, no he was still playing around with tin-soldiers then. Very well, thank you for your information I will see what I can do with it, hopefully something good. Goodbye then.

-Who was that on the telephone you were speaking with, Wilhelm? Making new friends?

-In a way Herr General, that was my counterpart in the Rumanian 5th corps. Apparently the Rumanians have been screaming about an incoming Russian offensive for days, but no one has listened to them.

-Cry wolf, perhaps Wilhelm?

-Perhaps Herr General, but what he has told me is very convincing. The Rumanian reconnaissance patrols have reported numerous Russian pontoon bridges across the Don and every deserter they have captured tell tales of more artillery and tanks moving into position every day. They are sending an orderly with the documents they have. But what really convinced me were these.

-The aerial reconnaissance photographs, Wilhelm?

-Yes, Herr General. If you take a look right over here just south west of Serafimovich.

-Tanks, Wilhelm, quite a lot of them too.

-Yes Herr General, I estimate it to about a Soviet tank corps.

-That is not good, what else Wilhelm?

-This one Herr General, just north west of Kletskaja inside the wooded areas across the Don. See all those tracks going in?

-Yes, Supply dump Wilhelm?

-My guess as well Herr General, and one that close to the front line is an indication of an offensive.

-I agree Wilhelm, anything more?

-Here Herr General, west of the village of Perekopka, across the Don, badly camouflaged inside these woods.

-Katyushas? Appears to be quite an amount of them.

-About two brigades herr General.

-You have convinced Willhelm that the Communists are trying to attack into the Rumanians on the army’s left flank, but what of the right flank?

-Unfortunately the cloud cover was to thick there, Herr General, the Luftwaffe pilots were unable to get any photographs of the area, but the intelligence officers tell the same story there as their countrymen in the 5th corps.

-Pity Wilhelm, I doubt the Russians will try to execute a single attack on the Rumanians on the left, if they were to attempt a double envelopment they could potentially encircle the entire 6th Army.

-Yes, Herr General. Will you bring that up with your superior officers?

-No, Wilhelm. I don’t think so, neither Paulus nor Grofaz will change their mind without evidence, and maybe not even then, but I have no alternative to first try convincing the bootlicker at army headquarters.

-Do you mean General Paulus, Herr General?

-The very same, Wilhelm, how that incompetent bastard got the job of commanding officer of this army when the man have never commanded anything bigger then a regiment before, and that in peace time, can only be an indication of one thing.

-Bootlicking, Herr General?

-That Wilhelm, or bribery. Call up Army headquarters for me will you.

-Jawohl Herr General.

 

[rast]

I guess the German designation for Paulus would not be 'bootlicker' but a little more drastic - something like 'lickspittle' in higher German or 'asshamster' in lower.
Keep up the good work, really interesting.

 

[Rubicon]

I'm not particulary satisfied with how this last installment came out, but since it says what I want it to say I'm posting it anyway. I might go back later on and change it a map is in the works, will be done soon

Haubtquartier 6th Army
Stalingrad
November 5th 1942, 15.02 local time

-Herr General, Generalmajor Hube is on the telephone and wishes to speak with you, he claims it to be important.

-Certainly Major, if Hube claims something to be important, it usually is.

-Very well, Herr General.

-Hube? How fares your corps in the attacks on northern Stalingrad?

-I wouldn’t say that they are going well or fast, Herr General. The house to house fighting is taking a terrible toll both on tanks and on the supporting grenadiers.

-I understand Hube but the Führer has ordered us clear out the city at any costs, it will soon be done though. But on to the matter you wished to talk with me about.

-Yes Herr General. I have some very troubling news, scouts and aerial reconnaissance have reported a massive build up of Soviet tanks, troops and supplies near the town of Serafimovich, just north of the frontline that the Rumanian 5th corps is holding.

-Yes I know of these so –called reports from the Rumanians Hube, they’ve been screaming about an incoming attack for weeks, begging for reinforcements, more equipment or even to be replaced at the frontline. This is nothing but brain ghosts of the Rumanians. The Führer has personally guaranteed me that the Red army is in no condition to launch any kind of offensive operations again.

-Herr General! That is utter nonsense you must realise it. Even as we speak the Russians are moving more men, tanks and artillery into position, and more and more supplies are moved to support this offensive. I have ample evidence from aerial reconnaissance, scouts, radio intercepts and even the interrogations on deserting soldiers support this.

-Now, now Hube. You can’t really trust the word of deserters, and the rest is probably either some Rumanian peasant that can’t tell the difference between a tank and a barn or a figment of their imagination.

-And what of our aerial reconnaissance photographs we have? In my hand a have a picture of an entire Soviet Tank corps just south of Serafimovich! Is that just a figment of my imagination? Or can’t I tell the difference between a tank and a barn?

-Of course not Hube, they are probably nothing more then decoys meant to lure our attention to them from elsewhere, like the Rzhev salient.

-Decoys, Herr General? With all due respect, that is utter and complete rubbish.

-Hube, you are forgetting yourself who is in command of this army, this matter is closed.

-But Herr General….

-No Hube! I am giving you a direct order to leave the matter be, these reports does not constitute any threat towards the 6th Army as they are only reports of ghosts or decoys. Do I make myself clear?

-Jawohl. Herr General.

 

[rast]

From what I gathered from OTL German survivors of Stalingrad that very much catches Paulus' modus operandi.

 

[BlairWitch749]

hube's nickname is actually "the man" how badass of a nickname is that

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

let's see where this goes....

 

[Rubicon]

Sorry for the delay, real life decided that time would be too limited to spend on small pleasures such as writing an alternative history story Anyway, on with the story

Haubtquartier XIV Panzerkorps
Village of Erzovka, North west of Stalingrad
November 5th 1942, 15.37 local time

-That utter and complete imbecile! An incompetent halfwit is what he is, how someone in command of an army could be so thoroughly oblivious is beyond me.

-I take it your phone-call to army headquarters didn’t go to well, herr General?

-That would the understatement of the year, Wilhelm. The troll in command of the army gave me an direct order to forget about the matter entirely and that the Führer had guaranteed him that no Russian offensive was brewing. Nonsense!

-Will you let the matter rest then, Herr General, or do you intend to bring it up further up into the chain of command, say to generaloberst von Weichs at Armygroup headquarters?

-No Wilhelm, I don’t think that will do much good. Either von Weichs think the same thing as the Dimwit does, or has got the same orders from Grofaz as the Dimwit. No I must take this even higher up to try and persuade the one in command of this debacle.

-The Führer, Herr General?

-Yes Wilhelm, call up Rastenburg for me.

-Jawohl Herr General, though may I be so bold and suggest you be a bit more subtle in your approach this time.

-I am a professional German soldier Wilhelm, the only subtlety I have is if I were to launch an assault without a preliminary artillery bombardment to surprise the defenders.

-Couldn’t hurt to try would it, Herr General?

-What do you have in mind, Wilhelm?

-Just this Herr General……..





Note: I am not sure that Hitler actually were in Rastenburg at this point, I do know he left the Wehrwolf Führerhauptquartiere near Vinnytsa in the Ukraine on the 30th October, but I don't know if he went to Ostpreussen or if he went elsewhere.

 

[BlairWitch749]

im glad to see you picked this back up... im curious to see how you can work it out with such a late pod. i wonder if he mouths off to hitler if he will still be promoted to Generalleutnant as otl in december

 

[machine3589]

Interesting stuff.

 

[Readman]

I likes it, looking forward to the next installement. Cheers!

 

[Rubicon]

Ooooh flattery me likey. This part was quite fun to write

Wolfschanze, Führerhaubtquartier
Rastenburg, Ostpreußen
November 5th 1942, 14.09 local time

-I am sorry generalmajor Hube, but the Führer is very busy with the situation in Africa. So is not capable to receive a telephone call from a lowly corps commander deep in Russia, if you were an army commander I might consider asking him whether he wishes to speak to you or not after I had deemed the matter of sufficent importance.

-Now you listen to me carefully Jodl, this is an extremly urgent matter and I have no time to waste persuading a glorified pencil pusher such as yourself.

-You forget yourself generalmajor, now take this matter to General Paulus and let it go through the proper chain of command.

-That thickheaded mule wouldn’t now what to do even if I were to spell it out for him, Jodl. Now tell the Führer that I have urgent information for him.

-Paulus rejected your requests didn’t he Hube? Why do you then try and bypass….

-Who are you speaking with Jodl? I can hear you all the way to the maproom.

-Mine Führer! I am sorry, but I have generalmajor Hube here on the phone with urgent information.

-Hube? Hube is a good man, give me Hube! Hube? Are you attacking?

-Eeh yes mine Führer, we are slowly digging the Russians out of the factory complex but it takes time and the casualties are atrocious.

-I do not care about the casualties Hube, just kick those Bolsheviks out of that city, I will not allow any filthy lackeys of Stalin inside that city, it is mine and will remain German for a thousand years.

-Yes mine Führer.

-Stalin is a bloodthirsty animal whose only qualification is in killing off his own people. But if he lust so much after the blood of Russians I will give him such a bloodbath that the world will never forget it, the streets will run ankle deep, no knee deep with the blood of all the Russians we will slay.

-Yes mine Führer.

-With men like you we will crush this Jewish-Bolshevik world conspiracy and bring order to the world. German order. Now Hube what was the news you had for me?

-Mine Führer, I have information that indicates a Soviet offensive in the Stalingrad area against the 3rd Rumanian …

-No, no, no Hube, I have already dismissed this very notion, the Russians are in no position anymore to do anything in that way, the very idea that those lazy Bolsheviks can produce five hundred tanks a month is ludicrous and borderline insane. No Hube, the Russians are not about to attack.

-Yes mine Führer, but I have several reconnaissance photographs of Soviet troops moving into positions and …

-No, Hube, I am disappointed in you. The Bolsheviks are done for, we only have to mop up the rests. Victory is so close that I can almost taste it, but we have to stay utterly heartless and press on with the attacks to the final and complete victory over Stalin.

-As you say mine Führer, but could Stalin not then have saved enough resources for one last desperate measure? He is a very sneaky devil.

-…

-Mine Führer?

-What did say Hube?

-That Stalin is a sneaky devil, mine Führer?

-No, before that.

-That the Russians may attempt one last desperate measure, mine Führer?

-Yes! Indeed, one last desperate measure, can very well be exactly what Stalin is up to. Yes, yes this was good that you brought it to my attention Hube, none of the so-called generals here will tell me anything, all they do is tell lies, lies and more lies. A last desperate measure, yes Hube, this is exactly what Stalin is up to that damned sneaky bastard. Do you have a plan how to deal with this offensive Hube?

-Yes I do mine Führer.

-Good, very good Hube. I need men like you, all the generals here are weaklings and cowards, none of them have ever served as front soldiers Hube, weaklings all of them.

-As you say mine Führer.

-Jodl! Transfer Hube to the maproom, I need to see what he ideas he has.

-Yes mine Führer, I will take care of it immediately.

-Good, very good. Hube is a good man we need more officers like him. Not like the rest of you weaklings.

-As you say mine Führer.





Notes: Now before anyone start to rant about Hitler changing his mind is ASB, remember that this is 1942, not late -44 or -45, Hitler was still capable from time to time to listen and take advice from generals he trusts and consider to be capable. While still a raving lunatic, he was much less so in -42 then later on
This very day (November 5th -42) he for instance recalled a Steh und Stirb order to Rommel at El Alamein at the insistance of his generals.
Hitler considered Hube to be one of his best generals and IRL personally ordered Hube flown out of the Stalingrad kessel.
Some might claim that Hitler would never have listened to Hube in this matter and then bring up Halder or von Weichs as exampels of this. Halder was fired and von Weichs Heeresgruppe B replaced with Mansteins Heeresgruppe Don for bringing these matters in regards to Stalingrad to Hitler. Hitler never liked Halder and the two of them had numerous fights, it could simply be that Hitler wanted to get rid of Halder. Von Weichs was a Prussian military noble, a breed Hitler utterly dispised.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Notes: Now before anyone start to rant about Hitler changing his mind is ASB, remember that this is 1942, not late -44 or -45, Hitler was still capable from time to time to listen and take advice from generals he trusts and consider to be capable. While still a raving lunatic, he was much less so in -42 then later on
This very day (November 5th -42) he for instance recalled a Steh und Stirb order to Rommel at El Alamein at the insistance of his generals.
Hitler considered Hube to be one of his best generals and IRL personally ordered Hube flown out of the Stalingrad kessel.
Some might claim that Hitler would never have listened to Hube in this matter and then bring up Halder or von Weichs as exampels of this. Halder was fired and von Weichs Heeresgruppe B replaced with Mansteins Heeresgruppe Don for bringing these matters in regards to Stalingrad to Hitler. Hitler never liked Halder and the two of them had numerous fights, it could simply be that Hitler wanted to get rid of Halder. Von Weichs was a Prussian military noble, a breed Hitler utterly dispised.

Besides, he DIDN'T listen to Hube, not really. What he did was grab a piece and construct his own fantasy around it. So, in the important way that lets Hube save the German army THIS TIME, he listened. In the even more important way that might have a chance to save the entire army later, he refused to even consider the possibility.

I think you've done a really plausible job at giving Hitler a way to change his mind without changing it, as it were. Very clever, very plausible to my mind. Kudos.

 

[machine3589]

Just like Dathi said, Hitler didnt REALLY change his mind. So you dont have to worry. This is some good stuff here.

 

[Readman]

Aye, things are getting interesting. Perhaps a stiffened defensive line (hegehogs, more AT guns, better flank protection) can have some serious effects. Again looking forward to more & good luck!