I understand Operation Winter Storm wasn't going to succeed.
That said, let's just assume it does succeed in punching a corridor through to Stalingrad, evacuates 6th Army (personnel, not heavy equipment), and 4th Panzer Army successfully pulls back to start lines intact.
Ok. Germany has a couple hundred thousand extra men, the Soviets probably took higher losses than OTL during Winter Storm (but 0 losses reducing 6th Army), and the Germans lose 0 additional aircraft trying to support 6th Army.
Does this change anything in the short term? It isn't a war winner obviously, but is the Soviet Saturn offensive and subsequent operations seriously disrupted? I don't really see how.
It has been argued that 6th Army was most useful as OTL - holding until overrun. I don't see a compelling counter argument. Does anybody here have one?
That said, let's just assume it does succeed in punching a corridor through to Stalingrad, evacuates 6th Army (personnel, not heavy equipment), and 4th Panzer Army successfully pulls back to start lines intact.
Ok. Germany has a couple hundred thousand extra men, the Soviets probably took higher losses than OTL during Winter Storm (but 0 losses reducing 6th Army), and the Germans lose 0 additional aircraft trying to support 6th Army.
Does this change anything in the short term? It isn't a war winner obviously, but is the Soviet Saturn offensive and subsequent operations seriously disrupted? I don't really see how.
It has been argued that 6th Army was most useful as OTL - holding until overrun. I don't see a compelling counter argument. Does anybody here have one?