Stalingrad Campaign alt turn 55 - some comments

[Vaevictis]

I found one of the references I was recalling:

Ziemke, Stalingrad to Berlin p. 90

"Headquarters, SS Panzer Corps, was new and afflicted with both inexperience and overconfidence."

The quote is in the context of the Feb. 43 fighting around Kharkov.

He also mentions command problems stemming from SS back-channels to Hitler, which allowed them to be insubordinate and get away with mistakes by shifting blame to Wehrmacht commanders.

Ziemke has a strong example in SS Corps commander Hausser's reaction to the Feb. 14th revolt in Kharkov, again on p.90.

Hausser, against a direct order from Lanz, prepared to bug out of the city. Next day, he is talking about "Holding the City to the last man". Day after that, he decides to withdraw from the city, presenting Lanz with a fait accompli due to the dire situatiuon.

After the loss of the city, Hitler sacked Lanz, whom Ziemke then describes as a 'scapegoat'.