Beginning on November 24, the Soviets concentrated the forces of the 21st, 24th, 57th, 64th, 65th, and 66th armies, pressed the besieged German troops from both fronts and flanks, and tried to narrow the encirclement to prevent a possible German breakout. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 Outside the encirclement, the 1st Guards Army, the 5th Tank Army and the 51st Army formed the outer line of defense of the encirclement. At this point, the 4th Infantry Corps under the 4th Panzer Army of the German Army, the 8th, 11th, 51st Infantry Corps and the 14th Tank Corps under the 6th Army, a total of five army headquarters and 22 divisions were surrounded by Soviet troops.

As soon as the Soviet Stalingrad Front launched a counterattack, the German chief of staff, General Kurt Zeitzler, realized the danger and hurriedly called Hitler, who was on vacation in the mountains of Salzburg, to report to him.

Unexpectedly, after Hitler heard this, he said disapprovingly: "Zeitzler, you are too panicked, the Russians in Stalingrad have been beaten to death by us, they have no strength to fight back at all, you must have made a mistake." ”

Zeitzler, who was reprimanded, hastened to defend himself: "My Führer, I have received a report from Paulus that Russia has launched an attack from the north and south sides of Stalingrad with 13 army groups, 11,000 artillery pieces and 5,000 tanks, in an attempt to cut off the retreat of our troops in the Stalingrad area. I suggested that Paulus's Sixth Army should be immediately withdrawn to the meanders of the Don in order to restore the line of defense that had been broken by the Russians. ”

"No, I won't allow my army to take a step back." Hitler shouted hysterically on the phone: "I trust Paulus, his army is fully capable of crushing the Russian offensive, I feel that they will not be allowed to leave the Volga, and they will never be allowed to retreat from Stalingrad!" ”

On November 22, Hitler returned from his vacation to the Wolf's Den when he received a telegram from Paulus that night: "The Russians have completed their division in the Karachi area, about 40 miles west of Stalingrad, and my 6th Army is encircled. ”

After seeing this telegram, Zeitzler again made a suggestion to Hitler: "My Führer, in the present situation, we should immediately order Paulus to lead the troops to break through while the Russians have not yet gained a foothold, otherwise it will be too late......"

"Enough, don't say any more, Zeitzler. We must not abandon Stalingrad, and to abandon Stalingrad would mean that our summer offensive would have been lost, and that our capture of the Caucasus would have become hopeless. Before Zeitzler could finish speaking, Hitler unceremoniously interrupted him, "You immediately send a telegram to Paulus, asking him to immediately move the headquarters to the city of Stalingrad and arrange ring fortifications to hold on, and I will immediately send him reinforcements, so that he will hold on no matter what, and persist in fighting to the end!" ”

"But, my Führer!" Seeing that Hitler had once again rejected his proposal to let Paulus break through, Zeitzler could only ask in a low voice: "How can we supply the besieged troops?" ”

"Leave the supply to our Air Force." The loud voice of Air Marshal Goering came from the door, and Zeitzler turned his head to see the big fat man in a white Air Force uniform Goering swaggering in through the door. Goering came to Hitler, raised his hand and saluted a Nazi military salute, and said confidently: "I will be responsible for supplying the 6th Army from the air, and I will build an air bridge of 500 transports to provide all necessary support for Paulus's 6th Army." ”

As soon as Goering's words fell, one of the generals chimed in: "This is a foolproof guarantee, and your decision, Mr. Marshal, can change the situation." I believe that the fortress of the Volga will not be lost. ”

Hitler smiled when he heard what they said, he raised his hand and slapped Goering twice on the shoulder, and said approvingly: "Very good! Then he decisively announced: "Goering, I have made the final decision, the Sixth Army is entrenched between the Volga and the Don River. From today onwards, Stalingrad is called a 'fortress', and we must rescue it from the outside. ”

"My Führer," seeing that Hitler had already made the final decision, Zeitzler could only give up his intention to continue persuasion, and asked cautiously, "who are you going to send to command this reinforcement?" ”

Hitler frowned and pondered for a moment, and a suitable candidate came to his mind, so he said without hesitation: "Zeitzler, immediately recall Manstein from Army Group North to Berlin, and let him form Army Group Don as soon as possible to free Paulus's 6th Army from the Russian siege." ”

A day later, Manstein returned to Berlin from Leningrad.

Seeing Manstein appear in his office, Hitler hurriedly got up to greet him, raised his hand and slapped his arms twice, and said excitedly: "Conqueror of Sevastopol, welcome back to Berlin." ”

Manstein was not flattered, but said with a calm expression: "My Führer, I have come by order, and I am willing to obey your orders. ”

"Come here, Manstein." Hitler pulled Manstein to the map, pointed to the red and blue markers on it, and said: "Paulus's 6th Army fell into the encirclement of the Russians at Stalingrad, and I summoned you back to ask you to form Army Group Don and go to Stalingrad to relieve them." ”

Manstein looked at the map for a moment, and then said, "My Führer, I accept the important task you have entrusted to me. I had the idea that in order to break the Russian siege as soon as possible, Paulus's 6th Army should be allowed to break out to the west, while General Hort's 4th Tank Army, on the periphery of the encirclement, should attack to the northeast and flank the Russian forces in the middle. As long as a corridor is carved out here, our trapped 6th Army will be able to break out of the encirclement. ”

"Manstein, you misunderstood what I meant." After listening to Manstein's words, Hitler raised his voice and said: "We must not abandon Stalingrad, Paulus's 6th Army must hold on to its place." And the troops under your command need to break through the defensive line established by the Russians and join forces at Stalingrad and Paulus, do you understand? I decided to name this operation 'Winter Wind'. ”

Although Manstein thought in his heart that Hitler's tactics were completely wrong, the habit of obedience developed in his decades of military career made him reply with a heavy heart: "Understood, my Führer, I will follow your instructions and form Army Group Don as soon as possible to relieve the Paulus troops besieged in Stalingrad." ”

None of them expected that the tragic fate of the Sixth Army would be doomed.