Stalingrad Airlift 1942-43: The Luftwaffe's broken promise to Sixth Army

The Luftwaffe's inability to supply Sixth Army at Stalingrad during the winter of 1942-43 resulted in a strategic air failure that led to Germany's loss of the battle. The airlift operation was hampered by demands for aircraft maintenance, awful weather, and the Soviet air blockade. The Soviet Air Force's use of modern aircraft and flexible tactics, coupled with Chief Marshal Novikov's superior Air Army organization, proved decisive.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 19 January 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The story of what really led to Germany losing the battle of Stalingrad - the inability of the Luftwaffe to keep Sixth Army supplied throughout the winter of 1942 – 43 - and why this crucial airlift failed is a fascinating and often overlooked aspect of World War II. To sustain the Sixth Army, which was flown in against a Soviet fighter force whose capabilities were rapidly being transformed, 300 tons of supplies were required to be flown in daily. However, the Luftwaffe's failure to deliver on its promise left Sixth Army trapped, vulnerable, and too weak to attempt a breakout.

The destruction of Sixth Army was one of the major turning points in World War II, but the Luftwaffe's crucial role in this disaster has often been overlooked. Some claim that the attempt was doomed from the beginning, but author William E. Hiestand's intriguing book sheds light on how the Germans had amassed sufficient aircraft to, at least theoretically, provide the supplies needed. Demands of aircraft maintenance, awful weather, and, in particular, the Soviet air blockade crippled the airlift operation. In addition, the employment of increasing numbers of modern aircraft by the Soviet Air Force using more flexible tactics, coupled with Chief Marshal Novikov's superior Air Army organization, proved decisive.

The Luftwaffe did eventually recover and mounted focused operations for control of limited areas of the Eastern Front, but overall, it had lost its dominance. This book is packed with strategic diagrams, maps, archive photos, and artwork of aerial battles over Stalingrad, as well as bird's-eye views of Operation Winter Storm and airlift operations and tactics. It clearly demonstrates how the Luftwaffe lost its strategic initiative in the air and how the Soviet Air Force's superior organization and tactics ultimately led to Germany's defeat in the battle of Stalingrad.

Weight: 308g
Dimension: 185 x 247 x 8 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781472854315