Why did Hitler send Manstein's army (and not some other) to Leningrad in the summer of 1942?

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Accepted answer

As Pieter commented, the 11th Army and much of its heavy artillery moved to Leningrad, but much of its infantry did not.

Armies and army corps are administrative units to coordinate hundreds of thousands of men, their vehicles, material, etc... Divisions and other subordinate units are swapped in and out as needed. Even armies are cannibalized, shortly after moving to Leningrad 11th Army and von Manstein would be absorbed to create Army Group Don to attempt to break the encirclement of 6th Army. The Germans loved to reorganize their units.

With Sevastopol and Kersch taken the Crimea was secure and the units which were fighting there became available. 11th Army, and its commander Erich von Manstein, became free to participate in another operation. To end the siege at Leningrad Hitler felt Manstein was the man for the job. Manstein, his 11th Army, its heavy artillery, and about half its infantry were moved to Leningrad. The Romanian Corps remained in the Crimea. LIV and XXX Army Corps went to Leningrad, but their divisions got shuffled.

Divisions

After a few months of rest, these 11th Army divisions went to Leningrad. After 11th Army was absorbed to create Army Group Don in November 1942 they joined the 18th Army.

  • 24th Infantry
  • 28th Light Infantry (as 28th JΓ€ger)
  • 132nd Infantry
  • 170th Infantry

These former 11th Army divisions went elsewhere.

  • 22nd Infantry joined 12th Army in Greece
  • 50th Infantry went to Stalingrad with 1st Panzer Army
  • 72nd Infantry joined 9th Army in Rzhev

What about the other armies?

  • 1st Army - Guarding the Atlantic coast
  • 2nd Army - Case Blue
  • 3rd Army - Disbanded to form 16th Army
  • 4th Army - Defending the center
  • 5th Army - Renamed 18th Army
  • 6th Army - Case Blue
  • 7th Army - Defending France
  • 8th Army - Renamed 2nd Army
  • 9th Army - Defending the center
  • 10th Army - Deactivated after Poland
  • 11th Army - Just finished with Sebastopol
  • 12th Army - Defending the Balkans and Greece
  • 13th Army - Never was. I guess it's bad luck?
  • 14th Army - Deactivated after Poland
  • 15th Army - Eating cheese and glaring at the British from Calais
  • 16th Army - Already at Leningrad.
  • 17th Army - Case Blue
  • 18th Army - Already at Leningrad
  • 19th Army - Would not exist until 1943
  • 20th Army - Defending Norway

Higher numbered armies either never existed, or were created after.

References

Upvote:-4

my humble opinion:

  • He was too stupid, to think about different weather and so on...

The same way, he was too stupid, to understand that war on two fronts, with Great English Empire and 9,000Km Union of many-many small countries of former Great Russian Empire and very-very large already at that time economic of North America - it is little bit too high for Great Reign number three or two, whatever..

That is why, the Tehran Conference was in 1943. Leaders have met together, to divide New World, it was not a summit about how to fight against common aggressor. War was won already at that time.

And again, we are talking about a grenadier, he had no years behind his back with gradual governing, at first - small group, at second - division, thereafter corps, thereafter one army...etc.

He threw grenades. What kind of weather do you talking about? He even did not realize what is 9 thousands of kilometres was.

However, the same story we can tell about Joseph Stalin....

  • Too stupid to win the battle, in 3 vs 1 in defense( so it becomes 9 vs 1), this "feat" even Persian Empire can not repeat in their battle with 300 Spartans...

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