Stalingrad/Volgograd is almost 3000 km from Berlin. That’s a long supply line especially in 1940s. Ukraine is on its own turf. And if they can get ATACMS. They can wreck the supply lines.
The germans did so much wrong in the Russian campaign.
They allready had Poland and most of Ukrain, they could go for Moscow, but chose stalingrad instead, out of spite I think. Hitler hated Stalin. The problem was, when that plan didn't work, Hitler just abandonded the whole campaign, and made sure noone in germany found out.
They really needed the oilfields in the caucuses; it would have been a double blow. Reducing the fuel available to the Soviets and giving the Germans a fuel injection they desperately needed.
They went for Moscow in 1941, in did not work. They went for Stalingrad in 1942 because it was critically important for succesful Baku (i.e. capturing oil fields) campaign and cutting off water supply through Volga.
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u/kreschatka Sep 23 '22
Stalingrad/Volgograd is almost 3000 km from Berlin. That’s a long supply line especially in 1940s. Ukraine is on its own turf. And if they can get ATACMS. They can wreck the supply lines.