The front has received also other desired help. The commander of a town garrison has reported, that on November, 22 there arrived to Nizhne-CHirskaja completely made up company bakery and a platoon of a field slaughterhouse. They have got away from tanks of the opponent, that at the created position it was difficult to blame him. I at once have included both these parts in structure of battle groups. But it was necessary to hasten. All staff property has already been shipped on some tens motor vehicles. In view of affinity of the opponent I considered expedient to form five columns. Each of them was under command of the chief of a department, including the chief of engineering service of army of colonel Zelle and the chief of communication of colonel Arnold. I have headed the fifth column. We assumed after transition through Don to collect in Peskovatka at an army headquarters of 8-th army corps and therefrom together to move further. By December, 16 advance Hoth's parties have left to the river Aksaj-Esaulovskiy. Now them the distance less separated from 6-th army than 65 km, and we have put 11-th Panzer Division a task to force on December, 17 Don and to start to come in a southeast direction for support of a troops of the left flank of army Hoth (on actions by the Army Gotha I shall stop in detail in the following chapter) V polovině září stejného roku byl jmenován velitelem 4. roty u 22. záložního praporu myslivců ( Reserve-Jäger-Battalion Nr. 22 ) s níž se probojoval až za ruské linie a podařilo se mu zničit předsunutou nepřátelskou rotu.

After Schmidt has approved my offer, Pauljus also has given a consent. On telegraph the consent management of the staff on replacement of command of 14-th Panzer Division has been requested. It seemed, and the nature was up in arms against us. At night with 20 for November, 21 mercury in the thermometer has fallen up to a mark a minus of 20 degrees. Thawn for a day snow a captivity the bark has turned in ice. It is road, the connecting Golubinskaja from the highway, going along Don, became smooth as a mirror. Was terrible to think that to our heavy machines is necessary to climb up on this abrupt slope. But while business has not reached before yet.The commandant of station Chir any more does not answer. My linear patrols informing, that in a direction of the railway there is a strong rifle and machine-gun firing. While I yet do not know details. Operative group Mikosh has sent investigation to station Chir. The route of movement of a column of an army headquarters of 6-th army under command of colonel Adama from Golubinskaja through Peskovatka and the Kalach in Nizhne-CHirskaja is shown by dark blue lines on the Japanese map. The Japanese map displays stages of an encirclement of the German-Romanian grouping in region Stalingrad in the end November, 1942 (Operation "Uranus") In this particular area the sector of the 11th Panzer Division's reconnaissance battalion had been reinforced early in the day with several 8.8 cm antiaircraft batteries and the division's antitank battalion. While this was happening the Russians moved one tank brigade across the CHIR. Subsequent prisoner-of-war statements revealed that this brigade stood poised to strike at the sector of the reconnaissance battalion and that it was generally aimed at the Corps command post at TORMOSLIN, i.e., to the south. No one pushed the French troops to endure the unendurable, and when the crisis moment arrived, the French leaders often froze into inaction. One event perhaps best captured the spirit of the French leadership’s collapse, recorded by the Frenchman Marc Bloch (a French staff officer in 1940) in the book Strange Defeat.

Pending the answer of minute hours - eternity seem hours. In the meantime our troops which has got under impact conducted battles, not being in a condition to stop the opponent. The headquarters of the 48th Panzer Corps and the divisions under its command began to arrive in the Chir salient on 4 December 1942. To pass five or six kilometers up to my army headquarters, it was required more than hour. The automobile hardly moved, making the way on the streets hammered by people and every possible transport. Nizhne-Chirskaja has turned to army camp.Pauljus has approved movement of 376-th Infantry Division on the cut position, has demanded restoration of connection with 14-th Panzer Division, and Romanian 1-n Cavalry Division which has receded to the east, has subordinated to XI Army Korp. By 22 December, the series of defensive battles along the Chir was over, with the Germans clearly the tactical victors. The Fifth Tank Army had been virtually eliminated, despite a Soviet local 111 superiority in infantry, 71 in tanks and 201 in guns.13 Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients 1941-45. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-644-5.

Naturally, this night in an army headquarters anybody also did not think of dream. All chiefs of departments have collected at Schmidt. Without any attributes of internal excitement he has explained new conditions to the west of Don, having completed the following words: Fraschka, Günther (1994). Knights of the Reich. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military/Aviation History. ISBN 978-0-88740-580-8.Schaulen, Fritjof (2003) (in German). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham – Huppertz [Oak Leaves Bearers 1940 – 1945 Contemporary History in Color I Abraham – Huppertz]. Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-20-1. At the same time the 11th Panzer Division probably had a total of approximately 75 tanks. The division of course would never employ that number of tanks in an engagement because a significant percentage would always be down for repair, and, as the combat developed, manywould be destroyed or damaged in battle.