Already Field Marshal Manstein is planning to use the Fourth Panzer Army, the remnants of the Axis forces such as the Italians, Romanians, Hungarians and others into a semblance of a powerful force to smash into the Russians west of Stalingrad in an attempt to free Paulus and his men.

Adolf Hitler had already denied Paulus permission to try to break out so by the 24th November the Sixth Army commander and General Schmidt flew back to their new headquarters at Gumrack inside the Kessel or cauldron as it was known, and eight miles to the west of Stalingrad.

Paulus brought along a supply of good red wine and Veuve-Cliquot champagne – a strange choice for someone supposed to be planning action. Even more symbolic, Veuve-Cliquot means Widow -Cliquot.

While Hitler was ordering a battening down of the hatches, all the German generals in Stalingrad were of the opinion that a break-out was necessary. The most outspoken was General von Seydlitz whose headquarters were only a hundred yards away from Paulus’.

On the same day, Reichsmarshall Herman Goering back in Berlin heard that the Fuhrer wanted the Sixth Army to stay inside Stalingrad and so summoned a meeting of his transport officers. Goering told them that 500 tonnes needed to flown into Stalingrad daily, while the real figure was 700 tonnes.

The transport officers replied that 350 tonnes would be the maximum and then again, not consistently. It was more like a hundred and on bad days – none.

Goering then informed Hitler with what Antony Beever calls “Breathtaking irresponsibility” – that the Luftwaffe could maintain the Sixth Army in its present position by air.

It was a big lie. Goebbels the propaganda minister had said the big lies are always believed and this was another. The problem is when leaders lie constantly the real world eventually catches up.

Hitler sent another message to General Paulus where he used the phrase “Fortress Stalingrad” which was the final death message for nearly 300 000 men squeezed into the Kessel – and worse Hitler was intimating that the Volga bank must be held whatever the circumstances.

Luftwaffe commander in the Stalingrad sector, General Richthofen, was beyond disgusted. He wrote in his diary that the officers had become little more than

“highly paid NCOs…”