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) To me colonel Abraham and captain Gebel were. They have reported on arrival of officer school which I have caused in Nizhne-Chirskaja. Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients 1941-45. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-644-5.

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.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. For the time being the Corps had nothing whatever to throw against this enemy force. The only available 11th Panzer Division element was its reconnaissance battalion. This battalion, together with units attached to it and with a few heavy antiaircraft batteries stationed in the area, was given the mission of securing against a further enemy break-through, guarding the area along the eastwest road. The battalion once again, accomplished its mission successfully. In the evening on December, 19 the 3 Mechanized Brigade Russian has undertaken distracting approach against the left flank of 11 Panzer Division and has grasped positions of 1-st batallion of 110th Panzer-Grenadier Regiment. However the 15th Panzer Regiment soon managed to restore position.

At that time colonel Adam held a post 1-st aide-de-camp of an army headquarters 6 army. Colonel Adam as has written memoirs where in particular has told about how he has got in Nizhne-CHirskaja as then formed here battle groups and as he had to take command of one of such groups. During this extraordinary period, paralyzed elements of the Soviet 5th Tank Army stood facing a line of static outpost manned largely by German rifle and machine gun squads filled by men, largely strangers to one another but held together by the formidable, mission- oriented discipline of the German Army. The Chir front was quiet on 14 December 1942. The next day, 15 December 1942, Knobelsdorff moved the 11th Panzer Division south from Nizhne Kalinovski to Nizhne Chirskaya near the influence of the Chir and Don Rivers. Five days earlier, the 4th Panzer Army, with the 57th Panzer Corps as its spearhead, had begun the German drive toward Stalingrad to relieve the 6th Army. Knobelsdorff had the mission to advance with the 11th Panzer Division across the bridge still held by the Germans in Colonel Adam's bridgehead and support the drive of the 57th Panzer Corps. Jeho jednotka byla odvelena na západní frontu a zapojila se do těžkých bojů na řece Sommě. Zde byl také ke konci srpna téhož roku lehce raněn do pravé paže, ale rozhodl se zůstat u jednotky. Za statečnost v boji byl následně během října vyznamenán pruským železným křížem II. třídy a královským bavorským záslužným křížem s meči.If general - major Schmidt agrees, I offer colonel Lattman, the commander of an artillery regiment of 16-th Panzer Division. I think his one of the most capable officers of our army. He is clever, flexible, circumspect and vigorous. Besides Lattman knows armoured forces thoroughly. It is especially important in such difficult situation. Conducting operations on the river Chir was facilitated by that command by 5th Tank Army Russian stopped in battle of the case, not having coordinated on time the beginning of their operations and not having organized interaction between numerous rifle divisions. Thus, the 11 Panzer Division had an opportunity to strike impacts serially that on one, on other case. Eventually, offensive force of 5th Tank Army has been weakened up to such degree, that the 11 Panzer Division could make withdrawal and begin similar actions against other Russian Tank Army. Fizeler-Shtorh" already waited Paulus and Schmidt. Before the flying away commanding has called me to itself in a room. After I have made the review of conditions and have characterized a status of troops, we have left to commanders. I have taken advantage of this opportunity to say goodbye to them and to thank them for self-denying actions. Russian had a significant numerical superiority and the American commanders have become puzzled, as they are Americans - had no experience of struggle against the enemy in conditions when this enemy had such monstrous superiority in strength.

For maintenance of your left flank I am going a 14-n Panzer Division to commission a southwest from Melo-Kletskaya. About the further you find out, when the direction of the main impact of the opponent will be found out. Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives[ The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.From telephone conversations with group Mikosh it was found out, that the reconnoiter data are not received yet. The colonel was afraid, as though to not get in an encirclement in connection with promotion of the opponent on the south. I have informed him, that with approach of day to the west of Verhne-Chirskij on plain approximately in 2 kilometers to the south of the railway, we shall enter the increased battle group into business. Further I have suggested to establish close interaction with operative group of colonel Chekel on about the Don bridgehead. Flanks of both groups converged at the destroyed railway bridge through Don. During my absence our officer, the teacher of military school in Suvorovskaja, has formed six more companies from retarded the soldier. I immediately under his command have sent them on forward. In interaction with battle group Gebel they provided on both sides Chir of road going along the river. So one more dangerous defended area has been increased. Little by little the burden of cares became easier. Schmidt was sure, that... the opponent can be broken in open fight, and has presented Pauljus offers which he developed together with the chief of an operations section. The offer were reduced to the following.

With no combat experience in the Soviet Union whatsoever, he nevertheless proved to be a tower of steadiness and decisiveness in the Chir River battles. Lieutenant General Hans Cramer arrived at Petrovka on 30 November 1942 to be temporary commander of the panzer corps. Several days later on 4 December 1942, Panzer General Otto von Knobelsdorff arrived as permanent commander at Nishne Chirskaya at the confluence of the Chir and Don where the headquarters of 48th Panzer Corps had moved on the same day. Knobelsdorff was a flexible and broad minded man, well suited to meet the rapidly shifting crises in the salient. [19] 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. Po zotavení byl zařazen k 22. záložnímu praporu myslivců ( Reserve-Jäger-Battalion Nr. 22 ) a s jednotkou byl následně odvelen na východní frontu a zúčastnil se bojů poblíž města Lvov. Ovšem ke konci června téhož roku byl opět raněn a to tentokrát do pravého ramene. Zranění nebylo tak vážné a tak se z něj zotavoval u záložního praporu od svého domovského 10. praporu myslivců. When in the evening on November, 24 we have reached east coast of Don, from my division a little that remained.... Therefore Pauljus has decided to disband a division. The residuary officers and soldiers have been allocated on other infantry divisions.At the end of December the colonel Selle has arrived to the boiler. Perplexed we have shaken each other hands. Then I have have carried out him to a dugout commanding. I am going to complete this chapter a statement my first impressions about tactics Russian. I was repeatedly convinced of a consequence, that these first impressions developed at me during battles on the river Chir, appeared completely correct. On 23 November 1942, the Soviets completed the encirclement of the 6th Army by linking up at Sovetsky, 10 miles east of Kalach on the Don. [11]