Liveblogging World War II: November 7, 1942

Operation Uranus in detail:

On the evening of 7 November Oberst Schöne, another liaison officer with the 3rd Romanian Army, reported the Soviets were amassing large numbers of tanks in the Kletskaya area, which clearly indicated the established bridgeheads would be used as jumping off points for a large scale Soviet offensive.

The Russians intended to secretly mask their assembly areas, but good work of the German Radio Recon units spoilt any chance of this. The masses of tanks and motorised vehicles could not be hidden any longer. The 6th Army was informed of this development the next day at 0640 hours.

Paulus ordered schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 670, Artillery Abteilung 849, and a Flak battery to be transferred to the XI Army Corps under the artillery commander of the 6th Army, Oberst Lepper. Lepper also received the following units:

Pionier Battalion 376 (less 1 pioneer company)
Flak Machine Gun Battalion 614 (less 1 company, AA machine gun battalion)
2nd/Panzerjäger Abteilung 46 (anti-tank unit)
Flak combat group Daiber (mixed anti-aircraft unit)