7.11 19 Nov 1942: Uranus &Mars: EatG Map Area

But I wanted to come to the Volga, to
a definite place, to a definite city. It
accidentally bears the name of Stalin
himself, but do not think that I went
after it on that account.

Indeed, it could have an altogether
different name. But only because it
is an important point, that is, there
30 million tons of traffic can be cut
off, including about 9 million of oil
shipments. There all the wheat pours
in from those enormous territories of
the Ukraine, of the Kuban territory,
then to be transported to the North.
There the manganese ore was
forwarded. A gigantic terminal was
there; I wanted to take it. And do you
know we’re modest: that is, we have
it; there are only a couple of very
small places left there.

Now the others say: Why aren’t you
fighting there? Because I don’t want
to make a second Verdun but would
rather do it with very small shock
units. Time plays no part here. No
ships come up the Volga any morethat
is the decisive thing.

— Hitlers speech on the 19th Anniversary of
the “Beer Hall Putsch”
(November 8, 1942)