Lot 187

VON KLEIST REPORTS ON THE 1ST PANZER ARMY AND 'CASE BLUE'

Previous image preload Next image preload

VON KLEIST REPORTS ON THE 1ST PANZER ARMY AND 'CASE BLUE'

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000

Starting Bid: $750

(0 Bids)

by Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
July 30, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
106 East Main Street, Suite 103
Elkton, MD, US 21921

VON KLEIST REPORTS ON THE 1ST PANZER ARMY AND 'CASE BLUE'
Fine assemblage of three manuscript documents and three hand-drawn maps, all from the files of Gen. FRANZ HALDER (1884-1972) German chief of staff and planner of Operation Barbarossa, 20pp. legal folio, undated. The content of the reports, written in pencil in another hand and prepared for Halder's war diary, is attributed to Gen. PAUL EWALD VON KLEIST (1881-1954), the top Panzer commander in the German Army and superior to Guderian and Hoth, who invaded France and later the Ukraine where he was captured by the Russians. The transcript reads, in very small part: '...Group von Mackensen already reaches the bank of the Oskol at Kupyansk on the third day of the attack and, in hard fighting together with the 16th Panzer Division, captures the town. LI Army Corps reaches its objective on the fourth day and maintains close contact with the right wing of the 6th Army...The other two attack groups seize bridgeheads across the Donets on the first day of the attack through a surprise thrust...The enemy withdrawing northeast and east from the Izyum area is compressed on the Oskol into the narrowest space and destroyed. The opponent fights stubbornly to the last man...The army's success is recognized in an order of the day by the Army Group. Captured were 21,827 prisoners...Through the Battle of Izyum the final starting basis for the summer operation was gained...the 1st Panzer Army is one of the two decisive Schwerpunkt (main-effort) groupings in the second phase of the overall operation. With its mobile formations it is to advance north of the Donets to the large eastern Donets bend, northeast of Rostov, then pivot south and—together with the 17th Army coming from the west—break through the fortress belt of Rostov, seize the city, and then gain bridgeheads over the Don...After three days of fighting the defensive front is shattered and the Donets crossed...While Division Grossdeutschland succeeds in gaining bridgeheads over the Don, the 22nd Panzer Division, together with the 13th Panzer Division of the 17th Army, simultaneously breaks into Rostov...The rapid attack of LVII Panzer Corps comes to a temporary halt only after 55 kilometers at the Kuban. Over the same period, III Panzer Corps—after destroying a stronger enemy group around Salsk—wins the southern part of the Kuban 'knee'...700 kilometers have been covered in combat from the Donets in only four weeks, in blazing heat and dust...the attack of XXXX Panzer Corps toward the Terek is strongly delayed by fuel shortages...Exploiting this, the enemy continuously brings reinforcements into the Terek bend and forestalls the initially existing possibility of striking across the Terek by surprise. Thus, in the coming weeks the hardest fighting develops around the Terek...The 13th Panzer Division, in cooperation with the Kadfahr and Feldzeug battalions attacking from the north, destroys the encircled enemy group on the Krwna sector...In order to preserve its combat power, the division is forced to restore the connection to the south with full force and to temporarily discontinue the attack on Ordzhonikidze...A stubborn weather change with snow and ice storms and subsequent thaw makes the employment of the Luftwaffe impossible and renders the terrain completely impassable for wheeled vehicles. On the night of 11/12 November 1942, the 13th Panzer Division succeeds, in an unparalleled commitment of all forces despite the most difficult road conditions, in restoring contact with III Panzer Corps. The front stands firm; the army prepares for the continuation of the winter campaign...' Lightly toned, else very good. Army Group A, which included Kleist's 1st Panzer Army, had the task of leading the Axis thrust into the Caucasus in the execution of Case Blue, the German offensive which aimed to capture the important oilfields of Grozny and Baku. The 1st Panzer Army was to spearhead the attack. Army Group A advanced deep into Southern Russia, capturing Rostov-on-Don, the oil city of Maykop, Krasnodar and the Kuban region. However, heavy Soviet resistance and the long distances from Axis sources of supply eventually reduced the Axis offensive to local advances only, and prevented Army Group A from capturing their ultimate objectives.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipping, handling and insurance charges will be added to all invoices. Shipments are sent via FEDEX, USPS Express, USPS International Priority, and DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option. Shipments will only be sent to the registered bidder address, re-routing shipments is not permitted. All shipments require a direct signature, no exceptions. Shipping to certain countries is extremely expensive and will be invoiced according to dimensional weight as required! By law the full value is required by customs for international shipments. Please inquire before bidding! International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000