Most of the article about Reichenau’s career and death are relatively accurate. He was an ardent Nazi, but also a competent general officer. Kind of a prototype for Model, who will become the “Fuhrer’s Fireman.” As the article noted, Reichenau was a fitness buff before being a fitness buff was popularized. In Poland, he was the first German across the Vistula by swimming it. In addition to the stress associated with fighting on the Eastern Front, his exercise regimen was what brought about his death; he went for his “morning run” against medical advice when it was -20 degrees. That night he had his heart attack, Hitler ordered him flown in bad weather back to the Reich for treatment, and the plane crashed in Poland on the journey. Reichenau was dead by the time he arrived in Germany. The article speculates that Reichenau had fallen out of favor with Hitler and was sacked, with “health reasons” given as it had been with Bock, Rundstedt and Leeb. Not so; Reichenau was always a favorite of Hitler.
As an historical footnote, Reichenau was promoted to replace Rundstedt, and Reichenau’s spot at 6th Army was taken by Paulus. It was intended that Paulus get “command seasoning” under Reichenau’s tutelage, and then be promoted to Chief of Staff to replace Jodl, who had fallen into disfavor with Hitler. There is much historical debate over whether the loss of his mentor was a reason for Paulus’ apparent failures of command in Operation Blau.
Some other notes: The Times has not yet picked up on the significance of “Operation Drumbeat” along the Atlantic seaboard. While the article speaks of “some damage” being done to US shipping, they don’t seem to appreciate just how bad it is going to get in the next couple of months, and how totally unprepared the United States Navy is for the onslaught.
Final note: Hanson Baldwin believes he has divined the timing of the Japanese Blitzkrieg in the Pacific. He says that the Soviets stripping their Siberian armies to fight Germany was the go-ahead to move their forces out of Manchuria and attack south. He got it backwards: The Soviets knew that the Japanese were going south, which allowed them to strip the Siberian armies to save Moscow. Oh well, I doubt Hanson had ever heard of Richard Sorge.
I'll bet that in later years when the story came out he read of Sorge with great interest.
Paulus was a staff jockey, plain and simple. A very good staff jockey, but a staff jockey. He had little command time throughout his career, and had never commanded anything near as large as Sixth Army. Aside from doing one of the final drafts of Barbarossa, Paulus’ major contribution earlier in the war was spying on Rommel for Halder. Sort of a German version of Omar Bradley vis a viz George Patton.
Paulus’ operational plans at Stalingrad were pedestrian, unimaginative, and showed a total lack of understanding of how to handle armor. His refusal to break out early in the Stalingrad siege without a direct order from Hitler, as well as an almost complete lack of interest in his troops once he surrendered shows moral cowardice on a grand scale. And none of that is Reichenau’s fault.