Paulus asked permission to break out, but Hitler denied it. Shortly after the fall of Stalingrad, another city, Kharkov, was surrounded by the Soviets. Hitler insisted that city be held at all costs in another one of his insane orders. The commander, Waffen SS General Paul Hausser, ignored the insane order. Hausser evacuated his troops in tact. A few weeks later they actually recaptured Kharkov part of von Manstein’s brilliant counterattack which succeeded in recapturing much territory which had been lost during the Soviet winter offensive and annihilating several Soviet armies as well.
At some point a good German commander had to place the welfare of his command over that raving lunatic.