Hello, and thank you for listening to The History of World War II podcast, Episode

141, Stalin's mistake.

Putting the cart before the horse, August 7th, down Hitler, with Von Roenstedt, commander

of Armour Group South, talking to Romania's head civil servant, General Antonescu, in

Bairdicev, a Ukrainian city, and also Roenstedt's headquarters.

The Romanian was being given the night's cross by Hitler himself for helping to clear out

all Soviet forces west of the Nipur River.

This was one of the key prerequisites before Moscow and Leningrad could be moved against.

The three men then went their separate ways.

But now that the metals had been passed out, it was time to make real what had been announced

as achieved.

So five days later, as it was clear that there were still Soviet troops on their side of

the Nipur.

The OKH ordered Armour Group South to kill or capture all enemy forces between Zemporah,

from 250 miles or 402 kilometers north east of Odessa, and the mouth of the Nipur, just

to the east of Odessa, to trap the men of the Soviet 9th, 18th, and coastal armies along

the Black Sea.

This would allow the advance to continue south of Kiev, once that city had fallen, of course.

To capture the city was to be carried out by Raikin Naut's 6th Army, but to the northwest

of Kiev just sitting there was Potopov's 5th Army.

If the German 6th moved onto Kiev, the Soviet 5th might come south and hit their flank

or rear, or the Soviet force might move north and threaten army group centers right flank.

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