Marching Orders: The Untold Story of How the American Breaking of the Japanese Secret Codes Led to the Defeat of Nazi Germany and Japan

by Bruce Lee

“For some time it has been rumored,” Oshima says, “that the main German drive would be directed toward the Caucasus.… The German Army has now proceeded far with its breakthrough from the Southern Ukraine front, but still the Soviet Army has not shifted any particularly noteworthy forces thither. This is probably due, first, to the fact that more than half of the fifty or sixty divisions of their strategic reserves were lost in the Kharkov offensive. Second, the Soviets probably fear that in view of the way Germany attacked last year she may soon make a drive against Moscow again.… If the German forces capture Stalingrad, they can completely divide the Red Army. To the capture of this city the German forces attach great importance. However, what will have the greatest effect upon this is the engagement of armored units in the Stalingrad front and on the west bank of the Don [River].… It is impossible to tell the strength of the Soviet forces in the Caucasus … it must be about forty divisions. If, on the Moscow front, the Soviet Army should discover the disposition of German forces and German plans, they might take the offensive there, but Germany is quite ready for this.”