Part 10/16:
Tactical confusion and retreating Soviet units complicated the German plan, as the encirclement efforts repeatedly failed. For example, German forces at Millerovo and Rostov failed to trap sizable Soviet forces, partly because the Soviets simply evacuated or dispersed their units in the face of superior German mobility.
The Critical Error: The Shift to Operation Blau II and the Overreach
By mid-July, it became clear that Blau was not unfolding as planned. Von Bock’s forces at Voronezh faced stiff Soviet resistance, and delays justified by German impatience and Hitler’s direct orders turned into a series of tactical blunders.