Description:

FRANZ HALDER'S DRAFT ANALYSIS OF THE ‘MUD FIGHT AT THE SUSHA'
A historically important mimeographed document, 27pp. 4to., originating from the personal files of German General FRANZ HALDER (1884-1972), Chief of Staff of the German ‘Oberkommando des Heeres' (OKH), or Army High Command, from 1938 until his removal in 1942. The document, written in German and titled ‘Die Schlammschlat as der Susha' (‘The Mud Fight at the Susha River'), and subtitled ‘An Armored Fighting Group's Attack Across a Section of River from Oct. 23 to Oct. 25, 1941', was written under Halder's direction immediately postwar for the U.S. Army Historical Division. The study reconstructs the raid across the river at Mzensk, between Oryol and the arms manufacturing center at Tula, on the drive towards Moscow. The analysis blends eyewitness experience, the regimental war diary, and operational maps, the latter unfortunately absent here. Wehrmacht General of Artillery ANTON REICHARD VON MAUCHENHEIM (1896-1961) signs ‘Anton Frhr. [Freiherr] von Bechtolsheim' at the conclusion of the final page of the report, using his given surname. The document is further signed on page 23 by OSKAR MUNZEL (1899-1992), Wehrmacht Generalmajor commanding the XXIV Panzer Division during the engagement, who likely drafted the majority of the report. The presence of numerous handwritten emendations in ink and pencil, particularly in the table of contents and most likely in the hands of the authors, indicate that this was an early draft of the report predating its finalization and submittal to the U.S. Army. Toned, unbound, otherwise in very good condition. Worthy of further research. The ‘Halder Group', consisting of over 700 German officers overseen by Halder, produced over 2,500 documents for the U.S. Army Historical Division, providing valuable military intelligence and analysis of the course of the war and, in particular, the tactics utilized by the Red Army. These provided a vital resource guiding American military policy in response to the Soviet threat during the Cold War. Von Maucheim Joined the General Staff of the 6th Army in 1939. From 1941 he was chief of the General Staff of the XXIII Army Corps, and subsequently the XXIX Army Corps. From 1943 to 1944 he commanded the 257th Infantry Division at the Eastern Front. In December 1944 he joined the LXXI Army Corps in Norway, and was commanding general of the corps from March 1945, with the rank of General der Artillerie.

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April 21, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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