Originally posted by Mefustae
...How's that...?
Uhh.
We can draw analogies between destruction of Lucifer - apparently a strategical command place - and loss of 6th army in Stalingrad (which would be a moral loss).
However, after destruction of Lucifer the Shivan morale plummeted, they didn't bring new assets, did not really do any prevalent counterattacks and were quickly pocketed and decimated. After Operation Uranus and Saturn the Soviets were pushing back the Germans, but Manstein's forces counterattacked successfully. In summer the Germans did another attack, Kursk - which was a clear strategical defeat for them.
However, the effect of Stalingrad has been somewhat exaggerated. Germany's industrial capacity only geared for complete wartime production AFTER Stalingrad. They launched several more or less successful attacks and the war lasted for over 2 years after the Paulus's army had surrendered. The Soviet production, however, was going fine and they were throwing new assets into the battle. Allied air campaign damaged the Germany's industrial base, which in turn severely affected their capability of manufacture, transport and deploy new forces, weaponry and all that jazz. Germany certainly didn't become disarranged after Stalingrad, and quite a lot of knowledge earned the hard way was later put on use - on both sides.
Also, Germany did not lose it's HQ or planning center. In Stalingrad, they lost an asset - 6th Army - but not the means or know-how of waging war and how to use what they got. Shivans lost their command elements. It's a huge difference. Loss of Lucifer would be like a CVBG losing the carrier itself, the main projector of power and the head of planning and operations.
I never though I would discuss THIS, but hey, it's fun.
