Well my personal opinion on the matter if Paulus had any balls and backbone and decided that he would defy Hitler and in conjunction with the plans Manstein had drawn up he certainly would have saved his 6th Armie, but he lied to Manstein about his capabilities thus abrogating his responsabilities in the destruction of the 6th Armie, Paulus was in no certain of doubt a gutless coward unlike Erwin Rommel who on several occasions had defied Hitler to save his men.

Armies are lost in no small part due to the effectiveness and strength of the commanding officers that lead them not by the humble footslogger.