Post by Swampy on Sept 12, 2018 0:55:12 GMT -5
I'm on a WWII kick, which is one of my favourite subjects, so here goes.
Kursk was one of the largest tank battles ever, and it was Hitler's last attempt to regain the initiative. But the Soviets, through the Lucy spy ring in Britain, were tipped off as to his plans, so they prepared accordingly. So, when the Germans kicked off their offensive, they found a very well prepared enemy, and they were bogged down. In the north, they were stalled and were reduced to trying to take pressure off their colleagues attacking from the south. But other events intervened, namely, the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily, which forced the Germans to call off the campaign and divert troops to meet this new threat.
Von Manstein, who was in charge of the pincer from the south, later wrote that he felt he could feel the enemy cracking and, if the campaign had continued, his forces would have broken through. Perhaps, but perhaps not, because he did not realize the deep reserves the Red Army had, because, shortly after, the Red Army launched their counteroffensive with fresh forces. Yes, he may have broken through, but then he would have hit that brick wall.
That said, from my armchair, the Germans were severely weakened, not only by their loss at Stalingrad but also in North Africa. They should have followed Frederick the Great's admonition, that he who defends everywhere defends nowhere, and pulled back. If they had gotten von Paulus' 6th Army out of Stalingrad, and, if they had done the same with their forces in North Africa and Sicily, not to mention the Channel Islands, the Balkans, and Norway, their Eastern front would have had another million men, and then the Battle of Kursk would have gone differently.
In the end, however, they were still facing daily raids from 1,000 plane bomber fleets, which were reducing their cities to ruins, and, even if they had stopped the Red Army, they would still have had to face invasions from the other side. And that means, as Reichminister of Armaments, Albert Speer said, when people talk of Hitler's mistakes, they may have had a point, but that does not mean the war could have been won.
Because it could not.
Kursk was one of the largest tank battles ever, and it was Hitler's last attempt to regain the initiative. But the Soviets, through the Lucy spy ring in Britain, were tipped off as to his plans, so they prepared accordingly. So, when the Germans kicked off their offensive, they found a very well prepared enemy, and they were bogged down. In the north, they were stalled and were reduced to trying to take pressure off their colleagues attacking from the south. But other events intervened, namely, the Anglo-American invasion of Sicily, which forced the Germans to call off the campaign and divert troops to meet this new threat.
Von Manstein, who was in charge of the pincer from the south, later wrote that he felt he could feel the enemy cracking and, if the campaign had continued, his forces would have broken through. Perhaps, but perhaps not, because he did not realize the deep reserves the Red Army had, because, shortly after, the Red Army launched their counteroffensive with fresh forces. Yes, he may have broken through, but then he would have hit that brick wall.
That said, from my armchair, the Germans were severely weakened, not only by their loss at Stalingrad but also in North Africa. They should have followed Frederick the Great's admonition, that he who defends everywhere defends nowhere, and pulled back. If they had gotten von Paulus' 6th Army out of Stalingrad, and, if they had done the same with their forces in North Africa and Sicily, not to mention the Channel Islands, the Balkans, and Norway, their Eastern front would have had another million men, and then the Battle of Kursk would have gone differently.
In the end, however, they were still facing daily raids from 1,000 plane bomber fleets, which were reducing their cities to ruins, and, even if they had stopped the Red Army, they would still have had to face invasions from the other side. And that means, as Reichminister of Armaments, Albert Speer said, when people talk of Hitler's mistakes, they may have had a point, but that does not mean the war could have been won.
Because it could not.