Bombing of Kassa 27th June 1941

Hungary still out of war but on the 27th June the city of Kassa was bombed with several people dead and wounded.

It was informed that the planes were Russian bombers but this is not known for sure.

In any case this was considered the final reason and Hungary declared war on the USSR.

More info on the subject:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtop...aaf38a9e697b8a

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Zhukov

When asked why he despised the Fleet so much he reframed the question. ( Zhukov first )

"Tell me what does Russia do first when attacked?"

" A Czar´s manifesto or a government´s statement is issued?"

"Wrong!"

"Mobilization starts?"

"No. It sinks its navy."

( Over the previous hundred years the Russian Navy had scuttled its ships three times...)

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The encirclement of Berlin was complete on 25th April when at Ketzin elements of 4th Guards
( Koniev ) and 47th Army ( Zhukov ) met.

H Altner "Berlin dance of death"

It is also interesting that Helmut witnessed troops being clothed by Waffen-SS so that even men up to the age of 70 years could be seen wearing Waffen-SS camouflage clothing and fighting...

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Walther Model ironically became one of the not so many commanders along the entire front in the winter of 1941 to protest (!) against a decision to retreat in Russia.

(Actually he had a good position at lama river which explains why...)

From Hitler´s commander by S Newton

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" Have you burned yet?" was a common question for tank men to ask each other when they met for the first time. A dark joke from this stage in the war has a politruk informing a young man that almost every tank man in his group has died that day. " I´m sorry." the young man replies, " I´ll make sure that I burn tomorrow!"

Ivan´s war by C Merridale

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Between July and Decemeber 1941 1,339,702 people were put on trial , and 67.4 % of them were sent to gulags...

From Stalin´s folly by C Pleshakov

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11 million decorations were awarded to soldiers of the Soviet military between 1941 and 1945. By contrast, the United States awarded only 1,400,409. The US Army often took as long as six months to process individual awards. In Stalin´s army the equivalent was frequently three days.

From "Ivan´s war" C Merridale

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Ragnar Johansson

Swedish volunteer for Waffen-SS.

He was killed during the battle of Berlin (1 May 1945) when he was driving Hans-Gösta Pehrsson's command car as it was hit and destroyed by enemy fire.

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=2761



According to Thorolf Hillblad´s book " Twilight of the Gods" the body to the right ( and front ) of the SdKfz is Ragnar Johansson, Nordland unit´s last casualty.

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On june 1941 from C Pleshakov´s "Stalin´s folly":

Radio transmitters remained scarce for the Red Army. The Baltic military district had just 52% of the required number, the Kiev Military district 30% and the Western MD 27%.

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As we know Stalin did not get information on what was happening ( nor could respond to fast changes ) and this definitely can be said to be due to poor radio contact between the two, I think.

Also: " In May 1941, Soviet border Guards captured 353 men trying to cross the border, in the first ten days of June 108."

Which means many agents who got over and destroyed the usual means of communication, the telephone cables, just before the Barbarossa begun.

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Also from " Stalin´s folly"

German planes constantly violated the Soviet airspace. Between June 10-19 the frontier was violated no fewer than 86 times , on June 20-21 , 55 times. eEch time the aircraft flew at least 20 miles deep.

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Stalin has also been warned of the invasion but paid no attention to his advisors and spies and never thought that Hitler would dare break his pact with soviet union. BIG MISTAKE!!

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The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness. -Adolf Hitler

Im sure Stalin had a slight idea of what might happen to the pact after all you dont postion 3 million troops on the border of a country for nothing.

It may of been the planned withdraw of the soviets during the first half year of the campaign that stopped the Germans from advancing any deeper into Moscow.

If the Soviets stood and fought insteed of melting away at the beginning of the invasion then there would of been a stong chance of them being destroyed.That would leave nothing to stop the German drive towards Moscow.

Rifleman interesting point and I must agree with the fact of how Stalin could not of foreseen that. However the rusian troops never melted or retreated they were all captured. Infact more then 3 million of them were captured or killed with the first 3 months. The troops that reinforced moscows front line came from siberia and heavy fortifications set up by the population.

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The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness. -Adolf Hitler

also please be advised that more then 20 thousand villages stood in the way of the german army when it advanced, that is what stood in their way along with partisan movments and pockets of resistence. Keep in mind rifleman that the soviet line started at the other half of poland thats over 1000 miles to moscow.

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The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness. -Adolf Hitler

overall the the russian soldier defending his homeland and his family is what beat the german army......His willingness to fight 3 men to 1 rifle and on an empty stomach freezing and with inadequet weaponry ( in the beginning ) is what broke down the german war machine. By the way im a horrible speller sorry about that lol.

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The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness. -Adolf Hitler

Wasnt the siberians made up of around 60 div so then if the main body of the Soviet army is destroyed then the odds are like 200 div - 60.
correct me if im wrong please

im a horrid speller asswell

All of a sudden I stopped seeing any "interesting stats and facts" as the thread name says. Could you two please open another thread for your interesting dialogue?

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No Rest for the Wicked!

I would love to open a thread to this topic however Im brand new, lol. not sure how to do that.

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The war against Russia will be such that it cannot be conducted in a knightly fashion. This struggle is one of ideologies and racial differences and will have to be conducted with unprecedented, unmerciful and unrelenting harshness. -Adolf Hitler

Go to the bottom left and press the "New Topic" button.

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No Rest for the Wicked!

The Lavochkin was the only Soviet fighter to shoot down a German jet, with La-7 ace Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub fighting and downing one Me 262 jet on February 15, 1945 over eastern Germany. Kozhedub apparently later said that his success was mainly due to the Me 262 pilot attempting to out-turn his more maneuverable plane.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262

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The first museum of the Great Patriotic War was established in March 1943.

FRom the book "Ivan´s war"

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