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jimbotosome · 30-11-2005, 05:07 AM

I have heard it often argued by many that if Stalingrad had fallen then Russia would have fallen. I don't really buy this. The Russians would not have simply rolled over. Would Britain give up if London had fallen? Of course they wouldn't have, that's a ridiculous argument. Germany bombed the ying-yang out of London but all it did was fill the Brits with more and more resolve. I am convinced personally that the one and only reason Germany lost in Russia is because of the cold. The fact that the German tanks and artillery barrels cracked from the cold and that their equipment was always freezing to where they were effectively disarmed, cut off from supplies in one of the coldest winters ever.

But I now think Germany was done for when they invaded Poland. The rest seems to become academic. There is no way the US could have stayed out forever and when the American and British Air Forces linked up, then no matter what Hitler had done, or what battles they had won or how they had used this equipment or that equipment, it was a done deal.

I personally believe Rommel was the best general of the entire war, strategically, tactically and in character but he won his last battle at Kassarine Pass against US troops. Let's face it. Neither Britain nor America were really ready for a major war and Germany being a warring nation was and had prepared for eight years. Rommel drove the British across Africa and was ready to put them away until the air started changing the equation. Suddenly it was Rommel on the run from the British. Air power destroyed not only the strength of Rommel's armor but also his supply. If you had taken the entire German Army and Luftwaffe in the Eastern front, these two nation's air power would have still quickly destroyed it just as they did in France. The number of tanks, trucks and supply the RAF and USAAF would have destroyed is not limited. It is simply as much as the Germans could have mustered. It might have taken an extra six months if all the army’s and equipment on the eastern front was moved to the western front.

The German's had the British knocked down on the canvas in their conquering of France. If there had been a chance at all it would have been their. Their inability to defeat the British in the Battle of Britain meant the end of the entire empire even though it did seem that way. The Luftwaffe had enough trouble facing the RAF alone, to add in the USAAF, its “game over”. The entire war with Russia had a negligible effect on WWII.

30-11-2005, 05:07 AM	#11 (permalink)
jimbotosome Very Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,019	I have heard it often argued by many that if Stalingrad had fallen then Russia would have fallen. I don't really buy this. The Russians would not have simply rolled over. Would Britain give up if London had fallen? Of course they wouldn't have, that's a ridiculous argument. Germany bombed the ying-yang out of London but all it did was fill the Brits with more and more resolve. I am convinced personally that the one and only reason Germany lost in Russia is because of the cold. The fact that the German tanks and artillery barrels cracked from the cold and that their equipment was always freezing to where they were effectively disarmed, cut off from supplies in one of the coldest winters ever. But I now think Germany was done for when they invaded Poland. The rest seems to become academic. There is no way the US could have stayed out forever and when the American and British Air Forces linked up, then no matter what Hitler had done, or what battles they had won or how they had used this equipment or that equipment, it was a done deal. I personally believe Rommel was the best general of the entire war, strategically, tactically and in character but he won his last battle at Kassarine Pass against US troops. Let's face it. Neither Britain nor America were really ready for a major war and Germany being a warring nation was and had prepared for eight years. Rommel drove the British across Africa and was ready to put them away until the air started changing the equation. Suddenly it was Rommel on the run from the British. Air power destroyed not only the strength of Rommel's armor but also his supply. If you had taken the entire German Army and Luftwaffe in the Eastern front, these two nation's air power would have still quickly destroyed it just as they did in France. The number of tanks, trucks and supply the RAF and USAAF would have destroyed is not limited. It is simply as much as the Germans could have mustered. It might have taken an extra six months if all the army’s and equipment on the eastern front was moved to the western front. The German's had the British knocked down on the canvas in their conquering of France. If there had been a chance at all it would have been their. Their inability to defeat the British in the Battle of Britain meant the end of the entire empire even though it did seem that way. The Luftwaffe had enough trouble facing the RAF alone, to add in the USAAF, its “game over”. The entire war with Russia had a negligible effect on WWII.