Stereotypes About The Red Army And Russia

[Owen]

This book?http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/f/...ester/ship.htm

[Za Rodinu]

That's the one, a definite must-read! The webpage says on the Mediterranean, but I swear it was very much the North Cape!

[lancesergeant]

At first it would sound logical from a logistical point of view to ship the transport, munitions etc across from the West Coast to say Vladivostok - but then they would have to get across the Russian continent, East to West. Considering the vast distance they would have to travel and the climate involved, does one think that Murmansk must have been looked at as the lesser of two evils or it was closer to the actual main front. The convoy from the east would have to travel at least 3 or 4 thousand miles over inhospitable climate with no refuelling or fuel dumps.

The loss of ships,manpower and equipment is saddening but desperate times deperate measures. PQ17 and other savagely hit convoys spring to mind.

[lancesergeant]

Apologies I didn't make the first line make sense. When I said it sounded logical to go from the West Coast to Vladivostok - I was thinking from a risk viewpoint. The logistical element would have been measurably less risk than the sea lanes to Murmansk. Once on dry land there is the bugbear of crossing the Russia mainland.

There is going to be a great loss of equipment by supply Russia via Murmansk but since the Baltic is out of the question and the Germans know that Murmansk is the only available port nearest to the Eastern Front that could deal with the amounts involved. Shipping already has to navigate the North Cape and the perils of icing on the superstructures, but then said shipping comes into the narrowing area of the port and high losses become inevitable.

[jimbotosome]

Originally Posted by Za Rodinu

By the way, this reminds me of a novel I read in the past, The Ship by C.S.Forester, of Horatio Hornblower fame, written in 1943.

The book tells of a Murmansk run on a fictional AA cruiser, and it is so pungent that I never had the gut to read it again. No better depiction of the sacrifice!

The Hornblower series, that an awesome series. Forester was a genius author. I haven't read the books but I have collected the A&E series on DVD. I believe it was even more popular in the US than it was in Britain. It actually had you pulling for the British! (just kidding!)

I am not sure but I think the Brits made that series did they not? It couldn't have be made in Hollywood because they would have required the script be modified to make Horatio a flamboyant gay character and the British and the French would have been the "best of friends" and would have spent a lot of time skinny-dipping together rather than fighting.

[Za Rodinu]

Originally Posted by lancesergeant

Once on dry land there is the bugbear of crossing the Russia mainland.

Well, that's what the Transsiberian railline was there for, since the Czar times

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

[spidge]

Wasn't this about an action in the Med against the Italians? I read it 30 years ago at least as I have a greater interest in North Africa and the Med.

Possibly I am thinking of another similar title!

[spidge]

This did tie up an enormous number of U-Boats and it would have been reasonable to consider that the British would not allow Germany to "own" any waters.

Commitment to Stalin by Churchill & Roosevelt would have undoubtedly been the basis of driving the treacherous route which eventually saw the highest loss of life per capita (1 in 24?) for the MM, which I believe was the highest of any branch of the "armed" forces.

Britain's production for The Soviets was based on speed and as you say, it was the shortest route whereas Vladivostok allowed the safe delivery of Lend-Lease but by far the longest delivery once it was landed.

Murmansk to Leningrad 1000kms - Vladivostok to Leningrad 9000kms.

[kfz]

Originally Posted by GUMALANGI

Nice sites spidge,...

But i can't found any sherman thereI thought Shermans were part of the package as well.,...

am not too sure where is this sherman roaming,.. but i was thought this was part of russian crewed sherman.

Thats an interesting pic. Looks like thats eithera firefly which is a bit strange cos i didnt think these where lend leased being in such short supply or its a Soviet conversion. The muzzle brake doesnt look right for firefly...

[Za Rodinu]

What pic are you talking about, kfz?