Biggest Mistake of WWII

[Exxley]

(ourbill @ Feb 11 2006, 09:43 PM) [post=45651]Exxley

I have a bad memory these days, I knew it was a large number of horses but not that many! Thanks for jogging my memory.

I don't quite understand if you agree with my theory or not. The first really bad snow and frost killed off most horses and stopped the trucks because the Russians destroyed all the fodder in the fields and the trucks had the wrong oils. etc.

I suppose the Germans thought it a good idea at the time, I've never read anywhere the reasons for the reliance on horse power, I suppose it was to keep up with the following infantry and most of the trucks went with the attacking front lines. I must look into that further but at the moment I'm still in the desert with the First Army, perhaps, as it appears, you are far more informed than I am and can point me in the right direction.

Roger
[/b]

Hi Roger

well, I think noone would been able to guess that the Germans did have hundreds of thousands of horses for Barbarossa lol. I was quite shocked myself when I saw that figure for the first time.

The reason why they had to rely on horse power: they didnt have enough motor vehicles to fully equip all their artillery and supply units (even by looting vehicles from everywhere in Europe). Hence why most Infantry divisions had to rely on horses.

[Rommel]

One of the main reasons was that Germany and every countrie couldnt afford to make a fully Armoured division.

[Herroberst]

Originally Posted by JeremyScott

The Germans would have been better off taking Malta.

Agreed

The Germans should have also taken Gibralter.

[spidge]

Agreed that it should have been attempted however Hitler could not convince his friend the Spaniard.

Me thinks Franco was a bit too clever for Adolf.

[Herroberst]

Interesting Geoff and good point(who survived the war) but didn't Franco owe a huge debt to the Condor Legion?

[Exxley]

Originally Posted by Herroberst

Interesting Geoff and good point(who survived the war) but didn't Franco owe a huge debt to the Condor Legion?

Franco did send the Division Azul to the Eastern Front, which means way more men than the Condor Legion.

[Herroberst]

División Azul...Excellent(Must be said like Khan(Ricardo Montalbahn), Space Seed Feb 16, 1967, Star Trek)

20,000 Germans versus 47,000 Spainish...Excellent

Yes...(Must be said drawn out like Spock in Arena episode)But which side was more effective in helping the other at that point in time?

[spidge]

Originally Posted by Herroberst

Interesting Geoff and good point(who survived the war) but didn't Franco owe a huge debt to the Condor Legion?

As Exxley said that debt was paid.

Franco knew that if he attacked Gibraltar, Britain would take the Canary Islands.

Britain and the US were supplying him with huge amounts of imports to keep him neutral.

Added to this, a week before their October 23rd meeting, (Hitler & Franco) it was common knowledge that 16,000,000 Americans had registered for the draft and one way or another, America would enter the war. Franco was then already looking towards the end of the conflict and Spain’s position in the post war re shuffle.

[lancesergeant]

Didn't Hitler say that he would sooner pull his own teeth than talk with Franco. Franco wasn't daft. It's a valid point about Gibraltar. A narrow shipping lane at the best of times. It would put a stranglehold on the Med in no time at all. Also resupply to troops in North Africa would be nearly impossible. Can see now why the US and Britain kept him sweet.

[Harry Ree]

Originally Posted by lancesergeant

Didn't Hitler say that he would sooner pull his own teeth than talk with Franco. Franco wasn't daft. It's a valid point about Gibraltar. A narrow shipping lane at the best of times. It would put a stranglehold on the Med in no time at all. Also resupply to troops in North Africa would be nearly impossible. Can see now why the US and Britain kept him sweet.

Franco depended on the US for the very existence of Spain during the Second World War.All Spain's oil was imported from the US and the majority of its grain.Franco knew if he showed an active alliance with Hitler,that the US and Great Britain would retaliate with sanctions and he would also lose overseas trade with the US.

From a military point,Franco well underastood Hitler could not provide assault weapons to take Gibralter and saw himself as being called upon to play a leading role which he was reluctant to do.

Further he was also aware that if he joined the Axis alliance there was a danger of the civil war being rekindled and it would not be the same internal struggle as before,this time the US and British Governments would take a leading role in deposing him.The decision he took not to become active in the Axis alliance kept him in power for another 30 years.Spain remained anti British and was a haven as an Axis spy base but there is no doubt that Spain would have been an occupied country post war had it entered the war on Hitler's side.