How close did the German army get to Moscow?
10-12 miles
And so, the Wehrmacht kept going long past the point of diminishing returns, inching forward until advanced German formations were ridiculously close to Moscow, just 10-12 miles. In getting there, however, the Germans had fought themselves down to the last man and tank.
When did the Soviets stop the Germans at the Volga?
January 31, 1943
The Soviets surrounded the German Sixth Army, which surrendered (against the orders of Adolf Hitler) on January 31, 1943.
Why didn’t Germany take Moscow?
Some suggestions could be the prevalence of horse transport in the German infantry, the lack of winter clothing, the rain in the Fall 1941, soviet reinforcements taken from other fronts, a larger number of Soviet troops than Germany expected, the delaying battles by doomed Soviet forces in other cities.
How many German soldiers died in the siege of Leningrad?
5,723
German shelling and bombing killed 5,723 and wounded 20,507 civilians in Leningrad during the siege.
What would have happened if Stalingrad fell?
The victory of Axis powers in Stalingrad would have prompted Turkey, according to the agreements, to enter the war with the USSR. In 1942, mobilization was carried out in Turkey, its armed forces reached a population of 1 million people.
Could Germany have defeated the Soviet Union?
Thus, if Hitler had allowed his generals to capture Moscow first, the Germans likely have won the war. Due to Hitler’s rosy predictions for a swift Soviet collapse and an end to the war in the East by December 1941, Germany failed to produce winter clothing for his invading troops.
What happened to the German soldiers who surrendered at Stalingrad?
On January 31, Von Paulus surrendered German forces in the southern sector, and on February 2 the remaining German troops surrendered. Only 90,000 German soldiers were still alive, and of these only 5,000 troops would survive the Soviet prisoner-of-war camps and make it back to Germany.
What if Germany had not invaded the Soviet Union?
Quote from Youtube video:From so for a bit their main focus would be with japan.
Why did Germany lose to the Soviet Union?
These were: the lack of productivity of its war economy, the weak supply lines, the start of a war on two fronts, and the lack of strong leadership. Following the invasion of the Soviet Union, using the Blitzkrieg tactic, the German Army marched far into Russia.
What would happen if Germany invaded Britain?
Quote from Youtube video:So if you were a German soldier in the invasion you'd be placed in a modified river boat if you were lucky yours would actually control itself.
What is Stalingrad today?
Volgograd
The Russian city once known as Stalingrad is to regain its old name during commemorations of the famous World War II battle on Saturday. It has been officially known as Volgograd since 1961, when it was renamed to remove its association with Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
Who was the longest held prisoner of war?
He was one of the longest-held American prisoner of war in U.S. history that was returned or captured by troops, spending nearly nine years in captivity in the forests and mountains of South Vietnam and Laos, and in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.
| Floyd James Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Are there any German survivors of Stalingrad?
After weeks of desperate fighting 100,000 surviving Germans went into Russian captivity. Six thousand survived, returning to Germany after the war. Of them, 35 are still alive today.
Who is the youngest ww2 vet still alive?
Through some cunning lies, Calvin Graham is the youngest confirmed soldier to serve in World War II.
Is anyone from ww1 still alive?
The last combat veteran was Claude Choules, who served in the British Royal Navy (and later the Royal Australian Navy) and died , aged 110. The last veteran who served in the trenches was Harry Patch (British Army), who died on , aged 111.
Is Germany still paying reparations for ww2?
Germany started making reparations payments to Holocaust survivors back in the 1950s, and continues making payments today. Some 400,000 Jews who survived the Nazis were still alive in 2019. That year, Germany paid $564 million to the Claims Conference, which handles the payments.
Is Japan still paying for ww2?
In total, Japan’s government agreed to make a payment of $6.67million to the International Red Cross, as compensation to former prisoners of war.
Is Germany still not allowed to have an army?
Even now Germany remains bound by military constraints — under the Treaty for the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, which returned the country’s sovereignty in 1991, German armed forces are limited to 370,000 personnel, of whom no more than 345,000 are allowed to be in the army and air force.
What was the difference between German soldiers and SS?
The Allgemeine SS was responsible for enforcing the racial policy of Nazi Germany and general policing, whereas the Waffen-SS consisted of combat units within Nazi Germany’s military.
Did the SS have tattoos?
The SS blood group tattoo was applied, in theory, to all Waffen-SS members, except members of the British Free Corps. It was a small black ink tattoo located on the underside of the left arm. It generally measured around 7 millimetres (1⁄4 in) long and was placed roughly 20 centimetres (8 in) above the elbow.
Who was Hitler’s deadliest general?
Otto Skorzeny
| Otto Skorzeny | |
|---|---|
| Years of service | 1931–1945 |
| Rank | Obersturmbannführer |
| Commands held | Sonder Lehrgang Oranienburg SS Panzer Brigade 150 |
| Battles/wars | World War II Eastern Front Operation Oak Operation Panzerfaust Battle of the Bulge (Operation Greif) |
What did the SS stand for in the German army?
Schutzstaffel
SS, abbreviation of Schutzstaffel (German: “Protective Echelon”), the black-uniformed elite corps and self-described “political soldiers” of the Nazi Party.
What letter is SS in English?
The German ligature (additional character): The letter ß, is also known as the “sharp S“, “eszett” or “scharfes S”, and is the only German letter that is not part of the Latin/Roman alphabet. The letter is pronounced (like the “s” in “see”). The ß is not used in any other language.
Was The Odessa File a true story?
The Odessa File is based on the true story of a freelance journalist, Peter Miller, (played here by Jon Voight) who, purely by chance, ends up being involved in the search for a Nazi war criminal by the name of Eduard Roschmann, also known as the ‘Butcher of Riga’.
How many SS Panzer divisions were there?
Thus by late 1943 there were seven Waffen-SS panzer divisions: Liebstandarte, Das Reich, Totenkopf, Wiking, Hohenstaufen, Frundsberg and Hitlerjugend.
Why are German tanks GREY?
At the start of the conflict, Germans used very simple patterns of camouflage. All vehicles were painted in gray Panzergrau color (RAL 7021). With experience gained on battlefields across the Europe, it became clear that additional camouflage would be necessary. At first, tank crews used…
What was the most elite panzer division?
The Panzer-Lehr-Division
The Panzer-Lehr-Division, commonly known as Panzer Lehr, was a German armored division during World War II, one of the most elite units in the entire German Wehrmacht.
What was the best Waffen-SS unit?
Re: Best division in the Waffen SS??
- Totenkopf in the Demjansk pocket.
- Das Reich during the defensive battles west of Charkow in August and September 1943.
- Leibstandarte drive along the sea of Azov in 1941.
- Leibstandarte east of Jitomir in November and early December 1943.
What tanks were in the 2nd Panzer Division?
Battle of the Bulge
On the eve of battle, 2nd Panzer was about full strength, with 27 Panzer IVs, 58 Panthers, and 48 StuG III assault guns in the division tank parks. During the attack, 2nd Panzer drove towards the crucial road junction of Bastogne.
Did the SS have a panzer division?
The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (German: 2. SS-Panzerdivision “Das Reich”) or SS Division Das Reich was an elite division of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II, formed from the regiments of the SS-VT.