Battle of Stalingrad

JasonV

This is an amazing story. A much better perspective than the movies from hollywierd.
Even has some real footage from the battles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csaCO3DzhQ0

JasonV

The same folks have a bunch of ww2 documentaries from the perspective of the Soviets.

Here is the Soviet invasion of Berlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiEK_1Rgvw8

jimdeere

What the videos can’t show is the stench of death, the screams, the blood. Nor the fear, the fatigue, the lack of food and water. Hell on earth.

JasonV

KenK/84Bravo said:

Do you ever watch WWII in Color, on the History Channel Jason? (Ch. 120 Dish Network.)

Good stuff.

Yes but I think I have seen them all. They are all great.

These videos I find particularly interesting as the focus is on the soviets.

SCOUT5

One of the most epic battles in the history of man kind.   Keeping in mind that all battles are epic to those involved in them even if history doesn't record it that way.

notnow

In terms of the size, the duration ,the conditions and the significance it seems the rest of world war II was a fight behind the bleachers. Meaning no disrespect to the sacrifice of any others. I have a hard time comprehending the numbers. The millions of troops. And the distances. It's gruesomely fascinating.

discusdad

soviets lost 20 million people during the conflict....germany  on all fronts,  lost 9 million...those numbers are just too staggering to really comprehend.. 

Don McManus

Stalingrad is where Uncle Joe beat Hitler. After that, it was just a matter of time and material for the Soviet army to take Berlin. As big a turning point, if not bigger, than the battle of Midway in the Pacific. The invasion at Normandy did. It prevent the French from speaking German, it prevented them from speaking Russian.

4205raymond

My hunting partner Gerhard, since 1965 was a Berlin trained toolmaker and escaped the yoke of communist oppression in Berlin. Finished up his career with over 15 years at IBM. His dad was in German Army in siege of Stalingrad. His dad was petrified on his return from Stalingrad that the Soviets would capture him and render a horrible death but he survived. I should mention that when my friend was nine yrs old parents came to him and said "we will have a visitor for a couple of months, ( a little Jewish boy Gerhards age) you can never speak of this". My friend is not doing well at all and just sold his home and moved in with his grandson. Gerhard asked me if I wanted anything he owned to remember him by and I could not answer. He gave me a Mauser and his Passport with his picture, German Eagle, stamp impressions, lung x-ray the whole nine yards. He told me the passport was his most precious possession. It was his ticket to Freedom and the nicest gift I have ever received in my life. Freedom is not Free.----------------------Ray

ltcdoty

Of the 91,000 Germans captured at Stalingrad,  only approximately 6,000 of them lived to be repatriated after the war. Paybacks a bi*ch...

Sam06

Check out the Aleutian island campaign.  I think it had the highest causality rate of any campaign the US fought in WW2. 

The Japs did a bonzai charge on and American field hospital and used bayonets and grenades on the casualty's then fought to the death or killed themselves.

jimdeere

“ I should mention that when my friend was nine yrs old parents came to him and said "we will have a visitor for a couple of months, ( a little Jewish boy Gerhards age) you can never speak of this". 

Ray, those parents were heroes, too.

4205raymond

jimdeere said:

“ I should mention that when my friend was nine yrs old parents came to him and said "we will have a visitor for a couple of months, ( a little Jewish boy Gerhards age) you can never speak of this". 

Ray, those parents were heroes, too.

Often wondered how a German Infantryman could protect a Jewish child in hiding and go off to fight in the Siege of Stalingrad. Was it to protect the Fatherland or do as Hitler ordered? Somewhere I read that German troops were so decimated before Stalingrad that many young men (boys) were ordered into battle with sticks into machine gun fire. They were told when you kill the Soviets take their arms from the battlefield. Problem solved.

I am sure many of the German people refused to accept what was really happening. I believe it was General Eisenhower who marched some of village fathers into death camps and said don't ever say this never happened, because it did. 

I am ashamed that my friend escaped communism in Berlin and came to this beautiful country for Freedom and has had to witness all the horrible things of late.---------Ray

Addendum: I should have noted that my friend Gerhard was drafted into the US Army not long after arriving here and served in a heavy weapons platoon in Germany. He was also his CO's interpreter.

JasonV

I work with someone who immigrated from Armenia in 1992.

It fun to here her talk about the Soviets. She told me the stereotype of a vodka drinking Russion is true. All drunks according to her.