Originally Posted by George

Think the Navy was expecting/planning for War in '47-8 start time, not '39. Would have had an interesting fleet by then.

The speed with which Hitler moved and the echoes of World War I, blinded some of the world's major powers to what they faced in Hitler's aggressive movements.

The early German success in WWII was due to the fact that Germany was much more ready to go to war and had been planning for a war for years. By contrast, the Allies had simply been hoping that no war would occur. For years, the German military had been planning ways to reverse their loss in WWI. In the mean time, the Allies were doing no such thing because they were not driven to avenge any loss. Instead, they were simply hoping that the sanctions would prevent German remilitarization and that outdated tactics like the use of the Maginot Line would be effective.

Since Germany had new tactics and was ready for war, it was able to win many early victories while the Allies "played catch-up."

In the final stages of the war, Hitler's military strategies lacked "coherence." It would seem that the element of surprise and the recent "costs" of WWI at first slowed the Allies' ability to successfully respond to Hitler's advancement through Europe.

As a matter of interest Opa, how are your memoirs coming along?

I know.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

As a matter of interest Opa, how are your memoirs coming along?

I know.

It goes slowly forward. It takes time.
There was so much from my time in the intelligence service that I would have loved to tell, especially the funny episodes. But unfortunately I can not.

Originally Posted by Der Alte

It goes slowly forward. It takes time.
There was so much from my time in the intelligence service that I would have loved to tell, especially the funny episodes. But unfortunately I can not.

Understandable of course. However, I would love to read what you are able to write.

I think that the words "unconditional surrender" from Roosevelt at Casablanca in 1943 came as a shock to Hitler. Making a peace deal while in full strength was torpedoed. Maybe it was because of that that he started to make the big blunders. He knew that he had to fight for survival and not for victory.

Germany was so affective in WW2 mainly because of superiority of the Wermacht's small arms as well as their tactics.In their earliest triumpths,the opposition were still using outdated WW1 tactics,that Hitler,and his advisors,had done away with and updated.Many of the Wermacht's tactics,as well as their weapons were forerunners of things being used and done to this very day.The German Army,lest one forget,was the finest army in the world,bar none at the time.The Russians turned the tide with a combination of vastly superior numbers,as well as a savage winter.The T-34 Tank was also a formidable weapon as well.The Russians lost 15 men,to every 1 the Germans lost through 1942,and the British would never have been able to land in Normandy,let alone fight into Germany,had we not entered the war.I have always had,and always wiLL have,a great deal of respect for the German Wermacht in WW2,as well as the Reichswehr in WW1.The U.S. was the difference in both World Wars eventually.

The lost ratio was not 15 to one; in 1942,the Germans lost 1.1 million men,the Soviets6.5 million .
And,the role of the 1941/1942 winter was unimportant for the outcome of the war .

Does that take into account Stalin's kill ratio as well?

Originally Posted by MontyB

Does that take into account Stalin's kill ratio as well?

This isn't call of doody.