German leaders on defeat...

MontyB

All-Blacks Supporter
I found this page to be rather interesting, I dont necessarily believe or agree with their views (for example I don't know that one of them mention the Russians) but they are interesting none the less...

(Lots more at the link provided).


Generaleutnant Adolf Galland
, Chief of Fighters, GAF: "In my opinion, it was the Allied bombing of our oil industries that had the greatest effect on the German war potential. Even our supplies for training new airmen were severely curtailed--we had plenty of planes from the autumn of 1944 on, and there were enough pilots up to the end of that year, but lack of petrol didn't permit the expansion of proper training to the air force as a whole.
"In the African campaign and in Sicily and Italy, Allied successes were largely due to Allied air superiority. In my opinion, strategic bombing never forced any great change in German strategy and planning until after the opening of the invasion. Then, disorganization of German communications in the west by strategic bombing caused withdrawal to the German frontier. In the last two months of the war, the crippling of the German transport system brought about the final collapse."


General Jahn, Commander in Lombardy: "The attacks on the German transport system, coordinated with the serious losses in the fuel industry, had a paralyzing effect not only on the industries attacked but on all other German industries as well."

Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, former Chief of Staff, German ground forces, and Inspector General of armored units: "Lack of German air superiority in Normandy led to complete breakdown of German net of communications. The German Air Force was unable to cope with Allied air superiority in the West."



Generalmajor Albrecht von Massow, A.O.C. Training, GAF: "The attack on German oil production opened in 1944 was the largest factor of all in reducing Germany's war potential."

Generalmajor Herhuth von Rohden, Chief of historical section (Abteilung 8) of Luftwaffe General Staff: "The invasion of Europe would have been impossible without strategic bombing. It was the decisive factor in the long run."



http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ww2/nazis/nazidbrf.htm
 
There would have not been an invasion if the Americans were not there and the Americans would not have been there if Hitler had not declared war on the U.S. this was a very bad move on Hitler's part .
 
Yes it was a bad move on Hitlers part in the short term, personally I think the US would have declared war on Germany at some stage.
 
I found this page to be rather interesting, I dont necessarily believe or agree with their views (for example I don't know that one of them mention the Russians) but they are interesting none the less...

(Lots more at the link provided).


Generaleutnant Adolf Galland
, Chief of Fighters, GAF: "In my opinion, it was the Allied bombing of our oil industries that had the greatest effect on the German war potential. Even our supplies for training new airmen were severely curtailed--we had plenty of planes from the autumn of 1944 on, and there were enough pilots up to the end of that year, but lack of petrol didn't permit the expansion of proper training to the air force as a whole.
"In the African campaign and in Sicily and Italy, Allied successes were largely due to Allied air superiority. In my opinion, strategic bombing never forced any great change in German strategy and planning until after the opening of the invasion. Then, disorganization of German communications in the west by strategic bombing caused withdrawal to the German frontier. In the last two months of the war, the crippling of the German transport system brought about the final collapse."


General Jahn, Commander in Lombardy: "The attacks on the German transport system, coordinated with the serious losses in the fuel industry, had a paralyzing effect not only on the industries attacked but on all other German industries as well."

Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, former Chief of Staff, German ground forces, and Inspector General of armored units: "Lack of German air superiority in Normandy led to complete breakdown of German net of communications. The German Air Force was unable to cope with Allied air superiority in the West."



Generalmajor Albrecht von Massow, A.O.C. Training, GAF: "The attack on German oil production opened in 1944 was the largest factor of all in reducing Germany's war potential."

Generalmajor Herhuth von Rohden, Chief of historical section (Abteilung 8) of Luftwaffe General Staff: "The invasion of Europe would have been impossible without strategic bombing. It was the decisive factor in the long run."



http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ww2/nazis/nazidbrf.htm

This post basically sounds spot on with my finding.
 
Me too as much of it seems to be a case of "It was everyone else but me".

Immediately after the war it was Hitler's fault and since then it has moved on to a countless number excuses but none of them seem to be capable of accepting that they were all the reason Germany lost.

To be spouting on that it was strategic bombing that destroyed Germany is a nonsense especially when Allied reports can't even support the claim. Had it only been fighting one enemy Germany would still be fighting WW2 but it could not match being up against a sizable portion of the world and its resources.
 
Me too as much of it seems to be a case of "It was everyone else but me".

Immediately after the war it was Hitler's fault and since then it has moved on to a countless number excuses but none of them seem to be capable of accepting that they were all the reason Germany lost.

To be spouting on that it was strategic bombing that destroyed Germany is a nonsense especially when Allied reports can't even support the claim. Had it only been fighting one enemy Germany would still be fighting WW2 but it could not match being up against a sizable portion of the world and its resources.

A lot of people blame Hitler for losing the war. However most of his bad decisions came when Germany was retreating on all fronts. Orders such as the no retreat orders issued to Manstein at Korsum and in the west to Von Kluge which lead to the disaster at Falaise came reality late in the war, 44. The war was lost at this time as the strategic infinitive had long since passed to the Soviets and the Allies. Weather it was lost after the battle for Moscow, Stalingrad or Kursk is a matter for great debate.
Certainly the allied air war hindered German Fuel supplies, communications and war industries. One can say that Germany still manages to increase production up until the fall of 44; however it likely would have had even more war machines had the strategic bombing not taken place and just as important more fuel to power those war machines.
The biggest mistake was “stating what you said in another way” Germany made was in pitting itself against the combined resources of the United States, USSR and Britain and her Common Wealth. Germany couldn’t hope to produce enough men and machines to compete against these combined resources. Despite having the most professional army in the world at that time. This is not to knock the Allies or the Soviet armies, but man for man Germany fielded the most professional army with some of the best equipment.
 
I'd actually change that date to 15th September 1940



A thought. I was struggling with your post about how Hitler lost the war by losing the BoB. Perhaps leaving England undefeated did cost him the war, as a result of his invading the USSR and declaring war on the US, Hitler never appreciated the hornets’ nest he left in his backyard.
 
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