MontyB
All-Blacks Supporter
army at the end of the war, we are led to believe that by 1945 the German army is made up mainly of old men and boys, starved of fuel and supplies yet looking at the videos of German troops surrendering at the end of the war I do not see huge quantities of old men or boys and I see long lines of vehicles loaded with troops and civilians heading off into captivity or at least trying to get back to Germany which doesn't really tie in with the lack of fuel.
I have often wondered what the real state of the Wehrmacht was in May 1945 ever since listening to my father and uncles stories of them being told the war was over by Germans just outside Trieste rather than Allied headquarters, obviously it could not fight on and was beaten but was it in the mess history paints it?
A few videos for reference...
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq32AjE9oMU"]Jagdtigers Surrender at Iserlohn in 1945 - YouTube[/ame]
http://resources.ushmm.org/film/display/detail.php?file_num=3304
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kowbXGifALU"]1945 UNEDITED RAW FOOTAGE! The Wehrmacht Leaves Italy Escorted by the US Army - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc90LIXp6UI"]German soldiers surrender in West Bohemia 1945 part 5 - YouTube[/ame]
I have often wondered what the real state of the Wehrmacht was in May 1945 ever since listening to my father and uncles stories of them being told the war was over by Germans just outside Trieste rather than Allied headquarters, obviously it could not fight on and was beaten but was it in the mess history paints it?
A few videos for reference...
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq32AjE9oMU"]Jagdtigers Surrender at Iserlohn in 1945 - YouTube[/ame]
http://resources.ushmm.org/film/display/detail.php?file_num=3304
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kowbXGifALU"]1945 UNEDITED RAW FOOTAGE! The Wehrmacht Leaves Italy Escorted by the US Army - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc90LIXp6UI"]German soldiers surrender in West Bohemia 1945 part 5 - YouTube[/ame]